EP3849213B1 - Loudspeaker box and hearing aid - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a loudspeaker box which is set up and provided in particular for use in a hearing aid. Furthermore, the invention relates to such a hearing aid.

Hearing aids, particularly in the form of hearing aids, are used by people with impaired hearing to at least partially compensate for their hearing loss. For this purpose, hearing aids usually include at least one microphone for detecting noises from the environment, a signal processor for processing the detected noises, mostly hearing loss-specific, e.g. frequency-selective filtering and/or amplification, and an output converter for transmitting the processed noises to the person's hearing. Output converters in the form of loudspeakers are usually used for the acoustic output of the processed noises. Alternatively - especially in the case of specific types of hearing loss (damage to the middle ear or the like) - bone conduction headphones or cochlear implants are also used for mechanical or electrical stimulation of the hearing.

Particularly in the case of a comparatively advanced hearing loss, high amplification values are sometimes required for the acoustic output of the processed noises. Loudness values of around 120 dBSPL (or even more) may also be required. In these cases, sound-sensitive components of the hearing device, in particular the or the respective microphone, must be protected from sound waves emanating from such a loudspeaker—both in the form of airborne noise and in the form of structure-borne noise. In addition, so-called loudspeaker boxes are usually used, which have an additional housing for the loudspeaker within the actual hearing aid housing, in order to encapsulate the loudspeaker in particular in an airtight manner from the rest of the interior of the housing. The loudspeaker in this loudspeaker box is also regularly mounted in a vibration-reducing manner, for example by means of an elastomer (for example rubber or the like). Loudspeaker boxes of this type are, for example, integrated into the “normal” hearing device housing or are designed as separate structural units that are preassembled as a preassembled unit and then installed in the hearing device housing. In any case, the fluid-tight sealing of the loudspeaker box presents a certain problem. This is partly solved by gluing or welding the loudspeaker box.

Out of EP 2 723 100 A1 a miniature loudspeaker is known which is arranged in a loudspeaker cover which, when used as intended, is to be worn separately from the actual hearing aid body in the auditory canal. Out of EP 2 753 102 A1 describes a hearing aid to be worn in the auditory canal, the loudspeaker of which is mounted in an earpiece by means of a flexible material. US2017/0094422 A1 shows a hearing aid in which the loudspeaker is mounted in a housing, the housing being composed of two halves. The two halves of the case have mechanical structures that allow for a detachable connection.

The invention is based on the object of specifying an improved loudspeaker box.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a hearing device with the features of claim 1. Advantageous and partly inventive embodiments and further developments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims and the following description.

The hearing device according to the invention, in particular a hearing aid device, has a loudspeaker box described below. Furthermore, the hearing aid also has a loudspeaker accommodated in the loudspeaker box and a hearing aid housing in which further components, namely a signal processor and at least one microphone and the loudspeaker box, are mounted.

The hearing aid therefore has the features described below in connection with the loudspeaker box and the advantages resulting therefrom.

The loudspeaker box is consequently set up and provided for use in the hearing device, preferably in the hearing aid device. In this case, the loudspeaker box has a pot-like bottom shell of the box, which delimits a box interior for at least partially accommodating a loudspeaker. In addition, the speaker box has a pot-like top box shell which, when the speaker box is properly installed, is placed on the bottom box shell, overlapping part of its pot height, to close the box interior and enclose the speaker. The bottom shell of the box and the top shell of the box form a fluid-tight closure of the interior of the box in the region of their overlap using a material with increased elasticity compared to the bottom shell of the box and/or the top shell of the box. In addition, the bottom shell of the box and the top shell of the box are reversibly non-destructively releasably connected to one another in the intended assembly state.

The term “pot-like” is understood here and in the following in particular to mean that the box lower shell and the box top shell have wall sections which delimit the box interior in five mutually perpendicular spatial directions. Here and in the following, “pot height” means in particular the length of the wall sections of the respective box shell that form the “pot side walls” and extend at least roughly or approximately at right angles from a wall section that forms a base piece.

Due to the reversible and non-destructive disassembly option, the loudspeaker can advantageously be subjected to maintenance, for example, in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner. Nevertheless, due to the use of the material with increased elasticity, a permanent, fluid-tight closure of the interior of the box is provided.

In an expedient embodiment, the box top shell itself is formed from the material with increased elasticity, in particular from an elastomer. The box top shell is preferably made of a (sufficient elasticity, ie in particular higher elasticity than conventional duroplastic or thermoplastic Plastics, having) "hard rubber" or a comparable "rigid" elastomer formed. This material, in particular the hard rubber or the elastomer, preferably has a Shore A hardness of 50-90, preferably 50-70. A fluoroelastomer is preferably used. This advantageously provides comparatively high dimensional stability and strength, for example for stable installation in a superordinate device housing, for example a hearing aid housing. More preferably, the box top shell also forms an interference fit (also referred to as a press fit) with the box bottom shell. This enables a self-retaining, non-positive and also sealing connection between the box bottom shell and the box top shell.

In a further expedient embodiment, the lower shell of the box is made of a plastic with increased rigidity, e.g. B. a fiber-reinforced, in particular a (short) glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic or an unreinforced high-performance plastic such. B. polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or formed of a metal. This rigid design of the box bottom shell represents a dimensionally stable counterpart for the box top shell and thus enables a permanently tight connection of the box bottom shell to the box top shell. In addition, the total weight of the speaker box can be increased, in particular by the choice of metal (possibly also a comparatively high density and/or filled plastic), which in turn is advantageous for reducing the transmission of speaker vibrations in the form of structure-borne noise.

Although the "heavy" design of the loudspeaker box described above can already dampen the transmission of structure-borne noise from the loudspeaker to surrounding device components, in an additional or alternative embodiment the loudspeaker is in the intended installed state for (possibly further) vibration damping by means of elastic mounting means in relation to the lower shell of the box and/or the upper shell of the box is stored in the interior of the box. In particular, the loudspeaker is supported in at least four, preferably five or six different spatial directions in the interior of the box. As a result, on the one hand, frequently occurring manufacturing tolerances can advantageously be accommodated between the loudspeaker box and the loudspeaker can be compensated, which in turn enables production with wider tolerances and thus also lower production costs. On the other hand, the loudspeaker can also be prevented from hitting the loudspeaker box.

In a further advantageous embodiment, at least one sealing element made of the above-described elastic material or another material with increased elasticity is interposed in the area of the overlap between the box lower shell and the box top shell when the loudspeaker box is in the intended assembly state. This sealing element serves at least to support the formation of the fluid-tight closure of the interior of the box, in particular when the box cover shell is formed from the elastic material described above. In an optional variant, when this sealing element is used, the box top shell is (also) made of a stiff material, e.g. B. from a plastic of the type described above (to the box bottom shell) or from a metal (optionally made of the same material as the box bottom shell) formed. In the latter case in particular, the interior of the box is sealed as a result of clamping and elastic deformation of the sealing element between the lower box shell and the box top shell. Here, the sealing element also serves in particular for the non-positive attachment of the box top shell to the box bottom shell, preferably by having a material thickness that exceeds an assembly gap between the box top shell and the box bottom shell.

In an expedient development, the sealing element described above is formed integrally with the above-mentioned bearing means. This advantageously reduces the number of individual parts and thus simplifies assembly.

The bearing means are preferably formed by pyramid-like knobs (that is, for example having the shape of a tetrahedron, a square or polygonal pyramid, but also a cone), on the tips of which the loudspeaker is mounted rests in the intended assembly state (and this is regularly at least slightly deformed).

In an expedient further development, these nubs protrude on the inside from an annular band which forms the sealing element which is preferably integrally connected to the nubs. In addition, the nubs protrude into the interior of the box from an outside through corresponding openings in the lower shell of the box in the intended assembly state. Correspondingly, in this case, the ring band rests on an outer surface of the lower shell of the box and preferably seals the openings (also referred to as windows) from the outside. More preferably, the openings are positioned in the area of the bottom shell of the box in which the top shell of the box overlaps the bottom shell of the box in the intended assembly state. As a result, in the intended assembly state, the nubs are supported indirectly via the ring band against the inner surface of the box top shell.

In an expedient embodiment, the bottom shell of the box or the top shell of the box has a sound passage opening. During intended operation of the loudspeaker, this results in a targeted emission of airborne sound, preferably into a sound channel, for example a sound tube or the like, coupled to the sound passage opening (preferably airtight transversely to its longitudinal extension).

The term "positive connection" or a "positive connection" between at least two parts connected to one another is understood here and in the following in particular to mean that the parts connected to one another are prevented from sliding off one another due to a frictional force acting between them. If there is no "connecting force" that causes this frictional force (ie the force that presses the parts against each other, e.g. a screw force or the weight itself, in this case in particular a clamping force between the box bottom shell and the box top shell due to an oversize fit and/or the intermediate storage of the sealing element), the non-positive connection cannot be maintained and can therefore be loosened.

The conjunction "and/or" is to be understood here and in the following in particular such that the features linked by means of this conjunction can be configured both together and as alternatives to one another.

Fig. 1

in einer schematischen Darstellung ein Hörgerät,

Fig. 2

in einer schematischen Perspektivansicht eine Lautsprecherbox für einen Lautsprecher des Hörgeräts,

Fig. 3

die Lautsprecherbox in einer schematischen Explosionsdarstellung,

Fig. 4, 5

in einem schematischen Längsschnitt IV-IV und Querschnitt V-V die Lautsprecherbox in einem bestimmungsgemäßen Montagezustand,

Fig. 6

in einer schematischen Seitenansicht eine Boxunterschale der Lautsprecherbox,

Fig. 7

in einer schematischen Draufsicht ein Lagerungselement für den Lautsprecher, und

Fig. 8

in Ansicht gemäß Fig. 4 ein alternatives Ausführungsbeispiel der Lautsprecherbox.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. Show in it:

1

in a schematic representation a hearing aid,

2

in a schematic perspective view a loudspeaker box for a loudspeaker of the hearing aid,

3

the loudspeaker box in a schematic exploded view,

Figures 4, 5

in a schematic longitudinal section IV-IV and cross section VV the loudspeaker box in an intended assembly state,

6

in a schematic side view a box bottom shell of the loudspeaker box,

7

in a schematic top view, a bearing element for the loudspeaker, and

8

in view according to 4 an alternative embodiment of the speaker box.

Corresponding parts are always provided with the same reference symbols in all figures.

In 1 a hearing device 1, specifically a hearing aid device, is shown schematically. The hearing aid 1 has a hearing aid housing 2 to be worn behind the ear of a user, which is designed to accommodate electronic components of the hearing aid 1, e.g. B. microphones 4, a signal processor 6 and a speaker 8 is set up. The hearing device 1 has a sound tube 10 coupled to the hearing device housing 2 in order to forward acoustic signals emitted by the loudspeaker 8 to the hearing of the user. For energy supply of the electronic components, a battery 12, optionally a rechargeable battery or a primary cell, is also accommodated in the hearing aid housing 2.

The hearing device 1 is one that emits acoustic output signals with a comparatively high volume value (greater than 90 or 100 dBSPL) in order to provide users with a correspondingly severe hearing impairment. Due to the high sound power of the loudspeaker 8, it is necessary to protect the microphones 4 in particular against feedback from the sound emitted by the loudspeaker 8—both in the form of airborne noise and structure-borne noise (i.e. vibrations emanating from the loudspeaker 8). For this purpose, the hearing aid 1 has a loudspeaker box 14 which is arranged inside the hearing aid housing 2 and which surrounds the loudspeaker 8 in such a way that airborne sound is prevented from being emitted into the interior of the hearing aid housing 2 . The loudspeaker box 14 is in fluid communication only with the sound tube 10 via a sound passage opening 16 .

In the illustrated embodiment, the loudspeaker box 14 (cf. also 2 ) is manufactured separately from the hearing device housing 2 and is therefore installed in it. The loudspeaker box 14 has a lower box shell 18 (cf. Figures 2 to 6 ), in the intended state of assembly (cf. 4 ) the speaker 8 is included. The bottom shell 18 of the box is pot-like, ie it is completely open in only one spatial direction in order to accommodate the loudspeaker 8 in a box interior 20 defined by the bottom shell 18 of the box. In contrast, the other five spatial directions are (at least partially) covered by (side) wall sections of the lower shell 18 of the box. The sound passage opening 16 is arranged in a base piece 22 of the lower shell 18 of the box. For fluid-tight sealing of the box interior 20 (apart from the sound passage opening 16), the loudspeaker box 14 has a box cover shell 24--likewise designed in the manner of a pot. This is pushed onto the lower box shell 18 in the intended assembly state and partially overlaps it.

In the embodiment according to 2 If the box bottom shell 18 is injection molded from a technical, rigid plastic (e.g. a polyamide, an acrylic butadiene styrene or a polyphenylene sulfide; possibly fiber-reinforced in each case) and the box top shell 24 is made from a plastic that is elastic in comparison, specifically a comparatively stiff elastomer, e.g a fluoroelastomer and/or an elastomer having at least 50-70 Shore A hardness. The box cover shell 24 is manufactured with undersize in terms of its inner dimensions (specifically in the area of the "pot rim") compared to the corresponding outer dimensions of the box lower shell 18 . This results in an interference fit or press fit between the box bottom shell 18 and the box top shell 24, which—due to the comparatively elastic material of the box top shell 24—leads to a fluid-tight and non-positive connection of the two. A material-to-material connection (welding, gluing), for example, which can hardly be detached without destroying it, can therefore be omitted. Thus, the box top shell 24 can be reversibly removed from the box bottom shell 18 . The speaker 8 arranged in the box interior 20 can be serviced in a simple manner.

In order to dampen vibrations, the loudspeaker 8 is also mounted in the interior 20 of the box by means of mounting means formed from an elastomer, here in the form of pyramid-like nubs 26 in the intended installed state. These nubs 26 are formed on two ring bands 28 protruding on the inside. In the intended state of assembly, the ring bands 28 lie on the outside on an overlapping area 30 of the box lower shell 18 with the box top shell 24 . In this overlapping area 30, the bottom shell 18 of the box is perforated; specifically, several windows 32 are formed in it, which form openings into the interior of the box 20 and are spaced apart from one another by webs 34. The knobs 26 protrude through the windows 32 into the interior 20 of the box. The box top shell 24 presses against the ring bands 28 from the outside (see Fig. 4 ) and thus forms the abutment for the nubs 26. The ring bands can also additionally assume a sealing function between the box top shell 24 and the box bottom shell 18.

The speaker 8 is designed as a so-called double speaker in the illustrated embodiment. In concrete terms, the loudspeaker 8 has two individual loudspeakers coupled to one another. A common sound outlet socket 36 is connected to the sound passage opening 16 via a piece of tubing 38 in the intended assembly state.

In 8 an alternative embodiment of the speaker box 14 is shown. The bearing means for mounting the loudspeaker 8 in the interior 20 of the box are formed by a covering 40 which is formed from an elastomer and which partially envelops the loudspeaker 8 like a stocking. An annular sealing strip 42 is formed onto the cover 40 and rests on the outside of the lower shell 18 of the box in the intended assembly state. The box top shell 24 is dimensioned in such a way that a clamping force is exerted on the sealing strip 42 which enables the fluid-tight connection on the one hand and the non-positive connection of the box top shell 24 to the box bottom shell 18 on the other. The hose piece 38 is not shown here.

In a variant of the embodiment according to 8 For example, the box top shell 24 is also formed of a rigid material such as the aforementioned engineering plastics or a metal.

The subject matter of the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

Reference List

1

hearing aid

2

hearing aid housing

4

microphone

6

signal processor

8th

speaker

10

sound tube

12

battery

14

speaker box

16

sound passage opening

18

box bottom shell

20

box interior

22

ground piece

24

box deck shell

26

nub

28

ring band

30

overlap area

32

Window

34

web

36

sound outlet socket

38

piece of tubing

40

coating

42

sealing tape

Claims (9)

1. Hearing aid (1), having

   - a hearing aid housing (2),

   - a loudspeaker box (14) which is mounted in the hearing aid housing (2),

   - a loudspeaker (8) accommodated in the loudspeaker box (14),

   - a signal processor (6) mounted in the hearing aid housing (2), and

   - at least one microphone (4) mounted in the hearing aid housing (2),
   wherein the loudspeaker box (14) has

   - a cup-like box bottom shell (18), which delimits a box interior (20) for at least partially receiving a loudspeaker (8), and

   - a cup-like box cover shell (24), which, in the intended assembly state of the loudspeaker box (14), is placed on the box bottom shell (18) overlapping it for a part of its cup height to close the box interior (20) and to house the loudspeaker (8),

   wherein, in the intended assembly state, the box bottom shell (18) and the box cover shell (24) form a fluid-tight termination of the box interior (20) in the region of their overlap with use of a material increased in its elasticity in relation to the box bottom shell (18) and/or the box cover shell (24), and wherein the box bottom shell (18) and the box cover shell (24) are reversibly connected to one another in a nondestructively releasable manner in the intended assembly state.
2. Hearing aid (1) according to Claim 1,
   wherein the box cover shell (24) is formed from the material having increased elasticity, in particular from an elastomer, and in particular forms an interference fit with the box bottom shell (18).
3. Hearing aid (1) according to Claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the box bottom shell (18) is formed from a plastic having increased rigidity or from a metal.
4. Hearing aid (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3,
   wherein the loudspeaker (8) is mounted by means of elastic mounting means (26, 40) in relation to the box bottom shell (18) and/or the box cover shell (24) in the box interior (20) in the intended assembly state for vibration damping.
5. Hearing aid (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 4,
   wherein, in the intended assembly state, the box bottom shell (18) and the box cover shell (24), at least in the region of their overlap, have a seal element (28, 42) made of the or a further material having increased elasticity mounted between them at least to assist the formation of the fluid-tight termination of the box interior (20).
6. Hearing aid (1) according to Claim 4 and 5,
   wherein the seal element (28, 42) is integrally formed with the mounting means (26, 40).
7. Hearing aid (1) according to any one of Claims 4 to 6,
   wherein the mounting means are formed by pyramidal nubs (26), on the tips of which the loudspeaker (8) rests in the intended assembly state.
8. Hearing aid (1) according to Claim 6 and 7,
   wherein the nubs (26) protrude on the inside from a ring strip (28) forming the seal element and in the intended assembly state protrude from an outside through corresponding passages (32) in the box bottom shell (18) into the box interior (20).
9. Hearing aid (1) according to any one of Claims 1 to 8,
   wherein the box bottom shell (18) or the box cover shell (24) has a sound passage opening (16), through which a deliberate emission of airborne sound takes place in the intended operation of the loudspeaker (8) .

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