Hearing protection and communication assembly

• US 20070116318A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tom Rickards
• Original Assignee: Tom Rickards
• Inventors: Rickards, Tom
• Application Number:
  US11/594,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/374
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/00 Non-optical adjuncts; Attachment thereof G02C7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

The speaker head is inserted into the protective ear insert and into one of the wearer'"'"'s ears so that the audio signal is audible to the wearer in a loud environment where exterior noise is muffled by the protective ear insert and the speaker head is shielded from contact with the wearer. The protective insert is removably and moveably secured to the frame and variably positionable in accordance with the location of the wearer'"'"'s ears.

Claims

1. A hearing protection and communication assembly comprising:

a frame;

at least one substantially transparent, substantially shatter proof material eye panel coupled to said frame;

said frame structured to be supportably disposed on a wearer so as to maintain said eye panel disposed in a generally shielding position in front of the wearer'"'"'s eyes;

at least one disposable protective ear insert structured to be disposed at the wearer'"'"'s ears so as to substantially muffle exterior noise, a variably positionable insert connector extending from said frame and structured and disposed to removably secure said protective ear insert to said frame in accordance with the location of the wearer'"'"'s ears, said protective ear insert including an open area therein;

a receiver structured and disposed to receive an audio signal;

a speaker structured and disposed to audibly communicate said audio signal received by said receiver to the wearer, said speaker having an audio output sized to be removably and at least partially inserted into said open area in said protective ear insert such that said audio signal is substantially audible to the wearer in a loud environment while said protective ear insert substantially muffles exterior noise.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said insert connector includes an elongate, flexible speaker connector coupled to said speaker head.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 2 including a second one of said protective ear inserts coupled to said frame by a variably positionable connector and structured to be disposed at the wearer'"'"'s second ear so as to substantially muffle exterior noise in the loud environment.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 3 further comprising a second audio output disposed removably and at least partially in said second protective ear insert, said connector including a second elongate, flexible speaker connector.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said second protective ear insert includes an open area into which said second audio output is at least partially disposed.

6. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective ear insert is formed of a molded, semi-resilient material.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective ear insert is structured to be at least partially inserted into the ear canal so as to substantially muffle exterior noise in the loud environment.

8. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective ear insert is structured to be inserted into the ear in covering relation to an entrance of the ear canal so as to substantially muffle exterior noise in the loud environment.

9. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective ear insert includes a semi-porous construction at least at a portion thereof that confronts an entrance to the ear canal when inserted in the ear so as to permit said audio signal from said speaker head to pass there through into the ear canal.

10. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective ear insert includes an audio opening in a portion thereof that confronts an entrance to the ear canal when inserted in the ear so as to permit said audio signal from said audio output to pass there through into the ear canal.

11. An assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said audio opening is structured to promote the passage of said audio signal therethrough.