Telephonic communications – Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment – Protective structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-09-18
Chiang, Jack (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Terminal accessory or auxiliary equipment
Protective structure
C379S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292565
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to covers for bulbous phones including microphones and ear phones, and particularly including ear phones of the type called ear buds that are small speakers for radios, recorded music players, and the like, that are inserted into the bowl of the ear so that only the wearer of the ear bud can hear sound from the speaker. Such a phone cover is typically of thin, flexible, resiliently stretchable sound transmissive material, defines a socket, and is adapted to closely receive a phone inserted into the socket through an inlet opening.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Small bulbous earphones, including a type called ear buds, are commonly used for radios, recorded music players, cell phones, walky-talkies, and the like. An ear bud can be inserted into the bowl of the ear so that only the wearer of the ear bud can hear sound transmitted through it. Covers of thin, flexible, resiliently flexible, sound transmissive material are available for such ear buds. Those covers define sockets adapted to closely receive car buds inserted into the sockets through inlet openings. Such a cover provides a cushion between the ear bud and an ear into which it is inserted, provides friction with the ear to help hold the ear bud in the ear, and provides a cerumen guard for the ear bud. It is sometimes desirable to change the cover on an ear bud, such as when the cover has collected an excessive amount of contaminants either from a users ear or from some other source when the covered ear bud is removed from the ear, or between uses of the ear bud by different users to preclude carrying cerumen from one persons ear to another. While replacement ear bud covers are commercially available, they are so thin, flexible, and resiliently stretchable that they are difficult for many individuals to place over the car buds.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a phone cover in an assembly that affords easy application of a phone cover around a bulbous phone such as an ear bud, even by persons with limited manual dexterity.
The phone cover in the assembly according to the present invention is of thin, flexible, resiliently stretchable material that defines a socket and is adapted to closely receive a phone in the socket. The assembly includes a frame of stiff material. The phone cover is supported from the frame with an inlet opening to the socket aligned with a passageway defined by the frame. The phone or ear bud can be moved along the passageway into the socket in the phone cover; whereupon the cover on the phone can be easily separated from the frame.
Using this assembly a phone such as an ear bud can be covered by simply supporting the frame (manually or otherwise) while moving the phone along the passageway defined by the frame into the socket in the phone cover; and separating the phone with the cover around it from the frame.
In certain embodiments of the assembly described herein the passageway defined by the frame is a through opening in the frame that is generally circular, and the phone cover is supported from the frame by a support layer of thin flexible material attached to the phone cover along and around its inlet opening and extending outwardly from the phone cover to a portion of the frame that defines the through opening. The phone cover includes an outer part of sound transmissive material having a generally circular periphery, and an adjacent washer-like part having a circular outer periphery bonded to the periphery of the outer part and having a concentric circular inner edge portion defining a through opening and being bonded to the support layer. The phone cover has lines of weakness adjacent that inner edge portion to afford separation of the phone cover from the frame. Also, the support layer and/or the frame can have lines of weakness to afford manually separating them into parts to facilitate removal of the phone with the cover around it from the support layer and/or the frame.
In other embodiments of the assembly described herein the phone cover is defined by two pieces of sheet material each including a bulbous portion that is generally bulbous shaped about a central axis and has a base with opposite sides. The peripheries of the bulbous portions of the pieces of sheet material are bonded together so that those bulbous portions form the phone cover. One or both of the pieces of sheet material also have support portions with edges extending away from opposite sides of the bases of the bulbous portions. Those support portions are attached to a portions of the frame that define the passageway to provide a support layer between the frame and the inlet opening to the socket in the phone cover. The pieces of sheet material can have lines of weakness between their bulbous portions and their support portions to afford separation of the phone cover from support layer; and, if needed, the support layer and/or the frame can include lines of weakness along which they can be broken to facilitate removal of the phone with the cover around it from the frame and/or the support layer. In one of those embodiments the passageway is a generally circular through opening, a support portion is provided on both pieces of sheet material, and the phone cover projects with the axis of the bulbous portions disposed at about a right angle to the major surfaces of the frame. In the other of those embodiments the passageway extends along one side of the frame, a support portion is provided on one or on both pieces of sheet material, and the phone cover is aligned with the passageway with the axis of the bulbous portions disposed generally parallel to the major surfaces of the frame.
In yet another embodiment of the assembly the phone cover is turned inside surface out and extends over a support portion of the frame that defines the passageway as a through opening in the frame with an end portion of the phone cover extending across the through opening. When a phone such as an ear bud is pressed against that end portion of the phone cover and moved through the through opening in the frame, the phone cover will be turned outer surface out and its inner surface will extend around the phone to position the phone in the socket in the phone cover.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4953567 (1990-09-01), Ward
patent: 5136640 (1992-08-01), Kim
patent: 5401920 (1995-03-01), Oliveira
patent: 5545859 (1996-08-01), Ullrich
patent: 5712453 (1998-01-01), Bungardt et al.
patent: 28 18 273 (1979-11-01), None
Chamberlin Davis W.
Oliveira Robert J.
Chiang Jack
Crompton Seager & Tufte LLC
Hearing Components, Inc.
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