Compressible ear tip

• US 4,913,259 A
• Filed: 05/30/1989
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• 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): GIBSON, RANDY W
• Application Number:
  US07/357,779
• Time in Patent Office: 308 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 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type

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. A stethoscope having dual sound-transmitting tubes, each terminating in an ear tip adapted to deliver sound to 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 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 the 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 greatest 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. A stethoscope according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the walls of the ear tip 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. A stethoscope according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the second section walls of the ear tip have a lower limit of hardness of 10 on the Shore A scale.

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

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

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

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

and

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

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

2. A stethoscope having dual sound-transmitting tubes, each terminating in an ear tip adapted to deliver sound to 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 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 in 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 0.05 inches under an axial force of 8 ounces.

3. A stethoscope having dual sound-transmitting tubes, each terminating in an ear tip adapted to deliver sound to 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 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 thickness 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 in 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 region of greatest outside diameter of the second section is less than about 1.5.

4. A stethoscope having dual sound-transmitting tubes, each terminating in an ear tip adapted to deliver sound to 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 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.