EP1998593A1 - Eartip for a hearing aid with retaining ring - Google Patents

Abstract

The ear piece (10) has a cerumen protection device (16) including a circular carrier (17), and arranged in a sound exhaust port (12). The ear piece is made of a rubbery-elastic material such as silicone. A circular cross sectional retaining ring (14) surrounds the sound exhaust port, where an inner diameter of the port is smaller than an external diameter of the circular carrier. The circular carrier is less flexible than the ear piece and is firmly integrated into the ear piece. The rings are made of plastic, metal and hard rubber.

Description

The present invention relates to an earpiece for a hearing aid worn in the ear having a sound outlet opening and a cerumen protection device, which has an annular support and which is arranged in the sound outlet opening, wherein the earpiece is made of a rubber-elastic material. A hearing device is understood to mean, in particular, a device that can be worn on the ear, for example a hearing device, a headset, headphones and the like.

Hearing aids are portable hearing aids that are used to care for the hearing impaired. In order to meet the numerous individual needs, different types of hearing aids such as behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTE) and in-the-ear hearing aids (ITO), e.g. also Concha hearing aids or canal hearing aids (CIC), provided. The hearing aids listed by way of example are worn on the outer ear or in the ear canal. In addition, bone conduction hearing aids, implantable or vibrotactile hearing aids are also available on the market. The stimulation of the damaged hearing takes place either mechanically or electrically.

Hearing aids have in principle as essential components an input transducer, an amplifier and an output transducer. The input transducer is usually a sound receiver, z. As a microphone, and / or an electromagnetic receiver, for. B. an induction coil. The output transducer is usually used as an electroacoustic transducer, z. As miniature speaker, or as an electromechanical transducer, z. B. bone conduction, realized. The amplifier is usually integrated in a signal processing unit. This basic structure is in FIG. 1 shown using the example of a behind-the-ear hearing aid. In a hearing aid housing 1 for carrying behind the ear are one or more microphones 2 to Built-in sound recording from the environment. A signal processing unit 3, which is also integrated in the hearing aid housing 1, processes the microphone signals and amplifies them. The output signal of the signal processing unit 3 is transmitted to a loudspeaker or earpiece 4, which outputs an acoustic signal. The sound is optionally transmitted via a sound tube, which is fixed with an earmold in the ear canal, to the eardrum of the device carrier. The power supply of the hearing device and in particular of the signal processing unit 3 is carried out by a likewise integrated into the hearing aid housing 1 battery. 5

From the patent US 6,105,713 For example, an ITE-portable hearing device is known in which a cerumen protection cover is pivotally mounted on the hearing aid shell. Furthermore, a cerumen protection membrane is optionally provided in the sound outlet opening, which is held by a carrier surrounding the sound outlet opening.

For hearing aids that have a receiver in the canal (RIC), a cerumen shield is installed in the ear canal of the ear canal horn, similar to the case of IdO hearing aids. The cerumen protection protects the earpiece (also known as the Eartip or Dome) earphones used against cerumen, dirt and sweat. He is placed at the sound outlet in the sound path of the listener in the ear piece.

In contrast to the solid shell of the hearing aid, the material of the earpiece is flexible and soft on RIC devices. As a result, for example, when inserting or removing the receiver into / out of the ear canal, the cerumen protection made of stronger material can be unintentionally pushed out of the sound exit opening of the soft earpiece and reach the auditory canal.

Basically, the cerumen protection must be renewed from time to time. To do this, it is removed from the inside of the earpiece removed from the RIC housing and replaced with a new wax guard replaced. The wax guard is then held on the side facing the listener by the RIC housing and on the side facing away from the listener by the shape of the soft ear piece material. However, as described above, this soft material may not always ensure that the wax guard stays in the earmold. Rather, the sound outlet opening due to the high elasticity or elasticity of the ear piece material diverge and release the cerumen protection.

The object of the present invention is thus to secure the cerumen protection more secure in the earpiece.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by an earpiece for a hearing aid worn in the ear having a sound outlet opening and a cerumen protection device, which has an annular support and which is arranged in the sound outlet opening, wherein the earpiece is made of a rubber-elastic material, and with a retaining ring, the surrounds the sound exit opening whose inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the wearer of the cerumen protection device, which is less elastic than the earpiece and which is firmly integrated into the earpiece.

Advantageously, the less elastic locking ring prevents the cerumen protection can pass through the sound outlet opening to the outside. At least this possibility is greatly limited by the fixed locking ring. With him, namely, the extensibility of the sound outlet significantly decreases, so that the cerumen protection practically only in the backward direction, d. H. to the listener out of the ear piece can be taken.

Preferably, the retaining ring consists of a plastic, a metal or a hard rubber. In the case of hard rubber, a certain elasticity can be maintained, which is less the case with plastic rings and metal rings.

According to a specific embodiment, the retaining ring on an undercut, which holds it in a form-fitting manner in the earpiece. By this positive connection is a movement in the direction away from the listener, d. H. out of the sound outlet, prevented when the earpiece has a corresponding shoulder.

The retaining ring may also have a circular cross-section. In principle, of course, any cross-sections of the securing ring are conceivable, but standard designs such as round, oval or rectangular cross-section are preferred.

It is particularly favorable if the retaining ring is vulcanized into the earpiece. If the circlip is then made of a suitable material, then the circlip chemically bonds to the surrounding earmold material during vulcanization. Consequently, the retaining ring is firmly connected to the earpiece or integrated into it.

Specifically, the earpiece can be made of silicone. This material proves to be particularly biocompatible and durable.

In a particularly advantageous application, the earpiece according to the invention described above is plugged onto an external earpiece of a BTE hearing aid. In particular hearing aid wearers, who often take the external handset of their hearing aid from the ear and insert it again, in which there is always the danger that extends in conventional ear pieces without circlip, the sound outlet so far that the wax guard is pushed out.

FIG 1

den prinzipiellen Aufbau eines Hörgeräts mit seinen Hauptkomponenten entsprechend dem Stand der Technik;

FIG 2

ein erfindungsgemäßes Ohrstück im Längsschnitt mit einvulkanisiertem Sicherungsring gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform;

FIG 3

das Ohrstück von FIG 2 in der Seitenansicht;

FIG 4

eine Längsschnittansicht eines externen Hörers, auf den das Ohrstück von FIG 2 aufgesteckt ist und

FIG 5

ein Ohrstück mit einvulkanisiertem Sicherungsring gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform.

The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1

the basic structure of a hearing aid with its main components according to the prior art;

FIG. 2

an inventive earpiece in longitudinal section with vulcanized circlip according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 3

the ear piece of FIG. 2 in the side view;

FIG. 4

a longitudinal sectional view of an external handset to which the ear piece of FIG. 2 is plugged and

FIG. 5

an earpiece with vulcanized retaining ring according to a second embodiment.

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

This in FIG. 2 in longitudinal section shown earpiece for a BTE hearing aid with external handset has approximately a mushroom shape and is made of silicone. The earpiece 10 is correspondingly flexible and can be inserted into virtually any auditory canal without having to be specially adapted. In the interior of the earpiece 10 there extends a channel 11 into which an external receiver is inserted from the side of the foot of the mushroom-shaped earpiece 10 (cf. FIG. 4 ) and which opens into a sound outlet opening 12. The channel 11 has an annular notch 13, which serves to hold the external handset.

Since the ear piece is made of elastic silicone in this example, it is provided according to the invention to prevent or minimize the deformability of the soft ear piece 10 at the sound exit opening 12. It also does not impair the flexibility of the earpiece 10 in the ear canal necessary for the application and the comfortable fit. This is achieved by a circlip in the soft material of the earpiece 14 is firmly inserted. The locking ring 14 may for example consist of plastic, metal or hard rubber. In the present example, the retaining ring 14 is vulcanized into the silicone of the earpiece 10. For this he was placed in the vulcanizing mold and baked together with the silicone. With a suitable choice of the ring material this combines chemically with the silicone of the earpiece during vulcanization.

To support the connection between the locking ring 14 and the earpiece 10, the securing ring 14 may have an undercut 15 and the earpiece 10 has a corresponding shoulder, so that the securing ring 14 is also held in the earpiece 10 in a form-fitting manner. The tightly seated in the earpiece 10 locking ring 14 then prevents even with deformation of the earpiece 10 a widening of the sound outlet opening 12 and holds a behind it cerumen guard 16 in place. This Cerumenschutz 16 here consists of a hard plastic ring as an annular support 17 whose outer diameter corresponds approximately to the inner diameter of the locking ring 14. At the side facing away from the sound exit opening 12, the cerumen guard 16 has a conical outwardly projecting collar 18, which extends beyond the inner diameter of the securing ring 14. Consequently, the wax guard 16 can not be pushed through the locking ring 14. Even with a deformation of the earpiece 10, the retaining ring 14 prevents a widening of the sound outlet opening and holds the cerumen guard 16 in its position. To replace the cerumen guard 16 to the rear, ie from the sound outlet opening 12 away from the ear piece 10 can be seen. In addition, it should be pointed out that the cerumen protector 16 has a wafer-thin film on the side facing the sound outlet opening 12 on the annular support 17, the in FIG. 2 is not shown. It represents the actual cerumen protection and can be wiped off or can be cleaned.

In FIG. 3 the silicone earpiece 10 is shown from the outside. There it is the retaining ring 14, which surrounds the sound outlet opening 12, to recognize well.

In FIG. 4 is the ear piece of FIG. 2 shown in the state by being attached to an external handset 19. The external handset 19 includes the actual transducer 20 housed in a handset housing 21. While a fuse wedge ring 23 serves to support the handset housing 21, the second securing wedge ring 24 serves to hold the earpiece 10. For this purpose, it engages in the peripheral recess or notch 13 of the earpiece Earpiece 10. As a result, the ear piece 10 only with increased force from the sound outlet nozzle 22 and the external handset 19 deducted. In the plugged onto the external handset 19 state of the earpiece 10 so that the Cerumenschutz 16 between the sound outlet nozzle 22 and the retaining ring 14 in the axial direction (largely) fixed.

Another embodiment of the ear piece according to the invention is shown in FIG FIG. 5 shown in longitudinal section. Again, the ear piece 30 has approximately mushroom shape, in which case the mushroom foot is slightly shortened. The sound outlet opening 32 is also surrounded by a relative to the earpiece 30 less elastic locking ring 34. However, unlike in the previous embodiment, this is circular in cross-section and completely embedded in the earpiece material. Its function is the same as in the previous embodiment, because it stiffens the sound outlet opening 32 and prevents the Cerumenschutz 36 unintentionally slip out of the earpiece 30. The external handset is indicated here only with its sound outlet nozzle 38, which is plugged into the ear piece 30 on the side opposite the sound outlet opening 32.

In the above embodiments it is stated that the securing ring 14, 34 can be vulcanized into the earpiece 10, 30 when the earpiece 10, 30 is made of silicone, for example. If the earpiece, however, injected from another plastic, it is accordingly possible to inject the retaining ring around the sound opening. In addition, the retaining ring can be glued into a corresponding recess of the ear piece at the sound outlet later. Even then, the ring with the earpiece material enters the required solid, insoluble compound. In any case, so the mountability of the cerumen protection from the back remains guaranteed.

Claims (7)

Earpiece (10, 30) for a hearing aid worn in the ear with - A sound outlet opening (12, 32) and - A cerumen protection device (16, 36) having an annular support (17) and which is arranged in the sound outlet opening (12, 32), wherein - The ear piece is made of a rubber-elastic material,
marked by a circlip (14, 34) surrounding the sound exit opening (12, 32) whose inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular support (17) of the cerumen guard (16, 36) which is less elastic than the earpiece (10, 10); 30) and which is firmly integrated into the earpiece. An earpiece according to claim 1, wherein the securing ring (14, 34) consists of a plastic, a metal or hard rubber. Earpiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the securing ring (14, 34) has an undercut (15) which additionally holds it in a form-fitting manner in the earpiece (10, 30). An earpiece according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining ring (14, 34) has a circular cross-section. Earpiece according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing ring (14, 34) is vulcanized into the earpiece (10, 30). Earpiece according to one of the preceding claims, which is made of silicone. External handset (19) of a behind-the-ear hearing aid, to which an earpiece (10, 30) according to one of the preceding claims is attached.

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