Acoustics – Anatomic or prosthetic relation – Ear and mouth
Patent
1999-05-07
2000-08-22
Ip, Paul
Acoustics
Anatomic or prosthetic relation
Ear and mouth
181130, 181128, 181126, D24106, D24173, D24174, D29112, A61B 702
Patent
active
061057142
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an arrangement in hearing protection devices, head phones and the like, comprising a generally U-shaped frame having plugs at its both ends, which plugs by the frame are pressed into contact with the orifices of the auditory meatus.
While the invention will below be described in connection with a hearing protection device, it may also, as mentioned above, be utilized e.g. in connection with head phones and the like suffering from problems similar to those occurring in hearing protection devices and accounted for below.
A most widely used type of hearing protection device consists of a U-shaped frame, at each of its two ends equipped with soft plugs which by the frame are pressed into sealing engagement with the orifices of the auditory meatus. The plugs may be shaped so that a portion thereof slightly enters the passage. In order to match the irregular shape of the passage the plugs are generally manufactured in a soft rubber or plastic material. The frame generally consists of a relatively stiff plastic material in order to create a suitable, resilient force pressing against the plugs in order to attain an efficient sealing between each of them and related passage orifices. In this way one achieves a good damping of sounds from ambient noise sources.
However, this type of hearing protection device suffers from a disadvantage in that the frame may itself generate undesired noise, namely if hit by or brought into rubbing contact with another object. As the frame is usually located under the chin or around the back of the head this may occur at movements of the head causing e.g. a necklace to hit the frame or the frame to just scrape along an article of clothing, e.g. a shirt collar.
When the frame is affected mechanically, vibrations are generated therein, i.a. in the form of axial oscillations in the direction of the adjacent plug. Because of the soft material in the plug those oscillations are not dampened to any appreciable extent. While the amplitude of the frame and plug movements is small they will, i.a. in consequence of the small volume of air between the plug and the tympanic membrane, result in sound-generating pressure variations in the hearing passage which cause sound pressure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to improve hearing protection devices of the kind above mentioned in order to substantially dampen the noise generated upon contact between an alien article and the frame of the hearing protection device.
The invention is based on the realization that such a damping can be attained if the vibrations in the frame generated upon contact with an alien object are dampened before they reach the plugs pressed against the orifices of the auditory meatus.
In accordance with the present invention the above mentioned object is obtained by means of a device of the type defined in the first paragraph of this specification, which is characterized in that said frame is equipped with means such as an element that contacts the skull bone adjacent each ear for the purpose of dampening vibrations in said frame.
Due to the contact between the element and the skull bone, the vibrations in the frame will be dampened before they reach the plugs mounted at the ends of the frame. This results in a substantial reduction of the sound pressure which those vibrations would otherwise generate.
The means used to obtain the damping may be constituted by a bent portion of the frame adjacent to each of its two ends, said portions being arranged, when the device is in use, to be held pressed against the bone in the skull adjacent to the related ear.
The bent portions are suitably shaped so that the frame can be positioned below the chin or around the back of the head of the carrier, the contact between said portions and the skull bone being upheld.
As an alternative the means arranged to dampen the vibrations in the frame can be constituted by enlarged portions of the frame proper or by elements attached thereto, those por
REFERENCES:
patent: 1224331 (1917-05-01), Smart
patent: 2641327 (1953-06-01), Balmer
patent: 3667569 (1972-06-01), Mackey et al.
patent: 4029169 (1977-06-01), Huntress
patent: 5298691 (1994-03-01), Leight
patent: 5824966 (1998-10-01), Leight
AB Kompositprodukter S.K.-F.M.
Ip Paul
Martin Edgardo San
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