Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A COMPACT MODULAR IN-THE-EAR HEARING AID
This application is a division of Canadian Patent
Application Serial No. 2,264,673. The claims of the present
application are directed to a combination of a faceplate for
covering an opening of a hearing aid plug and an electronic
module for use in a hearing air. However, for a ready
understanding of the overall invention, including all features
which are inextricably bound up in one and the same inventive
concept, the teachings of those features are all retained in the
present invention.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular hearing aid for
arrangement in a user's ear, particularly completely inside the
ear canal, comprising a hollow plug adapted to the ear canal and
having a generally irregular conical shape and an outward opening
which is covered by a faceplate in which a recess is formed for
removable arrangement of a battery as well as an electronic
module comprising a microphone, a signal processing part and a
sound reproducer.
Backcrround of the Invention
while conventional hearing aids in a so-called BTE design
for arrangement behind a user's ear are usually manufactured with
a housing of a size that allows relatively easy separation for
replacement of battery and possibly removal of electronic
components for repair, etc., hearing aids of the above designs,
i.e., of a so-called ITE design for arrangement in the ear,
normally in the funnel-shaped outer part of the ear canal, or of
a so-called CIC design for arrangement completely inside the ear
canal, require a very compact design of the housing or plug of
the hearing aid to allow it partly to be arranged in the ear
canal, partly to house the components necessary for operation of
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the hearing aid, such as battery and electronic components for
sound reception, signal processing and sound reproduction.
For manufacturing reasons, such hearing aids are therefore
normally built up by joining together a plug or shell, which is
adapted in shape and dimensions to the ear canal of the actual
user and has an external faceplate to which the electronic
components are glued or otherwise fastened so that by gluing of
the faceplate to the user-adapted plug or shell they are
localized therein in a protected manner. In conventional hearing
aids of this type, such as are known from, e.g., EP A2-0 311 233
and US-A-4,680,799, it is therefore usually necessary in
connection with replacement or repair of electronic components
to break the shell or the faceplate by milling or in any other
way, which renders repairs dif f icult and more expensive and means
that the shell and/or the faceplate must be re-established after
repair.
An attempt has been made to alleviate the disadvantages
connected with this by means of a hearing aid design known from
DE-C1-41 21 311, in which the microphone part and the signal
processing part of an electronic module are placed together with
the battery in an insert part for removable mounting in the
faceplate.
This insert part or mounting plate is, however, relatively
large compared with the overall size of the faceplate and
therefore requires a corresponding increase of the size of the
recess, which limits the possibilities of final adaptation of the
external contour of the faceplate, for example by buffing in
connection with joining the faceplate with the user-adapted shell
or plug, to an undesired degree. Furthermore, the manufacturing
of these known hearing aids is made more complicated and
expensive by the requirement for a separate insert part or
mounting plate for the electronic components.
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In another design known from US-A-5,201,008, an electronic
module is removably fastened in a faceplate, here constituted by
a rim portion at the external orifice of the user-adapted plug
or shell, which is closed in its entirety by a hinge-connected
lid. This apparatus design is substantially more complex and
expensive due to the need for a separate holder for the
electronic module and a complicated lid design.
Summary of the Invention
The object of the invention is to provide a hearing aid of
the type stated above, in which the possibility of a non
destructive removal of the electronic module from the hearing aid
housing is obtained without any noticeable limitation of the
possibilities of final adaptation of the outer contour of the
faceplate to a user-adapted ear canal plug or shell.
Accordingly, as one aspect of the present invention which
is claimed in Canadian Patent Application Serial No. 2,264,673,
there is provided a modular hearing aid for arrangement in a
user's ear, which comprises a hollow plug adapted to the ear
canal and having a generally irregular conical shape and an
outward opening, an electronic module positioned in the plug and
comprising a socket part, and also comprising further parts
including a microphone, a signal processor, and a sound
reproducer, and a faceplate covering the opening and having a
recess defined therein, the recess comprising a first region for
insertion of a battery and a second region contiguous with the
first region for receiving the socket part of the electronic
module, while the further parts of the electronic module are
placed below the faceplate, the faceplate being formed at an edge
of the recess with an integral engagement structure for the
socket part, the recess being formed such that after removal of
the battery and the socket part the first and second regions
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together allow passage also of the further parts for removal of
the complete electronic module.
As a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a
combination of a faceplate for covering an opening of a hearing
aid plug and an electronic module, wherein the electronic module
comprises a socket part comprising a microphone part fastened
thereto; a signal processing part; and a sound reproducer part;
the signal processing part and the sound reproducer part being
placed below the faceplate and being connected with the socket
part via flexible wire connections, and wherein the faceplate
includes a recess comprising a first region for the insertion of
a battery and a second region contiguous with the first region
for receiving the socket part, the faceplate is formed at an edge
of the recess with an integral engagement structure for the
socket part, and the recess is formed such that, after removal
of the battery and the socket part, the first and second regions
together allow passage of the signal processing part and the
sound reproducer part.
To obtain this, the modular hearing aid according to the
invention is characterized in that the recess comprises a first
region for insertion of the battery and a second region coherent
with the first region for placing of a socket part of the
electronic module, while further parts thereof are placed below
the faceplate, that at the edge of the recess the faceplate is
formed with engaging means for said socket part, and that the
recess is formed so that at removal of the battery the first and
second regions together allow passage also of said further parts
for removal of the complete electronic module.
Through said design of the recess in the faceplate, whereby
the faceplate only has to retain a less space-consuming part of
the aggregate electronic module in the form of said socket part,
which may, for example, comprise only the microphone part, which
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has to lie close to the faceplate in consideration of reception
of the sound, the intended removability of the electronic module
can be obtained without any marked increase of the size of the
recess compared with what is required in consideration of
replacement of the battery.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will now be explained in more detail below
with reference to the schematic drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a modular
hearing aid according to the invention,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a faceplate for use in the
hearing aid of Fig. 1 with an inserted electronic module and a
battery lid connected with the faceplate,
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the faceplate itself,
Figs. 4 and 5 show details in the design of the faceplate,
Figs. 6 and 7 are examples of an electronic module for use
in the hearing aid of Fig. 1,
Figs . 8 - 10 show the design of a battery lid connected
with the faceplate, and
Fig. 11 is an example of a hearing aid battery for use in
the hearing aid of Fig. 1.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The embodiment shown in Fig. 1 of a so-called ITE hearing
aid for arrangement in the user's ear canal comprises a hollow
plug 1 adapted to the ear canal and having a generally irregular
conical shape, an external faceplate 2 covering the outward
opening of the plug 1, a battery lid 3 pivotally connected with
the faceplate 2, and an electronic module 4 having a microphone
5, a signal processing part 6 and a sound reproducer in the form
of a receiver 7.
At the narrow end, which faces the interior of the ear
canal during use, the plug 1 is formed with a sound exit hole,
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not shown, through which sound produced by the receiver 7 can be
passed on to the interior of the ear.
When a hearing aid is adapted to a user's ear, the shape
of the plug 1 is usually individually adapted to the ear canal,
but the plug 1 may, however, also be manufactured as a standard
component. The faceplate 2, which is usually a standard
component and may be formed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is then
glued over the outward opening of the plug 1. After gluing, the
contour of the faceplate 2 is then formed by cutting or milling
according to the contour of the edge of the orifice of the plug
1, as marked by a dashed line 2' in Fig. 2. After finishing of
the plug 1 with the glued-on and contour-adapted faceplate 2, the
other components are mounted in the hearing aid, which provides
the manufacturing advantage that the plug 1 with the faceplate
2 can be cleaned after the finishing so that the other components
are not exposed to pollution during their mounting.
As shown in Figs. 1 - 3, a recess 8 is formed in the
faceplate 2 for removable arrangement of a battery, which may be
formed as shown in Fig. 11 and is inserted in the lid 3, formed
as a battery holder, as well as the electronic module 4. For
this purpose, the recess 8 comprises a first region 9 for
positioning of the battery and a second region 10 coherent
therewith for insertion of a socket part 11 of the electronic
module 4, which houses the microphone part 5 of the module.
To retain the socket part 11 of the electronic module 4,
integral engaging means are formed at the edge of the recess 8,
as shown in Fig. 2 and 3, and, in the embodiment shown, comprise
a pair of grooves 12 and 13 which are arranged opposite to each
other at opposite edges of the recess 8 in the first region 9 for
positioning of the battery. These grooves 12 and 13 serve to
retain the socket part 11 against displacement in the plane of
the faceplate 2. The engaging means further comprise a pair of
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tracks 14 and 15 facing each other for retention of the socket
part 11 against displacement at right angles to the faceplate 2
into the plug 1 and a notch 16 for retention of the socket part
11 against displacement in the opposite direction.
For engagement with the engaging means formed in the
faceplate 2, the socket part 11 of the electronic module 4, as
seen more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7, is formed with sideways
projecting ribs 17 for arrangement in the tracks 14 and 15, and
with a cam-like, backward projection 18 for engagement with the
notch 16, and with protruding resilient lugs 19 for localization
in the grooves 12 and 13.
when the electronic module 4 is arranged in the faceplate
2 with the battery lid 3 pivoted out to the position shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, the parts of the electronic module intended for
arrangement in the plug 1 under the faceplate 2 , i . a . , the signal
processing part 6 and the receiver 7, are passed through the
recess 8 down into the plug 1. The socket part 11 is then placed
with the ribs 17 in the tracks 14 and 15 and is displaced in or
pivoted towards the plane of the faceplate 2 so that the
projection 18 is brought into engagement with the notch 16,
whereby the resilient lugs 19 also engage with the grooves 12 and
13.
The engaging means at the edges of the recess 8 and the
matching engaging means on the socket part 11 of the electronic
module 4 may be formed so that the electronic module 4 is passed
substantially at a right angle into the second region 10 of the
recess 8 and is then displaced in the plane of the faceplate for
provision of the engagements described above. Preferably,
however, the socket part 11 is passed at~an oblique angle into
the recess 8 with abutment on its edge at the notch 16, whereupon
the socket part is pivoted into place and fastened by engagement
of the resilient lugs 19 with the grooves 12 and 13 and of the
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projection 18 with the notch 16. In this design, the end of the
tracks 14, 15 and the corresponding ends of the ribs 17 may be
formed for abutment on each other and for retention of the socket
part 11 against displacement in the plane of the faceplate 2
after mounting of the socket part in the recess 8.
When the electronic module 4 is removed from the hearing
aid, the resilient lugs 19 can be released from their engagement
with the grooves 12 and 13 by means of a suitable tool, whereupon
the socket part 11 is pivoted upwards with the back edge at the
notch 16 as the pivot axis for release of the projection 18 from
its engagement with the notch 16 so that the socket part 11 can
be removed from the faceplate 2, and the other components 6 and
7 of the electronic module 4 can be lifted out from the interior
of the plug 1 through the recess 8.
This design, where the socket part 11 can be pivoted in and
out of its position is especially advantageous as the engaging
means 12-16 of this design, apart from being formed compactly,
do not require space for displacement of the socket part 11 into
the region 9 at insertion and removal. The design at the same
time still provides good retention of the socket part 11, as the
resilient lugs 19 project into the region 9 for positioning of
the battery and here act as levers that provide a strong
fastening of the socket part and prevent its unintended pivoting
out after the mounting. The relatively large distance whereby
the resilient lugs 19 project into the region 9 at the same time
makes it easy to remove the socket part 11, as by intention the
lugs 19 can easily be pushed out of engagement by a relatively
small use of force at the outer ends of the lugs 19.
Fig. 4 shows an alternative design of the engaging means
at the edge of the recess 8, the grooves 12 and 13 being replaced
by upwardly closed recesses 20. Another possibility is that the
grooves 12 and 13 may open out downwards into groove tracks 13a
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which, as shown in Fig. 3, expand from the recess. This design
provides good engagement of the resilient lugs 19 against
unintended pivoting out of engagement.
Another alternative design of the engaging means appears
from Fig. 5, where the second region 10a of the recess 8 has a
truncated wedge shape. The tracks 14 and 15 and the notch 16 are
here replaced by inwardly projecting, arched ribs 21 at opposite
edges of the recess 8, which retain the socket part 11 in both
directions at right angles to the faceplate 2 by engagement with
adapted grooves in the socket part 11 instead of the ribs 17.
As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the protruding resilient lugs
19 from the socket part 11 may suitably be formed with integral
battery terminals 22, as after mounting of the socket part 11
these lugs project into the first region of the recess 8, where
they can be contacted by the terminals on the battery 23 shown
in Fig. 11, when it is swung into its operative position by
closure of the pivotal lid 3.
In the embodiment shown, the pivotal battery lid 3 is
hinge-connected to the socket part 11 of the electronic module
4 by the socket part being formed with hinge bearings 24 with
holders for a pin 25 which can engage with hinge tracks 26 formed
at one end of the battery lid 3.
To retain the battery 23, the battery lid 3 has a partially
cylindrical wall 27 extending over at least 180° and defining a
battery space 29 together with circular-section-shaped edge
flanges 28. One terminal, usually the negative terminal on the
battery 23, is formed as a pole button 30 as shown in Fig. 11,
and the cylindrical wall 27 at one side of the battery lid 3 may
be formed with an upright annular edge 31 which, at correct
arrangement of the battery, encloses the pole button 30, but
which, if the battery is turned the wrong way, causes the battery
lid 3 to be non-closeable. This prevents insertion of the
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battery with an incorrect polarization. In the embodiment shown,
where the battery lid 3 is formed with edge flanges 28 at both
sides, the side of the edge flange 28 where the pole button 30
is placed is formed with a depression 32 providing room for the
pole button.
When the battery lid 3 is closed, the circular-section-
shaped edge flanges 28 abut on the exterior of the faceplate 2
around the recess 8, ensuring correct positioning of the battery
23 at its insertion into the first region 9 of the recess 8,
while at the same time the faceplate 2 can be manufactured in a
relatively simple standard design as a plane disc-shaped body
without protruding abutment for the battery lid, whereby the
manufacturing of the aggregate hearing aid is simplif ied and made
cheaper, and mounting and removal of the components of the
electronic module are facilitated.
As it appears particularly from Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the
design of the battery lid results in retention of the battery 23
with uncovered battery terminals formed by the pole button 30 and
the end surface of the battery opposite thereto so that at
closure of the battery lid, the terminals are directly brought
into contact with the integral battery terminals on the resilient
lugs 19 on the socket part 11.
At the closure of the battery lid, the main part of the
partially cylindrical wall 27 will furthermore be placed up
against the socket part 11, while the remaining part of the
circumferential surface of the battery is not enclosed by any
socket that would take up space in the interior of the plug 1.
The wall of the plug 1 can be located very close to the battery
so that the plug can be formed with small dimensions.
In addition to causing accurate positioning and retention
of the electronic module in relation to the faceplate 2, the
design of the socket part 11 described above means that it
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supports the battery terminals 22 of the electronic module
directly, and through the hinge connection with the battery lid
it causes a secure guiding of the battery during closure of the
battery lid.
In the electronic module, the microphone part 5, as it
appears particularly from Figs. l, 2 and 6, is directly connected
with the socket part 11 and communicates with the surroundings
through microphone ports 33 and 34 formed in the socket part 11
and the battery lid 3, respectively, so that with a closed
battery lid they correspond mutually to ensure well-defined sound
access to the microphone part 5. In the embodiment shown, the
microphone port 34 in the battery lid 3 is formed as an open slit
which can relatively easily be cleaned at soiling through opening
of the battery lid 3.
The signal processing part 6 with the amplifier circuit of
the hearing aid is connected via flexible wires 35 to terminals
36 on the socket part 11, and correspondingly, the receiver 7 is
connected with the signal processing part 6 via flexible wires
37. This allows the most suitable arrangement of the signal
processing part 6 and the receiver 7 in the individually adapted
plug 1.
The design described above of the modular hearing aid
according to the invention with the individually adapted plug 1,
the faceplate 2 fastened to the plug 1 and formed according to
its contour, the battery lid 3 and its hinge connection with the
socket part of the electronic module 4 allows an extremely
expedient and economic manufacturing together with a very compact
design that allows manufacturing of individually adapted ITE
hearing aids of reduced dimensions, which it was formerly only
possible to obtain with hearing aids of a standard design, i.e.,
without individual adaptation of the ear canal plug.
