High level sound vibrations and perhaps particularly the steady recurring sounds or din in industrial operations are known to cause traumatic hearing impairments and even loss of hearing. Often these types of impairments do not respond to hearing aids or surgery. As would be expected, there are numerous types of hearing protectors for noise deadening or noise reduction.
One type of conventional hearing protection device are foam ear plugs that may be compressed and inserted into the ear, and then allowed to expand to fit the ear canal. While these types of ear plugs may be useful, they can be uncomfortable and difficult to insert correctly. Further, handling the ear plugs to compress, or remove and replace may be unsanitary.
Another type of conventional hearing protection device includes a U-shaped headband having an inwardly directed ear plug affixed to each of the opposed ends. While it is easy and more sanitary to temporarily pull an ear plug away from the ear, the conventional headband may have certain drawbacks and deficiencies. For some persons, ear bands can cause pressure and are very uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
For example, the shape of the headband is such that when the ear plugs are mounted in the wearer's ears, portions of the headband may be close to or touching the wearer's head. This can be irritating and uncomfortable to the wearer. In addition, there is no mechanism for adjusting the headband to allow for varying head sizes. A wearer with a large head requires a large distance between the headband ends on which the ear plugs are attached. Unfortunately, as the distance between the headband end increases, so does the tension in the headband. Accordingly, wearers with relatively large heads may experience discomfort due to this high tension in the headband.
In light of the foregoing problems and issues discussed above, it is desired to have a hearing protection device that can comfortably fit a wide variety of users. It is also desired to have a hearing protection device that may be temporarily moved away from the ear without contamination by the hand.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clip-on hearing protection device. The device includes a hearing protection device for a single human ear canal, the device including a plug member and an ear clip. The ear clip includes a pressure member having a first end and an opposite second end. The plug member is connected the first end of the pressure member and a bow member is connected to the second end of the pressure member. The bow member is adapted to bias the plug member toward the ear canal.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clip-on hearing protection device. The device includes a hearing protection device for a single human ear canal, the device including a plug member and an ear clip adapted to wrap about the pinna member of the ear. The ear clip has a pressure means for biasing the plug member toward the ear canal.
In still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clip-on hearing protection device for attachment to a single human ear. The device includes an ear clip with a neck member having a first end and an opposite second end, and a flexible, unitary bow member connected to the second end of the neck member. The bow member has a compressible partial helical-spring shape adapted wrap about the pinna of the human ear. A plug member is attached to the first end of the neck member, and a handle is attached to the unitary bow member adjacent the second end of the neck member.
In yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ear phone device. The device including a plug member and an ear clip. The ear clip includes a pressure member having a first end and an opposite second end. The plug member is connected the first end of the pressure member and a bow member is connected to the second end of the pressure member. A sound transmission device is enclosed within the ear clip for transmitting sound waves through the plug member to the ear canal. The bow member is adapted to bias the plug member toward the ear canal.
Other features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter as well as better understood by practice of the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of the clip-on hearing protection device that is the present invention.
A full an enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures in which:
The present invention is a hearing protector for the human ear 10. In order to provide context for the present invention, a brief discussion of human ear anatomy is presented. Referring to
The present invention is a hearing protector 100 that clips to the pinna 12. The hearing protector may be unitary in construction, or assembled from two or more separate parts. Further, the hearing protector 100 will have a left or right orientation, depending on whether it is adaptable for the left or right ear. Regardless of the number of parts or the orientation of hearing protector 100, each embodiment of the present invention has several general sections. For instance, as seen in the embodiment shown in
Hearing protectors 100 fall generally into three categories, including protectors that covers the entrance to ear canal 26 (referred to as cap devices) (
Hearing protectors 100 which enter the ear canal to a greater degree offer better protection against harmful noise levels because vibrations from the ear cartilage and ear canal tissue is reduced, and the ear canal is at least partially sealed against the noisy environment. However, full-insert and even semi-insert devices may be less comfortable than those which simply cap the ear canal 26. Typically, plugs 102 that cap the ear canal 26 are used for intermittent noise exposures where lighter weight and improved low frequency attenuation are desirable. As used herein, “hearing protectors” refers generally to hearing protectors falling into one of the three categories described above. For reasons of simplicity, the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations.
As shown in
Referring to
For semi-insert or full-insert plugs (
Plug 102 may be connected to neck 104 in a variety of ways. A first exemplary embodiment of a plug-neck connection, shown in
In a second exemplary embodiment of a plug-neck connection, shown in
In a third exemplary embodiment of a plug-neck connection, shown in
It is to be understood that the particular compound for making plug 102 is less important than the mechanical qualities of the plug 102. Most desirably, the earplug, when deformed, will tend to recover its original shape and size. The conformity of the foamed polymeric composition will create a seal against the ear wall to block sound from entering into ear canal. The principal characteristics exhibited by the ear plug materials are that it is soft and pliable to conform to the shape of the ear canal and ear canal entrance.
In one embodiment, the plug 102 material may have a skin formed on its outer surface, with the skin broken to permit the venting of the ear canal (not shown). With the open-cell construction of the plug 102, air may slowly escape from the ear canal to the surrounding atmosphere until the pressures are equalized. If the atmospheric pressure increases, the pressure within the ear canal may again be equalized to eliminate dizziness, vertigo, or other discomfort. It will be realized that the rate of flow of air through the open cell foam will be relatively slow and hence, the pressure equalization will not in any way affect the sound attenuating properties of the hearing protector 100.
In each of the exemplary embodiments described herein, the plug 102 may be made from dynamically stiff foam. One suitable dynamically stiff foam is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,381, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent they are consistent with the present invention. Alternatively, the plug 102 may comprise any other conventional earplug foam material such as the foam disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 29,487, all of the contents of which are also incorporated herein by reference to the extent it is consistent with the present invention. In yet another embodiment, plug 102 may be made from silicon rubber. However, it is noted that any flexible polymeric material which can be foamed so as to result in a formed plug structure meeting the design criteria set forth herein constitutes a satisfactory material of construction in the plugs 102 of the invention. Accordingly, polymers of ethylene, propylene, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, diisocyanate, cellulose acetate or isobutylene can all be generally employed.
The neck 104 may have a solid cross-section as seen in
Shoulder 106 is a section of the hearing protector 100 that will experience relatively high stress as compared to the neck 104 and the arm 108. Shoulder 106, operates as the spring member of hearing protector 100. With respect to a reference plane that lies along line 8A-8A of
Handle 110 is an optional feature that enables a user to conveniently grip the hearing protector 100 to spread the bow member for attachment to the ear. Handle 100 may also be used to temporarily pull the plug 102 away from the ear canal 26 or adjust the position of plug 102. Handle 110 is generally an elongated shape. However, as it is only used as a handle and may not experience as much stress as other sections of hearing protector 100, handle 110 may incorporate many aesthetic features without affecting its function. For example, a separate material 160 may be overlaid onto or otherwise attached to handle 110 to add visual interest and/or a different tactile feature. It is contemplated that handle 110 may be constructed from a unitary member.
Arm 108 is a flexible member that curves about pinna 12 from about junction 170 (where the helix 16 meets the head tissue 36) to the back of the pinna (see
Desirably, the distal end 172 (
As mentioned previously, the neck 104, shoulder 106, and arm 108 may be constructed as a unitary piece, as by injection molding. However, it is contemplated that these regions could include one or more parts or over-molded pieces, similar to the embodiments of
In operation, the device of
A second exemplary embodiment of the hearing protector 100, shown in
In this particular embodiment, a first component is the neck 104 and a portion of the shoulder 106, which collectively define an elbow 180. A second component is a spring 184, which is a member that functions as a torsion spring. A third component is the arm 108 and integrally-connected partial-sleeve 182. Sleeve 182 overlaps a portion of the shoulder region 106 where it connects to spring 184. Yet a fourth component is the plug 102, that attaches to the neck in the way described in the previous embodiment.
The neck 104 and shoulder 106 may be constructed from a molded plastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, and the like. Arm 108, along with integral sleeve 182, is desirably a flexible member manufactured from the same type of materials described for the embodiment shown in
Desirably, elbow 180 is an L-shaped member having a short leg 190 and a long leg 192. Short leg 190 and long leg 192 may merge at approximately an angle 194 ranging from about 85 to 90 degrees. The short leg 190 includes a straight section for receiving the spring 184. The long leg 192 may be straight as shown, or more curved.
As compared to the neck 104 and corresponding plug 102 of the previous embodiment (
Torsion spring 184 may be permanently attached to the elbow 180 and sleeve 182 with an adhesive such as cyanoacrylate glue, casein glue, cement glues, resin glues. In the alternative, such connections may be made with an interference fit between the members.
Referring still to
Referring still to
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in
Arm 108 may be the flexible plastic material as described for the embodiment of
Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. For example, any of the embodiments of the present invention may be adapted for use as an ear phone (not shown). As one skilled in the art of ear phone technology will realize, electronics for transmitting sound may be embedded in the ear clip and attached to speaker located in the neck 104. The plug member 102 may at least partially cover the speaker.
When introducing elements of the invention or the preferred aspect(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080264429 A1 | Oct 2008 | US |