Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to hearing protective devices, and more particularly to a hearing protective device including two attenuating elements connected by a knotted cord and a method of manufacturing the hearing protection device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    The use of hearing protective and noise attenuating devices is well known, and various types of devices are available including, but not limited to, ear muffs, semi-aural devices, and earplugs. Earplugs are particularly preferred for their effectiveness in attenuating sound and for comfort properties provided thereby. 
         [0005]    An earplug generally comprises a sound attenuating element which is placed in the ear canal of a wearer to provide desired sound attenuation. The sound attenuating element is commonly made of a resilient foam material or a flexible, rubber-like material. 
         [0006]    Several types of earplugs are known. A roll-down type earplug typically has a resilient foam body which is rolled by a user to reduce a diameter thereof. A portion of the reduced diameter earplug body is then inserted in the ear canal and allowed to expand therein to fill the canal and provide desired attenuation. The remaining portion of the earplug body extends from the ear canal and provides a handle for removing the plug. A push-in stem type earplug includes a resilient body having a rigid or semi-rigid stem embedded therein and, most typically, extending therefrom. The stem provides a degree of rigidity to the earplug which facilitates insertion of the plug body into the ear canal. During use, the exposed stem portion of the push-in stem earplug extends from the ear canal, thus providing a handle for removal of the earplug. 
         [0007]    Earplugs often include a cord that attaches a pair of plugs and extends therebetween. See  FIG. 1  in which earplugs  10  are shown connected by a cord  12 . The cord  12  allows a user to hang the earplugs around their neck or elsewhere when the plugs are not being used. Also, the cord permanently relates a certain pair of earplugs and prevents against loss thereof. 
         [0008]    Conventional cords are commonly designed so that the cord may be permanently attached to the earplugs and more specifically, each end of the cord may be permanently attached to ends of the earplugs. In the case of roll-down type earplugs, a cord is attached to one end of the resilient body. Push-in stem type earplugs generally have the cord attached at the exposed portion of the stem. Cords may be attached to the various types of earplugs, for example, by sonic welding or by adhesive bonding. 
         [0009]    Corded earplug pairs are often sold in individual packages. For example, a single pair of earplugs attached by a cord are enclosed in a small plastic sealed package. A user acquires the package and opens the same to access the corded earplug pair. In this way, an individual pair of earplugs is conveniently provided to a user while a sanitary condition of the plugs in the sealed package is maintained. 
         [0010]    Several methods of assembling and packaging the corded earplug pairs are known. With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , the cord  12  is first manufactured and then wound in a spiral fashion so as to form a circular shaped bundle  14 . Then a plastic clip  16  may be applied to the cord bundle to retain the circular shape thereof Particularly, the plastic clip  16  is similar, if not identical, to plastic clips commonly used to maintain closure of bread bags. Once the cord  12  is clipped, the bundle  14  is positioned for connection with the earplugs  10 . The two ends of the cord  12  are each attached to respective ends of each of the earplugs  10 . As mentioned above, attachment may be made through a welding or adhesive bonding process. The corded earplugs  10  with the clipped cord  12  are then inserted into a waiting package  18  and the package  18  is sealed. The package  18  is, for example, a small plastic bag having an opening  20 . 
         [0011]    During packaging of the corded plugs, the clip is kept fastened to the cord bundle to maintain a compactness thereof and to prevent the cord from unwinding during or prior to packaging. The more compact the cord bundle, the less packaging material is required thus reducing material costs. Compactness of the cord bundle during packaging is also advantageous in facilitating insertion of the bundle into the package, i.e. a tight, compact cord bundle is much easier to pass through the opening of the package then a loose or unraveling cord bundle. 
         [0012]    However, the plastic clip used to maintain the compact cord bundle is itself a separate product which increases the overall cost of the packaged corded earplug pair. Additionally, use of the plastic clip necessitates an additional step in the corded earplug assembly and packaging process. Further, the clip occupies valuable space within the packaging, thus the package must be slightly oversized to accommodate the clip. Accordingly, waste and disposal of the packaged clipped earplug is significant considering the additional piece of the clip and the required size increase of the package. Finally, the clipped cord is inconvenient for an end user since the clip must be manually removed prior to donning the earplugs. Further, the removal of the clip may threaten the integrity of the cord in that the plastic clip may contain sharp edges which can score the cord upon removal. 
         [0013]    Referring now with particularity to  FIG. 3 , a paper wrap  22  has also been used to retain the cord bundle  14  in place of the plastic clip  16 . The paper wrap  22 , which is similar to a shoestring wrap or a light tape material, is wrapped around the spiral wound cord bundle  14  to retain the compact circular shape thereof. Then, the earplugs  10  are fixed to respective ends of the wrapped cord  12  and the corded pair is inserted into the waiting package  18 . 
         [0014]    Similar to the plastic clip, the paper wrap facilitates packaging of the corded earplug pair by maintaining the cord in a tightly wound, compact form and preventing against unraveling of the cord during or prior to insertion of the cord into the package. However, as with the plastic clip, the paper wrap is an additional item which increases the overall cost of the packaged earplugs, necessitates an additional step in the assembly process of the corded plugs, and requires the end user to incur the inconvenience of removing the paper wrap prior to unraveling the cord. Further, the paper is an additional piece which must be discarded by the end user, thus raising environmental and disposal concerns. 
         [0015]    Referring now particularly to  FIG. 4 , it has also been attempted to assemble and package corded earplug pairs without utilizing a cord retaining device such as the plastic clip or paper wrap discussed herein above. In such a process, the cord  12  is first wound in a spiral to form the circular shaped cord bundle  14 . The frictional properties of the cord  12  material are relied upon to retain the cord  12  in this wound position. The wound cord bundle  14  is then inserted in a waiting package. However, the cord  12  does not consistently remain in the wound bundle position, often coming unwound during or just prior to insertion of the cord bundle into the package. Further, compactness of the cord bundle is not obtained in this process requiring a larger package, thus increasing associated costs and again raising disposal and environmental concerns. 
         [0016]    Accordingly, there remains a need for a corded earplug pair which may be efficiently and economically assembled and packaged and which may be readily accessed and used by a user. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0017]    The above discussed and other problems and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the hearing protective device and method of manufacture of the invention. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment of the invention, a hearing protective device is provided, including a first sound attenuating element, a second sound attenuating element, a flexible elongated member connecting the first sound attenuating element and the second sound attenuating element, and a knot formed in the flexible elongated member. The knot is untied by moving the first sound attenuating element in a direction away from second sound attenuating element. 
         [0019]    In a further embodiment of the invention, a method of manufacturing a hearing protective device is provided including forming a first sound attenuating element, forming a second sound attenuating element, forming a flexible elongated member, tying a knot in the flexible elongated member so as to position the flexible elongated member in a wound bundle including first and second opposite ends extending from the bundle, and attaching the first and second opposite ends to the first and second sound attenuating elements, respectively. 
         [0020]    The above discussed and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several FIGURES: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of a corded hearing protective device; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the hearing protective device in a wound and clipped position; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the hearing protective device in a wound and taped position; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the hearing protective device in a wound position; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a corded hearing protective device according to the invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a depiction of a package for containing the corded hearing protective device; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged view of a stemmed earplug. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0029]      FIG. 5  shows a hearing protective device  50  including attenuating elements  52  connected by a cord  54 . 
         [0030]    In an exemplary embodiment, the attenuating elements  52  comprise a first earplug  56  and a second earplug  58 . The first and second earplugs  56  and  58  each include a first end  60  and a second end  62  disposed opposite one another. One of the first and second ends  60  and  62  is attached to the cord and the other end is designated for insertion and retention in an ear canal of a user. In one embodiment, the second end  62  is attached to the cord and the first end  60  extends therefrom and is insertable and retainable in the ear canal. The second end  62  also serves as a handle for adjusting and removing the inserted earplug, and provides an attachment portion at which the cord is fixed. 
         [0031]    The earplugs  56  and  58  may be of any desired style and/or construction. For example, the earplugs may be roll-down type resilient foam earplugs, push-in stem type earplugs, pre-molded polymeric flange type earplugs, or any other desired type of earplug. 
         [0032]    The cord  54  is composed of a rubber or plastic material and may be of a solid construction or, alternatively, may have a hollow portion at an interior thereof The cord  54 , of course may be of any material suitable for attaching the two earplugs including, for example, string, cotton material, vinyl, etc. The cord  54  includes a first end  64  and an oppositely disposed second end  66 . The first end  64  of the cord  54  is attached to the first earplug  56  at the attachment end  62 . Similarly, the second end of the cord  54  is attached to the second earplug  58  at the attachment end  62 . The cord  54  is attached to the earplugs  56  and  58 , for example, by sonic welding, adhesive bonding, mechanical bonding, etc. 
         [0033]    The cord  54  includes a knot  68  formed therein. The knot  68  retains the cord  54  in a bundle  70 . The bundle  70  is a compact generally curvilinear assembly of the cord  54  for facilitating handling and packaging of the hearing protective device  50 . In one embodiment, the first and second cord ends  64  and  66  are maintained proximate one another in the bundle  70 . The cord  54  forms a loop opposite the first and second cord ends  64  and  66 , in the bundle  70 , and the knot  68  is disposed therebetween. 
         [0034]    The knot  68  generally comprises the cord  54  wound and/or wrapped in any manner so as to result in the bundle  70 . The knot  68 , in one embodiment, is a slip knot. A slip knot, for purposes of this application, is any knot which may be formed in an elongated member having two opposing ends where the knot may be untied by simply applying opposing forces to the opposing ends of the elongated member. 
         [0035]    With respect to the hearing protective device  50 , this means that the knot  68  is formed such that the knot  68  may be untied and the cord  54  correspondingly unraveled by a user simply pulling in opposite directions on the first and second earplugs  56  and  58  respectively attached to the first and second ends  64  and  66  of the cord  54 . While being easily untied by a user, the knot  68  still supplies sufficient retention properties to maintain the cord  54  in the tight bundle  70  configuration. In this embodiment, the slip-knot type knot  68  may be formed by winding a mid-portion of the cord  54  in a circular manner and passing the first and second ends  64  and  66  of the cord  54  through an open center of the circularly wound cord  54 , thus forming the bundle  70 . The bundle  70  is unraveled by a user simply pulling oppositely on the earplugs  56  and  58 . Of course, the slip-knot type knot  68  may be formed in any other suitable manner so as to form and maintain the bundle  70  and so as to be easily untied by the user. 
         [0036]    While the knot  68  has thus far been described as a slip knot, the invention contemplates any type of knot which is suitable for forming the bundle  70  and which may be easily untied, and the cord  54  correspondingly unraveled, by the user. 
         [0037]    The knot  68 , as mentioned, retains and maintains the cord  54  in the bundle  70 . The bundle  70  is easily and conveniently insertable in an opening  72  of a package  74 . The package  74  may be of a plastic material and, once the bundle  70  is inserted therein, the package  74  may be sealed for sale or distribution. 
         [0038]    A method of manufacturing the hearing protective device  50  is now described. First, the attenuating elements  52  and the cord  54  are separately formed. Then, the knot  68  is tied in the cord  54 , thus forming the bundle  70 . Next, the attenuating elements  52  are fixably attached the exposed first and second ends  64  and  66  of the cord  54 . The corded and knotted hearing protective device  50  is then inserted through the opening  72  into the package  74 . See  FIG. 6 . The opening  72  is closed and the package  74  is sealed. 
         [0039]    The corded hearing protective device of the invention may be efficiently and economically assembled and packaged so as to be readily accessed and used by a user. The knot in the cord forms a tight, compact, and manageable cord bundle to which attenuating elements may be readily attached. The knot ensures that the cord is held in the bundle, the bundle being of a reduced size, thus simplifying the packaging process while minimizing necessary packaging materials. The knotted cord of the invention does not require additional clips, paper wrap, tape, etc. to maintain the cord in the bundle. Thus, the invention satiates environmental and disposal concerns by producing less waste since no clip or tape members are required and yet a small package may still be utilized. Additionally, the knot is easily untied thus facilitating a user&#39;s access to the corded hearing protective device. In one embodiment, a slip knot is used such that the user may simply pull in opposite directions on the sound attenuating elements to untie the knot, unraveling the cord and thus accessing the hearing protective device. 
         [0040]    While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation.

Technology Category: 4