Noise barrier apparatus having acoustic wave damping cushions

• US 7,162,039 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas F. Callahan, University Research Engineers & Associates Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Matthew G. Callahan
• Inventors: Callahan, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Ping
• Application Number:
  US09/522,834
• Time in Patent Office: 2,496 Days
• Field of Search: 381/67, 381/309, 381/328, 381/72, 381/74, 381/380, 381/382, 381/372, 381/371, 381/376, 181130-131, 181/135, 181/129
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a noise barrier apparatus for inhibiting external noise from causing the presence of noise in an audio chamber defined by a noise barrier device and including the user'"'"'s ear canal. The noise barrier apparatus may be constituted by an in-ear noise barrier device or devices or an over-the-ear device or devices. An in-ear application of the present invention provides an in-ear-canal audio receiver comprising an in-ear-canal adapter body having a tapered ear plug portion that is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal. The adapter body further has an opening in the plug portion, an exterior annular indent, and an inner chamber coupled to the opening of the plug portion. The inner chamber of the in-ear-canal adapter body holds a transducer assembly comprising a transducer housing and a transducer or speaker. The transducer is positioned in a passage extending through the transducer housing. A torus-shaped cushion is positioned in the annular indent of the in-ear-canal adapter body. The cushion provides comfort and establishes a good seal with the user'"'"'s ear, and also provides mechanical damping to inhibit propagation of external acoustic pressure waves via the noise barrier device to an audio chamber including an interior of the noise barrier device and the user'"'"'s ear canal. An over-the-ear application of the present invention provides an ear cup and has a torus-shaped cushion at an interface part thereof which bears against the side of the user'"'"'s head at an area surrounding the user'"'"'s ear. The cushion again provides comfort, establishes a good seal with the user'"'"'s head and provides mechanical damping to inhibit propagation of external acoustic pressure waves via the noise barrier device to an audio chamber including an interior of the noise barrier device and the user'"'"'s ear canal. The cushion is preferably formed of a material which is at least partially plastically deformable and provides a damping ratio greater than 0.75.

Claims

1. A noise barrier apparatus for preventing external noise from causing noise in an ear on a side of a user'"'"'s head, the noise barrier apparatus comprising:

an ear adapter body having a first end and a second end forward of said first end and insertable into the ear canal of the ear, said ear adapter body defining an enclosed audio chamber including the ear canal of the ear, said ear adapter body further having,

an ear canal section adjacent said second end,

an outer ear section adjacent said first end, and

a concha section disposed between said ear canal and outer ear sections, whereby said ear canal section is disposed in the ear canal of the ear, the concha section is disposed adjacent the concha region of the ear, and the outer ear section is disposed outside the ear when said second end of said ear adapter body is inserted into the ear canal of the ear; and

a separate concha cushion to bear against the concha region of the ear, said concha cushion being mounted onto said concha section of said ear adapter body and positioned thereon so as to be interposed between the concha region of the ear and said concha section and being configured to encircle the ear canal entrance when said second end of said ear adapter body is inserted into the ear canal,

said concha cushion being deformable so as to be conformable to the concha region of the ear when held thereagainst.

2. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 1

wherein said concha cushion comprises a material which is at least partially plastically deformable.

3. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 2 wherein said material of said concha cushion further comprises an at least partially plastically deformable material contained in a flexible sheath.

4. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 2 wherein said material of said concha cushion provides a damping ratio greater than or equal to 0.75.

5. A noise barrier apparatus for preventing external noise from causing noise in ears on opposing sides of a user'"'"'s head, each of the ears having a concha region opening into an ear canal, said noise barrier apparatus comprising:

a pair of noise barrier devices to be held against the opposing sides of the user'"'"'s head and engaged with the concha regions of the respective ears;

a noise barrier device holding apparatus coupled to said noise barrier devices to hold said noise barrier devices against the opposing sides of the user'"'"'s head and against the concha regions of the respective ears;

wherein said noise barrier devices each respectively comprise,

an ear adapter body having a first end and a second end forward of said first end and insertable into the ear canal of a respective one of the ears, said ear adapter body further having,

an ear canal section adjacent said second end,

an outer ear section adjacent said first end, and

a concha section disposed between said ear canal section and said outer ear section,

whereby said ear canal section is disposed in the ear canal of a respective ear, the concha section is disposed adjacent the concha region of the respective ear, and the outer ear

section is disposed outside the respective ear when said second end of said ear adapter body is inserted into the respective ear canal of the respective ear, and

a separate concha cushion mounted onto said concha section of said ear adapter body, said concha cushion being positioned on said ear adapter body so as to be interposed between the concha region of the ear and said concha section and to encircle the ear canal of the ear when said second end of said ear adapter body is inserted into the ear canal,

said concha cushion being deformable so as to conform to the concha region of the ear.

6. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 5

wherein said concha cushion is of a material which is at least partially plastically deformable.

7. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of said concha cushions is fabricated from a material which is at least partially plastically deformable and is encased in a flexible sheath.

8. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 6 further wherein each said concha cushion has a damping ratio greater than 0.75.

9. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 8, wherein each said concha cushion is fabricated from a material which is at least partially plastically deformable and encased in a flexible sheath.

10. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 9, wherein said noise barrier device holding apparatus further comprises:

ear tubes of a stethoscope.

11. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 8 further wherein each said concha cushion has a damping ratio greater than 1.0.

12. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 11, wherein each said concha cushion is fabricated from a material which is at least partially plastically deformable and encased in a flexible sheath.

13. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 6, wherein said noise barrier device holding apparatus further comprises:

ear tubes of a stethoscope.

14. The noise barrier apparatus of claim 5, wherein said noise barrier device holding apparatus further comprises:

ear tubes of a stethoscope.