Hearing Protector and a Method of Making a Hearing Protector

• US 20190110930A1
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Published: 04/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Hakansson, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems

Abstract

A hearing protector (1) having an ear cup (11) forming a space for a wearer'"'"'s ear. The ear cup has a shell (13) with an ear facing inner side (22) and a passageway extending through the shell between the ear facing inner side and an outer side (16) of the shell. The ear cup further has a loudspeaker assembly which seals the passageway from the outer side. The loud speaker assembly further has a seal member (18) and a loudspeaker module (17). A portion of the seal member is arranged between the shell and a fastener (25), and the fastener retains the loudspeaker assembly at the shell. The hearing protector facilitates manufacturing and maintenance and provides for maximize wearing comfort and technical reliability.

Claims

1. A hearing protector having an ear cup forming a space for a wearer'"'"'s ear, the ear cup comprising a shell having an ear facing inner side and a passageway extending through the shell between the ear facing inner side and an outer side of the shell, the ear cup further comprising a loudspeaker assembly which seals the passageway from the outer side, the loud speaker assembly comprising a seal member and a loudspeaker module, wherein a portion of the seal member is arranged between the shell and a fastener which retains the loudspeaker assembly at the shell, wherein the fastener comprises electronic circuitry and first electrical contacts for contacting with the loudspeaker module, and wherein the loudspeaker module comprises second electrical contacts, and wherein the first and second electrical contacts are in releasable contact with each other.

2. The hearing protector of claim 1, wherein the seal member forms a cavity in which the loudspeaker is accommodated, wherein the cavity is dimensioned so that the loudspeaker module fills a partial volume of the cavity and wherein a further partial volume of the cavity provides a sound volume.

3. The hearing protector of claim 2, wherein the seal member is shaped as a tray and having a circumferential side wall, a base wall forming an ear facing end of the seal member, and wherein the seal member forms an open end opposite of the ear facing end.

4. The hearing protector of claim 3, wherein the seal member has an aperture through the seal member and wherein the loudspeaker module closes the aperture.

5. The hearing protector of claim 4, wherein the passageway in the shell and the aperture in the seal member overlap.

6. The hearing protector of claim 3, wherein

the fastener sealingly covers the open end of the seal member, wherein the fastener has at least one optional through-hole in fluid communication with the sound volume for determining a sound frequency profile provided by the loudspeaker assembly.

7. The hearing protector of claim 3, wherein the seal member tapers from the open end toward the ear facing end.

8. The hearing protector of claim 1, wherein the shell of the ear cup has a compartment which opens in a direction away from the ear space, and wherein the seal member is arranged within the compartment.

10. The hearing protector of claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a printed circuit board.

11. The hearing protector of claim 10, wherein the loudspeaker module comprises second electrical contacts, and wherein the first and second electrical contacts are in releasable contact with each other.

9. (canceled)

12. A method of assembling an ear cup for a hearing protector, the ear cup forming a space for a wearer'"'"'s ear, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a shell for forming part of the ear cup, the shell having an ear facing inner side and a passageway extending through the shell between the ear facing inner side and an outer side of the shell;

providing a loudspeaker assembly comprising a seal member and a loudspeaker module; and

assembling the loudspeaker assembly at the outer side of the shell such that the loudspeaker assembly seals the passageway; and

retaining the loudspeaker assembly at the shell by a fastener such that a circumferential portion of the seal member is arranged between the shell and the fastener.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of pre-assembling the loudspeaker assembly.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the fastener comprises electronic circuitry and first electrical contacts for contacting with the loudspeaker module and the loudspeaker module comprises second electrical contacts, wherein the step of retaining the loudspeaker module causes the first and second electrical contacts to get into releasable contact with each other.