Self-fitting device for location in an ear canal

• US 20090320858A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Ross, Kenneth Michael, Belliveau, Scott M., Purcell, Ricky Wayne, Wozny, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/864
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/10 inflatable or expandable

Abstract

A self-fitting device for location in an ear canal. The device includes a body having a body ear end, an opposite body user end, and a shaft extending from the ear end to the user end. A resilient bladder is joined with the body ear end and a chamber is defined inside the resilient bladder where the chamber is in communication with the shaft and the resilient bladder has a wall portion and is deformable from an at-rest position to an in-ear position. The resilient bladder has a variable strength profile in the wall portion of the bladder.

Claims

1. A self-fitting device for location in an ear canal, comprising:

a body having a body ear end, an opposite body user end, and a shaft extending from the ear end to the user end;

a resilient bladder joined with the body ear end and a chamber defined inside the resilient bladder where the chamber is in communication with the shaft and the resilient bladder has a wall portion and is deformable from an at-rest position to an in-ear position; and

,

the resilient bladder having a variable strength profile in the wall portion of the bladder.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the variable strength profile comprises a plurality of relief zones located in an inside portion of the wall portion of the bladder.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the relief zones comprise grooves located in an inside surface of the wall portion of the bladder.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the grooves comprise axial grooves.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the grooves comprise radial grooves.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein the grooves comprise a criss-cross pattern of grooves.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein the relief zones comprise a network of peaks and valleys in the wall portion of the bladder.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the network comprises an aligned pattern of the peaks and valleys.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising an elongate plunger located in the shaft, the elongate plunger having a plunger user end extending out of the shaft and away from the body ear end and an opposite plunger ear end in communication with the resilient bladder, wherein the elongate plunger actuates between the at-rest position and an insertion position to assist the resilient bladder to in being deformed from the at-rest position to the in-ear position.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the resilient bladder has a first cross-sectional area in the at-rest position and a second cross-sectional area in the in-ear position, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the variable strength profile comprises the resilient bladder formed of a first layer overlying a second layer and the first layer having a first durometer and the second layer having a second durometer wherein the first durometer is different than the second durometer.

12. The device of claim 12 wherein the first durometer is greater than the second durometer.

13. A self-fitting device for location in an ear canal, comprising:

a body having a body ear end, an opposite body user end, and a shaft extending from the ear end to the user end;

a resilient bladder joined with the body ear end and a chamber defined inside the resilient bladder where the chamber is in communication with the shaft and the resilient bladder has a wall portion and is deformable from an at-rest position to an in-ear position;

the resilient bladder comprising a plurality of relief zones located in an inside portion of the wall portion of the bladder; and

,

an elongate plunger located in the shaft, the elongate plunger having a plunger user end extending out of the shaft and away from the body ear end and an opposite plunger ear end in communication with the resilient bladder, wherein the elongate plunger actuates between the at-rest position and an insertion position to assist the resilient bladder in being deformed from the at-rest position to the in-ear position, and the resilient bladder has a first cross-sectional area in the at-rest position and a second cross-sectional area in the in-ear position, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area.

14. A self-fitting device for location in an ear canal, comprising:

a body having a body ear end and an opposite body user end and a body cross-section with a body cross-section width;

a resilient bladder joined with the body and having a wall portion that is deformable from an at-rest position to an in-ear position, the resilient bladder also having a bladder cross-section where the bladder cross-section has a bladder cross-section width that is greater than the body cross-section width; and

,

the resilient bladder having a variable strength profile in the wall portion of the bladder.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the variable strength profile comprises a plurality of relief zones located in an inside portion of the wall portion of the bladder.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the relief zones comprise a member from the group of axial grooves, radial grooves and a combination of axial and radial grooves, located in an inside surface of the wall portion of the bladder.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the relief zones comprise a network of peaks and valleys in the wall portion of the bladder.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the resilient bladder has a first cross-sectional area in the at-rest position and a second cross-sectional area in the in-ear position, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is greater than the second cross-sectional area.

19. The device of claim 14 wherein the variable strength profile comprises the resilient bladder formed of a first layer overlying a second layer and the first layer having a first durometer and the second layer having a second durometer wherein the first durometer is different than the second durometer.

20. The device of claim 14, comprising a second resilient bladder joined with the body and having a wall portion that is deformable from an at-rest position to an in-ear position, the second resilient bladder also having a second bladder cross-section where the second bladder cross-section has a second bladder cross-section width that is greater than the body cross-section width and is less than the bladder cross-sectional width, and the second resilient bladder is located closer to the body ear end than the resilient bladder is so located.