Adjustable earplug

• US 6,082,485 A
• Filed: 08/10/1999
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric B Smith
• Original Assignee: Eric B Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Eric B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US09/370,598
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 181/135, 181/129, 181/130, 181/131, 181/132, 181/134, 181/137, 128/864, 128/868
• US Class Current: 181/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/085 including an inner channel

Abstract

An earplug has a rotationally adjustable gating mechanism for adjustable attenuation of treble sounds. The plug includes a conventional earplug foam body for conforming to and wedging in the ear canal. This earplug foam body includes at least a partial aperture axially of the plug leading from the exterior of the ear canal toward the interior of the car canal with its hearing sense. A two-part counter rotating gating member fits to the aperture of the earplug. One part of the two part counter rotating gating member has a conical through aperture concentric to the earplug and ear canal. This conical through aperture is partially obstructed by an eccentrically mounted gate. The remaining part of the two part counter rotating gating member defines a rotating cover over the conical aperture and defines at least one and preferably a plurality of sound apertures enabling sound to pass from the exterior of the earplug into the conical aperture. These sound apertures are eccentrically mounted with respect to the conical aperture and the relative rotation to come into and out of registry with the eccentrically mounted gate. The two-part counter rotating gating member has an interference fit into the aperture of the earplug. When the earplug foam body is wedged into the ear, upon relative rotation of the cover with respect to the seat, the sound apertures rotate into and out of registry with the gate. There results an earplug assembly, which can selectively attenuate the treble sounds causing ear discomfort.

Claims

1. An adjustable earplug for fitting from the exterior of the body to an ear canal of a listener comprising in combination:

a foam earplug body having a cylindrical exterior for conforming to an interior of the ear canal, the foam earplug body forming at least a partial aperture axially of the foam earplug body extending from the exterior of the body to and toward the ear canal;

a valve seat fastened to the aperture of the foam earplug body and defining a central through aperture concentric to the aperture of the foam earplug body;

an eccentric gate affixed to the valve seat;

a gating member for concentric rotation on the valve seat and eccentric gating member; and

,

at least one sound aperture defined through the gating member for rotating into and out of registry with the eccentric gating member and the through aperture of the valve seat to selectively attenuate treble sounds passing from the exterior of the body through the adjustable earplug lodged in the ear canal.

2. The adjustable earplug according to claim 1 and wherein:

a plurality of sound apertures defined through the gating members, each sound aperture for rotating into and out of registry with the gating member.

3. The adjustable earplug according to claim 2 and wherein:

the plurality of sound apertures includes a first larger sound aperture and a second smaller sound aperture.

4. The adjustable earplug according to claim 2 and wherein:

the plurality of sound apertures includes apertures of the same size.

5. The adjustable earplug according to claim 1 and wherein:

the gating member defines a plurality of tangs;

the plurality of tangs for engagement with the bottom of the through aperture of the central valve seat to maintain the central valve seat in rotational registry with gating member.

6. A process of providing attenuation of treble sounds to an ear canal of a listener in a high noise environment comprising the steps of:

providing a foam earplug body having a cylindrical exterior for conforming to an interior of the ear canal, the foam earplug body forming at least a partial aperture axially of the foam earplug body extending from the exterior of the body to and toward the ear canal;

providing a valve seat fastened to the aperture of the foam earplug body and defining a central through aperture concentric to the aperture of the foam earplug body;

providing an eccentric gate affixed to the valve seat;

providing a gating member for concentric rotation on the valve seat and eccentric gating member; and

,

providing at least one sound aperture defined through the gating member for rotating into and out of registry with the eccentric gating member and the through aperture of the valve seat to selectively attenuate treble sounds passing from the exterior of the body through the adjustable earplug lodged in the ear canal; and

,

relatively rotating the gating member relative to the valve seat and eccentric gate to bring the at least one sound aperture into and out of registry with the eccentric gate to selectively attenuate treble sound passing to the ear.