Anatomically shaped earseals for headsets

• US 4,958,697 A
• Filed: 09/11/1989
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Moody, Harold G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Application Number:
  US07/405,823
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 181/129, 2/209, 2/5, 2/6, 2/423, 128/864, 128/866, 381/158, 381/183, 381/187
• US Class Current: 181/129
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/166 Integral hearing protection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly

Abstract

An anatomically shaped earseal is provided for headset earcups. The earseals thinner at the top than at the bottom and gradually widens toward the bottom to evenly distribute the pressure and provide a tight seal with the wearer'"'"'s head.

Claims

1. An anatomically shaped resilient earseal for attachment to headset earcups with nearly flat flanges, said earseal being generally donut-shaped to define an elliptical opening, said earseal having a top, a bottom and an inner facing surface for contacting a head of a wearer of said earseal, said inner facing surface being thinner at said top than at said bottom, and having a variable cross section that creates an inwardly extending profile which matches an anatomical configuration of the head around an ear of the wearer, said elliptical opening containing a diaphragm having a plurality of holes therethrough for permitting externally produced sound to be transmitted through said diaphragm and having an earphone retainer attached about an aperture in said diaphragm.

2. The earseal of claim 1 wherein said plurality of holes in said diaphragm are positioned above said aperture and wherein said earphone retainer is formed of rigid material.