Gentex Corporation

John P Scalzo

Jackson A Aileo

A sound-attenuating earcup assembly for isolating the ear of a wearer from ambient sound while affording the wearer external communication capability without doffing the earcup assembly in which a sound-attenuating earcup of relatively rigid material forms a sound-attenuating cavity having an opening for receiving the ear of the wearer. An earphone assembly is resiliently mounted in the opening and biased outwardly of the cavity whereby the earphone assembly presses against the wearer's ear when the earcup assembly is in position on the wearer's head.

Earphone system for use in large-cavity earcups

A sound attenuating earcup assembly having ambient communication capability without the necessity of removing the assembly in which a cup or shell adapted to fit over the wearer's ear is made of a relatively hard sound attenuating material and is formed with three wall openings each extending from the outer surface of the shell to the interior and each of which is provided with an external countersink. The first opening receives the battery casing having an externally removable cover which holds the casing onto the shell with its terminals located within the shell. The second opening receives the outside communication unit with the microphone facing outwardly and the major portion of the unit and its terminals retained inside the shell by a detachable fastener. The switch actuating element extends outwardly through the third opening from the body of the switch carrying the switch terminals. A protective sleeve screwed onto a portion of the switch post to hold the switch in position surrounds the actuator to reduce the possibility of accidental actuation. The earphone is disposed in a recess in a pad of sound absorbing material in the shell. Where the assemblies are used in pairs for a binaural effect only one assembly is provided with a switch. Means is provided for connecting the earcup carried elements to external electronics so as to charge said battery from a power source in said external electronics.

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Carbondale, PA, United States of America

John P Scalzo