System and method for providing passive noise reduction

• US 20050257995A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brookstone Purchasing Incorporated (Bebe Stores, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brookstone Purchasing Incorporated (Bebe Stores, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Vian W.Y., Little, Baird M., Harris, Kenneth David Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,367,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06

Abstract

A passive noise reduction apparatus has a headset with at least one ear cup attached to the headset, the ear cup having an ear side and a shell side. An inner shell, having a cup side and an outer side, is mounted to and substantially covers the shell side of the ear cup wherein the cup side of the inner shell faces the shell side of the ear cup. An outer shell, having an inner side and a distal side, is mounted to and substantially covers the inner shell, wherein the inner side of the outer shell is in substantially contiguous contact with the outer side of the inner shell.

Claims

1. A passive noise reduction apparatus, comprising:

a headset;

at least one ear cup attached to the headset, the ear cup having an ear side and a shell side;

an inner shell having a cup side and an outer side, the inner shell mounted to and substantially covering the shell side of the ear cup wherein the cup side of the inner shell faces the shell side of the ear cup; and

an outer shell having an inner side and a distal side, the outer shell mounted to and substantially covering the inner shell, wherein the inner side of the outer shell is in substantially contiguous contact with the outer side of the inner shell.

2. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner shell and the outer shell are translucent, thereby permitting an image on the shell side of the ear cup to be visible through the inner shell and the outer shell.

3. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer shell is substantially translucent.

4. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an image located on the inner side of the outer shell, whereby the image is visible through the outer shell.

5. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an image located on the outer side of the inner shell whereby the image is visible through the outer shell.

6. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 3, wherein the inner shell is substantially translucent.

7. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a speaker mounted within the ear cup.

8. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a microphone mounted to the ear side of the ear cup;

an opening formed through the inner shell and the outer shell and in communication with the microphone; and

an active noise reduction circuit electronically connected to the microphone and the speaker to receive an ambient noise signal from the microphone and cancel out the ambient noise signal using the speaker.

9. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are removable from the ear cup.

10. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are adhesively attached.

11. The passive noise reduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are removably attached.

12. A method of making a passive noise reduction apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

forming an ear unit by;

mounting an ear cup, having an ear side and a shell side, to an inner shell having a cup side and an outer side, the inner shell substantially covering the shell side of the ear cup wherein the cup side of the inner shell faces the shell side of the ear cup;

mounting an outer shell, having an inner side and a distal side, to the inner shell, wherein the inner side of the outer shell is in substantially contiguous contact with the outer side of the inner shell; and

connecting at least one ear unit to a headset.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the outer shell and the inner shell are removably attached.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the inner shell and the outer shell are translucent, thereby permitting an image on the shell side of the ear cup to be visible through the inner shell and the outer shell.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the outer shell is substantially translucent.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of fixing an image to the inner side of the outer shell, whereby the image is visible through the outer shell.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of fixing an image to the outer side of the inner shell, whereby the image is visible through the outer shell.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of tinting the outer shell with at least one color.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of mounting the outer shell to the inner shell further comprising adhesively mounting the outer shell to the inner shell.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

mounting a microphone to the ear side of the ear cup;

forming an opening through the inner shell and the outer shell and in communication with the microphone; and

electronically connecting an active noise reduction circuit to the microphone and the speaker to receive an ambient noise signal from the microphone and cancel out the ambient noise signal using the speaker.

21. A passive noise reduction apparatus, comprising:

a headset;

at least one ear cup attached to the headset, the ear cup having an ear side and a shell side;

an inner shell having a cup side and an outer side, the inner shell mounted to and substantially covering the shell side of the ear cup wherein the cup side of the inner shell faces the shell side of the ear cup; and

an outer shell having an inner side and a distal side, the outer shell fabricated on and substantially covering the inner shell, wherein the inner side of the outer shell is in substantially contiguous contact with the outer side of the inner shell.