The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 01, 1998
Robert J. Oliveira, Maplewood, MN (US);
Martin P. Babcock, White Bear Lake, MN (US);
Davis W. Chamberlin, St. Paul, MN (US);
Hearing Components, Inc., Oakdale, MN (US);
Abstract
A simple and inexpensive sleeve assembly that is easy to apply to and remove from the distal end portion of a sound control device and can be adapted to provide circumferential contact with a user's ear canal to control sound delivered to that ear canal at a desired level, to provide a cerumen guard at the end of a sound deliver tube included in the sound control device, or to provide both of those functions. The sleeve assembly comprises a first layer of flexible material (e.g., sound attenuating slow recovery foam, closed cell foam, open cell foam, reticulated open cell foam, or non-foamed polymeric material depending on the requirements of the sound control device on which the sleeve assembly is used) having a periphery that can be adapted to make partial or complete contact with or conform to the car canal of a user into which the sleeve assembly is inserted, or to make little or no contact with that ear canal. A stiff resiliently flexible attachment member having a through opening is fixed to one surface of the first layer. The first layer of material can have a hole between its first and second surfaces aligned with the opening in the attachment member to afford movement of a knob-like part at the distal end portion of a sound control device through the first layer and the opening in the attachment member, or alternatively, the knob-like part can be moved through the opening in the attachment member from its side opposite the first layer. The knob-like part and the area circumjacent to the opening in the attachment member then cooperate to provide complementary interlocking holding of the sleeve assembly on the end portion of the sound control device.