The present invention provides an audio seal for use in an ear cup assembly. The audio seal has a generally torus-shaped body made from a compressible material. The torus-shaped body has a generally elliptical, torus configuration over approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of its perimeter and has a head and neck pad section that covers approximately one-quarter to one-third of said body's perimeter. The head and neck pad section protrudes forwardly and radially outward to form a bulging section that deviates the said elliptical, torus configuration.
A spring biased earmuff, having a flexible and generally ring-shaped frame (2) covered on an outer side and on an inner side by a fabric material (3), the frame being flexible between an open position wherein an ear may be inserted through an elongate hole (4) from the inner side of the earmuff such that the earmuff covers the ear on the outside and on the back side, and a snap on position wherein the frame exerts a biaising force for holding the earmuff to the ear, the frame having a frame front member (5) and a frame back member (6). An earphone (L) is supported by the frame, the ear phone being covered by the fabric material on the outer side of the earmuff. The earphone is removably attached to the frame (2) in a portion thereof, from where the earphone is supported outside the auditory canal of the ear in a user position of the ear muff. The frame exerts a biaising force on the earphone, away from the ear, in the hold position of the earmuff.
An earmuff having anatomically correct ear cups, which are axially rotatable to ensure a proper fit over a person's ears and laterally rotatable when the earmuff is disposed in a storage position around the person's neck.
An ear seal is disclosed for use in a headset. The ear seal includes a flexible sheath that encloses and is in contact with flowable material. The flexible sheath includes a first surface that extends between inner and outer peripheral edges of an annular top. The first surface is adapted for contacting a user's head and includes an inner annular groove separating an inner annular surface portion from a crease inhibiting central annular surface portion, and an outer annular groove separating an outer annular surface portion from the crease inhibiting central annular surface portion.
A cushion for a headset earphone comprises a resilient ring having opposite input and output faces, and a through-opening defining an interior surface between the two faces. The input face has structure for acoustically coupling the opening to an output face of an audio speaker, and the output face is resiliently conformable to a lateral face of an external ear of a listener, thereby acoustically coupling the opening, and hence, the speaker, to the listener's ear. The interior surface of the cushion can be configured to effectively match the acoustical impedance at the output face of the speaker to the acoustical impedance at the entrance of the listener's ear. In one possible embodiment, the ring is formed of an elastomer filled with microcapsules containing a material capable of an endothermic phase changes at a constant temperature, such that the cushion more effectively conducts heat away from the ear, thereby providing long term listening comfort. In another embodiment, the through-opening is acoustically coupled to the output of the transducer with an acoustic plug such that the cushion is flexibly articulated about the plug relative to the speaker, thereby enabling the cushion to comply more easily to the listener's ear using lower contact forces between the cushion and the ear.
