CA2014104A1

CA2014104A1 - Garment with audio device

Info

Publication number: CA2014104A1
Application number: CA 2014104
Authority: CA
Inventors: Andrew N. Friesen; Yasunori Kawamata
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-04-06
Filing date: 1990-04-06
Publication date: 1991-10-06

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A garment is provided with one or more built-in electronic audio devices, e.g. a radio and/or a record playing device such as a cassette player or a compact disc player. One or more manually operable control devices are secured to the garment so as to be readily accessible at an exterior surface of the garment for controlling the operation of the electronic audio device or devices and are connected to the latter and to a loudspeaker, and if required a microphone, by means of conductors which are embedded between inner and outer fabric layers of the garment.

Description

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The present invention relates to an assembly of a garment and an electronic device, which device may, for example comprise a one- or two-way radio or a record player device, for example an analogue or digital cassette player, or a compact disc player.
In recent years, small, readily portable personal radios, cassette players and compact disc players have become readily available, and are customarily utilized by attaching them to a belt or other item of clothing worn by the user, or placing them in a pocket in an article of clothing worn by ~ the user, and by employing ear-phones to enable the user to `1 hear sounds reproduced by the radio, cassette player or compact disc player.
However, the disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the conductor wires connecting the radio, cassette player or compact disc player to the earphones, and the ~ earphones themselves, are cumbersome and unsightly and are .' ; generally somewhat inconvenient to use.
. 20 It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel aqsembly of a garment and an electronic device which avoids the use of such external conductors and earphones.
According to the present invention, there is provided a garment and electronic device assembly comprising a garment, an electronic audio device within the garment, manually operable control means for controlling the operation ~`:

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201~104 of the electronic audio device, the manually operable control means being operationally accessible at a surface of the garment, and conductor means concealed between fabric layers ,.
of -the garment for connecting the electronic audio device to the manually operable control means and to the loudspeaker.

,Preferably, the control means are exposed at an exterior surface of the garment.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the :, electronic audio device is a radio, and the garment is also .:..
provided with a record playing device, e.g. a cassette player ' ;!
or a CD player, the radio being connec-ted by the conductor means to the microphone and the loudspeaker, and the record player device being also connected to the loudspeaker by the conductor means.
15The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof ~ 0 j ~j given, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a jacket and electronic device assembly embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a view taken in cross-section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and ":
Figure 3 shows a view taken in cross-section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

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201~104 Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, : reference numeral 10 generally indicates a jacke-t, which is provided with a ~ollar indicated generally by reference ~ numeral 12.
: 5 A pair of loudspeakers 14, and a microphone 16, are embedded in the collar 12 in such a manner as to be exposed the surface of the collar 12.
The jacket 10 also has left and right sleeves 18 and 20.
A pair of manually operable control devices 22 and 24 are secured at the outer surface of the jacket arms 18 and 20 respectively, at locations in which these control devices , 22 and 24 are readily accessible, on the forearms of the :; wearer of the jacket.
i 15 The control device 22 is connected by conductors 26.. ` to a cassette player 28, which is concealed within an inner pocket 30 formed in the jacket. The cassette player is, in turn, connected by conductors 32 to the loudspeakers 14.
The control device 24 is connected by conductors 34 to a two-way radio 36, which is concealed in an inner pocket r' 39 of the jacket 10.
The two-way radio 36 is, in turn, connected by ~ , conductors 38 to the microphone 16 and to the loudspeakers 14.
~`~ 25 When this jacket is in use, the user can use the ~`¦ fingers of his or her right hand to actuate the control device 22 and thereby to control the playing of a recording "I
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.. , by the cassette player 28 so that the sound is emitted from .::
the loudspeakers 14 to be heard by the user.
The user can a]so use the fingers of his or her left hand to actuate the control device 24 to cause the radio to receive a radio signal, which is audibly reproduced by the loudspeakers 14, and also to transmit a radio slgnal corresponding to sounds picked up by the microphone 16.
The casse-tte player 28 may be replaced by a radio-cassette player or a CD player, and the radio 36, conductors 10 34 and 38 and the control device 24 may be omitted.
;~ Alternatively, the cassette player 28 may be omitted. The radio 36 may be replaced by a radio receiver, in which case the microphone 16 and conductors 38 may be omitted.

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Claims

1. A garment and electronic device assembly, comprising:
a garment;
an electronic audio device within said garment;
manually operable control means for controlling the operation of said electronic audio device;
said manually operable control means being accessible at a surface of said garment;
conductor means concealed between fabric layers of said garment for connecting said electronic audio device to said manually operable control means and to said loudspeaker.

2. A garment and electronic device assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a microphone secured to said garment, said conductor means including means connecting said microphone to said electronic audio device and said electronic audio device comprising a two-way radio.

3. A garment and electronic device assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic audio device comprises means for playing recordings.

4. A garment and electronic device assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for playing recordings comprise a cassette player.

5. A garment and electronic device assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electronic audio device comprises a radio, said assembly further comprising means for playing recordings and additional manually operable control means secured to a surface of said garment for controlling the operation of said means for playing recordings, said conductor means including means for connecting said means for playing recordings to said loudspeaker and to said additional manually operable control means.

6. A jacket, having a collar;
a loudspeaker mounted in said collar;
first and second receptacles in said jacket;
a radio in said first receptacle;
a record player device in said second receptacle;
manually operable control means accessible at the exterior of said jacket for controlling the operation of said radio and said record player device; and conductor means embedded between inner and outer fabric layers of said jacket for connecting said manually operable control means to said radio and said record playing device.

7. A jacket as claimed in claim 6, wherein said radio is a two-way radio, said jacket including a microphone attached to said collar and said conductor means connecting said radio to said microphone.