Headphones with expandable speaker enclosures
US8774420B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 29, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 18, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R1/1008
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A headphone set includes a head band and a pair of speaker assemblies supplied on opposite ends of the headband. Each of the speaker assemblies comprises an earphone speaker for reproducing sound to be directed toward one of the wearer's ears, a relatively larger and more powerful broadcast speaker for reproducing sound to be broadcast in the vicinity of the headphone set; and an expandable speaker enclosure for supporting the earphone speaker and the broadcast speaker. Each speaker enclosure defines a sound chamber having an enclosed air volume for improving the acoustical characteristics of the headphone set and each speaker enclosure is shiftable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. When the speaker enclosures are shifted to their expanded configurations, the sound chambers have a relatively larger enclosed air volume. When they are shifted to their collapsed configurations relatively smaller enclosed air volumes. This permits the sound chamber to be selectively increased in size when the larger broadcast speakers are operated and to be returned to their smaller size when only the earphone speakers are operated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.