METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR ACHIEVEING ACOUSTICALLY SPECTRUM TUNABLE EARPIECES, PANELS, AND INSERTS

• US 20140373854A1
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John P. Keady
• Original Assignee: John P. Keady
• Inventors: Keady, John P.
• Application Number:
  US13/859,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373854A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/865
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/085 including an inner channel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/10 inflatable or expandable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/11 Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659

Abstract

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an earpiece that includes a fluid in a reservoir where the composition of the fluid or the pressure of the fluid can be modified to vary the insertion loss value of the earpiece.

Claims

1. An earpiece comprising:

a fluid reservoir, including an internal fastening system;

a channel; and

a flexible distal end, where the fluid reservoir is operatively connected to the distal end by the channel, where the reservoir is configured to be expanded when the internal fastening system is not engaged, and where the reservoir is configured to push fluid through the channel into the distal end when one side of the reservoir is pressed, and where the reservoir is configured so that the when the one side is pressed the internal fastening system engages facilitating the reservoir staying in a pressed state.

2. The earpiece according to claim 1, where the fluid is at least one of a gas or a liquid.

3. The earpiece according to claim 2, where the fluid is at least one of water or a mixture of water.

4. The earpiece according to claim 2, where the internal fastening system is Velcro™

.

8. The earpiece according to claim 4, where the pressed state is released by a user pulling on the reservoir in a direction opposite to the direction the reservoir was initially pressed.

5. The earpiece according to claim 5, further comprising:

a housing, where the second reservoir is within the housing, where a portion of the structure is within the housing.

9. An earpiece comprising:

a fluid reservoir;

a pump insert port, where the pump insert port is configured to attach to a detachable pump system so that when the pump system is activated the fluid reservoir fills with fluid; and

a pump seal valve, where the pump seal valve is configured to close when the pump system is detached from the pump insert port.

10. An earpiece system comprising:

a first fluid reservoir;

a second fluid reservoir;

a lanyard operatively connecting the first fluid reservoir and the second fluid reservoir; and

a pump operatively connected to the lanyard, where the pump modifies fluid flow in the first and second fluid reservoirs.