EP1750480A1 - Hearing aid with damping element - Google Patents

Abstract

The hearing aid (101) has a damping element (111,112,113,114) for dampening of mechanical vibrations which will transfer over the listener tube (104) between the ear adjusting piece (103) and the housing part (102). The hearing aid has a portable housing part and the ear adjusting piece behind the ear.

Description

The present invention relates to a hearing device with at least one behind the ear portable housing part, an earmold in the ear, a the housing part with the earmold connecting earphone tube, a microphone for receiving an acoustic input signal and output of an electrical input signal, a signal processing and amplifier unit for Processing and amplification of the electrical input signal and for outputting an electrical output signal and a receiver arranged in the earmold for converting the electrical output signal into an acoustic output signal. Moreover, the invention relates to a receiver tube for a corresponding hearing device.

In a behind-the-ear hearing aid having a housing part that can be worn behind the ear and an earmold (earmold) that can be worn in the ear, the sound is transported by the so-called receiver tube from the hearing device into the patient's ear. In a behind-the-ear hearing device, which is equipped with a (external) earphone arranged in the earmold, the electrical line through which the earphone is coupled to the hearing device runs through the earphone tube.

Since the hearing aid, including the receiver tube and possibly the earpiece or the earmold, rest on the body of the hearing device wearer, structure-borne noise can be transmitted from the hearing aid wearer to the hearing aid. The coupling of structure-borne noise is carried out either directly from the body of the hearing aid wearer to the hearing aid itself or via the handset or the listener tube to the hearing aid caused by vibrations of the listener or other events. Conversely, the structure-borne noise can also spread to the hearing from the hearing aid via the tube and the earpiece or earmold. In any case, the coupled structure-borne noise falsifies the useful signal.

Behind the ear portable hearing aids with displaced in the earmold earpiece, so-called RIC (Receiver-in-Canal) devices are despite the relatively large distance between the handset and the microphone feedback-prone. This results from the often relatively rigid connection of the hearing aid housing with the earmold, over which the vibrations of the listener are mechanically fed back via the tube.

In addition, mechanical feedback increasingly occurs even in behind-the-ear hearing aids with a tube to the sound conductor between the hearing aid housing and the earmold on which the tube takes over at least partially the function of a support bracket for carrying the hearing aid behind the ear. For this purpose, usually adapted to the anatomy of the ear, preformed handset tubes are used, which must have a certain stiffness for this purpose and therefore transmit relatively well mechanical vibrations (structure-borne noise).

To avoid feedback, it has hitherto been possible to reduce the effect of structure-borne noise on the actual hearing device. Here, the wall thickness of the housing of the hearing aid is designed to be as thick as possible in order to achieve a damping effect. In addition, all internal suspension parts are designed so that they dampen or filter out natural vibrations and structure-borne noise. Known measures for suppressing feedback are, in particular, the vibration-damping mounting of the receiver or the microphone.

A reduced gain or bandwidth can attenuate the feedback component to such an extent that an electronic feedback compensator can prevent a feedback whistling of the hearing aid. Larger hearing losses, however, can not be supplied with it.

From the DE 298 01 567 U1 is a hearing aid worn behind the ear with a useable in the ear canal earmold known, in which the behind the ear portable housing part and the earmold piece with a flexible mounting bracket are releasably connected together. Here, on the mounting bracket ends existing jack plugs together with existing on the earmold and the housing part jack sockets releasable connectors for electrical and mechanical connection.

From the US 6,766,030 B1 a hearing aid that can be worn in the ear is known, in which the handset is mounted so as to damp against the housing of the hearing aid, so that mechanical vibrations transmitted by the listener to the housing are damped.

From the DE 31 41 921 A1 is a hearing aid known in which the listener emits no structure-borne sound or airborne sound to the microphone of the hearing aid. For this purpose, at least the housing of the listener is surrounded by a layer of foamable plastic with airtight outer skin.

In addition, in the document EP 1 484 943 A2 a behind-the-ear hearing aid described that has a one-piece, tubular structure as the outer housing part. In the outer housing part, a loudspeaker housing is supported swinging freely in rubber-elastic bearings.

Furthermore, from the patent US Pat. No. 6,275,596 B1 a hearing aid system is known in which the frequency response of the listener is influenced by the listener tube. For example, the tube tip may be provided with an acoustic damper to attenuate peaks in the frequency response of the listener.

The object of the present invention is to avoid feedback in a hearing device worn behind the ear with an earmold that can be worn in the ear.

This object is achieved by a hearing device with the features according to claim 1 and by a receiver tube with the features according to claim 17.

Advantageously, it is achieved by a dampened receiver tube that as far as possible no signal distortion of the sound is caused, which is transmitted from the hearing aid to the ear. Due to the invention, the transmission of mechanical vibrations from the earmold via the tube to the housing part is at least largely prevented. Thus, in comparison to a hearing device without the said vibration-damping measures, feedback occurs much less frequently. The invention is particularly advantageous if the receiver tube between the earmold and the housing part is integrally formed and relatively rigid and also used to hold and fix the hearing on the ear of a user.

Furthermore, the invention is particularly advantageous when a so-called "closed supply" is effected by the hearing device. In this case, the auditory canal volume enclosed by the earmold is largely air-tight and soundproof separated from the outer environment of the ear, so that acoustic feedback between the listener and the microphone only play a minor role. Mechanical feedback is much more important in such an arrangement.

There are several options for the arrangement of damping elements that limit the transmission of sound from the earmold on the housing part. On the one hand, at least one damping element can be arranged on or in the receiver tube. Preferably, the sound damping element for this purpose has a wire mesh. If the wire mesh is inserted during the production of the hose, it is possible to specifically dampen certain frequencies. Depending on the type of braid, a broadband damping can also take place. Through the wire mesh and signals can be transmitted without these themselves transmit the vibrations.

In addition, the sound-damping element may at least partially consist of foamed material. This foamed material reduces the stiffness of the hearing tube in both the longitudinal and transverse directions so that both longitudinal and transverse waves of the tube are damped.

The sound-damping element may also be accordion-like in the longitudinal direction of the listener tube. This shear forces along the Hörerschlauchs and thus longitudinal waves can be intercepted.

Furthermore, the sound-damping element can also have an S-shaped hose piece. This also shear forces can be reduced along the Hörerschlauchs.

The sound-damping elements described above can also be combined with each other in a suitable manner, so that the damping effect can be correspondingly increased.

It has already been indicated that the receiver tube can be used in conjunction with a hearing aid. However, the use of a tube according to the invention in other hearing devices such as headsets, headphones and the like is also beneficial.

Preferably, the receiver tube is releasably secured both to the ear tip and to the housing part. This allows, for example, in case of repair a simple exchange. Both a mechanical and an electrical connection between the receiver tube and the earmold or the housing part can be done in a simple manner via a plug connection. The ends of the listener tube may be formed as a plug or a socket. According to the invention is preferably a vibration-damping mounting of the plug or the Bushing at the respective end of the tube. In addition, however, it is also possible that a damping element is inserted in the region of the listener tube between the two ends. In addition to the receiver tube damping elements can also be attached to the earmold or the housing part. For a preferred releasable connection with the receiver tube, the earmold piece or the housing part in each case has a plug or a socket. These are also advantageous according to the invention vibration damping against the ear mold or the housing part stored.

The vibrations transmitted from the eartip to the housing part via the earphone tube are already appreciably attenuated if only at one location of the hearing device in question, e.g. in the region of a socket at one end of the housing part, vibration-damping measures are taken. A further reduction in the vibrations emanating from the earmold can be achieved by using corresponding attenuation measures in several places, e.g. Both in the area of a socket on the housing part and in the region of a socket on the earmold piece or both in the area of a socket and in the region of the plug which can be connected thereto.

Of course, vibration damping elements according to the invention in the transition region between the listener tube and the housing part or between the listener tube and the earmold even with a solid, that is not detachable connection between the components may be present.

Figur 1

ein Hinter-dem-Ohr-Hörgerät gemäß dem Stand der Technik;

Figur 2

ein Hinter-dem-Ohr-Hörgerät mit externem Hörer und einem Hörerschlauch gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Figur 3

einen Hörerschlauch gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform;

Figur 4

einen Hörerschlauch gemäß einer dritten Ausführungsform; und

Figur 5

einen Hörerschlauch gemäß einer vierten Ausführungsform.

Figur 6

ein Hörvorrichtung mit einem hinter dem Ohr tragbaren Gehäuseteil, einem in dem Ohr tragbaren Ohrpassstück und einem das Gehäuseteil mit dem Ohrpassstück verbindenden Hörerschlauch und

Figur 7

eine Detail-Zeichnung für eine lösbare Verbindung zwischen dem Hörerschlauch und dem Gehäuseteil.

The invention will be explained in more detail by embodiments with reference to the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a behind-the-ear hearing aid according to the prior art;

FIG. 2

a behind-the-ear hearing aid with an external handset and a listener tube according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3

a receiver tube according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4

a receiver tube according to a third embodiment; and

FIG. 5

a receiver tube according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6

a hearing device with a behind the ear portable housing part, a portable in the ear earmold and the housing part with the earmold connecting earphone tube and

FIG. 7

a detail drawing for a detachable connection between the listener tube and the housing part.

The embodiments described in more detail below represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, a known damping system will first be briefly explained with reference to FIG. A housing 1 of a behind-the-ear hearing device has molded-in structures 2 on the inside, which serve to fix a receiver 3. So that the earpiece 3 is not rigidly connected to these structures 2, one or more damping elements 4 are brought between the earpiece 3 and the structure 2 or the hearing aid housing 1. As a result, it can largely be avoided that structure-borne noise reaches the built-in microphone 5 practically unattenuated by the receiver 3 via the hearing device housing 1. In this way, it is thus possible to largely avoid feedback in a hearing device with a built-in receiver 3.

In a hearing aid with external earphone 10 according to FIG. 2, vibrations of the earpiece 10 can be transmitted to the hearing aid housing 12 via a tube of hearing aid 11. The built-in the hearing aid housing 12 microphone 13 absorbs these transmitted vibrations as structure-borne noise, so that it may cause disturbing feedback. In order to avoid this, according to the invention a damping element 14 is now mounted in and / or on the receiver tube 11. This damping element 14 has the effect that structure-borne noise is additionally attenuated on its transmission path from the receiver 10 to the microphone 13.

The damping element 14 consists for example of an additional mass, which reduces the vibrations of the receiver tube 11. According to another variant of the damped receiver tube 11, the damping element 14 is integrated as a foamed tube section in the tube 11. This foamed section then hardly transmits any more vibrations from one part of the receiver tube 11 to the other part.

A second embodiment of the receiver tube according to the invention is shown in FIG. Accordingly, the listener tube is formed in a central portion like an accordion 15. About this accordion-like section longitudinal waves, but also transversal waves are hardly transmitted.

A very simple variant of a damping element according to the invention is that a central portion 16 is designed in accordance with Figure 4 S-shaped. Also, this S-shaped portion 16 dampens shear forces in the handset tube eleventh

In the fourth exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, a wire mesh 17 is inserted into a part region of the receiver tube 11 in the interior of the receiver tube during production. Depending on the hardness and structure of the wire mesh and also the plastic / rubber used is the inventive Handset hose 11 filter and dampen the desired frequencies.

In the case of the hearing device with external handset 10 explained in conjunction with FIG. 2, the damped receiver tube 11, in which the electrical lines run to the handset 10, reduces the acoustic feedback from the handset 10 to the microphone 13. However, there is also a hearing aid with an integrated handset 3 according to Figure 1, the need to attenuate transmitted via the listener tube structure-borne sound. Even with such hearing aids it comes namely to signal distortions when the useful sound, which is passed from the handset 3 through the handset tube into the ear, is distorted by Störschallanteile which also enter the ear via the Hörerschlauchwand. Here, the dampened tube according to the present invention can also be used profitably.

The embodiments described in detail above may be used singly or in combination. Thus, the desired damping levels can be achieved for one or more frequencies.

FIG. 6 shows a behind-the-ear hearing device 101, which comprises a housing part 102 that can be worn behind the ear, an earmold piece 103 that can be worn in the ear, and a receiver tube 104 that connects the housing part 102 to the earmold piece 103. To record an acoustic input signal and conversion of the acoustic input signal into an electrical input signal, a microphone 105 is present. The electrical input signal output by the microphone 105 is supplied to a signal processing and amplifier unit 106 to compensate for the hearing loss of a user. The resulting electrical output signal is supplied via electrical lines 123, 124 and 125 to a receiver 107, which converts the electrical output signal into an acoustic output signal and emits via a sound channel 108 into the auditory canal of the user. A ventilation channel is used to ventilate the auditory canal volume enclosed by the earmold 103 (Vent) 109. Furthermore, the hearing device 101 comprises a user-operable control element 110 and a voltage source in the form of a battery 126 for supplying power to the electronic components of the hearing aid 101.

In order to ensure a good grip of the hearing aid 101 on the ear, the earphone tube 104 is made of a relatively rigid plastic material. The handset tube 104 may be e.g. be adapted under heat to the individual anatomical conditions of the user. Following such an adjustment, it is elastically deformable. The receiver tube 104 encloses the electrical lines 124 for the electrical connection of the receiver 107 with the signal processing and amplifier unit 106.

In order for the tube adapted to the anatomical conditions 104 retains its shape, a certain rigidity is required. However, this has the disadvantage that mechanical vibrations transmitted by the receiver 107 to the earmold 103 are transmitted via the receiver tube 104 to the housing part 102, which can thereby also reach the microphone 105. This creates unwanted mechanical feedback.

In the hearing device 101 according to the exemplary embodiment, the earphone tube 104 is detachably connected both to the earmold piece 103 and to the housing part 102. The releasable electrical and mechanical connection via contact pins 116 and 120, which are inserted into corresponding sockets 118 and 122 in the housing part 102 and the earmold 103. For vibration damping according to the invention, the plug member 115 is floatingly mounted in the vibration damping material consisting of damping element 112. Likewise, the socket part 117 with the bushing 118 in a corresponding damping element 111 at the end of the housing part 102 is floatingly mounted. As a result of the arrangement shown, the transmission of mechanical vibrations from the receiver tube 104 to the housing part 102 is largely prevented. Also the second end of the receiver tube 104 is correspondingly decoupled from the earmold 103 in terms of vibration technology. In contrast to the connection with the housing part 102, however, the plug part 119 at the opposite end of the receiver tube 104 with the plug 120 directly, ie without vibration suppressing measures attached to the handset tube 104. In the earmold 103, however, analogous to the housing part 102, the bushing part 121 is floatingly mounted with the sleeve 122 in the damping element 113 of vibration-damping material. As a result, the transmission of mechanical vibrations is suppressed by the earmold on the handset tube 104.

As a further vibration-damping measure, a damping element 114 is present in the tube 104. This divides the listener tube 104 into two sections which are connected to each other in a vibration-damping manner.

Overall, a user-friendly and easy-to-maintain hearing aid 101 with the three detachably interconnected components earmold 103, earphone tube 104 and housing part 102 is created by the measures shown, in which the transmission of mechanical vibrations of the earmold 103 to the housing part 102 is largely prevented.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the plug connection between the receiver tube 104 and the housing part 102. At the end of the receiver tube 104 is the plug part 115 with the two contact pins 116 and 116A. The plug part 115 is separated from the plastic material of the receiver tube 104 by means of the damping unit 112 made of vibration-damping material. In particular, the plug part 115 is floatingly mounted in the damping element 112. There is thus no direct connection between the plug part 115 and the plastic material of the outer shell 104A of the socket part 104. Correspondingly, the socket part 117 with the two bushes 118 and 118A is separated by the damping element 111 from the housing of the housing part 102 and in particular in the Damping element 111 floating. In making the electrical and mechanical connection between the earphone tube 104 and the housing part 102 by inserting the pins 116 and 116A into the sockets 118 and 18A, respectively, there is no direct connection between the outer shell 104A of the socket part 104 and the housing 102A of the housing part 102 Transmission of mechanical vibrations from the tube 104 to the housing part 102 is thus largely suppressed by the damping elements 111 and 112.

Claims (17)

Hearing device (101) with at least - A behind the ear portable housing part (102), a earmold (103) which is portable in the ear, a receiver tube (11, 104) connecting the housing part (102) to the earmold (103), a microphone (105) for receiving an acoustic input signal and outputting an electrical input signal, a signal processing and amplifier unit (106) for processing and amplifying the electrical input signal and outputting an electrical output signal, - A receiver (107) for converting the electrical output signal into an acoustic output signal, characterized by - At least one damping element (14, 15, 16, 17, 111, 112, 113, 114) for damping mechanical vibrations transmitted via the Hörerschlauch (11, 104) between the earmold (103) and the housing part (102). Hearing apparatus according to claim 1 with a receiver (107) arranged in the earmold (103), wherein at least one damping element (14, 15, 16, 17, 111, 112, 113, 114) is provided for damping mechanical vibrations which originate from the earphone Earpiece (103) via the listener tube (11, 104) on the housing part (102) are transmitted. Hearing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the damping element (111, 112, 113, 114) is arranged in or on the housing part (102). Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the damping element (111, 112, 113, 114) is arranged in or on the earmold (103). Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the damping element (14, 15, 16, 17, 114) in or on the listener tube (11, 104) is arranged. Hearing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the damping element (15) in the longitudinal direction of the listener tube (11) is accordion-like. Hearing device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the damping element (16) has an S-shaped piece of hose. Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the damping element (17) comprises a wire mesh. Hearing device according to one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the damping element (14, 15, 16, 17) consists at least partially of foamed material. Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the receiver tube (104) is releasably connectable to the housing part (102). Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the receiver tube (104) is releasably connectable to the earmold (103). Hearing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the housing part (102) and / or the earmold (103) and / or the Hörerschlauch (104) comprises a socket part (117, 121). Hearing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the socket part (117, 121) is floatingly mounted. Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the housing part (102) and / or the earmold (103) and / or the receiver tube (104) comprises a plug part (115, 119). Hearing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plug part (115) is floatingly mounted. Hearing apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 15 for the closed supply of a user. A receiver tube (11, 104) for connecting a housing part (102) that can be worn behind the ear to an earmold piece (103) of a hearing device (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 16 that is portable in the ear.
marked by
at least one damping element (14, 15, 16, 17, 111, 112, 113, 114) disposed in or on the tube (11, 104) for damping mechanical vibrations transmitted through the tube (11, 104) between the earmold (103) and the housing part (102) are transmitted.

Images