Ear acoustical attenuating device

• US 4,353,364 A
• Filed: 04/10/1980
• Issued: 10/12/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Woods
• Original Assignee: Thomas J. Woods
• Inventors: Woods, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US06/138,936
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 128/151, 128/152, 128/260, 179/1 P, 181/130, 181/135, 181/137, D24/67, 2/209
• US Class Current: 128/867
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/085 including an inner channel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/12 External mounting means

Abstract

An ear-insertable protecting device includes a body unit and an integral extending tubular portion adapted to be received in the aperture of the auditory meatus of the ear so it affects a sound seal between the inserted portion and the ear canal with the device having an auditory channel extending therethrough with sound attenuating means located in the auditory channel, includes a cooperating retaining device having a barb at each end which can be plugged into the body unit, in either the auditory channel or another opening provided therefor whereby the device can provide partial or total sound occlusion at the option of the user. In addition, the tubular portion is preferably tapered from the body unit and has a radially extending web wound spirally thereon to facilitate affecting a sound seal with the ear canal without accompanying discomfort. Further, the barb may include a lanyard to prevent loss of the device.

Claims

1. An ear hearing protective device comprising:

an elastomer body means having a first aperture and a second aperture, said first and second apertures being laterally spaced apart and a connecting tubular means extending from said first and second apertures, said tubular means being tapered and adapted to be received in the ear canal of the human ear in a sound-sealing relationship;

an auditory channel for passing sound waves therethrough extending through said body means from said first aperture therein and through said tubular means to an opening at its distal end;

a sound attenuating means located in said channel operable to attenuate sound waves, said sound attenuating means having an opening of a lesser diameter than the said channel; and

a removable plug means selectively inserted in said first aperture communicating with said auditory channel in said body means or in said second aperture therein to provide the wearer with selective total sound occlusion and partial sound attenuating depending upon the position of said plug means in said apertures.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the plug means includes a flexible cord means having one end thereof connected in said plug means and means on said opposite end adapted to be anchored to a wearer whereby said flexible cord means is operable when the plug means is inserted in one of said apertures in the body means to retain the ear hearing protective device when the other end of the cord means is anchored.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 including a second hearing protective device as defined in claim 1 and wherein said anchoring means comprises a second removable plug means connected to said flexible cord means at its opposite end selectively inserted in said first or second aperture of said second hearing protective device thereby providing a connecting means for said pair of hearing protective devices when the several plug means are inserted in said respective apertures in said respective devices.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the tubular means includes a radially-projecting continuous web means extending spirally along its length, said web means being flexible, allowing it to deflect to the configuration of the ear canal when it is inserted into the human ear and rotated whereby it is operable to cause said web means to locate in the ear channel in sound sealing relationship as a result of the spiral configuration and rotation.

5. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein the body means has an irregular outer surface to facilitate rotating the tubular means when rotated with the fingers for inserting it into the ear canal of the human ear in a sound-sealing relationship.

6. The ear hearing protective device as defined in claim 1 wherein the sound attenuating means includes a diaphragm disposed transversely in the auditory channel in its central portion which has a plurality of radial slits extending from its center to its circular periphery operable to allow its resulting segmented portions to be displaced by pressure variations caused by sound waves.

7. The hearing protective device as defined in claim 1 wherein the sound attenuating means includes a diaphragm across the auditory channel which has a central aperture from 0.010 to 0.020 inches and a diaphragm thickness of about 0.010 inches.

8. An ear hearing protective device comprising:

an elastomer body means with a connecting tubular means adapted to be received in the ear canal of a human ear in sound-sealing relationship;

said tubular means having a radially projecting web means extending spirally along its length, said web means being flexible, allowing it to deflect to the configuration of the ear canal when it is inserted into a human ear and rotated whereby it is operable to cause said web means to locate in the ear channel in a sound-sealing relationship;

an auditory channel passing axially through said body means and said tubular means operable to pass sound waves therethrough, from a surface on the said body means to the distal end of said tubular means; and

a sound attenuating means located in said channel operable to attenuate sound waves, said sound attenuating means including a diaphragm across said auditory channel, said diaphragm having a pluraity of slits extending from its center to its circular periphery operable to allow the resulting segmented portions to be temporarily displaced by pressures originating from sound waves.

9. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein the tubular means is formed of a tapered member with the spiral web means projecting therefrom.

10. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein the radially projecting web means extending spirally along said tubular means progressively decreases in diameter in its convolutions from the body means to the distal end of said tubular means.

11. The device defined in claim 8 wherein thin membrane means extend between the projecting web means at random locations operable to block a continuous spiral path between said projecting web means at a plurality of locations along said tubular means.

12. The device as defined in clam 8 wherein the body or said means includes a second aperture and a removable plug means which is operably securable in the auditory channel or said second aperture therein.

13. The device as defined in claim 12 wherein the removable plug means includes a flexible cord means whereby the device may be secured to the wearer'"'"'s person when the plug means is operably received in the auditory channel or said second aperture in said device.

14. An ear hearing protective device comprising an elastomer body having a first aperture and a second aperture laterally spaced from said first aperture and having a connecting tubular means extending from said first and second apertures, said last-named means adapted to be received in the ear canal of a human ear in a sound-sealing relationship;

an auditory channel for passing pressure waves representing sound therethrough extending through said body means from said first aperture thereon and through said tubular means to an opening at the distal end of said tubular means;

sound attenuating means located in said auditory channel operable to attenuate said pressure waves, said sound attenuating means including a diaphragm disposed transversely across said auditory channel, said diaphragm having a plurality of slits extending from its center to its circular periphery operable to allow the resulting segmented portions to be displaced by pressures originating from sound waves; and

a removable plug means selectively inserted in said first aperture communicating with said auditory channel in said body means or in said second aperture therein to provide the wearer with selective total sound occlusion and partial sound attenuating depending upon the position of said plug means in said apertures.

15. The ear hearing protective device as defined in claim 14 wherein the tubular means is conically shaped, progressively decreasing in diameter to its distal end, and includes a radially-projected web means extending spirally along its length, said web means being flexible to allow deflection to effect a sound-sealing relationship when the tubular means is received in an ear channel, said web means including a plurality of membrane means extending normally between the convolutions of the spiral thereof at random locations operable to block a continuous spiral path along said tubular means.

16. The ear hearing protective device as defined in claim 14 wherein the diaphragm has a thickness of about 0.010 inches.

17. The ear hearing protective device as defined in claim 14 wherein the diaphragm has a central aperture of a diameter from 0.010 to 0.020 inches.