Removable Ear Muff for Headphones

Portable radios and cassette players with small speakers that are held adjacent the ears of the listener by a headband have become very popular in recent years. These speakers are commonly much smaller in diameter than the outer extremities of the listener's ears, and consequently, the outdoor use of these devices is virtually abandoned in the wintertime in cold climates due to the necessity of protecting the ears from frostbite and the discomforts of cold weather.

Large cavity headband supported ear protection devices are known which encompass much of the ears of the user. Similarly, large cavity headphones have been used for reception of audio. However, these types of devices are too bulky and expensive to be practically adapted for use with the aforementioned relatively inexpensive and small portable listening machines that have achieved such widespread useage. Likewise, the placement of a conventional second headband carried ear muff over the earpiece or speaker of the headphone is awkward, unsightly and often relatively ineffective.

The present invention is directed to an ear protection muff which allows the owners of portable listening machines with conventional lightweight headphones the opportunity of listening to their machines outdoors the year around.

The present invention is directed to an ear muff which is used to protect the ears of a listener who is listening to a headband-supported speaker which is smaller than the outer extremities of the ear. The muff has a cup section that is larger than the speaker, and is covered by material that overlaps the protected ear. The muff has a pair of overlapping flaps which envelop the speaker, the lower end of the headband which is secured to the speaker, and at least part of the ear of the wearer. The flaps are preferably removably attached to each other, such as by removable hook and loop plastic fastener straps.

The present invention is illustrated by reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side cross-sectional view of an ear muff constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view looking toward the ear muff of FIG. 1 from the ear of the user along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view looking toward the ear of the user along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the ear muff of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention is described by reference of FIGS. 1-4 which show the ear muff 10 of the invention as applied over the lower end of a headband for a portable listening device. The muff may also be used in conjunction with conventional headband-supported ear muffs to provide designer ear muffs which may be changed to match the clothes of the wearer. The muff may also be used as a novelty item which can be decorated with special emblems, such as football team logos, and distributed as promotional gifts.

Referring to FIG. 1, the muff 10 is shown with an open pocket 12 which allows for protection of the ear 14 of the wearer from the cold, and at the same time enables the wearer to listen to audio broadcasts or recordings through a speaker 16. The speaker is located on the lower of the headband 18 in the earpiece 20.

The outboard flap portion 22 of the muff 10 is pulled away from the cover 24, which contacts the ear, to form the pocket 12 which receives the earpiece 20. The cover 24 encloses a support structure 26. The support structure 26 may be formed of a resilient or elastomeric material such as rubber, or it may alternately be formed of plastic or other suitable material.

The support structure may be curved at its extreme ends so as to bend over and cover the ear tips as shown in FIG. 2. The ends of the support-structure 26 could be formed so they merely engage the ear and do not cup over the ear tips, if desired. The support structure preferably is formed with a central opening over the speaker area so as to allow the maximum amount of sound to be transmitted from the earpiece to the ear. The opening is desirably covered by a thin layer 28 of material.

An inner flap 30 and an overlapping outer flap 34 are pulled over the lower end of the headband 18 of the earpiece 20. The outer surace of the inner flap 30 preferably has one element strip 32 of a suitable two element fastener, such as those formed of facing loop and mating hook materials which are sold under the trademark Velcro. The mating element strip 36 is fastened to the inner surface of the outer flap 34. Other types of suitable fasteners may be employed, if desired, when the fastener strips 32,36 are closed they securely hold the muff on the earpiece speaker; or over the earpiece of a conventional ear muff as an alternative embodiment.