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EP-3817612-B1 - HEARING PROTECTION DEVICE

EP3817612B1EP 3817612 B1EP3817612 B1EP 3817612B1EP-3817612-B1

Inventors

  • GINGUENAUD, Clément
  • SICRE, AMAURY
  • CHABANNE, Alois
  • PRELY, Nicolas

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20190618

Claims (13)

  1. A hearing protection device, comprising: a base (11) equipped with means for assembly (12) to a lateral portion (4) of a protective helmet (1) shell (2), and including a bearing face (13) on said shell (2); an ear cup (20) able to cover an ear of a user; a support (30) linking the base (11) and the ear cup (20); characterized in that the support (30) is formed of two distinct arms (31, 32), the arms (31 , 32) having an upper part connected to the base (11) by a connection device and a lower part connected to the ear cup (20), the connection device comprising at least one connection member (50) connecting at least one of the arms (31, 32) to the base (11), said connection member (50) being semi-rigid, and being configured to ensure that the arm (31 , 32) is maintained relative to the base (11) and to be elastically deformed so as to allow relative movement of the upper part of the arm (31 , 32) relative to the upper part of the other arm (32, 31) substantially orthogonally to the bearing face (13) of the base (11).
  2. The hearing protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part of each of the two arms (31, 32) is connected to the base (11) by at least one connection member (50).
  3. The hearing protection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the or each connection member (50) includes at least one branch (51) assembled to the base (11), one branch (52) assembled to the upper part of an arm (31 , 32), and one junction portion (54) linking the two branches (51, 52), the two branches (51, 52) being preferably substantially parallel.
  4. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connection device comprises a loop-shaped connection member (50) having a first branch (51) assembled to the base (11) and a second branch (52) assembled to the upper part of each of the two arms (31, 32), said second branch (52) having a through-slot (53) located between the two arms (31, 32).
  5. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connection device comprises two distinct connection members (50), each connection member (50) being U-shaped and having a first branch (51) assembled to the base (11) and a second branch (52) assembled to the upper part of one of the two arms (31 , 32).
  6. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the arms (31 , 32) are rigid, and in that the connection device is configured: to allow the arms (31 , 32) to be movable relative to the base (11) between: an active position, in which the ear cup (20) is able to be in contact with the face of the user and to cover one of his ears; and an inactive position, in which the ear cup (20) is able to be located at a distance from the face; and to maintain the arms (31 , 32) in one or the other of these positions in stable equilibrium.
  7. The hearing protection device according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises an abutment system configured to limit displacement of the arms (31 , 32) relative to the base (11) beyond the active position and/or beyond the inactive position, the abutment system preferably including a finger (45) formed on the base (11) and engaged in a cavity (46) formed in at least one arm (31, 32), the cavity (46) having a dihedral shape having an upper face (47) and a lower face (48) respectively forming an abutment in the active position and an abutment in the inactive position.
  8. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the or each connection member (50) has a portion (51) clipped into a groove (18) of the base (11) and a portion (52) clipped into a groove (38) of the upper part of the arm (31 , 32), so that each of the portions (51, 52) of the connection member (50) can pivot in the corresponding groove (18, 38), about the axis of the groove.
  9. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the connection member (50) is fixed inside the base (11), in the upper part of the base (11), and in that the lower face of the base (11) includes at least one orifice (15) in which the arms (31, 32) are engaged, said orifice(s) (15) being large enough to allow relative movement between the upper parts of the arms (31, 32).
  10. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each arm (31 , 32) has: a rectilinear portion (33) extending from the base (11) to the ear cup (20), the rectilinear portion (33) being preferably substantially planar, the rectilinear portions (33) of the two arms (31 , 32) preferably being substantially adjacent; a curved portion (34) which extends the rectilinear portion (33) and whose lower end is connected to the ear cup (20) pivotally about a substantially longitudinal axis (A20), the curved portions (34) of both arms (31, 32) forming an arch around the ear cup (20).
  11. The hearing protection device according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least one arm (31, 32) has an appendage (41) arranged outside the base (11), the appendage (41) having a face (42) located opposite and in close proximity to an outer face (14) of the base (11), said faces (42, 14) of the appendage ( 41) and of the base (11) preferably having complementary shapes, said appendage (41) being configured to guide the relative movement of said arm (31, 32) relative to the other arm (31, 32).
  12. The hearing protection device according to claim 11, characterized in that the appendage (41) is configured to prevent rotation of the arm (31, 32) including the appendage (41) relative to the base (11) about a transverse axis, in the neutral position of use.
  13. A protective helmet (1) comprising a shell (2) intended to protect the head of a user, characterized in that it further comprises two hearing protection devices (10) according to any of the preceding claims, each assembled to a lateral portion of the shell (2).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure The present disclosure relates generally to a hearing protection device, and in particular to a protective helmet having a pair of hearing protection devices. Description of Related Art Certain jobs or activities require the protection of the person who practices them, and more specifically: the protection of the head, by wearing a helmet shell, and the protection against noise, by wearing a hearing protection device. In particular, there are known complete helmet systems including a head protection shell on which is mounted, on both sides, a hearing protection device. Such a hearing protection device is generally composed of a base that is assembled to the shell, of an ear cup to cover an ear of the user, and of a support linking the base and the ear cup. An interesting feature of these complete systems lies in the possibility of placing the cups in the active position, that is to say pressed around the ears, or in the inactive position, that is to say, raised and spaced from the ears. The inactive position allows, especially when the noise against which it is desired to be protected is no longer present, on the one hand, avoiding unnecessary and potentially unpleasant pressure of the cups against the face and, on the other hand, facilitating discussions between people, which are difficult or even impossible when the cups cover the ears. Among these known systems, some provide that the support is rigid. Such a configuration is not fully satisfactory from the point of view of hearing protection. Indeed, the rigidity of the support results in a poor adaptability to the diversity of the shapes of the users' face. As the cups cannot always press properly against the face around the ears, their acoustic attenuation capacity is greatly diminished. Other known systems like disclosed in FR 2 395 745 or FR 2 532 838 provide that the support is formed of a metallic wire. The flexibility of this wire allows a better adaptation to the shape of the wearer's face, and therefore ensures a good quality of the hearing protection. However, switching between active and inactive positions is complicated, because the flexibility of the wire can generate deformations and offsets between parts that can block the movement or degrade its smoothness. In practice, it is often necessary for the user to maneuver the hearing protection device with one hand to switch it from one position to the other, but also to ensure maintenance and guidance with the other hand, to overcome the problems resulting from the flexibility of the support. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention aims at overcoming all or part of the drawbacks mentioned above. In some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, provided is a hearing protection device that can be adapted to the face of the user, therefore efficient from an acoustic point of view. In some non limiting embodiments or aspects, provided is a hearing protection device that allows a satisfactory displacement between an active position and an inactive position. The invention concerns according to claim 1 a hearing protection device, comprising: a base equipped with means for assembly to a lateral portion of a protective helmet shell, and including a bearing face on said shell;an ear cup able to cover one ear of a user;a support linking the base and the ear cup; wherein the support is formed of two distinct arms, the arms having an upper part connected to the base by a connection device and a lower part connected to the ear cup, the connection device comprising at least one connection member connecting at least one of the arms to the base, said connection member being semi-rigid, and being configured to ensure that the arm is maintained relative to the base and to be elastically deformed so as to allow relative movement of the upper part of the arm relative to the upper part of the other arm substantially orthogonally to the bearing face of the base. By providing a support which is no longer monolithic but including two distinct arms, as well as a connection member allowing relative displacement between these two arms, the hearing protection device according to the invention has a great adaptability to the face of the user. Concretely, the relative displacement between the two arms can cause a movement of the cup substantially according to a rotation about a vertical axis (in the neutral position of use, that is to say when the device is worn and in the active position, without offset between the arms orthogonally to the bearing face of the base). The amplitude of this rotation can be in the range of -10° to +10°, or even of -15° to +15°. Furthermore, according to one possible embodiment, the arms can be rigid, which ensures a smooth and easy switching between an active position and an inactive position of the ear cups. It can be provided that the upper part of each of the two arms is connected to the base by at least one connection member. Accord