System for housing a personal S.C.U.B.A diving audio system

• US 6,396,769 B1
• Filed: 10/04/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vinci Brands LLC
• Original Assignee: Rany Polany
• Inventors: Polany, Rany
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US09/411,983
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 367/131,132,141,165,173,188
• US Class Current: 367/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/44 Special adaptations for subaqueous use, e.g. for hydrophone

Abstract

A submersible, hydrostatic pressure tolerant enclosure is presented for a portable radio, tape recorder/player, minidisk player, mp3 player, cellular phone, or other devices used for projecting audio, in the form of a rigid unified membrane with a built in stereo jack adapter capable of a pressure resistant coupling to a stereo jack. Also presented is a removable rigid lid allowing for the inserting and removing of the device from the enclosure, which is comprised of recessed sealing compression o-rings and control knobs to externally manipulate the internal device. Also provided is a hydraulic coupler system adapted into the frame of the housing that contains a stereo jack adapter that connects to a submersible pressure resistant scuba mask strap speaker system. The speakers have the ability to rotate horizontally and vertically to be positioned near the ear canal or moved out of the way in case of an emergency. These speakers system also contain a device that will provide the means for regulating amplification to maintain fidelity. As a unified system, this invention safely, hydrodynamically, and economically enables a scuba diver to listen to a high fidelity audio track from a portable device while underwater in a pressurized environment.

Claims

1. A pressure resistant, hydrostatically sealed, portable housing and external speaker system for a personal audio device for use by scuba divers while underwater and exposed to ambient pressure, comprising of:

a rigid unified container and lid, said housing having an opening for receiving the device, means for sealing said opening with lid and secure latching mechanisms, means for externally controlling the internal device, means for connecting the device to an audio jack in the housing,

means for connecting an electrical audio cable to said housing audio jack with a variable resistor in the cable, and

stereo earphones operatively attached to the other end of said cable, said earphones each including a rigid, sealed housing, containing the operative components of the earphone including several piezoelectric speakers operating at variable frequencies to compensate for the dampening effect of audio in water.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the rigid housing is made of a lightweight, non-flexible rigid material having a bottom, front, rear, right side, and left side which define an interior chamber of a single unified structure that can snuggly accommodate an electronic audio device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a rigid lid latches onto the housing and seals the housing unit along the top perimeter of the housing, wherein the seal between the lid and the housing comprises a compression based o-ring technology.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

control knobs for externally manipulating the internal device, wherein the control knobs are located on the housing;

a plurality of camshafts surrounded by compression sealing mechanisms for preventing water from influxing into the interior of the housing; and

a spring mechanism surrounding the external portion of the camshafts between the lid and the control knobs for maintaining an outward force on the control knobs;

wherein the lid has a space provided in the bottom side for allowing free horizontal rotation and vertical alignment of the internal device.

5. The system of claim 2, in which a fixed stereo jack adapter is constructed into the body of the housing and plugs into the internal device.

6. The system of claim 5, in which an exterior coupling device is used to join and seal the stereo jack adapter to the audio cable.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the coupling device comprises a wireless transmitter.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless transmitter is adapted to be rotated around its axis to modulate amplification of the sound from the internal device.

9. The system of claim 6 in which an external, pressure resistant, waterproof, variable resistor is used for adjusting the volume of the sound produced by the internal device, wherein the resistor is connected to the exterior coupling.

10. The system of claim 1 in which a waterproof earphone apparatus, comprising:

Speakers for resonating sound in response to electrical impulses generated by the device, including flexible waterproof wire leads connected to said speaker for conducting electrical impulses to the speaker, rigid housing for containing electrical circuitry and speakers, swivel mechanism for rotating the speaker housing unit around in a full 360 capacity, hollow frame to which the speaker housing arms are attached allowing a mask strap to feed through, a flexible cushioning material for feeding a mask strap through and offering greater support for mask strap speaker system.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising components which attach a wireless receiver to the mask strap.

12. The system of claim 1 in which the entire system is capable of maintaining a hydrostatic and waterproof seal in highly pressurized aquatic environments.

13. A personal audio system for use by a scuba diver comprising:

a waterproof housing adapted to withstand the pressure experienced by said scuba diver;

a device for converting sound or data recorded on a medium to audio signals, said device being positioned inside said waterproof housing; and

components for transferring audio signals from said audio device to the ears of said scuba diver.

14. An audio system for underwater use comprising:

a housing having a rigid container and a lid adapted to fit the container, wherein the container has an opening for receiving an audio device;

components which provide a waterproof seal between the container and the lid in the area of the opening;

components which secure the lid to the container;

components which externally control the device;

components which connect the device to an audio jack, wherein in the audio jack is attached to the housing;

components which connect an audio communication link to the audio jack; and

earphones connected to the communication link, wherein the operative components of the earphone are contained within a rigid, sealed enclosure.