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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. A personal audio unit for connection with an audio source, comprising:
a pair of speakers;
flexible leads extending between and having opposing ends respectively
operatively connecting said speakers with an audio source;
mounting means including a clamp secured to each speaker of said pair of
speakers for attachment with means on the head of a user, wherein the
mounting means adjustably supports the respective speaker of said pair of
speakers in variable positions enabling the user to select and hear
combined sounds, the combined sounds including speaker generated sounds
mixed with external, ambient sounds;
each speaker of said pair of speakers having a cylindrical portion and
having a transverse aperture therethrough slidably receiving an
intermediate portion of the respective lead for forming a closed leading
loop adjacent the speaker connected end of the respective lead; and,
said clamp surrounding an intermediate portion of the respective lead
forming the lead loop in speaker supporting relation.
2. The audio unit according to claim 1 in which the means on the head of
the user includes:
a pair of spectacles having sidepieces adapted for engaging a user's head
adjacent the ears for supporting the spectacles; and wherein
each mounting means adjustably connects each speaker of said pair of
speakers with the respective sidepiece of said spectacles for manual
longitudinal adjustment along an intermediate portion of the respective
sidepiece, each mounting means also being connected, in chain link
fashion, with the respective closed lead loop for permitting swinging
movement of the respective speaker toward and away from a user's head.
3. The combination according to claim 1 in which each flexible connector
comprises:
an endless strap-like band; and,
a first tension means including a helically wound strand transversely
surrounding, in frictional sliding relation, juxtaposed intermediate
portions of the respective band for reducing the area encompassed by the
sidepiece surrounding closed connector loop and precluding movement of the
respective flexible connector relative to the attached sidepiece.
4. The combination according to claim 3 in which the other end portion of
the flexible leads depend from the speakers and further including:
a second tension means frictionally slidably surrounding the flexible leads
intermediate their ends for limiting movement of the pair of speakers away
from a user's head when the spectacles are in normal wearing position and
the second tension means is disposed toward the speaker connected end of
the leads.
5. A personal audio unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speakers are
positioned within the user's ears, thereby preventing a substantial amount
of the external, ambient sounds from being heard by the user.
6. A personal audio unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the speakers are
positioned forwardly and away from the user's ears, thereby allowing the
user to clearly and simultaneously hear sounds coming from the speakers as
well as the sounds coming from external, ambient sources.
7. A personal audio unit for connection with an audio source, comprising:
a pair of speakers;
flexible leads extending between and having opposing ends respectively
operatively connecting said speakers with an audio source;
mounting means including a clamp secured to each speaker of said pair of
speakers for attachment with means on the head of a user, wherein the
mounting means adjustably supports the respective speaker of said pair of
speakers in variable positions enabling the user to select and hear
combined sounds, the combined sounds including speaker generated sounds
mixed with external, ambient sounds;
a pair of spectacles having sidepieces adjacent and extending forwardly
from the ears of the user; and,
a pair of elongated arm means slidably connected together at one end
portion in longitudinal overlapping relation and connected at their other
ends with the respective said clamp and speaker of said pair of speakers.
8. A personal audio unit for connection with an audio source, comprising:
a pair of speakers;
flexible lead extending between and having opposing ends respectively
operatively connecting said speakers with an audio source;
mounting means including a clamp secured to each speaker of said pair of
speakers for attachment with means on the head of a user and supporting
the respective speaker of said pair of speakers in a predetermined audio
range position relative to the user's ears; and wherein
each speaker of said pair of speakers having a cylindrical portion and
having a transverse aperture therethrough slidably receiving an
intermediate portion of the respective lead for forming a closed lead loop
adjacent the speaker connected end of the respective lead; and,
said clamp surrounding an intermediate portion of the respective lead
forming the lead loop in speaker supporting relation.
9. A personal audio unit for connection with an audio source, comprising:
a pair of speakers;
flexible leads extending between and having opposing ends respectively
operatively connecting said speakers with an audio source; and,
mounting means including a clamp for attachment with means on the head of a
user and supporting the respective speaker of said pair of speakers in a
desired position relative to the user's ears,
said mounting means further including: a pair of spectacles having
sidepieces adapted for engaging a user's head adjacent the ears for
supporting the spectacles,
each speaker of said pair of speakers having a cylindrical portion and
having a transverse aperture therethrough slidably receiving an
intermediate portion of the respective lead for forming a closed lead loop
adjacent the speaker connected end of the respective lead; and,
means adjustably connecting each speaker of said pair of speakers with the
respective sidepiece of said spectacles including an elongated flexible
connector having a closed connector loop at each of its ends respectively
surrounding for manual adjustment longitudinally along an intermediate
portion of an sidepiece and connected, in chain link fashion, with a
respective said closed lead loop for permitting swinging movement of each
speaker of said pair of speakers toward and away from a user's head and
disposing each speaker of said pair of speakers in a predetermined
position relative to the user's ears.
10. The audio unit according to claim 9 in which each flexible connector
comprises:
an endless strap-like band; and,
a first tension means including a helically wound strand transversely
surrounding, in frictional sliding relation, juxtaposed intermediate
portions of the respective band or reducing the area encompassed by the
sidepiece surrounding closed connector loop and precluding movement of the
respective flexible connector relative to the attached sidepiece.
11. The audio unit according to claim 10 in which the other end portion of
the flexible leads depend from the speakers and further including:
a second tension means frictionally slidably surrounding the flexible leads
intermediate their ends for limiting movement of the pair of speakers away
from a user's head when the spectacles are in normal wearing position and
the second tension means is disposed toward the speaker connected end of
the leads.
12. A personal audio unit for connection with an audio source, comprising:
a pair of speakers;
flexible leads extending between and having opposing ends respectively
operatively connecting said speakers with an audio source;
mounting means including a clamp secured to each speaker of said pair of
speakers for attachment with means on the head of a user and supporting
the respective speaker of said pair of speakers in a desired position
relative to the user's ears;
a pair of elongated arm means slidably connected together at one end
portion in longitudinal overlapping relation and connected at their other
ends with the respective said clamp and speaker of said pair of speakers.
13. A personal audio unit for connection with an audio source, comprising:
a pair of speakers;
flexible leads extending between and having opposing ends respectively
operatively connecting said speakers with an audio source; and,
mounting means including a clamp secured to each speaker of said pair of
speakers for attachment with means on the head of a user and supporting
the respective speaker of said pair of speakers in a desired position
relative to the user's ears,
said means on the head of the user further including: a pair of spectacles
having sidepieces adjacent and extending forwardly from the ears of the
user; and,
a pair of elongated arm means slidably connected together at one end
portion in longitudinal overlapping relation and connected at their other
ends with the respective said clamp and speaker of said pair of speakers. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention.
The present invention relates to audio communication and more particularly
to a sound intake control device and adjustable supports therefor.
Radios, tape players and other audio equipment have been miniaturized to
such an extent that they may be conveniently carried on the person of a
user, such as in a pocket or other portion of the wearer's clothing or
accessories. Many diverse audio sources are now in use.
A need in terms of safety, further choice in listening capability, and the
intake and/or blocking of external sounds has arisen. This device has been
created to answer the needs of pilots, communications personnel, music
lovers, airport linemen or anyone with the need to hear more than one
audio source simultaneously and/or in regulated quantities or levels. This
invention is designed to accurately achieve multiple source sound (sound
on sound), single source sound or no sound.
Presently and as technological and social change occur the demand for
safety, utility and convenience are major considerations. A device which
provides a means for greater discrimination of aural sources will aid many
people who desire to listen, communicate and deal with sound more
effectively.
This invention is also directed toward a means of providing high quality
sound reproduction with the versatility to be utilized as a headset,
earphones and/or hearing aid or earplugs. The device can be worn in
combination with, or as a means to secure spectacles or headgear of the
wearer. The design places the device where it can be utilized on a regular
basis.
This invention is directed toward a manner of mounting miniature speakers
or earphones to enhance their utility, versatility and minimize any
inconvenience or discomfort as a result of the supporting components.
2. Description of the prior art.
At present audio headsets and earphones are limited to a single position;
existing headsets and earphones enclose the ear, are pressed adjacent to
the ear, are placed in the outer ear, or, are positioned inside the
auditory canal.
Prior art, due to this single position limitation, has the inherent effect
of masking outside sounds with sound produced by the earphones. With
respect to safety, the wearer is hindered in his ability to hear
surrounding sounds such as instructions, warnings, automobiles, sirens,
conversations etc.
The most widely used, present design audio headset is awkward to wear and
cumbersome to carry. Cord entanglement problems occur regularly and the
resulting entanglement can cause short circuiting of speaker or microphone
leads, as well as incur the bother and loss of time spent untangling
headset wires.
Additional entanglement problems arise when the now common "leash" (a
retainer cord used to suspend the glasses around the wearer's neck when
not in use) is worn simultaneously with the prior art headset.
Another difficulty involves the wearing of a hat, visor or helmet and a
prior art headset simultaneously. Since the majority of headsets in use
today consist of a band, which transversely spans the head, a hat, helmet
or visor does not fit the wearer's head properly when worn in combination
with the headset. At present the small in ear-type headsets circumvent
this problem however sound quality is sacrificed due to the extra small
size of the speakers and they are limited to a single position.
Further shortcomings of prior art include the lack of single hand
placement. Both hands are needed to place the headset or earphones in
listening position.
Other prior art devices disclose speakers or earphones used as hearing aids
for the hard of hearing some of which were supported by spectacles or
constructed as a part thereof, such as disclosed by Pat. No. 2,874,230 in
which the terminal end of the respective sidepiece supports a speaker.
The present invention is distinctive over prior art devices by adjustably
supporting a pair of miniature speakers on headgear or spectacle
sidepieces which can be positioned in the ear, adjacent the ear or in
varying distances from the ear as desired. The inherent design serves
multiple functions and places the sound in the control device where it can
be safely heard, worn, transported and utilized more effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A pair of miniature speakers, each connected with one end of an audio lead
are provided with members connecting the respective speaker to means on
the head of the user, such as a respective spectacle sidepiece or headgear
having a band horizontally surrounding the head of the user or the user's
hair which supports each speaker in depending relation for vertical
adjustment of the speaker toward and away from the sidepiece or headgear
and for horizontal movement longitudinally of the sidepiece or headgear.
The other end of the respective audio lead is joined to a plug removably
received by an audio jack in equipment supplying an audio signal. An audio
lead gripping member surrounds the two leads intermediate their ends which
serves to maintain the two leads in single cord fashion and by sliding
movement longitudinally of the leads acts as a retainer or chin strap for
maintaining the speakers and the glasses sidpiece adjacent the user's ears
when the leads are located in front of the user's neck, or alternatively
as a support or leash for hanging the speakers and spectacles from the
user's neck when the leads and plug end extend rearwardly of the user's
neck.
Horizontal movement of the speakers longitudinally of the sidepieces or
headgear allows the user to position the speakers relative to the ear as
desired. If very little external sound is desired to be heard, the user
locates the speakers in or adjacent the ears. If more external sound is
desired, the speakers are moved forwardly and away from the ears as
necessary and the volume adjusted to attain the desired ratio of speaker
and external sound mixing (sound on sound).
Vertical movement of the speakers relative to the glasses allows accurate
positioning with respect to the ear for different individuals and
different sidepieces. Additionally, the vertical movement can be utilized
to perform the external sound versus speaker sound (sound on sound)
adjustment as primarily achieved by the horizontal positioning.
The attachment to the spectacles or headgear allows the device to be placed
near the ears safely and easily with only one hand because the spectacles
or headgear are designed for single hand placement. This eliminates the
cord entanglement aggravation caused when combining a headset with a
spectacle leash, by combining both devices into one apparatus.
The principal objects of this invention are to provide a personal user
supported audio unit comprising a relatively inexpensive assembly of audio
earphones easily connected with and supported by headgear or the
sidepieces of any conventional pair of spectacles and which may be
adjusted relative to the headgear or sidepiece either laterally
longitudinally or vertically to position the ear-phones in a comfortable
position adjacent or within the ear for maximum audio and which can enable
the user to hear and identify sounds from sources other than the audio set
connected with the earphones.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device supported by a pair of
spectacles;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating spring clips
supporting the device on the spectacle sidepiece;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner of
supporting the device on the user's visor or other head encircling band;
and,
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective, similar to FIG. 2, illustrating
another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the
drawings in which they occur.
In the drawings:
The reference numeral 10 indicates the unit as a whole. The device 10
comprises a pair of conventional, commercially available miniature
speakers 12 and 14 operatively connected with one end of audio leads 16
and 18, respectively, with the other end of the leads connected with a
plug 20 in a conventional manner. Each of the speakers may include a cover
22 through which audio sounds are transmitted and an opposite or rearward
substantially cylindrical portion 24, having a vent 25, which receives and
is connected with the above named one end portion of the respective audio
lead. The respective cylindrical portion 24 is transversely apertured, as
at 26, for frictionally receiving, in sliding relation, a portion of the
respective audio lead adjacent its connected end to form an audio lead
closed loop portion 28 which may be increased or reduced in size to allow
the speakers 12 or 14 to be moved vertically for adjustment purposes.
A flexible connector 30 is connected with each speaker loop 28. The
flexible connectors 30 are preferably endless bands with juxtaposed
portions of its wall surrounded and gripped in sliding relation by a
tension adjuster 32 to define a substantially figure eight configuration.
The connectors 30 may be formed by an endless band or may be a strap-like
length of flexible plastic material doubled back upon itself from both of
its ends and secured together. A tension adjuster 32, transversely
surrounding the connector band, is formed by a helically twisted length of
wire, or the like, and defines oppositely disposed closed loops 34 and 36
at respective ends of the flexible connector. The loop 34 is engaged with
the speaker loop 28 in chain link fashion and the other loop 36 of the
flexible connector transversely surrounds a respective one of a pair of
spectacle sidepieces 38 intermediate its ends. The loop 36 allows
horizontal movement of the speakers longitudinally of the respective
sidepiece.
A tension adjuster member 32' also surrounds the audio leads 16 and 18
intermediate their ends for the purpose presently explained. A rheostat 50
is interposed in the leads 16 and 18 between the tension adjuster 32' and
the plug 20 as a volume control. An alligator-type clip or clamp 52 is
attached to the leads between the volume control 50 and the tension
adjuster 32' for supporting the volume control in a convenient location as
by attaching the clamp 52 to a portion of the user's clothing 54.
Referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, the reference numerals 40 and 41 indicate
a pair of spring clips or clamps which may be used in place of the
connectors 30. This is accomplished by permanent attachment of the clamp
to the speaker cord or manually opening the respective spring clamp so
that the speaker cord loop 28 is received between the gripping end portion
42 of the clamp and its spring closed hinged connection 44 so that the
respective speaker 12 or 14 is then supported in depending relation from
the respective clamp. The clamp gripping end 42 is then disposed on
opposing sides of the respective spectacle sidepiece 38 at a selected
location intermediate its length.
In the event the user of the device does not wear spectacles, the clamps 40
permit attachment to other headgear, such as the sweatband of a hat, not
shown, or the band of a visor, as indicated at 46 (FIG. 3). The respective
clamp 40 and 41 is positioned as shown with its gripping end edge 42
gripping opposing sides of the depending edge portion of the visor band
48.
Referring more particularly to FIG. 4 other clamps 60, only one being
shown, similarly gripping the spectacle earpieces 38, support similar
speakers 62 in cantilever fashion by arm means 64. A pad 63 surrounds the
major portion of the speaker. In the example shown the arm means 64
comprises a forward bar 66 rigidly attached at one end to the clamp 60
opposite its gripping end portion 68 and longitudinally slidably attached
at its other end portion to the forward end portion of a rearward arm 70
having its opposite or rearward end rigidly secured to the speaker 62.
This permits vertical adjustment of the speaker relative to the sidepiece
38 and the user's ear, not shown, by the angular position of the clamp 60
relative to the longitudinal axis of the sidepiece. Forward and rearward
adjustment of the speaker 62 relative to the sidepiece and the user's ear
is achieved primarily by the sliding movement of the arm 70 relative to
the bar 66 and secondly by the position of the clamp 60 longitudinally of
the sidepiece. It seems obvious that the arm 70 may serve as a gooseneck
having a ball at its rearward end cooperatively received by a socket
formed in the housing supporting the speaker components to impart
substantially all the advantages of ball and socket movement of the
speaker 62 relative to the user's ear, if desired.
OPERATION
In use the flexible connectors 30 have their free loop ends 36 transversely
surrounding the respective spectacle sidepiece. With the spectacles in
wearing position, the speakers are adjusted by moving the flexible
connectors 30 longitudinally of the respective sidepiece so that the
speakers are positioned relative to the user's ear in a desired position
in accordance with other parameters which may or may not be limiting the
user's attention. For example, the speakers may be positioned so that a
desired audio program may be heard and yet other sounds may also be
received, such as automobiles, warnings, instructions or the conversations
of others. By moving the adjuster 32 toward the respective sidepiece the
size of the loop 36 is reduced to grip the sidepiece so the speakers are
frictionally maintained adjacent or in the user's audio canal, as desired.
The speakers may be positioned independently of each other to further
enhance listening capabilities.
The strap-like configuration of the connectors 30, in combination with a
small size for the loop 34, prevents angular rotation of either speaker
about a vertical axis through the respective connector 30. The coefficient
of sliding friction between the connector loop 36 and the surface of the
sidepiece 38 prevents movement of one component relative to the other
except as manually induced. The speakers are easily adjusted vertically
relative to the sidepieces or the user's ears by increasing or decreasing
the size of the lead loop 28. Further, if the user desires the speakers to
be in close proximity to the ear the lead adjuster 32' may be moved
longitudinally of the leads until disposed in underlying relation with
respect to the user's chin to place a slight tension on the leads 16 and
18 and draw the speakers inwardly toward each other.
Alternatively, the leads may be positioned rearwardly of the user's head
and the adjuster 32' disposed adjacent the back of the head to maintain
the speakers adjacent the ears and to maintain the spectacles in place on
the face of the user. In this position the speaker assembly 10 may also be
employed to support the spectacles in a position hanging from the user's
neck.
It seems obvious that the spring clamps 40 and 41 may be connected with the
lead loops 28, as described hereinabove, for use with the headgear as
desired.
Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without
defeating its practicability. Therefore, I do not wish to be confined to
the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.
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Description |
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