Hearing protection earplug with a movable attenuation button, method for manufacturing the same and use of the same

• US 20060045299A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Haussmann, Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/085 including an inner channel
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/11 Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing protection earplug comprising a shell (12) for being worn at least in part in the ear canal of a user, the shell having a sound passage (1016, 1036) extending from an outer sound inlet opening (50) of the shell to an inner sound output opening (1034) adapted to acoustically connect to the user'"'"'s ear canal, and a noise attenuation button (1002) which is provided at the outer end of the shell, wherein said button is manually movable relative to the shell between a resting position in which the outer sound inlet opening of the shell is closed by the button and at least one communication position in which the outer sound inlet opening of the shell is at least partially opened by the button for enabling sound communication between the environment and the sound passage of the shell, wherein the sound passage (1016, 1036) is designed such that it has a sound attenuation of less than 10 dB averaged over the audible frequencies. The invention also relates to a use of such an earplug and a method for manufacturing such an earplug.

Claims

1. Hearing protection earplug comprising a shell for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of a user, said shell having a sound passage extending from an outer sound inlet opening of said shell to an inner sound output opening adapted to acoustically connect to said user'"'"'s ear canal, and a noise attenuation button which is provided at an outer end of said shell, wherein said button is manually movable relative to said shell between a resting position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is closed by said button and at least one communication position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is at least partially opened by said button for enabling sound communication between an environment and said sound passage of said shell, wherein said sound passage is designed such that it has a sound attenuation of less than 10 dB averaged over all audible frequencies.

2. Hearing protection earplug according claim 1, wherein said sound passage is arranged to by-pass at least one of an acoustic filter located within said shell, an acoustic filter located within said button and an acoustic filter integrated with said button.

3. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, further comprising means for biasing said button towards said resting position.

5. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said communication button comprises a communication opening which is adapted to cooperate, in said communication position, with said outer sound inlet opening of said shell to provide for said sound communication.

6. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 5, wherein said communication opening, in said communication position, overlaps at least in part with said outer sound inlet opening.

7. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 6, wherein said button is adapted to be movable in a manner so as to provide for a plurality of communication positions which differ by an overlap area between said outer sound inlet opening and said communication opening.

8. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said outer sound inlet opening and said communication opening is shaped as a triangular slot.

9. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 5, wherein said outer sound inlet opening is a tubular opening surrounded by a rim which is designed to close, in said resting position, said communication opening and to at least partially open, in said communication position, said communication opening.

10. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said button is movable relative to said shell by at least one of a rotational movement and an axial movement.

11. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said resting position is an axially outward position, while said communication position is an axially inward position.

12. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said resting position is an axially inward position, while said communication position is an axially outward position.

13. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 3, wherein said biasing means comprise a spring seated at said shell and at said button.

14. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 3, wherein said biasing means comprise a spring formed integral with said shell and seated at said button.

15. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said shell comprises an insert element in said outer sound inlet opening which engages with said button.

16. Hearing protection earplug according claim 15, wherein said insert element comprises an input opening communicating with said sound passage of said shell, wherein said button is designed to close said input opening of said insert element in said resting position and to at least partially open said input opening of said insert element in said communication position.

17. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 16, wherein said insert element is adapted to support said button.

18. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 17, wherein said biasing means comprise a spring seated at said insert element and at said button.

20. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein a distal portion of said sound passage merges with a measuring channel extending to said inner end of said shell, wherein an outer end of said measuring channel is provided with adapter means for acoustically connecting said measuring channel in a detachable manner with an external measuring tube.

21. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 20, wherein said adapter means are adapted to close said outer end of said measuring channel when said external measuring tube is removed.

22. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 21, wherein said adapter means are adapted to detachably connect to a removable plug comprising means for closing said outer end of said measuring channel when said external measuring tube is removed.

23. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said sound passage forms a measuring channel, wherein an outer end of said sound passage is provided with adapter means for acoustically connecting said measuring channel in a detachable manner with an external measuring tube, said button forming part of removable plug adapted to be connected to said adapter means in a detachable manner when said external measuring tube is removed.

24. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said button comprises a thread engaging with a mating thread provided at said shell.

25. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said button comprises a distal shank portion which is received within a mating sleeve portion of said shell.

26. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 25, wherein said shank portion is provided with said communication opening and said sleeve portion is provided with said outer sound inlet opening.

27. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a proximal shank portion which is received within a mating sleeve portion of said button.

28. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 27, wherein said shank portion is provided with said outer sound inlet opening and said sleeve portion is provided with said communication opening.

31. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said shell is a customized hard shell having an elasticity from shore D 85 to shore D 65 and an outer surface individually shaped according to a measured inner shape of said user'"'"'s outer ear and ear canal.

32. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the shell engaging with said button is formed integral with said shell.

33. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, wherein said sound passage has a minimum cross section area corresponding to the area of a circle with a diameter of 0.5 mm.

34. Use of hearing protection earplug according to claim 1, comprising:

inserting said earplug at least in part in an ear canal of a user, and manually moving said button between said resting position and said communication position.

4. Hearing protection earplug comprising a shell for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of a user, said shell having a sound passage extending from an outer sound inlet opening of said shell to an inner sound output opening adapted to acoustically connect to said user'"'"'s ear canal, and a noise attenuation button which is provided at an outer end of said shell, wherein said button is manually movable relative to said shell between a resting position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is closed by said button and at least one communication position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is at least partially opened by said button for sound communication between an environment and said sound passage of said shell, further comprising means for biasing said button towards said resting position.

19. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 4, wherein said shell contains an acoustic filter for one of axially dividing said sound passage and forming one end of said sound passage.

29. Hearing protection earplug comprising a shell for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of a user, said shell having a sound passage extending from an outer sound inlet opening of said shell to an inner sound output opening adapted to acoustically connect to said user'"'"'s ear canal, and a noise attenuation button which is provided at an outer end of said shell, wherein said button is manually axially movable relative to said shell between a resting position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is closed by said button and at least one communication position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is at least partially opened by said button for enabling sound communication between the environment and said sound passage of said shell.

30. Hearing protection earplug according to claim 29, wherein said axial movement of said button combines with a rotary movement of said button relative to said shell.

35. Method for manufacturing a hearing protection earplug for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of a user, comprising:

forming a shell having a sound passage extending from an outer sound inlet opening of said shell to an inner sound output opening adapted to acoustically connect to said user'"'"'s ear canal, and providing a noise attenuation button at an outer end of said shell, wherein said button is manually movable relative to said shell between a resting position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is closed by said button and at least one communication position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is at least partially opened by said button for enabling sound communication between an environment and said sound passage of said shell, wherein said sound passage is designed such that it has a sound attenuation of less than 10 dB averaged over all audible frequencies.

38. Method according to claim 35, further comprising:

measuring an inner shape of said user'"'"'s outer ear and ear canal prior to forming said shell, and forming said shell with an outer surface individually shaped according to said measured inner shape of said user'"'"'s outer ear and ear canal.

39. Method according to claim 38, wherein said shell is formed by an incremental build-up process, such as layer-by-layer laser sintering from a powder material.

40. Method according to claim 39, wherein said button is formed by said incremental build-up process together with said shell.

36. Method for manufacturing a hearing protection earplug for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of a user, comprising:

forming a shell having a sound passage extending from an outer sound inlet opening of said shell to an inner sound output opening adapted to acoustically connect to said user'"'"'s ear canal, providing a noise attenuation button at an outer end of said shell, wherein said button is manually movable relative to said shell between a resting position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is closed by said button and at least one communication position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is at least partially opened by said button for sound communication between the environment and said sound passage of said shell, and providing means for biasing said button towards said resting position.

37. Method for manufacturing a hearing protection earplug for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of a user, comprising:

forming a shell having a sound passage extending from an outer sound inlet opening of said shell to an inner sound output opening adapted to acoustically connect to said user'"'"'s ear canal, and providing a noise attenuation button at the outer end of said shell, wherein said button is manually axially movable relative to said shell between a resting position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is closed by said button and at least one communication position in which said outer sound inlet opening of said shell is at least partially opened by said button for enabling sound communication between an environment and said sound passage of said shell.