High sound attenuating hearing protection device
AssigneeCabot Safety Intermediate Corporation
InventorsRobert N. Falco, Richard Knauer, Alan R. Seville
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hearing protection device insertable into an ear canal is provided, the device generally including a stem portion, a sound attenuating portion affixed to and extending at least partially over the stem portion, and a volume of space disposed between and delimited by the sound attenuating portion and the stem portion, where at least a part of the sound attenuating portion is collapsible into the volume of space during insertion of the hearing protection device into the ear canal.
Claims60
A hearing protection device insertable into an earcanal, comprising:
- a stem portion;
- a sound attenuating portion affixed to the stem portion and including:
- a sleeve for receiving and retaining the stem, and
- a single flange extending over and beyond the sleeve and extending at least partially over the stem portion;
- and
- a continuous, unobstructed volume of space disposed between and delimited by the single flange, the sleeve, and the stem portion;
- wherein the sound attenuating portion extends at least approximately half of a length of the hearing protection device and less than approximately an entire length of the hearing protection device;
- wherein the single flange extends approximately half of the length of the sound attenuating portion;
- and
- wherein the single flange is fully collapsible into the volume of space during insertion of the hearing protection device into the ear canal.
A hearing protection device insertable into an ear canal, comprising:
- a stem portion having a front end and an opposite rear end;
- a single flange element fixed to the front end of the stem portion and extending over at least a portion of the stem portion toward the rear of the stem portion, said flange element extending at least approximately half of a length of the hearing protection device and less than approximately an entire length of the hearing protection device;
- a sleeve configured to receive and retain the stem portion, the sleeve extending at least partially over the stem portion, the single flange disposed to extend over and beyond the sleeve;
- a volume of space delimited by the stem portion, the sleeve, and the single flange element;
- wherein the flange element is formed of a compressible resilient material and the flange element is fully collapsible into the volume of space during insertion of the earplug into the ear canal.
A sound attenuating portion of a hearing protection device, the sound attenuating portion being configured for insertion into an ear canal, comprising:
- a front insertable portion formed of a compressible resilient material;
- a flange portion extending rearwardly from the front insertable portion and
- a volume of space formed at an interior of the flange portion rearward of the front insertable portion;
- wherein the flange portion extends out of contact from a remainder of the hearing protection device and at least approximately half of a length of the sound attenuating portion and less than approximately an entire length of the hearing protection device,
- and wherein the flange portion is fully collapsible into the volume of space.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.