Ear muff

Abstract

An ear muff, including a support having a fastener integral with a hoop, the fastener including mechanism for gripping, the gripping mechanism including a perimeter defining an aperture, a projection extending into the aperture, the hoop having a rail defining an opening, the hoop having an expanded position and a compressed position, the compressed position being approximately half the diameter than the expanded diameter; and a cover including an outer cover defining an opening and an insulator disposed therein, the opening being sized to receive the hoop in the compressed position and not receive the hoop in the expanded position.

1 ) An ear muff, comprising: 
 a support having a fastener integral with a hoop, the fastener including means for gripping, the gripping means including a perimeter defining an aperture, a projection extending into the aperture, the hoop having a rail defining an opening, the hoop having an expanded position and a compressed position, the compressed position being approximately half the diameter than the expanded diameter; and    a cover including an outer cover defining an opening and an insulator disposed therein, the opening being sized to receive the hoop in the compressed position and not receive the hoop in the expanded position.    
   
   
       2 . An ear muff, comprising: 
 a support having a fastener integral with a hoop, the hoop having an expanded position and a compressed position, the compressed position being approximately half the diameter than the expanded diameter, and    a cover defining an opening, the opening being sized to receive the hoop in the compressed position and not receive the hoop in the expanded position.    
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the fastener includes a perimeter defining an opening and a projection extending into the opening.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the projection is sized to be position on one side of a band of headgear while the perimeter is positioned on the opposite side of the band, trapping the band therebetween.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the hoop extends downwardly from the band when in a use position and upwardly from the band when in a non-use position.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the projection has teeth adapted to grip a band of headgear.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the projection is coated with a non-slip material adapted to grip a band of headgear.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 2  further comprising a second ear muff.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein the first ear muff and second ear muff are not joined to each other.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 2  further including an insulator positioned inside the cover.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the insulator is sized to fit inside the hoop when the hoop is in the expanded position.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the hoop is sufficiently larger than a human ear such that the hoop is adapted to fit about a human ear when the ear muff is in a use position.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the support is made of a material having sufficient stiffness and memory such that it does not deform during normal use and having sufficient flexibility and memory that its is repositionable relative to a user while in a use position via bending the support.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 2  wherein the cover is gathered at the opening with elastic.  
   
   
       15 . An ear muff, comprising: 
 a support having a fastener integral with a hoop, the support being made of a material having sufficient stiffness and memory such that it does not deform during normal use; and    a cover disposed about the hoop, the cover being selectively removable from the support.    
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 15  wherein the hoop has an expanded position and a compressed position, the compressed position being approximately half the diameter than the expanded diameter.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 16  wherein the cover defines an opening, the opening being sized to receive the hoop in the compressed position and not receive the hoop in the expanded position.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 2  further comprising a second ear muff.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 8  wherein the first ear muff and second ear muff are not joined to each other.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 2  further including an insulator positioned inside the cover.