US2984713A

US2984713A - Microphone assembly

Info

Publication number: US2984713A
Application number: US857685A
Authority: US
Inventors: Swinehart Frank
Original assignee: TURNER CO
Current assignee: TURNER CO
Priority date: 1959-12-07
Filing date: 1959-12-07
Publication date: 1961-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-16

Description

May 16, 1961 F. SWINEHART 2,984,713 MICROPHONE ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 7, 1959 hVE Hfmr Franz Snume/nzrf E J7EE.

United States Patent G NHCROPHONE ASSEMBLY Frank Swinehart, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor to The Turner Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Dec. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 857,685

8 Claims. (Cl. 179-167) The present invention is directed to an improved microphone assembly and has particular utility where an intermittently operated microphone is to be employed.

For some applications of sound systems, such as public address systems and radio dispatching installations, it is frequently desirable to provide both a manually operable energizing switch for the microphone, and an automatically operable switch for the same purpose. The microphone assembly of the present invention meets these needs by providing energizing switches for the microphone which selectively convert the microphone from the manually operable condition to an automatic energizing condition.

In accordance with the present invention, the microphone assembly is provided with a base which houses a multi-contact switch, such as a leaf-type switch for selectively energizing the microphone. A manually operable switch operating lever cooperates with the switch to energize the microphone whenever desired. A second switch, of the pressure-responsive type, is associated with the base to operate the same switch solely by the weight of the assembly which it bears. When this pressure-responsive switch is in the circuit, the microphone is energized when the microphone assembly is lifted from a support so that it is immediately energized when raised to the level of the mouth. Upon replacement of the microphone assembly on the supporting surface, the pressureresponsive switch operates to deenergize the microphone and thereby eliminate the transmission of extraneous signals between intervals of use.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved microphone assembly having both manual and automatically operable energizing means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pressure responsive switch for selectively energizing a microphone.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the attached sheet of drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the improved microphone assembly;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the microphone base, with the cover removed to expose the parts;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 2, taken along the line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line IV-IV of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the switching cir' cuits involved in the microphone assembly.

As shown in the drawings:

In Figure 1, reference numeral indicates generally the improved microphone assembly including a microphone 11 which may be any conventional type microphone such as a crystal or dynamic microphone. The

ice

microphone housing also includes a neck portion 12 which terminates in a base housing 13.

Extending through the base housing is a manually operable switch operating lever 14 and a locking means 16 for holding the switch operating lever 14 in microphone-energizing condition.

The automatic energizing feature is provided by a pressure responsive switch 17 extending from the base of the microphone assembly and into contact with a supporting surface 18. When the microphone assembly 10 rests on the supporting surface 18, as illustrated in Figure 1, the pressure responsive switch 17 deenergizes the microphone assembly but the microphone can be energized in that condition by depressing the manually operable switch operating lever 14.

Turning now to a consideration of the circuit diagram as shown in Figure 5, the output of the microphone 11 has one portion grounded as indicated at numeral 21 and the other lead 22 is arranged to be connected to an audio amplifier or the like. Lead 22 is shielded against pickup by a grounded shield 23.

A manually operable switch consisting of a switch arm 24 and a contact 26 serves to transmit the output of the microphone 11, when the switch is closed, to the audio amplifier.

In parallel with the manually operable switch are a pair of switches arranged for automatic energization of the microphone assembly. The pressure responsive switch 17 actuates a switch arm 27 against the contact 28 to close this switch when the microphone assembly 10 is lifted from its supporting surface. A disabling switch 29 is in series relation to the pressure responsive switch so that the pressure responsive switch may be removed from the circuit if the operation is to be strictly manual.

The switching circuit shown in Figure 5 may also in clude switching means for controlling energization of the audio amplifier, or other circuits associated with the microphone. For this purpose, the switch arm 24- may be mechanically connected to a switch arm 31, the switch arm 27 may be manually connected to a switch arm 32, and the disabling switch 29 may be mechanically connected to a switch 33.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings illustrate a mechanical structure for the switching circuits shown in Figure 5. As seen in these figures, the base 13 includes a removable base plate 34 upon which the various switching means are mounted. The switch operating lever 14 consists of a switch bar 36 extending through the base housing, as shown in Figure l. The switch bar 36 has a pair of

opposed arms

37 and 38 which are pivotally mounted in a pair of opposed ears 39 and 41 struck upwardly from the base plate 34.

The switch itself may consist of a multi-contact leaf spring switch generally indicated at numeral 43 in the drawings. As best seen in Figure 4 of the drawings, the switch 43 may include leaf spring contact arms secured at one end by supporting blocks 44. The switch operating lever 14 is arranged to bring the switch arm 24 into electrical contact with the contact 26 and thereby close the circuit to the microphone. Another pair of switch arms are actuated by the pressure responsive switch 17. The latter may consist of a depending contact button 46 supported from a resilient support plate 47 having opposed arms 48 and 49 secured to the base plate 34 by means of

rivets

51 and 52.

When the microphone assembly rests on a supporting surface 18 as illustrated in Figure 4, the operating button 46 is forced inwardly, by the weight of the microphone assembly and breaks the electrical connection between the switch arm 27 and the switch arm 28. The opening of this switch thereby deenergizes the pressure responsive switch but the microphone can still be energized by depressing the switch operating lever 14 to cause the

contact arms

24 and 26 to engage. Release of the pressure on the switch operating lever 14 breaks the contact between

switch arms

24 and 26 by virtue of the nat ural resiliency of the leaf spring arms.

Thus, the switch can be operated from either of its opposed surfaces, either by the switch operating lever 36, from the top, or by the pressure responsive switch 17 from the bottom. An insulator strip 53 separates the two sections of the switch from electrical contact.

When it is desired to hold the microphone in energized condition, the locking cam 16 is pivoted about a pin d carried by an car 57 struck from the base plate 34. The lower end of the camming lever 16 is received in a slot 38a appearing in the arm 38. When the lever 16 is moved to its over-center position, the switch arm 24 and the arm 26 are in continuous engagement, and the microphone is continuously energized. While the wiring leads have been eliminated from the drawings in several of the figures for purposes of clarity, it will be understood that the microphone assembly also includes an output cable 61 for connecting the microphone to the other circuits. It will also be appreciated that if the

switches

31, 32 and 33 of Figure 5 are to be included in the microphone assembly, the switch 43 may also include a parallel set of contact elements for that purpose as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It will be evident that various modifications can be made to the described embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A microphone assembly comprising a microphone, a base supporting said microphone, a switch operating lever supported by said base, a multi-contact switch actuated by said switch operating lever to energize said microphone, and a pressure responsive switch on said base arranged to energize said microphone when said assembly is raised from a supporting surface and arranged to deenergize said microphone when said assembly is resting on said supporting surface.

2. A microphone assembly comprising a microphone, a base supporting said microphone, a switch operating lever supported by said base, a multi-contact switch actuated by said switch operating lever to energize said microphone, releasable locking means for holding said lever in switch closing relation, and a pressure responsive switch on said base arranged to energize said microphone when said assembly is raised from a supporting surface and arranged to deenergize said microphone when said assembly is resting on said supporting surface.

3. A microphone assembly comprising a microphone, a base supporting said microphone, a switch operating lever supported by said base, a multi-contact resilient leaf switch actuated by said switch operating lever to energize said microphone, a pressure responsive switch on said base arranged to energize said microphone when said assembly is raised from a supporting surface and arranged to deenergize said microphone when said assembly is resting on said supporting surface, and a switch in series relation with said pressure responsive switch to selectively introduce said pressure responsive switch into the energizing circuit of said microphone.

4. A microphone assembly comprising a microphone, a base supporting said microphone, a switch operating lever supported by said base, a multi-contact resilient leaf switch actuated by said switch operating lever to energize said microphone, releasable locking means for holding said lever in switch closing relation, a pressure responsive switch on said base arranged to energize said microphone when said assembly is raised from a supporting surface and arranged to deenergize said microphone when said assembly is resting on said supporting surface, and a switch in series relation with said pressure responsive switch to selectively introduce said pressure responsive switch into the energizing circuit of said microphone.

5. A microphone assembly comprising a microphone, a base supporting said microphone, a leaf spring switch contained within said base, a switch operating member arranged to actuate said switch at one side of said switch, and a pressure sensitive switch extending from said base and engageable with said leaf spring switch to actuate said switch from the opposite side thereof.

6. A microphone assembly of claim 5 in which said switch operating member is biased away from microphone energizing condition by the resiliency of said leaf spring switch.

7. The microphone assembly of claim 5 including a locking means carried by said base to lock said switch operating member in microphone energizing condition.

8. The microphone assembly of claim 5 in which the weight of said assembly is suflicient to actuate said pressure sensitive switch into microphone deenergizing condition when said pressure responsive switch rests on a support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,744 Hubbell Dec. 19, 1939 2,717,932 Rockham et al. Sept. 13, 1955 2,808,461 Thomas Oct. 1, 1957 ,910,538 Aleksa Oct. 27, 1959 2,918,539 Thames et a1 Dec. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 156,441 Sweden Oct. 9, 1956