Industrial hearing protection and communication assembly

• US 6,950,531 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2003
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Energy Telecom Incorporated (PFO Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Energy Telecom Incorporated (PFO Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rickards, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harvey, Dionne
• Application Number:
  US10/339,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 381/327, 381/374, 381/381, 381/376, 381/362, 381/367, 381/380, 381/382, 381/322, 381/328, 381/329, 381/330, 381/333, 381/364, 351/41, 351/123, 455/350, 455/351, 455/575.2
• US Class Current: 381/381
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/029 Additional functions or features, e.g. protection for other parts of the face such as ears, nose or mouth; Screen wipers or cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids

Abstract

An industrial hearing protection and communication assembly including a frame having a front frame member that, includes a substantially transparent shatterproof eye panel disposed to shield a wearer'"'"'s eyes, and at least one protective ear insert structured to be fitted into a wearer'"'"'s ear in order to substantially muffle exterior noise. A speaker head audibly communicates an audio signal received by a receiver disposed on the frame and is structured to be inserted into a bore defined in the protective ear insert, and thereby, into one of the wearer'"'"'s ears. The audio signal is audible to the wearer while the exterior noise is muffled by the protective ear insert and the speaker head is shielded from perspiration or other body contaminants of the wearer. Further, the protective insert can be variably positionable in accordance with the location of the wearer'"'"'s ears.

Claims

1. An industrial hearing protection and communication assembly comprising:

a frame, said frame including a front frame member;

at least one substantially transparent, substantially shatter proof material eye panel coupled to said front frame member;

said frame structured to be supportably disposed on a wearer so as to maintain said eye panel disposed in a generally shielding position in front of the wearer'"'"'s eyes;

at least one disposable protective ear insert structured and disposed to be inserted into the wearer'"'"'s ears so as to substantially muffle exterior noise,

a flexible insert connector extending from said frame and structured and disposed to removably secure said protective ear insert to said frame such that said protective ear insert is variably positionable relative to said frame in accordance with the location of the wearer'"'"'s ears,

said protective ear insert including a bore extending axially therein from a first face thereof,

a receiver structured and disposed to receive an audio signal;

at least one speaker head structured and disposed to audibly communicate said audio signal received by said receiver to the wearer,

said speaker head sized to be removably inserted into said bore in said protective ear insert such that said audio signal is substantially audible to the wearer in a loud environment and said protective ear insert substantially muffles exterior noise.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said flexible insert connector includes an elongate, flexible speaker connector coupled to said speaker head.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 2 including a second one of said protective ear inserts coupled to said frame by a flexible material connector and structured to be inserted into the wearer'"'"'s ear so as to substantially muffle exterior noise in the loud environment.