Personal audio listening device

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 095210095, filed on Jun. 9, 2006.

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a personal audio listening device, more particularly to an earphone for use with a mobile communications device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Mobile phones having Bluetooth functionality and earphones having Bluetooth functionality have been popular for many years. R.O.C. Patent No. M257589 discloses a Bluetooth earphone as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The earphone 99 includes a stop plate 6 , a housing 7 , an ear hook member 8 , and a pivotal knob 9 . The housing 7 includes a first seat body 71 (adjacent to the user's face in use) and a second seat body (away from the user's face in use; not shown). The first seat body 71 is provided with a circular hole 713 therethrough. The housing 7 has a hollow portion 75 which accommodates a circuit board (not shown) therein for executing functions of a Bluetooth earphone. To facilitate description, the circuit board and the second seat body are neither illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 nor discussed in detail herein. The ear hook member 8 has a hook body 81 and a pivoting portion 83 disposed at one end. The hook body 81 is shaped to permit the ear hook member 8 to hook around an ear of the user. The pivoting portion 83 is cylindrical, and is provided with a plurality of axially extending planar faces 831 that are spaced equidistantly apart from each other on a peripheral surface of the pivoting portion 83 . The pivotal knob 9 includes a base 91 and a cap 95 . The base 91 has a bottom disk 911 and a post 913 extending uprightly from the bottom disk 911 . The post 913 is formed with a first through hole 915 parallel to the bottom disk 911 . An inner wall surface of the base 91 which defines the first through hole 915 is provided with a plurality of protruding members 917 that can be compressed resiliently and radially. The protruding members 917 correspond to the planar faces 831 of the pivoting portion 83 in number. The bottom disk 911 is provided with a first notch 92 and a second notch 93 . The cap 95 is provided with a second through hole 955 corresponding to the first through hole 915 . When the cap 95 is disposed on the post 913 , the first and second through holes 915 , 955 overlap. The stop plate 6 is a planar plate with pads 61 (to be described hereinafter) provided respectively at four corners thereof. The stop plate 6 has two parallel slots 63 formed therein so as to configure the stop plate 6 with a resilient cantilever arm 65 . A block 651 is provided at a free end of the cantilever arm 65 .

During assembly, the base 91 is extended through the circular hole 713 in the first seat body 71 . At this time, the bottom disk 911 is blocked by the first seat body 71 , and stays in the hollow portion 75 . Then, the cap 95 is fitted on the post 913 , with the pivoting portion 83 of the ear hook member 8 passing through the overlapping first and second through holes 915 , 955 , thereby coupling the ear hook member 8 , the housing 7 and the pivotal knob 9 . At this time, the stop plate 6 is attached to an inner surface (within the hollow portion 75 ) of the first seat body 71 using a mechanical fastening method or a chemical bonding method to cover the bottom disk 911 . Since the four corners of the stop plate 6 are respectively provided with the pads 61 that have a certain thickness, although the stop plate 6 covers the bottom disk 911 , it will not affect pivotal rotation of the pivotal knob 9 . When the pivotal knob 9 rotates, the block 651 will interferingly engage one of the first and second notches 92 , 93 to thereby achieve positioning. When the ear hook member 8 rotates in the through hole 915 , positioning is achieved by means of inter-engagement between the radially compressible protruding members 917 and the planar faces 831 on the pivoting portion 83 .

However, in the aforesaid patent, since the radially compressible protruding members 917 are provided on the inner wall surface of the base 91 which defines the first through hole 915 , which is a relatively small hole, the construction of the base 91 is complicated. Besides, there is also the problem of difficulty in positioning between the protruding members 917 and the planar faces 831 on the pivoting portion 83 . Moreover, in use, the pivoting portion 83 of the ear hook member 8 can be easily pulled out. In addition, manufacture and fastening of the stop plate 6 are labor- and time-consuming.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a personal audio listening device in which an ear hook member and a housing of the audio listening device are pivotable and rotatable after assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a personal audio listening device, in which an ear hook member rotates by steps, and a click can be felt when the ear hook member is rotated through a step.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a personal audio listening device, which has an engaging mechanism to prevent separation of an ear hook member from a housing during use.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a personal audio listening device, in which an ear hook member and a housing can be easily assembled to thereby achieve labor and cost savings.

Accordingly, the personal audio listening device of the present invention includes a pivotal knob provided with a pair of pivotable parallel resilient walls, and an ear hook member having an end portion with a non-circular cross section. The resilient walls are provided to clamp the end portion with the non-circular cross section so as to enable the ear hook member to pivot about a first axis and to rotate about a second axis.

The personal audio listening device of the present invention is a Bluetooth earphone which can be worn on a user's ear. The first axis is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the profile of the user's ear, and the second axis is substantially parallel to the plane.

The ear hook member of a first preferred embodiment of the personal audio listening device according to the present invention is substantially C-shaped, and has a hook body that is configured to be worn on the user's ear, and an upper end portion. The upper end portion is formed with a pivot element in the form of a polygonal post of a certain length proximate to a distal end thereof. The housing includes a housing body and a housing cover, and is formed with a hollow portion. The housing body has a through hole in spatial communication with the hollow portion. The pivotal knob includes a base and a cap. The base has two engaging walls disposed respectively at an outer periphery thereof. Each engaging wall has a free end formed with a hook. Two parallel resilient walls are disposed between the engaging walls. When the pivot element is received between the resilient walls, the resilient walls can respectively contact opposing surfaces of the pivot element, and exert a restraining clamping force on the pivot element. The cap has a circular surrounding wall, and has an outer wall surface provided with two spaced-apart and parallel flanges, each having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the through hole in the housing body. The cap is formed with two slots that can engage two ends of the pivot element of the ear hook member without obstructing rotation of the ear hook member. Ribs are provided on an inner wall surface of the surrounding wall of the cap to correspond to the engaging walls. The base is extended through the through hole from the hollow portion, and the pivot element is received between the resilient walls such that lengthwise opposing ends of the resilient walls abut against lengthwise opposing ends of the pivot element to prevent removal of the ear hook member. A lower one of the two flanges of the cap extends into the hollow portion through the through hole to couple rotatably the cap to the housing body. The hooks at the free ends of the engaging walls respectively engage the ribs on the inner wall surface of the surrounding wall of the cap so as to couple the base and the cap, thereby accomplishing assembly of the ear hook member, the housing, and the pivotal knob.

The ear hook member of another preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device according to the present invention is substantially C-shaped, and has a hook body that is configured to be worn on the user's ear, and an upper end portion. The upper end portion is formed with a pivot element in the form of a polygonal post of a certain length proximate to a distal end thereof. The housing includes a housing body and a housing cover, and is formed with a hollow portion. The housing body has a through hole in spatial communication with the hollow portion. The pivotal knob includes a base and a cap. The base has two engaging walls disposed respectively at an outer periphery thereof. Each engaging wall has a free end formed with a hook. Two parallel resilient walls are disposed between the engaging walls. When the pivot element is received between the resilient walls, the resilient walls can respectively contact opposing surfaces of the pivot element, and exert a restraining clamping force on the pivot element. The cap has an annular bottom wall and a circular surrounding wall extending integrally and upwardly from the bottom wall. When the cap is extended from the hollow portion outwardly through the through hole, the bottom wall is blocked by the housing body, and the cap and the housing body are rotatably coupled together. A pair of fitting holes are provided in the surrounding wall for extension of the upper end portion of the ear hook member therethrough. Ribs are provided on an inner wall surface of the surrounding wall of the cap to correspond to the engaging walls. The surrounding wall of the cap is first extended outward from the hollow portion through the through hole in the housing body, and the upper end portion of the ear hook member is brought to pass through the two fitting holes, whereby the cap and the housing body can be rotatably coupled together. Then, the base is inserted into the cap, and the pivot element is received between the two resilient walls such that lengthwise opposing ends of the resilient walls abut against lengthwise opposing ends of the pivot element to prevent removal of the ear hook member. The hooks of the base respectively engage the ribs on the inner wall surface of the surrounding wall of the cap to thereby couple the base and the cap, thereby accomplishing assembly of the ear hook member, the housing, and the pivotal knob.

The ear hook member of a further preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device according to the present invention is substantially C-shaped, and has a hook body that is configured to be worn on the user's ear, and an upper end portion. A pivot element in the form of a polygonal post of a certain length is formed at a distal end of the upper end portion. A neck portion is interposed between the pivot element and the hook body. The housing includes a housing body and a housing cover. The housing body has a circular through hole in spatial communicated with a hollow portion. The pivotal knob includes a circular base and a circular cap. The circular base is provided with a surrounding wall. A heat-fusible portion formed from a heat-fusible plastic material is disposed under the base and is extended through the through hole. Two parallel resilient walls extend uprightly from the base. When the pivot element is received between the two resilient walls, the two resilient walls respectively contact opposing surfaces of the pivot element, and exert a restraining clamping force on the pivot element opposing ends of one of the resilient walls are configured to bend toward opposing ends of the other one of the resilient walls so to embrace the pivot element and help prevent removal of the ear hook member. The surrounding wall of the base is formed with a single slot and at least two shoulder portions. The cap has a surrounding wall, and is provided with hook portions corresponding to the shoulder portions. The cap is further provided with a slot corresponding to the slot in the circular base. The heat-fusible portion of the circular base is extended into the hollow portion through the through hole, and heat is applied to the heat-fusible portion to form the same into a base disk such that the circular base can rotate relative to the housing. Then, the pivot element is fitted between the resilient walls. Then, the cap is put in place, with the slots engaging an end of the neck portion of the ear hook member distal from the pivot element such that the ear hook member cannot be plugged out. The hook portions on the surrounding wall of the cap respectively engage the shoulder portions on the surrounding wall of the circular base to couple the circular base and the circular cap, thereby accomplishing assembly of the ear hook member, the housing, and the pivotal knob.

The pivot element in the preferred embodiments is a post with a square cross section.

In two preferred embodiments of the present invention, the pivot element is the neck portion of the ear hook member, and the length thereof is not smaller than that of the resilient walls. The resilient walls each have two ends that respectively abut against corresponding ends of the pivot element to prevent removal of the ear hook member.

In the other preferred embodiment, a neck portion is provided between the pivot element and the ear hook member, and the surrounding wall of the base and/or the cap can abut against the neck portion to prevent removal of the ear hook member.

In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the pivot element of the ear hook member rotates between the two resilient walls. When the pivot element rotates through a step, during the process of rotation, the two resilient walls will be gradually pushed outward away from each other such that the two resilient walls are at a widest stretched position when two diametrically opposite corners of the pivot element respectively abut against the resilient walls. After one step of rotation, the stretched resilient walls will return to their original positions and snap against the corresponding surfaces of the pivot element so that the user can feel a click. If the pivot element is further rotated, the user can feel successive clicks.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate a stop plate, a housing, a near hook member, and a pivotal knob of a conventional Bluetooth earphone;

FIG. 2 is a partly sectional perspective view to illustrate the assembling relationships of the components of the earphone of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view to illustrate the personal audio listening device according to the present invention, showing first and second axes;

FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective view of the personal audio listening device according to the present invention taken from another angle;

FIG. 5 is an assembled perspective view to illustrate the first preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate an ear hook member, a housing, and a pivotal knob of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view to illustrate a base of the pivotal knob of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5 , showing the assembly relationships among the base, a cap of the pivotal knob, and the housing of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 5 , illustrating the assembly relationship between a pivot element and resilient walls of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an assembled perspective view to illustrate the second preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate an ear hook member, a housing, and a pivotal knob of the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a base of the pivotal knob of the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 10 , illustrating the assembly relationships among the base, a cap of the pivotal knob, and the housing of the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV of FIG. 10 , illustrating the assembly relationship between a pivot element and resilient walls of the second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 15 is an assembled perspective view to illustrate the third preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view to illustrate an ear hook member, a housing, and a pivotal knob of the third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a base of the pivotal knob of the third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII of FIG. 15 , illustrating the assembly relationships among the base, a cap of the pivotal knob, and the housing of the third preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX of FIG. 15 , illustrating the assembly relationship between a pivot element and resilient walls of the third preferred embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 , a personal audio listening device 100 , e.g., an earphone, a hearing aid, etc., of the present invention is shown to include an ear hook member 1 , a housing 2 , and a pivotal knob 3 . The ear hook member 1 is pivotable about a first axis (X), and is rotatable about a second axis (Y). In the following embodiments, the first axis (X) and the second axis (Y) are substantially perpendicular to each other. The first axis (X) is substantially perpendicular to a plane defined by the profile of a user's ear, whereas the second axis (Y) is substantially parallel to the plane. Hereinbelow, an earphone having Bluetooth functionality (commonly referred to as a Bluetooth earphone) is used as an example to illustrate the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9 , the first preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device 100 A of this invention is shown to include an ear hook member 1 A, a housing 2 A, and a pivotal knob 3 A. The ear hook member 1 A is substantially C-shaped, and has a hook body 11 A that is configured to be worn on the user's ear, an upper end portion 12 A, and a lower end portion 13 A. The upper end portion 12 A is in the form of a rod, and extends in an axial direction that coincides with the direction of the second axis (Y). The upper end portion 12 A is formed with a neck portion 123 A of a certain length proximate to a distal end thereof. Assuming that the axial direction of the upper end portion 12 A is the lengthwise direction, the size of the neck portion 123 A in the widthwise direction and the height wise direction is smaller than the size of the other parts of the upper end portion 12 A. The neck portion 123 A is a polygonal post, and is preferably a post with an even number of sides. In this embodiment, the neck portion 123 A has a square cross-section. The neck portion 123 A serves as a pivot element in this embodiment, and will be referred to as the pivot element 123 A in the description to follow.

The housing 2 A includes a housing body 21 A and a housing cover 23 A. The housing body 21 A has a surface 212 A (disposed proximate to the user's face in use), which is formed with a circular through hole 213 A. In this embodiment, the housing body 21 A and the housing cover 23 A can be detachably assembled using a known method. The housing body 21 A and the housing cover 23 A cooperatively define a hollow portion 221 A, which accommodates therein a microphone, a speaker, and a circuit device for executing functions of a Bluetooth earphone. The surface 212 A of the housing body 21 A is also provided with a protruding member 214 A that resembles an ear plug, which can be plugged into the ear to transmit sounds. Since the microphone, the speaker, and the circuit device are known in the art and are not crucial features of the present invention, they will not be described in detail herein. In addition, for clarity's sake, the microphone, the speaker and the circuit device are not illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 , and the housing cover 23 A is omitted from FIGS. 8 and 9 .

The pivotal knob 3 A includes a base 31 A and a cap 35 A. The base 31 A has a base surface 312 A, and four walls extending uprightly from the base surface 312 A. The four walls include two engaging walls 313 A disposed respectively on left and right sides of the base surface 312 A at an outer periphery thereof, and two parallel resilient walls 316 A disposed between the two engaging walls 313 A. Each of the engaging walls 313 A has a free end formed with a hook 314 A. Each of the resilient walls 316 A has a length not greater than, and preferably slightly smaller than, that of the pivot element 123 A. A distance between the two resilient walls 316 A is not smaller than the height or width of the pivot element 123 A. Preferably, when the pivot element 123 A is received between the two resilient walls 316 A, the two resilient walls 316 A respectively contact opposing surfaces of the pivot element 123 A, and exert a restraining clamping force on the pivot element 123 A. The cap 35 A resembles a hat with a round top, and has a circular surrounding wall 351 A. The surrounding wall 351 A is provided with two flanges 353 A, 354 A that extend along an outer wall surface thereof adjacent to a bottom edge thereof, and that are spaced apart from each other in a parallel relationship. The diameter of each of the lower flange 353 A and the upper flange 354 A is larger than the inner diameter of the circular through hole 213 A in the housing body 21 A. The resilient walls 316 A define a passage therebetween. The cap 35 A is formed with two opposite slots 355 A that are registered with the passage and that are defined by inverted U-shaped slot walls. The slots 355 A are dimensioned to engage two ends of the pivot element 123 A of the ear hook member 1 fittingly while ensuring rotation of the ear hook member 1 A is not obstructed. Besides, due to the provision of the slots 355 A, the flanges 353 A, 354 A on the cap 35 A can engage a wall part that defines the circular through hole 213 A in the housing body 21 A, which will be described in detail hereinbelow. The surrounding wall 351 A is further provided with two ribs 357 A (see FIG. 8 ) that are disposed diametrically opposite to each other on an inner wall surface thereof to correspond to the engaging walls 313 A and that have upper surfaces parallel to the top of the cap 35 A. When assembling the base 31 A and the cap 35 A, the base 31 A is inserted into the cap 35 A such that the hooks 314 A at the free ends of the engaging walls 313 A respectively engage the ribs 357 A on the inner wall surface of the cap 35 A, thereby coupling the base 31 A and the cap 35 A.

In this embodiment, when assembling the ear hook member 1 A, the housing 2 A, and the pivotal knob 3 A, the base 31 A of the pivotal knob 3 A is extended through the through hole 213 A in the surface of the housing body 21 A from the hollow portion 221 A, and the pivot element 123 A of the ear hook member 1 A is received between the two resilient walls 316 A. Since the length of the resilient walls 316 A is slightly smaller than that of the pivot element 123 A, lengthwise opposing ends of the resilient walls 316 A will abut against lengthwise opposing ends of the pivot element 123 A to prevent removal of the ear hook member 1 A. Then, the cap 35 A is put in place in the following manner. Since the slots 355 A allow the surrounding wall 351 A of the cap 35 A to be slightly deformable, especially at the bottom edge, the lower flange 353 A of the cap 35 A can be squeezed into the hollow portion 221 A through the through hole 213 A in the surface of the housing body 21 A such that the wall part defining the through hole 213 A is between the flanges 353 A, 354 A. Thus, the cap 35 A and the housing body 21 A are rotatably coupled. At the same time, the slots 355 A engage the two ends of the pivot element 123 A of the ear hook member 1 A, and the hooks 314 A at the free ends of the engaging walls 313 A of the base 31 A respectively engage the ribs 357 A on the inner wall surface of the cap 35 A to thereby couple the base 31 A and the cap 35 A, thereby accomplishing assembly of the ear hook member 1 A, the housing 2 A, and the pivotal knob 3 A.

After the ear hook member 1 A, the housing 2 A and the pivotal knob 3 A are coupled, the ear hook member 1 A can, as shown in FIG. 3 , pivot about the first axis (X) and rotate about the second axis (Y). When the personal audio listening device 100 A of this invention is worn on the user's ear, the ear hook member 1 A which is pivotable about the first axis (X) and which is rotatable about the second axis (Y) permits adjustment of the position of a front end of the housing 2 A, as well as the position of the microphone (not shown), so as to enable the microphone to be moved closer to the user's mouth. Furthermore, the ear hook member 1 A which is rotatable about the second axis (Y) allows the personal audio listening device 100 A of the present invention to be worn either on the left ear or the right ear of the user. In addition, when the ear hook member 1 A is rotated about the second axis (Y), as illustrated in the first embodiment, the pivot element 123 A of the ear hook member 1 A is rotatable between the two resilient walls 316 A, and the pivot element 123 A (which has a square cross section) rotates in steps of 90 degrees. When the pivot element 123 A is rotated, the resilient walls 316 A are gradually pushed away from each other. When the pivot element 123 A is rotated through 45 degrees, the two resilient walls 316 A are at a largest stretched position. After the pivot element 123 A has completed one step of rotation, the stretched resilient walls 316 A will be restored to their original positions, and will snap against the opposing surfaces of the pivot element 123 A, whereupon the user will feel a click that lets the user know that the pivot element 123 A has been rotated through a step. Subsequent rotation of the pivot element 123 A will cause the pivot element 123 A to go through further steps in the aforementioned manner.

Referring to FIGS. 10 to 14 , the second preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device 100 B according to the present invention is shown to include an ear hook member 1 B, a housing 2 B, and a pivotal knob 3 B. The second preferred embodiment differs from the first preferred embodiment in the pivotal knob 3 B.

The ear hook member 1 B is substantially C-shaped, and has a hook body 11 B that is configured to be worn on the user's ear, an upper end portion 12 B, and a lower end portion 13 B. The upper end portion 12 B is in the form of a rod, and is formed with a neck portion 123 B of a certain length proximate to a distal end thereof. The neck portion 123 B is a polygonal post, and is preferably a polygonal post with an even number of sides. In this embodiment, the neck portion 123 B is a post with a square cross section. As the neck portion 123 B serves as a pivot element in the embodiment, it will be referred to as the pivot element 123 B in the succeeding paragraphs.

The housing 2 B includes a housing body 21 B and a housing cover 23 B. The housing body 21 B has a surface 212 B, which is provided with a circular through hole 213 B. In this embodiment, the housing body 21 B and the housing cover 23 B can be detachably assembled in a known manner. The housing body 21 B and the housing cover 23 B cooperatively define a hollow portion 221 B. For clarity's sake, in FIGS. 11 , 13 , and 14 , the microphone, the speaker, and the necessary circuit device of the personal audio listening device 100 B are not illustrated, and the housing cover 23 B is omitted as well.

The pivotal knob 3 B includes a base 31 B and a cap 35 B. The base 31 B has a base surface 312 B, and four walls extending uprightly from the base surface 312 B. The walls include two engaging walls 313 B disposed respectively on left and right sides of the base surface 312 B at an outer periphery, and two parallel resilient walls 316 B disposed between the two engaging walls 313 B. Each of the engaging walls 313 B has a free end formed with a hook 314 B. Each of the resilient walls 316 B has a length not greater than, and preferably slightly smaller than, that of the pivot element 123 B. A distance between the two resilient walls 316 B is not smaller than the height or width of the pivot element 123 B. Preferably, when the pivot element 123 B is received between the two resilient walls 316 B, the two resilient walls 316 B respectively contact opposing surfaces of the pivot element 123 B, and exert a restraining clamping force on the pivot element 123 B. The cap 35 B resembles a hat with a round top, and has an annular bottom wall 350 B and a circular surrounding wall 351 B extending integrally and upwardly from the bottom wall 350 B. The outer diameter of the bottom wall 350 B is greater than the diameter of the through hole 213 B. The inner diameter of the surrounding wall 351 B is smaller than the diameter of the through hole 213 B such that when the cap 35 B is extended from the hollow portion 221 B outwardly through the through hole 213 B, the bottom wall 350 B is blocked by the surface 212 B of the housing body 21 B, with only the surrounding wall 351 B exposed on the outside. At this time, the cap 35 B and the housing body 21 B are rotatably coupled together. A pair of fitting holes 359 B are provided in the surrounding wall 351 B for extension of the upper end portion 12 B of the ear hook member 1 B therethrough (to be described hereinafter). The surrounding wall 351 B is further provided with two ribs 357 B (see FIG. 13 ) that are disposed diametrically opposite to each other on an inner wall surface thereof to correspond to the engaging walls 313 B and that have upper surfaces parallel to the top of the cap 35 B. When assembling the base 31 B and the cap 35 B, the base 31 B is inserted into the cap 35 B such that the hooks 314 B at the free ends of the engaging walls 313 B respectively engage the ribs 357 B on the inner wall surface of the cap 35 B, thereby coupling the base 31 B and the cap 35 B.

In this embodiment, when assembling the ear hook member 1 B, the housing 2 B, and the pivotal knob 3 B, the surrounding wall 351 B of the cap 35 B is first extended outward from the hollow portion 221 B of the housing body 21 B through the through hole 213 B. Then, the upper end portion 12 B of the ear hook member 1 B is brought to pass through the two fitting holes 359 B. At this time, the pivot element 123 B is located in the cap 35 B. By means of the ear hook member 1 B that extends through the two fitting holes 359 B in the cap 35 B, the cap 35 B and the housing body 21 B can be rotatably coupled together, and the cap 35 B is prevented from slipping from the housing body 21 B. Subsequently, the base 31 B is inserted into the cap 35 B, and the pivot element 123 B is received between the two resilient walls 316 B. Since the length of the resilient walls 316 B is slightly smaller than that of the pivot element 123 B, lengthwise opposing ends of the resilient walls 316 B will abut against lengthwise opposing ends of the pivot element 123 B to prevent removal of the ear hook member 1 B. The hooks 314 B at the free ends of the engaging walls 313 B of the base 31 B respectively engage the ribs 357 B on the inner wall surface of the cap 35 B to thereby couple the base 31 B and the cap 35 B, thereby accomplishing assembly of the ear hook member 1 B, the housing 2 B, and the pivotal knob 3 B.

As in the first preferred embodiment, after assembly of the ear hook member 1 B, the housing 2 B, and the pivoting element 3 B, the ear hook member 1 B can pivot about the first axis (X) and rotate about the second axis (Y), as shown in FIG. 3 . When the pivot element 123 B of the ear hook member 1 B rotates between the two resilient walls 316 B, the resilient walls 316 B will also snap against the opposing surfaces of the pivot element 123 B to result in the user feeling a click.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 19 , the third preferred embodiment of a personal audio listening device 100 C according to the present invention is shown to include an ear hook member 1 C, a housing 2 C, and a pivotal knob 3 C. The ear hook member 1 C is substantially C-shaped, and has a hook body 11 C that is configured to be worn on the user's ear, an upper end portion 12 C, and a lower end portion 13 C. The upper end portion 12 C is in the form of a rod which extends in an axial direction that coincides with the direction of the second axis (Y). A distal end of the upper end portion 12 C is formed with a polygonal post, preferably a post with an even number of sides, of a certain length. In this embodiment, the post has a square cross section, and serves as the pivot element 123 C. A neck portion 125 C is formed between the pivot element 123 C and the hook body 11 C. Assuming that the axial direction of the upper end portion 12 C is the lengthwise direction, the size of the neck portion 125 C in the widthwise direction and the height wise direction is smaller than the size of the other parts of the upper end portion 12 C.

The housing 2 C includes a housing body 21 C and a housing cover 23 C. The housing body 21 C has a surface 212 C (close to the user's face in use), which is provided with a circular through hole 213 C. In this embodiment, the housing body 21 C and the housing cover 23 C can be detachably assembled in a known manner. The housing body 21 C and the housing cover 23 C cooperatively define a hollow portion 221 C. For clarity's sake, in FIGS. 16 , 18 and 19 , the microphone, the speaker, and the necessary circuit device of the personal audio listening device 100 C are not illustrated, and the housing cover 23 C is omitted as well.

The pivotal knob 3 C includes a circular base 31 C and a circular cap 35 C. The circular base 31 C has a base surface 312 C, and a surrounding wall 313 C extending from a periphery of the base surface 312 C. The inner diameter of the surrounding wall 313 C is greater than the diameter of the through hole 213 C. A heat-fusible portion 311 C formed from a heat-fusible plastic material is disposed under the base surface 312 C and is extended through the through hole 213 C. Preferably, the circular base 31 C and the heat-fusible portion 311 C are both formed from a heat-fusible plastic material. Two parallel resilient walls 316 extend uprightly from the base surface 312 C, and are surrounded by the surrounding wall 313 C. Each of the resilient walls 316 C has a length slightly greater than that of the pivot element 123 C. A distance between the two resilient walls 316 C is not smaller than the height or width of the pivot element 123 C. Preferably, when the pivot element 123 C is received between the two resilient walls 316 C, the two resilient walls 316 C respectively contact opposing surfaces of the pivot element 123 C, and exert a restraining clamping force on the pivot element 123 C, and opposing ends of one of the resilient walls 316 C are configured to bend toward opposing ends of the other one of the resilient walls 316 C. Thus, when the pivot element 123 C is received between the resilient walls 316 C, the resilient walls 316 C embrace the pivot element 123 C, thereby helping prevent removal of the ear hook member 1 C. The surrounding wall 313 C in this embodiment is formed with a slot 315 C which is registered with the passage defined by the resilient walls 316 C and which is dimensioned to engage fittingly one end of the neck portion 125 C of the ear hook member 1 C without obstructing rotation of the ear hook member 1 C. Two shoulder portions 314 C are formed on the inner wall surface of the surrounding wall 313 C of the circular base 31 C on both sides of the resilient walls 316 C, respectively. The cap 35 C is in the form of a hat with a round top, and has a surrounding wall 351 C. The surrounding wall 351 C is provided with two hook portions 358 C that are disposed proximate to the bottom edge thereof and that correspond respectively to the shoulder portions 314 C in position. The surrounding wall 351 C of the cap 35 C in this embodiment is formed with only one slot 355 C that is registered with the slot 315 C. The slot 355 C is also dimensioned to engage fittingly said one end of the neck portion 125 C of the ear hook member 1 C (i.e., both of the slots 315 C, 355 C engage the same end of the neck portion 125 C) without obstructing rotation of the ear hook member 1 C. Due to the slot 355 C, the cap 35 C can be slightly deformed to facilitate fitting of the cap 35 C into the circular base 31 C. During assembly of the circular base 31 C and the cap 35 C, the cap 35 C is first inserted into the circular base 31 C, with the two hook portions 358 C respectively engaging the shoulder portions 314 C on the inner wall surface of the surrounding wall 313 C of the circular base 31 C, thereby coupling the circular base 31 C and the cap 35 C.

In this embodiment, when assembling the ear hook member 1 C, the housing 2 C, and the pivotal knob 3 C, the heat-fusible portion 311 C of the circular base 31 C of the pivotal knob 3 C is extended into the hollow portion 221 through the through hole 213 C in the surface of the housing body 21 C, and heat is applied to the heat-fusible portion 311 C to cause the same to expand into a base disk having a surface area larger than the size of the through hole 213 C without adhering to the housing body 21 C, so that the circular base 31 C can still rotate relative to the housing 2 C. Then, the pivot element 123 C of the ear hook member 1 C is fitted between the resilient walls 316 C. Since the length of the resilient walls 316 C is slightly greater than that of the pivot element 123 C, the resilient walls 316 substantially embrace the pivot element 123 C of the ear hook member 1 C to help prevent removal of the ear hook member 1 C. Then, the cap 35 C is put in place, with the slots 355 C, 315 C engaging the end of the neck portion 125 C distal from the pivot element 123 C (i.e., the juncture between the neck portion 125 C and the hook body 11 C) such that the ear hook member 1 C cannot be plugged out. The hook portions 358 C on the surrounding wall 351 C of the cap 35 C respectively engage the shoulder portions 314 C on the inner wall surface of the surrounding wall 313 C of the circular base 31 C to couple the circular base 31 C and the cap 35 C, thereby accomplishing assembly of the ear hook member 1 C, the housing 2 C, and the pivotal knob 3 C.

Similar to the first preferred embodiment, after assembly of the ear hook member 1 C, the housing 2 C and the pivotal knob 3 C, the ear hook member 1 C can pivot about the first axis (X) and rotate about the second axis (Y), as shown in FIG. 3 . When the pivot element 123 C of the ear hook member 1 C rotates between the resilient walls 316 C, the resilient walls 316 C will also snap against the opposing surfaces of the pivot element 123 C to generate the feeling of a click.

In sum, when the personal audio listening device of this invention is worn on the user's ear, the ear hook member which is pivotable about the first axis (X) and which is rotatable about the second axis (Y) permits adjustment of the position of a front end of the housing, as well as the position of the microphone (not shown), so as to enable the microphone to be moved closer to the user's mouth. Furthermore, the ear hook member which is rotatable about the second axis (Y) allows the personal audio listening device of the present invention to be worn either on the left ear or the right ear of the user. In addition, when the ear hook member is rotated about the second axis (Y), as illustrated in the above embodiments, the pivot element of the ear hook member is rotatable between the two resilient walls, and when the pivot element is rotated, the resilient walls are gradually pushed away from each other. When the pivot element is rotated through half a step, the two resilient walls are at a largest stretched position. After the pivot element has completed one step of rotation, the stretched resilient walls will be restored to their original positions, and will snap against the opposing surfaces of the pivot element, whereupon the user will feel a click that lets the user know that the pivot element has been rotated through a step. Subsequent rotation of the pivot element will cause the pivot element to go through further steps of rotation in the aforementioned manner.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.