Acoustic ear plug

• US 4,582,053 A
• Filed: 01/06/1984
• Issued: 04/15/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Garnet J.E. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Garnet J.E. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Garnet J. E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Mark L.
• Application Number:
  US06/568,785
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 128/151, 128/152
• US Class Current: 128/867
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs

Abstract

An acoustic ear plug comprises, individually or in combination, a first element to be inserted within the ear canal and comprising an elongate hollow cylinder having a tapered forward insertion end and a pliant wall of acoustic barrier material on the forward portion and over the majority of the length of said cylinder, said wall being compressible and having compression recovery characteristics accommodating firm and conformable reception of the element deeply into the ear canal to completely block the canal over a significant axial distance, the rearward portion of the cylinder defining a stem facilitating insertion and removal of the element; and a second element to be inserted in and cover the outer ear and comprising a hollow bell of a size to cover the ear, an acoustic barrier wall on the outer surface of the bell, and a shape retaining but resilient ear piece on the forward portion of the bell accommodating firm and conformable reception of the ear piece in the outer ear to completely cover and block the ear canal, said ear piece including a tubular extension centrally thereof accommodating firm and conformable reception therein of the rearward portion of said cylinder and extension thereof into juxtaposition with the forward surface of the bell; said cylinder and said bell being evacuated and when used in combination acting in series to mitigate transmission of sound into the ear, said pliant wall and said ear piece mitigating transmission of sound into the ear around said cylinder and also dampening out vibrations imparted respectively to said cylinder and said bell for further mitigating transmission of sound into the ear.

Claims

1. An acoustic ear plug comprising a unitary element to be inserted within the ear canal and comprising an elongate hollow cylinder having a tapered forward insertion end and a pliant external wall of acoustic barrier material on the forward portion and over the majority of the length of said cylinder, said wall being compressible and having compression recovery characteristics accommodating firm and conformable reception of the element deeply into the ear canal to completely block the canal over a significant axial distance, the rearward portion of the cylinder defining a stem faciliating insertion and removal of the element;

said cylinder being evacuated and comprising a vacuum chamber of large effective volume for obturating the major volume of the ear canal and significantly mitigating transmission of sound into the ear, said pliant wall mitigating transmission of sound into the ear around said cylinder for further mitigating transmission of sound into the ear.

2. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cylinder is formed of plastic and the internal surfaces thereof are coated with a layer of gas barrier material to provide a gas impervious vacuum chamber.

3. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hollow cylinder comprises a generally bullet shaped element of a length greater than the axial dimension of the ear canal and said pliant external wall comprises a covering on the forward portion and over the majority of the length thereof.

4. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein said hollow cylinder is formed in part by said pliant external wall and in further part by said stem, said stem and wall being joined together and defining a large volume vacuum chamber therein.

5. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 4, wherein said pliant external wall comprises a series of undulations.

6. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 4, wherein said pliant external wall is undulating and in the form of an auger thread and said stem has a pliant external wall covering in the form of a screw thread.

7. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 6, including means on said stem and said external covering therefor accommodating axial adjustment therebetween and thus between said auger thread and said screw thread to vary the overall length of the plug.

16. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pliant external wall is in the form of an auger thread so that the ear plug can be threadedly inserted in the ear and will pull itself fully into the ear canal.

8. An acoustic ear plug comprising a unitary element to be inserted in and cover the outer ear and comprising a hollow bell of a size to cover the ear, an acoustic barrier wall on the outer surface of the bell, and a shape retaining but resilient earpiece on the forward portion of the bell accommodating firm and conformable reception of the earpiece in the outer ear to completely cover and block the ear canal;

said bell being evacuated and comprising a vacuum chamber of large effective volume covering the ear for significantly mitigating transmission of sound into the ear, said earpiece mitigating transmission of sound into the ear around said bell and also dampening out vibrations imparted to said bell for further mitigating transmission of sound into the ear.

9. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 8, wherein said earpiece includes an axial extension for insertion in the outer end of the ear canal to retain the ear plug on the user'"'"'s ear.

10. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 8, including a resilient tubular collar extending between and connecting said earpiece to said bell, said resilient tubular collar dampening out vibrations imparted to said bell.

11. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 8, said bell having an outwardly bowed outer wall forming a drum wall for absorbing concussive shocks.

12. An acoustic ear plug comprising, in combination:

a first element to be inserted within the ear canal and comprising a hollow cylinder having a pliant external wall of acoustic barrier material on the forward portion and over the majority of the length of said cylinder, said wall being compressible and having compression recovery characteristics accommodating firm and conformable reception of the element in the ear canal, the rearward portion of the cylinder defining a stem facilitating insertion and removal of the element, said cylinder being evacuated and comprising a vacuum chamber of large effective volume for obturating the major volume of the ear canal; and

a second element to be inserted in and cover the outer ear and comprising a hollow bell of a size to cover the ear, said bell being evacuated and comprising a vacuum chamber of large effective volume covering the outer ear, an acoustic barrier wall on the outer surface of the bell, a shape retaining but resilient earpiece on the forward portion of the bell accommodating firm and conformable reception of the earpiece in the outer ear, and an extension on the earpiece accommodating firm and conformable reception of said stem to interconnect said first and second elements;

said vacuum chambers in said cylinder and said bell acting in series for significantly mitigating transmission of sound into the ear.

13. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 12, wherein said extension on said earpiece is hollow and said stem extends therethrough into juxtaposition with the forward surface of said bell, said forward surface of said bell having an acoustic pad thereon juxtaposed to said stem.

14. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 12, wherein said extension on said earpiece comprises a spherical socket, a ball mounted in said socket for swivel movement therein, and a recess in said ball for reception of said stem for interconnecting said first and second elements and accommodating individual adjustment of the two elements to the ear and ear canal of the user.

15. An acoustic ear plug as set forth in claim 14, including means on said stem and said ball for adjusting the positions of the stem and ball axially relative to one another.