US3688052A

US3688052A - Audio frequency receiver

Info

Publication number: US3688052A
Application number: US34133A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aaron C Self; James J Larkins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-05-04
Filing date: 1970-05-04
Publication date: 1972-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-29

Abstract

A magnetically operable audio frequency receiver which is adapted to be carried by a person, adjacent an ear of the person. The receiver is disposed within a limited area which is encompassed by a transmission loop. The receiver includes a pickup coil. Transmission of energy occurs by audio frequency inductive forces from the transmission loop to the pickup coil of the receiver. The receiver or a portion thereof is rotatably supported so that the axis of the pickup coil can be adjusted with respect to the transmission loop for control of the volume output of the receiver. The receiver has an energy cell or battery support member which not only supports the battery but also serves as a switch.

Description

United States Patent Self et al. 1 Aug. 29, 1972 [54] AUDIO FREQUENCY RECEIVER [72] Inventors: Aaron C. Self, 5741 Seven Gables Pmlmry Claffy Ave Madison Township M Ass1stantExammer--W1ll 1am A. Helvestme gomery County, Ohio 45426; James Attorney-Norman R. Wrssmger J. Larkins, 331 W. Hudson Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45406 [57] ABSIRACT A magnetically operable audio frequency receiver [22] May 1970 which is adapted to be carried by a person, adjacent [21] App]. No 34,133 an ear of the person. The receiver is disposed within a limited area which is encompassed by a transmission U S Cl 179/82 179/107 H loop. The receiver includes apickup coil. 51 Int. (:1 ..I-l04b 65/00, H04r 25/00 T raqsmission of gy Occurs y a d frequency [58] Field at Search ..179/82, 107 H ducflve forces from the transmlsslon p to the pickup coil of the receiver. The receiver or a portion [56] References Cited thereof is rotatably supported so that the axis of the pickup coil can be adjusted with respect to the trans- UNITED STATES PATENTS mission loop for control of the volume output of the receiver. The receiver has an energy cell or battery g' g support member which not only supports the battery b t 1 3,042,750 7/1962 Siezin ..179 82 so serves as a C 3,078,348 2/1963 McIntosh ..179/82 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures P'A'TENTEn M1829 m2 INVENTOR AARON C. SELF JAMES J. LARKINS ATTORNEY AUDIO FREQUENCY RECEIVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In numerous types of gatherings of people, it is necessary or beneficial to have means provided for communication to selected individual persons in the gathering. For example in a baseball park, football stadium, or the like, a special running account of the athletic action may be transmitted to certain persons who pay for such service. During a convention of many people, certain persons may wish to be in a position to receive special messages while being located among others who do not receive the messages. There are many other types of situations in which a receiver of this invention is of particular use. In most if not all of such situations it is important that the receiver be compact, light in weight, and easy to operate. Especially is this so where the receiver is to be worn on or about the ear of the person to receive the information.

It is an object of this invention to provide audio frequency receiver means for communication with selected persons in a gathering thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide such audio frequency receiver means which is small in physical size and weight and which is easily carried or retained by a person in a group of persons.

It is another object of this invention to provide such audio frequency receiver means in which the volume of output thereof can be readily adjusted without altering the efficiency of operation of the receiver means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination battery holder and switch for electronic circuitry.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of the invention, combinations thereof, the method of manufacture, and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective exploded view of a receiver device of this invention and support means therefor.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the receiver device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, drawn on substantially the same scale as FIG. 2 and showing a portion of the receiver device thereof.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of circuitry which may be employed in a receiver device of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a receiver device of this invention within a transmission loop.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a receiver device of this invention and a support member therefor and showing diagrammatically the pickup coil thereof.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the receiver device in another rotative position with respect to the support member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A receiver device of this invention comprises a housing I0 which is provided with a major cavity 12 and a minor cavity 14. The major cavity 12 has a recess 16 within which a speaker 20 is disposed. Adjacent the speaker 28 and within the main cavity 12 is an insulating disc 22 which is provided with a plurality of holes 24 through which electric conductors, not specifically shown, extend and join the speaker 20 to circuitry which is carried by a panel 28. The panel 28 supports transistors 40, resistors 42 and capacitors 44, which are a part of the circuitry shown in the diagram of FIG. 4. The panel 28 also supports the electric conductor members 50 which join the transistors 40, the resistors 42 and the capacitors 44. Preferably, the conductor members 50 are printed upon the panel 28.

A pickup coil 54, shown in FIG. 4, encompasses a suitable magnetizable core 56. The core 56 is any suitable ferrous material, such as ferrite or the like. The coil 54 and the coil 56 are, preferably, disposed within a body 58 of suitable covering material, such as a plastic material or the like. Electric conductor members 60 extend from the coil 54 and from the body 58. At least one of the conductor members 60 is attached directly to another portion of the circuitry, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The body 58 is partially disposed within a socket 61 of a cover member 62.

A conductor ring 68 is disposed within the minor cavity 14 and is secured thereto by any suitable means, not shown. One of the electric conductor members 60 is attached to the conductor ring 68, as shown in FIG. 2. The conductor ring 68 has internal threads which are threadedly joined to an electrically conductive threaded portion 70 of a cap 72. The threaded portion 70, through the conductor ring 68, is thus electrically joined to the conductor 60.

A energy cell, for example a battery 74, is partially disposed within the cap 72 and has a portion which is electrically connected to the threaded portion 70 thereof. The battery 74 has a conductive end portion 76 which is engageable with a resilient leaf 78 by threadedly moving the cap 72 toward the leaf 78. The resilient leaf 78 is disposed within the minor cavity 14 and has a stem 80 which extends upwardly into the major cavity 12. The stem 80 is in electrical contact with a portion of the conductor members 50, as illustrated in the diagram of FIG. 4. When the battery 74 is spaced from the leaf 78 as shown in FIG. 2, there is no current flow from the battery 74 to the circuitry. When the battery 74 is in engagement with the leaf 78 as shown in FIG. 3, current flows from the battery 74 to the circuitry. Thus, the battery 74 serves as a source of energy, and the battery 74 as it is carried by the adjustable cap member 72 serves as a switch member as the battery 74 is moved into and out of engagement with the leaf 78 as the cap member 72 is threadedly adj usted with respect to the conductor ring 68.

The housing 10 has an annular extension portion or flange 81 for attachment to a support member 82. The support member 82 has an annular connector portion 84 which encompasses the annular flange 81 of the housing It) and rotatably attaches the connectof'portion 84 to the flange 81. The support member 82 also has a hook portion 86 which is adapted to hook over a persons ear. The housing 10 has internal openings 88 adjacent to the flange 81 and the speaker 20 which communicate with the opening formed by the annular flange 81. Thus, as the hook portion 86 of the support member 82 is hooked over a persons ear, the speaker 28 within the housing 10 transmits sound directly into the persons ear. It is to be understood that the housing 10 may be rotatably supported adjacent a persons ear by any suitable means other than the support member 82 having the hook portion 86 and that the flange 81 may be inserted in the opposite side of the support member 82 to be worn over either ear.

A receiver device of this invention is adapted to be positioned within a transmission loop 90 illustrated in FIG. 5, which encompasses a given area, such as a sports arena, convention hall, or the like. Preferably the entire loop 90 is substantially within a given plane. A suitable audio amplifier, not shown, is connected to terminals 92 of the loop 90 for input thereto. Thus, as sound is applied to the audio amplifier, current which has a varying magnitude and frequency flows in the loop 94). The frequency and magnitude of the current flowing in the loop 90 are proportional to the sound which is introduced into the amplifier. Therefore, magnetic forces which are proportional to the sound are induced in the pickup coil 54 and the core 56 of the receiver device. Thus the circuitry of the receiver device provides a proportional audio signal to the speaker 20, and the audio signal is transmitted to the ear of the person who has the receiver device adjacent his ear.

Of course, it is to be understood that the receiver device operates only when the battery or energy cell 74 is fully connected to the circuitry. This full connection occurs when the battery or energy cell 74 is in engagement with the leaf '78, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thus, no switch member, as such, is required in the receiver device of this invention. When it is desired to de-energize the receiver device, the cap member 72 is threadedly rotated to move the cap 72 and the battery 74 in a direction away from the leaf 78.

When it is desired to adjust the volume of the sound which emanates from the speaker 20, the housing 10 is rotatively moved with respect to the support member 82. Such rotative movement of the housing 10 changes the angle of the axis of the pickup coil 54 with respect to a plane which passes through the loop 90. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the pickup coil 54 as the axis thereof is substantially normal to a plane extending through the loop 90. In such position, maximum volume output is generated in the speaker 20. FIG. 7 shows the axis of the pickup coil 54 substantially parallel to a plane passing through the loop 90. In such position, minimum volume output is generated in the speaker 20. Therefore, no specific volume control element, such as adjustable resistor means are required in a receiver device of this invention. Thus, the cost of a separate volume control element is eliminated and the efficiency of the circuitry is not altered by adjustment in the volume output of the speaker 20. Therefore, as the receiver device is supported by the support member 82, which is hooked over a persons ear or otherwise held by the person, the housing 10 and thus the pickup coil 54 is adjustably rotatably movable with respect to the sup port member 82 for adjusting the volume output of the speaker 20 which is positioned adjacent the persons ear. This volume adjustment does not add to the size or weight of the receiver and has the further important advantage that it may be made while the receiver is actually adjacent the ear of the user and may be conveniently modified to accommodate such changes in the normal positioning of the device as are dictated by the contours of the head and ear of the wearer and/or the most comfortable association of the unit with the ear.

The invention having thus been described, the following is claimed:

1. A receiver apparatus adapted to be disposed within a loop which has an audio frequency signal applied thereto, the loop being substantially within a given plane, comprising a receiver coil adapted to have current magnetically induced therein by the signal applied to the loop, an amplifier and speaker, means connecting the receiver coil to the amplifier and speaker and means for rotating the receiver coil with respect to the plane of the loop so that the volume of the output of the amplifier and speaker is changed, wherein said receiver includes an energy cell, support means sup porting the energy cell, contact means, means electrically connecting the support means and the contact means to the amplifier, the support means having a moveable portion for moving the energy cell into engagement with the contact member to energize the amplifier and for moving the energy cell out of engagement with the contact member for de-energizing the amplifier.

2. The receiver apparatus of claim 1 in which the support means includes a fixed element and a movable element, the energy cell being supported by the movable element.

3. The receiver apparatus of claim 2 in which the movable element and the fixed element are threadedly joined one to the other, with the movable element being threadedly movable with respect to the fixed element.

4. The receiver apparatus of claim 1 which includes support structure and a housing rotatably carried by the support structure, the receiver coil and the amplifier and the speaker and the energy cell being within the housing and movable therewith.

Claims

1. A receiver apparatus adapted to be disposed within a loop which has an audio frequency signal applied thereto, the loop being substantially within a given plane, comprising a receiver coil adapted to have current magnetically induced therein by the signal applied to the loop, an amplifier and speaker, means connecting the receiver coil to the amplifier and speaker and means for rotating the receiver coil with respect to the plane of the loop so that the volume of the output of the amplifier and speaker is changed, wherein said receiver includes an energy cell, support means supporting the energy cell, contact means, means electrically connecting The support means and the contact means to the amplifier, the support means having a moveable portion for moving the energy cell into engagement with the contact member to energize the amplifier and for moving the energy cell out of engagement with the contact member for deenergizing the amplifier.