US2439289A - Ear protector - Google Patents

Description

April 6, 1948. B. o. FANsLow EAR PROTECTOR BENJAMIN O. FANsLow Filed March 25, '1947 INVENTOR.

N427, A TTORNEYS be introduced into the muff, by sliding the body upwardly into the pocket provided by the tab l5, and securing it in place by threads passed through the holes 28. The lower ends ofthe pieces I0, Il can then be overlapped and sewed together to close the bottom of the muff structure and hold the clamp structure in position.

The device can be applied to the ear by pressing relatively upwardly (Figure upon the nger 32, to make sure that the tongue 30 is in the position of Figure 6, i. e., that it is in opened position. The protector is then placed upon the ear, by slipping it on from the rear and top, with the part Il lying between the ear and the wearers head. The lower portion is then slipped around the lower lobe of the ear, so that this lobe comes between the tab I 5 and the protective covering 33 on the movable tongue 30. Pressure is then exerted against the piece I0, from the exterior, so that the tongue 30 is moved inwardly or counterclockwise from the position of Figure 6, until the linger 32 passes the shoulder 26 and the spring blade 25 can now act to hold the lower lobe of the ear lightly clamped between the body part and the movable part (Figure 9).

The device can be released and removed by pressing upwardly against the lower part of the movable structure, wherewith the finger 32 is caused to move clockwise about the pivot 35 and pass from the position of Figure 5 into that of Figure 6. lIfhe clamp is thus opened, and the structure can be stripped from the ear.

In the modiiied form shown in Figures 7 and 8, the body 20 is essentially the same as before, with the walls 22, apertured lugs '23, slits 24, spring tongue 25, and the shoulder 26.

The movable part has the upwardly-extending clamp tongue 30, the aperture 3| for the pivot pin, and the engaging finger 32. In this modied form, an actuator piece is also provided, consisting of the actuator finger 40 and the apertured lugs il which are mounted on the same pivot 35 that provides for the swinging movement of movable part 30, 32. By construction and arrangement, the actuator finger 40 extends a greater distance from the axis than the finger 32 of the movable part.

The method of applying and removing an ear protector having this modied form of clamp structure is essentially the same as before. With this modified arrangement, upward pressure against the actuator finger 4D causes the movable tongue 3d to move away from the body 20. In this form, continued movement of the actuator nger 40 causes greater distortion of the spring blade 25, until the finger 32 is cleared by the shoulder 23 and tongue 30 may thlus open to receive the ear lobe. The actuator linger 40 finally comes against the shoulder 25, wherewith pressure is exerted by the spring blade so that the actuator structure is thus held against return movenient. When the tongue 30 is pressed inwardly, however, the corresponding lower finger 32 engages the actuator linger 40, and presses this in a counterclockwise direction until it is below the free edgeof the spring blade 25, whereupon this spring then serves to maintain the tongue 30 under light clamping pressure upon the ear lobe.

It is preferred to form the parts I0, Il, l5, 36 of flexible material such as leather or fabric, and they can be made and assembled in various sizes. It is presently preferred to form the spring blade 25 integral with the body structure, by having this body structure made of resilient material. It has been found that plastics, such as vinyl resins,

, purposes intended.

and acrylic resins, are commercially obtainable in sheet form and of sufficient resiliency for the Such sheets can be cut, drilled, and hot-formed to provide the structures as shown. Phenolic and urea resins of thermosplastic or thermosetting type can be employed by hot-holding. Such resins are presently preferred, as they are not affected by cold, nor by water, and have a low heat conductivity and low specific content so that they neither serve to abstract heat from the wearers ear, nor to conduct such heat to the exterior of the device. Obviously, metal can be used, with preference for non-corrosive alloys.

In each form, as shown by Figure 9, the flexible ear lobe L is engaged bythe tongue 30, under the resilient pressure exerted therethrough from the spring blade 25, and a part of the lobe is pressed into the channel between the walls 22. Thus, relative sliding movement, in the directions of the double-headed arrow in Figure 9, between lthe clamping structure and the ear lobe is prevented. The assembly is hence held upon'the ear against accidental displacement by contact with the hand, etc., by use of a lesser pressure or clamping force than would be required for such assurance if the body 20 and the tongue 30 had flat opposing surfaces; and therewith the illustrated device is free of necessity of employing such pressures as might restrict circulation in the ear lobe, or activate nerve termini, with resultant discomfort.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited with the specic forms shown, but that it may be employed in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ear protector comprising a mui structure fitting over the external parts of the ear and between the ear and head, and a two-part clamp structure secured to the muff structure and effective for engaging the lower lobe of the ear; said clamp structure comprising a. part with spaced parallel wal-ls and a second intermediate part movable with respect to the first part and receivable Ibetween the walls thereof, said parts being constructed and arranged in the muli structure to lie one outside and one inside the lower ear lobe when the protector is positioned on the ear, and a spring on one said part and a spring-cooperative portion on the other part for detaining the movable part in either end `moved -position relative to said body part.

2. An ear protector comprising a mui structure fitting over the external parts of the ear and between the ear and head, said mul structure having a downwardly open pocket at its lower end, and a clamp structure comprising a body part located and held in said pocket,V and a movable part pivoted to said body part and located within the muff structure and outside the pocket, said body part having an integral leaf spring, said movable part having a nger engageable by said spring whereby the movable part is held by said spring against ear-disengaging swinging movement away from the body part.

3. A clamp structure for an ear protector cornprising a body of resilient material and having a web and walls extending from the web, the body having slits along the web whereby to provide a blade spring, a movable part havingV an ear-engaging tongue cooperative with the body for clamping to the ear, pivot means connecting the movable part to the body, and a iinger on the movable part for engaging said spring and cooperative therewith to maintain the body and movable part in ear-engaging position.

4. A clamp structure for an ear protector comprising a body-having a web and walls extending from the web, a movable part having an ear-engaging tongue cooperative with the body for clamping to the ear, pivot means connecting the movable `part to said walls, said body having a blade spring as a part thereof, said blade spring having its free end downward and having a shoulder spaced from said free end, said movable part having a finger engageable with said blade springwhereby said blade spring can maintain the movable part in ear-engaging position, the pivot means, the shoulder, and the nger being so constructed and arranged that when the nger engages the shoulder the blade spring is effective to hold the tongue in disengaged position.

5. A clamp structure for an ear protector comprising a body of resilient material and having a web and walls extending from said web, said body being slit along a part of said web whereby said web part provides a Iblade spring, said spring having a shoulder spaced from the free end thereof, a movable part pivotally secured between the body walls opposite the free end of the spring and having an earlobe-engaging tongue cooperative with the body, said movable part having a finger extending toward said spring and engageable thereby to prevent swinging movement of the movable part out of earlobe engaging position, said finger and spring shoulder being so constructed and arranged that when the linger lies against the shoulder the spring prevents in- Ward ear-engaging movement of the tongue and the shoulder limits outward movement of the tongue.

6. A clamp structure for an ear protector comprising a body of resilient material and having a web and walls extending from said web, said body being slit along a part of said Iweb whereby said web part provides a blade spring, said spring having a shoulder spaced from the free end thereof, said walls including apertured'lugs, a movable fpart located between the body walls opposite the free end of the spring and having an earlobe-engaging tongue cooperative with the body, a pivot pin extending through said lugs and movable part, said movable part having a nger extending toward said spring and engageable thereby to prevent swinging movement of the movable part out of earlobe engaging position, said finger and spring shoulder lbeing so constructed and arranged that when the finger lies against the shoulder the spring prevents inward ear-engaging movement of the tongue and the shoulder limits outward movement of the tongue, and an actuator part mounted on said pivot pin for engaging and moving said finger to cause the movable part to pass toward earlobe-disengaging position, said actuator being constructed and arranged whereby upon movement thereof it displaces the spring from the finger and permits the finger to pass the shoulder.

BENJAMIN O. FANSLOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,857,974 Reno Aug. 5, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 104,126 Germany Oct.. 7, 1898 148,274 Germany Nov. 11, 1902

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