WO2015128621A1

WO2015128621A1 - Headphone case

Info

Publication number: WO2015128621A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/050511
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Matthew TEAL; Monika KATZENSCHLAEGER
Original assignee: Working Class Heroes Ltd
Priority date: 2014-02-27
Filing date: 2015-02-23
Publication date: 2015-09-03
Also published as: GB2513458B; GB201403504D0; GB2513458A

Abstract

A headphone case is configurable between first and second configurations. In the first configuration the case defines an internal volume for containing headphones, and in the second configuration the case functions as a self-supporting headphone stand arranged to support a pair of headphones against a surface of the case. The case includes retaining means for retaining the case in the second configuration.

Description

Headphone case

Technical field The present invention relates generally to cases for headphones, and more specifically to a multifunctional headphone case.

Background In recent years there has been an increase in the popularity of headphones of the type comprising a pair of ear cups designed to fit on or over the ears and joined by a headband that is supported on or around the head.

Whilst this type of headphone has always been popular amongst professionals and audiophiles for home and studio use, the everyday user is increasingly turning to these headphones both for home use and for use outside of the home, for example when travelling or commuting. The increase in popularity is driven both by fashion and by a desire amongst users for high-quality audio both at home and on the move. There are now many high-end headphones of this type on the market which utilise premium components and materials in their manufacture. The relatively high price point of these devices represents a significant investment for the user, and naturally the user wishes to protect the headphones from damage. Often the headphones will be supplied with a carry bag or other such case or there are numerous cases available on the market to cater for a range of user preferences and requirements.

It is not always convenient to keep headphones in a case. When at home or in the studio, for example, it is desirable for headphones to be readily accessible. Headphone stands such as desktop stands have therefore become popular as these provide a safe and convenient way to store headphones at home whilst keeping the headphones accessible. The stands also allow the user to display the headphones, which is desirable particularly in the case of high-end headphones. Headphone stands are typically relatively heavy and rigid structures made from materials such as plastic or wood and are not intended to be portable. When selecting accessories such as headphone cases and stands the user is concerned both with aesthetics and functionality.

It is against this background that the present invention has been made.

Summary of the invention

According to the invention there is provided a headphone case configurable between first and second configurations, wherein in the first configuration the case defines an internal volume for containing headphones, and in the second configuration the case functions as a self-supporting headphone stand arranged to support a pair of headphones against a surface of the case, the case comprising retaining means for retaining the case in the second configuration. The invention therefore provides a multifunctional headphone case which is transformable from a case into a headphone stand. The invention is particularly advantageous because it incorporates the functionality of a case and a stand in a single device. This dual functionality is a particularly novel aspect of the present invention and is both intriguing and desirable to the consumer. Furthermore, the invention provides a portable headphone stand, which is itself a novel concept, and offers the user the functionality and convenience of a headphone stand when away from home, for example when travelling or commuting.

The case is suitably sized to contain a pair of headphones (of the type comprising a pair of on-ear or over-ear ear cups joined by a headband) within the internal volume of the case. When configured as a stand, the case is designed to support these headphones against a surface of the stand so that the headphones are supported entirely by the stand. Preferably the surface of the stand is an external surface of the case, although variants of the invention are envisaged in which the case may be turned inside out in order to convert the case into a stand.

The case is preferably substantially planar (i.e. flat) when empty. This is particularly convenient as the case takes up relatively little space and can be easily stored. In preferred embodiments the case is substantially rectangular, but the case may have other suitable shapes. The case is preferably made from relatively flexible materials such as leather, canvas or other suitable natural materials, or suitable synthetic materials for example polypropylene, neoprene, nylon and polyvinylchloride (PVC).

The headphone case may be in the form of a bag having a mouth through which headphones may be inserted into or removed from the internal volume of the case. The mouth may be provided with fastening means, such as a zip fastener, snap buttons, magnetic fasteners or other suitable fastening device.

In certain embodiments described in detail later, the mouth of the case is configurable in a widened position to form the base of the headphone stand. The widened mouth of the case forms a convenient and stable base for the stand. The retaining means may be arranged to retain the mouth of the case in the widened position. The retaining means therefore prevent the mouth from closing and hence prevent the stand from collapsing. The case may advantageously include bias means for biasing the mouth into a substantially closed position. As a result, the mouth is in tension when in the widened position and hence the retaining means serve to hold the mouth in tension. The bias means impart rigidity to the mouth/base and help to maintain the shape of the case. The case is therefore in tension when configured as a stand and the retaining means hold the case in tension and prevent the stand from collapsing.

The bias means may comprise one or more flexible strips provided in the vicinity of the mouth of the case. The strips preferably have a first configuration when the mouth of the case is closed and a second configuration when the mouth of the case is widened. The strips are preferably biased towards the first configuration, hence the stand is in tension when the mouth of the case is widened. The first configuration of the strips may be substantially straight and the second configuration of the strips may be substantially curved. Alternatively, for example, the strips may be slightly curved in the first position and more curved in the second position. The strips are preferably flat rectangular strips. Suitable materials for the strips include metals such as aluminium and steel or plastics materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and nylon or fibre-reinforced plastics such as glass-fibre reinforced plastics (GRP) or carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP). For example, aligning the polymer chains of PVC or the fibres of fibre-reinforced plastics in the longitudinal direction of the strips serves to bias the strips into a straight configuration. The retaining means of the headphone case may comprise one or more fasteners arranged to be fastened when the case is in the second configuration so as to maintain the case in the second configuration. The fasteners may be snap buttons, poppers, buttons, buckles, hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro ®, magnets or any other suitable fastener. The fasteners are preferably provided adjacent to the mouth of the case.

The fasteners may be provided on an external portion of the case. For example, in particular embodiments described later, the fasteners are provided on the external surface of the case and the case is rolled into a tube or an airfoil profile when configured as a stand, with the fasteners being used to maintain the case in the tubular or airfoil configuration.

In another variant described later, fasteners are provided on tabs located at the ends of a zip fastener which project from each side of the case. The zip fastener is provided at the mouth of the case. Fastening the tabs together serves to maintain the mouth of the case in the widened position and hence prevents the base of the stand from collapsing.

Alternatively, and in particularly preferred embodiments of the case, the one or more fasteners are located within the internal volume of the case. This arrangement is advantageous as the fasteners are hidden inside the case and do not detract from the aesthetic appeal of the case. Locating the fasteners inside the case also helps to protect the fasteners. In a particular embodiment described in detail later, the fasteners inside the case comprise a pair of mutually opposed elongate tabs. Each tab has a fixed end and a free end, and the fixed ends of the respective tabs are connected to or otherwise integrated with opposed internal edges or surfaces of the case. The tabs are arranged to extend towards one another, and the combined length of the tabs is less than the separation between the opposed internal edges or surfaces of the case to which the tabs are connected. Hence, when the case is in the first configuration, the free ends of the respective tabs are spaced apart. The free ends of the tabs are configured to connect together when the case is in the second configuration. Connecting the tabs together maintains the mouth of the case in the widened position. Preferably the case comprises a flexible end portion, which is configured to define a curved or V-shaped surface when the case is configured as a headphone stand. The curved or V-shaped surface conveniently serves to locate and support the headband of the headphones when the headphones are supported on the stand.

The flexible portion may form part of a front and/or rear face of the case. The flexible portion is preferably more flexible than the remainder of the front and/or rear face. To this end, the remainder of the front and/or rear face may be padded and the flexible portion may not be padded. Alternatively, the flexible portion may be made of thinner or otherwise more flexible material than the remainder of the face. The relatively more stiff portions of the faces provide sufficient structural integrity for the stand, whilst the flexible portion of the case allows the case to transform in shape to accommodate the headphones when configured as a stand. The flexible portion of the case may be a panel forming a closed end of the case in the first configuration and an upper surface of the stand when the case is in the second configuration. In particular embodiments, the panel has the shape of a rhombus or an ellipse and is folded about a first axis that defines an edge of the case when the case is in the first configuration and is folded about a second axis when the case is in the second configuration, the first and second axes being mutually perpendicular such that the panel forms a V-shaped or curved surface in the second configuration.

The headphone case may conveniently include one or more internal or external compartments for storing accessories such as cables, batteries, adaptor plugs etc.

For the avoidance of doubt, the term 'case' used herein is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and is intended to encompass items such as bags and pouches within its scope. Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of non-limiting example only, and with reference to the following figures in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a headphone case according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the headphone case of the first embodiment when empty; Figure 3 is a schematic view showing a pair of headphones being inserted into the headphone case of the first embodiment;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the headphone case of the first embodiment containing a pair of headphones;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the headphone case of the first embodiment when configured as a self-supporting stand for a pair of headphones;

Figure 6 is a partially exploded view of the headphone case of the first embodiment, which illustrates the construction of the case;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the headphone case of the first embodiment showing a pair of tabs fastened inside the case for retaining the case in tension when configured as a headphone stand;

Figure 8a is a schematic view of a mouth of the headphone case of the first embodiment when the case is configured as a headphone stand and showing the internal tabs with arrows included to represent forces resisted by the fastened tabs;

Figure 8b shows an alternative retaining device inside the case;

Figure 9 is a schematic front view of the headphone case of the first embodiment when configured as a stand, and prior to supporting a pair of headphones on the stand;

Figure 10 is a schematic front view of the headphone case of the first embodiment when configured as a stand and showing a pair of headphones supported against an external surface of the stand; Figure 11 is a side view of the headphone case of the first embodiment when configured as a stand and showing the pair of headphones supported against the external surface of the stand; Figures 12a and 12b schematically illustrate a headphone case according to a second embodiment of the present invention in which Figure 12a shows the case configured as a case for containing headphones and Figure 12b shows the case when configured as a stand for supporting headphones; Figures 13a and 13b schematically illustrate a headphone case according to a third embodiment of the present invention in which Figure 13a shows the case configured as a case for containing headphones and Figure 13b shows the case when configured as a stand for supporting headphones; and Figures 14a, 14b and 14c schematically illustrate a headphone case according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in which Figure 14a shows the case configured as a case for containing headphones and Figures 14b and 14c show the case when configured as a stand for supporting headphones. Detailed description

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, these show a headphone case 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The case 10 is in the form of a substantially planar and rectangular bag having a zip fastener 12 along one edge. Referring also to Figures 3 and 4, in use, a pair of headphones 14 of the type comprising a pair of ear cups 15 joined by a headband 16, may be conveniently stowed inside the case 10. As will be described in further detail later, the case 10 is transformable into a headphone stand 18 as shown in Figure 5. Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the case 10 has substantially rectangular and mutually-opposed front and rear faces 20a, 20b, which define an exterior surface of the case 10. An internal volume 22 of the case 10 (shown in Figure 4) is defined between the front and rear faces 20a, 20b. The case 10 has a top edge 24, a bottom edge 25 and left and right edges 26, 27. Each of the edges is substantially straight, with the top and bottom edges 24, 25 being mutually opposed and substantially parallel to one another, and the left and right edges 26, 27 being mutually opposed, substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom edges 24, 25. The top edge 25 is located at an Open end' 28 of the case 10, which defines a 'mouth' 30 or opening of the case 10 (seen most clearly in Figure 4), through which the internal volume 22 of the case 10 is accessed. The zip fastener 12 referred to above is provided along the top edge 24 of the case 10. The bottom edge 25 is located at a 'closed end' 32 of the case 10, which forms the bottom of the case 10.

Referring briefly to Figure 5, this shows the headphone case 10 configured as a self- supporting headphone stand 18. In this configuration, the case 10 is upturned so that the open end 28 of the case 10 functions as a base 33 of the stand 18, whilst the closed end 32 of the case 10 forms an upper surface 34 of the stand 18. As will be described in more detail later, the upper surface 34 of the stand 18 is formed into a V-shape when the case 10 is configured as a stand 18. A pair of headphones 14 is supported on the stand 18 such that the headband 16 of the headphones 14 extends over the V-shaped upper surface 34 and the ear cups 15 lie substantially flush against the respective front and rear faces 20a, 20b of the stand 18.

In view of the multi-functionality of the device, the terms 'case', 'bag' and 'stand' are used herein interchangeably to refer to the device, but generally the terms 'case' and 'bag' will be used to refer to the device when configured as a case, and the term 'stand' will be used to refer to the device when configured as a stand. Relative terms such as 'top', 'bottom', 'upper', 'lower' 'left', 'right' etc. are used herein for convenience and to improve the readability of this description. These terms refer to the case in the orientation shown in Figure 1 and to the stand in the orientation shown in Figure 5 and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

The construction of the case 10 and the mechanism for transforming the case 10 between case and stand configurations will now be described in further detail with reference to Figures 6 to 11.

Referring now to Figure 6, this is a partially exploded plan view of the main components of the case 10, and serves to illustrate the construction of the case 10. The case 10 is constructed from three main panels: front and rear face panels 36a, 36b and an intermediate panel 38, which forms the closed end 32 of the case 10 (see Figure 1) and the upper surface 34 of the stand (see Figure 5). Figure 6 shows the inner sides of these panels, i.e. the sides that face the interior 22 of the case 10 when the case 10 is assembled.

The front and rear face panels 36a, 36b are each formed from an otherwise rectangular panel in which a triangular area 40 has been removed from one edge to form a V-shaped edge 42. The intermediate panel 38 has the shape of a rhombus or 'diamond', and is connected between the V-shaped edges 42 of the respective face panels 36a, 36b by stitching 54. The case 10 is folded about a central axis of symmetry 44 (also referred to herein as a 'first axis') of the intermediate panel 38 (as indicated by the vertical dashed line in Figure 6), such that one triangular-shaped half 45a of the intermediate panel 38 forms part of the front face 20a of the case 10, and the other triangular half 45b of the intermediate panel 38 forms part of the rear face 20b of the case 10. The triangular- shaped halves 45a, 45b of the intermediate panel 38 substantially correspond in shape to the triangular areas 40 removed from the face panels 36a, 36b such that the resulting front and rear faces 20a, 20b of the case 10 are substantially rectangular (as shown for example in Figure 1).

Referring still to Figure 6, one half of the zip fastener 12 is stitched along the top edge 24 of the front face panel 36a and the other half of the zip fastener 12 is stitched along the top edge 24 of the rear face panel 36b. The zip fastener 12 is longer than the top edges 24 of the face panels 36a, 36b and hence extends outwards slightly on each side of the case 10. A tab 46 is provided at each end of the zip fastener 12 and serves to fasten to the two halves of the zip fastener together. The extension of the zip fastener 12 beyond the side edges 26, 27 of the case 10, and the provision of the tabs 46, is advantageous because it facilitates opening and closing of case 10. Specifically, in order to open or close the case 10 the user grasps the tab 46 nearest to the zip pull 50 (see Figure 7) and draws the zip pull 50 towards the other tab 46.

Adjacent the top edge 24 of the front face panel 36a, a flat rectangular strip 52a of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is glued to the inner surface of the panel 36a. A similar strip 52b is glued to the inner surface of the rear face panel 36b adjacent the top edge 24. The strips 52a, 52b are flexible and resiliently biased towards a straight configuration. The strips 52a, 52b serve to increase the rigidity of the mouth portion 30 of the bag 10, and help maintain the shape of the bag 10. The strips 52a, 52b have further functionality when the case 10 is configured as a stand 18, as will be described in further detail later. As already mentioned above, the intermediate panel 38 is stitched 54 between the front and rear face panels 36a, 36b and folded about the first axis 44 to form the bottom of the bag 10. Stitching 56 is also applied along the left and right side edges 26, 27 of the face panels 36a, 36b to join the panels together and complete the bag 10. In practice, the side edges 26, 27 of the panels 36a, 36b are turned inwards slightly and stitched together such that the stitching is hidden inside the bag 10 resulting in neat side seams 58a, 58b (see Figure 7). This technique will be familiar to persons skilled in the art of sewing or construction of bags. Referring still to Figure 6, a pair of elongate rectangular tabs 60a, 60b are stitched inside the case in the vicinity of the mouth 30 of the bag 10, adjacent the top edge 24. Whilst the tabs 60a, 60b are nominally shown in Figure 6 in connection with the rear face panel 36b of the case 10, this is simply for ease of illustration. In reality the tabs 60a, 60b are stitched inside the case 10 to the turned-in side edges of the front and rear face panels 36a, 36b once the side edges of the case 10 have been stitched together (see for example Figure 7).

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the tabs 60a, 60b each have a fixed end 61 and a free end 62. The fixed end 61 of a first tab 60a of the pair is stitched to the left side seam 58a of the case 10, whilst the fixed end 61 of a second tab 60b of the pair is stitched to the right side seam 58b. The tabs 60a, 60b are located opposite one another inside the case 10, and extend longitudinally towards one another and generally parallel to the top edge 24 of the case 10 when the case is flat. The combined length of the tabs 60a, 60b is less than the length of the top edge 24 such that the respective free ends 62 of the tabs 60a, 60b are spaced apart from one another as shown in Figure 6 when the case is flat. The free ends 62 of the tabs 60a, 60b are provided with a fastener 64a, 64b to enable the free ends 62 to be fastened to one another when the case 10 is configured as a stand 18, as will be described in further detail later. In this example the fastener 64a, 64b is a snap button, with one of the tabs 60a being provided with a male half 64a of the button and the other tab 60b being provided with the female half 64b.

In this example, the case 10 is formed primarily of leather, i.e. the front and rear face panels 36a, 36b, the intermediate panel 38 and the tabs 60a, 60b are all formed from leather. The face panels 36a, 36b of the bag 10 are slightly padded, by inclusion of a relatively thin foam layer which is glued to the internal sides of these panels. This padding serves to enhance the protection offered to the headphones or other accessories inside the case 10, and further serves to increase the structural integrity of the case 10. Notably, in this example, the rhombus-shaped intermediate panel 38 that forms the bottom of the case 10 is not padded, and is formed from a single layer of leather. Consequently, the intermediate panel 38 is more flexible than the face panels 36a, 36b.

Other suitable materials for the case 10, such as other natural or synthetic materials for example, will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art. Also, whilst foam is applied to the face panels 36a, 36b, this is not essential, and other embodiments may for example utilise thicker or more rigid materials for the face panels 36a, 36b compared to the intermediate panel 38. Whilst not shown in Figure 6, the case 10 comprises an internal liner 66, which is stitched 68 on an inner side of the panels. The liner 66 can be seen for example in Figure 7. The liner 66 may be made from cotton, wool or any other suitable material, and suitable bag-lining materials will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Referring now to Figure 7 in more detail, this shows the case 10 with the pair of tabs 60a, 60b fastened together, i.e. with the male and female snap button halves 64a, 64b at the free ends 62 of the respective tabs 60a, 60b in mating engagement. As the combined length of the tabs 60a, 60b is less than the width of the bag 10, i.e. less than the length of the top edge 24 of the bag 10, fastening the tabs 60a, 60b together causes the left and right side edges 26, 27 of the case 10 to move inwardly towards one another, and the front and rear faces 20a, 20b of the case 10 to move outwardly and apart from another. Hence the dimensions of the mouth 30 reduce in one direction (parallel to the top edge 24) and increase in a perpendicular direction (between the front and rear faces 20a, 20b). Expressed in other terms, fastening the tabs 60a, 60b together causes the mouth 30 of the case to widen. Specifically, in this example, the mouth 30 of the case 10 is formed into a substantially elliptical or 'oval' shape when the tabs 60a, 60b are fastened. The widened mouth 30 of the case 10 forms the base 33 of the stand 18 when the case 10 is configured as a headphone stand as shown in Figure 5.

When the mouth 30 of the case 10 is widened, as shown in Figure 7, the flexible plastic strips 52a, 52b adjacent the top edges 24 of the front and rear face panels 36a, 36b of the case 10 (which were described above in relation to Figure 6) are bent into a curved configuration. However, as these strips 52a, 52b are resiliently biased towards a substantially straight configuration, the strips 52a, 52b are in tension when curved and seek to straighten. In other words, the mouth 30 of the case 10 seeks to close when it is widened. The pair of tabs 60a, 60b therefore serves to hold the mouth 30 of the case 10 in tension and prevents the plastic strips 52a, 52b adjacent the top edges 24 of the case 10 from straightening which would cause the mouth 30 to close. Figure 2 shows the case 10 when the mouth is substantially closed, i.e. when the strips 52a, 52b are substantially straight. For the avoidance of doubt, in this context the mouth may be 'closed' despite the zip fastener 12 being open as shown in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 8a, the arrows 70 in this figure represent the restoring forces resisted by the fastened tabs 60a, 60b. Referring to Figure 8b, this shows a variant of the invention in which instead of a pair of tabs, the case 10 comprises a loop and hook mechanism for maintaining the mouth 30 of the case 10 in tension. In this particular example, first and second loops 72a, 72b are attached respectively to the left 26 and right 27 internal side edges of the case 10. A strap 74 is mounted at a first end 75 to the first loop 72a, and the strap 74 includes a hook 76 at its other end 77, which engages with the second loop 72b. The strap 74 is shorter than the width of the case 10 and hence serves to maintain the mouth 30 of the case in tension following the same principles as described above in relation to the pair of tabs 60a, 60b.

Referring still to Figure 8b, a further alternative fastening mechanism is shown for maintaining the mouth 30 in a widened position when the case 10 is configured as a stand. In this alternative, male and female parts 80a, 80b of a snap button are provided respectively on the two tabs 46 at the protruding ends of the zip fastener 12. As these tabs 46 are brought together, the mouth 30 of the case 10 is forced open and fastening the tabs 46 together holds the mouth 30 in tension in substantially the same way as described previously. This variant is advantageous because it does not require additional tabs or straps inside the case. Whilst this fastening arrangement is shown in combination with the loop and hook mechanism in Figure 8b, this is for convenience of illustration and in practice one or other mechanism is sufficient.

Referring again to the particular example shown in Figure 7, connecting the tabs 60a, 60b together is the first step in transforming the case 10 into a headphone stand 18. The widened mouth 30 of the case 10 functions as the base 33 of the headphone stand 18. The oval shape of the mouth 30 forms a stable base for the stand 18. The tabs 60a, 60b serve to keep the mouth 30 open and maintain the oval shape thus enhancing the stability of the stand 18.

Referring now to Figure 9, with the tabs 60a, 60b connected together and the oval base 33 of the stand 18 formed, the case 10 is upturned and placed with the open end 28 / mouth 30 of the case 10 against a surface such as a table so that the open end 28 forms the base 33 of the stand 18. The closed end 32 of the case 10, which comprises the rhombus-shaped intermediate panel 38 now forms the upper end 82 of the stand 18. It has already been described above in relation to Figure 6 that the rhombus-shaped intermediate panel 38 is made from a single layer of leather and is relatively flexible.

Referring now also to Figures 10 and 1 1 , the next step in forming the stand 18 is to indent the flexible intermediate panel 38, for example by pressing gently downwards in the centre of the panel 38. This causes the flexible intermediate panel 38 to fold slightly in a direction out of the plane of the case 10 and forces the face panels 36a, 36b to move apart at the closed end 32 of the case 10 (i.e. the upper end 82 of the stand 18). In this configuration, the upper end 82 of the stand 18 is formed into a V-shape, with the rhombus-shaped intermediate panel 38 forming a substantially V-shaped surface 34, which can be seen clearly in Figure 5.

It will be appreciated that the intermediate panel 38 is configured to change its configuration when the case 10 is transformed into the stand 18. Hence, when the rhombus-shaped intermediate panel 38 forms the bottom of the bag 10, it is folded about the first axis 44 (see Figures 6 and 9), which is parallel to the bottom edge of the case 10, and which effectively defines the bottom edge 25 of the case 10. When the intermediate panel 38 is indented to form the stand 18, it folds about a second axis 84 perpendicular to the first axis 44, to form the V-shaped upper surface 34 of the stand 18. The second axis 84 is shown in Figure 1 1. As shown in Figures 10 and 11 , the headphones 14 are then positioned over the case 10 with the plane of the headphones 14 generally perpendicular to the plane of V-shaped upper end 82 of the stand 18. The plane of the headphones 14 is perpendicular to the plane of the page in Figure 10, and in the plane of the page in Figure 1 1 , whereas the plane of the V-shaped upper end 82 of the stand 18 is in the plane of the page in Figure 10 and perpendicular to the plane of the page in Figure 1 1. The V-shaped upper surface 34 (see Figure 5) of the stand 18 forms a headphone positioning surface and serves to position the headphones substantially centrally on the stand 18, with the headband 16 nestling at the narrow central part of the V (see Figure 10) and the ear cups 15 sitting snugly against the face panels 36a, 36b of the case 10 (see Figure 11). Referring now to Figure 12a, this shows a headphone case 1 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This case 1 10 is substantially identical to the case 10 of the first embodiment except that the intermediate panel 138 has a generally elliptical shape in this embodiment whereas in the first embodiment this panel 38 has the shape of a rhombus. The front and rear face panels 136a, 136b (only the front face panel 136a is visible in Figure 12a) are also shaped accordingly, i.e. they are otherwise rectangular but missing a part-circular segment 140 from one edge where the intermediate panel 138 is connected.

Referring to Figure 12b, as a result of the elliptical-shaped intermediate panel 138 and accordingly shaped face panels 136a, 136b, the case 1 10 of the second embodiment when configured as a stand 1 18 has a curved upper end 182 (rather than a V-shaped upper end), and the intermediate panel forms a curved upper surface 134 (rather than a V-shaped upper surface). Referring now to Figure 13a, this shows a headphone case 210 according to a third embodiment of the invention. The case 210 is formed from two rectangular face panels 236a, 236b (only the front face panel 236a is visible in Figure 13a) and does not have an intermediate panel corresponding to the first and second embodiments. The case 210 includes a pair of fasteners 264 on the external surface of the front face 236a. The fasteners 264 are spaced apart from each other along the top edge 224 on the front panels, and are located substantially in the corners of the case 210. A corresponding pair of fasteners is provided on the rear face panel, spaced apart along the bottom edge 225 of the case, substantially in the other corners of the case. These fasteners are not visible in Figure 13a.

Referring to Figure 13b, in this embodiment the case 210 is transformed into a headphone stand 210 by forming the case 210 into a tube and connecting the pair of fasteners 264 on the front face 236a of the case 210 with the pair of fasteners on the rear face 236b of the case 120. The fasteners serve to maintain the case 210 in the form of a tube. Any suitable fasteners may be used for this purpose, for example snap fasteners. The tubular stand 218 may be arranged on a surface such as a table with the circular base 233 of the tube in contact with the table and the longitudinal axis of the tubular stand 218 perpendicular to the surface. A pair of headphones 14 may then be arranged over an upper end 282 of the stand 218, with the ear cups 15 sitting snugly against the tubular wall of the stand 218. The tube is a self-supporting structure.

Referring now to Figure 14a, this shows a headphone case 310 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This case 310 is similar to the case 210 of the third embodiment except that it is configured to fold into a stand 318 that is wing-shaped and has an airfoil profile 320 in cross section, which again is a self-supporting structure.

Whilst omitted from Figures 13 and 14 for clarity it will be appreciated that the cases 210, 310 of Figures 13 and 14 may include a zip and have an otherwise similar construction to the case of the first embodiment. Many modifications may be made to the examples described above without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A headphone case configurable between first and second configurations, wherein in the first configuration the case defines an internal volume for containing headphones, and in the second configuration the case functions as a self-supporting headphone stand arranged to support a pair of headphones against a surface of the case, the case comprising retaining means for retaining the case in the second configuration.

2. The headphone case of any preceding claim, wherein the case is substantially planar when empty.

3. The headphone case of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the surface is an external surface of the case.

4. The headphone case of any preceding claim, wherein the case is in the form of a bag having a mouth through which headphones may be inserted into or removed from the internal volume of the case.

5. The headphone case of Claim 4, wherein the case is substantially rectangular and the mouth is defined along an edge of the case.

6. The headphone case of Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the mouth of the case is configurable in a widened position to form the base of the headphone stand.

7. The headphone case of Claim 6, wherein the retaining means are arranged to retain the mouth of the case in the widened position.

8. The headphone case of Claim 6 or Claim 7, further comprising bias means for biasing the mouth into a substantially closed position such that the mouth is held in tension by the retaining means in the widened position.

9. The headphone case of Claim 6, wherein the bias means comprise one or more flexible strips provided in the vicinity of the mouth of the case, the strips having a first configuration when the mouth of the case is closed and a second configuration when the mouth of the case is widened, and wherein the strips are biased towards the first configuration.

10. The headphone case of any preceding claim, wherein the retaining means comprise one or more fasteners arranged to be fastened when the case is in the second configuration so as to maintain the case in the second configuration.

1 1. The headphone case of Claim 10, wherein the fasteners are provided adjacent a mouth of the case.

12. The headphone case of Claim 10 or Claim 1 1 , wherein the one or more fasteners are provided on an external portion of the case.

13. The headphone case of Claim 10, wherein the one or more fasteners are located within the internal volume of the case.

14. The headphone case of Claim 13, wherein the fasteners comprise a pair of elongate tabs extending from opposed internal edges or surfaces of the case, wherein the tabs are configured to be fastened together to maintain the case in the second configuration.

15. The headphone case of Claim 14, wherein the tabs extend towards one another and the combined length of the tabs is less than the separation between the opposed internal edges or surfaces of the case to which the tabs are connected such that the tabs are spaced apart when the case is in the first configuration.

16. The headphone case of any preceding claim, wherein a flexible end portion of the case is configured to define a curved or V-shaped surface when the case is configured as a headphone stand.

17. The headphone case of Claim 16, wherein the flexible portion forms part of a front and/or rear face of the case.

18. The headphone case of Claim 17, wherein the flexible portion is more flexible than the remainder of the front and/or rear face.

19. The headphone case of Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the remainder of the front and/or rear face is padded and the flexible portion is not padded.

20. The headphone case of any of Claims 16 to 19, wherein the flexible portion is a panel forming a closed end of the case in the first configuration and an upper surface of the stand when the case is in the second configuration.

21. The headphone case of Claim 20, wherein the panel substantially has the shape of a rhombus or an ellipse and is folded about a first axis that defines an edge of the case when the case is in the first configuration and is folded about a second axis when the case is in the second configuration, the first and second axes being mutually perpendicular such that the panel forms a curved or V-shaped surface in the second configuration.

22. A headphone case substantially as herein described with reference to or as shown in the accompanying drawings.