Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5551089?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-04-21 03:03:35
Document Index: 420302717

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 32', 'art 32', 'art 44', 'art 52', 'art 52', 'art 44', 'art 52']

Patent US5551089 - Designer earmuff having interchangeable ear muff pieces - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA designer ear muff is disclosed which has (a) a material covered arcuate top section having two ends. The arcuate top section is sized to fit over the top of the head of the wearer and extending downwardly to the wearer's ears where it is attached at each end to a detachable ear covering piece which...http://www.google.com/patents/US5551089?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5551089 - Designer earmuff having interchangeable ear muff piecesAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5551089 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/370,677Publication dateSep 3, 1996Filing dateJan 10, 1995Priority dateJan 10, 1995Fee statusLapsedPublication number08370677, 370677, US 5551089 A, US 5551089A, US-A-5551089, US5551089 A, US5551089AInventorsJenna WhiddenOriginal AssigneeWhidden; JennaExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (12), Referenced by (22), Classifications (5), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetDesigner earmuff having interchangeable ear muff pieces
US 5551089 AAbstract
A designer ear muff is disclosed which has (a) a material covered arcuate top section having two ends. The arcuate top section is sized to fit over the top of the head of the wearer and extending downwardly to the wearer's ears where it is attached at each end to a detachable ear covering piece which is removably affixed to each end of the material covered arcuate top section.
1. A designer ear muff which consists essentially of:(a) a fabric covered arcuate top section having a first end and a second end, said arcuate top section being sized to fit over the top of the head of a wearer and extending downwardly to the area of the head which is above each of a wearer's ears; (b) a first detachable, material covered ear covering piece which is removably affixed to the first end of said fabric covered arcuate top section, wherein said fabric covered arcuate top section is provided with an intermediate cushioning layer; and (c) a second detachable material covered ear covering piece which is removably affixed to the second end of said material covered arcuate top section said fabric covered arcuate top section having a widened middle section and having said first end and said second end tapered at the point where they are adapted to be attached to said first detachable material covered ear covering piece and said second detachable material covered ear covering piece. 2. A designer ear muff which consists essentially of:(a) a fabric covered arcuate top section having a first end and a second end, said arcuate top section having a continuous arc and being sized to fit over the top of the head of a wearer and extending downwardly to the area of the head which is above each of a wearer's ears; (b) a first detachable material covered ear covering piece which is removably affixed to the first end of said fabric covered arcuate top section; and (c) a second detachable material covered ear covering piece which is removably affixed to the second end of said fabric covered arcuate top section said fabric covered arcuate top section having a widened middle section and having said first end and said second end tapered at the point where they are adapted to be attached to said first detachable material covered ear covering piece and said second detachable material covered ear covering piece, said first detachable material covered ear covering piece and said second detachable material covered ear covering piece being attached to said arcuate top section by a joint which comprises a male and female part which lock together, said male part having a frame section with a movable latch that engages a shoulder in a pocket in said female part. Description
Earmuffs have long been used to protect the ears during periods of extremely cold weather. These ear muffs have typically been made with a flexible metal curved center section which extends over the head of the wearer and has at each end, a padded ear muff piece that is permanently affixed to be in register with the ear of the wearer.
In addition devices also known as ear muffs have been used to provide acoustic protection to the ear of a wearer against excessive noise such as the sound of a firearm which is discharged or the sound of a jet engine. Devices known as "headsets" or earphones have been used to provide a means for positioning a speaker adjacent to the ear of the user while excluding background noise in order to facilitate the reception of sound.
The prior art devices have been made for explicit utilitarian purposes and have not been made with interchangeable ear pieces that may be changed only for aesthetic purposes.
The present invention provides a designer ear muff having:
(a) a material covered arcuate top section having a first end and a second end, said arcuate top section being sized to fit over the top of the head of the wearer and extending downwardly to the area of the head which is above each ear of the wearer's ears;
(b) a first detachable ear covering piece which is removably affixed to the first end of said material covered arcuate top section; and
(c) a second detachable ear covering piece which is removably affixed to the second end of said material covered arcuate top section.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the top, front and one side of a designer ear muff of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the designer ear muff of the invention which shows the ear pieces removed and the attaching means of the ear muff pieces exposed.
FIG. 3 is a detailed drawing of a preferred joint for attaching the ear covering piece to the arcuate top section.
FIG. 4 is a partial section of the upper part of the joint shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the joint of FIG. 6
FIG.6 is a perspective view of an alternative type of joint.
The designer ear muff of the invention is based on the use of a material covered arcuate top section which is made of a resilient material that is sized to fit the contour of the head of the wearer with sufficient tension so that the ear muff is retained on the head without placing excessive pressure on the ear lobes.
The ear covering pieces are detachable in order to permit the use of ear covering pieces which have different materials that may be used to color coordinate or accent different items of apparel or fashion accessories such as coats, scarves, dresses, jewelry, handbags and the like or for creating a distinctive appearance for social events. The ear covering piece in FIG. 1 is generally rounded but almost any shape may be utilized such as oval, multi-pointed such as a star, square, triangular or the like may be used.
Generally, it will be preferred to use a material for covering the arcuate top section which will not clash with a wide variety of materials which can be used for the covering of the ear pieces.
As best shown in FIG. 1, the material covered arcuate top section 2 is formed by covering a resilient base element 4 with a material 6 which is shown for purposes of clarity by dotted lines 8. The material may be any suitable woven or non-woven fabric, leather, fur, plastic or the like material. If desired the material may be textured or decorated with precious or semi-precious stones, beads, metallic shapes that sparkle and the like (not shown).It is usually preferred to provide a cushioning layer 19, as shown in FIG. 2, between base element 4 and material layer 6 which will provide a cushioned surface that is placed against the head of the wearer and will provide a puffed or bouffant appearance to arcuate top section 2. The cushioned surface may be provided by any suitable material such as felt, cotton batting, foamed rubber or polyurethane foam.
The arcuate top section may be made with a constant cross-sectional area, with an undulating profile or as shown in FIG. 1 with an upper middle section which is wider than the ends which are tapered ends where they are to be attached to the ear covering pieces.
Cutaway section 17 in FIG. 2 shows the exposed base member 2 which is relatively thin and has a side profile 20. The intermediate polyurethane foam cushioning layer 19 is best seen in FIG. 2. The base member 18 may be made of resilient materials such as plastic, steel, aluminum or the like.
In a preferred embodiment the first detachable ear covering piece 10 is attached to arcuate top section 2 at joint 12 and the second detachable ear covering piece 14 is attached to arcuate top section 2 at joint 16. The ear covering pieces have attachment means 22 which interlock with joint 20 on the arcuate top section 2. The Joint 20 is riveted onto the arcuate top section 2 by rivets 24 and 26 which are placed in holes that are drilled in both the arcuate top section 2 and in the joint 20. It is preferred to recess the holes on the outer facing surface 28 of joint element 20 in order to provide a completely smooth surface which is covered by the material 8.
The preferred attachment means are shown in FIG. 3. Although any suitable snap, hook and eye, magnetic or other mechanical connection may be used, a three component, rectangular post and sleeve connector is preferred. The upper part 32 of the ear covering piece may be provided with a fastener having two elongated end posts 28 and 30 which have rectangular cross-sections. These posts are sized to fit within sleeves 28A and 30A in joint element 20 to act as stabilizer bars to prevent any rotational movement between the arcuate top section 2 and the ear covering piece 10. The upper end 34 of center post 34A has a retaining catch 34B which secures center post 34A within sleeve 36 in joint element 20. Center post 34A preferably has a rectangular cross-section to prevent rotation of the ear covering piece relative to the arcuate top section. The joint element 20 is also provided with an shelf edge 38 which acts as a receiving stop for arcuate top section 2.
A cross-section, of the connected joint element 20 and upper part 32 of the ear covering piece, through the line A--A of FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 4. The upper end 34 of center post 34A is shown in sleeve 36 with retaining catch 34B in contact with latch point 40. The latch point 40 is affixed to post 42. The latch is opened by pushing button 40A which is mounted on movable post 44. The latch is released when internal button 40B is pushed inwardly to contact and deflect upper end 34 of center post 34A.
As best seen in FIG. 6, the alternative joint 20A comprises a male and female part which lock together. The upper part 44 has a frame section 46 which has a movable latch 48 that engages shoulder 50 when it is inserted into pocket 51 of lower part 52. The upper part is mounted to the arcuate top section by rivets 43A and 44A through holes (not shown). The lower part 52 serves as a mounting means for the ear muff 10 which is shown by the dotted lines.
The latch 48 is shown in FIG. 5 in a side view. The latch 42 is mounted one flexible post 47 which is an integral living hinge that is molded into upper part 44. The pocket 51 is shown by dotted lines in lower part 52 in FIG.5. The shoulder 50 is also shown by dotted lines in FIG. 5. The latch 48 has a recessed edge which engages the edge of shoulder 50. Both joints may be may of a resilient plastic such as polystyrene or other suitable molding resin.
While the invention as shown in the drawings is illustrated as an item of apparel, it is intended that the ear covering piece may be made with an associated wired or wireless earphone which would enable the interchangeable ear muffs to function in combination with an electronic apparatus such as a radio receiver, tape player, CD player or the like. FIG. 2 shows an embedded speaker 44 with associated connecting wire 46 which is connected to an electronic apparatus (not shown).
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS2924672 *Aug 26, 1958Feb 9, 1960Roanwell CorpHeadsetUS3148376 *Jan 5, 1962Sep 15, 1964Leonard P FriederSupport for head engaging deviceUS3562816 *Jun 23, 1969Feb 16, 1971American Optical CorpAttachment mounting means for hearing protector earcupsUS3686691 *Aug 26, 1970Aug 29, 1972Sellstrom Mfg CoEar-protecting deviceUS4463223 *Jun 17, 1982Jul 31, 1984Nippon Columbia KabushikikaishaHead phoneUS4471496 *Jun 27, 1983Sep 18, 1984Cabot CorporationArticulated earmuff-to-headband attachment constructionUS4538034 *Mar 18, 1983Aug 27, 1985Alan FrenchEarphone assemblyUS4546215 *Oct 7, 1983Oct 8, 1985Ferraro Michael VDetachable earmuffs for headsetsUS4944361 *Aug 29, 1988Jul 31, 1990Ab Kompositprodukter S.K.-F.M.Acoustic ear muffUS5035005 *Jul 27, 1990Jul 30, 1991Hung Huang CInflight headset for civil aircraftUS5056161 *Sep 26, 1989Oct 15, 1991Bose CorporationHeadset having reduced width nested bands which are grasped by earcup supporting blockUS5068923 *Apr 27, 1989Dec 3, 1991Milmas AbNoise attenuator attachment arm* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS6332223 *Apr 5, 2000Dec 25, 2001Gray Matter Holdings, LlcApparatus and method for making an ear warmer having interior seamsUS6499146Dec 21, 2001Dec 31, 2002Gray Matter Holdings LlcEar protection deviceUS6502247Oct 18, 2001Jan 7, 2003Gray Matter Holdings LlcApparatus and method for making an ear warmer having interior seamsUS6502248Nov 7, 2001Jan 7, 2003Gray Matter Holdings LlcApparatus and method for making an ear warmer and an ear warmer frameUS6735784Jan 28, 2002May 18, 2004180S, Inc.Apparatus and method for making an ear warmer and an ear warmer frameUS6880174Dec 30, 2002Apr 19, 2005180S, Inc.Ear protection deviceUS6888950Jul 2, 2002May 3, 2005Jovid Designs, LlcEar warming article including electronic device and easily interchangeable advertising areasUS6920645Jan 3, 2003Jul 26, 2005180S, Inc.Apparatus and method for making an ear warmer and an ear warmer frameUS7013492 *Feb 14, 2001Mar 21, 2006Acronym GmbhDevice for fixing earphones and/or mini-microphonesUS7367422 *May 21, 2004May 6, 2008Brookstone Purchasing. Inc.System and method for providing passive noise reductionUS7444687Aug 29, 2005Nov 4, 20083M Innovative Properties CompanyHearing protective device that includes cellular earmuffsUS7668330Nov 29, 2004Feb 23, 2010David R. SiskinEar warming article including electronic device and easily interchangeable advertising areasUS8204265Jan 5, 2010Jun 19, 2012David R. SiskinEar warming article including electronic device and easily interchangeable advertising areasUS8223984Feb 6, 2008Jul 17, 2012Msa Sordin AbSystem for forming a hearing protector, ear cup in such a system, and hearing protector formed by such a systemUS8542859Nov 25, 2009Sep 24, 2013Skullcandy, Inc.Interchangeable headphone audio systemUS20120131732 *Oct 19, 2011May 31, 2012Dean BavettaEar Protection DeviceCN100518561CJan 28, 2003Jul 29, 2009180有限公司Apparatus and method for making an ear warmer and an ear warmer frameEP1267654A1 *Apr 5, 2001Jan 2, 2003The Gorgonz GroupApparatus and method for making an ear warmer and an ear warmer frameWO2001076402A1 *Apr 5, 2001Oct 18, 2001Gorgonz GroupApparatus and method for making an ear warmer and an ear warmer frameWO2003063728A2 *Jan 28, 2003Aug 7, 2003Gray Matter Holdings LlcApparatus and method for making an east warmer and an ear warmer frameWO2008100197A1 *Feb 6, 2008Aug 21, 2008Msa Sordin AbSystem for forming a hearing protector, ear cup in such a system, and hearing protector formed by such a systemWO2010017359A1 *Aug 6, 2009Feb 11, 2010180S, Inc.Accessory with wireless communication capability* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification2/209, 128/866International ClassificationA61F11/14Cooperative ClassificationA61F11/14European ClassificationA61F11/14Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionNov 7, 2000FPExpired due to failure to pay maintenance feeEffective date: 20000903Sep 3, 2000LAPSLapse for failure to pay maintenance feesMar 28, 2000REMIMaintenance fee reminder mailedRotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services