Ear defender with concha simulator

• US 9,924,261 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Tail Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Red Tail Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Parkins, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): DABNEY, PHYLESHA LARVINIA
• Application Number:
  US15/260,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20160381454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 381372
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/12 External mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• 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 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like

Abstract

A hearing protection system with talk-through having a pair of rigid earcups enclosing a microphone, amplifier and speaker. A concha simulator, having a volume simulating that of the concha of a human ear, is acoustically coupled to the microphone, and also to the outside through an opening in the earcup. By coupling the microphone to the concha simulator, instead of directly to the outside, the acoustic response of the talk-through more accurately represents the hearing of a user.

Claims

1. A hearing protection system with talk-through, comprising a pair of earcups, each earcup comprising:

a) an earcup shell;

b) a rigid concha simulator within the earcup shell and comprising a volume simulating a volume of a concha of a human ear, the volume of the concha simulator being between 2.32 cc and 6.17 cc, the concha simulator being coupled to an opening in the earcup shell;

c) a microphone acoustically coupled to the concha simulator;

d) an amplifier coupled to the microphone; and

e) an audio transducer coupled to the amplifier and configured to generate sound in a user'"'"'s ear canal.

2. The hearing protection system of claim 1, wherein the microphone is inside the concha simulator.

3. The hearing protection system of claim 1, wherein the microphone is outside the concha simulator and acoustically coupled to the concha simulator through a tube.

4. The hearing protection system of claim 3, wherein the tube is flexible.

5. The hearing protection system of claim 3, wherein the tube is horn-shaped.

6. The hearing protection system of claim 3, wherein a length and a cross-sectional area of the tube are configured to acoustically amplify sounds above 1 kHz.

7. The hearing protection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a screen on an outside of the concha simulator and covering the opening in the earcup shell.

8. The hearing protection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a gas-permeable membrane inside the earcup shell and covering the opening.

9. The hearing protection system of claim 8, wherein the membrane is made of a material selected from a group consisting of expanded PTFE material, PET-nonwoven material, polyester, cellulose, nylon and cloth.

10. The hearing protection system of claim 1, wherein the concha simulator contains acoustic foam.

11. The hearing protection system of claim 1, wherein the volume of the concha simulator is approximately 4.30 cc.

12. The hearing protection system of claim 1, wherein the audio transducer is located in a communications earplug inside the earcup shell.

13. The hearing protection system of claim 12, wherein the communications earplug is a wireless earplug.

14. A hearing protection system with talk-through, comprising a pair of earcups, each earcup comprising:

a) an earcup shell;

b) a rigid concha simulator within the earcup shell and comprising a volume simulating a volume of a concha of a human ear, the concha simulator being coupled to an opening in the earcup shell;

c) a microphone acoustically coupled to the concha simulator;

d) an amplifier coupled to the microphone;

e) an audio transducer located in a communications earplug and coupled to the amplifier and configured to generate sound in a user'"'"'s ear canal;

f) a screen on an outside of the concha simulator and covering the opening in the earcup shell; and

g) a gas-permeable membrane inside the earcup shell and covering the opening.

15. The hearing protection system of claim 14, wherein the volume of the concha simulator is between 2.32 cc and 6.17 cc.

16. A hearing protection system with talk-through, comprising a pair of earcups, each earcup comprising:

a) a rigid earcup shell;

b) a concha simulator within the earcup shell and comprising a volume between 2.32 cc and 6.17 cc, the concha simulator configured to simulate a volume of a concha of a human ear, the concha simulator being coupled to an opening in the rigid earcup shell;

c) a microphone located outside the concha simulator and acoustically coupled to the concha simulator through a tube having a length and a cross-sectional area configured to acoustically amplify sounds above 1 kHz;

d) an amplifier coupled to the microphone; and

e) an audio transducer coupled to the amplifier and configured to generate sound in a user'"'"'s ear canal.

17. The hearing protection system of claim 16, further comprising a screen on an outside of the concha simulator and covering the opening in the earcup shell;

and a gas-permeable membrane inside the earcup shell and covering the opening.