USRE37398E1 - Headphone - Google Patents

Headphone Download PDF

Info

Publication number
USRE37398E1
USRE37398E1 US09/033,837 US3383798A USRE37398E US RE37398 E1 USRE37398 E1 US RE37398E1 US 3383798 A US3383798 A US 3383798A US RE37398 E USRE37398 E US RE37398E
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
housing
window hole
headphone
diaphragm
sound
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US09/033,837
Inventor
Koji Nageno
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sony Corp
Original Assignee
Sony Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sony Corp filed Critical Sony Corp
Priority to US09/033,837 priority Critical patent/USRE37398E1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of USRE37398E1 publication Critical patent/USRE37398E1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04RLOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/10Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
    • H04R1/1058Manufacture or assembly
    • H04R1/1075Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04RLOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/10Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
    • H04R1/1058Manufacture or assembly
    • H04R1/1066Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04RLOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R5/00Stereophonic arrangements
    • H04R5/033Headphones for stereophonic communication
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04RLOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/10Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones
    • H04R1/1008Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04RLOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/20Arrangements for obtaining desired frequency or directional characteristics
    • H04R1/22Arrangements for obtaining desired frequency or directional characteristics for obtaining desired frequency characteristic only 
    • H04R1/28Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means
    • H04R1/2807Enclosures comprising vibrating or resonating arrangements
    • H04R1/283Enclosures comprising vibrating or resonating arrangements using a passive diaphragm
    • H04R1/2834Enclosures comprising vibrating or resonating arrangements using a passive diaphragm for loudspeaker transducers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a headphone and more particularly to a headphone provided with a housing containing a drive unit and adapted to reproduce sound by means of the drive unit.
  • the headphone is used for personally enjoying reproduced sound of music and the like.
  • Such headphones are generally divided into two types: open-air type and closed type.
  • the headphone of the open-air type has a permeable ear pad and has the housing containing the drive unit and provided with a through hole formed therein. Therefore, when a listener wears the headphone to listen to a reproduced sound, the sound produced within the housing easily leaks out and also sound from the outside can be heard by the listener. While the headphone of the open-air type has acoustic transmissibility between inside and outside the housing and, hence, it allows the sound to be heard as a natural sound, the sound is greatly attenuated in the low-pitched sound range below f0 (the lowest resonance frequency) and tends to lack the low-pitched sound component.
  • the closed type headphone has the housing containing the drive unit closed and has the ear pad keeping sound from leaking out. Although a rich sound characteristic in the low-pitched sound range can be obtained from the closed type, it is difficult to obtain a natural sound from this type.
  • an object of the present invention is to provide a headphone capable of obtaining both the merit of the open-air type headphone introducing the external sound therein thereby providing a refreshing sound and the merit of the closed type headphone having a rich sound characteristic extended over the low-pitched sound range.
  • a headphone according to the present invention is structured such that a window hole is formed in the housing containing a drive unit and the window hole is covered with a diaphragm, so that the external sound is transmissible through the window hole, and hence a listener putting on this headphone can hear the external sound while the reproduced sound in the low-pitched sound range below f0 is not attenuated. Thus, the listener can perceive a refreshing and natural sound.
  • the headphone can be used also as that of closed type by shutting the window hole.
  • FIG. 1 is a front view of an overall structure of an embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of an overall structure of the embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a side view, with the principal portion enlarged, of the embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along section line IV—IV of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the invention when it is put on the head
  • FIG. 6 shows characteristic curves of external sound to the embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 7 shows characteristic curves of reproduced sound in the embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 4, with the principal portion of another embodiment of the invention enlarged.
  • FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 show a stereo headphone according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the headphone has a pair of housings 10 for the left and right ears as shown in FIG. 1 .
  • each housing 10 has a form as obtained by longitudinally dividing an egg in two.
  • the housing 10 is supported by a hanger 11 for rotation about its support shaft.
  • the hanger 11 is provided with a slide arm 12 in the shape of the inverted letter U.
  • the slide arm 12 is slidably coupled to a supporting member 13 .
  • the supporting members 13 on both left and right sides are coupled by a head band 14 .
  • the head band 14 is provided with a resilient force biasing the same inwardly as indicated by arrows Y and Y′ and, hence, when the headphone is put on the head, each of the housings 10 is resiliently pushed against each ear.
  • cords 15 are led out and the other ends of the cords 15 are adapted to be connected to an apparatus such as a radio receiver or a tape recorder. Through the cords 15 , a sound signal from the radio receiver or tape recorder is supplied to a coil for the drive unit within the housing 10 .
  • FIG. 3 An example of structure of a housing 10 for the right ear will be described below with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 .
  • FIG. 3 While the housing 10 for the right ear is shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, that for the left ear, not shown, is provided symmetrical to that for the right ear.
  • FIG. 4 shows a state of a headphone with its window hole 28 shut by a lid member 32
  • FIG. 5 shows the same put on the head 60 of a listener, with the lid member 32 removed from the window hole 28 .
  • the housing 10 is formed of a cover 29 , made of a synthetic resin in the shape of a dome, and a baffle plate 19 fixed on the inside of the cover 29 , and a drive unit 20 is adapted to be supported on the baffle plate 19 .
  • Inner space of the housing 10 is divided by the baffle plate 19 and the drive unit 20 in two chambers, a front chamber 10 a and a rear chamber 10 b.
  • the drive unit 20 is formed of a magnetic circuit 20 a connected with the end of the cord 15 to be supplied with the audio signal therethrough and a diaphragm 20 b in the shape of a dome to be driven by the signal passed through the magnetic circuit 20 a.
  • a through hole 21 In the side wall portion of the baffle plate 19 , there is formed a through hole 21 and an acoustic resistance material 22 such as felt is attached to the through whole 21 so as to cover it.
  • An ear pad 23 in the shape of an oval ring is attached to the circumference of a sound emitting opening 25 of the front chamber 10 a of the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 3 . More specifically, the ear pad 23 formed of a cushion material 23 a such as urethane and a protecting cover 23 b of synthetic leather with no permeability enclosing the cushion material 23 a is attached to a flange portion provided on the circumference of the sound emitting opening 25 integrally formed with the baffle plate 19 .
  • a cushion material 23 a such as urethane
  • a protecting cover 23 b of synthetic leather with no permeability enclosing the cushion material 23 a is attached to a flange portion provided on the circumference of the sound emitting opening 25 integrally formed with the baffle plate 19 .
  • the ear pad 23 When the headphone is put on the head 60 of a listener as shown in FIG. 5, the ear pad 23 is tightly pressed on the head 60 by the resilience of the head band 14 and the flexibility of the ear pad 23 ensures that no sound leaks out therethrough.
  • the window hole 28 of a circular form in the housing cover 29 in a position virtually confronted with the rear side of the drive unit 20 .
  • a screwed groove portion 29 a At the peripheral portion of the window hole 28 , there is formed a screwed groove portion 29 a, and at its bottom end, there are formed, integrally with the housing cover 29 , a flange portion 29 b and a cylindrical portion 29 c projecting inward and perpendicularly to the flange portion 29 b.
  • a second diaphragm 30 fixed by a fixing ring 31 to cover the window hole 28 .
  • the second diaphragm 30 is smaller in diameter than the diaphragm 20 b and is not provided with a drive unit.
  • Reference numeral 27 denotes a net attached to the baffle plate 19 in confronting relationship with the diaphragm 20 b for mechanically protecting the diaphragm 20 b.
  • Reference numeral 34 denotes a net attached to the flange portion 29 b for protecting the diaphragm 30 .
  • the window hole 28 is adapted to be opened and shut by a lid member 32 .
  • the lid member 32 is integrally provided with a cylindrical lip 33 on its periphery and the cylindrical lip 33 is provided with a screwed portion 33 a on its outer wall, and the screwed portion 33 a is adapted to be threaded with the screw grooves 29 a. Accordingly, it is possible both to shut the window hole 28 with the lid member 32 as shown in FIG. 4 and to remove the lid member 32 from the window hole 28 as shown in FIG. 5 .
  • the transmission characteristics (frequency-sound pressure characteristics) of medium- and high-pitched external sound when the lid member 32 is removed from the window hole 28 , and when the window hole 28 is shut by the lid member 32 , of the headphone of the present embodiment are obtained as shown in FIG. 6 . More specifically, the characteristic of the sound transmitted to the ear from outside the housing 10 when the lid member 32 was removed from the window hole 28 (in the state shown in FIG. 5) was obtained as shown by the curve A, and the characteristic when the window hole 28 was shut by the lid member 32 (in the state shown in FIG. 4) was obtained as shown by the curve B.
  • the resonance frequency of the diaphragm was around 1300 Hz.
  • the frequency characteristics (frequency-sound pressure characteristics) of the reproduced sound by the headphone were obtained as shown in FIG. 7, i.e., the frequency characteristic when the lid member 32 was removed from the window hole 28 was obtained as indicated by the characteristic curve C and that when the window hole 28 was shut by the lid member 32 was obtained as indicated by the characteristic curve D. In this case, the characteristics are virtually the same though there is some difference between them in the range from 300 Hz to 1.8 KHz.
  • a reproducing characteristic by the headphone was measured in the state of the headphone having the lid member 32 removed from the window hole 28 and, further, having the diaphragm 30 removed from the cylindrical portion 29 c, and a characteristic as indicated by the curve E was obtained. According to this curve, while the sound pressure was lowered in the range lower than 60 Hz, damping around f0, the lowest resonance frequency (about 180 Hz), was not sufficient and the sound was greatly increased around there, and thus, the balance in the entire range was bad.
  • the characteristic curves in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 were obtained by performing measurement with an artificial human head used and a sound concentrating microphone disposed in the position corresponding to the tympanic membrane of the ear.
  • the headphone of the present embodiment can also be used as a general closed type headphone by using it with the window hole 28 closed by shutting it with the lid member 32 .
  • attenuation of the sound in the low-pitched sound range does not become so great and totally well-balanced sound can be heard, while the external sound is scarcely heard. Therefore, the listener can personally enjoy a reproduced sound at home not disturbed by the external sound.
  • the headphone When the headphone is used in a train or bus, a sound leaking out of the headphone is annoying to other passengers.
  • the present headphone if the present headphone is used as a closed-type headphone, the sound from the headphone hardly leaks out and, hence, other passengers are not annoyed by a leaking sound.
  • the present headphone can be easily changed to the closed-type headphone according to the need.
  • FIG. 8 is a diagram, corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a second embodiment of the invention.
  • a second diaphragm 30 is provided at the portion of the baffle plate 19 , where the through hole 21 and acoustic resistance member 22 were provided in FIG. 4, and a window hole 28 , together with a removable lid member 32 , is formed at the portion of the housing 29 confronted with the rear side of the second diaphragm 30 .
  • characteristics similar to those obtained from the first embodiment could be obtained.

Abstract

A headphone in which a housing containing a drive unit is provided with a window hole formed therein and the window hole is covered with a diaphragm providing acoustic transmissibility therethrough.

Description

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/122,309 filed Sep. 17, 1993, abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headphone and more particularly to a headphone provided with a housing containing a drive unit and adapted to reproduce sound by means of the drive unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
The headphone is used for personally enjoying reproduced sound of music and the like. Such headphones are generally divided into two types: open-air type and closed type.
The headphone of the open-air type has a permeable ear pad and has the housing containing the drive unit and provided with a through hole formed therein. Therefore, when a listener wears the headphone to listen to a reproduced sound, the sound produced within the housing easily leaks out and also sound from the outside can be heard by the listener. While the headphone of the open-air type has acoustic transmissibility between inside and outside the housing and, hence, it allows the sound to be heard as a natural sound, the sound is greatly attenuated in the low-pitched sound range below f0 (the lowest resonance frequency) and tends to lack the low-pitched sound component.
On the other hand, the closed type headphone has the housing containing the drive unit closed and has the ear pad keeping sound from leaking out. Although a rich sound characteristic in the low-pitched sound range can be obtained from the closed type, it is difficult to obtain a natural sound from this type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a headphone capable of obtaining both the merit of the open-air type headphone introducing the external sound therein thereby providing a refreshing sound and the merit of the closed type headphone having a rich sound characteristic extended over the low-pitched sound range.
A headphone according to the present invention is structured such that a window hole is formed in the housing containing a drive unit and the window hole is covered with a diaphragm, so that the external sound is transmissible through the window hole, and hence a listener putting on this headphone can hear the external sound while the reproduced sound in the low-pitched sound range below f0 is not attenuated. Thus, the listener can perceive a refreshing and natural sound.
Further, since the window hole is adapted to be shut when necessary, the headphone can be used also as that of closed type by shutting the window hole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of an overall structure of an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of an overall structure of the embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a side view, with the principal portion enlarged, of the embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along section line IV—IV of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the invention when it is put on the head;
FIG. 6 shows characteristic curves of external sound to the embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 7 shows characteristic curves of reproduced sound in the embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 8 is a sectional view, corresponding to FIG. 4, with the principal portion of another embodiment of the invention enlarged.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 show a stereo headphone according to an embodiment of the invention. The headphone has a pair of housings 10 for the left and right ears as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each housing 10 has a form as obtained by longitudinally dividing an egg in two. The housing 10 is supported by a hanger 11 for rotation about its support shaft. The hanger 11 is provided with a slide arm 12 in the shape of the inverted letter U.
The slide arm 12 is slidably coupled to a supporting member 13. The supporting members 13 on both left and right sides are coupled by a head band 14. The head band 14 is provided with a resilient force biasing the same inwardly as indicated by arrows Y and Y′ and, hence, when the headphone is put on the head, each of the housings 10 is resiliently pushed against each ear. From the housings 10, cords 15 are led out and the other ends of the cords 15 are adapted to be connected to an apparatus such as a radio receiver or a tape recorder. Through the cords 15, a sound signal from the radio receiver or tape recorder is supplied to a coil for the drive unit within the housing 10.
An example of structure of a housing 10 for the right ear will be described below with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5.
While the housing 10 for the right ear is shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, that for the left ear, not shown, is provided symmetrical to that for the right ear.
FIG. 4 shows a state of a headphone with its window hole 28 shut by a lid member 32, while FIG. 5 shows the same put on the head 60 of a listener, with the lid member 32 removed from the window hole 28.
The housing 10 is formed of a cover 29, made of a synthetic resin in the shape of a dome, and a baffle plate 19 fixed on the inside of the cover 29, and a drive unit 20 is adapted to be supported on the baffle plate 19.
Inner space of the housing 10 is divided by the baffle plate 19 and the drive unit 20 in two chambers, a front chamber 10a and a rear chamber 10b.
The drive unit 20 is formed of a magnetic circuit 20a connected with the end of the cord 15 to be supplied with the audio signal therethrough and a diaphragm 20b in the shape of a dome to be driven by the signal passed through the magnetic circuit 20a.
In the side wall portion of the baffle plate 19, there is formed a through hole 21 and an acoustic resistance material 22 such as felt is attached to the through whole 21 so as to cover it.
An ear pad 23 in the shape of an oval ring is attached to the circumference of a sound emitting opening 25 of the front chamber 10a of the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 3. More specifically, the ear pad 23 formed of a cushion material 23a such as urethane and a protecting cover 23b of synthetic leather with no permeability enclosing the cushion material 23a is attached to a flange portion provided on the circumference of the sound emitting opening 25 integrally formed with the baffle plate 19.
When the headphone is put on the head 60 of a listener as shown in FIG. 5, the ear pad 23 is tightly pressed on the head 60 by the resilience of the head band 14 and the flexibility of the ear pad 23 ensures that no sound leaks out therethrough.
There is formed the window hole 28 of a circular form in the housing cover 29 in a position virtually confronted with the rear side of the drive unit 20. At the peripheral portion of the window hole 28, there is formed a screwed groove portion 29a, and at its bottom end, there are formed, integrally with the housing cover 29, a flange portion 29b and a cylindrical portion 29c projecting inward and perpendicularly to the flange portion 29b. At the cylindrical portion 29c, there is provided a second diaphragm 30 fixed by a fixing ring 31 to cover the window hole 28.
The second diaphragm 30 is smaller in diameter than the diaphragm 20b and is not provided with a drive unit.
Reference numeral 27 denotes a net attached to the baffle plate 19 in confronting relationship with the diaphragm 20b for mechanically protecting the diaphragm 20b. Reference numeral 34 denotes a net attached to the flange portion 29b for protecting the diaphragm 30.
The window hole 28 is adapted to be opened and shut by a lid member 32. More specifically, the lid member 32 is integrally provided with a cylindrical lip 33 on its periphery and the cylindrical lip 33 is provided with a screwed portion 33a on its outer wall, and the screwed portion 33a is adapted to be threaded with the screw grooves 29a. Accordingly, it is possible both to shut the window hole 28 with the lid member 32 as shown in FIG. 4 and to remove the lid member 32 from the window hole 28 as shown in FIG. 5.
The transmission characteristics (frequency-sound pressure characteristics) of medium- and high-pitched external sound when the lid member 32 is removed from the window hole 28, and when the window hole 28 is shut by the lid member 32, of the headphone of the present embodiment are obtained as shown in FIG. 6. More specifically, the characteristic of the sound transmitted to the ear from outside the housing 10 when the lid member 32 was removed from the window hole 28 (in the state shown in FIG. 5) was obtained as shown by the curve A, and the characteristic when the window hole 28 was shut by the lid member 32 (in the state shown in FIG. 4) was obtained as shown by the curve B. Namely, it is known that, when the lid member 32 is removed from the window hole 28, the external sound in the range higher than 800 Hz is heard better than when the window hole 28 is shut with the lid member 32. In this case, the resonance frequency of the diaphragm was around 1300 Hz. Further, the frequency characteristics (frequency-sound pressure characteristics) of the reproduced sound by the headphone were obtained as shown in FIG. 7, i.e., the frequency characteristic when the lid member 32 was removed from the window hole 28 was obtained as indicated by the characteristic curve C and that when the window hole 28 was shut by the lid member 32 was obtained as indicated by the characteristic curve D. In this case, the characteristics are virtually the same though there is some difference between them in the range from 300 Hz to 1.8 KHz. For reference, a reproducing characteristic by the headphone was measured in the state of the headphone having the lid member 32 removed from the window hole 28 and, further, having the diaphragm 30 removed from the cylindrical portion 29c, and a characteristic as indicated by the curve E was obtained. According to this curve, while the sound pressure was lowered in the range lower than 60 Hz, damping around f0, the lowest resonance frequency (about 180 Hz), was not sufficient and the sound was greatly increased around there, and thus, the balance in the entire range was bad.
The characteristic curves in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 were obtained by performing measurement with an artificial human head used and a sound concentrating microphone disposed in the position corresponding to the tympanic membrane of the ear.
From the above, it is known that, by using the headphone of the present embodiment and listening to the reproduced sound by this headphone with its lid member 32 removed from the window hole 28, a totally well-balanced sound, not attenuated in the low-pitched sound range, can be perceived and external sounds can also be heard. Therefore, the user can hear reproduced sound of music and the like while playing sports outdoors or taking a walk. Since, at this time, he can hear somebody calling him or the sound of the car horn, he can use the headphone with safety.
The headphone of the present embodiment can also be used as a general closed type headphone by using it with the window hole 28 closed by shutting it with the lid member 32. In this case, attenuation of the sound in the low-pitched sound range does not become so great and totally well-balanced sound can be heard, while the external sound is scarcely heard. Therefore, the listener can personally enjoy a reproduced sound at home not disturbed by the external sound.
When the headphone is used in a train or bus, a sound leaking out of the headphone is annoying to other passengers. At such an occasion, if the present headphone is used as a closed-type headphone, the sound from the headphone hardly leaks out and, hence, other passengers are not annoyed by a leaking sound. Thus, the present headphone can be easily changed to the closed-type headphone according to the need.
FIG. 8 is a diagram, corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a second embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 8, a second diaphragm 30 is provided at the portion of the baffle plate 19, where the through hole 21 and acoustic resistance member 22 were provided in FIG. 4, and a window hole 28, together with a removable lid member 32, is formed at the portion of the housing 29 confronted with the rear side of the second diaphragm 30. Also from this second embodiment, characteristics similar to those obtained from the first embodiment could be obtained.

Claims (5)

What is claimed is:
1. A headphone comprising:
a housing;
a drive unit contained in said housing;
a first window hole formed in said housing;
a first diaphragm attached to said drive unit and covering said first window hole, whereby acoustic transmissibility between an inside space of said housing and an outside space thereof is provided, wherein said inside space of said housing is divided by partition means including said drive unit and said first diaphragm into a front chamber having a sound emitting opening and a rear chamber and wherein a section of said housing enclosing said front chamber has a second window hole formed therein connecting the front chamber with an exterior of said housing, a second diaphragm covering said second window hole; and
said second window hole being operatively provided with a lid member for opening and shutting said second window hole, whereby said second window hole can be shut by a user of said headphone.
2. A headphone comprising:
a housing having an opening at an end thereof for communicating with an ear of a user;
a baffle plate mounted within the housing for dividing the housing into a front acoustic chamber and a rear acoustic chamber;
an active diaphragm mounted on the baffle plate and having a drive unit; and
a passive diaphragm mounted over a window hole of the rear acoustic chamber of the housing, wherein
the active diaphragm is provided between the opening and the passive diaphragm and is respectively spaced apart therefrom such that the active diaphragm substantially overlaps the passive diaphragm.
3. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein the window hole is provided with a lid member for opening and shutting the window hole by action of the user.
4. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein the baffle plate has a through hole therein through which the front acoustic chamber and the rear acoustic chamber are in communication.
5. A headphone according to claim 4, wherein the through hole is covered by an acoustic resistance member.
US09/033,837 1992-09-25 1998-03-03 Headphone Expired - Fee Related USRE37398E1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/033,837 USRE37398E1 (en) 1992-09-25 1998-03-03 Headphone

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP4-280635 1992-09-25
JP28063592A JP3154214B2 (en) 1992-09-25 1992-09-25 headphone
US12230993A 1993-09-17 1993-09-17
US08/351,738 US5497427A (en) 1992-09-25 1994-12-08 Headphone
US09/033,837 USRE37398E1 (en) 1992-09-25 1998-03-03 Headphone

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/351,738 Reissue US5497427A (en) 1992-09-25 1994-12-08 Headphone

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
USRE37398E1 true USRE37398E1 (en) 2001-10-02

Family

ID=17627809

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/351,738 Ceased US5497427A (en) 1992-09-25 1994-12-08 Headphone
US09/033,837 Expired - Fee Related USRE37398E1 (en) 1992-09-25 1998-03-03 Headphone

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/351,738 Ceased US5497427A (en) 1992-09-25 1994-12-08 Headphone

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (2) US5497427A (en)
EP (1) EP0589623B1 (en)
JP (1) JP3154214B2 (en)
DE (1) DE69324091T2 (en)
HK (1) HK1013589A1 (en)

Cited By (22)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20080002835A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2008-01-03 Roman Sapiejewski Earphones
US20080152162A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2008-06-26 Pericles Nicholas Bakalos Passive Headphone Equalizing
US20090262952A1 (en) * 2008-04-22 2009-10-22 Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co. Kg Earphone and headset
CN101883301A (en) * 2009-05-08 2010-11-10 欧力天工股份有限公司 Earmuff and headphone
US20100331058A1 (en) * 2009-06-30 2010-12-30 Yao Qingshan Apparatus including an earpiece speaker module
US20110002475A1 (en) * 2009-07-06 2011-01-06 Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica Earmuff and headphone
US20120321103A1 (en) * 2011-06-16 2012-12-20 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab In-ear headphone
US20130036597A1 (en) * 2011-08-12 2013-02-14 Michael Parng Earphone/Headphone/Ear Bud
US8605932B2 (en) 2007-12-12 2013-12-10 Able Planet Incorporated Single Chamber headphone apparatus
US8651229B2 (en) * 2012-06-05 2014-02-18 Honeywell International Inc. Hearing protection
US8670586B1 (en) * 2012-09-07 2014-03-11 Bose Corporation Combining and waterproofing headphone port exits
US20150016653A1 (en) * 2013-07-15 2015-01-15 Dexin Corporation Tunable headphone
CN104301838A (en) * 2013-07-18 2015-01-21 Gn奈康有限公司 Earphone with noise reduction
US20150264467A1 (en) * 2014-03-14 2015-09-17 Bose Corporation Pressure Equalization in Earphones
US9215522B2 (en) 2006-06-30 2015-12-15 Bose Corporation Earphones
US9445176B1 (en) * 2015-04-08 2016-09-13 Chia-Ling Yeh Earpiece apparatus for in-ear headphones
US9462366B2 (en) 2014-03-27 2016-10-04 Bose Corporation Earpieces having flexible flaps
US20160323664A1 (en) * 2015-04-29 2016-11-03 Harman International Industries, Inc. Adjustable opening headphones
US9883290B2 (en) 2014-12-31 2018-01-30 Skullcandy, Inc. Audio driver assembly, headphone including such an audio driver assembly, and related methods
US10911855B2 (en) 2018-11-09 2021-02-02 Vzr, Inc. Headphone acoustic transformer
US10945058B2 (en) 2019-06-27 2021-03-09 Synaptics Incorporated Balanced stereo headphones with un-balanced air chambers
US20220103931A1 (en) * 2020-09-30 2022-03-31 Epos Group A/S Headphone sealing cup

Families Citing this family (42)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2001197581A (en) * 2000-01-07 2001-07-19 Sony Corp Headphone system
KR200190070Y1 (en) * 2000-02-26 2000-07-15 김성일 Multichannel headphone
SE523068C2 (en) * 2001-04-11 2004-03-23 Ear Bag Ab Spring biased earmuff with speakers
US6684976B1 (en) 2002-04-12 2004-02-03 David Clark Company Incorporated Headset ear seal
US7242765B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2007-07-10 Tommy Lee Hairston Headset cellular telephones
US20040197001A1 (en) * 2003-04-02 2004-10-07 Terrell Nicholas Keith Earbag hanging earphones
US20050238181A1 (en) * 2003-11-27 2005-10-27 Sigvard Nilsson Hearing protector
SE526944C2 (en) * 2003-11-27 2005-11-22 Peltor Ab Ear protection
JP4320629B2 (en) * 2004-10-20 2009-08-26 ソニー株式会社 Headphone device
JP2006287674A (en) * 2005-04-01 2006-10-19 Victor Co Of Japan Ltd Bass reflex headphone
SE528519C2 (en) * 2005-04-29 2006-12-05 Peltor Ab The ear cup
SE528514C2 (en) * 2005-04-29 2006-12-05 Peltor Ab The ear cup
JP4826399B2 (en) * 2006-09-06 2011-11-30 ソニー株式会社 headphone
JP4899810B2 (en) * 2006-11-10 2012-03-21 ソニー株式会社 Headphones and ear pads
TWI310177B (en) * 2006-12-29 2009-05-21 Ind Tech Res Inst Noise canceling device and method thereof
JP4919061B2 (en) * 2007-07-04 2012-04-18 株式会社Jvcケンウッド Ear pad and headphones equipped with the same
SE531656E5 (en) * 2008-05-12 2011-04-26 3M Svenska Ab Ear protection
JP5278395B2 (en) * 2010-09-15 2013-09-04 株式会社Jvcケンウッド headphone
US8965030B2 (en) * 2011-03-15 2015-02-24 Apple Inc. Seamless earbud structures and methods for making the same
CN102387441A (en) * 2011-09-22 2012-03-21 深圳市冠旭电子有限公司 Headphone
JP5615319B2 (en) * 2012-04-19 2014-10-29 ヒロセ電機株式会社 Electrical connector
SE537957C2 (en) * 2012-06-21 2015-12-08 Hellberg Safety Ab Ear protection
GB2519487B (en) * 2012-08-02 2020-06-10 Pong Ronald Headphones with interactive display
TWM471725U (en) * 2013-03-05 2014-02-01 Mao-Liang Liu Earphone with stage music sound field reproduction
TWI551152B (en) * 2013-05-08 2016-09-21 寶德科技股份有限公司 Headphone with passive diaphragm
WO2014186383A1 (en) * 2013-05-13 2014-11-20 Dr. G Licensing, Llc Portable loudspeakers and convertible personal audio headphone/loudspeakers
JP5671586B1 (en) * 2013-08-14 2015-02-18 寶トク科技股フン有限公司 Tuning headphones
US9525929B2 (en) * 2014-03-26 2016-12-20 Harman International Industries, Inc. Variable occlusion headphones
KR102383768B1 (en) * 2014-09-04 2022-04-06 하만인터내셔날인더스트리스인코포레이티드 Headphone ear cushion
DE102014221583B4 (en) 2014-10-23 2020-11-12 Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co. Kg Electroacoustic transducer and receiver
US10063962B2 (en) * 2015-06-30 2018-08-28 Apple Inc. Vented acoustic enclosures and related systems
USD794603S1 (en) * 2016-02-23 2017-08-15 Ossic Corporation Earphone
JP6727852B2 (en) * 2016-03-01 2020-07-22 株式会社オーディオテクニカ headphone
EP3346730B1 (en) * 2017-01-04 2021-01-27 Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH Headset arrangement for 3d audio generation
USD848396S1 (en) * 2017-11-02 2019-05-14 Honeywell International Inc. Noise monitoring headset
KR101952906B1 (en) * 2017-12-20 2019-02-28 부전전자 주식회사 Acoustic device having multiple vibration plates
IT201800005087A1 (en) * 2018-05-04 2019-11-04 Electroacoustic pavilion for open type headphones
JP7266872B2 (en) 2019-09-13 2023-05-01 株式会社オーディオテクニカ headphones and earmuffs
CN210781334U (en) * 2019-11-25 2020-06-16 瑞声科技(新加坡)有限公司 Speaker and audio equipment
CN211019219U (en) * 2019-11-25 2020-07-14 瑞声科技(新加坡)有限公司 Speaker and audio equipment
CN211019218U (en) * 2019-11-25 2020-07-14 瑞声科技(新加坡)有限公司 Speaker and audio equipment
EP3952328A1 (en) * 2020-08-04 2022-02-09 Austrian Audio GmbH Headphone padding and headphones with such padding

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3661225A (en) * 1970-08-26 1972-05-09 Sellstrom Mfg Co Ear-protecting device
US3798393A (en) * 1969-02-17 1974-03-19 Akg Akustische Kino Geraete Headphone construction
DE2547925A1 (en) 1974-11-13 1976-05-20 Komatsu Nakamura HEADPHONE
US4005278A (en) * 1974-09-16 1977-01-25 Akg Akustische U. Kino-Gerate Gesellschaft M.B.H. Headphone
US4041256A (en) * 1975-05-06 1977-08-09 Victor Company Of Japan, Limited Open-back type headphone with a detachable attachment
US4160135A (en) * 1977-04-15 1979-07-03 Akg Akustische U.Kino-Gerate Gesellschaft M.B.H. Closed earphone construction
DE2908326A1 (en) * 1978-03-09 1979-09-20 Goerike Rudolf Headphone earpiece with very thin diaphragm - which permits passage of HF acoustic waves (OE 15.3.79)
US4742887A (en) * 1986-02-28 1988-05-10 Sony Corporation Open-air type earphone
US4924502A (en) * 1987-05-08 1990-05-08 Allen Clayton H Means for stabilizing sound pressure produced at the eardrum under an earpad
US4958697A (en) * 1989-09-11 1990-09-25 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Anatomically shaped earseals for headsets
US5208868A (en) * 1991-03-06 1993-05-04 Bose Corporation Headphone overpressure and click reducing

Patent Citations (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3798393A (en) * 1969-02-17 1974-03-19 Akg Akustische Kino Geraete Headphone construction
US3661225A (en) * 1970-08-26 1972-05-09 Sellstrom Mfg Co Ear-protecting device
US4005278A (en) * 1974-09-16 1977-01-25 Akg Akustische U. Kino-Gerate Gesellschaft M.B.H. Headphone
DE2547925A1 (en) 1974-11-13 1976-05-20 Komatsu Nakamura HEADPHONE
US4027116A (en) * 1974-11-13 1977-05-31 Komatsu Nakamura Headphone
US4041256A (en) * 1975-05-06 1977-08-09 Victor Company Of Japan, Limited Open-back type headphone with a detachable attachment
US4160135A (en) * 1977-04-15 1979-07-03 Akg Akustische U.Kino-Gerate Gesellschaft M.B.H. Closed earphone construction
DE2908326A1 (en) * 1978-03-09 1979-09-20 Goerike Rudolf Headphone earpiece with very thin diaphragm - which permits passage of HF acoustic waves (OE 15.3.79)
US4742887A (en) * 1986-02-28 1988-05-10 Sony Corporation Open-air type earphone
US4924502A (en) * 1987-05-08 1990-05-08 Allen Clayton H Means for stabilizing sound pressure produced at the eardrum under an earpad
US4958697A (en) * 1989-09-11 1990-09-25 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Anatomically shaped earseals for headsets
US5208868A (en) * 1991-03-06 1993-05-04 Bose Corporation Headphone overpressure and click reducing

Cited By (41)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8073181B2 (en) 2006-06-30 2011-12-06 Bose Corporation Passive headphone equalizing
US20080152162A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2008-06-26 Pericles Nicholas Bakalos Passive Headphone Equalizing
US9215522B2 (en) 2006-06-30 2015-12-15 Bose Corporation Earphones
US10327062B2 (en) 2006-06-30 2019-06-18 Bose Corporation Earphones
US7916888B2 (en) * 2006-06-30 2011-03-29 Bose Corporation In-ear headphones
US20110211723A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2011-09-01 Annunziato Kevin P Earphone cushions
US20080002835A1 (en) * 2006-06-30 2008-01-03 Roman Sapiejewski Earphones
US8355522B2 (en) * 2006-06-30 2013-01-15 Bose Corporation Earphone cushions
US8605932B2 (en) 2007-12-12 2013-12-10 Able Planet Incorporated Single Chamber headphone apparatus
US20090262952A1 (en) * 2008-04-22 2009-10-22 Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co. Kg Earphone and headset
US8369557B2 (en) * 2008-04-22 2013-02-05 Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co. Kg Earphone and headset
CN101883301A (en) * 2009-05-08 2010-11-10 欧力天工股份有限公司 Earmuff and headphone
US20100284558A1 (en) * 2009-05-08 2010-11-11 Tominori Kimura Earmuff and Headphone
US8913738B2 (en) * 2009-06-30 2014-12-16 Nokia Corporation Apparatus with wideband earpiece response
US20100331058A1 (en) * 2009-06-30 2010-12-30 Yao Qingshan Apparatus including an earpiece speaker module
US8582796B2 (en) * 2009-07-06 2013-11-12 Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica Earmuff and headphone
US20110002475A1 (en) * 2009-07-06 2011-01-06 Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica Earmuff and headphone
US9451351B2 (en) * 2011-06-16 2016-09-20 Sony Corporation In-ear headphone
US20120321103A1 (en) * 2011-06-16 2012-12-20 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab In-ear headphone
US20130036597A1 (en) * 2011-08-12 2013-02-14 Michael Parng Earphone/Headphone/Ear Bud
US10244304B1 (en) 2011-08-12 2019-03-26 Michael Parng Attachments for personalizing headphones
US8651229B2 (en) * 2012-06-05 2014-02-18 Honeywell International Inc. Hearing protection
US8670586B1 (en) * 2012-09-07 2014-03-11 Bose Corporation Combining and waterproofing headphone port exits
CN104756518A (en) * 2012-09-07 2015-07-01 伯斯有限公司 Combining and waterproofing headphone port exits
CN104756518B (en) * 2012-09-07 2018-08-17 伯斯有限公司 Earphone and assembly include the method for the earphone of electroacoustic transducer, shell and plate
US20150016653A1 (en) * 2013-07-15 2015-01-15 Dexin Corporation Tunable headphone
CN104301838A (en) * 2013-07-18 2015-01-21 Gn奈康有限公司 Earphone with noise reduction
US20150023515A1 (en) * 2013-07-18 2015-01-22 Gn Netcom A/S Earphone With Noise Reduction
US9288569B2 (en) * 2013-07-18 2016-03-15 Gn Netcom A/S Earphone with noise reduction
CN104301838B (en) * 2013-07-18 2017-05-24 Gn奈康有限公司 Earphone with noise reduction
US9301040B2 (en) * 2014-03-14 2016-03-29 Bose Corporation Pressure equalization in earphones
US20150264467A1 (en) * 2014-03-14 2015-09-17 Bose Corporation Pressure Equalization in Earphones
US9462366B2 (en) 2014-03-27 2016-10-04 Bose Corporation Earpieces having flexible flaps
US9883290B2 (en) 2014-12-31 2018-01-30 Skullcandy, Inc. Audio driver assembly, headphone including such an audio driver assembly, and related methods
US9445176B1 (en) * 2015-04-08 2016-09-13 Chia-Ling Yeh Earpiece apparatus for in-ear headphones
US20160323664A1 (en) * 2015-04-29 2016-11-03 Harman International Industries, Inc. Adjustable opening headphones
US10165348B2 (en) * 2015-04-29 2018-12-25 Harman International Industries, Incorporated Adjustable opening headphones
US10911855B2 (en) 2018-11-09 2021-02-02 Vzr, Inc. Headphone acoustic transformer
US10945058B2 (en) 2019-06-27 2021-03-09 Synaptics Incorporated Balanced stereo headphones with un-balanced air chambers
US20220103931A1 (en) * 2020-09-30 2022-03-31 Epos Group A/S Headphone sealing cup
US11678104B2 (en) * 2020-09-30 2023-06-13 Epos Group A/S Headphone sealing cup

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0589623A2 (en) 1994-03-30
EP0589623B1 (en) 1999-03-24
JPH06113384A (en) 1994-04-22
HK1013589A1 (en) 1999-08-27
EP0589623A3 (en) 1994-04-13
US5497427A (en) 1996-03-05
JP3154214B2 (en) 2001-04-09
DE69324091D1 (en) 1999-04-29
DE69324091T2 (en) 1999-09-23

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
USRE37398E1 (en) Headphone
US5459290A (en) Acoustic transducer and acoustic transducing system
US4418248A (en) Dual element headphone
US3798393A (en) Headphone construction
EP1101386B1 (en) Head phone
US4037064A (en) Stereo microphone apparatus
US5142587A (en) Intra-concha type electroacoustic transducer for use with audio devices etc.
US7310427B2 (en) Recreational bone conduction audio device, system
US20040264727A1 (en) Bass reflex-type headphone
US5987147A (en) Sound collector
CN110089129A (en) On head using the personal voice equipment of earpiece microphone/head detection outside
US6062337A (en) Audio system that can be mounted on the body of a user
US4041256A (en) Open-back type headphone with a detachable attachment
JP2000341784A (en) Earphone
JP6754075B2 (en) earphone
US4506759A (en) Loudspeaker enclosure arrangement for voice communication terminals
US20080199035A1 (en) In-Ear Phone
CN103220611A (en) Hearing protector
JPH11225387A (en) Earphone
JPH04199999A (en) Ear insertion type acoustic unit
JPS644398B2 (en)
JP2019145964A (en) earphone
JPS6379500A (en) Earphone
JPH0499000A (en) Reproducing device
US10856066B2 (en) Earphone device

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 8

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees