Earplug
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsRobert Nicolo Falco, Jeffrey L. Hamer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An earplug is provided and includes a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity, and a stem. The stem includes a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, the member including a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member being formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.
Claims27
An earplug, comprising:
- a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity;
- and
- a stem, including:
- a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and
- a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, wherein the member includes a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member is formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.
An earplug, comprising:
- a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity;
- and
- a stem, including:
- a user graspable elongate portion configured with a stiffness in a first direction that is greater than a stiffness in a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction, and
- a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion, which is configured to be insertable into the cavity with axial and circumferential alignment and to be adhered to an interior facing surface thereof.
An earplug, comprising:
- a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing, which is formed to define a rearward recessed cavity;
- and
- a stem, including:
- a user graspable elongate portion, and
- a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity, wherein the member includes a surface to be adhered to an interior facing surface of the cavity and on which a channel is defined to allow for outflow from the cavity, and the member is formed with a shape to complement that of the cavity to axially and circumferentially align the tip and the stem.
A method of assembling an earplug, the method comprising:
- forming a tip for use in forward and lateral sealing;
- boring a cavity into the tip from a rear face thereof;
- forming a stem with a biaxial stiffness including an elongate portion, and a member, disposed at a forward end of the elongate portion and configured to be insertable into the cavity;
- defining a channel along a surface of the member;
- aligning the member with the cavity;
- and
- adhering the surface of the member to an interior facing surface of the cavity with outflow from the cavity being urged along the channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.