Hearing protection containing microphones

Abstract

The invention relates to hearing protection (10) comprising a body (1) and an insert (2), said hearing protection (10) being configured to be inserted into an individual's ear such that said insert (2) is located in the ear canal and said body (1) is located in the auricle, said body (1) comprising a first material, characterized in that said insert (2) comprises a second material comprising microspheres, said first material and said second material being identical or different. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such hearing protection (10). Abstract figure: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Hearing protection incorporating microphones

[0001] The invention relates to the field of hearing protection.

[0002] Prior art patent application WO2020180901 is known, describing an earplug designed to attenuate sounds in a specific frequency range. The earplug comprises a body with two ends and an outer surface extending between the two ends of the body. The outer surface is either adapted to the middle ear or custom-molded. The outer surface has a narrow ventilation channel extending between the two ends of the body. The ventilation channel passes through the earplug, allowing pressure to be equalized in the ear canal and a low level of sound to pass through. One end of the body has an opening leading to an internal channel. The end opposite the opening has a closed membrane to attenuate unwanted frequencies. The earplug is made of a soft elastomeric material or a soft hardening polymer. However, one drawback remains.Such a material is not very malleable and is likely to create pressure against the ear canal of the individual wearing the earplug. This can cause overheating, or even irritation, which prevents the prolonged use of these earplugs.

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to improve the sound attenuation provided by hearing protection.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the invention proposes hearing protection comprising a body and an insert, said hearing protection being configured to be inserted into an individual's ear so that said insert is located in the ear canal of the ear and said body is located in the auricle of the ear, said body comprising a first material, notable in that said insert comprises a second material comprising microspheres, said first material and said second material being identical or different.

[0005] Thanks to the invention, the noise attenuation and the comfort of the user wearing the hearing protection are improved.

[0006] Preferably, the microspheres have a diameter between 10 pm and 500 pm.

[0007] Thus, the microspheres integrate uniformly into the matrix.

[0008] Preferably, the hearing protection has a hardness between 20 Shore A and 70 Shore A.

[0009] The hearing protection has sufficient hardness to provide good isolation, while remaining comfortable for prolonged use.

[0010] Advantageously, said first material also comprises microspheres.

[0011] In this way, the microspheres are distributed throughout the hearing protection so as to further improve sound attenuation.

[0012] Preferably, said first material and said second material comprise silicone.

[0013] The hearing protection is thus more resistant and has a better seal, which improves its lifespan.

[0014] Advantageously, said microspheres comprise a ceramic material, a polymer material or glass.

[0015] Thus, microspheres made of a ceramic material are resistant to the user's body temperature. Microspheres made of a polymer material are more comfortable for the user. Microspheres made of glass exhibit better chemical resistance.

[0016] Preferably, said hearing protection includes an acoustic filter.

[0017] The acoustic filter makes it possible to filter out harmful frequencies in order to preserve the user's hearing abilities.

[0018] Advantageously, said hearing protection includes a connecting cord.

[0019] This prevents losing either of the ear protectors from the same pair.

[0020] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing hearing protection described above using a mold comprising a first part and a second part, said first part having the counter-form of the ear canal, said second part having the counter-form of the auricle of the ear, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of injecting the second material into the first part of the mold; - an injection step of the first material into the second part of the mold until the first material comes into contact with the second material; - a hardening stage during which the mold is immersed in a polymerizer for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature and pressure; - a mold breaking step to release the hearing protection formed by the first material and the second material; - a finishing step during which said hearing protection is polished and varnished.

[0021] Preferably, said process includes a preliminary mold-making step during which an impression is taken from the individual's ear, said impression being scanned and modeled in three dimensions to form said mold, said mold being manufactured by a three-dimensional printer.

[0022] The sound attenuation provided by the hearing protection is improved when it is custom-made. In addition, it is more comfortable for the user.

[0023] Preferably, during said hardening step, the predetermined duration is between 10 and 15 minutes, said predetermined pressure being between 4 and 6 bars and the predetermined temperature being equal to 40°C.

[0024] The invention will be further detailed by describing non-limiting embodiments, and based on the accompanying figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.1] schematically illustrates hearing protection comprising microspheres according to an embodiment of the invention; - [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in the form of a flowchart, a method for manufacturing hearing protection according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0025] A hearing protector 10 comprising a body 1 and an insert 2 is schematically illustrated in [Fig. 1]. Optionally, the body 1 includes a handle 3, shown in [Fig. 1], to facilitate the insertion and removal of the hearing protector 10. The hearing protector 10 is a device intended to be inserted into the ear of an individual to protect their hearing by reducing their exposure to harmful noise. Preferably, the hearing protector 10 has a hardness between 20 Shore A and 70 Shore A. The body 1 and the insert 2 are integral with each other. The insert 2 is configured to be positioned in the ear canal, while the body 1 is configured to be positioned in the auricle. The body 1 comprises a first material. The insert 2 comprises a second material. The first and second materials may be the same or different.Preferably, both the first and second materials contain silicone. Silicone is a soft and flexible material that conforms well to the shape of the ear, ensuring that the silicone earplug 10 provides comfort to the user. The second material contains microspheres. Microspheres are hollow or solid spherical particles. Preferably, the microspheres contain air, which acts as an insulator to improve the sound attenuation of the earplug 10. Furthermore, the addition of such microspheres allows for greater malleability, making the insert 2 less compressive in the ear canal. Preferably, each microsphere has a diameter between 10 and 500 µm. Optionally, the first material also contains microspheres. Thus, both the body 1 and the insert 2 contain microspheres, further improving sound attenuation.Optionally, the microspheres contain a ceramic material. As an example, the ceramic material contains silicon oxide, which exhibits high thermal stability and properties. Insulating. Alternatively, the ceramic material contains alumina or zirconia, each of which offers high resistance to heat and wear. Since hearing protection 10 is exposed to the wearer's body heat, it is advantageous for the microspheres to have good thermal resistance. This improves the lifespan of the hearing protection 10. In one alternative, the microspheres contain glass. Glass is a very strong and chemically stable material, which reduces the risk of microsphere deterioration and, consequently, the decrease in the sound attenuation capacity of the hearing protection 10. In a second alternative, the microspheres contain a polymer material. This makes the microspheres particularly lightweight and flexible, improving the comfort of the wearer.Furthermore, the polymer material is moisture-resistant and inexpensive. Preferably, the hearing protection 10 includes an acoustic filter. The acoustic filter's role is to reduce the noise level while preserving sound quality. Thus, it is possible to filter out sound frequencies harmful to hearing, while allowing certain frequencies to pass through so that one can hear someone speaking, for example. Optionally, the hearing protection 10 includes a connecting cord to link one hearing protection 10 for the right ear to another hearing protection 10 for the left ear. This prevents losing one of the hearing protectors.

[0026] Figure 2 illustrates, in the form of a flowchart, a manufacturing process for the hearing protection 10 described above. The manufacturing process uses a mold comprising a first part and a second part. The first part represents the counterform of the user's ear canal. The second part represents the counterform of the user's auricle. Preferably, the hearing protection 10 is custom-made. Thus, the process includes a preliminary step of mold manufacturing during which an impression of the user's ear is taken. The impression is then scanned and modeled in three dimensions using design software. During the modeling process, any imperfections in the impression are corrected, the hearing protection 10 is shaped, a handle is added to the body 1, a hole is drilled for inserting the acoustic filter, and / or a traceability marking is added.The mold is then printed using a 3D printer. Alternatively, the mold is a standard device adapted to any ear shape. The mold is then cleaned with alcohol and hardened by a known prior art ultraviolet post-treatment process. Finally, a release agent is applied to the mold before use. During the injection step of the second material, the second material is injected into the first part of the mold using an injection gun. During a... In the injection step of the first material E2, the first material is injected into the second part of the mold until it comes into contact with the second material, thus completely forming the hearing protection 10. The injection step of the first material E1 and the injection step of the second material E2 are carried out simultaneously or sequentially. Preferably, the mold has two injection channels to facilitate the injection of the first material on one side and the second material on the other. The addition of the channels is carried out during the modeling of this preliminary mold-making step when it concerns custom-made hearing protection 10. Alternatively, the mold is manufactured using a plaster or gel casting technique, as known in the prior art.During a curing step E3, the mold containing the first and second materials is fully immersed in a polymerizer for a predetermined time, at a predetermined temperature, and at a predetermined pressure. Preferably, the predetermined time is between 10 and 15 minutes, the predetermined pressure is between 4 and 6 bar, and the predetermined temperature is 40°C. During a breaking step E4, the mold is broken to release the ear protector 10. If the mold had injection channels, the ear protector 10 will have protrusions formed by these channels. These protrusions are also broken off. During a finishing step E5, the ear protector 10 is polished to a smooth surface. This increases user comfort. In addition, the ear protector 10 is varnished to improve its sealing.

Claims

Demands

1. Hearing protection (10) comprising a body (1) and an insert (2), said hearing protection (10) being configured to be inserted into an individual's ear such that said insert (2) is located in the ear canal of the ear and said body (1) is located in the auricle of the ear, said body (1) comprising a first material, characterized in that said insert (2) comprises a second material comprising microspheres, said first material and said second material being identical or different.

2. Hearing protection (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the microspheres have a diameter between 10 pm and 500 pm.

3. Hearing protection (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hearing protection (10) has a hardness between 20 Shore A and 70 Shore A.

4. Hearing protection (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said first material also comprises microspheres.

5. Hearing protection (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said first material and said second material comprise silicone.

6. Hearing protection (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said microspheres comprise a ceramic material, a polymer material or glass.

7. Hearing protection (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said hearing protection (10) comprises an acoustic filter.

8. Method of manufacturing hearing protection (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 by means of a mold comprising a first part and a second part, said first part having the counter-form of the ear canal, said second part having the counter-form of the auricle of the ear, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: - a step of injecting the second material (El) into the first part of the mold; - an injection step of the first material (E2) into the second part of the mold until the first material comes into contact with the second material; - a hardening step (E3) during which the mold is immersed in a polymerizer for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature and at a predetermined pressure; - a breaking step (E4) of the mold to release the hearing protection (10) formed by the first material and the second material; - a finishing step (E5) during which said hearing protection (10) is polished and varnished.

9. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that said method comprises a preliminary mold manufacturing step during which an impression is taken from the individual's ear, said impression being scanned and modeled in three dimensions to form said mold, said mold being manufactured by a three-dimensional printer.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, during said hardening step, the predetermined duration is between 10 and 15 minutes, said predetermined pressure being between 4 and 6 bars and the predetermined temperature being equal to 40°C.

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