EP0421233B1 - Dispositif contre la pénétration d'impuretés dans un transducteur sonore - Google Patents

Dispositif contre la pénétration d'impuretés dans un transducteur sonore Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0421233B1
EP0421233B1 EP90118347A EP90118347A EP0421233B1 EP 0421233 B1 EP0421233 B1 EP 0421233B1 EP 90118347 A EP90118347 A EP 90118347A EP 90118347 A EP90118347 A EP 90118347A EP 0421233 B1 EP0421233 B1 EP 0421233B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
membrane
sound
diameter
projection
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90118347A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0421233A2 (fr
EP0421233A3 (en
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 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 Audioligische Technik GmbH filed Critical Siemens Audioligische Technik GmbH
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 and is based on DE-B-12 63 849.
  • a device for preventing the penetration of cerumen (ear wax) into a sound transducer which as a cap-shaped hollow body (ear insert) that can be placed on the sound outlet connector (attachment) of a hearing device.
  • a cap-shaped hollow body (ear insert) that can be placed on the sound outlet connector (attachment) of a hearing device.
  • 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 connector 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
  • Reduced space requirements, particularly in the direction of sound propagation (short overall length) are created by arranging the membrane according to the invention in the sound channel which is necessary anyway.
  • 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 possible by using non-porous 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 made with a laser beam) with a diameter on the order of pores on known thick membranes, preferably up to about 0.6 mm, is sufficient 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.
  • PC peak clipping
  • AGC automatic gain control
  • the in-the-ear hearing aid according to FIG. 1 has a housing 1, in which, among other things, parts 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 2/100 millimeters.
  • the membrane 8 is cap-shaped and made of a deep-drawn material, for example mumetal, as a deep-drawn part. In spite of the small wall thickness, good mechanical stability is thereby achieved, in particular with respect to mechanical cleaning (scraping off) of cerumen, for example with a wire loop.
  • the membrane 8 has a cylindrical region 10 and a region 11 which is curved further 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 within 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 thereto 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 inner 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 inner 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 area 11 of the membrane 8. This creates 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 extension 7 of the sound transducer shown here as the receiver 5, which also prevents the penetration of foreign bodies, in particular 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 no overriding of the electrical hearing aid amplifier the resulting side effects can be avoided.
  • FIGS. 2 to 4 The achievable extent of the non-linear influence on 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 uniformly set 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.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Geophysics And Detection Of Objects (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials By The Use Of Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Motor Or Generator Frames (AREA)
  • Iron Core Of Rotating Electric Machines (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Transducers For Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Dispositif pour empêcher la pénétration de corps étrangers dans un transducteur acoustique, qui pénètre dans le conduit acoustique (4) d'un appareil de correction auditive par un appendice saillant (7) possédant une ouverture (6), caractérisé par une membrane (8) réalisée en un matériau sans pores et qui possède au moins un perçage de traversée acoustique (9) possédant un diamètre compris entre 0,09 et 0,6 millimètre et dont l'épaisseur est inférieure au diamètre du perçage de traversée acoustique.
  2. Dispositif suivant la revendication 1, dans lequel le perçage de traversée acoustique (9) de la membrane (8) possède, afin d'influencer d'une manière non linéaire le niveau acoustique du son traversant, un diamètre compris entre 0,15 mm et 0,4 mm.
  3. Dispositif suivant la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel la membrane (8) est réalisée sous la forme d'un capuchon formé d'un matériau métallique et notamment emboutissable, de préférence du mumétal.
  4. Dispositif suivant l'une des revendications 1 à 3, dans lequel la membrane (8) est disposée complètement à l'intérieur du conduit acoustique (4) et dont le diamètre correspond approximativement au diamètre extérieur de l'appendice saillant (7) ou est choisi supérieur et jusqu'à une valeur égale au double de l'épaisseur de paroi de la membrane.
  5. Dispositif suivant l'une des revendications 1 à 4, dans lequel l'épaisseur de paroi de la membrane (8) possède au maximum quelques centièmes de millimètre, de préférence environ 0,02 mm.
  6. Dispositif suivant l'une des revendications 1 à 5, dans lequel la membrane (8) possède une partie cylindrique (10) et une partie cintrée (11) s'étendant à partir de la précédente.
  7. Dispositif suivant l'une des revendications 6, dans lequel la membrane (8) est fixée, par sa partie cylindrique, de manière à serrer l'appendice saillant cylindrique (7).
  8. Dispositif suivant la revendication 6 ou 7, dans lequel la membrane (8) est retenue par l'embout saillant (7) dans un tuyau ou dans une douille (13), qui est réalisé sous la forme d'un conduit acoustique dans lequel pénètre l'embout saillant (7).
  9. Dispositif suivant la revendication 6, dans lequel la membrane (8) possède, au centre de la partie cintrée (11), un perçage de traversée acoustique (9).
  10. Dispositif suivant l'une des revendications 1 à 9, dans lequel la membrane (8) est disposée à l'intérieur de l'appendice saillant (7) du transducteur acoustique, notamment de l'écouteur (5).
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 EP0421233A2 (fr) 1991-04-10
EP0421233A3 EP0421233A3 (en) 1992-08-12
EP0421233B1 true 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 (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102010041695A1 (de) * 2010-09-30 2011-08-25 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Im-Ohr-Hörinstrument und Ohrstück sowie Herstellungsverfahren

Families Citing this family (29)

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DK165096C (da) * 1990-02-26 1993-02-15 Oticon As Oerevoksfaelde til brug med hoereapparater samt anvendelse af en saadan oerevoksfaelde i et hoereapparat.
CA2122727A1 (fr) * 1991-12-09 1993-06-24 Robert J. Oliveira Filtre de cerumen pour protheses auditives
US5220612A (en) * 1991-12-20 1993-06-15 Tibbetts Industries, Inc. Non-occludable transducers for in-the-ear applications
US5327500A (en) * 1992-12-21 1994-07-05 Campbell Donald E K Cerumen barrier for custom in the ear type hearing intruments
AU1062195A (en) * 1993-11-23 1994-11-23 Lux-Wellenhof, Gabriele Hulle fur horgerate, damit versehene horgerate bzw. teile davon und hortestvorrichtung und verfahren
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
EP1252799B2 (fr) 2000-01-20 2022-11-02 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Procédé et appareil pour l'adaptation des prothèses auditives
AU2002356522A1 (en) * 2001-09-04 2003-04-07 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Polynucleotide encoding adapter protein, pmn29
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
US8873783B2 (en) 2010-03-19 2014-10-28 Advanced Bionics Ag Waterproof acoustic element enclosures and apparatus including the same
CN106878838B (zh) 2011-01-18 2019-04-30 领先仿生公司 防潮耳机和包括防潮耳机的可植入耳蜗刺激系统
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

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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
CH528198A (de) * 1971-12-30 1972-09-15 Elektroakustik Ag F Hörgerät
GB2155276B (en) * 1984-03-02 1987-10-21 Beltone Electronics Corp Hearing aid ear piece with wax guard
CA1221315A (fr) * 1984-10-19 1987-05-05 William J. Gastmeier Protecteur pour appareil acoustique
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.
DE3540579A1 (de) * 1985-11-15 1987-05-27 Toepholm & Westermann Im-ohr-hoergeraet

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102010041695A1 (de) * 2010-09-30 2011-08-25 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Im-Ohr-Hörinstrument und Ohrstück sowie Herstellungsverfahren

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US4953215A (en) 1990-08-28
DE59006302D1 (de) 1994-08-04
EP0421233A2 (fr) 1991-04-10
DK0421233T3 (da) 1994-11-07
EP0421233A3 (en) 1992-08-12
ATE108051T1 (de) 1994-07-15

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