GB2355129A - Adaptor for coupling an earphone to a moulded ear piece - Google Patents

Abstract

A headphone adaptor 8 connects a moulded earpiece 4 to a headphone 1. The adaptor is cup-shaped with a hollow stem 10 having an external annular rib 11 which snap fits into a recess 6 at the mouth of a sound passage 5 through the earpiece 4. The rim of the cup has an inwardly projecting head 11 that enables the cup to snap it to the headphone 1. Different adaptors accept different headphones, but all can fit the same earpiece.

Description

2355129 A Headphone Adaptor This invention concerns a headphone adaptor.

It has been developed primarily for the benefit of mobile phone users, who often find a "hands free', kit useful, and it will be described in those terms. But it will be understood that there can be other applications, for example to portable radios.

There are available extensions for mobile phones where a plug-in lead has at its free end a small headphone, allowing the main unit not to be held to the ear. With current concerns about radiation damage to the brain, this is expected to become increasingly popular.

It is also known to f it these headphones to a unitary earpiece. Such an earpiece is moulded in plastics to a is shape approximating to the "average" ear and presents a socket into which the headphone can plug.

Of course the "average" ear does not exist; each one is individual. Therefore although this known earpiece may be good enough for some users, for others it may be too tight, too loose, or generally uncomfortable.

The aim of this invention is to eliminate as far as possible such discomfort.

According to the present invention there is provided an adaptor for a headphone, the adaptor comprising a resilient cup-like member, with a stem having an outwardly projecting annular rib at or near its f ree end, the main body of the cup having an inwardly beaded rim, and a passage through the 2 stem opening into the main body of the cup.

Such an adaptor is intended to be snap f itted by its stem into an earpiece moulded, according to known techniques for hearing aids, accurately to the intended users' ear.

It will therefore fit comfortably and can be of harder plastics than the known device referred to above. It can have a passage therethrough for the transmission of sound, widening at the outer end into a cylindrical recess with a mouth having an inwardly projecting rim the stem of the adaptor being a snap fit into this recess. This rim, usually of metal, can be provided by an annular insert partially embedded in the moulding that forms the rest of the earpiece.

The inwardly beaded rim of the cup receives and retains a headphone. Not all headphones are the same size, and although by virtue of its resilience and elasticity the adaptor could cope with minor variations in size, it may not suit all headphones. However, there can easily be produced a range of adaptors, all with the same sized stem but differing in the radius of the inwardly beaded rim. There will therefore be no need to replace the relatively expensive earpiece if a headphone is changed, one quite cheap adaptor can simply be taken out and another one plugged in.

For a better understanding of the invention, one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a section of an ear mould in conjunction with a headphone, preparatory to assembly, and 3 Figure 2 is a similar section, but showing those parts assembled.

A headphone 1 is shown in a common shape with a stem 2 to which a cable leads, and a speaker in a substantially 5 hemispherical housing 3.

An ear mould 4 of plastics material is shown very diagrammatically as a rectangular block. In practice, of course, it will have a complex shape to fit within the ear, and there are known techniques for hand making it precisely to an individual's requirements. Through this ear mould there runs a passage 5 which opens at the outer end into a cylindrical recess 6. A metal ring 7 is snap f itted into a groove just within the mouth of the recess to form an inwardly projecting lip. The plastics moulding may be heated to give sufficient pliability to allow this.:

To connect the- headphone 1 to the ear mould 4 there is an adaptor 8. This is of cup-like form with a main body or cup 9 and a hollow stem 10 external to the base of the cup. The rim of the cup 9 has an inwardly projecting bead 11, and the stem 10 has an external annular rib 12 near its free end. The adaptor is of rubber or plastics which gives it a certain resilience and flexibility. It is dimensioned so that the stem 10 can plug into the recess 6, with the rib 12 snapping past the ring 7 to retain the adaptor to the ear mould 4. The headphone 1 can be retentively engaged by the cup 9, the bead 11 being capable of snapping past the rim of the housing 3. This engaged position is shown in Figure 2.

The ear mould 4 should never need to be changed.

4 However, headphones do not have a standard dimension, and there are likely to be ones with smaller -or larger housings 3. To connect those, it simply requires that one adaptor 8 is removed from the ear mould 4 so that another one with a different sized cup 9 but with the same size stem 10 can be plugged in.

Claims (4)

1 An adaptor for a headphone, the adaptor comprising a resilient cup-like member, with a stem having an outwardly projecting annular rib at or near its free end, the main body of the cup having an inwardly beaded rim, and a passage through the stem opening into the main body of the cup.

2. An adaptor as claimed in Claim 1, in combination with a moulded earpiece with a passage therethrough for the transmission of sound widpning at the outer end into a cylindrical recess with a mouth having an inwardly projecting rim, the stem of the adaptor being a snap fit into this recess.

3. A combination as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the rim of the recess of the earpiece is provided by an annular insert partially embedded in the moulding that forms the rest of the earpiece.

4. A combination as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, in f urther combination with a headphone retainable to the cup-like member by the inwardly beaded rim.