EP0421233A2 - Dispositif contre la pénétration d'impuretÀ©s dans un transducteur sonore - Google Patents

Dispositif contre la pénétration d'impuretÀ©s dans un transducteur sonore Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0421233A2
EP0421233A2 EP90118347A EP90118347A EP0421233A2 EP 0421233 A2 EP0421233 A2 EP 0421233A2 EP 90118347 A EP90118347 A EP 90118347A EP 90118347 A EP90118347 A EP 90118347A EP 0421233 A2 EP0421233 A2 EP 0421233A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
membrane
sound
diameter
wall thickness
passage bore
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP90118347A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0421233A3 (en
EP0421233B1 (fr
Inventor
Hans-Joachim Weiss
Christof Härtl
Jürgen Wagner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sivantos GmbH
Original Assignee
Siemens AG
Siemens Audioligische Technik GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens AG, Siemens Audioligische Technik GmbH filed Critical Siemens AG
Publication of EP0421233A2 publication Critical patent/EP0421233A2/fr
Publication of EP0421233A3 publication Critical patent/EP0421233A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0421233B1 publication Critical patent/EP0421233B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
    • H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
    • H04R25/654—Ear wax retarders

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device against the penetration of foreign bodies, in particular cerumen, into a sound transducer.
  • an in-the-ear hearing device which consists of a cap-shaped hollow body (ear insert) which can be placed on the sound outlet connector (attachment) of a hearing device is formed elastic material which has in its interior a chamber-like extension of a sound passage hole at its hemispherical end, in which a layer of porous, sound-permeable material is arranged.
  • the porous layer With a pore size of about 0.2 to 0.5 mm and relatively thin partition walls to achieve a large pore density per unit area, the porous layer has a relatively large thickness, which approximately corresponds to the inner cylinder radius of the hollow body.
  • the wall thickness of the hollow body is approximately one seventh of the outer diameter of the cylinder. It is therefore relatively thick. Overall, this device requires a large amount of space, particularly in the direction of sound transmission. In addition, two separate components are required to close the sound outlet connection against the penetration of cerumen, the hollow body acting as a holder (additional device) for the porous layer, which in turn prevents the penetration of cerumen and must be renewed regularly, since this porous and therefore cleaning soft material is not possible.
  • the object of the present invention is to design a device of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that, with a reduced space requirement, the structure is simple compared to the prior art.
  • An additional device - as a separate cap-shaped hollow body as a holder for an inner porous layer (membrane, diaphragm) or an extension which protrudes from the hearing device housing as an extended sound channel - is unnecessary because the inventive one Device also uses an approach, which is necessary anyway for other purposes, on a sound transducer (for example a receiver) as a holder for a membrane.
  • a sound transducer for example a receiver
  • the term “membrane” means a component that is thin, film-like, sound-permeable and perforated-like.
  • the arrangement of the membrane on a projection of a hearing aid component protruding into the sound channel was made using pores free material (higher strength) - for which metallic materials are particularly suitable - with extremely thin walls (foil-like).
  • Measurements on the occasion of the invention surprisingly showed that with a film-like small wall thickness of the membrane according to the invention, a sound passage bore (for example produced with a laser beam) with a diameter in the order of magnitude of pores on known thick membranes is sufficient, preferably up to about 0.6 mm to allow largely undisturbed sound passage (low linear attenuation) on the membrane.
  • the device according to the invention has a clearly non-linear influence on the acoustics with the effect that with linearly increasing Output level of the sound source creates a non-linearly increasing decrease (attenuation) of the sound permeability on the membrane according to the invention.
  • Measurements and tests on the occasion of the invention have shown that with this further novel effect of the device according to the invention, the effect of an electrical output level limiting circuit (peak clipping, PC) and / or an automatic gain control (AGC) can be largely simulated.
  • the device according to the invention can therefore also achieve the essential advantage that an electrical device for non-linear sound level attenuation which was previously required in the hearing device is dispensed with, which at the same time reduces the space requirement in the hearing device.
  • the in-the-ear hearing aid according to FIG. 1 has a housing 1 in which, among other things, parts that are essential to the invention are shown.
  • a sound channel 4 extends between an outer end face 2 and an inner end face 3 of the housing 1.
  • a receiver 5 projects into the sound channel 4 with its extension 7 having an opening 6, on which a membrane 8 made of non-porous, metallic material is arranged , which has a sound passage bore 9.
  • the diameter of the sound passage bore 9 is only a few tenths of a millimeter. It is crucial that the wall thickness of the membrane 8 is chosen to be small compared to the diameter of the sound passage bore 9. A size ratio of approximately 1:10 results in a good sound transmission effect with a wall thickness of approximately 1/100 millimeter.
  • the membrane 8 is cap-shaped and made of a deep-drawn material, for example mumetal, as a deep-drawn part. Despite the small wall thickness, good mechanical stability, in particular with respect to mechanical cleaning (scraping off) of cerumen is achieved, for example with a wire loop.
  • the membrane 8 has a cylindrical region 10 and a region 11 which is bulging therefrom.
  • the curved area 11 increases the mechanical stability of the membrane 8 and the cylindrical area 10 enables simple clamping attachment to the usually cylindrical extension 7 of the sound transducer, which is shown here as the receiver 5.
  • the approach 7 has a diameter of about 1.4 mm and a length of about 1 mm.
  • the membrane 8 is completely inside of the sound channel 4 is arranged, whereby in connection with the curved area 11 an annular recess 12 is formed within the sound channel 4. Cerumen can accumulate in this annular recess 12, which makes a separate trench formed on the housing 1 unnecessary for the accumulation of cerumen.
  • the neck 7 on the receiver 5 is with the membrane 8 attached to it clamped in a sleeve 13 made of sound-absorbing material, e.g. a silicone tube, held in the housing 1 by means of a snap connection 14 and is also designed as a sound channel.
  • the inside diameter of the sound channel 4 corresponds approximately to the diameter of the extension 7. With a low elasticity of the sound channel 4, the inside diameter of the sound channel 4 can be chosen larger up to twice the wall thickness of the membrane 8.
  • a recessed arrangement of the sleeve 13 (the overall length is chosen to be shorter than the distance between the outer end face 2 and the inner end face 3 of the housing 1) creates a further annular recess 15 on the outer end face 2 of the housing, in which cerumen also accumulates can. The result is a very long path for the cerumen before it can reach the sound passage bore 9 arranged in the center of the curved region 11 of the membrane 8. This results in large time intervals between the mechanical and thus inexpensive and easy to carry out cleaning of the device.
  • the membrane 8 Due to the small wall thickness of the membrane 8, it is also possible to arrange it within (not shown) the opening 6 of the attachment 7 of the sound transducer shown here as the receiver 5, which also prevents the penetration of foreign bodies, particularly cerumen, into the respective sound transducer.
  • the device is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a sound transducer designed as a microphone, which is not shown.
  • a sound transducer designed as a microphone
  • foreign bodies that are larger than the diameter of the opening 6 of the membrane 8 can be kept away from the microphone.
  • additional devices such as electrical level limiting circuits (PC, AGC), are also unnecessary and there is an overriding of the electrical hearing aid amplifier from the outset the resulting side effects can be avoided.
  • FIGS. 2 to 4 The achievable extent of the non-linear influencing of the acoustics with the device according to the invention as a function of the level of a sound source and the diameter of the sound outlet opening in a membrane according to the invention is exemplified in FIGS. 2 to 4 on the basis of curves 16 to 22 and 16 ′ to 22 'Shown.
  • the wall thickness of the membrane was set uniformly at 0.02 mm in the recorded curves 16 'to 22' and a membrane made of mumetal in the deep-drawing process was always used. All curves were measured on a hearing aid on which a handset was operated with constant current.
  • Figure 2 clearly shows that with a diameter of the sound passage opening of 0.4 mm and a maximum output level of 110 dB according to curve 16, attenuation compared to curve 16 'of about 3 dB occurs only at this high output level. At the low output levels outside the frequency range At around 2 kHz, the attenuation difference is significantly smaller or no longer exists.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Iron Core Of Rotating Electric Machines (AREA)
  • Motor Or Generator Frames (AREA)
  • Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Transducers For Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
EP90118347A 1989-10-05 1990-09-24 Dispositif contre la pénétration d'impuretés dans un transducteur sonore Expired - Lifetime EP0421233B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/417,389 US4953215A (en) 1989-10-05 1989-10-05 Arrangement to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter into an electro-acoustical transducer
US417389 1989-10-05

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0421233A2 true EP0421233A2 (fr) 1991-04-10
EP0421233A3 EP0421233A3 (en) 1992-08-12
EP0421233B1 EP0421233B1 (fr) 1994-06-29

Family

ID=23653831

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90118347A Expired - Lifetime EP0421233B1 (fr) 1989-10-05 1990-09-24 Dispositif contre la pénétration d'impuretés dans un transducteur sonore

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4953215A (fr)
EP (1) EP0421233B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE108051T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE59006302D1 (fr)
DK (1) DK0421233T3 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0548580A1 (fr) * 1991-12-20 1993-06-30 Tibbetts Industries, Inc. Transducteur sans fermeture pour applications dans les prothèses auditives intra-auriculaires
WO1995015067A1 (fr) * 1993-11-23 1995-06-01 Lux Wellenhof Gabriele Gaine pour appareils de correction auditive, appareils de correction auditive ou parties de ceux-ci pourvus de cette gaine, procede et dispositif de controle de la capacite auditive

Families Citing this family (28)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DK165096C (da) * 1990-02-26 1993-02-15 Oticon As Oerevoksfaelde til brug med hoereapparater samt anvendelse af en saadan oerevoksfaelde i et hoereapparat.
WO1993012626A1 (fr) * 1991-12-09 1993-06-24 Oliveira Robert J Filtre a cerumen pour protheses auditives
US5327500A (en) * 1992-12-21 1994-07-05 Campbell Donald E K Cerumen barrier for custom in the ear type hearing intruments
US5545859A (en) * 1994-03-07 1996-08-13 Ullrich; Kenneth A. Anti-viral acoustically transparent earphone cover
US5748743A (en) * 1994-08-01 1998-05-05 Ear Craft Technologies Air conduction hearing device
US7162039B1 (en) 1996-02-23 2007-01-09 Matthew G. Callahan Noise barrier apparatus having acoustic wave damping cushions
US5917918A (en) * 1996-02-23 1999-06-29 University Research Engineers & Associates, Inc. In-ear-canal audio receiver and stethoscope having the same
US6449662B1 (en) * 1997-01-13 2002-09-10 Micro Ear Technology, Inc. System for programming hearing aids
US6424722B1 (en) 1997-01-13 2002-07-23 Micro Ear Technology, Inc. Portable system for programming hearing aids
US7787647B2 (en) 1997-01-13 2010-08-31 Micro Ear Technology, Inc. Portable system for programming hearing aids
US6366863B1 (en) 1998-01-09 2002-04-02 Micro Ear Technology Inc. Portable hearing-related analysis system
US6134333A (en) * 1998-03-17 2000-10-17 Sonic Innovations, Inc. Disposable oleophobic and hydrophobic barrier for a hearing aid
US6105713A (en) * 1998-09-17 2000-08-22 Sonic Innovations, Inc. Cover movable by rotation forming a cerumen barrier in a hearing aid
CA2396771A1 (fr) 2000-01-20 2001-07-26 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Systemes pour protheses auditives
WO2003027231A2 (fr) * 2001-09-04 2003-04-03 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Polynucleotide codant pour une nouvelle proteine d'adaptation, pmn29, contenant le domaine d'homologie avec la pleckstrine et le domaine riche en proline
US7751579B2 (en) 2003-06-13 2010-07-06 Etymotic Research, Inc. Acoustically transparent debris barrier for audio transducers
US7793756B2 (en) * 2005-05-10 2010-09-14 Phonak Ag Replaceable microphone protective membrane for hearing devices
US7850783B2 (en) * 2005-06-30 2010-12-14 General Hearing Instrument, Inc. Method and apparatus for cleaning hearing aids
CA2601662A1 (fr) 2006-09-18 2008-03-18 Matthias Mullenborn Interface sans fil pour programmer des dispositifs d'aide auditive
US20080298618A1 (en) * 2007-05-31 2008-12-04 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte., Ltd. Earpiece for a hearing apparatus with a securing ring
US20100202648A1 (en) * 2007-06-18 2010-08-12 Phonak Ag Cover for apertures of an electric micro-device housing
CN102939770B (zh) 2010-03-19 2015-12-09 领先仿生公司 防水声学元件封罩以及包括其的设备
DE102010041695A1 (de) * 2010-09-30 2011-08-25 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Im-Ohr-Hörinstrument und Ohrstück sowie Herstellungsverfahren
EP2666306B1 (fr) 2011-01-18 2017-03-15 Advanced Bionics AG Modules externes résistants à l'humidité et systèmes de stimulation cochléaire implantables comprenant ce module externe
DE102011085511A1 (de) * 2011-10-31 2013-05-02 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Membran zum Abdecken einer Öffnung in einem Hörgerät
US9769578B2 (en) 2014-03-19 2017-09-19 Cochlear Limited Waterproof molded membrane for microphone
USD853359S1 (en) * 2018-01-25 2019-07-09 Yong Guo Housing for high-fidelity earbud
US11012770B2 (en) * 2019-03-25 2021-05-18 Apple Inc. Eartips for in-ear listening devices

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3852540A (en) * 1971-12-30 1974-12-03 Elektroakustik Ag F In ear hearing apparatus
US4553627A (en) * 1984-10-19 1985-11-19 Unitron Industries Hearing aid wax guard
DE3540579A1 (de) * 1985-11-15 1987-05-27 Toepholm & Westermann Im-ohr-hoergeraet

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1263849B (de) * 1966-04-30 1968-03-21 Siemens Ag Hoergeraet
IL33146A (en) * 1968-10-11 1972-07-26 Stauffer Chemical Co Perchlorination process
US3842829A (en) * 1971-11-18 1974-10-22 C Ellis Ear protective device
GB2155276B (en) * 1984-03-02 1987-10-21 Beltone Electronics Corp Hearing aid ear piece with wax guard
DE8504765U1 (de) * 1985-02-20 1986-06-19 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Hörgerät
DE8436783U1 (de) * 1984-12-15 1986-04-10 Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München Hörgerät
IT209301Z2 (it) * 1984-12-15 1988-09-20 Siemens Ag Protesi uditiva.

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3852540A (en) * 1971-12-30 1974-12-03 Elektroakustik Ag F In ear hearing apparatus
US4553627A (en) * 1984-10-19 1985-11-19 Unitron Industries Hearing aid wax guard
DE3540579A1 (de) * 1985-11-15 1987-05-27 Toepholm & Westermann Im-ohr-hoergeraet

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0548580A1 (fr) * 1991-12-20 1993-06-30 Tibbetts Industries, Inc. Transducteur sans fermeture pour applications dans les prothèses auditives intra-auriculaires
WO1995015067A1 (fr) * 1993-11-23 1995-06-01 Lux Wellenhof Gabriele Gaine pour appareils de correction auditive, appareils de correction auditive ou parties de ceux-ci pourvus de cette gaine, procede et dispositif de controle de la capacite auditive
EP0855847A2 (fr) * 1993-11-23 1998-07-29 Gabriele Lux-Wellenhof Gaine pour appareils de corrrection auditive, appareils de correction auditive ou parties de ceux-ci pourvus de cette gaine, procédé et dispositif de contrÔle de la capacité auditive
EP0855847A3 (fr) * 1993-11-23 1998-09-09 Gabriele Lux-Wellenhof Gaine pour appareils de corrrection auditive, appareils de correction auditive ou parties de ceux-ci pourvus de cette gaine, procédé et dispositif de contrôle de la capacité auditive

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0421233A3 (en) 1992-08-12
ATE108051T1 (de) 1994-07-15
EP0421233B1 (fr) 1994-06-29
US4953215A (en) 1990-08-28
DK0421233T3 (da) 1994-11-07
DE59006302D1 (de) 1994-08-04

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