Sound muffling headwear
OwnerJacob Frederick Fairclough, Michele Renee Haleyinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A headband, cap, hat, or the like worn by a child, particularly an infant, includes an embedded sound-attenuation system to protect hearing against loud sounds that might startle, awaken, or injure a wearer. Shells formed of a comparatively soft and flexible elastomeric material are secured against the head of a user, each enclosing an ear in an air tight chamber, to close down the transmission paths available to sound waves. The shells are impervious to air, and flexible to conform to the head when secured by the headgear in which the shells are embedded. Each shell is provided with a rim, sufficiently flexible to deform and deflect into complete, sealed contact with the head.
Claims12
A method for protecting hearing of an infant, the method comprising:
- providing headgear containing an earmuff, the earmuff being formed to have a shell portion, a liner portion contained completely within the shell portion, and a housing portion covering the shell portion, wherein the shell portion is formed of an elastomeric polymer material sized and shaped to deflect in bending in response to compressive forces imposed by the housing;
- placing the earmuff over an ear of a wearer by placing the headgear on the head of the wearer;
- securing the earmuff against the head of the wearer by the compressive forces exerted by the housing toward the wearer;
- and
- conforming the shell to the shape of the head of the wearer in response to the compressive forces exerted by the housing.
An apparatus comprising:
- a headgear for covering at least a portion of a head of a wearer;
- an earflap, extending from the headgear and extending to cover at least a portion of an ear of the wearer;
- an earmuff comprising a shell surrounding the ear of the wearer, the shell comprising a wall surrounding an outer surface of an ear;
- and
- a rim continuous, contiguous, and homogeneously formed with the wall to contact the head of the wearer in a substantially air tight manner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.