Patent Application
20090161897
This application claims priority of German application No. 10 2007 061 310.7 DE filed Dec. 19, 2007, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The invention relates to an electroacoustic miniature converter, a holding frame as and hearing devices.
Electroacoustic miniature converters are used to convert acoustic signals into electrical signals and to convert electrical signals into acoustic signals. With numerous applications, like for instance hearing devices, an acoustic signal is recorded by an electroacoustic miniature converter (microphone) and processed, and an acoustic signal is output by an electroacoustic miniature converter (receiver, loudspeaker). To avoid feedback between the receiver and microphone, the output sound of the receiver must be prevented from being received by the microphone.
With electroacoustic devices, in addition to the direct sound transmission between the receiver and the microphone, there is a second way of transmitting signals. The receiver can thus also radiate sound by means of vibrations of the receiver housing. Conversely, the microphone also records structure-borne sound across its housing. In order to avoid this parasitic sound transmission, attempts are made to position the receiver and microphone as spatially far apart from one another in the hearing device housing as possible. The advancing miniaturization of hearing devices thus sets narrow boundaries for this spatial separation. Attempts are thus made to mount electroacoustic miniature converters in a “floating” fashion, so that they do not transmit any structure-borne sound to housing parts.
To this end, WO 01/43498 A1 discloses a solution, with which a rubber collar surrounds a support of a receiving unit of a hearing device in a cylindrical fashion.
DE 691 11 668 T2 also discloses arranging a microphone of a hearing device in an elastic attachment sleeve, which surrounds ⅔ of the microphone housing.
DE 102 14 187 C1 describes a support of an electroacoustic miniature converter with a first and a second elastic retaining element, with the first retaining element only being fastened in a central region of the housing front side and the second retaining element only being fastened in a central region of the housing rear side on the housing of the electroacoustic miniature converter.
DE 100 43 201 C1 also discloses an electroacoustic miniature converter with a first housing for encasing a second housing. To retain and fix the first housing within the second housing, an elastic element which is connected to the two housings, is located between the two housings.
DE 198 31 771 A1 also discloses a plastic casing for an acoustic converter and a method for the production thereof.
The relatively large space requirement, which prevents further miniaturization, is disadvantageous with the afore-mentioned solutions.
It is an object of the invention to overcome this disadvantage and to specify a further electroacoustic miniature converter with an elastic retaining device, which requires less installation space in a housing and is easy to manufacture.
The object is achieved with the devices of the independent claims.
The device has an electroacoustic miniature converter for hearing devices with a polyhedral housing module and an elastic retaining means. A polyhedral housing module can take the form of a polyhedron for example, the edges of which are rounded. The retaining means is formed with a first material. The housing module and the retaining means are embodied such that the retaining means is exclusively connected to the front face of the housing module.
This is advantageous in terms of its minimal installation size and its suitability to further miniaturization.
In one development, the first material can be made of rubber and the retaining means can be vulcanized on the housing module.
As a result, a fixed connection can be easily established between the housing module and the retaining means.
In a further embodiment, the first material can consist of a thermoplastic elastomer and the retaining means can be injection-molded onto the housing module.
The advantage here is that elastomers can also be easily used.
In one development, the retaining means can be adhered to the housing module.
As a result, connecting the retaining means and the housing module results in no thermal damage to components of the miniature converter.
In a further embodiment, the housing module can be embodied in the manner of a cuboid.
The simple production and space-saving design is advantageous.
In one development, the retaining means can comprise an opening and can be connected to the housing module such that the opening of the retaining means is aligned with a sound-permeable opening of the housing module.
As a result, sound is able to enter and exit the miniature converter in an unhindered fashion.
In one development, the miniature converter can include a membrane and at least one electrical component.
The miniature converter can also be a microphone or a loudspeaker.
A holding frame for fastening an electroacoustic miniature converter is also specified. In this way, the holding frame is embodied such that the retaining means is fastened in an opening of the holding frame.
This is advantageous in that it is then easy to insert it into a hearing device housing.
The invention also claims a hearing device with an electroacoustic miniature converter and with a hearing device housing.
The invention also claims a hearing device with an electroacoustic miniature converter, a hearing device housing and an holding frame which can be connected to the hearing device housing.
Further features of the invention are obvious from the description below of an exemplary embodiment with reference to schematic drawings, in which;
The electroacoustic miniature converter 1 installed in a hearing device housing 9 from
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2007 061 310.7 | Dec 2007 | DE | national |
