A non-vented shell earplug for insertion into the ear canal has multiple
chambers configured as coupled acoustic resonators. Each chamber is
provided with an acoustic element having inertia and resistance coupling
the chamber to its neighbor to form multiple resonant chambers. The
dimensions of the individual acoustic elements set the frequency response
of the earplug, and determine the attenuation characteristics of the
resonators. Unlike the single chamber resonator of the prior art, the
multiple-resonator earplug provides attenuation in both low and high
frequency segments of the noise spectrum.Additionally, the present
invention teaches placing loudspeaker and/or sound sensing transducer for
sound communication purposes and active noise control within the earplug,
with their sound field patterns directed into a chamber for coupling to
the ear canal. The use of multiple resonators enhances the high frequency
communications response of the earplug.