System and method of assembling an adjustable clamping ear cup assembly for an audio headset

A method of manufacturing an adjustable clamping earcup assembly for an audio headset comprising:

• fixing an ear cup base plate having an inner base plate surface to an ear cup cushion;
• operatively coupling an outer base plate surface to a porous piston via a piston rod, where the porous piston is disposed within a magnetorheological (MR) fluid barrel containing a MR fluid;
• attaching an outer ear cup cover to the ear cup cushion to enclose the ear cup base plate, having a plurality of magnet pairs, including an outermost magnet pair and an innermost magnet pair around a MR fluid barrel receiving cavity, where each of the plurality of magnet pairs generates magnetic flux to cause a plurality of magnetic particles within the MR fluid disposed between one of the plurality of magnet pairs to align into a viscous wall to hold the porous piston and piston rod in position with respect to the MR fluid barrel;
• and
• operatively coupling the MR fluid barrel to a clamping headband such that the MR fluid barrel and a headband connector shaft is horizontally moveable with respect to the outer ear cup cover and the plurality of magnet pairs under an external force of a wearer between a low-clamp position between the innermost magnet pair in which the piston rod is retracted in the MR fluid barrel such that the clamping headband exerts a minimal clamping force and a high-clamp position between the outermost magnet pair in which the piston rod is extended from the MR fluid barrel such that the clamping headband exerts a maximal clamping force on the porous piston, ear cup base plate and ear cup cushion.

An audio headset having a plurality of earcup assemblies, at least one earcup assembly is an adjustable clamping earcup assembly comprising:

• an ear cup base plate having an inner base plate surface affixed to an ear cup cushion and an outer base plate surface operably coupled to a porous piston via a piston rod that extendable or retractable within a magnetorheological (MR) fluid barrel containing a MR fluid;
• an outer ear cup cover attached to the ear cup base plate to cover the ear cup base plate and enclose the MR fluid barrel with the porous piston disposed within and a speaker, where the outer ear cup cover includes an outermost magnet pair and an innermost magnet pair to each generate an inner magnetic flux and an outer magnetic flux to cause the a plurality of magnetic particles within the MR fluid disposed between one of the plurality of magnet pairs to align into a viscous wall to impede movement of the porous piston and the piston rod with respect to the MR fluid barrel;
• and
• the MR fluid barrel operatively coupled to a clamping headband via a headset connector shaft and horizontally moveable with respect to the MR fluid barrel and adjustable between a low-clamp force position with the MR fluid barrel having a retracted piston rod between the innermost magnet pair and a high-clamp force position with the MR fluid barrel having an extended piston rod between the outermost magnet pair.