AU2013204081C1 - Garment with built-in source wiring - Google Patents

Abstract

: \tId\Interwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TLD\5067471 I.DOC- H 04/2013 An audio source device may be used with a garment such as a hooded garment by passing the audio wires into a channel in the hood and having them exit the hood inside hollow 5 lanyards with earbuds at the ends. A means to fix the wires and the lanyards to each other inside the hood is shown; and a means is shown to prevent lateral movement inside the hood. WO 2010/15 1276 PCT/US20091'056536 5I2d 2

Description

H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 GARMENT WITH BUILT-IN AUDIO SOURCE WIRING Cross-Reference to Related Applications 5 This application is related to U.S. Application No. 12/492,035 filed on June 25, 2009 the content of which is incorporated by reference herein and the priority benefit of that filing date is claimed for this application. The disclosure of the complete specification of Australian Patent Application No. 10 2009273126, as originally filed and as proposed to be amended, is incorporated herein by reference. Field Of The Invention 15 The present invention relates to a combination of a garment and wiring for an audio source device. For example, the invention is in the fields of clothing and wiring for listening to portable audio sources such as MP3 players, CD players, cell phones and the like. In particular for combinations of clothing and such wiring. 20 Background of the Invention Wiring assemblies for portable audio sources for listening are ubiquitous. They are generically called headphones. One type of headphones adapted for portable use are called earbuds or earphones. They have at one end a connector to plug into a source device. This 25 then leads to a pair of wires connected to the devices to be placed at the user's ears, usually held in or on the ear. A user carries the wiring assembly with her and connects it up to the source device and sets the headphones at the ears. The wiring has to be carried and kept available for use, and it is 30 commonly a nuisance to find it and then to use it. In use it is kept usually outside the clothing, the headphones being at the ears and the audio device held in the hand or placed in a pocket.

H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -2 The wiring may not be waterproof, but recently waterproof wiring has been developed and is available. It is generally desirable to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the above described 5 difficulties, or to at least provide a useful alternative. Summary of the Invention According to the present invention, there is provided a combination of a garment and 10 wiring for an audio source device comprising: a garment having an opening portion and a channel extending around at least a part of the opening portion; audio connection wiring comprising a source access connector and having a first portion pair of wires which are joined extending from the connector to a separation point 15 inside the channel at which the joined pair of wires separate into separate left and right wires terminating in respective left and right earphones; the audio connection wiring being assembled into the garment so that the connector is available at a selected location for connecting to an audio source device; a strain relief member provided around the wires at the separation point securing 20 the wires against unintended separation; whereby an audio source device may be attached at the connector and the earphones may be inserted into a user's ears and the wiring is protected against unintended separation of the wires within the channel the combination further comprising a hollow left and right lanyard extending from 25 an entry end inside the channel and inside which each of the left and right wires extend respectively, each lanyard being attached at an entry end to the strain relief member and having an outside termination end outside the channel and the earphone in each lanyard extending within the lanyard beyond the termination end thereof whereby neither the lanyards nor the wires inside the lanyards can move laterally inside the channel and the 30 channel can be cinched by pulling on the lanyards. Brief Description Of The Drawings H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -3 Preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereafter described, by way of non limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 5 Figure 1 is a view of an exemplary type of earphones and wiring which is applicable to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a front view of a hooded garment with earphone wiring built into it according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows a partial view of a garment showing the connector and access wiring 10 extending into a garment pocket; Figure 4 shows a partial view of a garment with the wiring in a tube sewn into the inside of a garment and entering the channel of the hood; Figure 5 shows a partial view of a garment with a hood showing a cut-away view of the interior of the inside the channel of the hood with the wiring; 15 Figure 6 shows the wiring and hollow lanyards as held together in the channel by a barrel; Figure 7 is a view showing the wiring and hollow lanyards with a tab attached to the barrel for fixing to the garment; Figure 8 is a section view at 8 - 8 of Fig. 7 showing the wiring and hollow lanyards fixed to the casing by means of the tab; 20 Figure 9a is a view of the hollow lanyard with the electrical wire and a connection fitting for connection to an earbud; Figure 9b is a view showing the assembled fitting to the earbud; and Figure 10 is a view of the channel portion of a hooded garment showing the wiring inside it and an alternative way of fixing the wiring and lanyards against lateral movement 25 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention In the present invention wiring for an audio device, including headphones and earphones are permanently installed into a garment. 30 An exemplary earphone wiring assembly 10 as in Fig. 1 is of the type including a connector 12 for connecting to an audio source device, typically with paired analog audio H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -4 transmission wires 14a and 14b joined together along a joined wire portion 16 for some distance to a separation point 18 typically having a strain relief member 20 from which the transmission wires 14a' and 14b' extend separately terminating at the earphones 22a and 22b. While the term earphone wiring will be used in this description it is intended to mean 5 any of the type with a connection to a source device and a pair of listening instruments, one for each ear. Typically an analog signal travels from the source device to the earphones. In exemplary form the garment is a hooded garment 30 as shown in Fig. 2. In other 10 exemplary forms the garment is a conventionally collared shirt, and in still others it has a plain hemmed neck such as a crew neck. In the case of the hooded garment, it may be in jacket form, that is open down the front (with a zipper or other closure means) or in pull over form like a sweater. However in each case for purposes of embodiments of this invention there is a transfer channel 42 as will be described. In this description the terms 15 left and right refer to the wearer's left and right. As shown in Fig. 2, the earphone wiring 10 is installed into the garment so that the connector 12 is accessible near a pocket 32 and the right and left earphone wires 14a' and 14b' exit the garment inside hollow lanyards (also called drawstrings) 36a and 36b on each side of the hood 34 near the user's ears terminating at the right and left earphones 22a and 22b. As will be described in more detail 20 below, the portions of the earphone wiring 10 from the connector 12 to which access is not needed and which runs up to the hood 34 is captured in the garment. Also shown in Fig. 2 are right and left tubular lanyards 36a and 36b. These are used to cover the earphone wires 14a' and 14b' and also as the hood lanyards, for adjusting (called cinching) the hood 34. The hollow lanyards are knitted or may be hollow flexible plastic 25 Fig. 3 shows an example of how the wire portion 16 extends into the pocket 32 and exits the inner wall of the pocket 32 through an opening 40 so that it is in the inside of the garment 30, as further described below with reference to Fig. 4 30 Fig. 4 shows an example of how the earphone wiring 16 is brought from a location inside the pocket 32 into the hood channel 38. This is done by passing the joined wire portion 16 H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -5 through an opening 40 inside the pocket, which opening can be a button hole or a grommet to the inside of the garment. Then it enters a first, lower end of and travels through a transfer channel 42 which is sewn into the inside of the garment, in this case along the stitch line 46 that also attaches a zipper 44. Then it exits the transfer channel 42 at a 5 second, upper end, and enters the hood channel 38 (also called a casing) which is defined by the stitching 48, through an opening 50 defined by a button hole or other hole device such as a grommet, entering on the side of the hood channel 38 which is on the interior of the hood 34 and extends to the separation point 18 at which the wires separate. Further detail inside the hood channel 38 is described below. 10 Installation of the wiring can be done with a garment that does not have a pocket, in which case the wiring can simple extend beyond the bottom of the garment, or it can pass through an opening in the garment. 15 Fig. 5 shows a view of the inside of the hood channel 38 with a portion cut-away to show the interior of the channel. The joined portion 16 comprising the wires 14a and 14b enters the hood channel 38 as described above with reference to Fig. 4, and this portion is placed so that the strain relief member 20 at which they separate is approximately at the center of the hood 34. The right and left separate wires 14a' and 14b' are installed inside the right 20 and left hollow lanyards 36a and 36b respectively. The assembly at the point where the wires 14a' and 14b' exit the strain relief 20 into the hollow lanyards 36a and 36b is described in Figs 6 - 8 below. The right and left hollow lanyards 36a and 36b with the right and left wires 14a' and 14b' respectively, inside them exit the hood channel 38 through openings 52a and 52b, which in this embodiment are on the outside of the hood 25 channel 38, although they could be on the inside. Fig 6 shows an embodiment for a secure "Y" connection of the wires inside the hood channel 38. In this embodiment the strain relief also called a securing piece 20 is a plastic barrel that has been molded over the separation point 18 where the joined wires 14a and 30 14b separate into the separate wires 14a' and 14b'. It is also at this point that the wires 14a' and 14b' enter the hollow lanyards 36a and 36b respectively. The securing device 20 H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -6 tightly holds the ends of the lanyards with respect to each other and the wires. This will be referred to as the securing point 54. It is preferable that the lanyards 36a and 36b with the wires inside them be attached to the 5 garment inside the hood channel 38 to avoid pulling them laterally in one direction or the other such as by uneven pulling. There are various ways that this can done. One way is to secure the assembly to the garment at or near the securing point 54. In one embodiment this is done as shown in Figs. 5, 7 and 8 with a fabric strip 56 secured around the securing piece 20, stitching and gluing being exemplary. It is then co-sewn into the hem stitch 46 10 which defines the casing or channel 38. The detail is shown in Fig. 8 in which the fabric strip 56 is sewn at 58 to help secure it around the securing piece 20. Then, after it has been set in place, it is co-sewn with the hood channel hem as shown at 60. Fig. 10 shows another embodiment for fixing the lanyard/wire members against lateral 15 movement. In this embodiment, the securing piece 20 is captured between stitch lines 66 on either side. Of course the stitch lines 66 have to avoid the wiring. As explained above, an embodiment of the invention combines the hood lanyards 36a and 36b with the separate wire portions 14a' and 14b' so that the hollow lanyards serve two 20 purposes, one is to tighten the hood, and secondly as conduits for the separate wire portions 14a' and 14b'. The ends of the lanyards 36a and 36b are secured to the earphones 22a and 22b, which in the figures are shown as the earbuds type of earphones. To manufacture the assembly so that the wiring is permanently installed in the garment, the 25 separate wires 14a' and 14b' are first strung through the lanyards 36a and 36b. Then the molded barrel 20 is molded into place at the "Y" junction securing point 54 joining the wires and the lanyards at one end. Then the other ends of the combined lanyards and wires are crimped to a strain relief connection fitting 62 as shown in Fig. 9a, and then the stripped wire portion 64 is attached to the earbuds 22a and 22b and the connection fitting 30 62 is secured to the earbuds 22a and 22b as shown in Fig. 9b.

H: \tid\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -7 While in this description, the terms right and left have been used to understand the location of the lanyards, the wires and the earphones with respect to the garment; it should be understood that the location may but does not necessarily consistently apply to the attachment to a user's left and right ear. A user may attach the left earphone to the left ear 5 and the right earphone to the right ear. But a user can elect to do the opposite; and when the lanyards are tied in a conventional bow, the left and right earphones will reverse their relative location. The foregoing Detailed Description of exemplary and preferred embodiments is presented 10 for purposes of illustration and disclosure in accordance with the requirements of the law. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form or forms described, but only to enable others skilled in the art to understand how the invention may be suited for a particular use or implementation. The possibility of modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. No limitation is intended by 15 the description of exemplary embodiments which may have included tolerances, feature dimensions, specific operating conditions, engineering specifications, or the like, and which may vary between implementations or with changes to the state of the art, and no limitation should be implied therefrom. This disclosure has been made with respect to the current state of the art, but also contemplates advancements and that adaptations in the 20 future may take into consideration of those advancements, namely in accordance with the then current state of the art. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims as written and equivalents as applicable. Reference to a claim element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless explicitly so stated. Moreover, no element, component, nor method or process step in this disclosure is intended to be 25 dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or step is explicitly recited in the Claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. Sec. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for . . . " and no method or process step herein is to be construed under those provisions unless the step, or steps, are expressly recited using the phrase 30 "comprising step(s) for. . . " H: \id nterwovenJ\NRPortbl\DCC\TD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 -8 Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 5 The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of 10 endeavour to which this specification relates.

Claims (10)

1. A combination of a garment and wiring for an audio source device comprising: a garment having an opening portion and a channel extending around at least a part 5 of the opening portion; audio connection wiring comprising a source access connector and having a first portion pair of wires which are joined extending from the connector to a separation point inside the channel at which the joined pair of wires separate into separate left and right wires terminating in respective left and right earphones; 10 the audio connection wiring being assembled into the garment so that the connector is available at a selected location for connecting to an audio source device; a strain relief member provided around the wires at the separation point securing the wires against unintended separation; whereby an audio source device may be attached at the connector and the 15 earphones may be inserted into a user's ears and the wiring is protected against unintended separation of the wires within the channel, the combination further comprising a hollow left and right lanyard extending from an entry end inside the channel and inside which each of the left and right wires extend respectively, each lanyard being attached at an entry end to the strain relief member and 20 having an outside termination end outside the channel and the earphone in each lanyard extending within the lanyard beyond the termination end thereof whereby neither the lanyards nor the wires inside the lanyards can move laterally inside the channel and the channel can be cinched by pulling on the lanyards. 25

2. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a securing member attached to the strain relief member and also attached to the garment thereby to prevent movement of the wires relative to the garment.

3. The combination of claim 1 further comprising a securing member attached to the 30 strain relief member and also attached to the garment thereby to prevent lateral movement of the wires inside the channel. H: \td\lnterwoven\NRPortbl\DCC\TLD\8260083_1.doc-19/08/2015 - 10

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the securing member is a fabric strip fixed to the strain relief member and being co-sewn into a hem stitch which defines the channel.

5 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the strain relief member is a plastic barrel applied around the wires at the separation point.

6. The combination of claim 5 further comprising a securing member comprising a fabric strip adhesively attached to the plastic barrel and also attached to the garment by 10 being stitched to the garment.

7. The combination of claim 6 the separation point and the strain relief member being inside the channel and the separate left and right wires exiting the channel each having a length outside the channel terminating in the respective left and right earphones. 15

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein the opening portion comprises a collar of the garment and the channel extends around the collar.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein the opening portion comprises a hood and the 20 channel extends around the hood.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein the lanyards are of a flexible material.