Patents by Inventor Mark A. Blanchard

Mark A. Blanchard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8201561
    Abstract: An improved ear tip for earphones and hearing protection is provided where comfort and occlusion of the ear are of most importance. The ear tip comprises an elastomer polymer resin material molded to form the material to the shape of the ear canal. A chamber is defined having a proximal and distal end, the distal end engages the acoustic exit of the transducer, sound source or sound attenuator and the proximal end of the bore is adapted to be disposed adjacent an eardrum. The inner body attaches to a nozzle, or audio playback orifice to naturally transition the acoustics from the transducer or sound attenuator to the eardrum via the ear canal. The ear tip can have a plurality of flexible annular flanges disposed at spaced intervals of the body with decreasing circumference as the flanges transition to the proximal end. Each flange tapers in a radius or curvilinear geometry as it progresses to the end of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Klipsch Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20110185552
    Abstract: Method of reducing performance variability of membrane scaling devices. Scaling device performance uncertainty is reduced, thereby reducing the scaling safety factor, by specifying a narrow range or subset of the set of all qualified manufactured membranes for installation into scaling devices. In certain embodiments, the scalability factor is reduced by determining where within the performance distribution a particular membrane lies, and adjusting the scaling factor accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: MILLIPORE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sal Giglia, Kevin Rautio, Mark Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20100310106
    Abstract: An earphone is disclosed that is used in connection with reproducing audio sounds that are supplied from an audio-frequency source. The earphone includes a housing that includes a boot assembly positioned in the housing. A first audio driver is positioned in the boot assembly such that a first output of the first audio driver is in acoustic communication with a mixing chamber. A second audio driver is also positioned in the boot assembly such that a second output of the second audio driver is in acoustic communication with a chamber in the boot assembly. A tubular needle is positioned in the boot assembly having a first end in acoustic communication with the chamber and a second end in acoustic communication with the mixing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Mark A. Blanchard, Bradley C. Geswein
  • Publication number: 20100084217
    Abstract: An improved ear tip for earphones and hearing protection is provided where comfort and occlusion of the ear are of most importance. The ear tip comprises an elastomer polymer resin material molded to form the material to the shape of the ear canal. A chamber is defined having a proximal and distal end, the distal end engages the acoustic exit of the transducer, sound source or sound attenuator and the proximal end of the bore is adapted to be disposed adjacent an eardrum. The inner body attaches to a nozzle, or audio playback orifice to naturally transition the acoustics from the transducer or sound attenuator to the eardrum via the ear canal. The ear tip can have a plurality of flexible annular flanges disposed at spaced intervals of the body with decreasing circumference as the flanges transition to the proximal end. Each flange tapers in a radius or curvilinear geometry as it progresses to the end of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventor: Mark A. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7681577
    Abstract: An improved ear tip for earphones and hearing protection is provided where comfort and occlusion of the ear are of most importance. The ear tip comprises an elastomer polymer resin material molded to form the material to the shape of the ear canal. A chamber is defined having a proximal and distal end, the distal end engages the acoustic exit of the transducer, sound source or sound attenuator and the proximal end of the bore is adapted to be disposed adjacent an eardrum. The inner body attaches to a nozzle, or audio playback orifice to naturally transition the acoustics from the transducer or sound attenuator to the eardrum via the ear canal. The ear tip can have a plurality of flexible annular flanges disposed at spaced intervals of the body with decreasing circumference as the flanges transition to the proximal end. Each flange tapers in a radius or curvilinear geometry as it progresses to the end of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Klipsch, LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 7590257
    Abstract: A speaker system including a first and a second horn, each having a respective acoustic driver and a respective planar mouth and a respective throat operationally connected between the respective acoustic driver and the respective mouth, wherein the mouths are substantially coplanar. The system is characterized by an acoustic dispersion angle of about thirty degrees in a first vertical dispersion plane and by an acoustic dispersion angle of at least about ninety degrees in a second horizontal dispersion plane oriented orthogonally to the first dispersion plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Klipsch, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Blanchard, Rogelio Delgado, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20090147981
    Abstract: An earphone is disclosed that is used in connection with reproducing audio sounds that are supplied from an audio-frequency source. The earphone includes a housing that includes a boot assembly positioned in the housing. A first audio driver is positioned in the boot assembly such that a first output of the first audio driver is in acoustic communication with a mixing chamber. A second audio driver is also positioned in the boot assembly such that a second output of the second audio driver is in acoustic communication with a chamber in the boot assembly. A tubular needle is positioned in the boot assembly having a first end in acoustic communication with the chamber and a second end in acoustic communication with the mixing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Mark A. Blanchard, Bradley C. Geswein
  • Publication number: 20080187159
    Abstract: An improved ear tip for earphones and hearing protection is provided where comfort and occlusion of the ear are of most importance. The ear tip comprises an elastomer polymer resin material molded to form the material to the shape of the ear canal. A chamber is defined having a proximal and distal end, the distal end engages the acoustic exit of the transducer, sound source or sound attenuator and the proximal end of the bore is adapted to be disposed adjacent an eardrum. The inner body attaches to a nozzle, or audio playback orifice to naturally transition the acoustics from the transducer or sound attenuator to the eardrum via the ear canal. The ear tip can have a plurality of flexible annular flanges disposed at spaced intervals of the body with decreasing circumference as the flanges transition to the proximal end. Each flange tapers in a radius or curvilinear geometry as it progresses to the end of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Inventor: Mark A. Blanchard
  • Publication number: 20060187277
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming high-speed water droplets takes advantage on a synergy of features disclosed by the present invention including a low Weber number in a chamber in which a liquid stream breaks up into droplets; a reduced break up distance for forming the water droplets by introducing turbulence into the liquid source, thereby providing a unit or tool that is of practical size; accomplishing the generation of high-speed water droplets without using a complex driver; reducing the liquid's surface tension thereby facilitating the creating of near spherical droplets; and maintaining the droplets in form until they strike the surface of a workpiece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Synergy Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Dean, David Nelson, Matthew Brown, Richard Couch, Mark Blanchard
  • Patent number: D603844
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Klipsch, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Blanchard, Bradley C. Geswein, Thomas E. Gospel, Graham Allen
  • Patent number: D611929
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Klipsch, LLC
    Inventor: Mark A. Blanchard
  • Patent number: D613726
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Klipsch, LLC
    Inventors: Mark A. Blanchard, Bradley C. Geswein, Thomas E. Gospel, Glen D. Fuller
  • Patent number: D624901
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Klipsch Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Blanchard
  • Patent number: D637181
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Klipsch Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen D. Fuller, Mark A. Blanchard, Thomas E. Gospel, Bradley C. Geswein