Abstract: A headphone structure comprises a pair of headband arms, a pair of phone units having joint arms, a first joint member for pivotally connecting the pair of headband arms, and a pair of second joint members for pivotally connecting the pair of phone units through their joint arms to the pair of headband arms, respectively. The headband arms and the phone units are collapsible via the first joint member and the second joint members. Rotational paths of the second joint members are included in a single plane. On the other hand, a rotational path of the first joint member is perpendicular to the single plane.

Abstract: An over-the-head style headset to be used in the airline industry and supplied to passengers in flight to provide audio reception of one or more programs. The headset is designed to be snap-assembled from economically manufactured parts, and is capable of being easily converted between acoustic and electromagnetic operation.

Abstract: An acoustic device for amplifying sound is provided and consists of a pair of ear extenders secured to a head band so that the head band may be positioned on a listener's head with the ear extenders transversely in contact with the listener's head behind the ears whereby sounds are amplified and transmitted into the ears.

Abstract: A hearing protecting device comprises a shell defining a hollow enclosure, which may be provided with sound absorbing material, with an open mouth, which is, in use, placed over the ear. A resiliently deformable seal of sound absorbing material is provided along the periphery of the open mouth to seal against the shell and the wearer, and is releasably retained in place by releasable retaining means which cooperate with an inner portion of the sealing means and with an inner edge portion of the mouth of the enclosure. The retaining means may comprise an annular member made integral with the sealing means and which extends round the inner edge of the mouth to overlie and engage an inner surface of the shell, or a member separate from the sealing means which retains an inner portion of the sealing means relative to the inner edge of the mouth of the shell.

Abstract: An ear piece for a sound producing device such as a headset comprises an annular ear cushion with at least one part of an elastic, soft, sound permeable foam and at least one other part of a sound permeable layer which is thin in relation to the overall thickness of the air cushion and has a defined acoustic impedance for low and medium frequencies of the audibility range. The ear cushion acts as a frictional resistance with a central portion defining coupling space from the sound producing device to the ear and representing an acoustic connection through the sound producing device to the air.

Abstract: A microphone apparatus is disclosed which consists of a plain plate with a constant area and a microphone element located on the plain plate at its peripheral position at least different from the center thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is a stereo headset system for use with a stereo headset device and a stereo sound system. The stereo headset device is of the stethoscope type and has a pair of sound tubular mains. A coupling plug is mechanically and acoustically coupled to the pair of sound tubular mains. The stereo headset system includes an enclosure having a first chamber, a second chamber, a third chamber and a fourth chamber. The first and second chambers are mechanically and acoustically coupled to the coupling plug of the stereo headset device. A first electro-acoustic transducer is disposed in the third chamber of the enclosure and is acoustically coupled to the first chamber of the enclosure. A second electro-acoustic transducer is disposed in the fourth chamber of the enclosure and is acoustically coupled to the second chamber of the enclosure. The third and fourth chambers of the enclosure are water-proofed.

Abstract: A holder is provided for securing a microphone or earpiece in position inside a helmet. The holder comprises a plurality of tubular rings of soft flexible material. One ring is adapted to be connected to a shell of the helmet, and the other rings are serially connected by resilient, short, thin, soft segments. The rings are dimensioned and arranged so that they can be nested within each other or pulled out to form an extending holder. A microphone or earpiece may be connected to one of the said rings.

Abstract: An acoustical small hearing aid designed to be worn in the concha of the auricle and made of thin-walled plastic, metal, or rubber. This invention modifies the normal conchal resonance and combines it with the ear canal resonance to shift the normal sound pressure gain of 15 to 20 dB at the tympanic membrane downward from 2600-3000 Hz to 1500-2000 Hz dB, or lower, thus providing significant sound amplification for persons with mild high-frequency hearing loss. The invention accomplishes these goals by providing a thin, hollow shell that fits snugly into the auricle and concha of the external ear so as to enclose a volume of air within the concha. An opening in the shell lets sound waves into this air volume. The ratio of the air volume and the area of the opening control the peak frequency of amplification desired, the amplitude, and bandwidth of amplification, and must be kept between 1/2 and 1/15.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a detachable inflight headset for civil aircraft, and in particular to one comprising a pair of earpieces each including a casing provided at the side portion with a recess which comes with two slits provided within the recess and separated by a V-shaped member, a pair of covering plates each embedded on one of the casings, a pair of ear cushions each mounted on one of the covering plates, a headband each end of which is slidably engaged with one of the casings, and a pair of acoustic pipes each connected to one of the casings.

Abstract: An ear defender for a headset, the ear defender comprising a rigid shell having holes in a central portion to permit the passage of ambient sound and including a valve mechanism to close the holes as required. The shell consists essentially of a unitary construction, being formed as a one-piece moulding. The valve mechanism consists of a fixed plate and sliding plate both of which have holes which can be aligned to open the valve or misaligned to close the valve. The valve is mounted wholly within the shell so providing protection for the valve mechanism. Access to the valve and to other components within the shell is thus provided entirely from one side of the shell.

Abstract: A mounting device for mounting an earphone in sound receiving relationship to the ear of the user, the earphone comprising a generally cylindrical housing having a suitable terminal for connection to a source of signal and an inner generally planar surface having at least one sound transmitting operture. The mounting device comprises a pair of pliable elongated arm members which are attached to the housing and have distal ends overlapping each other in opposing directions. The arms and the housing define an opening therebetween through which said ear of the user is received. The distal ends of the arm members are held in releasable engagement relative to each other whereby the opening may be decreased to secure the arms about the ear and support the earphone against the ear and increased to release the earphone from the ear. When in position about the ear(s) of the user the pliable arms are then shaped to the users personal configuration for comfort and stability.

Abstract: A sound-attenuating earcup assembly for isolating the ear of a wearer from ambient sound while affording the wearer external communication capability without doffing the earcup assembly in which a sound-attenuating earcup of relatively rigid material forms a sound-attenuating cavity having an opening for receiving the ear of the wearer. An earphone assembly is resiliently mounted in the opening and biased outwardly of the cavity whereby the earphone assembly presses against the wearer's ear when the earcup assembly is in position on the wearer's head.

Abstract: An improved nubbin and acoustic damper for the elimination or production of resonance in the sound transmission tubing of a hearing aid. The nubbin and nubbin sound conduit include a right angle corner. The damper comprises a plug having three body portions: a plug portion that is insertable into the conduit, a longer diameter block attached to the plug portion and forming a shoulder therewith that limits movement of the damper into the nubbin, and a plate attached to the block and being of greater diameter than the block. The damper has parallel grooves for sound transmission in its outer surface, with the grooves longitudinally and continuously through the plug portion, block and plate.

Abstract: An ear protecting device for protecting a wearer from annoying and/or damaging noise levels. The device is comprised of a connecting member and a pair of muffs suitable for covering a wearer's ears. The muffs are suspended from opposite portions of the connecting member. The muffs are each comprised of a cup and an earseal cushion. The muffs are characterized by greater attenuation in high intensity environments than in low intensity environments. Each muff has a cup which is at least partially porous. Each muff has a specific airflow resistance of from between 3,000 and 105,000 SI rayls. At least one porous portion of each cup defines a tortuous path. The mean pore size of this porous portion is at least 160 micrometers.

Abstract: A sound deflector for attachment to a user's headset earphones is disclosed comprising means situated intermediate the headset earphone and a user's ear canal, said means comprising a hollow cylinder adapted to be operably connected to the headset earphone speaker case and thereby confine the sound from the speaker interiorly to the cylinder, and a cone spatially located proximate the opening of the hollow cylinder and aligned between the earphone speaker and the user's ear canal, a plurality of openings interposed the hollow cylinder wall and the sides of the spatially located cone, said cone adapted to reflect sound waves from the earphone speaker directed towards the user's ear canal and the openings pass sound waves directed away from the user's ear canal and into the folds of skin of the outer ear to be reflected then into the ear canal for hearing by the user.

Abstract: A microphone, particularly for hearing aid application, said microphone providing a stepped response characteristic relative to frequency wherein low frequency sounds will couple to the associated hearing aid with a restricted amount of amplification, while providing an emphasis or higher amplification for the higher frequencies in the bandwidth of interest.

Abstract: In an ear muff intended for protection against excessive noise exposure, the passive means according to this invention automatically and continuously varies the amount of reduction provided for the sound arriving at the ear of the wearer; it retains substantially unaltered the performance of the ear muff for high sound levels, but effects a prescribed lesser value of sound reduction at low sound levels and maintains coherent phase relations between the sound waves arriving at the two ears as needed for reception of directional information.

Abstract: This invention concerns an ear protecting means and specially an ear-cap which protects the ear against dangerous noise. The object of the invention is to silence the dangerous noise while permitting talking communication between two persons. The invention consists of an ear-cap, which is placed against the exterior of an ear, and which includes a cushion which covers the ear and is of elastic and porous material, which transmits sound, the outside of said cushion being at least to its main part covered by a perforated disc, said disc defines a cavity which is closed beside the perforations, the thickness of said disc, the amount of perforations and their size and the volume of the cavity being adapted to the requested property of absorption of sound of a certain range of frequency.

Abstract: A pad with shape adapting properties, including at least two adjacently located layers of a preferably absorbing material which are joined together in the region of the outer peripheral edge portions of the layers the layers further including a free tongue-shaped portion extending in an overlapping relationship to corresponding parts in remaining layers, the overlapping tongue-shaped parts being arranged to glide or slide in relation to each other to an overlapping position with the line of extension adapted to the configuration of an object covered by the tongue-shaped parts. Opposed portions of the layers defined by cuts surrounding the tongue-shaped portions, are also preferably arranged to act as shape adaptable parts, co-acting with the tongue-shaped parts.

Abstract: An acoustic device which includes a sound generating element for generating sounds, a case member having an inner chamber for containing the sound generating element therein, and a sound conducting member extending from the case member for conducting the sounds generated in the inner chamber. In order to removably attach the acoustic device to a helmet, the acoustic device is provided with a holding member for holding the case member on the helmet. The sound conducting member is formed to extend from the case member to a location substantially corresponding to an ear of a wearer of the helmet.

Abstract: A lightweight adjustable headset is disclosed for use with telephones. The headset includes a housing having a microphone boom mounted in a manner to permit rotational and translational movement. A support member is provided for affixing the headset to the wearer. In one embodiment of the subject invention, which includes a wire headband for support, a cushion is affixed to the housing and is adapted to rest against the ear of the wearer. The cushion is configured such that it functions as a load bearing support and as a pivot point to permit the adjustment of the position of the headset relative to the user's head. In addition, the cushion functions to reduce the likelihood of infections and for dissipating sound surges. In an alternate embodiment of the subject invention, the support member includes a clip to permit the mounting of the headset to the frame of the pair of eyeglasses. The subject clip is capable of gripping temples of various thicknesses.

Abstract: Plug for miniature receiver, especially for pocket hearing aids for the hard-of-hearing, with a plug body (7) and at least one plug pin (9) projecting out of the plug body (7). In order to avoid a gap between the receiver and the plugged-in plug, and therefore avoidance of escape of sound, it is suggested that the plug body (7) should be provided with a circumferential bulge (11, 14) of elastic material, surrounding the plug pin (or pins), which lies as a sealing ring on the receiver (1) when the plug is plugged in, thus acoustically sealing the gap between the receiver housing and the plugged-in plug.

Abstract: A high performance and extremely compact earphone is disclosed. The earphone includes a speaker unit and a case in which the speaker unit is mounted. The earphone is attachable to a cavity of a conha defined by the tragus and a confronting projection of the pinna of the ear. The earphone has a specific physical configuration such that the earphone is firmly fitted to the ear cavity by the resiliency and friction of the ear.

Abstract: A connector connects sound conduction tubing from a hearing aid to a sound conduction bore in an earmold. The connector is an elbow-shaped member with one end receiving an end of the sound conduction tubing while the other end has latching means that latchably mate with an entry section of the sound conduction bore. The inside diameter of the sound conduction tubing, the diameter of a sound conduction tubular passage in the elbow-shaped member and the diameter of the sound conduction bore are the same therealong thereby defining a continuous flow sound conduction path from the hearing aid to the end of a canal of the earmold.

Abstract: A hook shaped part (2) for a behind the ear hearing aid. The hook shaped part is hollow and at one end (5) formed to be connected to an acoustic output from the upper front end of the hearing aid case (1) and serving to transmit sound from the hearing aid in the direction of the ear, normally through a tube (3) and an ear plug (4), and also serving to support the hearing aid upon the outer ear. In the hook shaped part there is, at the end (8) furthest from the hearing aid included an acoustic filter (9). The hook shaped part (2) has, in the direction away from the hearing aid a channel (6) of increasing cross sectional area. Through the form of the channel (6) is obtained a suppression of resonant phenomena in the tube (3) and the frequency response is made independent of the length of this tube.

Abstract: An acoustical device for the reception of sound such as music by humans. The device includes a stereo headset having an acoustic passage and terminal earphones at each end of the headset. The headset is mountable on the head of a human so that the terminal earphone at each end of the headset is disposable over an ear of a human. The acoustic passage is hollow and extends from one side of the headset to the other, so that sound emanating from one terminal earphone is channeled from one ear of a human to the other ear, and so that sound emanating from the other terminal earphone is channeled from the other ear of a human to the one ear. Mechanical sound inhibitors are provided. A first inhibitor is disposed in the acoustic passage, so that various ratios of direct sound to ambient sound reflected through the acoustic passage may be mixed and received in an ear of a human as a mixed sound.

Abstract: A pneumatic ear cushion for a headphone or ear defender is formed from two sheets of vinyl plastic. One sheet is molded to form concentric inner and outer walls about a central opening and a connecting sealing wall which is shaped to form a cavity that receives the user's ear. The second sheet of vinyl plastic forms a back wall to which an adhesive is attached for mounting the cushion to a headphone cup.

Abstract: A headphone earpiece for wearing on a person's ear, comprises an annular pad adapted to engage around the ear and a sound transducer having a transducer diaphragm supported within said pad so as to define a coupling space between the transducer diaphragm and the person's ear. The support means includes a rigid plate between the diaphragm and the pad which has frictional resistances distributed thereover and which may advantageously comprise the material of the plate itself or a plurality of openings or holes having acoustic frictional resistance elements therebehind or positioned in the holes. The rear portion of the support means includes a cap having perforations which covers the back portion of the transducer.

Abstract: A pair of shells filled with foam and ear plugs to cover the ears and exclude all sound.

Abstract: An acoustical ear muff arrangement having an identical acoustical sealing muff for each ear, the muffs being connected together by an adjustable spring wire structure for holding a muff over each ear. Each muff has a dish-shaped portion with elastomeric foamed material therein, and with a novel non-foamed elastomeric seal around the periphery of the dish-shaped portion. The non-foamed elastomeric seal has three lips extending from a base section. The lips have a tapering configuration and extend at angles within a critical range from the base section.

Abstract: A cushion member for sound-insulating and air-tight sealing, which cushion is to be attached substantially along the edge of a first surface, which at this edge is connected via the cushion with another surface, which need not have a form absolutely conforming to the first surface at the connecting surface and need not be smooth. The cushion consists of an elongated casing filled with balls of plastic material and with a cylindrical cross-section of soft, flexible and air-impervious material and it is adapted to be attached to the first surface.