Ear coupler
AssigneeElectronic Engineering Company of California
InventorCharles B. Huntress
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-forming ear plug element for use with a stethoscope type sound tube installation for transmitting audio sound to the ear and rejecting ambient noise. A conical portion having a sound-transmitting orifice enters the ear. A thin radially extensive shallow-conical acoustic flange extends outwardly from the major diameter part of the conical portion. Being soft, the flange easily conforms to the concha portion of the ear to increase the sound pressure level of the transmitted signal and to greatly attenuate ambient noise. A mounting horn for attaching the plug element to a stethoscope tube extends axially beyond the flange.
Claims11
A self-forming ear coupler for acoustic control comprising:
- a. a conical portion, having an orifice therethrough, for entering the ear,
- b. only one soft flexible flange having a shallow conical shape extending outwardly and rearwardly from said conical portion, the external surface of said conical portion and said flange flaring smoothly outwardly to provide a smooth transitional shape therebetween, said flange having a circumferential bead of round cross-section at the outer periphery thereof, the radial extent of said flange being sufficient to effectively seal the external portion of the ear from said conical portion orifice, and
- c. a mounting portion on the side of said flange opposite to said conical portion, said mounting portion having an orifice extending from the orifice of said conical portion to provide a continuous passage through said ear coupler,
- the recited structure being proportioned to significantly deform said flexible flange when it is placed in the ear, whereby said flange acts as an ear plug sealing the ear against ambient sounds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.