US3005203A

US3005203A - Soft helmet for carrying sound attenuating earmuffs

Info

Publication number: US3005203A
Application number: US792625A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jackson A Aileo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-02-11
Filing date: 1959-02-11
Publication date: 1961-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1978-10-24

Description

Oct 24, 1961 J. A. AILEo 3,005,203

SOFT HELMET FOR CARRYING SOUND ATTENUATING EARMUFFS Filed Feb. l1, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JAC/50N /l A E0 BY in )LM J. A. AlLEo 3,005,203

soRT HELMET RoR CARRYING souNn ATTENUATING EARMUFFS Oct. 24, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet :2

Filed Feb. l1, 1959 INVENTOR. J/cwso/V /fo BYAL )L AUTOR/VEP J. A. Alu-:o 3,005,203

SOFT HELMET FOR CARRYING SOUND ATTENUATING EARMUFFS Oct. 24, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. l1, 1959 INVENTOR. d20/50M fo Y B Zw'a, M. @@M

3,005,203 SOFI HELMET FOR CARRYING SOUND ATTENUATING EARMUFFS Jackson A. Aileo, Carbondale, Pa., assigner to Leonard P. Frieder, Great Neck, N.Y. Filed Feb. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 792,625 3 Claims. (Cl. 2 3) This invention relates to ear coverings and ear pieces of the sound attenuating type, with or without ear phones and especially to apparatus for supporting such an ear piece in an operating position covering the wearers ear.

It is desirable to protect the ears of persons who are required to work in the vicinity of machines producing intense noises. This problem is particularly acute among personnel required to work in the vicinity of jet aircraft.

In order to provide such protection, it has been proposed to provide sound attenuating housing structures which are typically rigid shells, and to mount those structures on a helment, a headband, or the like, so thatthey may be held fixed inplace over the wearers ears.

There is shown and described in the copending application for United States Letters Patent of Walter S. Finken and Jackson A. Aileo, Serial No. 571,451, tiled March 14, 1956, now Patent No. 2,871,484, granted February 3, 1959, a close-fitting helmet which is adapted to support earphones or the like in position over the wearers ears.

One of .the problems with any device for supporting ear pieces resulting from the necessity of an angular adjustment. The ear pieces are preferably made generally ellipsoidal, so as to conform to the shape of the human ear. The relationship of the ear position to the skull contour varies considerably from one person to another, so that an rates Pat angular setting of the ear pieces in a helmet which is suitable and comfortable for one person may not be suitable and comfortablefor another. j

An object of the present invention is to provide an irnproved means for mounting an ear piece in a position where it effectively covers the ear of awearer and prevents impingement of external sounds on the ear.

Another object is to provide an improved means for mounting an ear piece on a helmet of the type described in the Finken et al. application Serial No. 571,451, mentioned above, including improved means for angularly adjusting the position of the ear piece relative to the helmet.

A further object is to provide improved means for angularly adjusting the position of any ellipsoidal ear piece relative to its supporting structure. I i

The foregoing objects are attained by providing in a helmet or head covering of flexible material, an aperture whose contour and peripheral dimension are substantially the same as the contour and peripheral dimension of the ellipsoidal housing of the ear piece. Suitable means are provided on the housing for engaging the edge of the panel so as to hold the housing xed in position on the panel. Since the aperture in the panel is'made elliptical, it fits the ellipsoidal housing in a particular preferred angular position thereof, and tends to oppose movement of the ellipsoidal housing from that particular angular position. The material of the side panelis sufficiently flexible, however, so that the housing may be moved, with only a slight application of force, away from its preferred angular position. In the new angular position, some part of the panel will be bias stressed because of the lack of alignment between the' housing and the aperture. The bias stressed part of the panel will closely conform to and frictionally engage the periphery of the housing, and will hold the housing in its new angular position.

In certain species of the invention disclosed herein, the

which overlaps both the inner and outer margins of the inside the taped edge.

In either of the species described above, a resilient wire may be sewn inside the tape.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the appended specification and claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of a helmet with an ear piece constructed in accordance with the invention, mounted on the head of a person;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, similar to FIG. l, showing the ear piece and the adjacent portion of the sidepanel of the helmet;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the side panel of the helmet with the aperture therein, and the ear piece removed;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line lV--IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a helmet embodying a modification of the invention and mounted on the head of a person;

FIG. 6 is a View similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the modification shown in FIG. 5; j,

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line VII-#- VII of FIG. 6;

FiG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the modification of FIGS. 5 to 7, and partly broken away t0 reveal the wire construction;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 4 and 7,

illustrating a modification; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the modification of FIG. 9.

FIGURES I to 4 There isshown in FIG. 1 a helmet generally indicated` by the reference numeral 1, which may be constructed as attached along the lateral portion of the zone 2. A tape 4 extends around the periphery of the helmet, and a strip 5 covers the wearers forehead below the tape 4.

The side panel 3 is provided with an opening 3a, whose unstressed contour is generally elliptical, as seen at 3a in FIG. 3. This opening is positioned in the side panel so as to be aligned with an ear of the wearer when the helmet is in place on the head. A tape 6 is sewn. over the edge of the opening 3a by means of a row of stitching 7. As shown in FIG. 4, the tape covers both the inner and outer margins of the panel around the opening 3a.

Inside the opening 3a there is inserted an ear piece 8,

. comprising a rigid casing of generally ellipsoidal contour,

preferably of molded plastic material, and best seen in FIG. 2. As shown in detail in FIG. 4, the ear piece 3 comprises an inner shell 8a and a conforming outer shell 8b bonded together. The inner shell Sa is provided with a peripheral flange Sd and the outer shell 8b has a similar peripheral flange Se. The flanges between them define a channel indicated by the reference numeral 9 for receiving the taped edge of the panel 3 around the opening 3a.` The contour and peripheral dimension of the aperture 3a should be substantially the same as the contour and Patented Olot. 24, '.1961y edge. ef.. theme91. may be mede telit Stately against thevv ear ,ee throughout the perphelv f. the eat, nieee and Qltlie epertute'a- 1t these Conteur and. dimensional. relationships are maintained, the. snug frictional tit betweenthle tape= 7 and theA sides ofn the channel Slrwill main.- tain the ear piece fixed in any angular positionI in which it.v is S61@ Furthermore, the ear piece l8 may bel rotated from the position shown in iull lines` in FIG. 2 to. any other angular position, for example, the position shown by thedot-dash line in FIG. 2. ThisI rotation is` aecomf. plishedA simply-by holding the panel1 3, and rotating the ear piece 8. The frictional engagement between the panel 3 and the ear piece 8 will allow such rotationby the appliqationtof ya: moderate force.

When. the Panel 3 and the.. ear peee. 8; are. relatively n 'otated away" from their preferred angular positions.

tionally engages the periphery of the housing and holds the housingzin itsnew angular position. Consequently,

the ear piece S may be set and will stay in any desired.

angular. nesitlee with respeet te the. Panel. 31-

Illeteafl, 0f. having thein'ner Shell Se andthe Outer Shell 8b closely conforming throughout their central portions,J

as; shown in the drawing, they/ mayl beprovided with a dead air space between the two shells. Alternatiyely,that spacez may` befilled with some soundvdeadenlngmeans, such as a chemical foam of the vinyl or polyurethanetype.Y As another alternative, itmay` be desirable to lill that space. with some material having a large inertial mass,V such as a lead compound or. lead film,

The helmet l is. provided withA a Chiu strap il, for holding the side panels 3 tightly against the, we arers head. backstrap 1 2.A isy also provided "which extends from a point under'the tape 4 at the front of the helmet over the ear piece 8 and the panel. Apsize take-up mechanism is provided in the strap l2, This strap further assists la haleine the panel Slendtlte eereieee innrener alien- These figures, illustrate a slightly modified form of helmet andamodified form of attachment of an ear piecel toJ the helmet. A helmet 13 of` FIG. 5 comprises two central zones 14 and two` sidepanels. 15. Two ear pieces 155 are mounted on the side panels l5. A chinstrap 17 is provided for holding theside panels 1 5 tightly engage ment- With the Wearers. head.

Each of the side panels lis provided witha circular` opening 15a, best seen in FIG. 8. The marginal portions ofthe openings 15a are covered by a tape l5 held in place v by alprpw of stitching 19. Inside the tape is inserted a resilient circular wire Ztl which tends to hold the periphery of the4 opening 15in. in n a circular; contour, ,eyen

though'it is c utwith an elliptical contour as in FlG. 3. T hejdiameter ofthe circleformed by the wire Ztl ismade slightly larger than the diametervofthe opening 15a when the panellS sunstressed, B yvirtue ofthat arrange-` 'monaca which preeeteeut-,etthenlene et thenanel l5.. See.-y

Thewirezt) and vthevmaterial offthepanel 15a yrnay be bent and stressed southat they fit` closely theA periphery 4 23, having one long leg and one short leg, and a screw 2 4 extendingthrough an aperture in the long leg of the bar 23 and threaded into the housing 21. The short leg of the clamp 23 extends over the flange formed by the tape lf and the Wire 20 tl'iereint, and;l holds the tape 13 tightly in engagement with: theperiphery of the ear piece.` 21.

The angular position of thev ear piece 211. relative to the panel 15' may be. changed by loosening thetscrews 24 so that the tape 17S. enclosingthe wire 20 may slip freely under the clamp barsM 2 3.' Aftera suitable angular adjustment is attained; the screws 24 may again be tightened,` The eer. piece. 2.1 may be.. nrovidedwth a sound attenuation nad 25. er, other. similar mechanism. for resiliently andlsnugly engaging the sideof, thepwearers. head around the entire. periphery of the ear,-

vThe Structures` disclosed herein. areV extremely light. in weight, yet they provide fixed angular adjustmentof. the ear pieee,swhieh. nevertheless mail he. modified. atwillby thewearer..

FIGURES.: 9. and.. 1,0.;`

'lghesefigures illustrate a modification ofltheinvention which is generally similar to that shown in FIGS; lv tot, 4 but in which the back strap 12j is eliminated. =In FI'G`. 9,I the earpiece S of FIG.v 1` `is replaced byan ear piece gentlally indicated at 26j and comprising'auy ellipsoidal shell 27 having a ange 27a on its head-engaging side. As in EjGj. 7., a

sound atteuuating padA

2,8 is providedgfprl resiliently and snugly engaging the wearersg head aroungl the entire periphery of theear. Thepad 2.3 is fixed to the ange 27a byv any suitable means.

On` the outside ofthe shell 27; spaced.outwardly from, the flange 27a, thete are provided' a pair oft spacedfpareallel' flanges 2712 deliuingfbetween` themr a channel 27C for receiving; the edge ofiV` a panel 29 Whichrcorresponds; generally to the panel 3of'FlG. l. The: panelr29 is-'pi'ovided witha central aperture ofielliptical contour. The

edge ofthe aperture isy coveredv by atape Sil, corresponding to the tape @of FIGS. ltoA. T hepanelg 29 isgconstructed somewhat differently than the panel 3 of;"EIG.-.l When the helmet 31. of which the panelv 29' isV a part; is mounted on the wearers head',vthe peripheral' edges' ofn the panel are heldin close engagement lwith therhead'by; thel other parts ofj the helmet structure. The central` portion ofthe panel 29 is held' away from the wearers head by the flanges 27b1on the shell 27. The panel29 is., therefore stretchedoutwardly at its central portion. The. panel 29 andthe connection between the panel and the shell 27 perform the function of the back strap 12 ofi FIG. l. That is to say, Ythe panel 29 iseffectiveto hold the cushion 28in snug engagement With the wearers head.. The back strap 12` mayv be eliminated:

If desired,l a wire such as the wire 20' of FIGS; 7 and 8" maybe usedinside the tape 30 ofFIG. 9. Suchawiro. may also be usedinside the tape 6 of'FIG. 4.

While I'have shown and describedcertain preferred, embodiments vofymy invention, other modifications there-r of `will readily occur to those skilled in the art andl` therefore intend mtyinventionto belimitedonly by the. appended claims.

lIlelaim:

l, A helmet. adantedoover theheadrotthe, wearer. comprising. atleastone Side paneLof, flexible. woven. materialgadaptedjto engage the side ofthe wearers.head, said panel having an aperture ofgenerallyy ellipticalpe ripheral contoupdisposed adjacent the wearers` ear` when, rthe helmet isminA place on the. headan earpiecehaying a; rigid generally ellipsoidalwcasing adapted to, cover the A weerers. eary andprovded. at .the side .thereetitewardthe ear; withA an .Opening ce.rr 1n1uni.c aulne` with the ear, the exterior: surface of said casing,alongV a. peripheralA dimenfsion thereof generallyparallel to and adjacentl the: sidefof.. the` wearers headbeing of.,generally ellipticalycontour, s aicl casing carrying.` exteriorly thereofA spaced; flanges.. illteslally;v termed.i therewith.;l and.; defining therebetween;

and with said exterior surface of said casing along said peripheral dimension a channel extending about said casing generally parallel to and adjacent the side of the wearers head, said channel receiving therein the edge portion of the panel adjacent and along said elliptical peripheral contour of said aperture of said panel, said peripheral dimension of said casing along said channel between said ilanges being substantially equal to the peripheral dimension of said aperture of said panel, the portion of said panel along the periphery of said aperture being slidable in said channel relative to said casing to adjust the angular position of said casing with respect to said side panel, said material of said side panel being substantially inelastic but sufliciently exible and capable of being bias stressed adjacent said aperture therein to permit said sliding movement of said portion of said panel in said channel between said langes while providing snug engagement of said portion of said panel with said exterior surface of said casing so as to cooperate with said casing and said flanges to hold the casing in any adjusted angular position.

2. A helmet as defined in claim 1 which comprises a tape folded over the marginal portions of and upon both surfaces of said panel along the periphery of said aperture, and stitching fastening said tape to both surfaces of said panel, said taped marginal portions of said panel being received in said channel of said casing.

3. A helmet adapted to cover the head of the wearer comprising at least one side panel of ilexible material adapted to engage the side of the wearers head, said panel having an aperture of generally elliptical peripheral contour disposed adjacent the wearers ear when the helmet is in place on the head, an ear piece having a rigid generally ellipsoidal casing adapted to cover the wearers ear and provided at the side thereof toward the ear with an opening communicating with the ear, the exterior surface of said casing along a peripheral dimension there of generally parallel to and adjacent the side of the wearers head being of generally elliptical contour, said casing carrying exteriorly thereof spaced iianges integrally formed therewith and defining therebetween and with said exterior surface of said casing along said peripheral dimension a channel extending about said casing generally parallel to and adjacent the side of the wearers head, said channel receiving therein the edge portion of the panel adjacent and along said elliptical peripheral contour of said aperture of said panel, said peripheral dimension of said casing along said channel between said flanges being substantially equal to the peripheral dimension of said aperture of said panel, the portion of said panel along the periphery of said aperture being slidable in said channel relative to said casing to adjust the angular position of said casing with respect to said side panel, said material of said side panel being substantially inelastic but suiiciently exible and capable of being stretched adjacent said aperture therein to permit said sliding movement of said portion of said panel in said channel between said flanges while providing snug engagement of said portion of said panel with said exterior surface of said casing so as to cooperate with said casing and said flanges to hold the casing in any adjusted angular position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,468,267 Mondl Apr. 26, 1949 2,690,563 Wilson Oct. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,119,404 France Apr. 3, 1956 1,122,622 France May 2S, 1956