Inflight headset for civil aircraft

#The present invention relates to a headset, and more particularly to an inflight headset for civil aircraft.

#Various kinds of headsets had been developed. Three examples of the headsets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,160 to Teder; U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,200 to Lundin; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,788 to Schenke et al. Generally, the headsets are adjustable to different lengths only, the direction of the earpieces of the headsets are fixed and are not adjustable. This is inconvenient.

#The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional headsets.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inflight headset for civil aircraft in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the inflight headset;

#FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view illustrating an engagement between the headband and the shank;

#Referring to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1, an inflight headset in accordance with the present invention comprises generally a U-shaped headband 40 and a pair of earpieces 10 attached to the downwardly depending ends of a pair of shanks 20 which are coupled to the headband 40. The earpieces are adapted to be disposed over the ears of a user. A wire 50 is attached to each earpiece 10 for supplying electric power thereto.

#Referring next to FIGS. 2 and 3, the headband 40 is a resilient band, each end of which has a rectangular frame 41 integrally fixed to an outer surface thereof. A resilient pawl 42 is formed in the inner surface of each end of the headband 40. An upper end of the shank 20 which has a wedge 24 formed in an inner surface thereof is insetable through the frame 41. A stop 23 is integrally formed on the lower end of each shank 20, and a stub 21 is integrally fixed to the lower end of each stop 23. Two annular grooves 22, 25 are formed in the stub 21. The shank 20 and the frame 41 are arranged such that the pawl 42 urges the shank 20 against the inner surface of the frame 41 thereby providing a slidable, frictional engagement. The wedge 23 of the shank 20 prevents the shank 20 from being separated from the headband 40.

#Referring next to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and again to FIG. 2, a casing 13 which has an open end 130 is integrally formed on an upper end of each housing 11 which is adapted for receiving a respective earpiece 10. An oblong hole 12 is formed in an upper end of the casing 13. A partition wall 14 which has an oblong hole 140 formed therein is integrally formed in the casing 13. As is best shown in FIG. 6, the annular grooves 22, 25 of the stub 21 are engaged with the upper end wall and the partition wall 14 respectively when the stub 21 is inserted into the casing 13 from the open end 130 thereof. A pair of ribs 15 are vertically formed in the inner surfaces of the casing 13 and one of them faces to the other.