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High resilience flanged earplug

  • US 7,967,015 B2
  • Filed: 02/22/2007
  • Issued: 06/28/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An earplug of elastomeric material having an axis (16) extending in front and rear directions, said earplug having a front end part (20), a stem (12) extending rearward from said front end part, a main flange (14) having an inside forming an inner surface (22) and an outside forming an outer surface (30) with each surface extending at a rearward and radially outward incline from a stem front location, and with said inner surface spaced outward from said stem at all main flange locations that lie rearward of a front end (44) of the main flange, said inner surface lying closer to said axis than said outer surface, wherein:

  • said stem and said main flange are integrally molded so they are formed of the same material, and said flange has a free rear end (48);

    said main flange has an outside diameter that is fitable into a human ear canal to block it with the flange rear end being radially inwardly deflected, and the flange has a length (L) along said axis along which said flange outer surface extends at a rearward and outward incline away from the axis that is at least 80% of the maximum outside diameter (D) of said main flange, and said main flange inner and outer surfaces each extends at a rearward and outward incline along a majority of the main flange length, with said outer surface (30) extending at an angle (C) with respect to said axis (16) along a majority of the main flange length (L), where said angle (C) is between 5° and

    25°

    .

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