The present invention generally concerns audio accessories and specifically relates to audio accessories for connection to user equipment, such as an audio source.

BACKGROUND

Headphones have been used since the beginning of the 20 ^th century for listening to electrical audio signals and have during the years been constantly developed. Headphones are today used for enhancing comfortable, undisturbed listening to music and for increasing mobility by enabling listening to music from portable music players, i.e. when jogging, bicycling and even skiing. In later years there has been a quite dramatic increase in such mobile use of headphones. This increase has been due in part to the use of portable music players, but even more so it has been due to the increased use of mobile phones. Nowadays, headphones are thus used in all circumstances and not only during sports activities. Headsets having a microphone as well as speaker elements and thus allowing for handsfrce two-way communication are often used in combination with mobile phones and are in many of the above aspects comparable to headphones. Headphones and/or headsets are presently used by people of various ages and in a wide range of different applications, such as for listening to music, listening to audio books and for communicating over the telephone or through a computer. In most of such applications the sound quality is naturally of great importance. However, it is likewise essential that the headphones are comfortable and appropriately fit the user, especially if used during extended time periods. For optimum user benefit the headphones should also be adjustable in size to fit the ear positions of different individual users having different head size and shape.

Numerous solutions have been suggested for headphone adjustment mechanisms that provide at least some of the desired adjustment functions. It has also been attempted to make the headphones easily foldable for easy placement in a bag or even a pocket when not in use. However, many prior art solutions are complex, specifically those that provide more than one adjustment function. They typically make use of at least one mechanical mechanism for adjustably attaching ear-cups to a head support member, such as a headband. The mechanical attachment mechanisms are often expensive to manufacture and are in many cases bulky and even unaesthetic.

SUMMARY

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improved audio accessory solving the above discussed problems.

A specific object is to suggest an improved ear-cup to head support member attachment for such an audio accessory.

Another specific object is to provide an improved ear-cup for use in such an audio accessory. These and other objects are met by the invention as defined by the accompanying claims. The invention generally relates to an audio accessory having a head support member and ear-cups that are adjustably supported by the head support member and that include a speaker element. Means are included for connecting the speaker elements to user equipment, e.g. an audio source or a mobile phone. In a basic configuration the audio accessory includes a positive, yet unrestricted, non-mechanical connection between ear-cups and head support member. This connection is magnetical.

The basic inventive configurations present the advantages of:

- secure ear-cup to head support member attachment requiring no mechanical connections;

- simple design and handling; by

- avoiding moving parts that may break or be worn out during every day usage for years;

- reduced manufacturing costs;

- easy and unrestricted individual adjustment of ear-cup positions;

- easily stowable configuration; and

- great versatility by allowing easy disassembly for use of ear-cups in different applications.

Preferred further developments of the basic inventive idea as well as embodiments thereof are specified in the dependent subclaims. Advantages offered by the present invention, in addition to those described, will be readily appreciated upon reading the below detailed description of embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention and its further objects and advantages will be best understood by reference to the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an audio accessory of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a partly schematical and partial perspective view similar to Fig. 1, with a detailed exploded illustration of one ear-cup of the accessory;

Fig. 3 is a partly schematical side view of the audio accessory of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 is a schematical front view of one disconnected ear-cup of the audio accessory of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a schematical side view of a disconnected ear-cup of the audio accessory of

Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of the audio accessory of the invention; and Figs. 7-9 are schematical views of alternative embodiments of applications for the audio accessory of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be explained below with reference to exemplifying embodiments of an audio accessory. These embodiments of the invention relate to an application of the inventive solution to headphones for wired connection to user equipment. As used in the description the term user equipment refers to any type of audio signal transmitting and/or receiving device, such as mobile phone, mp3 player, computer or radio. The headphones illustrated in the attached Fig. 1 are configured for allowing two-way audio communication by including a microphone in a connecting cable thereof. Such headphones are also commonly referred to as headsets. However, the invention is equally well suited for application to traditional headphones having only loudspeakers and being configured for one-way audio communication. The term audio accessory shall therefore throughout this specification include any type of headphone or headset having a head support member with one or two ear-cups (sometimes referred to as ear caps or even earpieces). The invention is likewise suited also for cordless/wireless one-way as well as two-way communication of any standard, such as radio frequency, Bluetooth, and infrared communication. It is emphasized that the illustrations are for the sole purpose of describing preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention to details or to any specific field of application. It shall be realized that the invention covers the incorporation of features related to any of the mentioned applications and any combination of features disclosed herein. In the introduction was indicated that headphones in general use rather complex structures for adjustably connecting ear-cups to a headband. Such known connection structures often consist of several different parts and are thus burdened with comparatively high manufacturing as well as assembly costs. A further drawback is that ear-cups are conventionally permanently attached to a headband. This puts an undesirable restriction on efforts to minimize the space required for stowing the headphones when not in use. The invention intends to solve this type of drawbacks by proposing a new concept for attaching ear-cups to an optional head support member. A basic feature of the solution is the provision of an adjustable ear-cup to head support member attachment that is free from any mechanical connection between the parts. Such a configuration requires few separate parts and thus enables cost effective manu- factoring as well as assembly. It also allows an ear-cup to be supported freely adjustable and secure, but still easily removable. Further, it has no complicated moving parts that can break or be worn out during years of every day usage. The ear-cups and head support member are easily taken apart so that the ear-cups may just as easily be used in a new context such as, attached to a headband/sweatband for exercise, a helmet (with ear protection) for extreme sports and a soft hat during cold weather.

In Figs. 1-5 is illustrated a first exemplary embodiment of an audio accessory 1 to which the basic concept of the invention has been applied. The illustrated headphone/headset 1 includes ear-cups 7, 8 and a head support member 2. The head support member may be a basically traditional type of headband for headphones that is formed of hard flexible material. The ear- cups 7, 8 each include a speaker element 13 and are adjustably supported by the headband 2 in an area adjacent a respective free end 5, 6 of the headband 2. Associated with the head- phone 1 is a cable 24 that at one end has a connection plug 26 for connection to an audio signal communication device (user equipment) 28. The cable is split such as by a cable splitter 27, and at a second end each split cable part 24A, 24B is connected to the speaker element 13 of the respective ear-cup 7, 8. One of the cable parts 24A has a microphone 25 for allowing two-way communication between the accessory 1 and the user equipment 28. As described so far the audio accessory 1 is of quite conventional design.

In contrast to the conventional designs, the accessory 1 of the invention is provided with a unique ear-cup 7, 8 to headband 2 connection providing positive, yet unrestricted, non- mechanical connection between ear-cups 7, 8 and headband 2. The accessory 1 of the in- vention uses a basically magnetical connection that is also easily separable for e.g. stowing purposes. Specifically, one part of this connection is formed by the headband 2 that at least in ear-cup support portions 3, 4 thereof consists of a material being strongly affected by magnetic fields. In a presently preferred configuration the complete headband 2 may consist of metal plate material that has been suitably formed and profiled/bent to fit on a users head and that has preferably been coated with an appropriate protective and/or aesthetic coating.

In the illustrated embodiment the ear-cups 7, 8 each consist of two interconnectable housing parts 10, 11 having complementary engageable lugs 21 and recesses 22, respectively. The inner part 10 accommodates a speaker element 13 and carries an ear-cup cushion 16 or similar padding. An outer part 11 carries spaced permanent magnets 17, 18 forming a second part of the ear-cup to headband connection. The two permanent magnets 17, 18 are seated in separate seats 19, 20 inside the respective ear-cup 7, 8, preferably adjacent or in association with an outer, outwardly facing, essentially flat surface 12 thereof. The magnets 17, 18 shall be fairly strong and may e.g. contain neodymium, especially in applications where cost is not a main issue.

The ear-cup support portions 3, 4 of the headband 2 are each guided in a guide groove 14 in the respective ear-cup 7, 8. In the illustrated embodiment the guide grooves 14 are outwardly open and are formed in the outwardly facing, essentially flat surface 12 of the ear-cups 7, 8. The guide grooves 14 have a flat bottom surface 15 and a width Wl that only slightly exceeds a width W2 of the headband 2 in its portions 3, 4 that serve to support the respective ear-cup 7, 8. The ear-cup support portions 3, 4 of the headband 2 are in this embodiment preferably quite flat in order to securely engage the flat bottom surface 15 of the grooves 14.

It will be realized that the main object of the invention has been achieved by developing a type of purely non-mechanical ear-cup to head support member connection that is very cost effective. It provides positive attachment of ear-cups, yet provides unrestricted adjustment of the ear-cup position. With the positive and yet non-mechanical attachment by means of the magnetical connection is achieved the additional benefit of an exceptional stowability. In practice, the ear-cups may easily and instantly be disconnected from the headband or other head support member and be stowed in any position separated therefrom. In Fig. 6 is illustrated a part of a modified second embodiment of an audio accessory according to the invention. The headband 2 and its ear-cup support portions 4 may be identical to those of the first embodiment. Here the guide grooves 14' in the ear-cup 8' outer parts 11 ' have a curved bottom surface 15' and a width Wl ' that significantly exceeds a width W2 of the headband 2 ear-cup support portions 4. Although the ear-cup support portion 4 is here likewise depicted as completely flat, it would also be possible to curve that portion with a similar curvature as that of the groove 14' bottom surface 15'. With this modification is obtained a further mode of adjustment, namely a sideways rotational adjustment of the ear- cups 8', in addition to the adjustment up and down along the ear-cup support portions of the first embodiment.

In Figs. 7-9 are illustrated various other embodiments of audio accessories 101, 201 and 301, respectively, where ear-cups 7, 8 according to the invention are used with alternative head support members 102, 202 and 302, respectively. The embodiment of Fig. 7 relates to the use of another kind of headband as the head support member 102 for the audio accessory 101. In this case the ear cups 7, 8 are supported by the type of headband (or sweatband) 102 that is typically worn around the forehead of a user and that basically consists of an elastic fabric band that forms to the head. Such headbands/sweatbands are often used during physical activity and may be designed to cover the ears of a user, to protect them from cold temperatures and snow during skiing etc.

The ear-cups 7, 8 are identical or similar to those of the first and second embodiments and are depicted with the same type of speaker element connecting means 24-27. In this embodiment attachment means in the form of metal clips 103 are fitted onto generally opposite circumferential ear-cup support portions 113, 114 of the headband/sweatband 102. Like the headband of the first embodiment said clips 103 consist of a material being strongly affected by magnetic fields and are preferably formed of flexible steel plate. The clips or attachment means 103 are each intended to straddle the headband/sweatband 102 material with the legs thereof extending transversely across inner and outer sides, respectively, of the headband or sweatband material. In the attached condition the clips or attachment means 103 are likewise each intended to be guided in an outwardly open guide groove 14 in the respective ear-cup 7, 8, as described in connection with the first and second embodiments. Therefore they should have an appropriate width so as to be securely but adjustably received in the associated groove 14. The relationship between the clip width and the ear-cup groove width as well as the groove bottom surface design may be as described for said first and second embodiments.

In the embodiment of Fig. 8 the ear cups 7, 8 are supported by a soft, often knitted hat 202 that comes in several different variants, named e.g. beanies or tuques. In this case the hat 202 thus serves as the head support member 202 for the audio accessory 201. Due to the often relatively thick material of such hats 202, it may in many cases be necessary to provide separate hat magnets 217, 218 that are attached to generally opposite circumferential ear-cup support portions 213, 214 of the hat 202. Said hat magnets 217, 218 may be separately attached to the hat 202 but are preferably formed or received in a common attachment 203. The ear-cups 7, 8 will in this case be magnetically attached to the hat 202 by the combined force of the hat and ear-cup magnets 217, 218 and 17, 18, respectively, through the hat 202 material. Thus, the opposite magnets of the hat and of the ear-cups must be quite strong to provide the secure, but adjustable attachment. A soft hat 202 as in Fig. 8 could likewise be used in combination with attachment clips of the kind illustrated in Fig. 7.

Finally, in the embodiment of Fig. 9 ear cups 7, 8 are supported by a helmet 302 serving as the head support member 302 of the audio accessory 301. The helmet 302 may be of any type used for head protection during different activities e.g. skiing, and having ear protection and/or warming portions 313, 314 that here serve as ear-cup support portions. Helmet magnets 317, 318 are placed inside or outside a foam layer that is usually provided in the opposite ear protection and/or warming portions 313, 314. Like in the soft hat embodiment of Fig. 8 the helmet magnets 317, 318 may be separately attached to the helmet 302 ear protection and/or warming portions 313, 314 but they are preferably formed or received in a common attachment 303. The magnets 317, 318 or the common attachments 303 may preferably be installed inside the ear protection and/or warming portions 313, 314 in the helmet 302 during the production thereof. For each of the two embodiments of Figs. 8 and 9 the attachments 203, 303 may likewise each be intended to be guided in said outwardly open guide groove in the respective ear-cup, as described in connection with the above described embodiments. The appropriate relationship between attachment width and ear-cup groove width as well as the groove bottom surface design may thereby be as described for said embodiments.

It will now be realized that the invention enables extremely improved versatility for audio accessories of the relevant kind. With the configuration according to the invention the same ear-cups with their magnets can be both used with and readily moved between each of a headphone 1 application in accordance with Figs. 1-6, a headband/sweatband application 101 according to Fig. 7, a soft hat application 201 according to Fig. 8 and a helmet application 301 according to Fig. 9. In each case it will be easy to place the ear-cups adjustably inside a respective head support member and to make them stay in the intended position during use.

In alternative, but not specifically illustrated embodiments of the invention variations of the different illustrated parts of the inventive accessories may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. Theoretically only one magnet or alternatively more than two magnets may be used in each ear-cup for forming part of the connection with the head support member. Likewise, in a further modification, a traditional head support member made of hard, flexible and non-magnetic material may thus carry one or more separate magnets for cooperating with the ear-cup magnets, much like in the above illustrated embodiments relating to head support members of softer materials. In such a headband configuration the outwardly facing headband side may be provided with some type of padding or ornament etc. It shall be emphasized that although the invention has been described and illustrated with specific reference to an application in a headset for two-way communication the invention is in no way restricted to such applications. The basic principles thereof may be applied to other relevant accessories including other types of head support members than the ones illustrated. The invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered the most practical and preferred embodiments but it shall be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It likewise covers any feasible combination of features described and illustrated herein and is therefore intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.