Swiveling sound-gathering ear guard for masks and helmets
View Patent ↗A portion of a mask or helmet covering a user's ear has an aperture covered by a sound-collecting and sound-transmissive protector swivelingly mounted thereon. The protector has a substantially parabolic reflector surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the protector's axis of rotation which magnifies sounds arriving from a particular angular direction and directs the sound through a plurality of holes axially penetrating through the protector from an outer to an inner surface. A user manipulable actuator nib extends axially outwardly from a peripheral portion of the outer surface of the protector allowing user control of swiveling movement.
1. A sound transmissive ear protector for protective headgear, said protector comprises:
a body having an outer surface and an inner surface;
said body being formed to have a plurality of holes extending between said outer and inner surfaces; and
a reflector structure mounted to said outer surface;
wherein a diameter of each of said holes is inversely proportional to its distance from said reflector structure.
2. The protector of claim 1 , wherein said protector further comprises a user manipulable actuator for angularly adjusting said body.
3. The protector of claim 1 , wherein said reflector structure is oriented to direct sound arriving from a first direction onto said holes.
4. The protector of claim 1 , wherein said reflector structure has a substantially parabolic shape.
5. A sound transmissive ear protector for protective headgear, said protector comprises:
a body having an outer surface and an inner surface;
said body being formed to have a plurality of holes extending between said outer and inner surfaces; and
a reflector structure mounted to said outer surface;
wherein said reflector structure is shaped to have a first surface extending to axially cover over a first subset of said plurality of holes.
6. The protector of claim 5 , wherein said protector further comprises a user manipulable actuator for angularly adjusting said body.
7. The protector of claim 5 , wherein said reflector structure is oriented to direct sound arriving from a first direction onto said holes.
8. The protector of claim 5 , wherein said reflector structure has a substantially parabolic shape.
9. The protector of claim 5 , wherein a first grouping of said holes has a first diameter and a second grouping of said holes has a second diameter smaller than said first diameter.
10. The protector of claim 9 , wherein said first and second diameters range between about 2 and about 5 millimeters.
11. The protector of claim 9 , wherein said first grouping of said holes is located closer to said reflector structure than said second grouping.
12. The protector of claim 9 , wherein said first grouping of holes is further located to form an arc.
13. A sound transmissive ear protector for protective headgear, said protector comprises:
a body having an outer surface and an inner surface;
said body being formed to have a plurality of holes extending between said outer and inner surfaces; and
a reflector structure mounted to said outer surface;
wherein said body is substantially disc shaped and is swivelingly mounted within a substantially circular aperture in said headgear.
14. The protector of claim 13 , wherein said protector further comprises a user manipulable actuator for angularly adjusting said body.
15. The protector of claim 13 , wherein said reflector structure is oriented to direct sound arriving from a first direction onto said holes.
16. The protector of claim 13 , wherein said reflector structure has a substantially parabolic shape.
17. The protector of claim 13 , wherein a first grouping of said holes has a first diameter and a second grouping of said holes has a second diameter smaller than said first diameter.
18. The protector of claim 17 , wherein said first and second diameters range between about 2 and about 5 millimeters.
19. The protector of claim 17 , wherein said first grouping of said holes is located closer to said reflector structure than said second grouping.
20. The protector of claim 17 , wherein said first grouping of holes is further located to form an arc.