This invention relates to headphones and similar devices which have one or more earpieces and a headband which supports the earpieces on a user's head.
Headphone apparatus itself is well known, comprising three general components, a headband and two earpieces. Although the present disclosure primarily describes embodiments having two earpieces, single earpiece embodiments could be provided. Also, the apparatus may additionally include a microphone. Similarly, although the description in this document refers to embodiments which are effectively super aural headphones, embodiments which are circumaural, or in the ear headphones could also be provided. Similarly, embodiments in which the structure is used to provide ear muffs or ear warmers are also possibilities within the scope of the present disclosure.
Although many headphone products are designed for “high end” uses such as HI fidelity listening experiences, active noise reduction etc., there is a need for inexpensive headphones. This need is apparent in some industries such as the airline industry for example where headphones are frequently used by passengers for inflight entertainment.
Although some passengers are happy to pay for enhanced entertainment experiences, there is a significant market for low cost fares and corresponding low cost entertainment solutions. In particular, in an airline environment headphones can frequently be damaged or lost so it is also highly desirable to not only provide an inexpensive headphone product, but one which is also relatively simple and robust. Moreover, the solution should be easily repairable or replaceable so as to minimize the cost associated with replacing headphones or headphone parts.
A further difficulty is that efficient storage of headphones or headphone components is also important in the airline industry. When headphones are not in use they need to be capable of being stored efficiently and compactly i.e. with a minimum spatial requirement.
It is an object to the present invention to provide an improved headphone apparatus, or to at least provide headphone apparatus which will provide a useful alternative to existing constructions.
In one aspect, this disclosure broadly provides a headphone apparatus that includes a headband and an earpiece supported by the headband, wherein the headband includes two resilient conductive elements separated by an insulator, the conductive elements providing a conductive path for an electrical signal or supply to the earpiece.
In some embodiments, the earpiece is supra aural, and in other embodiments, the earpiece may be circumaural. In some embodiments, the earpiece may be partially or fully located inside the ear or ear canal.
The insulator may include one or more pieces of insulating material which separates the resilient conductor elements.
In some embodiments, the insulator maintains the conductive elements in position relative to each other.
In certain embodiments, the resilient conductor elements are constructed from a spring-like conductive material such as spring steel. In particular embodiments, the earpiece is slideably adjustable along the headband so as to enable the earpiece to be positioned selectively for listening in comfort by the user.
The earpiece may have one or more sliding contacts which make electrical contact with the conductive elements of the headband to thereby pass electrical power or signals to the earpiece. The electrical signals include audio frequency electrical signals (audio signals).
In some embodiments, the earpiece(s) are slideably moveable along the headband to adjust the position of the earpiece.
In particular embodiments, the earpiece(s) can be slideably removed from the headband. Preferably, the earpiece or another earpiece can be slid onto the headband.
In certain embodiments, one earpiece receives an audio signal and passes the audio signal to the other earpiece via the headband.
In some embodiments, one earpiece is connected to an audio cable to receive audio signals.
In particular embodiments, an input audio signal which may include a two channel signal is provided to one earpiece such that at least one channel is received by the first earpiece, and the second channel is provided to the conductive elements for receipt by a second earpiece at the other end of the headband.
Two additional channels may be used to pass noise cancellation (anti-noise) signals to the seat arm where active noise cancellation electronics or support is provided.
In certain embodiments, the headband is contoured those to enable the earpiece or earpieces to be selectively disposed in a storage orientation. The headband may include a contour to enable the earpiece(s) to be slid from an operative or listening orientation to the storage orientation. The earpiece(s) may also be slid from the storage orientation to the operative orientation.
In another aspect, the disclosure broadly provides a headband for a headphone apparatus, the headband including two resilient conductive elements separated by an insulator, the conductive elements providing conductive path for an electrical signal or electrical supply for an earpiece which may be optionally mounted on the headband.
In some embodiments, additional resilient conductive elements, or conductive elements, may be used to pass additional signals such as a noise cancellation signal (anti-noise) from one earpiece to the other so that noise cancellation can be provided for in the seat.
In yet a further aspect, the disclosure broadly provides an earpiece for a headphone having electrical contacts which provide electrical sliding contact with a headband of the headphone to receive an electrical signal or supply therefrom.
In some embodiments, the electrical sliding contact can provide an electrical supply or signal to another earpiece on the headband.
In particular embodiments, the earpiece includes a cap which captures the conductive elements between the cap and a housing of the earpiece. The cap may be biased against the housing to retain the earpiece in connection with the conductive elements while allowing sliding movement therebetween.
A detent means may also be provided to facilitate adjustable sliding movement between the headband and the earpiece.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure broadly provides a headphone headband, the headband being contoured to allow one or more earpieces slideably mounted on the headband to translate relative to the headband from a listening orientation to a storage orientation.
In certain embodiments, the headband is contoured such that an earpiece may be translated through about 90° from the listening orientation to the storage orientation. In the storage orientation, the earpieces may be disposed and substantially in the same plane. In the listening orientation, the earpieces may be disposed substantially opposite to each other in separate planes.
In one aspect, the invention may be broadly consist in a headphone that includes:
In another aspect, the invention may broadly consist in a headphone that includes:
In an additional aspect, the invention may broadly consist in a headphone that includes:
In some embodiments, the resilient elements have a fixed contour.
In particular embodiments, the resilient elements rotate or twist so that the contour of the resilient elements changes.
In certain embodiments, the resilient elements are conductive and conduct power or signal to the at least one earpiece.
In some embodiments, there are two earpieces.
In yet another aspect, the invention may broadly consist in a headphone comprising:
In some embodiments, the earpiece is directed substantially 90 degrees away from the ears of a user in the second position.
In particular embodiments, the first position is an in-use position and the second position is a storage position.
In certain embodiments, the headphones are slidably connected to the resilient elements.
In some embodiments, the resilient elements extend through the central support region.
In certain embodiments, there are two resilient elements, each pair of resilient elements supporting an earpiece on each side of the central support region.
Further aspects of the inventive concepts will become apparent from the following description.
One or more embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings.
Referring to
The headband supports the earpieces, and is constructed from a resilient material to enable it to apply a suitable force maintain the earpieces in close association with the ears and/or head of a wearer. The resilient material therefore provides a structure or support for the headband and the earpieces connected to the headband, acting as a skeleton or scaffold for the headpiece. The skeleton may be flexible or malleable to, for instance, allow the headphones to be adjusted for fit. Thus the headband 2 is formed in a curve as shown in the drawings (see
While this document primarily describes the material from which the headband 2 is formed as being resilient, it will be appreciated that the material may have other properties, for example being de-formable or malleable to a required extent for the intended purpose. In other words, the degree of resilience may be relatively small—for example just sufficient to allow the headphone to hold the earpieces in relatively close proximity to the user's ears while another property such as malleability may allow the headphone to be broadly adjusted to the shape of the user's head.
The headband 2 is not only constructed from a resilient material, but is also conductive. In one embodiment the primary material from which the headband is formed is spring steel. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other materials may be used. Further materials may be added to the headband, in addition to the resilient material, in order to make the headbands more visually appealing or comfortable.
The conductive nature of the resilient material from which the headband is formed provides a conductive path for electrical signals or an electrical supply to one or both earpieces 4. Two conductors 6, 8 are provided separated by one or more insulating elements. The insulating elements simply ensure that the conductors are sufficiently separated that they do not touch each other in use. A variety of different insulating arrangements may be used, provided only that the earpiece(s) can make electrical contact with the conductors 6, 8 in the end regions of the headband, as will be described further below.
The insulator arrangement in the embodiment shown includes a central support member 10 which supports the central area of each conductor while also maintaining separation between them. The body or housing of each earpiece 4 can also provide a separation/insulator function, and in some embodiments may be all that is required. In the embodiment shown, end pieces 12 can also assist in supporting and/or separating the conductors 6, 8. End pieces 12 may provide a stop to prevent the earpieces from being inadvertently removed from the headband; however, they are also preferably removable to allow the earpieces to be selectively removed for maintenance, repair, or replacement. Multiple insulator sections may be used or the conductors may be partially encapsulated by the insulator.
The headband 2 has a central region around central support 10, and distal end regions 14 in which the headband is contoured to provide a transition from being in a plane substantially parallel to the user's ear or head, to a substantially perpendicular orientation. The result is that an earpiece, when slid along the headband to the distal end region 14, transitions or translates from an in use or listening position in which it is substantially parallel to the user's ear to a storage position is which is substantially perpendicular to the users ear. The transition is substantially 90 degrees, but may be greater or lesser than that depending on the individual headphone design. The storage orientation flattens the end profile of the headphone. Thus, the headphone can be stored more efficiently.
The change in orientation is perhaps best seen with reference to
Turning now to
A cap 34 having a stem 36 is mounted on the housing 20 so as to be moveable relative to housing 20 in an axial direction along stem 36. The stem 36 supports a biasing member including detent spring 38 which acts to bias the cap 34 toward the housing. In use the conductors 6 and 8 are disposed between the outside of housing 20 and an inner surface of cap 34. An outer surface of one or both conductors 6 and 8 has small recesses 40 thereon (refer
In use, the audio cable that supplies the electrical audio signal to the headphone is connected (for example being soldered) to a first one of the earpieces. Other connections, such as an audio socket being provided on the earpiece to receive a plug connected to an audio cable, are possible alternatives. The second earpiece does not need any cable connections since the audio signal is passed by contacts 30 and 32 of the first earpiece onto the conductors 6 and 8 of the headband 2, and thence to conductors 30 and 32 of the second earpiece so that the electrical connection is made. This arrangement is possible with both a single or dual channel signal. If there are two channels, then the electrical connection arrangement at the first earpiece includes connecting the common or ground line to say conductor 6 via contact 30, connecting the first channel to the driver for the first earpiece, and connecting the second channel to contact 32 for provision to conductor 8.
In other embodiments the headphones may be wireless, with signal reception occurring at one earpiece and the signal for the other earpiece being conveyed via conductors 6 and 8. In yet other embodiments, the conductors 6 and 8 to provide a low voltage low power supply from one earpiece to the other. There may be additional electrical communication means, such as a conductor, wire or wireless communication means in the headband. For instance two additional wires may be used to pass noise cancellation signals between the earpieces, or to an external control means (e.g. by the cable connected to the headphones). These conductors may be resilient to provide additional support to the headband, or may be simple cables. For instance on an aircraft there may be a noise cancellation means contained in the external electronics (i.e. the seat electronics) which may require a microphone input from the headphones. If the cable is connected to only one of the earpieces and a further conductor may be contained in the headband to allow this signal to be returned from the second earpiece.
The embodiments described above provide a number of advantages. The headband is simple, low cost and easy to manufacture. The absence of cable(s) from one earpiece to the other is a cost saving, and reduces potential cable termination and connection problems. The avoidance of complex mechanisms for transitioning the earpieces to a storage mode is also advantageous.
One of the most significant advantages is the ease with which defective earpieces may be replaced. The defective earpiece may be simply slid off the headband (after removing end piece 12), and the replacement unit is then simply slid on as a replacement.
This rotation is an outcome of the two connections having a portion of their length along which they are not directly connected so that a rotation of a first of them does not require the same rotation of the second. This rotation therefore creates a contour in the headband, along which the earpieces can be translated. In particular uses, the earpieces would be slid to the distal end 14 of the headband 2 before being rotated, however they may also be rotatable in position. The rotation shown in
Although the rotation means has been described in conjunction with the use of two resilient conductors it the rotation means would similarly function with any design having earpieces suspended on two supports which are able to rotate relative to one another. For example in another embodiment these may be support struts and a separate electrical connection may be made, or the electrical connection may pass through the centre of a support strut. The conductors 6, 8 may be resilient and biased slightly inwards so as to maintain enough pressure on a user's head to hold in place when in use. The resilient members have been shown as circular, however in other embodiments they may form ribbons or other shapes provided that they have the ability to rotate or twist.
The earpieces 4a, 4b are connected to conductors with a physical and electrical connection. The embodiment shows the conductors passing between the housing 20 and the cap 34 of the earpieces however alternative embodiments are possible. A detent mechanism may be used to ensure good contact and/or connection between the earpiece and the conductors. The connection should be slidable to allow a user to position the earpieces at a desired height. To improve the security of the earpiece positioning a detent mechanism or series of protrusions may be placed on or around the conductors. The conductors may have a housing or plastic surround to add to their appearance or resilience. Alternatively the earpieces may use a connection as described with reference to the other embodiments.
As mentioned earlier in this document, the disclosure is applicable to a variety of different embodiments and should not be read as being limited to the embodiments and application specifically described herein. For example, in some instances only one earpiece may be provided. Also, although the description in this document refers to embodiments which are effectively super aural headphones, embodiments which are circumaural, or in the ear headphones could also be provided. Similarly, embodiments in which the structure is used to provide ear muffs or ear warmers are also possibilities within the scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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623225 | Apr 2014 | NZ | national |