# US 2013/0153328 A1 · Sound absorbing device of the type adapted to cover the ears of a user > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0153328 A1 - Document ID: US20130153328A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/818,851 - Filed: 2011-08-25 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-26 - Assignees: Restored Hearing Limited - Inventors: Anthony Carolan; Rhona Togher; Eimear O'Carroll - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153328A1 ## CPC - A61F 11/14: external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs - A61F 11/08: internal, e.g. earplugs - A61F 11/10: inflatable or expandable - A61F 11/12: External mounting means - A61F 2250/0034: differing in viscosity - 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 sound absorbing device of the type adapted to cover the ears of a user and comprising a sound absorbing material, wherein the sound absorbing material comprises of a thixotropic material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sound absorbing device of the type adapted to cover the ears of a user and comprising a sound absorbing material contained within a container in the form of a cellular scaffold, wherein the sound absorbing material comprises of a thixotropic material which is located in the cells of the cellular scaffold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the sound absorbing material is enclosed within at least one container, and wherein the container is expandable to allow an increase in volume of the sound absorbing material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold has a honeycomb structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of a polymer film having cellular compartments or pockets, wherein the sound absorbing material is located within the cellular compartments. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and in which the tube is disposed within the sound absorbing device such that at least one end of the tube faces towards incident sound. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and further comprises a plurality of interleaved tubes, or in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and in which the tube is disposed within the sound absorbing device such that at least one end of the tube faces towards incident sound and further comprises a plurality of interleaved tubes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and in which the or each tube is U-shaped and in which both ends of the tube face towards incident sound. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and in which the or each tube is U-shaped and in which both ends of the tube face towards incident sound and in which the or each tube further comprise an additional tube disposed within the U-shaped tube between the first and second ends, wherein the additional tube has an open end which faces towards the incident sound. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and in which one end of each of a plurality of tubes is disposed within a base. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in Claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold is in the form of at least one tube having first and second ends and a thixotropic material-containing lumen extending between the ends and in which one end of each of a plurality of tubes is disposed within a base and further comprising a plurality of substantially U-shaped tubes in which both ends of the tubes are disposed in the base. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold has a honeycomb structure and comprising at least two layers of honeycomb structure arranged in a facing relationship, wherein the at least two layers are disposed such that the cells of the honeycomb structure of a first layer are not in register with the cells of the honeycomb structure of the second layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold has a honeycomb structure and comprising at least two layers of honeycomb structure arranged in a facing relationship, wherein the at least two layers are disposed such that the cells of the honeycomb structure of a first layer are not in register with the cells of the honeycomb structure of the second layer and further having three layers oriented at 120° apart. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the cellular scaffold has a honeycomb structure and further comprising at least two layers of honeycomb structure arranged in a facing relationship, wherein the at least two layers are disposed such that the cells of the honeycomb structure of a first layer are not in register with the cells of the honeycomb structure of the second layer and in which the at least two layers of honeycomb structure are separated by a sound insulating layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in the form of an audio ear bud, an audio headphone, an ear plug or a noise protection headphones. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in the form of an audio or noise protection headphone, in which at least a part of the headphone is resiliently deformable such that deformation of the resiliently deformable part applies shear to the thixotropic material. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A device as claimed in claim 1 in the form of an audio ear bud and/or ear plug in which the audio ear bud comprises a shell encasing a cavity, wherein the thixotropic material is disposed within the cavity, and wherein the shell is resiliently deformable such that deformation of the shell causes the application of shear to the thixotropic material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the thixotropic material is selected from the group comprising structured liquids, suspensions, emulsions, polymer solutions, aqueous iron oxide gels, vanadium pentoxide sols, starch pastes, pectin gels, flocculated paints, clays, soil suspensions, creams, drilling muds, flour doughs, flour suspensions, fibre greases, jellies, paints, honey, carbon-black suspensions, hydrophobically modified hydroxethyl cellulose, non-associative cellulose water solutions, flocculated polymer latex suspension, rubber solutions, metal slushes, bentonite clays, modified laponites, oils, lubricants, coal suspensions, xanthan gums, organic bentonite, fumed silica, aluminum stearate, metal soap, castor oil derivatives or thixotropic epoxy resin, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 20 A method of protecting an ear from high intensity noise comprising the step of placing a sound absorbing device of the type adapted to cover the ears of a user and comprising a sound absorbing material contained within a container in the form of a cellular scaffold, wherein the sound absorbing material comprises of a thixotropic material which is located in the cells of the cellular scaffold over the ear, wherein the thixotropic material has a resting viscosity which exhibits low resistance to passage of low intensity noise, and wherein the thixotropic material decreases in viscosity in response to incident high intensity noises to thereby exhibit high resistance to the high intensity noise. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) A method as claimed in claim 19 including an additional step of the user applying shear to the thixotropic material by shaking or deforming the sound absorbing device.