AU605666B2

AU605666B2 - Acoustic headphone acting as a natural conductor of the human voice to the auditory system

Info

Publication number: AU605666B2
Application number: AU27922/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Georges Uznanski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-03
Filing date: 1988-11-29
Publication date: 1991-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-29
Also published as: WO1989005557A1; FR2624296B1; FR2624296A1; AU2792289A; EP0348467A1

Description

II

I_ ;I COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMEE PECIFICATION NAME ADDRESS OF APPLICANT: Georges Uznanski 137 Boulevard Robespierre Poissy 78300 France NAME(S) OF INVENTOR(S): T h is dou ment co ntainse am"nendments made under Georges UZNANSKI Section 49 and is correct for printing.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: Acoustic headphone acting as a natural conductor of the human voice to the auditory system The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- J I.f 1A The present invention relates to an acoustic device making it possible to transmit the "sung or spoken" voice directly and naturally to the auditory system.

The technology currently used for listening to and correcting one's own voice comprises recording the voice, which requires a recording and playback unit.

However, in certain circumstances, it is useful to be able to hear oneself and correct oneself instantaneously; for example, singers or chorus members, for the purposes of a studio disc recoi:ding, very frequently encounter difficulties in hearing their voices, which pass into a musical headphone, this being very inconvenient for accuracy and interpretation, since the mixing of the voice and the music in the headphone is a balance which is always difficult to achieve.

For this reason, the object of the present invention is to produce an acoustic headphone which acts as a natural conductor of the human voice to the auditory system, conceived in a manner such as to bring very pure and immediate listening to the ear, thus enabling the voice to be monitored very easily.

Such an acoustic headphone can form the subject of various uses, whereof a number are described in accordance with the figures.

Figure 1 is a section in elevation of an acoustic headphone according to the invention which is characterized by an attached musical listening device.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 show different uses.

Figures 6 and 7 are views of an acoustically conducting earpiece.

Figure 8 is a view of the acoustic headphone.

The principal basis of the present invention is represented by its two original forms of elongate half- 4 shells which are placed over each ear and fit the i' shape of the face, the elongate part of the shell making -2it possible to capture the voice as it emerges from the mouth and to transmit it directly to the auditory system in the round part of the shell placed over each ear.

These two forms are held together by a flexible and adjustable hoop thus making it possible to retain them on the head. A cushion of foam on the round part of the shell ensures comfort for the head. Small perforations (11) are provided for the passage of musical sound, making it possible to adapt a musical headphone or personal stereo, as the case may be. The acoustic headphone Fig. 1 is equipped with a loudspeaker system at right and left placed on the outer part of the shell and making it possible to listen to music through its two forms. The two loudspeakers protected by a cover are connected by a flexible lead to the right-hand and left-hand volume control housing thus making it possible for the wearer himself to monitor the level at which the music is heard in accordance with the vocal strength of the singer or choir member, the voice passing naturally through the shell device which captures the voice as it emerges from the mouth and transmits it directly to the auditory system. This headphone device on the head does not impede the recording of sound, which normally takes place facing the microphone.

It can be used alone, manually as in Fig. 2 or with a hoop to retain it on the head, Fig. 3, which is very useful for a choir group rehearsal operation.

This device or acoustic headphone has been specially designed to improve the pure listening to the wearer's own "sung or spoken" voice, thus enabling time to be saved when it is used to correct the wearer's voice in singing or speech. It is very effective for singers in a recording studio.

The reference numerals in the following claims do not in any way limit the scope of the respective claims.

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Claims

1. Acoustic conductor between the mouth and an ear of a user, characterized in that it comprises a half- shell of elongate shape, whereof a first rounded end is suitable for surrounding one of the user's ears, the body of which has a shape enabling it to fit the shape of the user's face, and whereof the second end is suitable for capturing the voice emerging from the user's mouth, the half-shell transmitting the voice directly and naturally from the second end, that is to say from the mouth, to the first end, that is to say the ear.

2. Acoustic conductor according to Claim 1, charac- terized in that it possesses a foam cushion placed on the first rounded end of the shell in order to ensure listen- ing comfort.

3. Acoustic conductor according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first rounded end of the half- shell possesses, on the outside, opposite the aperture which is placed against the ear, perforations which allow the sound originating from the outside of the shell to pass towards the ear.

4. Acoustic conductor according to Claim 3, charac- terized in that a loudspeaker 4) is arranged against ,the outer part of the first rounded end of the half- shell, at the level of the said perforations.

Acoustic conductor according to Claim 4, charac- terized in that the said loudspeaker is connected by a flexible electrical lead to a sound level control hous- ing.

6. Acoustic conductor according to either of Claims 4 and 5, characterized in that a protective cover is placed against the outside of the loudspeaker.

7. Acoustic headphone, characterized in that it comprises two acoustic conductors according to any one of the preceding claims and a flexible hoop connect- ing these two acoustic conductors, namely the half- shells, to each other, and making it possible to. retain the assembly of the two acoustic conductors on the user's S head. I -w 4

8. Headphone according to Claims 5 and 7, charac- terized in that a control housing is common to the two loudspeakers and that it comprises independent adjustment means for the right-hand loudspeaker and for the left-hand loudspeaker. DATED this TWENTIETH day of JULY 1989 Georges Uznanski by DAVIES COLLISON Patent Attorneys for the applicant(s) x