A HEADPHONE

Abstract

A headphone (3, 4) comprises a body (5) forming a chamber (26) for enclosing an ear of a user of the headphone (3, 4). The body (5)has an acoustic seal (7) of a flexible material surrounding the chamber (26), and the body (5) has a cushion (8) extending around the acoustic seal (7) and separate from the acoustic seal (7). The cushion (8) has a first side face (38) for engaging with the head of the user.

Claims

1. A headphone comprising a body forming a chamber for enclosing an associated ear of a an associated user of the headphone, the body having an acoustic seal made of a flexible material surrounding the chamber, the body having at least one cushion extending around the acoustic seal and separate from the acoustic seal, the at least one cushion having a first side face for engaging with an associated head of the associated user, wherein the body has a second side face opposite the first side face, and at least one vent between the first side face and the second side face, the at least one vent being in the at least one cushion.

2. The headphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible material of the acoustic seal is expandable so that the acoustic seal is arranged to expand towards the at least one cushion when the headphone is pressed against the associated head of the associated user.

3. (canceled)

4. The headphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one venting comprises a plurality of openings in the first side face, a plurality of openings in the second side face, and a cavity which connects the first side face openings to the second side face openings.

5. The headphone as claimed in claim 4, wherein a plurality of flexible supports extends through the cavity between the first and second side faces.

6. The headphone as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one venting comprises a plurality of conduits, each said conduit extending between the first and second side faces.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. The headphone as claimed in claims 1, wherein at least part of the second side face is covered by a flexible porous material.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. The headphone as claimed in claim 1, including at least one electroencephalography (EEG) sensor mounted in the first side face.

16. A headset comprising a headband, and at least one headphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one headphone is connected to the headband and comprises a speaker, and said headband includes at least one of a power source and a main circuit board for the at least one headphone.

17. The headset as claimed in claim 16, wherein the headband includes both the power source and the main circuit board.

18. The headset as claimed in claim 16, wherein the main circuit board comprises a plurality of circuit boards electrically connected to each other.

19. The headset as claimed in claim 18, wherein the circuit boards are connected to each other in series.

20. The headset as claimed in claim 16, including at least one electroencephalography (EEG) sensor mounted in or on an underside of the headband, the underside arranged to face an associated scalp of an associated user of the headphone.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

Description

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a headset comprising a pair of headphones wherein each headphone is in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIGS. 2 to 4 are top, front and side views, respectively, of the headset; FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a headphone of the headset taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 3;

[0036] FIG. 6 is a front view of the headset showing an exploded view of one of the headphones;

[0037] FIGS. 7 and 8 are exploded side and perspective views, respectively, of an outer shell and cushion of the headphone of FIG. 6;

[0038] FIG. 9 is a view of an inner side face of the headphone of FIG. 6; FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the headset taken along lines 10-10 of FIG. 4;

[0039] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the headset in a stored position;

[0040] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the headset;

[0041] FIG. 13 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 with the headphone on the side of a head of a user of the headset;

[0042] FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a modified headphone; and

[0043] FIG. 15 is a view of an inner side face of another modified headphone.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, a headset 1 comprises a headband 2 connecting a pair of headphones 3, 4 together.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, each headphone 3, 4 comprises a body 5 having a central body portion 6, an acoustic or audio seal 7 surrounding a chamber 26, a cushion 8 surrounding the acoustic seal 7 and separate from the acoustic seal 7, and an outer shell 9 having a convex outer surface 10 and a concave inner surface 11.

[0046] The central body portion 6 has a base 12 with a convex outer surface 13 and a concave inner surface 14. The central body portion 6 is fixed to the outer shell 9 so that base convex outer surface 13 of the central body portion 6 is against the shell concave inner surface 11. A continuous outer wall 15 extends from a perimeter of the base concave inner surface 14, and an inner wall 16 extends from the base 12 and is surrounded by the outer wall 15. The inner wall 16 has an inner step 17 towards the end of the wall 16 distal from the base 12. A transducer assembly 18 is mounted on the step 17 and is surrounded by the inner wall 16. A cap 19 is fixed over the distal end of the wall 16 to hold the transducer assembly 18 within the inner wall 16 of the central body portion 6, and the cap 19 has apertures 20.

[0047] The acoustic seal 7 is made of a first flexible expandable material such as silicon. The acoustic seal 7 has a continuous main wall portion 21 surrounding the chamber 26 and an inner wall portion 22 extending in from the main wall portion 21 at a base of the main wall portion 21 so as to form a groove 23 into which a distal end of the central body portion outer wall 15 is received. The acoustic seal main wall portion 21 has a flange 24 extending into the groove 23 so that the central body portion outer wall 15 is held in the groove 23 by an interference grip between the flange 24 and the acoustic seal inner wall portion 22. The end 25 of the acoustic seal main wall portion 21 distal from the base of the seal 7 tapers and bends or flares outwardly.

[0048] The central body portion 6 and the acoustic seal 7 extending from the central body portion outer wall 15 form the chamber 26 for enclosing an ear 70 (see FIG. 13) of a user of the headphone 3, 4, wherein the distal end 25 of the acoustic seal 7 defines the periphery of the chamber 26. The chamber periphery 25 has a substantially straight portion 28 for positioning in front of the ear and a substantially curved portion 29 substantially conforming to the shape of the helix and lobe parts of the ear. The two portions 28, 29 join at first upper and lower points 30, 31 of the periphery 25. The chamber periphery 25 has a second lower point 32 at the lowest part of the curved portion 29, and a second upper point 33 where an upper part 34 of the curved portion 29 joins a rear part 35 of the curved portion 29. The chamber periphery 25 has another or a third point 69 where the rear part 35 of the curved portion 29 joins a lower part 72 of the curved portion 29.

[0049] The cushion 8 is made of a material such as rubber or silicon. The cushion 8 surrounds the central body portion outer wall 15 and the acoustic seal 7 and is against the portion 36 of the concave inner surface 14 of the outer shell 9 which extends beyond the central body portion 6. The cushion 8 has a base portion 37 with a central opening or aperture 68, and a bottom face of the base portion 37 comprises a first side face 38 for engaging the head of the user of the headphone 3, 4. The first side face 38 has a radial width which extends from an inner edge 66 of the base portion 37 surrounding the opening 68 and adjacent the chamber periphery 25 to an outer edge or periphery 39 of the base portion 37. The radial width has a maximum value r.sub.max at a point between the first upper point 30 and the first lower point 31 wherein this point is closer to the first upper point 30.

[0050] The surface area of one section A of the first side face 38 extends around the acoustic seal 7 between approximately the second lower and upper points 32, 33 in front of the chamber 26. The one section A is larger than the surface area of the remaining section B of the first side face 38. The surface area of the one section A of the first side face 38 may be at least 1.4 times larger than the surface area of the remaining section B of the first side face 35.

[0051] The cushion base portion 37 has an aperture 40 in the portion of the first side face 38 to be in front of the ear of the user, and in this aperture 40 is mounted an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor 41.

[0052] The cushion base portion outer edge 39 has a rim 42 and the outer shell 9 is fitted within the rim 42 so that the perimeter edge 43 of the outer shell 9 engages the rim 42. An inner wall 44 extends from the cushion base portion inner edge 66 and surrounds the central body portion 6. The cushion inner wall is slanted inwardly from the base portion 37 so that its distal end engages the place where the central body portion outer wall 15 meets the outer shell 9. The cushion base portion inner wall 44 is adjacent the base 45 of the acoustic seal main wall portion 21, and a gap or channel 46 is formed between the rest of the acoustic seal main wall portion 21 and the cushion base portion inner wall 44. A cavity 47 is formed between the cushion base portion 37 and the outer shell 9 and is bounded by the cushion base portion rim 42 and the cushion base portion inner wall 44. The cushion 8 has a plurality of flexible tube supports 48 which extend from the cushion base portion 37 to the outer shell 9. There is a plurality of vent openings 49 extending through, and spread around, the cushion base portion 37.

[0053] The convex outer surface 10 of the outer shell 9 forms a second second side face of the body 5 which is opposite the first side face 38. There is a plurality of vent openings 50 extending through, and spread around, the outer shell portion 36 which extends beyond the central body portion 6. The second side face 10 is covered by a porous flexible fabric 51.

[0054] The second side face 10 joins the first side face 38 and forms an acute angle θ (see FIG. 3) with the first side face 38 at the joining of not more than approximately 45° around the periphery of the headphone 3, 4 except for the portion of the headphone 3, 4 radial from the upper part 34 of the chamber periphery curved portion 29. Part of this headphone portion extends beyond the first side face 38 which engages the head of the user. This part is referred to as the top portion 52 of the headphone 3, 4 and the top portion 52 extends to the headband 2. The boundary between the top portion 52 and the first side face 38 is indicated by a dashed line 67 on FIG. 9. The top portion 52 is configured so that where it is adjacent the headband 2 it has the same sectional shape and size as the headband 2.

[0055] Referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, the headband 2 extending between the top portion 52 of each headphone 3, 4 is connected by a hinged and rotatable connector 53 to each headphone 3, 4. This enables the headphones 3, 4 to be swung inwards and be rotated through 90° so that when the headset 1 is not in use it can be stored compactly (see FIG. 11).

[0056] The headband 2 is hollow and the underside 55 of the headband 2, which is arranged to face the scalp of a user of headset 1, has a plurality of apertures 65 spaced in series along the underside 55 and an EEG sensor 54 is mounted in each aperture 65. The EEG sensors 54 in the headband 2, together with the EEG sensor 41 in each headphone 3, 4, are connected to a central processor 56 mounted on a main circuit board 57 inside the headband 2. The main circuit board 57 comprises a plurality of circuit boards 57a, 57b, 57c, 57d electrically connected to each other in series so that the main circuit board 57 can fit inside the headband 2. Each circuit board 57a, 57b, 57c, 57d is mounted to a mounting 58 which connects the circuit board 57a, 57b, 57c, 57d to a side 59 of the headband 2, and the circuit boards 57a, 57b, 57c, 57d are above the EEG sensors 54.

[0057] The transducer assembly 18 in each headphone 3, 4 is connected to the central processor 56 in the headband 2 and each transducer assembly 18 comprises a speaker 60 and a driver 61.

[0058] A Bluetooth module 62 is mounted on the main circuit board 57 in the headband 2 and the Bluetooth module 62 can communicate with a portable electronic communication device such as a smart phone or a hand-held tablet PC.

[0059] Also inside the headband 2, there is a power source in the form of a battery 63 for providing power to the headset 1. The battery 63 is held by a mounting 64 to the side 59 of the headband 2

[0060] In use, the headset 1 is worn on the head of a user with each ear of the user being received in the chamber 26 of a respective headphone 3, 4, and the headband 2 being positioned over the scalp of the user.

[0061] As each headphone 3, 4 is placed against the head or skull 71 of the user, the body 5 moulds to the shape of the head (see FIG. 13). The loading of the headphone 3,4 causes the acoustic seal 7 to expand so that the tapered end 25 of the seal 7 engages the inner edge 66 of the cushion base portion 37 closing the opening to the gap 46 between the acoustic seal 7 and the cushion base portion 37.

[0062] The EEG sensors 54 in the headband 2 and the EEG sensor 41 in each headphone 3, 4 are arranged to measure EEG signals associated with brain activity in the head of the user. These signals are monitored by the central processor 56, and the central processor 56 is arranged to control the volume of sound from each speaker 60 via their respective speaker driver 61 in relation to these signals.

[0063] Signals from the EEG sensors 41, 54 received by the central processor 56 could be transmitted by the Bluetooth module 62 to a said portable electronic communication device, and the portable electronic communication device could be used to change or control the sound coming from the speakers 60 of the headphones 3, 4.

[0064] In a modification as illustrated in FIG. 14, the body 80 of each headphone 81 has a plurality of conduits 82 extending between the first and second side faces 83, 84 to provide venting, the conduits 82 extending through the cushion 85 and the outer shell 86 of the body 80.

[0065] In another modification as illustrated in FIG. 15, the body 90 of each headphone 91 has a plurality of cushions 92 spaced around the acoustic seal 93 with there being gaps 94 between the cushions 92.

[0066] Whilst particular embodiments have been described, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention.