EARMUFF

Abstract: An earmuff and a method for changing the noise attenuation characteristic of an earmuff. The change is obtained by providing the foam-filled sealing ring (3) of the earmuff in the annular covering (5, 6) thereof with a large number of ventilation apertures (11) which are uniformly distributed along the sealing ring, thereby affecting the air spring action of the sealing ring. The ventilation apertures communicate with the environment without communicating with the interior of the earmuff. By reducing the air spring action to a considerable extent, the low frequency attenuation is improved. The communication with the environment provides "acoustic ducts", particularly by using special ventilation ducts (12)which can be dimensioned to give a selective noise transmission, dependent on the duct resonance, into the sealing ring, thereby affecting the noise attenuation characteristic selectively.

Description: EARMUFF Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to an ear¬ muff of the type having a cup with an elastic sealing ring arranged along the opening circumference of the cup, said sealing ring comprising an annular covering and, arranged therein, elastic material, preferably foam material. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for changing the noise attenuation characteristic of such an earmuff, as well as an earmuff obtained in accordance therewith. Background of the Invention In most cases, earmuffs of the type mentioned by way of introduction produce a most satisfactory noise atte- nuation. However, the low frequency attenuation is, as a rule, substantially lower than the attenuation at higher frequencies, which in certain applications may be disad¬ vantageous. The noise attenuation characteristic is also in most cases quite uneven, which may also be a disadvan- tage in certain applications. To achieve satisfactory noise attenuation, it is important that the sealing ring of the earmuff can seal efficiently against the user's head. For the purpose of making it possible for the sealing ring to adapt to the user's head while providing excellent comfort properties and maintaining a good noise attenuation capability, the covering of the sealing ring is, as a rule, provided with a small hole or some small holes, which permit pressure compensation as the sealing ring, while being compressed to some extent, is applied to the user's head around an ear. After that, no substantial penetration of noise into the sealing ring takes place. Objects of the Invention The main object of the present invention is to indi¬ cate how to change the noise attenuation characteristic of an earmuff while using the sealing ring, especially how to increase its low frequency attenuation and/or to make its noise attenuation characteristic more even. A further object of the present invention is to indicate how such a change can occur selectively. Summary of the Invention According to the invention, the above-mentioned objects are achieved by a method and an earmuff having the features as defined in the accompanying claims. The invention is thus based on the knowledge that the noise attenuation characteristic of the earmuff can be affected by manipulation of the effect of the inner air spring of the sealing ring. Such affecting can be achieved by providing the annular covering with venti¬ lation apertures or passages, by means of which the interior of the sealing ring, after application of the earmuff, communicates with the environment without com¬ municating with the interior of the cup. It is a matter of ventilation apertures of a substantially larger total area than the prior-art pressure compensation holes in the sealing ring covering, which are mentioned by way of introduction. Preferably, the annular covering of the sealing ring is provided with ventilation apertures which are prefer¬ ably uniformly distributed in the circumferential direc- tion and which can suitably be ventilation holes, al¬ though it would be possible to have a different struc¬ ture of the annular covering in order to provide the desired ventilation apertures. It has been found convenient to have ventilation apertures or holes, each having an area of at least about 1 mm 2, preferably at least about 2 mm2. A total aperture or hole area of at least about 20 mm is preferred, more preferably at least about 30 mm . Especially, an area of more than 100 mm can be used, with excellent results. Regarding the distribution along the sealing ring, the ventilation apertures or holes should suitably have an area of at least about 1 mm per centimetre of length, preferably at least about 5 mm 2 per centimetre of length. It has been found to be convenient to let the venti¬ lation apertures communicate with the environment through special ventilation ducts, which can advantageously be arranged in the cup and/or annular covering parts. These ducts yield a possibility of protection against penetra¬ tion of dirt etc. into the sealing ring from the environ¬ ment, as well as an additional possibility of selectively affecting the noise attenuation characteristic, as will be described in more detail below. The ventilation apertures are arranged in the annu¬ lar covering of the sealing ring preferably in a lower or rear annular covering part, by means of which the sealing ring is attached to or abuts against the cup, ventilation ducts advantageously being arranged in the sealing ring connecting parts of the cup and/or in said lower or rear annular covering part, which can, in a manner known per se, be made stronger and stiffer than the remaining annular covering. According to one aspect of the invention, the ven¬ tilation apertures and their communication with the envi¬ ronment are arranged such that, above all at low frequen¬ cies, the air can flow substantially unimpededly out of the interior of the sealing ring to the environment and vice versa, the air spring action of the sealing ring being reduced at least to a substantial extent, which results in a pronounced increase of the low frequency noise attenuation, while obtaining a certain reduction of the noise attenuation at higher frequencies. It is preferred to arrange ventilation apertures such that the attenuation in a frequency range from about 125 Hz to at least about 500 Hz, most advantageously at least to about 1000 Hz, is kept in an interval having a width of about 20 dB at most, especially about 15 dB at most. According to another aspect of the invention, ven- tilation apertures and their communication with the envi¬ ronment are arranged such that a selective noise trans¬ mission is possible into the sealing ring for the purpose of affecting the noise attenuation characteristic of the earmuff. To this end, use can advantageously be made of special ventilation ducts of the above-mentioned type. Although such ventilation ducts can be designed such that they affect the noise attenuation to a small extent, it is also easy to dimension all or selected ventilation ducts so as to produce a selectively increased noise transmission into the sealing ring in one or more fre¬ quency ranges, which results in the noise attenuation characteristic being affected. Frequency ranges which are of interest for such selective noise transmission are above all those in which the unaffected noise attenuation of the earmuff is high, thereby obtaining a more even noise attenuation charac¬ teristic. The latter aspect of the invention can be regarded as a possibility of providing selective "acoustic ducts" into the sealing ring from the environment. The noise transmission through each acoustic duct and, thus, the effect on the noise attenuation characteristic will be connected to the resonance frequency that applies to the duct at issue, said resonance frequency being determined by a spring-mass system, the spring being determined by an associated air spring inside the sealing ring and the mass being determined by the dimensions of the duct, above all its length and its area. A narrow and high resonance peak results in a narrower influence on the noise attenuation characteristic, while a wide and low resonance peak results in a wider influence on the noise attenuation characteristic. The appearance of the reso- nance peak can be affected by introducing a suitable acoustic resistance into the duct. It will be immediately appreciated that in a prefer¬ red embodiment of the invention, in which an "acoustic duct" comprises one or more ventilation apertures in com¬ bination with a ventilation duct of the above-mentioned type, it is possible, by selecting a suitable number of ventilation ducts of suitable dimensions and just the right amount of resistance, combined with suitably de- signed ventilation apertures, to control in an efficient manner the noise attenuation characteristic of the ear¬ muff. It will also be appreciated that the above-mentioned two aspects of the invention can be combined on one and the same earmuff in a suitable manner. The invention will now be described in more detail by means of an embodiment with reference to the accompa¬ nying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of an earmuff according to the invention, part of the sealing ring of the earmuff being cut away for the purpose of illustrating the possibility of air flow between the interior of the sealing ring and the environment. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional partial view of the sealing ring and connecting cup portions of the earmuff in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the noise attenua¬ tion characteristic for an ear cup of the type illustrat¬ ed in Fig. 1, with and without the ventilation arrange¬ ment according to the invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the same type as in Fig. 2, but of a sealing ring and con¬ necting cup portions of an earmuff according to a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the same type as in Fig. 3, illustrating the change of the noise attenuation charac¬ teristic obtained in the earmuff according to Fig. 4. Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figs 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of an earmuff according to the invention. The earmuff comprises in a known manner a cup 1 having a headband mounting 2 and a sealing ring 3 arranged around the rim area of the cup. The sealing ring 3 comprises an annular covering 5, 6 and, enclosed therein, foam material 4 of an open-cell structure. The foam is of a polyester type and typically has a density of about 25 kg/ . The annular covering has a stiffer lower or rear part (bottom) 5 in the form of an annular plate and, connected therewith, outwardly direct¬ ed elastic covering parts 6. The sealing ring 3 is ar¬ ranged on a planar annular flange 7, which is attached to the cup shell 8 and extends inwardly from the circumfe¬ rence of the cup 1 and, thus, defines an opening 19 to the interior of the cup 1. The sealing ring 3 can be snapped on in the position shown, the outer annular edge of the annular plate 5 engaging with preferably slightly undercut projections 9 on the circumferential rim 10 of the cup, where the annular flange 7 passes into the rim 10. The projections 9 are distributed around the cup 1. In the bottom plate 5 of the annular covering 5, 6, a large number of holes 11 are uniformly distributed along the outer edge area of the bottom plate. In Fig. 1, only a few holes 11 are illustrated for the purpose of elucidation. The holes 11 are here circular, but they could be designed in an optional manner. For the purpose of providing air flow communication between the holes 11 (and thus the interior of the seal¬ ing ring) and the environment, a number of ventilation ducts 12 are arranged in the portions of the cup 1 con¬ necting with the annular covering 5, 6. The ducts 12 are uniformly distributed around the cup, and each duct 12 is, in the embodiment illustrated, adapted to provide air communication with two holes 11 in the bottom plate 5 of the sealing ring. The air flow which is thus made pos¬ sible is illustrated by arrows 13 and 14 in Figs 1 and 2, respectively. Each duct 12 is formed of a rectangular recess 15 in the upwardly or forwardly facing surface of the annular flange 7 and the space 16 which is formed between the outer circumferential side portion 17 of the annular covering and the rim area 10 of the cup above the con¬ nection of the annular flange 7, between two successive projections 9. Thus, the ducts 12 open forwardly, late¬ rally and externally of the sealing ring 3, thereby ob¬ taining satisfactory protection against penetration of, for instance, impurities into the ducts 12. As will be immediately realised, "forwards" here means inwardly in the direction of the user's head, when the earmuff is arranged over an ear. In the embodiment shown, each duct 12 thus is of substantially rectangular cross-section having an essentially constant area. The curved configu¬ ration of the ducts 12 means that the length of the duct increases. It will be realised that it is possible to affect in a simple manner the length and the area of the duct by varying the duct configuration in the cup wall and/or the annular flange 7, thereby affecting the noise transmission from the environment into the sealing ring. The shown design of the ducts 12, which means that the ducts are partially defined by the sealing ring, and that the ducts will be fully open and accessible when the sealing ring is removed, makes it extremely simple to keep the ducts clean. It will also be possible, if desir¬ ed, to easily change the configuration or dimensions for one or some of the ducts by arranging suitably designed inserts in one or more of the ducts. A further possibility of easily changing the noise characteristic of an earmuff according to the invention is that the actual sealing ring can readily be exchanged for another sealing ring having a different configuration of the holes in the bottom plate 5. Fig. 4 illustrates schematically a second embodiment of an earmuff according to the invention. This differs from the earmuff in Figs 1 and 2 merely by ventilation apertures 31 being arranged in the outer circumferential side portion 17 of the annular covering 5, 6. Thus, the bottom plate 5 has no ventilation apertures, and the annular flange 7 has no ventilation ducts. The ventilation apertures 31 consist of a large num¬ ber of through holes in the side portion 17 of the annu¬ lar covering. The holes, which suitably are circular, are uniformly distributed along the sealing ring 3. The holes are here located on the same level in the side portion of the annular covering, more precisely at about half the height thereof. The holes could, however, be positioned on different levels on the ring in a certain pattern for the purpose of ensuring the desired ventilation of the interior of the sealing ring. Like in Figs 1 and 2, the air flow into and out of the sealing ring 3 is illustrat¬ ed by means of arrows 32. Examples Fig. 3 illustrates by means of a noise attenuation diagram an example of a change of the noise attenuation characteristic of an earmuff, while using the present invention. The diagram, which shows "insertion attenua¬ tion" measured according to ISO 4869-3, indicates by a full line 21 the noise attenuation curve for an earmuff of the type illustrated in Figs 1 and 2, although without holes 11 and ducts 12. It is evident that the curve is very uneven, with a low low frequency attenuation and a pronounced attenuation peak at about 1000 Hz. The diagram also indicates by a dashed line 22 the noise attenuation curve for the earmuff after modifica¬ tion according to the invention. Here the sealing ring has 40 equally large circular holes which are uniformly distributed along the sealing ring, the total area of the holes being about 500 mm . The number of ducts 12 is 20 and the duct length is about 5-10 mm, and the duct area is about 25 mm . As will be seen, a much better low frequency atte¬ nuation will be obtained at the expense of a certain reduction of the high frequency attenuation, the attenua¬ tion peak of the noise attenuation curve at about 1000 Hz being flattened to a considerable extent. The latter con- dition indicates that the noise transmission through the ducts 12 into the sealing ring is concentrated to the range around 1000 Hz owing to resonance in this range. It should be emphasised that changes in the high frequency attenuation that will be a result of the use of the present invention can easily be compensated for or be taken care of, for instance by means of an absorbent ar¬ ranged in the cup, thereby obtaining the desired total noise attenuation process. Fig. 5 illustrates in the same manner as Fig. 3 the change of the noise attenuation characteristic obtained for an earmuff according to Fig. 4 while using the pre¬ sent invention. The noise attenuation curve for the ear¬ muff before modification according to the invention is indicated by a full line 33. A dashed line 35 indicates the noise attenuation curve after modification, implying that the annular covering 6 of the sealing ring has been provided with 30 equally large and uniformly distributed holes having a total area of about 30 mm . The thickness of the annular covering 6 ( "acoustic duct length" ) was about 1 mm. As will be seen, a considerably improved evenness of the noise attenuation curve together with an improved low frequency attenuation is achieved.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for changing the noise attenuation of an earmuff of the type having a cup with an elastic sealing ring arranged along the opening circumference of the cup, said sealing ring comprising an annular covering and, arranged therein, elastic material, preferably foam mate¬ rial, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by providing the annular covering with ventilation apertures or passages which are distributed circumferentially along the sealing ring and which, after application of the earmuff, communicate with the environment, but have no communication with the inte¬ rior of the cup, thereby affecting the air spring action of the sealing ring and, thus, the noise attenuation characteristic of the earmuff. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by distributing the ventilation apertures and/or giving the ventilation apertures such an opening area or different opening areas and/or such an acoustic duct length that the noise attenuation characteristic of the earmuff is affected selectively. 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d by providing the annular covering with ventilation apertures distributed at least substantially uniformly in the circumferential direction, whereby the air, especially at low frequencies, can flow substantial¬ ly unimpededly out of the interior of the sealing ring to the environment and vice versa, thereby reducing the air spring action of the sealing ring at least to a substan¬ tial extent and increasing the noise attenuation at low frequencies. 4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by arranging ventila- tion apertures in the form of a large number of ventila¬ tion holes in the annular covering, which are preferably uniformly distributed along the sealing ring, the venti- lation holes preferably having a total area of at least about 20 mm 2 , or more preferably at least about 30 mm 2 , especially more than about 100 mm 2 . 5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by arranging ventila¬ tion apertures such that the noise attenuation within a frequency range from about 125 Hz to about 500 Hz, pre¬ ferably to about 1000 Hz, is kept in an interval having a width of about 20 dB at most, preferably about 15 dB at most. 6. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by causing ventilation apertures to communicate with the environment through ventilation ducts, which preferably are designed to pro- duce a selective noise transmission into the sealing ring for the purpose of affecting the noise attenuation char¬ acteristic of the earmuff. 7. The method as claimed in claim 6, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d by designing ventilation ducts so as to produce an increased noise transmission into the sealing ring in one or more frequency ranges, in which the unaf¬ fected noise attenuation of the earmuff is high, thereby obtaining a more even noise attenuation characteristic. 8. The method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, c h a r - a c t e r i s e d by designing ventilation ducts and cor¬ responding ventilation apertures so as to produce a noise transmission resonance peak in a selected frequency range, preferably conforming to an attenuation peak in the noise attenuation characteristic of the unaffected earmuff. 9. An earmuff of the type having a cup with an elas¬ tic sealing ring arranged along the opening circumference of the cup, said sealing ring comprising an annular covering and, arranged therein, elastic material, prefer- ably foam material, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the annular covering is provided with ventilation apertures or passages, whereby the interior of the sealing ring, after application of the earmuff, communicates with the environment, but has no communication with the interior of the cup, the ventilation apertures being distributed circumferentially along the sealing ring and having such an area or such areas that air can flow out of the interior of the sealing ring to the environment and vice versa, such that the air spring action of the sealing ring is affected thereby to a substantial extent. 10. The earmuff as claimed in claim 9, c h a r - a c t e r i s e d in that the sealing ring has ventila¬ tion apertures of an area of at least about 1 mm 2 , pre¬ ferably at least about 5 mm per centimetre of length. 11. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 9-10, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the ventilation apertures are at least substantially uniformly distribut¬ ed along the sealing ring and have such an opening area that air, above all at low frequencies, can flow substan¬ tially unimpededly out of and into the sealing ring, thereby increasing the noise attenuation at low frequen- cies. 12. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 9-11, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the ventilation apertures are ventilation holes uniformly distributed in the annular covering of the sealing ring, circumferen- tially along said annular covering, each aperture prefer¬ ably having an area of at least about 1 mm , more prefer¬ ably at least about 2 mm . 13. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 9-11, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the annular covering part of the sealing ring facing the environ¬ ment after application of the earmuff is made of an air- permeable material, such as a perforated material, a gauze-like material etc. 14. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 9-12, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the ventilation apertures are arranged in a lower or rear annular cover¬ ing part, by means of which the sealing ring is attach- ed to or abuts against the cup, ventilation ducts being arranged in the cup portions connecting with the sealing ring and/or in said lower or rear annular covering part, through which ventilation ducts the ventilation apertures communicate with the environment. 15. The earmuff as claimed in claim 14, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that a large number of ventilation ducts are distributed around the opening of the cup for ventilation of corresponding sealing ring members. 16. The earmuff as claimed in claim 14 or 15, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the ventilation ducts open externally and laterally of the sealing ring in the cup, the duct openings preferably facing forwards, away from the cup. 17. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 14-16, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that ventilation ducts are formed to produce an increased noise transmis¬ sion in one or more selected frequency ranges, preferably frequency ranges in which the unaffected noise attenua- tion of the earmuff is high, thereby affecting the total attenuation characteristic of the earmuff. 18. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 14-17, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the ventilation ducts extend in a curved manner. 19. The earmuff as claimed in any one of claims 9-18, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the elastic mate¬ rial is a foam material having an open-cell structure, preferably of a polyester type and preferably having a density in the range from about 10 to about 100 kg/m 3 , typically about 25 kg/m 3 .

Inventors: HISELIUS PER OLOF, NILSSON LARS BERTIL, HISELIUS, PER, OLOF, NILSSON, LARS, BERTIL
Applicants: BILSOM AB, HISELIUS PER OLOF, NILSSON LARS BERTIL, HISELIUS, PER, OLOF, NILSSON, LARS, BERTIL
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61F11
IPC codes: A61F11, H04R1