US4975967A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Earplug for noise protected communication between the user of the earplug and surroundings
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-05-22
•
Granted: 1990-12-04
•
Expires: 2009-05-22
Abstract
Abstract The earplug inserted in the auditory canal is so designed that its inside end facing the tympanic membrane makes close contact with the surrounding hard bone structure, and its external end at the aperture of the auditory canal makes close contact with the surrounding tissue. The earplug has a head for connection with a communication system. A central channel conveys sound to the tympanic membrane. The mid-section of the earplug is furnished with a circumferential recess for receiving sound waves from the user's own voice through the surrounding soft tissue: and channels convey these sound waves to a microphone built into the earplug head.
Inventors
- 👤 Steen B. Rasmussen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 16:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F11/00; A61F11/06; A61F11/08; A61F11/085; H; H04; H04R; H04R1/00; H04R1/46
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
An earplug intended for insertion in an ear canal and intended to allow the user of the earplug, by means of two separate acoustic systems consisting of an earphone unit suitable for monitoring and a microphone unit, to engage in both simplex and duplex communication with another person in noisy surroundings, comprising: (a) a body having a size and shape adapted to fit within the ear canal, an inner end, an outer head and a longitudinal channel passing through the body from the inner end to the outer head; and (b) a pair of collars surrounding the body which when the earplug is in the ear canal are sized and positioned to make contact with a wall of the ear canal and are spaced apart to create a cavity defined by the collars, a surface portion of the body between the collars and the ear canal wall; said body also having at least one cavity channel running from the outer head to the surface of the portion of the body between the collars.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
173 words
An earplug intended for insertion in an ear canal and intended to allow the user of the earplug, by means of two separate acoustic systems consisting of an earphone unit suitable for monitoring and a microphone unit, to engage in both simplex and duplex communication with another person in noisy surroundings, comprising: (a) a body having a size and shape adapted to fit within the ear canal, an inner end, an outer head and a longitudinal channel passing through the body from the inner end to the outer head; and (b) a pair of collars surrounding the body which when the earplug is in the ear canal are sized and positioned to make contact with a wall of the ear canal and are spaced apart to create a cavity defined by the collars, a surface portion of the body between the collars and the ear canal wall; said body also having at least one cavity channel running from the outer head to the surface of the portion of the body between the collars.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body at least partially consists of a molded core and the collars are soft, elastic material for contact with the auditory canal wall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The earplug of claim 2 wherein the soft, elastic material is a polyvinyl chloride foam.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the earplug consists of soft, elastic material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 4 wherein said soft, elastic material is a polyvinyl chloride foam material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collars are O-rings of soft, elastic material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the longitudinal channel and the cavity channel consist of narrow tubes of one of non-compressible material and mainly non-compressible material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cavity is filled with air.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cavity is filled with a fluid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 1 also comprising a membrane attached to the portion of the body between the collars to contain a fluid within the cavity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
An earplug as claimed in claim 10 wherein the membrane is a sound-sensitive membrane made of one of piezo-electric and piezo-resistive material, and also comprising at least two electrical conducting circuits for transmission of an electrical signal from the sound-pressure-sensitive membrane to the outer end of the earplug.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer head is sized and configured to receive at least one of a transmitter and a receiver.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the collars are comprised of a slow recovery foam.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The earplug as claimed in claim 13 wherein the slow recovery foam is one of polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The earplug as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body is comprised of a slow recovery foam.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The earplug as claimed in claim 15 wherein the slow recovery foam is one of polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-12-03 | 1994-06-04 | 1994-12-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-12-03 | 1998-06-04 | 1998-12-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-12-03 | 2002-06-04 | 2002-12-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |