Loading patent…
AssigneeHearing Components, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Oliveira, Martin P. Babcock, Davis W. Chamberlin
Estimating the term…
A simple and inexpensive sleeve assembly that is easy to apply to and remove from the distal end portion of a sound control device and can be adapted to provide circumferential contact with a user's ear canal to control sound delivered to that ear canal at a desired level, to provide a cerumen guard at the end of a sound deliver tube included in the sound control device, or to provide both of those functions. The sleeve assembly comprises a first layer of flexible material (e.g., sound attenuating slow recovery foam, closed cell foam, open cell foam, reticulated open cell foam, or non-foamed polymeric material depending on the requirements of the sound control device on which the sleeve assembly is used) having a periphery that can be adapted to make partial or complete contact with or conform to the car canal of a user into which the sleeve assembly is inserted, or to make little or no contact with that ear canal. A stiff resiliently flexible attachment member having a through opening is fixed to one surface of the first layer. The first layer of material can have a hole between its first and second surfaces aligned with the opening in the attachment member to afford movement of a knob-like part at the distal end portion of a sound control device through the first layer and the opening in the attachment member, or alternatively, the knob-like part can be moved through the opening in the attachment member from its side opposite the first layer. The knob-like part and the area circumjacent to the opening in the attachment member then cooperate to provide complementary interlocking holding of the sleeve assembly on the end portion of the sound control device.
A sleeve assembly for removable mounting on a portion of a sound control device including a knob-shaped part, said sleeve assembly comprising a first layer of resilient flexible material having opposite first and second surfaces, and a stiff flexible attachment member fixed to said first layer along said second surface, said attachment member having a through opening affording movement of the knob-shaped part through said attachment member so that the area adjacent to the opening in the attachment member can releasably engage the portion of the sound control device to hold the sleeve on the sound control device.
A sleeve assembly for removable mounting on an end portion of a sound control device including a knob-shaped part, said sleeve assembly comprising a first layer of resilient flexible polymeric foam having opposite first and second surfaces, a periphery between said first and second surfaces adapted to conform to the ear canal of a user into which the sleeve assembly is inserted, and a hole between said first and second surfaces, and said sleeve assembly further comprising attachment structure for releasably attaching the first layer of foam on the end portion of the sound control device comprising a resilient stiff flexible disc-shaped part fixed to said first layer and having a through opening aligned with said hole to affording movement of the knob-shaped part through said hole and said opening in said attachment member so that the area circumjacent to the opening in the attachment member can releasably engage the portion of the sound control device to hold the sleeve assembly on the portion of the sound control device.
In combination, a portion of a sound control device including a knob-shaped part, and a sleeve assembly comprising a first layer of resilient foam having opposite first and second surfaces, and a stiff flexible attachment member having a through opening fixed to said first layer along said second surface, said portion of the sound control device extending through said attachment member with the area adjacent to the opening in the attachment member releasably engaging the sound control device to hold the sleeve on the sound control device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.