Patent ID: 8161975

Claim:
A two piece dual mode earplug and with each piece molded of resilient polymeric material for insertion into an ear canal, including: a. an integrally molded elongated member having a nose end and an open rear end and a channel extending through the interior of the integrally molded elongated member from the open rear end to the nose end, b. an integrally molded insert member formed with a base portion and a rod portion and with the rod portion seated within the open rear end of the integrally molded elongated member and extending into the channel of the elongated member and with the base portion extending out from the open rear end of the elongated member and serving as a handle for aiding insertion of the earplug into an ear canal, c. the integrally molded insert member additionally including an attenuation filter integrally molded as part of the rod portion and including first and second openings located on each side of a chamber and with the size and length of the openings together with the chamber providing attenuation of impulse noise while allowing the passage of normal speech through the channel extending through the interior of the integrally molded elongated member, d. the integrally molded insert member also including the base portion integrally molded and including a third opening larger than the first and second openings in the rod portion and with the first, second and third openings together forming a passageway through the insert member to the channel extending through the interior of the integrally molded elongated member, e. the integrally molded insert member further including an integrally molded cap member and with the cap member including a plug portion having a size complementary to the third opening of the base member where the insertion of the plug portion into the third opening of the base portion would seal off the third opening and with positioning of the cap member providing for the earplug being in a first mode of operation where the passageway through the insert member to the channel extending through the interior of the elongated member is open and a second mode of operation where the passageway through the insert member to the channel extending through the interior of the integrally molded elongated member is closed, and f. the elongated member composed of a resilient polymer material having a relatively low Shore A Durometer hardness value and the insert member composed of a resilient polymeric material having a relatively high Shore A Durometer hardness value so that the insert member forms a handle of greater stiffness to enable the elongated member to be more easily inserted into the ear canal and allows the cap member to be easily switched between the two modes of operation of the earplug with one hand without removing the earplug from the ear canal.