Sound attenuating earcup

Claim 2

a sound attenuating earcup assembly including in combination, a hollow cup-shaped shell formed of rigid material, said shell comprising a base portion and a side wall portion extending away from said base portion to a peripheral edge thereof which faces the side of the wearer''s head in use of the assembly, said side wall portion and said base portion forming a space for receiving the ear of a wearer a flange of rigid material extending generally laterally from said peripheral edge and around said shell to provide a surface adapted to lie adjacent to a wearer''s head around his ear, said flange surface being formed with a contour varying in a direction around said shell periphery so that said flange surface relatively closely complements the surface of the wearer''s head adjacent to which said flange surface is adapted to lie, a pad of resilient material, and means for assembling said pad on said flange over said flange surface.

Claim 3

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange surface has a first recess located generally in the front bottom region thereof corresponding to the rear of the wearer''s mandible.

Claim 4

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange surface has a first recess located generally in the front bottom region thereof corresponding to the rear of the wearer''s mandible and in which said flange surface has a first prominence located generally in the rear bottom region thereof corresponding to the portion of the wearer''s head behind the mandible.

Claim 5

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange surface has a first recess located generally in the front bottom region thereof corresponding to the rear of the wearer''s mandible and in which said flange surface has a first prominence located generally in the rear bottom region thereof corresponding to the portion of the wearer''s head behind the mandible and in which said flange surface has a second recess located generally in the top rear region thereof corresponding to the mastoid process of the temporal bone of the wearer''s head.

Claim 6

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange has a first recess located generally in the front bottom thereof corresponding to the rear of the wearer''s mandible and in which said flange surface has a first prominence located generally in the rear bottom region thereof corresponding to the portion of the wearer''s head behind the mandible and in which said flange surface has a second recess located generally in the top rear region thereof corresponding to the mastoid process of the temporal bone of the wearer''s head and in which said flange surface has a second prominence located generally in the top front region thereof corresponding to the portion of the wearer''s head in front of the ear and above the maxilla.

Claim 7

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange has a first recess located generally in the front bottom region thereof corresponding to the rear of the wearer''s mandible and in which said flange surface has a first prominence located generally in the bottom rear region thereof corresponding to the portion of the wearer''s head behind the mandible and in which said flange surface has a second recess located generally in the top rear region thereof corresponding to the mastoid process of the temporal bone of the wearer''s head and in which said flange surface has a second prominence located generally in the top front region thereof corresponding to the portion of the wearer''s head in front of the ear and above the maxilla and in which said flange surface has a third prominence located below and adjacent to the front center region thereof at a location corresponding to the portion of the head in front of the tregus of the ear.

Claim 8

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange is convex in cross-section.

Claim 9

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said shell is formed with a plurality of sides, the arrangement being such that no two of said sides are parallel to each other.

Claim 10

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said flange is continuous around said periphery and in which said flange is contoured both in the direction around said peripheral edge and in cross-section.

Claim 11

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 1 in which said pad assembling means comprises an envelope of flexible material for receiving said pad and means for assembling said envelope on said flange with a surface of said envelope adapted to engage the wearer''s head.

Claim 12

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 10 in which said envelope surface is formed with a contour complementary to that of the wearer''s head around the ear and in which said pad of resilient material is uniformly thick.

Claim 13

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 10 in which said flange and said envelope and said pad are generally elliptical and in which said pad is uniformly thick.

Claim 14

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 10 in which said envelope surface is formed with a contour varying in the direction around said periphery to conform of the wearer''s head around the ear.

Claim 15

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 10 in which said envelope has a planar inner wall, respective side walls and an outer wall, the heights of the respective inner and outer walls varying along the lengths of the walls to provide the outer wall with a surface contour conforming to the shape of the wearer''s head around the ear.

Claim 16

A sound attenuating earcup assembly including in combination, a shell formed of rigid material, said shell comprising a base portion and a side wall portion extending away from said base portion to a peripheral edge thereof which faces the side of the wearer''s head in use of the assembly, said side wall portion and said base portion forming a space for receiving the ear of a wearer, a flange of rigid material extending inwardly from and around said peripheral edge to provide a surface adapted to lie adjacent to a wearer''s head around his ear, said flange surface being formed with a contour varying in a direction around said shell peripheral edge so that said flange surface relatively closely complements the surface of the wearer''s head adjacent to which said flange surface is adapted to lie, an envelope of flexible material adapted to be assembled on said flange over said flange surface around said periphery, said envelope having a surface adapted to engage the wearer''s head around the ear, said envelope surface being formed with a contour varying in a direction around said shell peripheral edge so that said flange surface relatively closely complements the surface of the wearer''s head around the ear and a uniformly thick pad of resilient material enclosed with said envelope.

Claim 17

A sound attenuating earcup assembly including in combination, a shell formed of rigid material, said shell comprising a base portion and a side wall portion extending away from said base portion to a peripheral edge thereof which faces the side of the wearer''s head in use of the assembly, said side wall portion and said base portion forming a space for receiving the ear of a wearer, a flange of rigid material extending inwardly from and around said peripheral edge to provide a surface adapted to lie adjacent to a wearer''s head around his ear, said flange surface being formed with a contour varying in a direction around said shell peripheral edge so that said flange surface relatively closely complements the surface of the wearer''s head adjacent to which said flange surface is adapted to lie, an envelope of flexible material adapted to be assembled on said flange over said flange surface around said periphery, said envelope having a surface adapted to engage the wearer''s head around the ear, said envelope surface being formed with a contour varying in a direction around said shell peripheral edge so that said flange surface relatively closely complements the surface of the wearer''s head around the ear and a uniformly thick pad of resilient material enclosed with said envelope.

Claim 18

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 15 in which said flange surface is contoured both in the direction of its length and in cross-section.

Claim 19

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 15 in which said cup is formed with internal ribs and corresponding external grooves.

Claim 20

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 15 in which said flange is convex in cross-section.

Claim 21

A sound attenuating earcup assembly as in claim 15 in which said shell is formed with a plurality of sides, the arrangement being such that no two of said sides are parallel to each other.