Ear-mic headset/eardefender

• US 4,972,491 A
• Filed: 11/30/1988
• Issued: 11/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward R. Wilcox Jr
• Original Assignee: Edward R. Wilcox Jr
• Inventors: Wilcox, Edward R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGeary, III., M. Nelson
• Application Number:
  US07/278,324
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 381/183, 381/187, 381/168, 381/169, 381/151, 381/188, 381/205, 381/72, 2/209
• US Class Current: 381/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06

Abstract

A combination ear protector and communications headset particularly adapted to the rugged, lightweight, convenience needs of aircraft ground crew members that are required to work in a hazardous noise environment. The headset includes two earplug-type transducers that function as a combination ultrasensitive microphone and speaker which are automatically inserted into the user'"'"'s ears when the invention is disposed for use, thereby sealing the interior of the ear from ambient noise. In the ear protection mode of use, the headset is quickly and easily convertible to communications usage.

Claims

1. Dual system eardefender headset apparatus comprising the combination of:

(a) a pair of rigid shell enclosure members each having organic material shell walls shaped for defining an interior cavity and to be disposable over outer ear portions of a human user with a shell wall aperture portion located immediately surrounding the outer ear portion;

(b) spring-loaded curved trajectory metallic band means flexibly coupled at each end thereof to one of the shell members and disposable over an upper cranial surface of the user in substantial conformity therewith in a position thereof for holding the shell members positioned surrounding the outer ear portions;

(c) acoustic energy shielding means disposed in each of the shell member interior cavities between the shell members and the outer ear portions for attenuating acoustic energy noise communicating with the ears via the shell interior cavity;

(d) resilient sealing means surrounding each shell wall aperture portion and disposable between the associated shell member and the cranial surface adjacent the outer ear portion for sealing an interface between the user and the shell members against acoustic energy leakage and for dispersing a reaction force from the band means over the cranial surface;

(e) an earplug mounted within each of the shell member interior cavities and supportively connected to the shielding means for projection of the earplug into a middle ear portion of the user, the earplug comprising a body portion and flange means for sealing the middle ear portion from ambient noise,

whereby the apparatus is usuable as a tether and encumbrance-free ear protector utilizing both the earplug and the shielding means of each enclosure member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the earplug is adjustably mounted to the shielding means for facilitating insertion of the earplug into the middle ear portion when the apparatus is worn by the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shielding means comprises a foam material, the foam material covering the interior cavity of each shell member and being directly exposed to the user'"'"'s outer ear portion when the shell member is held in position by the band means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the foam material has a thickness of at least approximately 1.5 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising transducer means within at least one of the shell members for converting acoustic signals to electrical signals and for converting electrical signals to acoustic signals, and means for transmitting the electrical signals between the shell member and an external device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the transducer means is located in at least one of the earplugs, the earplug having an acoustic signal admitting opening within the middle ear portion for acoustically communicating externally originated information to the user and for generating an electrical signal representative of sounds spoken by the user, the spoken sounds being transmitted to the middle ear portion through an eustachian tube of the user.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the means for transmitting the electrical signals comprises cable means extending outwardly from one of the shell members, and flexible conductor means connecting the cable means to each of the earplugs, the conductor means protruding a resilient flanged plug at each of the shell members for admitting the conductor means to the interior cavity portions thereof while sealably excluding ambient acoustic noise from the interior cavity portions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the cable means comprises first connector means mounted to the shell member for connecting a flexible cable.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising the flexible cable, the flexible having second connector means at a free end thereof for connecting to the external device.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the earplug comprises a transducer housing and a removable flanged earplug member for supporting the housing by the user'"'"'s middle ear with the housing extending into the middle ear.

11. Eardefender headset apparatus comprising the combination of:

(a) a pair of rigid shell enclosure members each having organic material shell walls shaped for defining an interior cavity and to be disposable over outer ear portions of a human user with a shell wall aperture portion located immediately surrounding the outer ear portion;

(b) spring-loaded band means flexibly coupled at each end thereof to one of the shell members and disposable over an upper cranial surface of the user for holding the shell members positioned surrounding the outer ear portions;

(c) acoustic energy shielding means disposed in each of the shell member interior cavities between the shell members and the outer ear portions for attenuating acoustic energy noise communicating with the ears via the shell interior cavity;

(d) resilient sealing means surrounding each shell wall aperture portion and disposable between the associated shell member and the cranial surface adjacent the outer ear portion for sealing an interface between the user and the shell members against acoustic energy leakage and for dispersing a reaction force from the band means over the cranial surface;

(e) an earplug mounted within each of the shell member interior cavities and supportively connected to the shielding means for projection of the earplug into a middle ear portion of the user, the earplug comprising a body portion and flange means for sealing the middle ear portion from ambient noise, the supportive connection of the earplug to the shielding means comprising helical spring means having a first end portion thereof connected to the earplug and a second end portion penetrating the shielding means,

whereby the apparatus is usable as a tether and encumbrance-free ear protector utilizing both the earplug and the shielding means of each enclosure member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the earplug is physically attached to the spring means by permanent adhesive bonding means.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the earplug is adjustably mounted to the shielding meand by threaded engagement of the helical spring means with the shielding means for facilitating insertion of the earplug into the middle ear portion when the apparatus is worn by the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the shielding means comprises a foam material, the foam material covering the interior cavity of each shell member and being directly exposed to the user'"'"'s outer ear portions when the shell member is held in position by the band means.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising transducer means within at least one of the shell members for converting acoustic signals to electrical signals and for converting electrical signals to acoustic signals, the transducer means being located in at least one of the earplugs, the earplug having an acoustic signal admitting opening within the middle ear portion for acoustically communciating externally originated information to the user and for generating an electrical signal representative of sounds spoken by the user, the spoken sounds being transmitted to the middle ear portion through an eustachian tube of the user, and means for transmitting the electrical signals between the shell member and an external device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for transmitting the electrical signals comprises cable means extending outwardly from one of the shell members, and flexible conductor means connecting the cable means to each of the earplugs.

17. Convertible headset apparatus comprising the combination of:

(a) a pair of ambient noise attenuating enclosure members disposable surrounding the external ears of a human user;

(b) spring-loaded curved headband means rotatably attached at opposite ends thereof to each of the enclosure members and disposable over a head portion of the user for supporting the enclosure members;

(c) audio signal transducer means disposed one each in each of the enclosure members for conveying audio signal information to and from the user by acoustic coupling with the middle ear portion of the user, comprising;

(i) an acoustic energy shielding material filling a substantial internal volume of each of the enclosure members; and

(ii) an earplug supportively connected to the shielding material for projection into the user'"'"'s middle ear portion when the apparatus is donned by the user; and

(d) means for detachably connecting a flexible conduit to one of the enclosure members for conveying human user communication signals between the transducer means and external signalling means,

whereby the apparatus provides unencumbered ear protection in a first utilization mode and functions as a high ambient noise tolerant headset in second headset utilization mode and requires only attachment of the flexible conduit for converting between the first and second utilization modes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 including the flexible conduit, comprising multiple-conductored electrical cable and electrical connector members and wherein a mating multiple-conductored electrical connector member is mounted on one of the enclosure members.

19. Communications headset apparatus for convenient intermittent use in high ambient noise environments by a vehicle crew member, the apparatus comprising the combination of:

(a) a pair of rigid shell enclosure members each having an organic material shell wall structure including a cavity portion and an aperture portion connecting the cavity portion to an exterior portion of the enclosure, each aperture portion being receivable surrounding an outer ear structure of the crew member;

(b) resilient sealing means disposable about the exterior portion of each enclosure member proximate the aperture portion for sealing an interface between the enclosure member and a cranial surface of the crew member against acoustic energy leakage and for distributing a normal force retaining the enclosure member against the cranial surface over a substantial area of the surface proximate the outer ear structure;

(c) spring loaded curved trajectory metallic headband means pivotally coupled at each end thereof to one of the enclosure members and disposable over an upper cranial head surface of the crew member in substantial conformity therewith and for generating the normal force and for holding the enclosure members positioned surrounding the outer ear structures of the crew member;

(d) acoustic energy shielding means disposed in each of the cavity portions between an inner surface of the enclosure member and the ear structures for attenuating acoustic energy noise communicating with the ear structure via the cavity portion;

(e) transducer means flexibly mounted in each of the enclosure member interior cavities and disposed into each of ear structures for communicating externally originated information to the crew member and for generating an electrical signal representative of spoken sounds by the crew member;

(f) helical spring means for connecting the transducer means to the shielding means within the enclosure member, the transducer means being physically attached to the spring means;

(g) electrical conductor means disposed along the metallic headband means between the enclosure members for communicating electrical signals between the cavities thereof;

(h) a flanged resilient plug member for sealing between the conductor means and the organic material of each of the enclosure members for admitting the electrical conductor means to the cavity portions while sealably excluding ambient external noise therefrom; and

(i) electrical circuit connecting means including a multi-conductored flexible tether cord and multi-conductored mateable connector members, one of the connector members being mounted to one of the enclosure members, the other connector member being mounted on one end of the tether cord for communicating the transducer electrical signals between a fixed point in the environment of the crew member and the enclosure member is a connector mated condition thereof and for freeing the apparatus of tether encumbrances in a non mated connector condition thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the crew member is a ground crew member.