WO2009086649A1 - Variable hearing protection - Google Patents

Abstract

The variable hearing protection comprises an adjusting mechanism (3), by which the attenuation can be varied in a channel (2) running through the hearing protection. For this purpose, in the adjusting mechanism a disk (16) is disposed, which extends across the entire channel cross-section and has sectors with varying thicknesses. The disk (16) is disposed rotatably relative to a first barrier part (13), in which an opening (15) is disposed. Depending on which of the sectors is moved to be congruent with the opening (15), in this way strong or weak attenuation can be set. In that the disk (16) covers the entire cross-section of the channel (2), penetration of dirt can be prevented and undesirable sudden pressure changes can be avoided.

Description

 Variable hearing protection

Reference to related applications

This application claims the priority of

Swiss Patent Application 0040/08, filed Jan. 11, 2008, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a variable hearing protection for insertion into the ear canal.

Devices of this type serve to adapt the hearing sensitivity of a person as needed to the respective requirements and circumstances.

background

From DE 103 24 763 a variable hearing protection is known, which has a flexible Einpasskörper for insertion into the ear canal. Through the Einpasskörper a channel extends through which the sound can reach the eardrum. In the channel an aperture with an opening is arranged. The opening can be closed by turning a closure part arranged in the channel.

This solution has the disadvantage that the opening of the closure part may be associated with loud cracking, since a relatively sudden pressure equalization can take place during opening. In addition, dirt can accumulate in the opening, which make it difficult to operate the device. Presentation of the invention

It has the task of providing hearing protection of this type, which at least partially reduces these disadvantages.

This object is achieved by the hearing protection according to claim 1. Accordingly, two mutually rotatable barrier parts are provided. The first barrier part has an opening. The second barrier member has a disk which covers the entire channel, i. which extends over the entire cross section of the channel. The disc has several areas of different thickness, which have different strong transmission for the sound. By rotating the barrier parts relative to one another, the opening can be selectively made to coincide with areas of different thickness, whereby the attenuation of the sound passing through the opening can be varied.

By using a disc which extends over the entire cross-section of the channel, on the one hand sudden pressure equalization processes can be avoided, and on the other hand the disc also serves as contamination protection and prevents the passage of impurities. The hearing protector has a male body, preferably of deformable material, through which said channel extends. This male body can be sealingly inserted into the ear canal of the user. This can be a shaped body individually adapted to the respective user, or a body which is dimensioned and designed to adapt to different auditory canals. Brief description of the drawings

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and from the following description with reference to the figures. Showing:

1 is a view of a first embodiment of the invention (handle not shown),

2 shows a section through the Verstellmecha- mechanism of the embodiment of FIG. 2,

3 is a section along line III-III of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 from below, Fig. 5 is a section along line V-V of

Fig. 2 and

Fig. 6 is a section through a second embodiment of the invention.

Ways to carry out the invention

The hearing protection according to FIGS. 1 to 5 has a fitting body 1, which can be inserted into the auditory canal of the user. Preferably, as mentioned, the insert body 1 is made of deformable material, so that it fits well with the course of the ear canal and can be inserted sealingly into it. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, there is a fitting body 1 which is adapted in its shape to a specific user. Passing body 1 is omitted in the figures 2-5 for the sake of clarity.

Through the Einpasskörper 1 extends a channel 2, which - as normally not visible from the outside - is shown in Fig. 1 in thinner lines. In channel 2, an adjusting mechanism 3 is arranged, which would have to attenuate passing through the channel 2 passing sound in user-selectable manner.

The construction of the adjusting mechanism 3 can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2 to 5. He has a e.g. cylindrical tubular frame 4, which is connected on its outside with the Einpasskörper 1, e.g. firmly connected or held with frictional engagement. The frame 4 is preferably made of a harder material than the Einpasskörper. For example, the Einpasskör- 1 consists of a foam, while frame 4 is made of plastic or metal.

The frame 4 is arranged coaxially about a rotation axis 5 of the device. Also coaxial with the axis of rotation 5, a pivot pin 6 is mounted, which is connected to an outside of the ear canal coming to lie handle 7.

The pivot pin 6 is mounted on the lower in Fig. 2 end of the adjusting mechanism in a first pivot bearing 9, which is connected via a plurality of radially extending to the axis of rotation 5 struts 10 with the frame 4. Thus remain between the struts 10 spaces 11 through which the sound can occur.

The pivot pin 6 is further rotatably mounted in a second pivot bearing 12. The second pivot bearing 12 is connected to the frame 4 via a first barrier part 13.

The first barrier part 13 extends over the entire cross section of the channel 2 and closes it up to the region of an opening 15, which is e.g. essentially takes the form of a circular sector

(see Fig. 5). The first barrier part 13 is firmly connected to the frame 4 in the first embodiment. Next, a disc 16 is provided in the adjusting mechanism 3, which forms a second barrier part together with the pivot pin 6 and the handle 7. The disc 16 is circular and adapted to the diameter of the channel 2 in the region of the adjusting mechanism 3. she is perpendicular to the axis of rotation 5, extends from pivot pin 6 to the frame 4 and is fixedly connected to the pivot pin 6, while it can rotate relative to the frame 4 and the first barrier member 13 about the axis of rotation 5, when the handle 7 is actuated accordingly , The disc 16 is arranged substantially immediately adjacent to the barrier part 13, so that it rests on the edge of the opening 15 from above.

The disc 16 is, as seen in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, in four sectors

18a, 18b, 18c, 18d split. These sectors each have different thickness, as shown in Fig. 2 for two of the sectors. By rotating the disc 16, each of the sectors 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d can be brought into coincidence with the opening 15. Depending on which of the sectors is brought to coincide with the opening 15, so a more or less large attenuation of the sound can be achieved because the different thickness sectors 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d attenuate the sound to different degrees. In order to obtain a large difference between the individual settings, the thinnest of the sectors 18a-13d should be substantially thinner than the first barrier part 13.

In order to facilitate the user a correct adjustment of the adjustment mechanism 3, at least one of the barrier parts, in this case the second barrier part, is equipped with a latching mechanism. This is in the embodiment of Fig. 1-5 formed by one or more knobs 18 on the outer edge of the disc 16, which can snap into corresponding recesses 19 on the inside of the frame 4, when one of the sectors 18a - 18d exactly in line with the opening 15 is.

6 shows an embodiment of the hearing protection with a fitting body 1, which is not tuned to a specific auditory canal, but can adapt its shape to different auditory canals. This is the Einpasskörper 1 provided with circumferential, flexible lamellae 20, which can fit the course of the ear canal ^¬ .

Handle 7 is preferably not rotationally symmetrical designed, so that the user easier to exert a rotational force on pivot pin 6 and can recognize the orientation of the disc 16 from the outside. The shape of the handle 7 can be chosen from a functional and / or aesthetic point of view. In particular, the handle may be symmetrical, asymmetrical, round like a sphere, rounded, oval or even e.g. be shaped as a figure, e.g. as a vegetable or the like.

In the embodiments shown so far, the first barrier member 13 is fixedly arranged in the frame 4, while the disc 16 is rotatable. However, it is also conceivable that the disc 16 is fixedly arranged, while the barrier member 13 can be rotated with the opening 15. It is crucial that the relative position between the two parts can be changed. The parts of the adjusting mechanism 3, as mentioned, for example, be made of plastic and / or metal. It may be injection molded or otherwise manufactured parts. The different thickness sectors 18a-18d can be made by stacking four plates of different sizes, one covering the entire circular area, the second only 3/4 thereof, the third half and the fourth 1/4. However, plate 16 can also be made in one piece, in particular as an injection-molded part. The adjusting mechanism comprising the frame

4 and the barrier parts attached to the frame 4 can preferably be removed as a whole from the fitting body 1 so as to clean or replace the fitting body 1 or the adjusting mechanism 3. Opening 15 in the embodiment according to FIG. 5 is sector-shaped, so that the entire surface of sectors 18a-18d can be used. However, it is also conceivable, for It can also be several, for example, two, opposite openings in disc 16 may be provided, in particular when opposite sectors 18a, 18c and 18b, 18d of the disc 16 each have the same thickness - through This measure can increase the total area of the opening (s) 15.

The number of sectors in disk 16 is four in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5. However, only two, three or more than four sectors or areas of different thickness may be provided. The individual sectors can merge stepwise or continuously. It is also conceivable that the thickness of the disc 16 increases steplessly from a minimum thickness in the first sector to a maximum thickness in the last sector. In addition, the thickness within a sector need not be homogeneous - it is crucial that the average thickness of the at least two sectors is different. While preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and may be embodied otherwise within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

claims 1. Variable hearing protection with a Einpasskörper (1) for insertion into the ear canal, wherein through the Einpasskörper (1) a channel (2) extends, in which a first and a second barrier member (13; 6, 7, 16) are arranged wherein the first barrier member (13) closes the channel (2) to at least one aperture (15) and wherein the barrier members (13; 6, 7, 16) for varying a damping of the sound passing through the channel (2) against each other are rotatable, characterized in that the second barrier member (6, 7, 16) has a disc (16) which closes the entire channel (2) and several areas unterschiedli- rather has thickness, wherein by rotating the barrier parts (13; , 7, 16) against each other, the opening (15) selectable with the areas of different thickness can be brought to coincide with the attenuation of the through the opening (15) passing through sound to vary. 2. Variable hearing protection according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the barrier parts (13; 6, 7, 16) has a latching mechanism (18, 19), with which it can be latched under a plurality of angular positions of different damping. 3. A variable hearing protection according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the disc (16) has a plurality of sectors (18a - 18d) of different thickness. 4. A variable hearing protection according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the passport body (1) a frame (4) is arranged, which consists of a harder material than the Einpasskörper (1), and wherein the first and the second barrier member (13; I ₁ 16) are arranged on the frame (4). 5. Variable hearing protection according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second barrier part (6, 7, 16) about an axis of rotation (5) perpendicular to the disc (16) is rotatable and has a handle (7) for rotating the disc (16) from outside the ear canal. 6. Variable hearing protection according to the claims 5 and 6, wherein the frame (4) is cylindrical and is arranged coaxially about the axis of rotation (5). 7. Variable hearing protection ■ according to claim 6, wherein the disc (16) with a pivot pin (6) about the rotational axis (5) is rotatable, wherein the pivot pin (6) in a first pivot bearing (9) is mounted, which over several struts (10) is connected to the frame (4). 8. Variable ear protection according to claim 7, wherein the pivot pin (6) further in a second pivot bearing (12) which is held by one of the barrier parts (13; 6, 7, 16).