Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5824966?dq=5,381,459
Timestamp: 2017-03-26 13:06:25
Document Index: 47962047

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 70', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'art 70', 'arts 70', 'art 72']

Patent US5824966 - Enhanced band earplug - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsA noise blocking band earplug has a band (12) with outer portions (44, 46) that are bent to prevent the ear-engaging pods (20, 22) from touching the ground, whether placed right-side-up or upside-down on the ground. When the middle region (32) of the band rests on a horizontal surface (64), a band inner...http://www.google.com/patents/US5824966?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5824966 - Enhanced band earplugAdvanced Patent SearchTry the new Google Patents, with machine-classified Google Scholar results, and Japanese and South Korean patents.Publication numberUS5824966 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/955,919Publication dateOct 20, 1998Filing dateOct 22, 1997Priority dateOct 22, 1997Fee statusPaidAlso published asDE69814292D1, DE69814292T2, EP0911004A1, EP0911004B1, US6138790Publication number08955919, 955919, US 5824966 A, US 5824966A, US-A-5824966, US5824966 A, US5824966AInventorsHoward S. LeightOriginal AssigneeBacou Usa Safety, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (5), Referenced by (25), Classifications (7), Legal Events (10) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetEnhanced band earplug
US 5824966 AAbstract
A noise blocking band earplug has a band (12) with outer portions (44, 46) that are bent to prevent the ear-engaging pods (20, 22) from touching the ground, whether placed right-side-up or upside-down on the ground. When the middle region (32) of the band rests on a horizontal surface (64), a band inner end part (70) extends at an upward incline (C) with its outer end forming a second bend (80) so the outer end part (72) extends at a downward incline (D), with the second bend preventing the pods from touching the ground when the earplug is laid upside-down. At the second bend (80), the largely vertical height (J) of the band is increased and its outer surface (102) is made convex to provide pods for more readily pressing the pods against the outside of the ear canals.
1. A band earplug apparatus, comprising:a band (12) constructed to extend about halfway around a person's head, said band having a middle region (32) with a middle (34) and with opposite mid-ends forming far points (50), and said band having opposite end portions (44, 46) with outer pod-holding ends (14, 16) that can lie opposite the ears of the person and inner ends (74) that merge with said far points; a pair of pods (20, 22) each mounted on one of said band outer pod-holding ends and constructed to seal against the outside of the person's ear canal, with said band urging its outer pod-holding ends together to urge said pods against the outside of the person's ear canals; said band being substantially symmetrical about an imaginary substantially horizontal centerline (60) that passes through said middle and halfway between said outer ends, and said band having a substantially horizontal centerplane (62) that extends through said middle and said far points; each of said end portions having inner and outer end parts (70, 72) lying respectively closest and furthest from said middle region, with each of said inner end parts (70) joined to one of said middle portion far points at a first downwardly-convex bend (76) that results, when said centerplane is horizontal and said band is in a right-side-up orientation, in said inner part extending at an upward-outward incline (C) to said centerplane as seen in a horizontal side view that is perpendicular to said centerline, and with each outer end part joined to the corresponding inner end part at a second upwardly-convex bend (80) that results in said outer end part (72) extending at a downward-outward incline (D) to said centerplane, to hold said pods away from a horizontal surface on which it is laid in either said right-side-up orientation or an upside-down orientation. 2. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein:said band has a largely horizontal thickness (F) and a largely vertical height (G) along said middle portion at said far end, with said height being greater than said thickness; at said second upwardly-convex bend (80), each of said band outer end portions (44, 46) has an increased height (J) which is greater than the height at said far points. 3. The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein:at each of said upwardly-convex bends (80) said band has an outside surface (102) which is twisted from an orientation parallel to the band at the corresponding far location, so each outside surface faces at a downward incline when said centerplane is horizontal. 4. The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein:each of said outside surfaces is concave along most of its height. 5. The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein:each of said pods includes a wide ear-engaging part (92) and a mount part (90); each of said outer pod-holding ends comprises an outer shaft section (82) with a post (84) that holds one of said pod mount parts, with said outer shaft section extending primarily horizontally and toward the other shaft section, but at an inward angle (A) toward said middle of said band middle region which is sufficient to space said ear-engaging part a plurality of millimeters inward of the outermost part of said outer shaft section. 6. A noise blocking band earplug comprising:a band (12) extending in largely a U-shape, with a middle region (32) and with largely parallel opposite end portions (44, 46); a pair of pods (20, 22) each mounted on one of said outer end portions and constructed to seal against the outside of a person's ear canal, with said band urging said pods toward each other; said opposite end portions have inner and outer end parts (70, 72) that are angled to extend, when said middle region extends horizontally, so one of said end parts extends at an upward-outer incline (C) and the other one of said end parts extends at a downward-outer incline (D), with each of said opposite end portions having an outer shaft section (82) that supports one of said pods, so when said band earplug is laid right-side-up or upside-down on a flat horizontal surface no part of said pods touch the horizontal surface. 7. The apparatus described in claim 6 wherein:said middle region lies in a predetermined substantially horizontal plane (62) and has far ends (50) that merge with said end portions, said middle region has a predetermined average height and said outer end portions each have press pads of a height (J) greater than said middle portion average height. 8. The apparatus described in claim 6 wherein:each of said end portions has an inner part (70A) extending at an upward-outward incline and an outer part (72A) extending at a downward-outward incline, and with said inner and outer parts joined at an upward-convex second bend (80) where the upper surface at the bend is convex, when said band is right side-up and lies on a horizontal surface; said outer part (72A) extends at an upward-outward incline and said band rests on said second bend (80) and on said middle region, when said band is upside-down and rests on said horizontal surface. Description
My earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,691 entitled "SOILING RESISTANT BANDED EARPLUG" describes a band earplug that avoids soiling of the earplug devices, or pods that actually press against the outside of a person's ear canals. The patent describes the band outer portions as angled to extend at an upward-outward incline when the middle portion of the band rests on a horizontal surface. If a worker places the band right-side-up even on a dirty surface, the band holds the pods away from the surface so they will not be soiled. Such soiling of the pads could lead to dirtying the worker's ears, or require a new clean band earplug.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a band earplug is provided, which avoids soiling when laid right-side-up or upside-down on a largely horizontal dirty surface. The band earplug includes a band of largely U-shape with a middle region and with opposite end portions, and with pods mounted on each band outer end. Each outer end portion has parts that are angled to extend at upward and downward inclines from the horizontal when the middle portion extends horizontally. As a result, when the band earplug is laid right-side-up or upside-down on a horizontal surface, the ends of the inclined portions will prevent the pods from touching the surface.
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a band earplug of the present invention, shown how it is worn by a wearer.
FIG. 1 illustrates a band earplug 10 which includes a resilient band 12 designed to extend about halfway around the head of a person P, and which has opposite outer ends 14, 16. A pair of pods 20, 22 are each attached to a different one of the band outer ends. The resilient band 12 urges the pods towards the person's ears, so each pod presses against the entrance to a person's ear canal to form a seal therewith which minimizes the passage of noise to the person's inner ear.
The band 12 of FIG. 2 has a middle region 32 with a middle 34 and opposite middle portions 40, 42 on opposite sides of the middle. The earplug also has a pair of opposite end portions 44, 46 with outer pod-holding ends 14, 16 at the outer ends of the band. Each end portion 44, 46 merges with a middle portion at a mid-end, or far location 50 which is the outermost part (in direction O) of the corresponding middle portion. The band is substantially symmetrical about an imaginary horizontal centerline 60 that passes through the middle 34 and halfway between the outer ends 14, 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the band has a horizontal center plane 62 that extends through the horizontal center line 60 and that extends substantially horizontal (within 10° and preferably 5° of horizontal) when the earplug lies in its right-side-up position shown in FIG. 3 and lies on a horizontal surface 64.
Each of the outer end portions such as 46 has inner and outer end parts 70, 72 that are positioned with respect to the inward and outward arrows I, O. The inner end part 70 is closest to the middle portion 42 and is joined to a far location 50 at the inner end 74 of the inner end part 70. The locations 50, 74 are joined near a first bend 76 whose lower surface is convex and whose upper surface is concave. The bend 76 results in most 70A of the inner end part 70 extending at an upward-outward incline at an angle C of about 30°. The inner and outer end parts 70, 72 are joined at a second bend 80 of about 70° whose upper surface is convex and whose lower surface is concave in FIG. 3. Most 72A of the outer end part 72 extends at a downward-outward incline at an average angle D of about 30° as seen in the side view at FIG. 3. The outer end such as 16, shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, includes an outer shaft section 82 with a post 84 at its end, which is fixed to the corresponding pod 20, 22. Each pod includes a cylindrical section 90 with a hole that receives the post, and a flange section 92 that actually engages the wearer's ear. Both are preferably of foam plastic.
The outer end portion 46 of the band has a region 100 of increased largely vertical height at the bend 80. As shown in FIG. 7, each region 100 has largely flattened and slightly convex laterally distal surface 102 and a convex laterally proximal surface 104. The surface 102 is angled about 45° from the horizontal, which is accomplished by "twisting" the band along each end portion. The terms distal and proximal are relative to a vertical center plane 106 that extends through the middle of the band. The distal surfaces 102 provide pads where the wearer's fingers can rest to press the pods against the outsides of his ear canals. It is noted that applicant prefers to form the pod flange sections 92 of slow recovery foam material. While the band presses the pods towards each other with a force of about seven ounces, it requires a few more ounces to seat the pods against the outside of the ear canal so they seal well thereat. The wide finger-pressed pad surfaces 102 enhance this.
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