Adapter for head mounted device with integrated loudspeaker

Abstract

An adapter (1) for a head-mounted device with integrated loudspeakers, comprising a base element (2) adapted to be coupled to a lower surface of a portion of the head-mounted device and provided with a cover (15) adapted to be coupled with the base element (2) and to enclose the portion of the head-mounted device inside, according to the invention, the base element (2) is provided with an extension (4) which can be fastened at the end of the part of the head-mounted device, the base element (2) is provided in the lower region with a tube (6) which connects the loudspeaker cavity (9) of the part of the head-mounted device to the outside for connection to a 2CC coupler (11).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to an adapter for a head-wearable device having an integrated speaker. A head-wearable device is a device adapted to be worn on the head by a user, which can include an eye-wearable device, eyeglasses, eyeglass frames, goggles (all of which are generally referred to herein as "eyeglasses"), helmets, face shields, headsets, and clip-on devices.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention thus relates to an adapter for an integrated speaker in a pair of eyeglasses. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adapter for an integrated speaker in a pair of eyeglasses, which adapter is able to be coupled with a BTE hearing aid. BACKGROUND

[0003] As is known, BTE type hearing aids are aids that are worn behind the ear and in which a tube sends the sound into the ear canal. BTE hearing aids are suitable for mild, moderate and severe hearing difficulties.

[0004] There is a need to couple an integrated speaker in a head-wearable device (or more specifically an integrated speaker in a pair of electronic eyeglasses) with a BTE hearing aid, so that a person wearing such a hearing aid is able to hear the sound originating from these electronic eyeglasses.

[0005] There are no solutions available today that allow the above connection. SUMMARY

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter for a head-wearable device having an integrated speaker, which makes it possible to transmit sound from a speaker integrated in eyeglasses to a BTE hearing aid of a hearing- impaired person.

[0007] Within this object, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter for a head-wearable device having an integrated speaker, which is able to simplify the connection with a BTE hearing aid.

[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter for a head-wearable device having an integrated speaker, which is able to transmit sound effectively to a BTE hearing aid by means of a 2CC coupler according to ANSI and ISO standards.

[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter for a head-wearable device having an integrated speaker, which is highly reliable, easy and practical to implement and low in cost.

[0010] This aim, as well as these and other objects, are achieved by an adapter for a headgear having an integrated loudspeaker, characterized in that it comprises a base element adapted to be coupled to the lower surface of a portion of the headgear and provided with a cover adapted to be coupled with said base element and to enclose said portion of the headgear inside, said base element being provided with an extension able to be fastened at the end of said portion of the headgear, said base element being provided, in a lower region, with a tube connecting the loudspeaker cavity of said portion of the headgear to the outside, for connection to a 2CC coupler. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Further characteristics and advantages of the application will become better apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an adapter according to the application, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the application applied to a temple of glasses;

[0013] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the application applied to a temple of glasses;

[0014] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the application in its complete configuration fastened to a temple of glasses;

[0015] Figure 4 is a lateral cross-sectional view of an adapter according to the application in its configuration fastened to a temple of glasses;

[0016] Figure 5 is a lateral cross-sectional view of an adapter according to the application in its configuration fastened to a temple of glasses. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] With reference to the drawings, an adapter according to the application, indicated as a whole by the reference number 1, comprises a base element 2 adapted to be coupled with the lower surface of a portion of a headgear. In the following, the headgear will be exemplified by a pair of glasses. Therefore, the base element 2 is coupled with the lower surface of a temple 3 of glasses, such base element 2 being provided with an extension 4 adapted to be fastened to the end of the portion of the headgear and therefore to the end of the temple 3, so that the extension 4 and the base element 2 are adjacent to the lower surface of the temple 3.

[0018] The cover 15 is hinged to the base element 2 and is fixed to the base element by means of a screw 5.

[0019] In this way, the base element 2 and the cover 15 hinged thereto define a form of a casing which tightly surrounds the portion of the headgear and therefore the portion of the temple 3 of the eyeglasses.

[0020] Conveniently, the base element 2 is provided, in the lower region, with a portion of a hollow tube 6 which is connected to a hole 7 present on the surface of the base element 2.

[0021] The sealing element 8 is arranged at the hole 7 of the base element 2 and is intended to come into contact with a cavity 9 defined in the lower surface of the temple 3 of the eyeglasses, through which the sound passes. This cavity is in fact the cavity of the loudspeaker inside the temple 3.

[0022] In this way, an acoustic path is created between the cavity 9 of the loudspeaker integrated in the temple 3, the hole 7 of the base element 2 and the tube 6 connected to the base element 2.

[0023] This acoustic path makes it possible to convey the sound from the loudspeaker integrated in the temple 3 of the eyeglasses to the tube 10, which is a standard BTE tube of 2 mm used in the hearing aid industry. The tube 10 is therefore used to connect the adapter according to the present application to the 2CC coupler 11 specified by the ANSI and ISO standards.

[0024] Therefore, substantially, the base element 2 with the associated cover 15 is arranged to surround the temple 3 and the screw 5 tightens the cover 15 on the base element 2 (between which the temple 3 is located), therefore, the sealing element 8 is pressed against the acoustic cavity 9 of the lower surface of the temple 3, preventing the dispersion of the sound and, alternatively, making it possible to define an acoustic passage between the cavity 9 of the loudspeaker integrated in the temple 3 and the tube 6.

[0025] In practice it has been found that the adapter according to the present application fully achieves the set aims and objects, in that it makes it possible to use a BTE tube to couple the integrated loudspeaker of the headgear to a 2CC coupler.

[0026] The adapter thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0027] Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

[0028] In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, can be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

Claims

1. An adapter (1) for a head-wearable device having an integrated speaker, characterized in that, The adapter comprises a base element (2) apt to be coupled to the lower surface of a portion of the head-mounted device and provided with a cover (15) apt to be coupled with the base element (2) and to enclose the portion of the head-mounted device inside, the base element (2) being provided with an extension (4) that can be fastened at the end of the portion of the head-mounted device, the base element (2) being provided, in a lower region, with a tube (6) that connects the speaker cavity (9) of the portion of the head-mounted device to the outside, for the connection to a 2CC coupler (11).

2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein, The base element (2) is provided with a sealing element (8) apt to be arranged around the speaker cavity (9) of the portion of the head-mounted device when the base element (2) and the associated cover (15) are fastened to the portion of the head-mounted device, the sealing element (8) being apt to be squeezed around the portion of the head-mounted device when the cover (15) hinged to the base element (2) is locked to the base element (2) by means of a screw (5).

3. The adapter of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube (6) of the base element (2) is apt to be coupled with a BTE tube (10) for the connection to the 2CC coupler (11).

4. Adapter according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that The base element (2) and the cover (15) fit around the portion of the head-mounted device in the manner of a shell.

5. Adapter according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The head-mounted device comprises an eyewear, glasses, a spectacle frame, goggles, a helmet, a mask, a headset and a clamp-on device.

6. Adapter according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that The head-mounted device is an eyewear and the portion of the head-mounted device is a temple (3) of the eyewear. The head-mounted device is an eyewear and the portion of the head-mounted device is a temple (3) of the eyewear.

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