Patent Application
20150146901
This invention pertains to electronic hearing aids and methods for their construction.
Hearing aids are electronic instruments that compensate for hearing losses by amplifying sound. The electronic components of a hearing aid include a microphone for receiving ambient sound, an amplifier for amplifying the microphone signal in a manner that depends upon the frequency and amplitude of the microphone signal, a speaker for converting the amplified microphone signal to sound for the wearer, and a battery for powering the components. In certain types of hearing aids, the electronic components are enclosed by housing that is designed to be worn in the ear for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Such devices may be referred to as in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), completely-in-the-canal (CIC) type, or invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aids. These types of hearing aids are typically equipped with a handle attached to the housing that enables the wearer to easily remove the hearing aid from the ear.
Current designs for hearing aid removal handles are subject to numerous problems. The handles may break, necessitating that the hearing aid be returned to the manufacturer for repair. In some cases a patient may even have to go to a doctor to have the hearing aid removed from the ear. Also, the position of the removal handle on the hearing aid may cause interference with the opening and closing of battery door. Removal handles are also typically attached directly to the faceplate of the hearing aid during the manufacturing process. Subsequent steps in the manufacturing process, such as cutting/beveling/buffing, may damage and weaken the removal handle.
As described below, theses problems may be ameliorated by a removal handle design in which the removal handle is attached to the battery door of the hearing aid. By locating the removal handle in the battery door, the removal handle may be added as the last step in the manufacturing process, thus ensuring no damage from cutting/beveling/buffing equipment. The design also eliminates interference with the opening and closing of the battery door. The removal handle may be easily changed in the field if needed by simply changing the battery door. Different length removal handles can be made to accommodate different patients.
The elongated portion 260a of the removal handle may be a flexible structure such as a monofilament line. In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, a housing or enclosure for a hearing aid, comprises: an earmold for containing electronic components of the hearing aid; a faceplate attached to the earmold; a battery door hingedly mounted on the faceplate opening into a battery compartment; and, a removal handle attached to the battery door. The removal handle may comprise a flexible elongated portion and a bulbous portion with the elongated portion attached to the battery door. The elongated portion of the removal handle may be a monofilament line. The elongated portion may be passed through a hole in the battery door and attached to the underside of the battery door and may be adhesively attached to the underside of the battery door. The elongated portion may be double-looped through holes in the battery door and attached to the underside of the battery door. The battery door may be adapted to be seated underneath a portion of the faceplate via tabs or another type of extension to secure it in a closed position. The faceplate may comprise an indentation that allows a user to pop the battery door open when access to the battery compartment is needed. The elongated portion of the removal handle may be attached to the battery door at a location nearer the battery door's hinged connection with the faceplate than to the opposite end of the battery door. The elongated portion of the removal handle may be angled away from the battery door's hinged connection.
In one embodiment, a method for constructing a housing or enclosure for a hearing aid, comprises: attaching a faceplate to an earmold for containing electronic components of the hearing aid; hingedly mounting a battery door on the faceplate opening into a battery compartment; attaching a removal handle to the battery door. The removal handle may comprise a flexible elongated portion and a bulbous portion with the elongated portion attached to the battery door. The elongated portion of the removal handle may be a monofilament line. The method may further comprise passing the elongated portion through a hole in the battery door and attaching it to the underside of the battery door. The method may further comprise adhesively attaching the elongated portion to the underside of the battery door. The method may further comprise double-looping the elongated through holes in the battery door and attaching it to the underside of the battery door. The battery door may be adapted to be seated underneath a portion of the faceplate via tabs or another type of extension to secure it in a closed position. The faceplate may comprise an indentation that allows a user to pop the battery door open when access to the battery compartment is needed. The method may further comprise attaching the elongated portion of the removal handle to the battery door at a location nearer the battery door's hinged connection with the faceplate than to the opposite end of the battery door. The method may further comprise locating the elongated portion of the removal handle so as to be angled away from the battery door's hinged connection.
It is understood that variations in configurations and combinations of components may be employed without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. Hearing assistance devices may typically include an enclosure or housing, a microphone, processing electronics, and a speaker or receiver. The examples set forth herein are intended to be demonstrative and not a limiting or exhaustive depiction of variations.
The present subject matter can be used for a variety of hearing assistance devices, including but not limited to, cochlear implant type hearing devices, hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) type hearing aids. It is understood that behind-the-ear type hearing aids may include devices that reside substantially behind the ear or over the ear. Such devices may include hearing aids with receivers associated with the electronics portion of the behind-the-ear device, or hearing aids of the type having receivers in the ear canal of the user. Such devices are also known as receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) or receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing instruments. It is understood that other hearing assistance devices not expressly stated herein may fall within the scope of the present subject matter.
This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The subject matter has been described in conjunction with the foregoing specific embodiments. It should be appreciated that those embodiments may also be combined in any manner considered to be advantageous. Also, many alternatives, variations, and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Other such alternatives, variations, and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims.
