EARPLUG

• US 20100300460A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hamer, Jeffrey L., Falco, Robert Nicolo
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/864
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly

Abstract

An earplug is provided and includes a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity, and a stem. The stem includes a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, the member including a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member being formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.

Claims

1. An earplug, comprising:

a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity; and

a stem, including;

a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and

a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, wherein the member includes a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member is formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.

2. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the elongate portion comprises opposing sidewalls tapered toward one another and opposing faces extending between the sidewalls, which are arranged substantially in parallel.

3. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the member and the cavity are extendable through the tip such that an end of the cavity and a distal end of the member are disposable between a tip center of mass and a tip forward portion.

4. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the member and the cavity are each formed with complementary squared shapes.

5. The earplug according to claim 4, wherein the member and the cavity are each formed with a taper in a forward direction.

6. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the member comprises tabs and the cavity is defined with pockets into which the tabs are receivable.

7. The earplug according to claim 6, wherein the member and the cavity are each formed with a taper in a forward direction.

8. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the channel allows for outflow of at least one of adhesive and air from the cavity.

9. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the channel is defined along a longitudinal length of the member.

10. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the channel is plural in number and disposed on at least opposing sides of the member.

11. The earplug according to claim 1, wherein the tip comprises piston design features and the stem comprises rod design features.

12. The earplug according to claim 11, wherein the piston design features comprise wrist pin bores, ring lands and grooves and piston dome features and the rod design features comprise rod faces and rod structural features.

13. An earplug, comprising:

a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity; and

a stem, including;

a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and

a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion, which is configured to be insertable into the cavity with axial and circumferential alignment and to be adhered to an interior facing surface thereof.

14. The earplug according to claim 13, wherein the elongate portion comprises opposing sidewalls tapered toward one another and opposing faces extending between the sidewalls, which are arranged substantially in parallel.

15. The earplug according to claim 13, wherein the sidewalls taper toward one another in a forward direction.

16. The earplug according to claim 13, wherein the opposing faces are defined with undercut portions recessed therefrom.

17. The earplug according to claim 13, wherein the elongate portion comprises a bulbous user graspable base section at a rear thereof.

18. An earplug, comprising:

a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity; and

a stem, including;

a user graspable elongate portion, and

a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, wherein the member includes a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member is formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.

19. The earplug according to claim 18, wherein the member and the cavity are extendable through the tip such that an end of the cavity and a distal end of the member are disposable between a tip center of mass and a tip forward portion.

20. The earplug according to claim 18, wherein the member and the cavity are each formed with complementary squared shapes.

21. The earplug according to claim 20, wherein the member and the cavity are each formed with a taper in a forward direction.

22. The earplug according to claim 18, wherein the member comprises tabs and the cavity is defined with pockets into which the tabs are receivable.

23. The earplug according to claim 22, wherein the member and the cavity are each formed with a taper in a forward direction.

24. The earplug according to claim 18, wherein the channel allows for outflow of at least one of adhesive and air from the cavity.

25. The earplug according to claim 18, wherein the channel is defined along a longitudinal length of the member.

26. The earplug according to claim 18, wherein the channel is plural in number and disposed on at least opposing sides of the member.

27. A method of assembling an earplug, the method comprising:

forming a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing;

boring a cavity into the tip from a rear face thereof;

forming a stem with a biaxial stiffness including an elongate portion, and a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity;

defining a channel along a surface of the member;

aligning the member with the cavity; and

adhering the surface of the member to an interior facing surface of the cavity with outflow from the cavity being urged along the channel.