GB2225509A

GB2225509A - Adjustable headphones

Info

Publication number: GB2225509A
Application number: GB8819920A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Winston Chu
Original assignee: Arkon Industrial Ltd
Current assignee: Arkon Industrial Ltd
Priority date: 1988-08-22
Filing date: 1988-08-22
Publication date: 1990-05-30
Also published as: WO1990002470A1; AU4190289A; GB8819920D0

Abstract

A headphone with adjustment means in order to vary the force of the headphone against a user's head, the headphone comprising a top bridge portion connected at each end to a side arm member is disclosed. The adjustment means causes outward or inward movement of the side arm members relative the top bridge portion, since the side arms are pivotably connected to the top bridge portion.

Description

ADJUSTABLE HEADPHONES GRIP MECHANISM This invention relates to headphones, and in particular headphones wherein the gripping force against a users head can be adjusted.

Known headphones provide a gripping force which increases the larger the separation between the two ear pads of a headphone. For a user with a relatively large skull, the headphones will thus give a higher gripping force than for a user with a small skull.

In accordance with the present invention, a headphone is provided with adjustment means in order to vary the force of the headphone against a user's head.

Such an arrangement is advantageous, in that a user can adjust the gripping force of the headphone to suit their own needs, and in particular to maximize the comfort of the headphone (especially when the headphone is used continuously for long periods).

The headphone preferably comprises a top bridge portion connected at each end to a side arm member, each of which supports an ear pad. Suitably, the adjusting mechanism comprises an adjustment member, which causes outward or inward movement of the side arm members relative to the top bridge portion. Suitably, the side arms are pivotably connected to the top bridge portion, and spring means are provided which apply a force to the side arm members.

Preferably, the adjustment mechanism varies the spring force, and in this regard the spring force can be either a torsion, tension, or compression spring force.

One end of the spring suitably acts on the side arm in such a way (i.e. relatively fixed) to provide a force against the side arm swinging outwardly, thereby producing the gripping force of the headphone. Since the spring force depends on the relative displacement of the two ends of the spring, adjustment of the gripping force is therefore made possible by varying the position of the other end of the spring.

The adjustment member suitably movably acts on this other end of the spring. In one embodiment the adjustment member comprises a switch (i.e. toggle) arrangement movable between two positions, while in another embodiment the adjustment member comprises a screw and nut arrangement which acts against the spring in a continuous manner.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front view of a headphone in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of one side of the headphone shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the headphone of Figure 2 shown in an alternative arrangement; Figure 4 is a detailed view of the adjustment section of the headphone shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the adjustment section of an alternative headphone in accordance with the invention; and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the headphone of Figure 5 in an alternative position.

In Figure 1, a headphone 10 is shown comprising a top bridge section 12, and a side arm section 14.

The top bridge section 12 is pivotably movable relative to the side arm section 14 via a downward extension 21 (see Figure 2) of the top bridge section 21 which is pivotably mounted to a horizontal shaft 13 which is fixed relative to the side arm section 14. This pivotal movement of the top bridge section 12 to the side arm section 14 is limited between two extremes, the first extreme being when the top edge of the inner side of the side arm section 14 contacts the base of the inner side of the top bridge section 12, and the second extreme being when the top edge of the outer side of the side arm section 14 contacts the base of the outer side of the top bridge section 12. In its normal position, the side arm section 14 is biased inwardly relative to the top bridge section by spring means 24.On the side arm 14, a band 16 which lies on the user' s head is attached, and an ear pad arrangement 18 is also attached to the bottom portion thereof.

In the upper part of the side arm, an adjustment mechanism 20 for the gripping force of the headphone is shown, comprising a toggle lever arrangement 22 on which acts spring means in the form of a torsion spring 24 which provides the actual gripping force for the headphone. The toggle lever arrangement 22 is mounted about a horizontal shaft 23 to the downward extension 21 of the top bridge section 12. The handle 25 of the toggle lever 22 extends through a hole 27 provided in the extension 21 such that the user of the headphone can easily move the handle 25 from the down position shown in Figure 2 to the up position shown in Figure 3.

The spring 24 is firstly fixedly mounted at one end 29 (see Figure 4) relative to the side arm section 14, secondly rotatably mounted at its mid point 31 around the shaft 13, and thirdly lies at its other end 32 against a cam surface 26 on the toggle lever 22. The cam surface 26 has a substantial L shape, such that the spring cannot move the toggle, and in particular whereby in the position shown in Figure 2 the end 32 of the spring lies against the base of the L shape, while in the position shown in Figure 3 the end 32 of the spring lies substantial flat against the body of the L shape.The spring 24 thus specifically acts on the cam surface 26 provided on the toggle lever, and on switching of the toggle lever from a minimum applied gripping force (e.g. 200 grams of pressure) position (see Figure 2) to a maximum applied gripping force (e.g. 400 grams of pressure) position (see Figure 3), the cam surface 26 of the toggle lever causes the spring to exert greater force (preferably at least 100 grams of pressure) on the side arm.

In Figure 2, the torsion spring is pre-loaded in order to give at least a small gripping force in this position. When the toggle lever is positioned to give a greater gripping force as shown in Figure 3, a larger gripping force is applied to the swing arm, and consequently to the ear pads which contact the user's head.

In particular, the gripping force will be proportional to the amount of angular displacement of the side arm plus the initial pre-loading force of the spring.

The design of the cam 26 on the toggle lever is such that the torque created by the force between the toggle lever and the torsion spring tends to rotate the toggle lever anti-clockwise, although this is restricted by the opening on the upper end of the side arm for the toggle lever itself. In this position, the torsion spring will have a heavier pre-loading. When the user puts his headphones on his head, the angular displacement of the swing arm will be the same as the above case. Since the pre-loading is heavier in this case, the user will feel a heavier gripping force.

In Figures 5 and 6, an alternative adjusting mechanism 50 for the gripping force is disclosed. In this arrangement, instead of a toggle lever arrangement, a screw and nut construction is provided supported on the extension 21 of the top bridge section 12, the arrangement being that the screw 52 has only angular motion and no transverse motion about its axis, while the nut 54 has only transverse motion and no angular motion about its axis.

As a result, the nut 54 which acts as a sliding pusher can be moved in and out by rotating the screw 52 (which acts as a hand knob portion) thereby giving a continuous adjustment of the pre-loading of the torsion spring 24 against which the nuts 54 directly contacts and acts thereagainst. This results in a continuous adjustment of the gripping force given to the side arms of the headphone.

Claims

C L A I M S:

1. A headphone provided with adjustment means in order to vary the force of the headphone against a user's head.

2. A headphone as claimed in Claim 1 which ccmprises a top bridge portion connected at each end to a side arm member, each of which supports an ear pad.

3. A headphone as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the adjusting mechanism comprises an adjustment member, which causes outward or inward movement of the side arm members relative to the top bridge portion.

4. A headphone as claimed in either Claim 2 or 3 wherein the side arms are pivotably connected to the top bridge portion, and spring means are provided which apply a force to the side arm members.

5. A headphone as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the adjustment mechanism varies the spring force.

6. A headphone as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the spring force can be either a torsion, tension, or compression spring force.

7. A headphone as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6 wherein one end of the spring acts on the side arm in such a way to provide a force against the side arm swinging outwardly, thereby producing the force of the headphone against the user's head.

8. A headphone as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7 wherein the other end of the spring is acted upon and varied by the adjustment member.

9. A headphone as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the adjustment member movably acts on this other end of the spring.

10. A headphone as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the adjustment means comprises a switch arrangement movable between two positions.

11. A headphone as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the adjustment means comprises a screw and nut arrangement which acts in a continuous manner.

12. A headphone substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.