This invention relates in general to headgear containing communication devices and more particularly to headgear having an adjustable mechanism for placing the communi¬ cation device in position relative to a user's ear.

Audio devices such as speakers and microphones are commonly incorporated into headgear when hands-free opera¬ tion of .the communications equipment is desired. While the hands-free capability is a matter of convenience when the wearer is merely listening to music or engaging in similar activities, the hands-free capability may be a critical necessity for police and similar personnel using two-way communication equipment.

Conventional two-way communication devices are typically held in place by a headset which places a speaker in or over one or both of the user's ears. A microphone may be positioned in the ear canal or a boom microphone may be located near the wearer's mouth. Both the microphone and the speaker are then connected to a control box and a two-way radio which are typically

mounted on the wearer's belt or at some remote location. It can readily be seen that these types of mechanisms may be inadequate in many situations. Placement of a speaker or microphone in or over one or both ears greatly reduces the user's ability to pick up environmental noises.

While this sensory impairment may be desired in limited situations, it presents a serious problem when the individual is in a hazardous environment and must be able to react to those environmental noises.

Additionally, boom microphones or microphones placed in the ear canal may be difficult to maintain in the proper position without periodic readjustment, especially if the user is frequently moving about. Moreover, replacement of the headset after removal usually requires readjust¬ ment of the harness straps or bands as well as the microphone. This may cause significant delays which are undesirable, particularly when the headsets are used by emergency or quick response personnel.

Conventional headsets may also be unsuitable for use by firefighting personnel and others who must wear a breathing mask or respirator to breathe in a hostile environment. The necessity for maintaining a tight seal of the mask to the face prevents the use of most types of microphones as the connector leading to the microphone prevents the necessary seal from being maintained. Location of the microphone outside of the facial portion of the mask is generally unacceptable as the mask tends to

muffle the voice of the firefighter. One attempted solution to this problem has been the mounting of a high noise level bone conduction microphone to the harness of the breathing mask. The microphone is positioned on top of the wearer's head where it picks up voice vibrations for transmission. A speaker is also coupled with a harness strap and is positioned over the ear. This type of arrangement, while an improvement over other devices, presents at least two problems. The microphone performance is often adversely affected by its loca¬ tion atop the head where the wearer's hair serves to insulate the microphone from the voice vibrations. Loca¬ tion of the speaker over the ear also impairs the user's ability to react to environmental noise.

It is an object of this invention to provide a headgear with a mechanism for adjustably positioning an audio device in a manner which allows the adjustment setting to be maintained even after repeated removal and replacement of the headgear so that it may be quickly placed in the proper position as the headgear is placed on the user 's head.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a headgear with a mechanism for adjustably positioning the audio device at a location which does not interfere with the wearer's hearing so that he may hear environmental noises.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a headgear with a mechanism which allows a receiving and transmitting audio device such as a transducer to be adjustably positioned forwardly of the wearer's ear so that the wearer's hearing is unaffected by the transducer.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a headgear having a breathing mask with a mechanism which allows a receiving and transmitting transducer to be adjustably positioned forwardly of the wearer's ear so that the transducer does not interfere with a breathing mask worn by the individual.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a headgear with a clamp which may be rotated to allow movement of an adjustment mechanism for positioning of the transducer at the desired location.

To accomplish these and other related objects of the invention, a headgear is provided with an adjustable mechanism for positioning an audio device relative to a user's ear. The headgear comprises a mounting bracket for retaining the audio device, positioning means coupled with the mounting bracket for placing the mounting bracket relative to the user's ear, and a releasable clamp coupled with the positioning means for preventing movement of the mounting bracket once the desired position has been attained. The positioning means includes overlying bands,

one of which is moveable in relation to the other band and is coupled with said mounting bracket to allow adjustable positioning thereof. The clamp includes a retainer having a slot sized for receiving the bands in overlying relationship and further including a clamping ring threadably coupled with the retainer for exerting a clamping force on the bands when the clamping ring is rotated in one direction. The clamping force is released when the clamping ring is rotated in the opposite direction.

In one embodiment of the invention, the positioning means includes one or more headstraps coupled with the bands and sized for releasably securing about a portion of the user's head. In another embodiment of the invention, the positioning means includes a mounting clamp for coupling the bands to a breathing mask.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a headset of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the headset shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the headset shown in

Fig . 1 ;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the headset shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an adjustment clamp of the headset taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a headgear of the present invention showing a transducer positioning device mounted on a gas mask;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged top sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 6 and showing the transducer positioning device with portions broken away to illustrate construction of a mounting clamp; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top sectional view of the mounting clamping shown in Fig. 7 but with different portions broken away to illustrate construction of the clamp.

Turning now to the drawings in greater detail and initially to Figs. 1-4, one embodiment of an adjustable headgear of the present invention is represented broadly by the numeral 10. Headgear 10 comprises a headset 11 which allows positioning of audio transducers 12 and 14 at the desired position against the user's cheekbone for optimum operation of the transducers.- Transducers 12 and 14 are of the commercially available bone vibrating type

of transducer which operates by bone conduction to serve as both an output and an input device. When placed near the user's ear and in contact with the cheekbone, the transducer operates as a speaker by generating vibratory forces which are conveyed by the temporal bone to the inner ear cochlea. The transducer likewise operates as a microphone by mechanically picking up speech vibrations rather than air-borne acoustic energy.

Each transducer 12 and 14 has a curved inner surface

16 and 17 which is shaped for conforming to the indivi¬ dual's cheekbone at a position forward of and in vertical alignment with the individual's ear. The headset 11 positions transducers 12 and 14 on opposite sides of the user's head and each is pivotally mounted within a generally U-shaped yoke 18 and 20, respectively, by a pair of studs 22 and 24. The studs extend through the ends of each leg of yoke 18 and 20 and are centrally positioned in the sides of the respective transducers. The transducers are coupled to the yokes 18 and 20 in a manner which allows complete rotation of the transducer about an axis extending through the studs.

Transducers 12 and 14 are maintained in position by a harness 25 comprising a U-shaped headstrap 26 and an auxiliary U-shaped headstrap 28 which is pivotally connected to strap 26. Harness 25 also includes a chin strap 30 which is coupled at one end to yoke 20 and at the other end to yoke 22 to ensure that the transducers are

retained at the desired locations and to further ensure that the harness will remain securely attached to and be correctly positioned on the wearer's head even during vigorous physical activity.

As best shown in Fig. 2, a U-shaped inner band 32 formed from spring steel or similar material extends through a sleeve 34 formed within forward headstrap 26. Headstrap 26 is preferably constructed from two superimposed pieces 36 and 37 of leather or similar durable material having the desired gripping characteristics. The sleeve 34 is formed within the headstrap by parallel stitching which extends longitudinally along the harness.

Adjustment bands 38 and 40 are releasably coupled by clamps 42 and 44 with the respective end segments of inner band 32. The lower end 45 of adjustment band 38 is pivotally secured to yoke 18 by a suitable connector 46. The upper end of the adjustment band 38 extends within sleeve 34. Likewise, adjustment band 40 is coupled at a lower end 47 with yoke 20 by connector 48. The upper end of adjustment band 40 extends within sleeve 34.

Each end of the inner band 32 of forward headstrap 26 is pivotally connected to retaining bands 50 and 52 which form a part of auxiliary or rear headstrap 28. Each retaining band 50 and 52 extends within a sleeve 54 formed within the rear headstrap by stitched overlying leather pieces 56 and 57. Unlike adjustment bands 38 and 40 which

do not overlap in sleeve 34, bands 50 and 52 extend into the sleeve 54 and are of sufficient length to overlap as illustrated in Fig. 2. A clamp 58 which is positioned midway along the rear headstrap releasably couples the bands together in overlying relationship.

An adjustable strap 60 extends transversely between and joins forward and rear headstraps 26 and 28 at a midpoint along their length. The strap 60 may comprise leather or similar material. A buckle 62 is provided to allow the length of the strap 60 to be adjusted so that the rear headstrap 28 may be positioned at the desired location on the user's head, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Turning additionally to Fig. 5, the construction of clamps 42, 44 and 58 will now be described. Clamps 42 and 44 are fixed to the respective end segments of inner band 32 by rivets or other suitable connectors. Clamp 58 is not riveted to either retaining band 50 or 52 but is otherwise identical in all respects to clamps 42 and

44. Each clamp comprises a generally cylindrical retainer 64 having a receiving slot 66 extending through the retainer and having a size and shape for holding bands such as inner band 32 and adjustment band 38 in overlying and superimposed relationship. Retainer 64 has a threaded outer wall segment 68 and an annular 70 flange extending outwardly from the wall segment 68 at an upper edge thereof. Receiving slot 66 has opposed upright sidewalls 72 and 74 and a bottom 76 and is open at the

top. A rivet 78 extends through an aperture in bottom 76 to secure the cylindrical retainer 64 to the inner band 32.

A threaded clamping ring 80 is coupled with retainer

64 and has a threaded inner wall segment 82 to engage the threaded outer wall segment 68 of the retainer. Clamping ring 80 includes a flat bottom clamping surface 84 and an upper retaining shoulder 86 formed by a circular groove cut in the top of the clamping ring to accommodate the annular flange 70 of retainer 64. When the ring is threaded to the retainer, the flange 70 overlays shoulder 86 with the circumference of the flange being slightly less than that of a vertical inner wall 87 which intersects shoulder 86.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3, chin strap 30 includes an adjustment buckle 88 which allows the length of the chin strap to be varied and hook and loop connectors 90 and 92 which permit the chin strap to be releasably fastened. The respective ends of the chin strap are formed into a pair of cinch straps 94 and 96 by making a longitudinal cut in the ends of the chin strap to separate the end portions into the two side by side segments. The ends of the cinch straps 94 and 96 are folded over and receive a female snap connector 98. Male snap connectors 100 are also coupled with the chin strap on the outer surface of the chin strap a pre-selected distance from the cinch straps.

The cinch straps 94 and 96 at each end of the chin strap serve the important function of maintaining the transducers 12 and 14 in firm engagement against the user's cheekbones and to ensure that the harness will remain securely attached to and be correctly positioned on the wearer's head even during vigorous physical activity. The chin strap 30 extends over the outer surfaces of the transducers with the cinch straps 94 and 96 extending inwardly between the top of the transducers and the respective yokes 18 and 20. The straps are then wrapped outwardly over the yoke in a crisscrossed fashion and connected to the outer surface of the chin strap by snaps 98 and 100. The chin strap thus is securely cinched to each yoke without covering the inner surfaces of the transducers.

When the headset 11 is applied to a user's head, the chin strap 30 is disconnected and the headset is slipped over the user's head. The forward headstrap 26 extends vertically in an arc over the crown of the head and slightly forward of the user's ears. The clamps 42 and 44 are then loosened to permit relative movement of adjustment bands 38 and 40 with the inner band 32. This adjustment allows vertical movement of the transducers 12 and 14 which are coupled to the ends of the adjustment bands. When the transducers are placed in the desired location against the user's cheekbones, the clamps 42 and 44 are tightened to prevent further movement of adjustment bands 38 and 40.

To prevent undesired movement of the headset, the rear headstrap 28 is pivoted to the desired position on the back of the user's head to prevent forward or rearward movement of the headstrap 26 and connected transducers. The headstrap 28 may be adjusted to accommodate the head sizes of particular individuals by loosening the clamp 58 to permit relative movement between retaining bands 50 and 52 within sleeve 54. After the adjustment has been made, the clamp 58 is tightened to prevent further relative movement between the bands. When the desired relative positioning between the forward and rear headstraps 26 and 28 has been determined, any slack in ^' connecting adjustment strap 60 is taken up to prevent any further relative movement between the straps 26 and 28. After the headstraps have been properly adjusted, the chin strap 30 is simply tightened to securely anchor the headset 11.

Operation of the clamps 42, 44 and 58 will now be described, again with reference to Fig. 5. Rotation of clamping ring 80 in relation to retainer 64 causes the bottom clamping surface of the ring to engage the upper surface of the outer band, such as band 38, which overlays the associated band, such as band 32, riveted to the retainer 64. Continued rotation of the ring causes a clamping force to be exerted on the bands to prevent relative translative movement therebetween. When movement between the bands is desired, the clamping ring 80 is rotated in the opposite direction to remove the clamping

force. Removal of the ring from the retainer 64 by continued rotation in this direction is prevented by engagement of the shoulder 86 of the clamping ring with the bottom of the annular shoulder 70 formed on the retainer. This prevents the ring 80 from inadvertently being detached from the retainer 64.

In operation, one or both of transducers 12 and 14 are coupled to a transmit switch (not shown) by a suitable connector 102. The transmit switch is then connected to a radio (not shown) which permits two-way communication with a base unit or another similarly equipped individual. In most applications, only one transducer is required as it functions as both an input and an output unit. However, it may be desired to use two transducers as illustrated so that one may serve as a backup or may be connected to a radio tuned to a different frequenc .

It can thus be seen that the headset 11 of the present invention permits two-way communication without causing ear occlusion. This reduces the environmental hearing loss caused by conventional speakers or microphones placed in or over the ear and permits the user to react and pinpoint environmental noise in a normal manner.

This, of course, can be extremely important in many situations such as when police enter a hostile environment. Maintenance of the transducers in the optimal location is easily accomplished with the

adjustment mechanisms provided. The straps 26 and 28 may be easily adjusted by simply turning the respective clamps and moving the adjustment bands 38 and 40 or retaining bands 50 and 52 to the desired positions before re- tightening the clamps. The chin strap 30 ensures that the transducers are not dislodged even during strenuous activity. The cinch straps 94 and 96 secure the chin strap to the yokes holding the transducers and cause the transducers to be held firmly against the user's cheekbones.

Proper repositioning of the transducers can be easily accomplished after removal of the headset. The clamps ensure that the proper adjustment of the headstraps are maintained during removal and handling. The proper positioning between the rear and forward headstraps is maintained by strap 60 so replacement of the headset requires only that the chin strap 30 be fastened. This allows the headset to be quickly repositioned without the numerous adjustments which would otherwise be required.

Turning now to Figs. 6-8, an alternate embodiment of a headgear 210 of the present invention will now be described. Headgear 210 comprises a respiratory or breathing mask 211 having transparent facial portion 212 secured to a webbed harness 214. A seal 216 is coupled with facial portion 212 and seals against the user's face. An adjustable strap 218 which forms part of harness

214 is connected to facial portion 212 and may be adjusted to maintain the seal 216 against the user's face. Filtering and/or breathing apparatus (not shown) are also coupled with the facial portion 212.

The elements of breathing mask 212 described to this point have been of conventional construction. A novel transducer positioning mechanism 220 will now be de¬ scribed. Positioning mechanism 220 comprises a transducer 222 which is identical to transducers 12 and 14 previously described. Transducer 222 is housed within a U-shaped yoke 224 with studs 226 and 228 extending through the ends of the legs of the yoke and into the sides of the transducer.

A tab 230 extends from yoke 224 and is pivotally coupled by a suitable connector 232 to a similar tab 234 formed at one end of an inner adjustment band 236. An outer adjustment band 238 overlays band 236 and is longitudin ally adjustable in relation thereto. A clamp 240 which is identical to clamps 42, 44 and 58 previously described exerts a clamping force to bands 236 and 238. Unlike clamps 42 and 44, however, clamp 240 is preferably not fixed to the inner adjustment band 236 to allow a fuller range of relative movement between the bands.

A stop 242 is formed on end 244 of outer adjustment band 238 to prevent removal of the clamp. A slight bend is imparted to end 246 of inner adjustment band 236 to impede removal of clamp 240.

The other end 248 of outer adjustment band 238 is coupled with a mounting clamp 250 which is connected to an edge of facial portion 212 surrounded by seal 216. Clamp 250 is of a three-piece construction with a U-shaped member 252 and two pressure plates 254 and 256. The edge of the facial portion 212 and seal 216 are sandwiched between pressure plate 254 and an inner leg 258 of the U-shaped member 252. A clamping force is supplied by a pair of screws 260 and 261 which extend through the other leg 262 of u-shaped member 252 and pressure plate 256 to bear against pressure plate 254.

The end 248 of outer adjustment band 238 is sandwiched between outer leg 262 of U-shaped member 252 and pressure plate 256. A groove 264 is formed in the outer leg

262 to accommodate outer adjustment band 238 and permit a range of pivoting movement about a stud 266 which extends through pressure plate 256, adjustment band 238, outer leg 262 and pressure plate 254. Pressure plate 256 is coupled to outer leg 262 by a pair of screws 268 and 269.

In use, the transducer 222 is attached to the facial portion of the breathing mask by clamp 250. The breathing mask 211 is then applied to the individual's head and the clamp 240 loosened to allow relative movement of the adjustment bands 236 and 238. When the transducer is located in the desired position against the cheekbone, the clamp 240 is tightened to prevent further relative movement. To assist in maintaining the transducer in firm

engagement against the face, the outer adjustment band 238 is preferably formed from spring steel or other similar material and a bend is imparted to the adjustment band to urge the transducer in a direction towards the fac' , Proper positioning of the transducer is maintained even after removal and replacement of the headgear so that valuable time is not lost adjusting the transducer position each time the headgear is worn. If adjustment is desired, it can quickly be accomplished by simply loosening and tightening clamp 240. It can be seen that this type of construction and mounting of the transducer on the facial portion of the breathing mask does not interfere with the seal which must be maintained about the face yet provides effective two-way communication without the difficulties experienced by conventional communication devices.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is

to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.