In-ear device

A method for forming an in-ear device that carries sound from a speaker into a person's ear canal while preventing almost all environmental sound from reaching the person's inner ear canal, comprising:

• forming a tube with an axis and with tube walls that extend 360° around the tube axis, including forming the tube of a second elastomeric material and leaving an empty tube passage that extends through the entire length of the tube along said tube axis;
• molding a first foam elastomeric material that is softer than said second material, around said tube to form a body with an outer surface of a shape to fit into and seal against an outer portion of a person's ear canal;
• said step of molding including leaving a body passage in the body that extends along the entire length of the body along said axis with the walls of the body passage bonded to the outside of the tube.

An in-ear device that fits in an outer portion of a person's ear canal, that blocks ambient sound from reaching an inner portion of the person's ear canal, and that allows sound from a speaker to reach the inner part of the person's ear canal, comprising:

• a body of foam elastomeric material that has an axis, that has a body outer surface that is shaped to seal to a person's ear canal outer portion against the passage of sound around the body outer surface, and that has a body passage that extends along said axis;
• a tube of elastomeric material that is stiffer than said foam elastomeric material and that lies in said body passage and that has tube outside walls and a tube passage;
• said body passage extending through the entire length of said body, and said body being molded around said tube so said body is bonded to the outside of said tube by being molded to it.

An in-ear device that fits in an outer portion of a person's ear canal, that seals to the ear canal to block ambient sound from reaching an inner portion of the person's ear canal, and that allows sound from a speaker to reach the inner part of the person's ear canal, comprising:

• a body of elastomeric material that has an axis, that has a body outer surface that is shaped to seal a person's ear canal outer portion and block the passage of sound around the body outer surface, and that has a body through passage that extends approximately along said axis;
• said body is a molded part of a non-foam elastomeric material, said outer surface forms at least one flange for sealing against an ear canal, and said body passage is a through molded passage that extends along the entire length of the earplug body.