# US 10,455,318 B2 · Earmuff with electroacoustic shock absorber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,318 B2 - Document ID: US10455318B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/969,293 - Filed: 2018-05-02 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-03 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: John Jenkins; Neal Muggleton; Viggo Henriksen; May Wilson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455318B2 ## CPC - 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)} - A61F 11/14: external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs - 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 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - A61F 11/145: {electric, e.g. for active noise reduction} - H04R 1/1066: {Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)} - 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) - 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) ## Abstract A hearing protection earmuff may be configured to dampen vibrations at an interface. Generally, the hearing protection earmuff may comprise two ear cups, a headband attached to and connecting the ear cups, one or more sensors, a processor, an electroacoustic shock absorber, and an electromagnetic controller. Typically, the electromagnetic controller may be associated with an electroacoustic shock absorber and may be configured to control the dampening of the electroacoustic shock absorber. The dampening of the electroacoustic shock absorber may occur as a smart fluid changes viscosity in response to a signal received from the electromagnetic controller. In some embodiments, the clamping force between the headband and the ear cup may be varied by the electroacoustic shock absorber to minimize the vibrational impact on the user's ears. In some embodiments, the electroacoustic shock absorber may control the compressibility of the seal cushion located on each ear cup. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing protection earmuff comprising: two ear cups; a headband attached to and connecting the ear cups; one or more sensor attached to at least one of the ear cups configured to detect vibrations at an interface; a processor configured to receive a sensor signal from the one or more sensor, and configured to generate a control signal based on the sensor signal; one or more electroacoustic shock absorber configured to dampen vibrations at the interface; and one or more electromagnetic controller configured to control dampening of the vibrations at the interface via the electroacoustic shock absorber in response to the control signal from the processor by generating a magnetic field; wherein the interface is between the ear cup and the headband or between a seal cushion of the ear cup and a head of a user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the electroacoustic shock absorber comprises magnetorheological fluid configured to change viscosity in response to a magnetic field. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate the control signal directing the electromagnetic controller to interact with the electroacoustic shock absorber to change the clamping force at the interface at a rate and an amplitude based on the sensor signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the electroacoustic shock absorber is changed at a rate identical to that of the sensor signal and decreases in proportion to any increase in amplitude based on the sensor signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The earmuff of claim 4, wherein the viscosity of the electroacoustic shock absorber is adjusted to alter the resonance frequency of the corresponding ear cup. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more microphone configured to detect external sound. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, further comprising a speaker located within at least one ear cup, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone configured to detect sound from the speaker. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects vibrations arising from movement of a user of the earmuff. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electroacoustic shock absorber is located with the seal cushion of the ear cup and dampening the vibrations comprises dampening vibrations between the seal cushion of the ear cup and the head of the user by changing the viscosity of the electroacoustic shock absorber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the electroacoustic shock absorber is located in a wireguide attachment of the headband to the ear cup. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the electroacoustic shock absorber comprises magnetorheological fluid configured to change viscosity in response to the magnetic field. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The earmuff of claim 1, wherein the electroacoustic shock absorber is located within the seal cushion. ### Claim 13 A method for dampening conduction of vibration within an earmuff, the method comprising: detecting vibrations at an interface by a sensor attached to an ear cup of the earmuff; sending a sensor signal to a processor from the sensor; generating a control signal by the processor to an electromagnetic controller attached to the ear cup; generating a magnetic field by the electromagnetic controller to control an electroacoustic shock absorber configured to dampen vibrations at the interface; and dampening the detected vibrations at the interface by the electroacoustic shock absorber; wherein the interface is between the ear cup and the headband or between a seal cushion of the ear cup and a head of a user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein dampening the vibrations comprises dampening vibrations between the ear cup and a headband of the ear muff. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein detecting vibrations by the sensor comprises detecting sounds external to the ear cup, and wherein the sensor comprises a microphone. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein detecting vibrations by the sensor comprises detecting sounds within the ear cup, and wherein the sensor comprises a microphone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein dampening the detected vibrations by the electroacoustic shock absorber comprises changing the viscosity of the electroacoustic shock absorber. ### Claim 18 An ear cup for use in a hearing protection earmuff comprising: a wireguide configured to attach the ear cup to a headband; one or more sensor attached to the ear cup configured to detect vibrations at the wireguide; a processor configured to receive a sensor signal from the one or more sensor, and configured to generate a control signal based on the sensor signal; one or more electroacoustic shock absorber configured to dampen vibrations at the wireguide; and one or more electromagnetic controller configured to control dampening of the electroacoustic shock absorber in response to the control signal from the processor by generating a magnetic field. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The ear cup of claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone attached to the exterior of the ear cup configured to detect external sounds. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The ear cup of claim 18, further comprising a speaker positioned within the ear cup, wherein the sensor comprises a microphone attached to the interior of the ear cup configured to detect sounds from the speaker.