Corded earplug

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of making a corded earplug including a flexible cord material having a particular cross-section. An earplug having a nose portion for insertion into the ear and a handle portion extending from the nose portion and lying outside of the ear when the nose portion is inserted into the ear. The handle portion including at least two openings physically displaced from each other. At least one of the openings extends within the handle portion and with at least one of the openings having a cross-section different than the cross-section of the cord material. A end portion of the flexible cord material is inserted into the at least one opening extending within the handle portion. The end portion of the flexible cord material is then inserted into the other opening in the handle portion so that the end portion of the flexible cord material is frictionally engaged along its length to lock the flexible cord material to the rear portion of the earplug because of the difference in cross-section between the cord and the at least one opening having a cross-section different than the cross-section of the cord material.

1 . A method of making a corded earplug, including the following steps,
 providing a flexible cord material having a particular cross-section,   providing an earplug having a nose portion for insertion into the ear and a handle portion extending from the nose portion and lying outside of the ear when the nose portion is inserted into the ear,   providing the handle portion with at least two openings physically displaced from each other and with at least one of the openings extending within at least a portion of the handle portion and with at least one of the openings having a cross-section different than the cross-section of the cord material,   inserting a end portion of the flexible cord material into the at least one opening extending within the handle portion, and   inserting the end portion of the flexible cord material after the end portion of the flexible cord material has been inserted into the at least one opening extending within the handle portion and into the other opening in the handle portion to have the end portion of the flexible cord material frictionally engaged along its length to lock the flexible cord material to the rear portion of the earplug because of the difference in cross-section between the cord and the at least one opening having a cross-section different than the cross-section of the cord material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least two openings are physically displaced from each other and are also angularly displaced from each other. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening extending within the handle portion is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each one of the at least two openings is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening extending within the handle portion is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material and an additional pair of openings is provided each as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material and with the at least one opening extending within the handle portion to initially receive the cord material and with the additional pair of openings providing the frictional engagement by pulling the cord into the pair of openings. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the other opening in the handle portion that receives the end portion of the flexible cord material with frictionally engagement is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the other opening in the handle portion receives the end portion of the flexible cord material with frictionally engagement by pulling the cord into the slot. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the other opening in the handle portion receives the end portion of the flexible cord material with frictionally engagement by pushing the cord into the slot. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least two openings are physically displaced from each other and are also angularly inline and coaxial with each other. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least two openings are angularly inline and coaxial with each other and with one opening formed as a boss member with an opening there-through and having a first outer cross-section and with the other opening for receiving the boss member and having a second cross-section different then the first cross-section and with the cord initially inserted through the opening in the boss member and with the boss member with the cord then inserted into the other opening to compress the boss member because of the difference in cross-sections to frictionally engage the cord. 
     
     
         11 . A corded earplug, including the following,
 a flexible cord material having a particular cross-section,   an earplug having a nose portion for insertion into the ear and a handle portion extending from the nose portion and lying outside of the ear when the nose portion is inserted into the ear,   the handle portion including at least two openings physically displaced from each other and with at least one of the openings extending within the handle portion and with at least one of the openings having a cross-section different than the cross-section of the cord material,   a end portion of the flexible cord material for insertion into the at least one opening extending within the handle portion, and   the end portion of the flexible cord material after the end portion of the flexible cord material has been inserted into the at least one opening extending within the handle portion and into the other opening in the handle portion has the end portion of the flexible cord material frictionally engaged along its length to lock the flexible cord material to the rear portion of the earplug because of the difference in cross-section between the cord and the at least one opening having a cross-section different than the cross-section of the cord material.   
     
     
         12 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the at least two openings are physically displaced from each other and are also angularly displaced from each other. 
     
     
         13 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the at least one opening extending within the handle portion is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material. 
     
     
         14 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein each one of the at least two openings is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material. 
     
     
         15 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the at least one opening extending within the handle portion is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material and an additional pair of openings is provided each as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material and with the at least one opening extending within the handle portion to initially receive the cord material and with the additional pair of openings providing the frictional engagement as the cord is pulled into the at least two of openings. 
     
     
         16 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the other opening in the handle portion that receives the end portion of the flexible cord material with frictionally engagement is provided as a slot that extends outward to receive the cord material. 
     
     
         17 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the other opening in the handle portion receives the end portion of the flexible cord material with frictionally engagement as the cord by pulling the cord into the slot. 
     
     
         18 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the other opening in the handle portion receives the end portion of the flexible cord material with frictionally engagement by pushing the cord into the slot. 
     
     
         19 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the at least two openings are physically displaced from each other and are also angularly inline and coaxial with each other. 
     
     
         20 . The corded earplug of  claim 11  wherein the at least two openings are angularly inline and coaxial with each other and with one opening formed as a boss member with an opening there-within and having a first outer cross-section and with the other opening for receiving the boss member and having a second cross-section different then the first cross-section and with the cord initially inserted within the opening in the boss member and when the boss member with the cord is then inserted into the other opening this compresses the boss member because of the difference in cross-sections to frictionally engage the cord.