EP4351169A1

EP4351169A1 - Removable protector for headphones headband

Info

Publication number: EP4351169A1
Application number: EP23200269.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Katja Kuntola
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-10-07
Filing date: 2023-09-28
Publication date: 2024-04-10

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a removable protector for a headband of a set of headphones, wherein the protector is a hollow elongated tubular structure comprised of a first end portion, a second end portion, and a middle portion lying therebetween, characterized in that the first end portion and the second end portion are elastic and stretchable. The advantage of the disclosed invention is that it can be positioned on the headband of the headphones without disassembling the headphones or opening and closing the protector. The protector protects the hair of the headphones user from pulling and entanglement.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to headphones, and particularly to the headband of the headphones which extends over the head of a headphones user. This disclosure further relates to protective parts which can be attached to the headband.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a set of headphones such as illustrated in Figure 1 The common problem of the widely used headphones is that a headband 13, which extends between two earpieces 11 and 12, interacts with hair of the user and causes hair entanglement.
Document US7024013B1 discloses a removable headband sleeve that reduces hair entanglement. However, the sleeve can only be used with a specific set of headphones which is configured with a removable earpiece for positioning the sleeve on the headband.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

An object of the present disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The object is a removable protector for a headband of the headphones that can be pulled over the parts of the headphones and positioned on the headband without disassembling the headphones or opening and closing the protector. The object of the disclosure is achieved by combination of the structural design and material properties of the protector which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claim. The preferred embodiments of the disclosure are disclosed in the dependent claims.
The disclosure is based on the idea of fabricating a hollow elongated tubular structure, which is at least partly elastic and reversibly stretchable in the cross-sectional direction in order to be positioned on the headband of the headphones by pulling the protector over one of the earpieces.
The advantage of the protector of this disclosure is that positioning does not require removing any parts of the headphones. Moreover, the protector can be used with virtually any type of headphones that comprise the headband and a pair of earpieces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the disclosure will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a commonly used set of headphones and its parts;
Figure 2 illustrates an example of a protector positioned on the headband of a set of headphones;
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the protector with defined end and middle portions, as well as unstretched cross-sectional diameters and unstretched longitudinal length of the protector;
Figure 4a explains the longitudinal and cross-sectional directions of the protector as well as shows the protector in the unstretched state;
Figure 4b presents the stretched in cross-sectional direction state of the protector, the exemplar directions of the stretching force and the increased cross-sectional diameter;
Figure 4c demonstrates the stretched in longitudinal direction state, the exemplar directions of the stretching force and longitudinal length in the stretched state, as well as exemplar directions of the stretching force;
Figure 5a illustrates an embodiment when the middle section of the protector is elastic and stretchable in the cross-sectional direction, and the cross-sectional diameter of the middle section is equal to that of the first end and the second end portions in the unstretched state;
Figure 5b shows an embodiment when the middle portion is non-elastic, and the cross-sectional diameter of the middle section is greater that that of the first end and the second end portions in the unstretched state;
Figure 6a shows an embodiment when the elastic bands are positioned inside at least the first end and the second end portions of the protector, and the cross-sectional diameter of the middle portion is greater that that of the first end and the second end portions in the unstretched state. It also shows the protector of this embodiment in relation to the headband of the headphones.
Figure 6b shows an embodiment when the elastic bands are positioned inside at least the first end and the second end portions of the protector, and the cross-sectional diameter of the middle portion is equal to that of the first end and the second end portions in the unstretched state. It also shows the protector of this embodiment in relation to the headband of the headphones.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a removable protector for a headband of the headphones. The purpose of the protector is to a) protect the hair and the scalp of the headphones user from interaction with the headband such as hair pulling and entanglement, or friction against hair and scalp skin; and b) protect the headband of the headphones from mechanical wear and damage including scratching the surface of the headband, breaking the headband due to fall or impact, dirt, dust or grease accumulation on the surface of the headband.

Claim 1:

The disclosure relates to a removable protector for a headband of a set of headphones, wherein:

a) the protector is a hollow elongated tubular structure configured with a first opening in a first end of the structure, and with a second opening in a second end of the structure, wherein the first opening is opposite to the second opening, and wherein a longitudinal direction extends along the length of the structure from the first opening to the second opening, and a cross-sectional direction extends along the cross section of the structure and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
b) the protector comprises a first end portion with the first opening, a second end portion with the second opening, and a middle portion lying therebetween;
c) the first end portion and the second end portion are elastic and reversibly stretchable in cross-sectional direction of the protector;
d) the longitudinal length of the protector is in the range of 10-40 cm, and the diameters of the first and second end portions in the cross-sectional direction in an unstretched state are in the range of 1-6 cm, and the diameters of the first and second end portions in the cross-sectional direction in a stretched state are greater than their diameter in the unstretched state.

The protector is configured to extend longitudinally along a substantial portion of the headband as illustrated in Figure 2. The first end of the protector 21 can be positioned in the proximity of the first headband end 22, and the second end of the protector can be positioned in the proximity of the second headband end 23. The headband is configured to be placed at least partly inside the protector. In other words, the protector may enclose the longitudinal part of the headband, while the first and the second ends of the headband may or may not be covered by the protector. In other words, the protector may be configured to be removably attached to the headband so that the at least part of the headband is inside the protector.
The protector is a hollow elongated tubular structure which comprises three portions illustrated in Figure 3: the first end portion 31 which includes the first end 36 with the first opening 38, the second end portion 32 which includes the second end 37 with the second opening 39, and the middle portion 33 which is located between the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 32. The protector can also be described as a hollow flexible tube with two openings in opposite ends, wherein the openings are aligned with the cross section of the tube. Despite of being referred to as the tubular structure, the protector does not necessarily need to have the shape of circular cylinder as shown in simplified schematics of Figure 3. The geometry of the protector can also be a variation of an irregular cylinder defined by design of the protector and material choice, as illustrated in other figures. The protector may have an uneven surface, and it can be bent and twisted, such as the protector 21 in Figure 2.
The protector is a solid and unitary structure which cannot be opened or disassembled into another geometry than that of a hollow elongated tubular structure. In other words, the protector functions without additional fasteners such as buttons, pins or zippers. Furthermore, the protector may or may not have seams.
Figure 4a illustrates two directions defined in relation to the geometry of the protector. The longitudinal direction defines the line 43 that connects the first opening with the second opening. The curvature of the line follows the shape of the protector. In other words, if the protector is twisted or bent as in Figure 4a, or stretched as in Figures 4b and 4c, the longitudinal direction corresponds to the current shape of the protector. When the protector covers a headband as in Figure 2, the longitudinal direction extends along the headband. The cross-sectional direction 44 lies along the cross section of the protector and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the point of intersection. The first end portion 31 and second end portion 32 lie on the opposite longitudinal ends of the protector, and the middle portion 33 lies between the first end and second end portions in the longitudinal direction.
Two states of the protector can be defined: a stretched state as in Figures 4b and 4c, and an unstretched state as in Figure 4a. The protector is in a stretched state when a force is applied in a stretching direction. In contrast, the protector is in an unstretched state when no force is applied. The stretching is reversible. In other words, the protector returns to the unstretched shape and size when the stretching force is released. The unstretched state can also be referred to as the initial state.
At least the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 32 of the protector are elastic and can be stretched in the cross-sectional direction 44 as illustrated in Figure 4b. The stretching in the cross-sectional direction is reversible. In other words, the cross-sectional diameter of the end portions of protector is configured to return from the stretched diameter 41 to the initial unstretched diameter 34 in a self-reversing manner when the force in the cross-sectional direction is released. The purpose of the stretching in the cross-sectional direction is to position the protector onto the headband of the headphones by pulling it over the earpieces. The diameter 34 of at least the first and the second end portions of the protector increases while pulling the protector over the earpiece and applying the force in the cross-sectional direction 44. The diameter can at least increase to the diameter of the largest part of the earpiece of the headphones. The diameter of any of the stretchable portions of the protector may be configured to return to their unstretched diameters when all portions of the protector are positioned onto the headband of the headphones.
The longitudinal length 35 may be configured to increase as illustrated in Figure 4c. When the force is applied to the protector in the longitudinal direction 43, the longitudinal length can increase to the stretched length 42. The stretching is the longitudinal direction may be reversible. Thus, the longitudinal length may return to the unstretched length 35 when the force is released.
In any embodiment of this disclosure, at least one portion of the protector may be reversibly stretchable in the longitudinal direction 43 if a longitudinal stretching force acts on the protector. The longitudinal length of the protector may in this case increase from an initial or unstretched length 35 to a stretched length 42. The increase of the longitudinal length of any portion of the protector may contribute to the total increase of the longitudinal length.
For example, only the middle portion 33 may be configured to extend longitudinally, or all portions 31 , 32 and 33 may be configured to extend in longitudinal direction. Quantitatively, the longitudinal length may increase, for example, 2 times. The longitudinal and cross-sectional stretching may occur independently of each other.
The diameters 34 of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector can be in the range of, for example, 1-5 cm, 1-6 cm, 2-5 cm or 2-6 cm in their unstretched state. The diameters of the first end and the second end portions may be equal in the unstretched state. In the stretched state the diameter increases. The diameter in the stretched state may for example be 2-10 times larger than in the unstretched state, depending on the applied stretching force. The diameter of the middle portion 35 of the protector can be equal or greater than the diameter of the first and the second portions 34 in the unstretched state, and can be, for example, 1-10 cm or 1-15 cm. The diameters 34 of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector in the unstretched state may be smaller than the diameter of the headband in regions where the corresponding the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector may be configured to be attached. The diameters 34 of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector in the unstretched state may be equal to the diameter of the headband in regions where the corresponding the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector may be configured to be attached. The diameter of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector that is smaller or equal to the diameter of the headband in the corresponding regions may ensure that the protector is fixed at the headband with no additional fasteners. For example, if the diameter of the headband is more than 1 cm, the diameters 34 of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector in the unstretched state may be equal to or smaller than 1 cm.
The length of the protector 35, which includes the first end, the second end and the middle portions, is in the range of 10-40 cm in the unstretched state. The length of the protector 35 may be defined by the length of the headband. In other words, the length of the protector 35 may be equal to the length of the headband. Alternatively, the length of the protector 35 may be smaller than the length of the headband. Alternatively, the length of the protector 35 may be greater that the length of the headband. The length of the protector 35 may be smaller than, equal to or greater than the length of the headband, however, it may sufficiently cover the headband in order to minimize contact of the hair of the user with the headband. The longitudinal lengths of the first and the second end portions may be equal, and they may for example be less than 10-20% of the total longitudinal length of the protector each. The longitudinal length of the middle portion may be 60-80% of the total longitudinal length of the protector or 6-32 cm. The longitudinal length of the protector may, for example, increase in the stretched state to become more than 10%, more than 20% or more than 50% greater than its length in the unstretched state.
The protector may be used with a variety of headphones. The headphones may be configured with at least a pair of earpieces, comprised of two drivers, two earcups, and two earmuffs or cushions, and the headband which connects the earpieces together. Alternatively, the headphones may have only one earpiece (may also be called a mono headset) comprised of one driver, one earcup and one earmuff, and the headband which extends from the earpiece positioned on one side of the head of the user to the other side of the head of the user. Additionally, the headphones might have supplementary elements including but not limited to a microphone, one or more cables, or adjustable sliders between the headband and the earpieces. The headband of the headphones can comprise a first headband end and a second headband end, wherein the first headband end is connected to the first earpiece of the headphones and the second headband end is connected to the second earpiece of the headphones. In case when the headphones have only one earpiece, the first headband end can be connected to the earpiece and the second headband end can be free-hanging or connected to an additional element such as T-bar, which improves fit with the head of the user. The parts of the headphones can be fixed or removable, however, the protector can be positioned over the headband without removing any parts of the headphones.

First embodiment

In a first embodiment, the middle portion 33 of the removable protector may be elastic and reversibly stretchable in the cross-sectional direction as illustrated in Figures 5a and 5b. The cross-sectional diameters of the first end portion, the second end portion and the middle portion of the protector may in this case be equal in the unstretched state.
The middle portion 33 of the protector can be elastic and configured to reversibly stretch in the cross-sectional direction. Thus, the diameter of the middle portion 35 can be stretched in the cross-sectional direction to position the middle portion 33 on the headband of the headphones. In this case, the cross-sectional diameter 35 of the middle portion can be equal with the cross-sectional diameter 34 of the first end and the second end portions of the protector in the unstretched state. The middle portion 33 can then be stretched in the cross-sectional direction in the same manner as the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions. For example, the cross-sectional diameter of the middle portion 33, the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions can be stretched equally up to 3 times.
Alternatively, the cross-sectional diameter 35 of the middle portion may be greater than the cross-sectional diameter 34 of the first end and the second end portions of the protector in the unstretched state. However, cross-sectional diameter 35 of the middle portion in the unstretched state may not necessarily be greater than the diameter of the earpiece over which the protector is pulled. In this case, the middle portion 33 may be stretched less in the cross-sectional direction than the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions when the protector is placed over the headband. For example, the diameter of the middle portion in the stretched state 33 may be 2 times greater than in unstretched state, while the diameter of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions may be 3 times greater in the stretched state than in the unstretched state.

Second embodiment

In a second embodiment, the middle portion 33 of the protector can be non-elastic as in Figure 5b. The cross-sectional diameter 35 of the middle portion can be greater than the cross-sectional diameter 34 of the first end and the second end portions of the protector in the unstretched state. Thus, the middle portion 33 can be pulled over the earpieces on the headband of the headphones without stretching. In this case, the unstretched cross-sectional diameter 35 of the middle portion may for example be in the range 4 - 9 cm, while the unstretched cross-sectional diameters 34 of the first and the second end portions may be 3 cm. The diameter of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions in the stretched state during positioning of the protector over the headband may then be 3 times greater than in unstretched state, while the diameter of the middle portion 33 may not change.

Third embodiment

A third embodiment of the removable protector is illustrated in Figures 6a-6b. In this embodiment, the protector comprises at least two elastic bands 61 and 62, which are positioned inside each of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions of the protector. Said elastic bands 61 and 62 extend around the opening of said end portions 31 and 32, and are configured to reversibly stretch in at least the cross-sectional direction.
The third embodiment can be combined with either first and second embodiments presented above. One option, illustrated in Figure 6a, is that the middle 33 portion of the protector of this example is non-elastic. In this case, the elastic bands 61 and 62 can be placed into at least the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions, and the cross-sectional diameter 34 of the elastic bands in the unstretched state 61 and 62 define the cross-sectional diameter 34 of the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions in the unstretched state. The elastic bands 61 and 62 ensure the protector is tightly fixed on the headband 63 of the headphones. The middle portion 33 preserves its initial diameter 35 during positioning and when positioned onto the headband 63. The cross-sectional diameter of the middle portion 35 is in this case greater than the cross-sectional diameter 34 of the elastic bands 61 and 62 in the unstretched state. Additionally, the middle portion 33 can have at least one elastic band inside extending around the cross-section of the middle portion 33. In this case, the protector would have at least three elastic bands inside.
Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6b, the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions can be equipped with the elastic bands 61 and 62 inside, and the middle portion 33 can be elastic and reversibly stretchable in the cross-sectional direction of the protector. In this case, the cross-sectional diameter 35 of the middle portion 33 would be reversibly increased during positioning and return to its initial value 35 when positioned on the headband 63 of the headphones. Additionally, the middle portion 33 can have at least one elastic band inside extending around the cross-section of the middle portion 33. In this case, the protector would have at least three elastic bands inside.
In either figure 6a and 6b, the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions can be made of a non-elastic material, and the elastic band 61 and 62 would ensure elasticity of the first and second ends of the protector. In another option, the first end 31 and the second end 32 portions may be elastic and have no elastic bands inside. In this case, at least one elastic band may be positioned inside the middle portion 33, and the middle portion 33 may be made of an elastic or non-elastic material.

Materials

Any portion of the protector of this disclosure can be fabricated from a material or combination of materials which exhibit flexible or elastic properties. Flexibility is defined as the ability of material to bend without breaking, while elasticity is the ability of material to stretch and return to its initial unstretched shape and size. The possible materials or combination of the materials of any portion of the protector are described further.
The raw materials can be classified into two groups: natural materials and man-made materials. Natural materials include but are not limited to (a) animal-based materials such as wool or silk; (b) plant-based materials such as cotton, flax (for linen fibres) or jute; and (c) mineral-based materials such as glass fibre, asbestos or silver. Man-made materials include but are not limited to various (a) synthetic polymers such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, elastane (also called Spandex or Lycra), and (a) natural polymers such as rubber, cellulose, regenerated proteins or alginate. The protector can be made of any natural material or man-made material listed above.
The raw materials can be processed using different fabrication techniques. For example, the fibres can be produced using various extrusion and spinning methods, and further woven, looped, twisted or knitted to obtain a fabric. An exemplar product of such process is highly stretchable spandex fabric obtained by first producing synthetic fibres from polyether-polyurea copolymer, and then knitting the fibres into the fabric. The molding or casting techniques can be used to produce sheets of materials with thermoplastic properties that cannot be classified as fabric as they are produces without knitting step.
Two or more materials can be combined during the raw material processing phase or during the protector fabrication phase, and the protector can be made of these two or more materials. During the raw material processing phase, the raw materials can be blended in various proportions, or one material can be used as a coating for another material. The example of combining two materials during processing phase can be blending 4-8% of spandex fibres with 92-96% of cotton fibres, or coating elastane fibres with nylon. During the protector fabrication phase, the materials can be combined so that different portions of the protector are produced from different materials, or the whole fabricated protector can be coated with one or more material. For example, the first and the second end portions may be fabricated from elastic materials such as spandex blended with nylon, while the middle portion may be fabricated from non-elastic or relatively less elastic cotton.
In any embodiment of this disclosure, the material of at least the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 32 may be a fabric. The material of the middle portion 33 may also be a fabric. The fabric may, for example, be made of one of the natural raw materials listed above, such as cotton, wool or silk, or a combination of those materials with each other or with man-made materials that exhibit elastic properties or flexibility, such as nylon or elastane. The fabric may be manufactured using techniques such as knitting, twisting or looping of the fibres.

Claims

A removable protector for a headband of a set of headphones, wherein:
the protector is a hollow elongated tubular structure configured with a first opening in a first end of the structure, and with a second opening in a second end of the structure, wherein the first opening is opposite to the second opening, and wherein a longitudinal direction extends along the length of the structure from the first opening to the second opening, and a cross-sectional direction extends along the cross section of the structure and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;

the protector comprises a first end portion with the first opening, a second end portion with the second opening, and a middle portion lying therebetween;

the first end portion and the second end portion are elastic and reversibly stretchable in the cross-sectional direction of the protector;

the longitudinal length of the protector is in the range of 10-40 cm, and the diameters of the first and second end portions in the cross-sectional direction in an unstretched state are in the range of 1-6 cm, and the diameters of the first and second end portions in the cross-sectional direction in a stretched state are greater than their diameter in the unstretched state.
The removable protector according to claim 1, wherein the middle portion of the protector is elastic and reversibly stretchable in the cross-sectional direction.
The removable protector according to claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional diameters of the first end portion, the second end portion and the middle portion of the protector are equal in the unstretched state.
The removable protector according to claim 1, wherein the middle portion of the protector is non-elastic.
The removable protector according to claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional diameter of the middle portion of the protector is greater than the cross-sectional diameters of the first and the second end portions of the protector in the unstretched state.
The removable protector according to claim 1, wherein the protector comprises at least two elastic bands, which are positioned inside each of the first and the second end portions of the protector, wherein said elastic bands extend around the openings of said end portions, and are configured to reversibly extend in at least cross-sectional direction.
The removable protector of claim 6, wherein the middle portion of the protector is non-elastic.
The removable protector of claim 6, wherein the middle portion of the protector is elastic and reversibly stretchable in the cross-sectional direction of the protector.
The removable protector according to any preceding claim, wherein the material of the first end portion and the second end portion is a fabric.
The removable protector according to any preceding claim, wherein the material of the middle portion is a fabric.
The removable protector according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one portion of the protector is reversibly stretchable in the longitudinal direction.