Sound muffling headwear

Abstract

A headband, cap, hat, or the like worn by a child, particularly an infant, includes an embedded sound-attenuation system to protect hearing against loud sounds that might startle, awaken, or injure a wearer. Shells formed of a comparatively soft and flexible elastomeric material are secured against the head of a user, each enclosing an ear in an air tight chamber, to close down the transmission paths available to sound waves. The shells are impervious to air, and flexible to conform to the head when secured by the headgear in which the shells are embedded. Each shell is provided with a rim, sufficiently flexible to deform and deflect into complete, sealed contact with the head.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A method for protecting hearing of an infant, the method comprising:
 providing headgear containing an earmuff, the earmuff being formed to have a shell portion, a liner portion contained completely within the shell portion, and a housing portion covering the shell portion, wherein the shell portion is formed of an elastomeric polymer material sized and shaped to deflect in bending in response to compressive forces imposed by the housing;   placing the earmuff over an ear of a wearer by placing the headgear on the head of the wearer;   securing the earmuff against the head of the wearer by the compressive forces exerted by the housing toward the wearer; and   conforming the shell to the shape of the head of the wearer in response to the compressive forces exerted by the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a contact layer inside the shell configured to make physical contact with the ear of the wearer, relieving pressure thereagainst. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contact layer is formed of a material configured to and selected to deflect in response to pressure exerted by the ear of the wearer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising deflecting by a rim of the housing in response to tensioning of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming, by a rim of the housing, a sound-resistant seal between the rim and the head of the wearer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising blocking, by the shell, sound propagated from the environment surrounding the wearer against impingement upon the eardrum of a user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises an outer wall, an offset wall, a rim, and a flange, all formed continuously, contiguously, and homogeneously of a single material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the single material of the shell is selected to have a deflection within the shell selected to conform to the head of the wearer comfortably. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the material of the shell is selected to be impervious to passage of fluid therethrough, and the offset wall and the outer wall are formed to have approximately a single constant wall thickness, the rim thereof configured to bend in response to pressure exerted thereagainst from a surface of the skin of the wearer. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a headgear for covering at least a portion of a head of a wearer;   an earflap, extending from the headgear and extending to cover at least a portion of an ear of the wearer;   an earmuff comprising a shell surrounding the ear of the wearer, the shell comprising a wall surrounding an outer surface of an ear; and   a rim continuous, contiguous, and homogeneously formed with the wall to contact the head of the wearer in a substantially air tight manner.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the shell further comprises a flange extending from a position proximate the wall and the rim to extend radially outward therefrom. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the wall comprises an offset wall extending from the flange, and an outer wall closed and in contact around the entire circumference thereof with the offset wall.