Hearing protection apparatus
A hearing protection apparatus has a pair of assemblies, each assembly including a body, an attachment facility connected to the body and configured to removably receive a lower edge of a hat, a retractable tether extending from the body and having a free end, and an earplug attached to the free end of the retractable tether. The attachment facility may be a clip defining an upwardly open channel. There may be a hat having opposed right and left edge locations each proximate to a wearer's ear, and the attachment facilities may be connected respectively to the right and left edge locations. A retraction actuator may be connected to the body and operable to retract the tethers to a retracted condition in response to actuation of the retraction actuator. There may be separate retraction actuators for each assembly, the retraction actuators being operable independently of each other.
1 . A hearing protection apparatus for connection to a hat having a periphery with a lower edge comprising:
a pair of assemblies;
each assembly comprising:
a body;
a clip connected to the body and configured to removably receive a lower edge of a hat within an upwardly open channel defined by the clip;
the clip having a planar inner portion configured to be received inside the hat, a lower junction portion at a level below the inner portion and configured to reside below the lower edge of the hat, and an outer portion extending above the lower portion;
the body containing a retractable tether extending from the body and having a free end;
the body being at a level above the lower junction portion of the clip;
an earplug attached to the free end of the retractable tether; and
wherein each body defines a tether aperture communicating between a chamber defined by the body and an exterior, the tether aperture containing the retractable tether, and the body further defining a receptacle separate from the tether aperture and configured to receive the earplug.
2 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 1 including a hat having opposed right and left edge locations each configured for being located proximate to a wearer's ear, and wherein the clips are connected respectively to the right and left edge locations.
3 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 1 including a retraction actuator connected to the body and operable to retract the retractable tethers to a retracted condition in response to actuation of the retraction actuator.
4 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 3 including separate retraction actuators for each assembly, the retraction actuators being operable independently of each other.
5 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 3 wherein the retraction actuator includes a button having an actuation surface.
6 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 5 wherein the actuation surface faces peripherally away from the hat.
7 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 1 wherein each earplug has a free end and an opposed tether end having the retractable tether extending therefrom, and the receptacle is a bore receiving the free end, with the tether end of the earplug extending away from the receptacle.
8 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 7 wherein the hat is a helmet, and the clip includes a connector configured to connect to the helmet.
9 . A hearing protection apparatus comprising:
a hat having a periphery with a lower edge and opposed right and left side locations each associated with a respective one of a wearer's ears;
a pair of assemblies, each removably connected to a respective one of the right and left side locations;
each assembly comprising:
a body;
a clip connected to the body and configured to removably receive the lower edge of the hat within an upwardly open channel defined by the clip;
the clip having a planar inner portion configured to be received inside the hat, a lower junction portion at a level below the inner portion and configured to reside below the lower edge of the hat, and an outer portion extending above the lower portion;
the body containing a retractable tether extending from the body and having a free end;
the body being at a level above the lower junction portion of the clip;
an earplug attached to the free end of the retractable tether; and
wherein each body defines a tether aperture communicating between a chamber defined by the body and an exterior, the tether aperture containing the retractable tether, and the body further defining a receptacle separate from the tether aperture and configured to receive the earplug.
10 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 9 including a retraction actuator connected to the body and operable to retract the retractable tethers to a retracted condition in response to actuation of the actuator.
11 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 10 including separate retraction actuators for each assembly, the retraction actuators being operable independently of each other.
12 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 10 wherein the retraction actuator includes a button having an actuation surface.
13 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 12 wherein the actuation surface faces peripherally away from the hat.
14 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 9 wherein each earplug has a free end and an opposed tether end having the retractable tether extending therefrom, and the receptacle is a bore receiving the free end, with the tether end of the earplug extending away from the receptacle.
15 . The hearing protection apparatus of claim 14 wherein the hat is a helmet, and the clip includes a connector configured to connect to the helmet.