Abstract: An electro-acoustic transducer having a spherically shaped diaphragm for the generation of sound in an omnidirectional capacity. The spherically shaped diaphragm is constituted of two identical diaphragm halves open at the hemispherical apexes and connected at the equatorial diameter via inwardly extending reinforcing flanges. The spherically shaped unit is driven by magnetic arrangement(s) located within the interior of the spherically shaped diaphragm. The moving coil(s) of the magnetic arrangement(s) are connected to the diaphragm via rigid conical projections from the magnetic arangement(s). The rigid conical projections communicate the movements of the coil(s) to the diaphragm. The diaphragm travels in a north-south direction during operation such that the sound generated will have omnidirectional characteristics with greater pressure in the north-south direction.

Abstract: An acoustic apparatus has a Helmholtz resonator having an open duct port and cavity and a vibrator disposed in the Helmholtz resonator. An opening portion of the open duct port is extended in a horn-like shape, so that the open duct port communicates with a port mounting surface with a smooth curvature. An air-flow diffusing body corresponding to the shape of the port opening portion is provided at the center of the extended port opening portion, so that an effective sectional area of the air-flow path defined by the opening portion and the diffusing body is substantially equal to a sectional area of the open duct port excluding the opening portion.

Abstract: A microphone boom assembly for a communication headset has an elongated relatively rigid base section mounted on an ear dome or the like in a manner permitting both rotation about a first axis and longitudinal or translational movement along a second axis transverse to the first axis. A rigid intermediate section is joined to the base section at a hinge joint permitting rotation of the intermediate section about a third axis transverse to the second axis. A bendable and torsionally adjustable outer section leads from the intermediate section to a socket containing a microphone.

Abstract: A telephone handset comprises elongated complementary upper and lower housing members that mate at their perimeters to form a hollow handset housing. The lower housing member includes a pair of spaced apart transducer receiving cavities, each being shaped to receive a cylindrical transducer surrounded by a flexible tubular gasket and form an acoustic seal therewith. Each gasket includes flanges around its circumference that project radially outward and in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion of the transducer/gasket assembly into its associated cavity. Such construction provides adequate mechanical retention between the transducer and the lower housing member and avoids the need for additional retaining hardware. The upper housing is joined to the lower housing using one or more pairs of side-mounted, interlocking hooks and latches. The upper housing further includes ribs, molded therein and positioned to maintain the transducers in place when it is joined with the lower housing.

Abstract: A supersonic bone conduction hearing aid that receives conventional audiometric frequencies and converts them to supersonic frequencies for connection to the human sensory system by vibration bone ocnduction. The hearing is believed to use channels of communications to the brain that are not normally used for hearing. These alternative channels do not deteriorate significantly with age as does the normal hearing channels. The supersonic bone conduction frequencies are discerned as frequencies in the audiometric range of frequencies.

Abstract: A piezoelectric speaker comprises a drive unit having an auxiliary diaphragm bonded with a piezoelectric transducer element for producing sound thereby and a horn member having a resonance device including a reflection cover defining a plurality of first cusps and a mid plate defining a plurality of second cusps laterally offset with respect of the plurality of first cusps for promoting the sound output in decibel of the speaker.

Abstract: A loudspeaker including a diaphragm for generating sound waves, the diaphragm being comprised of a peripheral conical portion adjacent to and surrounding a central domed portion, a flared horn adjacent to the diaphragm for receiving and projecting the sound waves into an acoustical space, a phasing plug intermediate the diaphragm and the horn defining sound pathways for impedance matching of the diaphragm and the horn. A plurality of sound channels extend through the phasing plug from the peripheral conical portion and the central domed portion of the diaphragm to the horn. The plurality of sound channels provide time compensated paths of equal length for the sound waves generated at both the peripheral conical portion and the central domed portion of the diaphragm.

Abstract: The earplug inserted in the auditory canal is so designed that its inside end facing the tympanic membrane makes close contact with the surrounding hard bone structure, and its external end at the aperture of the auditory canal makes close contact with the surrounding tissue. The earplug has a head for connection with a communication system. A central channel conveys sound to the tympanic membrane. The mid-section of the earplug is furnished with a circumferential recess for receiving sound waves from the user's own voice through the surrounding soft tissue: and channels convey these sound waves to a microphone built into the earplug head.

Abstract: A combination ear protector and communications headset particularly adapted to the rugged, lightweight, convenience needs of aircraft ground crew members that are required to work in a hazardous noise environment. The headset includes two earplug-type transducers that function as a combination ultrasensitive microphone and speaker which are automatically inserted into the user's ears when the invention is disposed for use, thereby sealing the interior of the ear from ambient noise. In the ear protection mode of use, the headset is quickly and easily convertible to communications usage.

Abstract: An earphone for use with audio reproduction devices. The earphone includes a housing, shaped to be retained in the concha cavity of the human ear, having an elongated portion shaped to fit between the tragus and antitragus of the ear, an audio transducer contained within the housing, a device for providing an electric signal to the audio transducer and a hollow tubular guide member attached to the housing such that when the elongated portion of the housing is inserted between the tragus and the antitragus of a human ear, the hollow tubular guide member extends into the external auditory meatus of the ear.

Abstract: Several embodiments of transceivers including an earphone and a microphone carried by a mounting device that is adapted to be mounted on the ear of the user. The mounting device resiliently biases the earphone into engagement with the auditory canal of the user so as to improve sound transmission. A number of arrangements of mounting of the microphone and shielding from noise are shown and described.

Abstract: An auditory prosthesis is provided with datalogging capability whereby the use of a plurality of settings as selected by the user is maintained. The recorded datalog can be periodically read and used for revising a prosthetic prescription by altering the settings and used as a means of refining initial prescriptions of other patients whose audiometric characteristics are similar to those of the user. In one embodiment for a programmable auditory prosthesis the datalogging information includes the number of times control programs are changed, the number of times a given control program is selected, and the total time duration for which a given program is selected. Accordingly, the processing of signals by a signal processor can be tuned to fit the needs of an individual user. The prosthesis can have a remote control unit, and a datalog memory can be provided in the remote control unit along with a programmable memory which stores the control programs.

Abstract: In a telephone set, a base unit has a front recess defined by a bottom and a sloping wall including a front part and a rear part, and a rear recess, and a protrusion is provided on the front part of the sloping wall and extends rearward. A locking piece is provided to extend through an aperture formed in the rear part of the sloping wall of the front recess. The locking piece extends toward the protrusion and is pushed toward the protrusion by a spring. The spring permits the retraction of the locking piece into the enclosure of the base unit. A buffer member having a resiliency is provided in the center of the bottom of the front recess. A front dent provided on the front part of the front convex part engages the protrusion. A rear dent provided on the rear part of the front convex part engages the locking piece.

Abstract: An ear piece transducer having a housing incorporating therein an electroacoustic transducer element, the housing being inserted into a concave portion of an auricle, and a ring member having resiliency sufficient to enable it to be attached to the outer peripheral portion of the housing, the ring member being formed so as to be thickest in one radial direction.

Abstract: A headphone having a dual element speaker unit including a face plate having an opening generally centrally located therein. A case coupler is mounted in the opening, and has an annular projection protruding through the opening. A first dynamic transducer is mounted within that annular projection. A second dynamic transducer is mounted to the case coupler opposite the first transducer. The case coupler includes an isolating plate, positioned between the first and second transducers, for sonically isolating the first transducer from the second. A grill plate is mounted over the annular projection, for providing a load to the first transducer. The isolating plate includes an opening, located outside the periphery of the annular projection, for allowing the passage of sound from the second transducer to the listener. A support assembly is connected to the face plate, and a cup assembly in turn connected to the support assembly.

Abstract: A loudspeaker transducer has a coil (5) and a metal dome (11) with a skirt (13) arranged concentrically in a magnetic gap between pol pieces (2 and 4). The skirt (13) is inductively coupled to the coil (5) but is mechanically independent of the coil former tube (6). The tube (6) is connected to a main low frequency cone (9) and to a short concentric additional cone (16). A fixed element (14) providing phase correction and/or horn loading is fixed to the center pole piece (4) in front of the dome (11) and within the tube (6). The member (14) and tube (6) co-operate acoustically.

Abstract: A programmable hearing aid having a battery compartment which holds a battery under normal operating conditions is also adapted to hold a coupler member for connecting an external programming device to the hearing aid. To connect an external programming device to the hearing aid, lead wires in contact with the programming device are contacted with battery and programming terminals in the battery compartment by means of a coupling member. The coupling member is shaped to fit in the battery compartment and has electrodes in contact with the lead wires from the programming device arranged for contacting the battery and programming terminals in the battery compartment.

Abstract: In an arrangement to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter into a transducer which extends with a projection provided with an opening into a sound channel of a hearing aid, a reduced need for space as well as simpler construction, compared with the state of the art, are achieved by means of the following characterizing features: A membrane made of pore-free material is provided, which has at least one bore for the passage of sound of from a few hundredths to a few tenths of a millimeter diameter, and in which the wall thickness of the membrane is small with respect to the diameter of the bore.

Abstract: An apparatus for the transmission of speech, suitable for use in a hearing aid, has an acoustic input transducer followed by a controlled-gain broadband amplifier, which is followed by a parallel circuit of a number of frequency-selecting channels. The frequency-selecting channels divide the broadband output signal of the controlled-gain amplifier into a number of selected frequency channels. A threshold switch is included in each frequency-selecting channel. An acoustic output transducer is supplied with the sum of the output signals of the individual threshold switches.

Abstract: A circuit is provided which gauges the amount of significant high-frequency spectral energy in the very recent history of the program material and ignores the effects of short noise bursts and other transients associated with FM reception in the moving vehicle. The circuit provides an output voltage which can be used to adjust the attack characteristics of an audio processor.