Abstract: An ergonomic telephone handset having a handle terminating at one end in a speaker portion and at its opposite end in a microphone portion, the handle being bent between its ends in J, V, or zig-zag form. The speaker portion is inclined to the handle at an angle corresponding substantially to that at which the ear of the user is inclined to his skull and the handle supports an abutment which rests upon the user's cheek to assist in locating the handset in a position in which the user's head and arm are in low stress positions during use of the handset.

Abstract: An audio full range speaker which achieves the propogation of a peaked wavefront from the diaphragm instead of generating a substantially planar wavefront as in the case of the common speaker construction utilizing a diaphragm driven as a piston. The speaker has a substantially planar, thin, flexible film forming the diaphragm mounted within a frame. The diaphragm is driven by a driver which imparts motion to the diaphragm at a small source area, the motion being imparted in a direction normal to the plane of the diaphragm so that ripples radiate from the drive area and travel at the same time across the flexible diaphragm, one behind the other, towards the frame. The rest of the diaphragm is driven by the central moving portion, endowing it with a built-in time delay. Because of the time delay involved in spreading the energy across the diaphragm, the wavefront radiated by the speaker ges a head start at the center and lags towards the edges.

Abstract: In a hearing device, such as a circumaural earmuff cup or a circumaural earphone cup, either of which comprises an earpad assembly in contact with the external ear, through which sound is conducted to the external ear for the purpose of providing at the eardrum a sound pressure having a prescribed ratio with respect to the sound pressure at a source, the invention comprising a predetermined sound leakage path through said earpad assembly, to reduce the variable in said ratio, that is customarily encountered caused by the variations in the shape of the external ear from one user to another and by variations in position and force of contact of the earpad resting against the pinna.

Abstract: An apparatus for audio reproduction, specifically, transduction of electrical signals into acoustic signals, or sound waves, which minimizes acoustic impedance matching problems and distortion by mounting a diaphragm inside the body of a horn having a mouth for passage of sound waves at the end of the horn on one side of the diaphragm and an open end at the end of the horn on the other side of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is mounted in a voice coil collar having a voice coil wound therearound, and smaller, secondary magnets are mounted to the collar on both sides of the diaphragm. The horn is provided with large, primary magnets on either side of the collar, and the orientation of the magnets causes the collar to be suspended at exactly the midpoint therebetween. When current is applied to the coil, the collar, carrying the diaphragm, reciprocates within the horn to produce sound waves out of the mouth of the horn, the open end at the other end of the horn acts to equalize air pressure within the horn.

Abstract: A baffle, which supports a driver for converting an input electrical signal into an acoustical output signal, is mounted to a headphone cup via a first cushion which sufficiently spaces the baffle from an outer ear to avoid contact. The baffle defines a front cavity and a rear cavity. A second cushion which forms an oval opening large enough to encompass the outer ear is mounted on the headphone cup for establishing an air seal between the front cavity and a region outside the headphone cup.

Abstract: In a hearing aid formed of a printed circuit film, the operating elements at the hearing aid housing are also utilized for holding the printed circuit film. Given employment of a multi-layer printed circuit film, the operating elements, and particularly a switch or a potentiometer, can be arranged between the layers such that the required spacing between the layers is guaranteed.

Abstract: The remote control of an operational parameter, such as the amplification factor (A) of the amplifier (19), of a hearing aid (1) occurs via a control signal in the form of acoustic waves (11) transmitted by a transmitter (10) of a remote control unit (2) and received by a pick-up (15) of the hearing aid (1). The acoustic waves can be ultrasonic waves or modulated waves and make it possible to reduce the size of the hearing aid, resulting in a more compact device that can easily be controlled remotely, for example, by means of a manually adjustable volume control located in the remote control unit.

Abstract: A hearing aid has a housing which can be worn at the head, such as in or behind the ear, and which contains the basic electrical and acoustic elements of the hearing aid. The housing has a portion adapted for introduction into the auditory canal, and a cover, both of which are electrically conductive and are insulated from each other by an insulating layer therebetween, thus forming a capacitor. A control device for transmitting control signals to the hearing aid housing is integrated in a commonly worn article, such as a wristwatch or a piece of jewelry. The control device has a capacitor having spaced plates, the plates forming components of the commonly worn article. The control device includes one or more manually operable control signal actuators which generate an electric field at the control device permitting the control signals to be capacitively transmitted to the housing, such as in the form of a pulse sequence.

Abstract: A sound transducer converts electrical signals into mechanical motion. A transducer comprises a transducer housing including a diaphragm section having an inner concave surface and an outer convex surface. A stem element projects outwardly from the diaphragm housing section and has a structural configuration effective to penetrate a panel or sounding board. A securing device is adapted to cooperate with the stem for connecting the diaphragm housing section to the sounding board. An electromagnetic driver assembly is resiliently mounted to the inner surface of the diaphragm housing section. The electromagnetic driver assembly includes an annular magnetic gap and a voice coil assembly located in the magnetic gap. The voice coil assembly includes a coil member having a cylindrical voice coil portion at one end thereof disposed in the magnetic gap and the other end thereof connected to the stem.

Abstract: The hearing aid has a flexible printed circuit film having a printed circuit wing bent around a rounded portion, and also has a hearing coil. In order to save space, the hearing coil is preferably divided into two smaller, series-connected coil windings. These can be symmetrically arranged in the hearing aid housing. Since the bending coinciding with the rounded portion is not suitable for the contacting of components, the hearing coil is radially arranged thereabove in a protective member. An even more space-saving arrangement of the components in the hearing aid housing thus results.

Abstract: A device for selectively keeping the flash button of a telephone handset depressed. The device comprises a detachable telephone handset engaging member, which when secured to the handset depresses the flash button, thereby keeping the telephone off line. When the handset engaging member is detached from the handset, the flash button is released and phone calls may be made. The device is easy to operate and makes it unnecessary to use the hook switch on the telephone cradle.

Abstract: An improved telephone set of the type including a telephone body and a handset adapted to be placed on the former wherein the telephone set includes features which prevents displacement of the handset from the telephone body. The telephone body has a pair of engagement blocks incorporated therein of which part is projected outwardly of the telephone body and they are fitted into engagement recesses on the handset whereby the latter is firmly placed on the telephone body. At least the one engagement block has an engagement face which is adapted to come in contact with the engagement portion in the corresponding engagement recess, wherein each engagement block includes a pawl portion. Displacement of the handset occurs by displacing one of the pawl portions out of its respective engagement recess followed by displacement of the handset in a second direction which is different from the first direction which causes the displacement of the other pawl portion out of its respective engagement recess.

Abstract: The open end of a thin shell is snugly fitted over the earpiece of a standard telephone handset to secure the shell on the handset. Teeth or projections can extend inward from the sidewalls of the shell for snap-fit connection of the shell to the earpiece. The sidewalls of the shell project beyond the sound-emitting outer surface of the earpiece to an apertured outer surface of the shell against which the ear of a user can rest. The shell forms an extension attachment spacing the ear of a hearing aid wearer a distance from the earpiece sufficient to avoid generation of objectionable feedback sounds during use of the telephone.

Abstract: An improved audio transducer includes a diaphragm having a pair of cylindrically-shaped webs that provide greater bandwidth, reduced distortion and greater horizontal dispersion of sound. The audio output of the transducer is further improved by forming the diaphragm of a polyvinyl fluoride film. Other improvements include the use of damping pads to damp internal sound waves and damping strips on the diaphragm to minimize distortion at the resonant frequency of the transducer.

Abstract: A personal audio assembly including a pair of miniature speakers releasably connected with the sidepieces of a pair of spectacles or headgear in a manner permitting adjustment of the speakers longitudinally, angularly and vertically with respect to the sidepieces or headgear and toward and away from the ears of a user. Leads connect the speakers with an audio source controlling sound entering the ear and are provided with an adjusting member maintaining the speakers in a selected.

Abstract: A voice transmission system for a face mask includes a microphone assembly partially received in and threadedly connected to an emitter passage through the mask to position a microphone on the inside of the mask. An amplifier assembly is threaded onto the outer end of the microphone assembly until spring loaded electrical contactors on the amplifier assembly resiliently engage circumferentially continuous contacts on the microphone assembly to complete an electrical circuit between the microphone and the amplifier assembly.

Abstract: Hearing improvement device, auditory prosthesis, hearing aid, fitting device for these apparatus and method of fitting or determining new auditory characteristic by selecting and applying a vector consisting of relative changes to a plurality of individual ones of a set of acoustic parameters which determine the auditory characteristic of such apparatus. The method involves selecting a proper vector, applying the relative changes to the individual acoustic characteristics and, if necessary, utilizing or storing these new values of acoustic characteristics to obtain a new auditory characteristic for such apparatus.

Abstract: A speaker which is thin but which is capable of providing high-fidelity reproduction and ensuring a suitable level of sound pressure even when it is brought close to a wall. A closed chamber is formed behind one part of a diaphragm mounted in an enclosure, and an open chamber is formed behind another part of the diaphragm. At least one voice coil drive unit is connected to the diaphragm. The phase difference between sounds radiated from the front and rear surfaces of the diaphragm is increased as large as possible by using an acoustic duct for the sound radiated through the open chamber, thereby minimizing cancellation of sounds and improving the sound pressure level.

Abstract: A multipurpose hinge apparatus for a foldable telephone includes a flip element and a hookswitch. The flip element is held in the closed and open positions by an enclosed cam element which follows recesses in one shaft securing the hinge elements. The hookswitch is activated by another enclosed cam which follows a recess in a second shaft.

Abstract: A headset (1) with sound receiving microphone (6) and sound reproducing transducer (3) is arranged to be worn on a person's outer ear (2). For this purpose, the headset has a post auricle mount (9) with a lengthwise adjustable stabilizer (10) behind the ear, said post auricle mount being secured to the sound reproducing transducer housing (3) in a pivotable manner, hereby enabling it to be swivelled in several directions.