US 12,186,156 B2
Passive non-linear acoustic filters
Tyson Lawrence, Highlands Ranch, CO (US); Brian Fowler, Manchester, NH (US); James F. Saunders, Lowell, MA (US); and Charles Dunn, Boylston, MA (US)
Assigned to TRITON SYSTEMS, INC., Chelmsford, MA (US)
Filed by TRITON SYSTEMS, INC., Chelmsford, MA (US)
Filed on Sep. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/473,871.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/077,369, filed on Sep. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0079813 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. A61F 11/08 (2006.01); G10K 11/162 (2006.01); G10K 11/172 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 11/08 (2013.01) [G10K 11/162 (2013.01); G10K 11/172 (2013.01); A61F 11/085 (2022.01)] 2 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An earplug, for use by a user having an ear including an ear canal having an external orifice at one end and an eardrum at the other, the earplug comprising:
a housing extending generally linearly along a longitudinal axis of the earplug and defining a bore; and
a non-linear acoustic filter extending generally linearly along the longitudinal axis of the earplug and disposed at least partially in the bore, the non-linear acoustic filter having a proximal end adjacent to the eardrum of the user, a distal end adjacent to the external orifice of the ear canal, and a middle section between the proximal end and the distal end,
wherein the non-linear acoustic filter comprises one or more sets of individual microspheres;
wherein the microspheres are surrounded by a mesh to keep them together;
wherein the earplug is designed to occupy the inner part of an ear canal.