# US 10,117,781 B2 · Ear cup for a hearing protector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,117,781 B2 - Document ID: US10117781B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/517,552 - Filed: 2015-10-01 - Published: 2017-10-26 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-07 - Assignees: Savox Communications Oy AB (Ltd) - Applicants: Savox Communications Oy AB (Ltd) - Inventors: Janne Rosti; Ville Riikonen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10117781B2 ## CPC - A61F 11/14: external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs - G10L 21/0232: Processing in the frequency domain - H04R 1/1008: {Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type} - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) - A61F 11/145: {electric, e.g. for active noise reduction} - H04R 2201/003: Mems transducers or their use - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract An ear cup for a hearing protector includes a cup-shaped outer casing, a sealing ring on a rim of the outer casing, and at least one electrical component such as a microphone. The electrical component is mounted on a flexible circuit board attached on the outer surface of the outer casing, where the outer casing includes a slit through which the flexible circuit board extends to the inside of the outer casing so as to provide electrical connections between the electrical component and an electrical circuitry inside the outer casing. Thus, there is no need for wide openings on the outer casing of the ear cup, instead only a narrow slit suffices. This facilitates achieving good noise reduction properties. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ear cup for a hearing protector, the ear cup comprising: an outer casing, a sealing ring on a rim of the outer casing and suitable for sealingly abut against a head of a user around an ear of the user, and at least one electrical component outside the outer casing, wherein the electrical component is mounted on a flexible circuit board attached on an outer surface of the outer casing, the outer casing comprising a slit through which the flexible circuit board extends to inside of the outer casing so as to provide electrical connections between the electrical component and an electrical circuitry inside the outer casing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An ear cup according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical component comprises a microphone for receiving voice from outside of the ear cup and for converting the voice into an audio electrical signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An ear cup according to claim 2, wherein the microphone is a micro-electro-mechanical system microphone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) An ear cup according to claim 3, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises a signal processing system for processing the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) An ear cup according to claim 2, wherein the microphone comprises an analog-to-digital converter so as to produce the audio electrical signal in a digital form. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An ear cup according to claim 5, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises a signal processing system for processing the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) An ear cup according to claim 2, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises a signal processing system for processing the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An ear cup according to claim 7, wherein the signal processing system comprises a memory for storing the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) An ear cup according to claim 7, wherein the signal processing system comprises a filter for filtering the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) An ear cup according to claim 9, wherein the filter is adapted to attenuate at least one of the following: impulse noise, a portion of the audio electrical signal outside a pre-determined frequency band. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An ear cup according to claim 10, wherein the signal processing system comprises an earphone for producing voice corresponding to the filtered audio electrical signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) An ear cup according to claim 9, wherein the signal processing system comprises an earphone for producing voice corresponding to the filtered audio electrical signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) An ear cup according to claim 2, wherein the microphone comprises an analog-to-digital converter so as to produce the audio electrical signal in a digital form. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An ear cup according to claim 13, wherein the electrical circuitry comprises a signal processing system for processing the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An ear cup according to claim 14, wherein the signal processing system comprises a filter for filtering the audio electrical signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An ear cup according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical component comprises one or more user interface devices for enabling the user to control operation of the ear cup. ### Claim 17 A hearing protector comprising a first ear cup, a second ear cup, and a band for mechanically interconnecting the first and second ear cups, wherein at least the first ear cup comprises: an outer casing, a sealing ring on a rim of the outer casing and suitable for sealingly abut against a head of a user around an ear of the user, and at least one electrical component outside the outer casing, wherein the electrical component is mounted on a flexible circuit board attached on an outer surface of the outer casing, the outer casing comprising a slit through which the flexible circuit board extends to inside of the outer casing so as to provide electrical connections between the electrical component and an electrical circuitry inside the outer casing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A hearing protector according to claim 17, wherein the hearing protector comprises an electrical cable for transferring one or more electrical signals between the first ear cup and the second ear cup.