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US 10,966,867 B2Granted
Push-in earplug
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsJames P. Endle, Jeffrey L. Hamer, Alan R. Seville, Kenneth F. Teeters
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A push-in earplug including an elongate core and outer layer is disclosed. The outer layer includes a sound attenuating portion having a first average density and a stem portion having a second average density, and the second average density is greater than the first average density.
Claims33
An earplug comprising:
- an elongate core comprising a first material and having first and second ends and an outer major surface;
- and
- an outer layer comprising a second material and covering at least a portion of the outer major surface of the elongate core, wherein the outer layer comprises an at least partially activated foaming agent and at least one of an uncured rubber, partially cured rubber, thermoset polymer, or thermoplastic elastomer;
- wherein the outer layer comprises a sound attenuating portion having a first average density ρ1 and a stem portion having a second average density ρ2, wherein |ρ2>1.2 ρ1|, and wherein density of the first material is substantially constant across a length of the earplug.
1 more element
An earplug comprising:
- an elongate core comprising a first material and having first and second ends and an outer major surface;
- and
- an outer layer comprising a second material and covering at least a portion of the outer major surface of the elongate core, wherein the outer layer comprises an at least partially activated foaming agent and at least one of an uncured rubber, partially cured rubber, thermoset polymer, or thermoplastic elastomer, and wherein a first portion of the outer layer has a different average density than a second portion of the outer layer;
- wherein the second material comprises thermoplastic spheres.
1 more element
An earplug comprising:
- an elongate core comprising a first material and having first and second ends and an outer major surface;
- and
- an outer layer comprising a second material and covering at least a portion of the outer major surface of the elongate core, wherein the outer layer comprises an at least partially activated foaming agent and at least one of an uncured rubber, partially cured rubber, thermoset polymer, or thermoplastic elastomer;
- wherein the outer layer comprises a sound attenuating portion having a first average density ρ1 and a stem portion having a second average density ρ2, and |ρ2>1.2 ρ1|, the outer layer comprises a contiguous layer and extends from the first end of the elongate core to the second end of the elongate core, and wherein the outer layer comprises thermoplastic spheres.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.