Audio headset having wire guided ear buds

Abstract

An audio headset includes a support structure, one or more audio feed wires, one or more ear buds or other single ear speakers coupled thereto, and one or more ear guides adapted to be worn about the ear(s) of an individual user. The ear guide(s) include groove(s) running therethrough that contain the audio feed wire(s) for the speaker(s), such that each respective speaker dangles from its ear guide thereby. Groove(s) can also contain part of the support structure, and the ear guide(s) may extend beyond the ear regions to the point of meeting each other. Each speaker can be removed from and replaced to the ear of the user independently while the headset is being worn without requiring movement or adjustment of the support structure or ear guide. Each groove can include a plurality of openings that allow adjustment where the wire exits, and each wire and respective speaker are readily separable, removable, and replaceable from the headset without requiring disassembly of or disturbance to the remainder of the headset.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An audio headset adapted to provide audio to an individual user, comprising:
 a support structure adapted to support said audio headset about the head of the individual user; 
 a first audio feed wire situated about said support structure and adapted to provide audio from an outside source to the individual user; 
 a first single ear speaker coupled to said first audio feed wire and adapted to provide the audio from said first audio feed wire to a single ear of the individual user; and 
 a first ear guide coupled to the support structure and adapted to be worn about the single ear of the individual user, wherein said first ear guide is further adapted for use with said first single ear speaker and includes a first groove running therethrough that is adapted to contain said first audio feed wire, 
 wherein said first audio feed wire is removably attached to both said support structure and the first groove of said first ear guide. 
 
     
     
       2. The audio headset of  claim 1 , wherein said first single ear speaker comprises an ear bud adapted to be inserted into the single ear of the user. 
     
     
       3. The audio headset of  claim 1 , wherein said first single ear speaker is arranged to be removable from and replaced to the single ear of the user while said audio headset is being worn by the user and without requiring any movement or adjustment of said support structure or said first ear guide. 
     
     
       4. The audio headset of  claim 1 , wherein said first single ear speaker dangles from said first ear guide via said first audio feed wire. 
     
     
       5. The audio headset of  claim 1 , wherein said first groove includes a rear opening at or near a back end of said first ear guide and runs substantially through the length thereof to at least one frontal opening at or near a front end of said first ear guide. 
     
     
       6. The audio headset of  claim 1 , wherein said first groove includes a plurality of frontal openings at or near a front end of said first ear guide. 
     
     
       7. The audio headset of  claim 6 , wherein said first audio feed wire is adapted to be adjustable to alter its exit of the first groove at more than one of the plurality of frontal openings. 
     
     
       8. The audio headset of  claim 1 , further including:
 a second audio feed wire situated about said support structure and adapted to further provide the audio from the outside source to the individual user; 
 a second single ear speaker coupled to said second audio feed wire and adapted to provide the audio from said second audio feed wire to the other ear of the individual user; and 
 a second ear guide coupled to said support structure and adapted to be worn about the other ear of the individual user, wherein said second ear guide is further adapted for use with said second single ear speaker and includes a second groove running therethrough that is adapted to contain said second audio feed wire. 
 
     
     
       9. The audio headset of  claim 8 , wherein said first and second single ear speakers comprise separate ear buds adapted to be inserted into the ears of the user independently from each other. 
     
     
       10. The audio headset of  claim 8 , wherein said first ear guide and said second ear guide both extend around the head of the user to meet each other thereby. 
     
     
       11. The audio headset of  claim 10 , wherein said first groove meets and connects to said second groove. 
     
     
       12. The audio headset of  claim 10 , wherein said first ear guide and said second ear guide are integrally formed from a single piece of material. 
     
     
       13. The audio headset of  claim 1 , further including:
 a microphone coupled to said support structure or the first ear guide and adapted to provide voice input from the user to the outside source. 
 
     
     
       14. The audio headset of  claim 1 , wherein said first audio feed wire and said first single ear speaker are readily separable, removable, and replaceable from said first ear guide and the remainder of said audio headset. 
     
     
       15. An audio system, comprising:
 an audio source processor; and 
 one or more audio headsets adapted to provide audio from said audio source processor to one or more individual users, wherein each of said one or more audio headsets includes:
 a support structure adapted to support said audio headset about the head of the individual user; 
 a first audio feed wire situated about said support structure and adapted to provide audio from an outside source to the individual user; 
 a first ear bud coupled to said first audio feed wire and adapted to be placed into or about a single ear of the individual user; and 
 a first ear guide adapted to be worn around an ear of the individual user and adapted for use with said first ear bud, wherein said first ear guide includes a channel running therethrough that is adapted to contain said first audio feed wire, 
 
 wherein said first audio feed wire is removably attached to both said support structure and the first groove of said first ear guide. 
 
     
     
       16. The audio system of  claim 15 , wherein said first ear bud is arranged to be removable from and replaced to the single ear of the user while said audio headset is being worn by the user and without requiring any movement or adjustment of said support structure or said first ear guide. 
     
     
       17. The audio system of  claim 15 , wherein said first groove includes a rear opening at or near a back end of said first ear guide and runs substantially through the length thereof to a plurality of frontal openings at or near a front end of said first ear guide, and wherein said first audio feed wire is adapted to be adjustable to alter its exit of the first groove at more than one of the plurality of frontal openings. 
     
     
       18. The audio system of  claim 15 , wherein each of said one or more audio headsets further includes:
 a second audio feed wire situated about said support structure and adapted to further provide the audio from the outside source to the individual user; 
 a second ear bud coupled to said second audio feed wire and adapted to provide the audio from said second audio feed wire to the other ear of the individual user; and 
 a second ear guide coupled to said support structure and adapted to be worn about the other ear of the individual user, wherein said second ear guide is further adapted for use with said second ear bud and includes a second groove running therethrough that is adapted to contain said second audio feed wire. 
 
     
     
       19. The audio system of  claim 15 , wherein said first ear guide and said second ear guide both extend around the head of the user to meet each other thereby. 
     
     
       20. A method of providing audio to an individual user, the method comprising:
 providing an audio headset to the individual user, wherein the audio headset includes at least a support structure that supports the audio headset about the head of the individual user, an audio feed wire situated about the support structure that provides audio from an outside source to the individual user, an ear bud coupled to the audio feed wire that provides the audio from the audio feed wire to an ear of the individual user, and an ear guide coupled to the support structure and including a groove running therethrough that contains the audio feed wire, wherein the first audio feed wire is removably attached to both the support structure and the first groove of the first ear guide; 
 facilitating the wearing of the ear guide about the ear of the individual user such that the ear bud dangles therefrom via the audio feed wire and is insertable into the ear of the individual user; and 
 providing audio into the ear of the individual user via the ear bud when the ear bud is inserted into the ear of the individual user.