Sound-Attenuating Device and Method of Use Thereof

Abstract

A sound-attenuating assembly may have a headpiece and two covered dampening assembly that may be detachably attached to the locations of the headpiece that oppose a wearer's ear; the dampening assembly may have a padded member member that may be in contact with a dividing member that may be in a contact with a compressible member which may be disposed within a concave member; the dampening assembly may be disposed within a cover such a fastener of the cover detachably attaches to a fastener of the headpiece.

1 . A sound attenuating assembly  100  configured to be worn by a human, comprising:
 a headpiece  113   102  comprising an inner surface; 
 a covered-dampening assembly  200  comprising
 a cover  300 ; and, 
 a dampening assembly  400  disposed within the cover  300 ; 
 the dampening assembly  400  comprising:
 a padded member  104 ; 
 a compressible member  108 ; 
 a concave member  110 ; 
 
 
 wherein the padded member  104  is coupled to the cover  300 , the padded member  104  is coupled to the compressible member  108 . 
 
     
     
         2 . The sound attenuating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the dampening assembly further comprises a separating member  106  disposed between the padded member  104  and the compressible member  108 ; wherein the separating member  106  is coupled to the member  104  and is coupled to the compressible member  108 . 
     
     
         3 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 2  wherein the concave member  110  comprises a silicone surface. 
     
     
         4 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 3  wherein the compressible member  108  comprises a foam material. 
     
     
         5 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 4  wherein the compressible member  108  further comprises a foam material selected from the group consisting of a viscoelastic foam, a memory foam, a Dunlop latex foam, and a furniture foam. [The foam may have one or more of the following properties: elasticity, porosity, thickness, and cell size.] 
     
     
         6 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 5 , wherein the padded member  104  comprises a cloth outer shell  220  substantially engulfing an amount of insulating material  222 . 
     
     
         7 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 6  wherein the cloth outer shell  220  of padded member  104  comprises wool and the amount of insulating material  222  comprises cotton. [padded member  108  may be made from a quilted wool/cotton blend, the stuffing of padded member  108  may be also made from a quilted wool/cotton blend;
 the stuffing of padded member  108  may be made of cotton, batting, a cotton-blend or some other compressible material including foam.] 
 
     
     
         8 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 2  wherein the separating member  106  comprises cardstock. 
     
     
         9 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 8  wherein the cardstock comprises 140 pound cardstock. 
     
     
         10 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 1  wherein the covered dampening assembly  200  is disposed within a pocket  230 , the pocket  230  being coupled to a lateral, inner surface  232  of the headpiece  113 . 
     
     
         11 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 11 , the pocket  230  nestling against a human ear. 
     
     
         12 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 1 , wherein the headpiece  113  comprises a fastening patch  500  coupled to a lateral, inner ear flap surface of the headpiece  113 . 
     
     
         13 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening patch  500  further comprises a first fastener surface selected from the group consisting of a hook-and-loop fastener, a magnetic fastener, a hook-and-pile fastener, a zipper, a button, a reclosable fastener. (Dual Lock may be used; and the fastening patch  500  may be coupled by sewing or other means such that the fastening patch is not easily dislodged when an infant, who is wearing the headpiece  113  having the fastening patch, tosses and turns). 
     
     
         14 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 13  wherein the covered dampening assembly  200  further comprises a second fastener surface detachably coupled to the first fastener surface, wherein the second fastener surface is selected from the group consisting of a hook-and-loop fastener, a magnetic fastener, a hook-and-pile fastener, a zipper, a button, a reclosable fastener. 
     
     
         15 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 14  wherein the headpiece  113  further comprises a chinstrap  502  having a third fastener and a fourth fastener coupled to an edge portion of the headpiece  113 , the third fastener being detachably coupled to the fourth fastener. 
     
     
         16 . The sound attenuating assembly  100  of  claim 15  wherein an average thickness of the compressible member is greater than an average thickness of the concave member. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using a sound attenuating assembly comprising
 providing a dampening assembly comprising a padded member  104 ; a separating member; a compressible member  108 ; and a concave member;   providing a headpiece  113  having a fastener at a first ear-adjacent location ( 700   a ) and having a second fastener at a second ear-adjacent location ( 700   b );   substantially disposing the dampening assembly within a cover having a foldable thereby forming a covered dampening assembly  200 ;   detachably attaching an outward facing detachable fastener of the covered dampening assembly  200  to the fastener at the ear-adjacent location of the headpiece  113 ; a sound attenuating assembly  100  configured to be worn by a human, comprising:
 a headpiece  113   102  comprising an inner surface, the inner surface having an ear flap area disposed upon said inner surface; the ear flap area comprising a first fastener surface fixable attached to inner surface; 
   a covered dampening assembly  200  comprising
 a cover  300 ; and, 
 a dampening assembly  400  disposed within the cover  300 ; 
 the dampening assembly  400  comprising:
 a padded member  104 ; 
 a separating member  106  disposed between the padded member  104  and the compressible member  108 ; 
 
   wherein the padded member  104  is coupled to the cover  300 , the padded member  104  is coupled to the compressible member  108 ;   a second fastener surface being disposed upon the cover and being detachably fastened to the first fastener surface.