Concha-fitting custom earplug with flexible skin and filler material
AssigneeRed Tail Hawk Corporation
InventorsJohn W. Parkins, Mark DeWilde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An earplug which conforms to the concha of the ear and extends into the ear canal. The construction consists of a flexible outer skin with at least one filler material, preferably two or more materials of varying hardness, to form an essentially solid structure except for sound channels, or electronics packages, or other devices, parts and cavities that may be located within the flexible skin. The flexible skin can be fabricated using a rapid-prototyping printing process.
Claims15
An earplug for an ear having an ear canal and a concha region, comprising:
- a flexible outer skin formed to fit in the ear, having a hollow interior, a portion formed for insertion into the ear canal, and a portion fitting in the concha region, wherein a thickness of the flexible outer skin varies, such that the skin of the earplug has greater or lesser stiffness in different sections of the ear canal;
- and
- a filler material substantially filling the interior of the skin, comprising at least one soft material in the portion of the outer skin for insertion into the ear canal.
A method of making a custom earplug for fitting in a user's ear, the ear having an ear canal and a concha region, the earplug comprising a flexible outer skin formed to fit in the ear, having a hollow interior, a portion formed for insertion into the ear canal, and a portion fitting in the concha region and a filler material substantially filling the interior of the outer skin, comprising at least one soft material in the portion of the skin for insertion into the ear canal;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- a) printing the flexible outer skin using a rapid prototyping machine from a digital image of the ear canal and concha region to form the flexible outer skin into the shape of the user's ear canal and concha region, wherein a thickness of the flexible outer skin varies, such that the skin of the earplug has greater or lesser stiffness in different sections of the ear canal;
- b) orienting the flexible outer skin with an open base pointing upward, the outer skin being angled such that a desired fill surface is horizontal, the desired fill surface being located at least at a level corresponding with an opening of the ear canal;
- c) pouring a soft filler material into the open base of the flexible outer skin to fill the skin to the desired fill surface;
- and
- d) allowing the filler material to cure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.