Thursday, October 10, 2024
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Apple granted a patent for over-the-ear headphones with adjustable band

There are rumors that Apple will release Apple-branded over-the-ear headphones this year along with its AirPods and Beats-branded product. And the tech giant has been granted a patent (number 10,178,463) for such a product.

The patent involves a pair of headphones including an adjustable headphone band. The headphone band can include an inner member and an outer member. The headphones can further include a braking mechanism disposed between the inner member and the outer member, and an earcup attachment feature. In some embodiments, the braking mechanism can include a brake pad and a brake pad cover.

In the patent filing, Apple notes that, in many over-the-ear headphones, the headphone band is adjustable allowing the headphones to securely fit heads of various shapes and sizes. Some adjustable headphone bands include a ratcheting mechanism with discrete locking positions. 



When a listener wears the headphone on their head and adjusts the length, extra pressure on the headphone band can cause the headphone to `bind` the ratcheting system thereby making adjustment difficult. Apple thinks it can do better.

Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.