Headphone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301039-B2
Application number	US-97247610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2010
Priority date	Jan 4, 2010
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A headphone includes a pair of right and left headphone units, a resilient band formed substantially into a U shape to be mounted on a human head, and a pair of arm members. Each of the arm members is rotatably coupled via a pivot joint to an end part of the band and supporting one the headphone units. Each of the pivot joints includes a detent hinge for locking into a plurality of rotational positions an arm member relatively to the corresponding end part of the band.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A headphone comprising:
a resilient, curved band having opposed first and second end parts and an intermediate part positioned therebetween, wherein the band defines an interior region;
an arm member extending between a proximal end and a distal end;
an earphone unit physically coupled to the arm member adjacent the distal end thereof;
a pivot joint pivotally coupling a region adjacent the proximal end of the arm member with one of the opposed end parts of the band to define an axis of rotation oriented transversely relative to a wearer's head when the headphone is donned, wherein the pivot joint is configured to stop rotation of the arm member in a first direction at a first position and to stop rotation of the arm member in an opposed rotational direction at a second position substantially opposite the first position, and to inhibit rotation of the arm member at one or more intermediate positions between the first position and the second position.

2. A headphone according to claim 1 , wherein the earphone unit comprises a first earphone unit, the headphone further comprising a second earphone unit positioned opposite the first earphone unit relative to the band.

3. A headphone according to claim 2 , wherein the arm member comprises a first arm member, the headphone further comprising a second arm member pivotally coupled to the band, wherein the second earphone unit is physically coupled with the second arm member.

4. A headphone according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first rotational position, the arm member is substantially aligned with the band and the earphone unit is in a distal-most rotational position relative to the band.

5. A headphone according to claim 1 , wherein, in the second rotational position, the arm member is substantially aligned with the band and the earphone unit is positioned within the interior region of the band.

6. A headphone according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot joint is further configured to inhibit rotation of the arm member in the first direction and the second direction at each of a plurality of discrete rotational positions between the first position and the second position.

7. A headphone according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of discrete rotational positions comprises a rotational position in which the arm member is substantially perpendicular to the band.

8. A headphone according claim 1 , wherein the pivot join is further configured to continuously inhibit rotation of the arm member relative to the band.

9. A headphone according claim 6 , wherein the pivot join is further configured to continuously inhibit rotation of the arm member relative to the band.

10. A headphone according to claim 1 , wherein the band comprises a sliding member slidably coupling the arm member to the intermediate part of the band.

11. A headphone according to claim 1 , wherein the sliding member is included in the corresponding end part of the band and at least partially defines a lower end of the interior region.

12. A headphone according to claim 11 , further comprising extension portions slidably coupling the sliding member to an internal channel formed at the corresponding end of the intermediate part of the band.

13. A headphone according to claim 11 , wherein the pivot joint rotatably couples the arm member to the sliding member in the end part of the band.

14. A headphone according to claim 1 , further comprising a slidable member configured to slidingly couple the pivot joint to the respective one of the opposed end parts of the band.

15. A headphone comprising:
a resilient, curved band defining an interior region configured to receive a wearer's head;
a left earphone unit and a right earphone unit, each being rotatably coupled to the band; and
a pivot joint corresponding to each earphone unit, wherein each pivot joint is configured to allow the respective earphone unit to rotate relative to the band in a first direction rearwardly of the wearer's corresponding ear from a first position corresponding to the wearer's ear when the headphone is worn, wherein each pivot joint is further configured to allow the corresponding earphone unit to rotate in the first direction to a second position positioned within the interior region, to inhibit rotation of the earphone unit at one or more selected rotational positions between the first position and the second position, and to prevent the respective earphone unit from rotating past the second position in the first direction and past the first position in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

16. A headphone unit according to claim 15 , wherein each respective pivot joint is further configured to lock the corresponding earphone unit in one or more intermediate rotational positions between the first position and the second position.

17. A headphone unit according to claim 15 , wherein the one or more intermediate rotational positions comprises a 90-degree rotational position.

18. A headphone unit according to claim 15 , wherein each respective pivot joint is further configured to frictionally resist rotation of the corresponding earphone unit at the one or more selected rotational positions.

19. A headphone according to claim 15 , further comprising a slidable coupler configured to slidingly couple the pivot joint to the band.

20. A headphone comprising:
a left earphone unit and a right earphone unit;
a resilient, substantially U-shaped band mountable on a human head and having a left arm corresponding to the left earphone unit and a right arm corresponding to the right earphone unit, and an intermediate portion extending between the left arm and the right arm, wherein the band defines an interior region;
a respective pivot joint defining a corresponding axis of rotation oriented to extend outwardly of the interior region of the U-shaped band, wherein each respective pivot joint is positioned between the intermediate portion and each of the left arm and the right arm, wherein each pivot joint is configured to prevent rotation of the respective arm relative to the intermediate portion in a first direction when the respective arm is positioned in the interior region defined by the band, and to prevent rotation of the respective arm relative to the intermediate portion in a second direction when the respective arm is substantially aligned with the intermediate portion, and to inhibit rotation of the respective arm at one or more discrete rotational positions.

21. A headphone according to claim 20 , wherein each respective pivot joint is further configured to inhibit rotation of the respective arm continuously.

22. A headphone according to claim 20 , further comprising a respective slidable coupler corresponding to each pivot joint and configured to slidingly couple the intermediate portion of the band to the respective pivot joint.

Assignees

• Brunner Robert
• Sweet Kenny
• Vandenbussche Gregoire
• Fruhauf Chris
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Brunner Robert
• Sweet Kenny
• Vandenbussche Gregoire
• Fruhauf Chris

Classifications

• H04R2420/09

  Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1066 Primary

  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