Headphones with an anti-buckling assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11700471-B2
Application number	US-202217804274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that include earpad assemblies that improve acoustic isolation are discussed. User convenience features that include automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user's head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Headphones, comprising:
first and second earpieces; and
a headband assembly joining the first earpiece to the second earpiece, the headband assembly comprising a rigid cable coupled to the first earpiece and a signal cable having at least a portion arranged in a helical geometry around the rigid cable and electrically coupled to the first earpiece.

2. The headphones of claim 1 wherein the signal cable electrically couples the first earpiece to the second earpiece.

3. The headphones of claim 2 wherein the signal cable is configured to exchange signals between the first and second earpieces in order to keep audio precisely synchronized during playback operations of the headphones.

4. The headphones of claim 1 wherein the headband includes a hollow housing extending along a length of the headband.

5. The headphones of claim 4 wherein the hollow housing includes a central housing portion and first and second telescoping portions coupled to the central portion.

6. The headphones of claim 5 wherein the first telescoping portions is slidably coupled to a first end of the central housing portion and the second telescoping portion is slidably coupled to a second end of the central housing portion.

7. The headphones of claim 6 wherein the central portion comprises an upper housing component coupled to and positioned between first and second lower housing components, wherein the first and second lower housing components and upper housing component combine to form an elongated tube having a channel extending along the length of the elongated tube.

8. The headphones of claim 6 wherein the first earpiece is coupled to the first telescoping portion of the headband and the second earpiece is coupled to the second telescoping portion of the headband.

9. The headphones of claim 5 wherein the portion of the signal cable arranged in a helical geometry is positioned within the first telescoping portion.

10. Headphones, comprising:
first and second earpieces; and
a headband assembly joining the first earpiece to the second earpiece, the headband assembly comprising:
a hollow housing extending along a length of the headband that defines an elongated tubular cavity;
a rigid cable extending through the elongated tubular cavity between the first and second earpieces, the rigid cable including a first portion adjacent to the first earpiece and a second portion adjacent to the second earpiece; and
a signal cable extending through the elongated tubular cavity to electrically couple the first earpiece to the second earpiece, the signal cable having a first portion arranged in a helical geometry around the first portion of the rigid cable and a second portion arranged in a helical geometry around the second portion of the rigid cable.

11. The headphones of claim 10 wherein the signal cable is configured to exchange signals between the first and second earpieces in order to keep audio synchronized during playback operations of the headphones.

12. The headphones of claim 10 wherein the hollow housing includes a central housing portion and first and second telescoping portions coupled to the central portion.

13. The headphones of claim 12 wherein the first telescoping portions is slidably coupled to a first end of the central housing portion and the second telescoping portion is slidably coupled to a second end of the central housing portion.

14. The headphones of claim 13 wherein the central portion comprises an upper housing component coupled to and positioned between first and second lower housing components, wherein the first and second lower housing components and upper housing component combine to form an elongated tube having a channel extending along the length of the elongated tube.

15. The headphones of claim 14 wherein the first earpiece is coupled to the first telescoping portion of the headband and the second earpiece is coupled to the second telescoping portion of the headband.

16. The headphones of claim 15 wherein each of the first and second earpieces are removeably coupled to the first and second telescoping portions, respectively by a plug connector that mates with a corresponding receptacle connector.

17. The headphones of claim 16 wherein each of the first and second earpieces include a stem section with the plug connector at a distal end of the stem and each of the first and second telescoping sections includes a receptacle connector configured to accept the plug connector.

18. Headphones, comprising:
first and second earpieces; and
an adjustable length headband assembly joining the first earpiece to the second earpiece, the headband assembly comprising:
a hollow housing extending along a length of the headband that defines an elongated tubular cavity, the hollow housing including a central housing portion and first and second telescoping portions coupled to the central portion that allow a length of the headband to be shortened and extended;
a rigid cable extending through the elongated tubular cavity between the first and second earpieces, the rigid cable including a first portion disposed within the first telescoping portion and a second portion disposed within the second telescoping portion; and
a signal cable extending through the elongated tubular cavity to electrically couple the first earpiece to the second earpiece, the signal cable having a first portion arranged in a helical geometry around the first portion of the rigid cable within the first telescoping portion and a second portion arranged in a helical geometry around the second portion of the rigid cable within the second telescoping portion.

19. The headphones of claim 18 wherein the first telescoping portions is slidably coupled to a first end of the central housing portion and the second telescoping portion is slidably coupled to a second end of the central housing portion.

20. The headphones of claim 18 further wherein the first earpiece comprises a first stem that couples the first earpiece to a first end of the adjustable length headband assembly and the second earpiece comprises a second stem that couples the second earpiece to a second end of the adjustable length headband assembly, opposite the first end.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Siahaan Edward
• Bloom Daniel R
• Leblanc Jason J
• Qian Phillip

Classifications

• H04R1/1066

  Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• H04R5/0335 Primary

  Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests (for monophonic headphones H04R1/105) · CPC title

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title