US3122613A - Ear protector - Google Patents

Description

Feb- 25, 1954 v. F. GONGOLL ETAL 3,122,613

EAR PROTECTOR Filed Aug. 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb- 25, 1964 v. F. GONGOLL ET'AL EAR PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1958 INV ENTOR. Vemonf'anyaarlenlm Bmzi ham/.Simpson wrok/@M United States Patent() M' 3,122,613 EAR PROTECTGR Vernon F. Gongoli, Shiilington, Charles J. Boyer, West Reading, and .lack N. Simpson, Greenfieids, Pa.,

assigner-s to The Eiectric Storage Battery Company,

Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed Aug. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 756,614 3 Claims. (Ci. 179-182) This invention relates to ear protectors and, more particularly, to improvements in ear protectors of the ear muff type, such as shown in Shaw et al. U.S. Patent No. 2,801,423, dated Aug. 6, 1957.

An outstanding disadvantage of ear protectors having liquid lled cushions, such as shown in said Shaw patent, is that the liquid filled cushions are not readily removable or replaceable in the event of leakage of or damage to cushions.

A further disadvantage of such uiddilled cushions is that they are not made of optimum plastic materials, nor lled with optimum liquids for providing high eiiiciency in the attenuation of unwanted sounds and long product life.

An object of our invention is to provide a novel ear protector assembly which includes readily replaceable fluid-lled cushions which are devoid of the above disadvantages and which enable easy and quick 4replacement of faulty or damaged ear cushions.

A further object of our invention is to provide, in addition to huid-filled cushions for protecting the ear against noises, phone receivers having novel spring mountings within the ear cups so that aviators, factory workers or the like may be able to listen to incoming telephone or radio communication without interference from jet engine noises, factory noises, or the like.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein;

FiG. 1 is a side view of an ear protector having a detachable fiuid-iilled cushion embodying the principles of our invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the ear protector shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a rear or inside view of the ear protector shown in FIG. 1 when provided with a phone receiver; taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 4;

HG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ear protector assembly showing a flexible band type of detachable mounting for the fluid-filled cushion;

HG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FiG. l, showing a modication of the detachable mounting for `the fluid-filled cushions; and

EG. 6 is a perspective view showing a complete ear protector assembly embodying huid-filled detachable cushions in accordance with the present invention.

Referring more particularly to FiGS. 1-4 inclusive of the drawing, numeral 1 denotes an ear cup made `of suitable plastic material, thermosetting or thermoplastic, and which is more suitably of substantially hemispherical shape for maximum efficiency and highest iidelity of reception of sounds from the ear receivers. About the rim of cup 1 there is detachably mounted an ear cushion 2 which is in the form of Aa tube of any suitable flexible, plastic material, preferably a vinyl material which may be partially or completely iilled with uids, preferably a liquid. We have found that optimum results are obtainable when the liquid filling of tube 2 is glycerine and water in the range from to 80% of glycerine, the balance water. We have found that optimum results are obtainable with about 70% glycerine and 30% water, although in some cases the percentage of glycerine may be lowered 3,l22,6l3 Patented Feb. 25, 1964 ICC to 60%. We have further found that the glycerine and water mixture should be substantially entirely freed of air bubbles. This is obtained by evacuating the cushion 2 and when the evacuation is complete, and during the sealing process, squeezing out the lliquid through a suitable tube outlet (not shown) until 'the undesired air is expelled.

As shown in FIG. 4, integrally attached along the outer periphery of tube 2 is a two-layered extension 2c also of the same plastic material las tube 2, and which term-inates in a tensioned ilexible band or G-ring 2a sandwiched between the layers of the extension and adapted to encircle a protuberance formed at the mouth of cup 1. Thus it will be seen that the tube 2 is yieldably held in place by contraction of the ring 2u onto the protuberance; and when it is desired to replace a `damaged or leaky fluid-filled cushion it is merely Inecessary to pull on the endless flexible band or ring 2a and thereby detach the fluid-iilled cushion. The yokes 13 supported from the ends of the headband may have their ends pivotally connected to diametrically opposite portions of the cups.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a modication of the means for clamping the fluid-filled cushions to the cups. The fluidiilled cushion 2 has an integral annular extension 2c which extends about the entire periphery of the cushion 2 and which is adapted to become sandwiched between a protuberance 2d, disposed along the entire periphery of cup 1, and a pair of opposed clamps 1a, 1b, of substantially U-shape, surrounding the peripheral portion of cup 1. At the end of the extremities of clamp l1a there are provided integral parts 3, each having a hole extending vertically therethrough and at the end of the extremities of the other U-shaped clamp 1b there are provided integral parts 4, each lhaving registering holes therethrough, through which holes fastening bolts 5 are inserted and screwed to parts 4 to securely clamp parts `la and v1b together in clamping engagement with the peripheral extension 2c of the fluid-tilled cushions to hold them in place against 4the annular base plate 16.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 6, the headphone set includes a headband formed of two springs 13 arranged substantially parallel and disposed about substantially a semicircle. The ends of these springs extend through openings formed in the sleeve-like parts 6 pivotally mounted on parts 3 by pivots 7. Thus by sliding parts 6 up and down, adjustment of the diameter or springiness of the headband to suit different head sizes may be effected and when suitable adjustment is obtained screws 8 are tightened and the adjustment may be maintained. It will be noted that the cups are pivotally movable, with respect to the ends of the headband, about pivots 7 as a center, to automatically adjust the cushions to t about the ears of the wearer.

A further feature of the present invention comprises the mounting of an earphone 1t) (of any well known construction) within the ear cup, which mounting comprises a spring y14 which encircles the inner peripheral mouth portion of cup 1, resting against base plate 16, and terminates in a substantially hook-shaped end 14a. Spring 14 enables lateral and vertical adjustment of the earphone 10.

Receiver 1t) is connected by means of a flexible lead-in wire 11 to a plug 12 which may be inserted in any suitable jack or soc et of the radio receiver or other receiving set.

if desired, the cups 1 may be partly lled at their outer or bottom portions with a mass of sponge rubber, cellular plastic, or the like for absorbing sounds that might enter from the outside.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided an eiiicient ear protector assembly including fluid-filled cushions which are easily and quickly detachable or replaceable; furthermore, we have provided a highly eihcient earphone receiver mounting within the cu-p which enables substantial exclusion or attenuation of loud or unwanted sounds, such as'frorn jet engines, and insures clear reception from the receiver even in very noisy areas; furthermore, we have provided a iiuid-iilling for the cushions which is such as to insure maximum suppression or attenuation of low and lL'gh `frequency sounds as well as provide a very cornfortable lit around ythe ears of the wearer so as to prevent fatigue even when wom 4for extended periods of time.

While we have illustrated and described several specific embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that these are by way of illustration only, and that various changes and rnodiiications may be made within the contemplation of our invention and within the scope of the following claims.

IWe claim:

1. In a pair of substantially hemispherical ear cups of a headset each cup having a radially inwardly extending i'lange and a radially outwardly extending protuberance at the mouth portion, a plastic liner of tubular shape :including a partial iilling of non-gaseous Huid, supported against said iauge of each cup, each liner having a radially outwardly extending, ytwo-layered annular extension vof the same plastic material ias said liner, and an endless elastic band integrally sandwiched between the layers of the peripheral portion of said extension which,

4, Y upon stretching so as to pass beyond said protuberance, will ybe detachably held in place by said protuberance.

2. In a headset as recitedin claim 1, together with an earphone mounted inside each cup, a spring for mount-Y ing each earphone, which spring encircles and yieldably rests against :the inner surface `of the mouth portion of each cup, and against said ange, and having an end portion extend-ing substantially radially inwardly which yieldably supports the corresponding earphone in space substantially centrally of the cup.

3. ln a headset as recited in `claim 1, wherein said liner is evacuated of air and wherein said non-gaseous fluid consists of a mixture of Water and glycerine substantially devoid of air bubbles, the amount of glycerine varying from about 20% to about 70% of the amount of water, by volume.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,668,896 Curran et al May 8, 1928 2,353,070 Pitkin July 4, 1944 2,529,562 Martin NOV. 14, 1950 2,861,423 Shaw et al. t Aug. 6, 1957 2,856,469' Morse Oct. 14, 1958 2,883,672 Hornickel et al Apr. 28, 1959

Claims (1)

1. IN A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY HEMISPHERICAL EAR CUPS OF A HEADSET EACH CUP HAVING A RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROTUBERANCE AT THE MOUTH PORTION, A PLASTIC LINER OF TUBULAR SHAPE INCLUDING A PARTIAL FILLING OF NON-GASEOUS FLUID, SUPPORTED AGAINST SAID FLANGE OF EACH CUP, EACH LINER HAVING A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING, TWO-LAYERED ANNULAR EXTENSION OF THE SAME PLASTIC MATERIAL S SAID LINER, AND AN ENDLESS ELASTIC BAND INTEGRALLY SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE LAYERS OF THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID EXTENSION WHICH, UPON STRETCHING SO AS TO PASS BEYOND SAID PROTUBERANCE, WILL BE DETACHABLY HELD IN PLACE BY SAID PROTUBERANCE.

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