Abstract: An earbud (10) for carrying sound from a source (16) to a person's ear canal, includes a soft foam body (20) and a sleeve (26) of stiffer material lying within the body. The body is molded around the sleeve and is chemically bonded to the sleeve without an adhesive between them. The earbud is molded around the sleeve by placing the sleeve on a mandrel pin (42) within a mold cavity (32) placing foamable material in the mold and closing the mold. The mold has shoulders with one mold shoulder (52) that abuts one end (46) of the sleeve and another mold shoulder (60) that lies within 0.1 millimeter of the other sleeve end (62), to prevent foaming material from leaking into the space (64) between the mandrel pin and the sleeve passage.

Abstract: A method for forming a device (10) that fits into a person's ear canal, that carries sound from a pipe (B) of a speaker assembly (A) into the person's ear canal, and that blocks environmental noise. A first elastomeric material (14) is molded around an elongated core (16) to form a device body (12) with an outer surface that can seal to a person's ear canal. In one method, the first elastomeric material of the body is a soft foamable material and the core is a previously-formed tube (16) of a stiffer second elastomeric material, with the body bonded to the tube by being molded around it, either in a mold cavity or by extrusion through an extrusion head. In another method, the elastomeric material of the body is a non-foam, and the core (96) is a rigid pin that is removed from the earplug body after the earplug body has at least partially solidified.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to earmuffs with speakers, and attempt to improve speaker acoustic quality without negatively impacting sound attenuation of the earmuffs. Embodiments may comprise a speaker plate located behind a speaker unit, and typically the speaker plate comprises a recessed portion with a plurality of holes. When the speaker plate is in place behind the speaker unit, it may cause the speaker to be more accurate across a broad range of frequencies without negatively impacting sound attenuation.

Abstract: A hearing protection device to be worn at either a primary position or a secondary position, comprising a hearing protection component and a noise measurement component, and an attachment mechanism to securely attach the noise measurement component to the hearing protection component, wherein at the primary position the noise measurement component detects a protected noise exposure and at the secondary position it detects an unprotected exposure, the noise measurement component comprises a microphone, a compartment that encloses the microphone and at least one filter, and the filter reduces resonance of said compartment incident upon said microphone.

Abstract: An earbud coupling has a rear portion forming an earbud mount (14) that easily attaches to a hemispherical earbud (12), and has a front portion forming an in-ear mount (16) that can be pressed into a person's ear canal to hold the coupling to the person while blocking environmental noise. The earbud mount includes a tapered elastomeric sleeve (50) with an internal groove (62) at its rear end. The earbud mount rear end can be expanded to fit around the periphery of the earbud front end to securely attach to the earbud. A plurality of different in-ear mounts or tips can be provided that each can be attached to the front end of the earbud mount, including an in-ear mount (100) that consists of a single integral elastomeric member with at least one flange (205). The earbud mount and in-ear mount can be connected by a shaft (130) with pair of projections (132) on one of the mounts that is inserted into a hole (136) with slots (140) of the other one and turned.

Abstract: A headphone that is especially useful to test the efficacy of an earplug installed in an ear canal, by using the headphone to produce sound and by sensing sound pressure at the ear drum despite the presence of the earplug. Applicant uses the speaker (42) in the headphone to produce a smooth and reasonably “flat” frequency response by reversing the speaker orientation. In the reversed orientation, the front side of the speaker diaphragm (50) faces into the headphone cup and away from the ear. The rear side of the speaker that has a circle of holes (52), faces toward the ear. The headphone frame has a cylindrical passage (40) for carrying sound to the person's ear, which has an outer end (78) that is tapered to encompass the holes in the speaker back side (44). The axial distance (L) from the speaker rear side to the ear, is at least 0.6 inch to accommodate the protruding end of an earplug.

Abstract: Embodiments disclose a non-roll foam EarTip that may provide for fingertip press-in insertion, improved comfort, simplicity of use, flatter attenuation and/or improved hygienic properties, by way of non-exclusive example. A hollow foam body typically encompasses a shorter stem of more rigid material, and in some embodiments the foam body has a tighter skin on the inner and outer surfaces. In some embodiment, the EarTip is an earplug formed of polyurethane foam with a dense skin on the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow body, and having a plurality of splines in the cavity.

Abstract: An earpiece of flexible foam construction which incorporates recycled pulverized polyurethane foam (RPPF). RPPF constituting 5% to 30% of the improved foam has been found to be useful. The novel and unique nature of RPPF allows for the replacement of a higher cost component with a lower cost component while maintaining or improving physical properties, such as sound attenuation, sound control, comfort and fit.

Abstract: A method for continuously monitoring noise exposure level of a person via measuring sound level within an ear canal of the person using a sound measurement means linked to a sound level recording device external to the ear canal, wherein the sound measurement means may be shielded from the environment by a hearing protective device, and wherein the cable does not interfere with the ability of the hearing protective device to reduce noise exposure level in the ear canal. Also provided are a system comprising a sound measurement means mounted within an ear canal of the person, an external sound level recording means and a linking cable.

Abstract: An earplug has a single very long main flange with a maximum diameter that is at least 80% of the length of the main flange, and at least 55% of the entire length of the earplug except for the stem. This allows the outside of the long flange to extend at a very small angle to the axial direction, and apply a constant force against the walls of the ear canal, for good and comfortable sealing to the ear canal.

Abstract: A method for continuously monitoring noise exposure level of a person via measuring sound level within an ear canal of the person using a sound measurement means linked to a sound level recording device external to the ear canal, wherein the sound measurement means may be shielded from the environment by a hearing protective device, and wherein the cable does not interfere with the ability of the hearing protective device to reduce noise exposure level in the ear canal. Also provided is a system comprising a sound measurement means mounted within an ear canal of the person, an external sound level recording means and a linking cable.

Abstract: Embodiments disclose a non-roll foam EarTip that may provide for fingertip press-in insertion, improved comfort, simplicity of use, flatter attenuation and/or improved hygienic properties, by way of non-exclusive example. A hollow foam body typically encompasses a shorter stem of more rigid material, and in some embodiments the foam body has a tighter skin on the inner and outer surfaces. In some embodiment, the EarTip is an earplug formed of polyurethane foam with a dense skin on the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow body, and having a plurality of splines in the cavity.

Abstract: An improved EarTip may result from the distribution of PTFE throughout a slow recovery foam. Such an EarTip may have a finer, more uniform cell structure that aids in insertion within a user's ear canal. It may also have a smoother skin, with a lower kinetic coefficient of friction, and may provide improved sound attenuation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cap (11) intended for use as hearing protection and adapted to enclosed the external ear of a user, characterized by at least one vibration-damping weight element (18, 38a-b) of the cap (11), which weight element is arranged so as to at least partly block an audio mode of vibration that would have existed in the cap in the absence of said weight element (18, 38a-b). The invention also relates to a method of producing such a cap, and use of the same.

Abstract: Earplugs (22, 24) and a combination (20) of a pair earplugs and a cord (26) that joins them, each can be detected by metal and/or magnetic detectors even if the parts of the combination becomes separated and fall into a batch of food, etc. Each earplug includes an earplug core (32) formed of a first elastomer with a multiplicity of metal-mag detectable particles (36) (particles detectable by electrical or magnetic detectors) embedded in the first elastomer, and an earplug covering (32) of a second elastomer (that may be the same as the first one) that is devoid of such particles. The cord includes a cord core (50) formed of a first flexible polymer with metal-mag detectable particles embedded therein, and a cord covering (54) formed of a second polymer that is devoid of such particles. The particles are preferably of iron, which is magnetically detectable but that can mark skin or clothing that it contacts, but which is isolated from the skin and clothing by the earplug and cord coverings.

Abstract: A headpiece is provided for use in association with at least one hearing cap. The headpiece comprising a first portion, adapted to, when a user wears a hearing cap, be positioned between a sealing ring of the hearing cap and a portion of the user's head circumscribing an ear, and a second portion essentially circumscribed by the first portion, the first portion comprising a relatively air tight material forming a sealing ring in the headpiece, and the second portion being formed of one or more relatively air permeable materials allowing air to move between the ear and an inner volume of the hearing cap when the user wears the hearing cap.