1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to a tunable headphone.
2. Description of Related Art
Headphones are common accessories for listening to the music, as well as a suitable tool for not disturbing people in the surrounding. Since headphones are typically portable accessories, portable headphones are small in size and lightweight.
However, the conventional casing of the conventional headphone forms a closed space and the sound output is limited by the volume of the closed space, which influences the properties of the output sound. Moreover, if the volume of the headphone is small, the resonance generated is correspondingly small such that the preferred bass tone is relatively difficult to reproduce. Furthermore, since people use headphones in all sorts of conditions and environments such as during music listening, conversation, gaming, etc, different sounds should be provided at various conditions. As a result, parameters are changed at various conditions. However, the conventional headphones do not provide users to change the required parameters.
To address the above issues, the inventor strives via associated experience and research to present the instant disclosure, which can effectively improve the limitation described above.
The object of the instant disclosure is to provide a tunable headphone.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, according to an embodiment of the instant disclosure, a tuning headphone is adapted to engage to the user's ear. The tuning headphone includes a perforated frame, a tuning frame and an acoustic generator. The perforated frame comprises a frame annular portion and a frame flat surface. The frame flat surface is arranged at an end of the frame annular portion distal from the user's ear, and has portions defining at least one frame opening. The frame annular portion has a curved inner face. The tuning frame has portions defining at least one opening and rotatably covers an end of the perforated frame distal from the user's ear, thereby providing adjustability to the overlapping between the air communicable opening and frame opening. Moreover, the acoustic generator is configured at a proximal end of the frame annular portion near the user's ear.
The instant disclosure provides the following improvement. The tuning frame is rotatably disposed on the perforated frame such that users can select the preferred sound performance of the tunable headphone based on the environment in which the headphone is used.
In order to further understand the instant disclosure, the following embodiments and illustrations are provided. However, the detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the disclosure, rather than limiting the scope being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
As shown in
The acoustic generator 30 can be driven by dynamic, static, balanced armature, or various types of mechanisms depending on the overall preference of the headphone 1, and the overall preference is based on any or any combination of the following factors such as cost, frequency, sensitivity requirement, sound quality, and usable life. The elastic member 50 may be substantially high density foam ear pads, silicon earplugs, or foam ear plugs. When the elastic member 50 is in use, a proximal end is adapted to engage the user's ear to improve the airtightness between the tunable headphone 1 and the user's ear, as well as comfort of the user. The choice of the elastic member 50 depends on the position thereof relatively to the user's ear. For example, if the elastic member 50 is disposed in the user's ear, the tunable headphone 2 is an in-ear type headphones, thus, earplug or any similar types of headphones is selected as the elastic member 50. The elastic member 50 of the instant embodiment is adapted to engage the pinna of the user's ear. In other words, the tunable headphone 1 is for example (as shown in
As illustrated in
The tuning frame 20 includes an annular portion 21 and a flat surface 22. The flat surface 22 has portions defining at least one opening 221. The cross-sectional area and the number of opening 221 equals to the cross-sectional area and the number of frame openings 121. The flat surface 22 is arranged on a proximal end of the annular portion 21 of the tuning frame 20. A distal end of the annular portion 21 away from the user's ear 9 has a tuning portion 211 extending outwardly along an outer diameter thereof. The annular portion 21 of the tuning frame 20, the flat surface 22, and the tuning portion 211 are integrally formed.
Further disclosure of the assembly of the perforated frame 10, the tuning frame 20, and the acoustic generator 30 are provided below. The acoustic generator 30 is configured at a proximal end of the frame annular portion 11 of the perforated frame 10 near the user's ear 9, such that the perforated frame 10 and the acoustic generator 30 cooperatively forms a rear chamber 14. The flat surface 22 of the tuning frame 20 and the frame flat surface 12 of the perforated frame 10 are evenly abutted. The annular portion 21 of the tuning frame 20 has an outer diameter, and the outer diameter is substantially equivalent to an inner diameter of the sidewall 13 of the perforated frame 10. Thus, the annular portion 21 and the flat surface 22 are conformingly fitted in the recess 131. The tuning portion 211 is pressed against a distant end of the sidewall 13 away from the user's ear 9. The tuning portion 211 has an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the sidewall 13 such that the user can directly or indirectly rotate the tuning frame 20 via the tuning portion 211 with ease. In other words, the user can directly rotate the tuning portion 211 of the tuning frame 20 with fingers. The tuning portion 211 can also be rotated by further configuring the instant embodiment with decorative covers and gears (both not shown in figures).
When the acoustic generator 30 generates vibration which in turn generates sound, the air pressure in the front chamber 51 and the rear chamber 14 changes. Since the elastic member 50 and the user's ear 9 cooperatively define the front chamber 51, with different shapes and sizes of ears 9, the size of the front chamber 51 varies. In terms of acoustic cavities, the front chamber 51 provides high frequency resonance. If the front chamber leaks in any way or has openings, the low frequency attenuates. Since the rear chamber 14 is defined by the perforated frame 10, the volume of the rear chamber 14 remains substantially constant. In terms of acoustic cavities, the rear chamber 14 provides low frequency resonance. However, the fully closed rear chamber 14 significantly dampens the acoustic generator 30. Via the frame openings 121, the rear chamber is air communicable with the atmosphere, and thus, the rear chamber 14 dampens the acoustic generator 30 relatively less.
As shown in
Through the tuning frame 20, the degree of overlapping can be adjusted between the frame openings 121 and the openings 221, such that the user can adjust the dampening effect of the rear chamber 14 to the acoustic generator 30 and the minimum resonance frequency f0. Thus, the impedance curve of the tunable headphone can be adjusted.
The following description explains the minimum resonance frequency f0 and the quality factor Q (also known as resonance point). The minimum resonance frequency f0 represents the first maximum frequency on the impedance curve of the speakers. When a sound frequency is close to the minimum resonance frequency f0, the vibration is relatively strong, and thus, frequencies near the minimum resonance frequency f0 are the more preferred sound effect performance. Q represents the suppressing ability of acoustic vibrations of the acoustic generator 30. In other words, Q can reflect the dampening state of the acoustic generator 30. When the value of Q is excessively low, the sound pressure outputted by the acoustic generator 30 has not yet rapidly reduced, and the acoustic generator 30 is dampened, which renders the low frequencies to over-attenuate. When the value of Q is excessively high, the acoustic generator 30 is under-dampened, which renders the low frequencies excessively enhanced. In terms of audio, when the value of Q is relatively low, the bass tone emitted is short yet has a sustaining tone. In other words, the sound cannot be continuous. When the value of Q is relatively high, the base tone emitted is relatively deeper; however the sound is more continuous. As a result, the minimum resonance frequency f0 and Q are correspondingly adjusted depending on the preference of the user and the type of sound preferably played. Depending on the surrounding conditions (for example: during chatting, gaming, or just music listening), the user can adjust the minimum resonance frequency f0 and Q of the tunable headphone 1 to provide the most preferred sound effects. Characteristics of various modes are provided in a later section.
R
1=√{square root over (ZO·RE)} (2)
where f0 as the minimum resonance frequency, RE as the minimum impedance at a corresponding frequency which is larger than the minimum resonance frequency (f0), Z0 as the impedance at the minimum resonance frequency (f0), and f2−f1 as the frequency difference at an impedance of R1, which is bandwidth. Take the curve S3 in
Based on
As aforementioned, depending on the overlapping state between the number of openings 221 and frame openings 121, the values of f0 and Q correspondingly changes. As a result, with the configuration of the perforated frame 10 and the tuning frame 10, the tunable headphone 1 of the instant disclosure provides users the freedom to select the preferred values of f0 and Q in order to achieve the most preferred sound effects.
In another embodiment of the instant disclosure, the tunable headphone 1 further comprises a passive diaphragm 40. The passive diaphragm 40 is made of elastic materials. The passive diaphragm 40 seals an end of the tuning frame 20 distal from the user's ear 9. The passive diaphragm 40 has a center protrusion 41 and an annular protrusion 42 arranged thereon while both protrusions 41, 42 point away from the direction of the user's ear 9. The annular protrusion 42 is arranged around the center protrusion 41. With the configuration of the center protrusion 41 and the annular protrusion 42, the passive diaphragm 40 is relatively more flexible. The passive diaphragm 40 also has a weight member 43 configured thereat such that the overall weight of the passive diaphragm 40 can be adjusted.
The passive diaphragm 40 seals the distal end of the tuning frame 20 away from the user's ear 9 such that the passive diaphragm 40 and the tuning frame 20 are configured to define a tuning chamber 23 therebetween. Since the passive diaphragm 40 is made of elastic materials, the tuning chamber 23 can slightly change in volume. When the frame openings 121 and the openings 221 are air communicable, the rear chamber 14 and the tuning chamber 23 are also air communicable. Since the tuning chamber 23 can slightly change in volume, the rear chamber 14 may have a relatively less dampening effect on the acoustic generator 30. Not only can the passive diaphragm 40 provides changes to the dampening of the acoustic generator 30 via the rear chamber 14, the rear chamber 14 and the tuning chamber 23 can also retain clean sounds similar to those characterized by sealing headphones and not easily be interfered by ambient noises from outside the headphone.
In another embodiment of the instant disclosure, the tunable headphone further comprises a tuning sheet 70. The tuning sheet 70 is a semi-air permeable material. The tuning sheet 70 seals an end of the openings 221 such that airflow flows through the frame openings 121, further through the openings 221, and then through the tuning sheet 70 to change the dampening of the acoustic generator 30 via the rear chamber 14. As a result, the values of the f0 and Q of the tunable headphone 1 change.
The following description discloses the parametric states of various modes as aforementioned. Since the frequency of a human voice during conversation is about 500 to 6000 Hertz (Hz), the values of f0 and Q, at which the overlapping between any of the openings 221 and the frame openings 121 of the tunable headphone 1 is completely absent, are the most preferred values for a conversation mode. Whereas, the typical frequencies during gaming are substantially low, and the sounds are rather short and instant. As a result, the values of f0 and Q, at which the overlapping between any of the openings 221 and the frame openings 121 of the tunable headphone 1 is one, are the most preferred values for a gaming mode. As for music, the frequencies for which are relatively low. As a result, the values of f0 and Q, at which the overlapping between any of the openings 221 and the frame openings 121 of the tunable headphone 1 is five, are the most preferred values for a music listening mode. The aforementioned description of the overlapping between openings and frame openings are determined by the specification and the materials of the perforated frame 10, the tuning frame 20, the acoustic generator 30, and the passive diaphragm, but are not limited herein.
Please refer to
The tunable headphone 1 of the instant disclosure improves upon the conventional arts in that through the corresponding configuration of the frame openings 121 and openings 221 respectively arranged on the perforated frame 10 and the tuning frame 20, the tuning frame 20 is rotatably disposed on the perforated frame 10 such that users can adjust the Q value via the corresponding effect of the rear chamber 14 to the acoustic generator 30 and select the preferred listening mode on the tunable headphone 1.
The figures and descriptions supra set forth illustrated the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure; however, the characteristics of the instant disclosure are by no means restricted thereto. All changes, alternations, combinations or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the instant disclosure delineated by the following claims.