Compressible ear tip

• US 4,852,684 A
• Filed: 09/30/1988
• Issued: 08/01/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Packard, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, B. R.
• Application Number:
  US07/252,511
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 181/131, 181/135, 181/137, 128/864-867
• US Class Current: 181/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659

Abstract

An ear tip for use with a stethoscope, audio headset or like device, the ear tip being of a construction and design that provides substantial deformation of the ear tip under normal stethoscope pressures such that in use the ear tip is seated comfortably and conformably against the ear canal opening.

Claims

1. An ear tip adapted to deliver sound to a canal of a human ear, which ear tip comprises:

(a) a first section adapted to couple with a sound-transmitting device, and

(b) a second section connected to and in open communication with the first section, the second section comprising (1) walls defining a bulbous second section having a region of greatest outside diameter and a convex inner surface, which inner surface defines a hollow inner chamber having an inside diameter and a preselected length, and (2) a outlet port adapted for open communication with the ear canal;

wherein

the second section presents a surface for contact with the ear;

the walls have a hardness in a range between (1) a lower limit above that hardness which will allow loss of open communication between the ear and the sound-transmitting device when the ear tip is in place in the ear, and (2) an upper limit of about 90 Shore A;

the second section is deformable under an axial force in a range between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces from a relaxed state to a compressed state, in which compressed state the ear-contacting surface is of substantially greater area than in the relaxed state;

the sound section is adapted to conform in the compressed state to the external acoustic meatus of the ear;

a maximum outside diameter of the second section is at least about 0.40 inches; and

the ear tip exhibits a compression diameter increase of at least about 10% under an axial force of 12 ounces.

5. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the walls have a minimum thickness in the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section, and a greater thickness in a region nearer the outlet port such that the ear tip bulges in the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section when the ear tip is subjected to an axial force in the range between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces.

6. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the second section walls have a lower limit of hardness of 10 on the Shore A scale.

7. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the second section walls are polyurethane.

8. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the second section walls are silicone.

9. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, which comprises a stop means projecting from the first section into the hollow inner chamber to limit the compression of the ear tip.

10. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the ratio of (i) the inside diameter of the second section measured at the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section to (ii) the greatest outside diameter of the second section is between about 0.8 and about 0.95;

and

the ratio of (i) the length of the hollow inner chamber to (ii) the inside diameter of the second section measured at the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section is less than about 1.0.

11. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the outlet port has a diameter of at least about 0.1 inches.

12. An ear tip according to any of claims 1-4, wherein said sound-transmitting device is a stethoscope.

2. An ear tip adapted to deliver sound to a canal of a human ear, which ear tip comprises:

(a) a first section adapted to couple with a sound-transmitting device, and

(b) a second section connected to and in open communication with the first section, the second section comprising (1) walls defining a bulbous second section having a region of greatest outside diameter and, a convex inner surface, which inner surface defines a hollow inner chamber having an inside diameter and a preselected length, and (2) a outlet port adapted for open communication with the ear canal;

wherein

the second section presents a surface for contact with the ear;

the walls have a hardness in a range between (1) a lower limit above that hardness which will allow loss of open communication between the ear and the sound-transmitting device when the ear tip is in place in the ear, and (2) an upper limit of about 90 Shore A;

the second section is deformable under an axial force in a range between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces from a relaxed state to a compressed state, in which compressed state the ear-contacting surface is of substantially greater area than in the relaxed state;

the second section is adapted to conform in the compressed state to the external acoustic meatus of the ear;

a ratio of (i) the length of the hollow inner chamber to (ii) the inside diameter of the second section measured at the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section is less than about 1.2; and

the ear tip exhibits a compression distance factor of at least about 0.5 inches under an axial force of 8 ounces.

3. An ear tip adapted to deliver sound to a canal of a human ear, which ear tip comprises:

(a) a first section adapted to couple with a sound-transmitting device, and

(b) a second section connected to and in open communication with the first section, the second section comprising (1) walls defining a bulbous second section having a region of greatest outside diameter and, a convex inner surface, which inner surface defines a hollow inner chamber having an inside diameter and a preselected length and (2) a outlet port adapted for open communication with the ear canal;

wherein

the second section presents a surface for contact with the ear;

the walls have a hardness in a range between (1) a lower limit above that hardness which will allow loss of open communication between the ear and the sound-transmitting device when the ear tip is in place in the ear, and (2) an upper limit of about 90 Shore A;

the second section is deformable under an axial force in a range between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces from a relaxed state to a compressed state, in which compressed state the ear-contacting surface is of substantially greater area than in the relaxed state;

the second section is adapted to conform in the compressed state to the external acoustic meatus of the ear;

the second section has a maximum outside diameter of at least about 0.40 inches;

a ratio of (i) the inside diameter of the second section measured at the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section to (ii) the greatest outside diameter of the second section is between about 0.6 and about 0.95; and

a ratio of (i) the length of the hollow inner chamber to (ii) the inside diameter of the second section measured at the point of greatest outside diameter of the second section is less than about 1.5.

4. An ear tip adapted to deliver sound to a canal of a human ear, which ear tip comprises:

(a) a first section adapted to couple with a sound-transmitting device, and

(b) a second section connected to and in open communication with the first section, the second section comprising (1) walls defining a bulbous second section having a region of greatest outside diameter and a convex inner surface, which inner surface defines a hollow inner chamber having an inside diameter and a preselected length, and (2) a outlet port adapted for open communication with the ear canal;

wherein

the second section presents a surface for contact with the ear;

the walls have a hardness in a range between (1) a lower limit above that hardness which will allow loss of open communication between the ear and the sound-transmitting device when the ear tip is in place in the ear, and (2) an upper limit of about 90 Shore A;

the second section is deformable under an axial force in a range between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces from a relaxed state to a compressed state, in which compressed state the ear-contacting surface is of substantially greater area than in the relaxed state;

the second section is adapted to conform in the compressed state to the external acoustic meatus of the ear; and

the walls have a minimum thickness in the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section and a greater thickness in a region nearer the outlet port, such that the ear tip bulges in the region of greatest outside diameter of the second section when the ear tip is subjected to an axial force in the range between about 8 ounces and 12 ounces.