Hearing protector

A hearing protector comprising a sound processor for receiving at an input thereof exterior sound and generating therefrom at an output thereof corresponding processed sound limited to intensity not exceeding a predetermined sound pressure level, and an earpiece detachably mounted to said sound processor and having sound channeling means in the form of a tube for passage of said processed sound away from said sound processor, said hearing protector being insertable into an ear canal so as to position said sound processor for receiving at said input said exterior sound, being sound originating exteriorally of said ear canal, and for directing said processed sound, as generated from said exterior sound by said sound processor, to an eardrum via said sound channeling means of said earpiece, said earpiece having first acoustic sealing means formed of a retarded recovery resilient material which is compressible to enable the earpiece to be inserted into the ear canal, but which then recovers to form a tight first acoustic seal between the earpiece and the ear canal, such as to preclude sound from passing from the outer ear through the earpiece to the eardrum via the ear canal otherwise than through the sound channeling means, second acoustic sealing means being provided effective to provide a second acoustic seal between the output of said sound processor and an adjacent input end of the sound channeling means, to preclude sound other than said processed sound from entering the sound channeling means, said retarded recovery resilient material sealingly surrounding said tube to form a third acoustic seal between the ear plug member and the exterior of the sound channeling means, said acoustic seals being effective to preclude direct transmission of said exterior sound to the eardrum.

A hearing protector comprising a sound processor for receiving at an input thereof exterior sound and generating therefrom at an output thereof corresponding processed sound limited to intensities not exceeding a predetermined sound pressure level, and an ear piece detachably mounted to said sound processor and having sound channeling means for passage of said processed sound away from said sound processor, said hearing protector being insertable into the ear canal so as to position said sound processor for receiving at said input said exterior sound, being sound originating exteriorly of the outer ear, and for directing said processed sound, as generated from said exterior sound by said sound processor, to the ear drum via said sound channeling means of said ear piece, said ear piece having first acoustic sealing means formed of a retarded recovery resilient material which is compressible to enable the ear piece to be inserted into the ear canal, but which then recovers to form a tight first acoustic seal between the ear piece and the ear canal, such as to preclude sound from passing from the outer ear through the ear piece to the ear drum via the ear canal otherwise than through the sound channeling means, second acoustic sealing means being provided effective to provide a second acoustic seal between the output of said sound processor and an adjacent input end of the sound channeling means, to preclude sound other than said processed sound from entering the sound channeling means, said acoustic seals being effective to preclude direct transmission of said exterior sound to the ear drum, said sound processor being incorporated into a casing which is attached to said ear piece by a connector means, said casing having an acoustic inlet positioned to receive said exterior sound when said casing is attached to said ear piece and when said hearing protector is inserted into the outer ear, said connector means holding said second acoustic sealing means between the casing and the ear piece so as to provide said second acoustic seal.

A hearing protector comprising a sound processor for receiving at an input thereof exterior sound and generating therefrom at an output thereof corresponding processed sound limited to intensities not exceeding a predetermined sound pressure level, and an ear piece detachably mounted to said sound processor and having sound channeling means for passage of said processed sound away from said sound processor, said hearing protector being insertable into the ear canal so as to position said sound processor for receiving at said input said exterior sound, being sound originating exteriorly of the outer ear, and for directing said processed sound, as generated from said exterior sound by said sound processor, to the ear drum via said sound channeling means of said ear piece, said ear piece having first acoustic sealing means formed of a retarded recovery resilient material which is compressible to enable the ear piece to be inserted into the ear canal, but which then recovers to form a tight first acoustic seal between the ear piece and the ear canal, such as to preclude sound from passing from the outer ear through the ear piece to the ear drum via the ear canal otherwise than through the sound channeling means, second acoustic sealing means being provided effective to provide a second acoustic seal between the output of said sound processor and an adjacent input end of the sound channeling means, to preclude sound other than said processed sound from entering the sound channeling means, said acoustic seals being effective to preclude direct transmission of said exterior sound to the ear drum, said sound processor being incorporated into a casing which is attached to said ear piece by a connector means, said casing having an acoustic inlet positioned to receive said exterior sound when said casing is attached to said ear piece and when said hearing protector is inserted into the outer ear, said connector means holding holds said second acoustic sealing means between the casing and the ear piece so as to provide said second acoustic seal;

• wherein said sound processor comprises a microphone to receive said exterior sound, an electronic circuit and a loudspeaker, said electronic circuit being coupled to receive microphone electrical signal generated by said microphone pursuant to incidence of said exterior sound thereon and to pass an output electrical signal to said loudspeaker for generation of said processed sound for passage into said sound channeling means, said electronic circuit being arranged to limit said output electrical signal as passed therefrom to said loudspeaker such as not to exceed a value which causes intensity of said processed sound to exceed said predetermined sound pressure level.

A hearing protector comprising a sound processor for receiving at an input thereof exterior sound and generating therefrom at an output thereof corresponding processed sound limited to intensities not exceeding a predetermined sound pressure level, and an ear piece detachably mounted to said sound processor and having sound channeling means for passage of said processed sound away from said sound processor, said hearing protector being insertable into the ear canal so as to position said sound processor for receiving at said input said exterior sound, being sound originating exteriorly of the outer ear, and for directing said processed sound, as generated from said exterior sound by said sound processor, to the ear drum via said sound channeling means of said ear piece, said ear piece having first acoustic sealing means formed of a retarded recovery resilient material which is compressible to enable the ear piece to be inserted into the ear canal, but which then recovers to form a tight first acoustic seal between the ear piece and the ear canal, such as to preclude sound from passing from the outer ear through the ear piece to the ear drum via the ear canal otherwise than through the sound channeling means, second acoustic sealing means being provided effective to provide a second acoustic seal between the output of said sound processor and an adjacent input end of the sound channeling means, to preclude sound other than said processed sound from entering the sound channeling means, said sound processor being incorporated into a casing which is attached to said ear piece by a connector means, said casing having an acoustic inlet positioned to receive said exterior sound when said casing is attached to said ear piece and when said hearing protector is inserted into the outer ear, said connector means holding holds said second acoustic sealing means between the casing and the ear piece so as to provide said second acoustic seal;

• said ear piece comprising an inner tube defining said sound channeling means and an earplug member, said earplug member sealingly surrounding said inner tube to form a third acoustic seal between the earplug member and the exterior of the sound channeling means, said acoustic seals being effective to preclude direct transmission of said exterior sound to the ear drum.

A hearing protector comprising a sound processor for receiving at an input thereof exterior sound and generating therefrom at an output thereof corresponding processed sound limited to intensities not exceeding a predetermined sound pressure level, and an ear piece detachably mounted to said sound processor and having sound channeling means for passage of said processed sound away from said sound processor, said hearing protector being insertable into the ear canal so as to position said sound processor for receiving at said input said exterior sound, being sound originating exteriorly of the outer ear, and for directing said processed sound, as generated from said exterior sound by said sound processor, to the ear drum via said sound channeling means of said ear piece, said ear piece having first acoustic sealing means formed of an ear plug member formed of retarded recovery resilient material which is compressible to enable the ear piece to be inserted into the ear canal, but which then recovers to form a tight first acoustic seal between the ear piece and the ear canal, such as to preclude sound from passing from the outer ear through the ear piece to the ear drum via the ear canal otherwise than through the sound channeling means, second acoustic sealing means being provided effective to provide a second acoustic seal between the output of said sound processor and an adjacent input end of the sound channeling means, to preclude sound other than said processed sound from entering the sound channeling means, said sound processor being incorporated into a casing which is attached to said ear piece by a connector means, said casing having an acoustic inlet positioned to receive said exterior sound when said casing is attached to said ear piece and when said hearing protector is inserted into the outer ear, said connector means holding holds said second acoustic sealing means between the casing and the ear piece so as to provide said second acoustic seal;

• said ear piece comprising an inner tube defining said sound channeling means and an earplug member formed by said first acoustic means, said earplug member sealingly surrounding said inner tube to form a third acoustic seal between the earplug member and the exterior of the sound channeling means, said acoustic seals being effective to preclude direct transmission of said exterior sound to the ear drum;
• said sound processor comprising a microphone to receive said exterior sound, an electronic circuit and a loudspeaker, said electronic circuit being coupled to receive microphone electrical signal generated by said microphone pursuant to incidence of said exterior sound thereon and to pass an output electrical signal to said loudspeaker for generation of said processed sound for passage into said sound channeling means, said electronic circuit being arranged to limit said output electrical signal as passed therefrom to said loudspeaker such as not to exceed a value which causes intensity of said processed sound to exceed said predetermined sound pressure level.