3M Innovative Properties Company

Henning T Urban

Caroline M Ylitalo

Abel Gladstone Mangam

Patrick R T Hjort

William Bedingham

Andrew S Viner

Richard C Webb

Caitlin E Meree

Claire R Donoghue

Andrew W Long

Jonas A Nilsson

Ambuj Sharma

Christine L McCool

Magnus S Johansson

Stephen R Gamble

Erik O Levholt

Hearing protection device (″) with an indication unit () and a detection unit (″) to send a first detection signal, to assign a distance value based on a second detection signal of an external device () representing the physical distance to the external device () and to control the indication unit () to provide an indication to the user () if the assigned distance value is at or below a predetermined threshold distance value. Thus, a collision may easily and reliably be prevented by providing an indication to the user (), so that the risk of missing relevant sound of a moving person or object is overcome. A collision warning system comprising such a hearing protection device (″) and an external device is also provided. Furthermore, a method of retrofitting a hearing protection device ('″) with such a detection unit (″) is provided.

Hearing protection device, collision warning system and method of retrofitting a hearing protection device with a detection unit

The present disclosure relates to a hearing protector () with a sensor module () having a module sensor (). The sensor module () is removably attached to the cushion () and the cup (A,A) of the earmuff () of the hearing protector (). The hearing protector () according to present disclosure allows the arrangement of sensors at a hearing protector () in an easy and cost-efficient way even with multiple sensors. The advantage of such a hearing protector () is an easy, compact and reliable solution of a hearing protector () providing information about the environment and about the conditions of the user () or worker using such a hearing protector (). Also, a method of retrofitting such a sensor module () to a hearing protector () is provided. Such a method is advantageous because reversible retrofitting of existing hearing protectors () not having the required functionality of sensors is provided.

Hearing protector with sensor module and method of retrofitting a hearing protector with a sensor module

A method for determining personal protective equipment (PPE) comfort for an individual wearer includes defining a first anatomical shape data representative of an anatomical area of the individual wearer prior to donning a PPE, a second anatomical shape data representative of the anatomical area of the individual wearer after donning the PPE, and comparing the first anatomical shape data with the second anatomical shape data. The method further includes determining a soft skin tissue deformation at a plurality of predetermined anatomical positions based on the comparison between the first anatomical shape data and the second anatomical shape data, and determining a displacement comfort threshold (CTd) value based on the soft skin tissue deformation. The method also includes determining a pressure pain threshold (PPT) value, and determining a comfort metric based on the PPT values and the CTd values. The method also includes generating a notification corresponding to the comfort metric.

System and method for determining personal protective equipment comfort

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Kuehlungsborn, Germany

Henning T Urban