EP4195706A1 - Hörgerät - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP4195706A1
EP4195706A1 EP23153281.3A EP23153281A EP4195706A1 EP 4195706 A1 EP4195706 A1 EP 4195706A1 EP 23153281 A EP23153281 A EP 23153281A EP 4195706 A1 EP4195706 A1 EP 4195706A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hearing aid
aid housing
locking plug
plug
housing
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.)
Pending
Application number
EP23153281.3A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Jan Johansen
Henrik Nielsen
Finn Hansen
Thomas Stubbe Teglbjærg
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.)
GN Hearing AS
Original Assignee
GN Hearing AS
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 GN Hearing AS filed Critical GN Hearing AS
Priority to EP23153281.3A priority Critical patent/EP4195706A1/de
Publication of EP4195706A1 publication Critical patent/EP4195706A1/de
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
    • H01R13/627—Snap or like fastening
    • H01R13/6278—Snap or like fastening comprising a pin snapping into a recess
    • 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
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/607—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of earhooks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/021—Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
    • H04R2225/0213—Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/57—Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to the field of hearing aid devices.
  • a hearing aid device may include a hearing aid housing, a microphone for converting sound into an audio input signal, and a signal processing unit adapted for processing the audio input signal into an audio output signal.
  • a hearing aid may also include a sound emitter sized for being arranged in the ear canal of a human being. In some cases, the sound emitter (ear plug) may be arranged on one end of a conductor adapted for transmitting sound or electrical signal to the sound emitter.
  • each component be produced with very fine tolerances in order to provide the best fit between the individual components. This is, for example, due to the importance of avoiding that badly interconnected or assembled components may give rise to undesirable noises reducing the quality of the sound heard by the person wearing the hearing aid device. On the other hand such high requirements to the quality of the components may increase the production costs significantly and therefore it is a constantly recurring challenge to design hearing aid devices providing the best possible sound quality per production cost unit.
  • this is achieved by having the hearing aid housing the frame structure and the locking plug mutually adapted so that at least a part of said locking plug locking the connector plug in the socket, also interlocks the frame structure and the hearing aid housing in its inserted position.
  • the connector plug, the hearing aid housing and the frame are mutually interconnected by a single component providing the option of concentrating the required fine production tolerances in this component and in the areas of the other components (the frame and the hearing aid housing) abutting the locking plug.
  • This further provides the option of producing other parts of these components with relatively rough tolerances and at the same time keeping a good fit between the components.
  • hearing aid devices e.g. the so called RITE "Receiver In The Ear” or the RIC “Receiver In Canal” type hearing aid device
  • the sound emitter comprises a receiver configured for receiving said audio output signal from said signal processing unit
  • the connector socket comprises conductor comprises electrical wiring configured for conducting said audio output signal to the receiver
  • hearing aid devices e.g. the so called BTE "Behind The Ear” type hearing aid
  • a receiver configured for receiving said audio output signal from said signal processing unit, is arranged in the inner space in the hearing aid housing and connected to said connector socket and producing an output sound signal through the connector socket to said conductor comprising a tube configured for conducting said output sound signal from the connector socket and to the sound emitter.
  • the locking plug has the shape of a "U" comprising a first leg and a second leg and an intermediate section connecting the first and the second leg.
  • the first leg may form the above mentioned first part of the locking plug locking the connector plug in the socket, and the second leg may interlock the frame structure and the housing.
  • the locking plug comprises a surface being visible from outside the hearing aid housing when it is inserted in the hearing aid housing, and the colour of said surface on the locking plug differs from the colour of the hearing aid housing.
  • the hearing aid housing may comprise a concave surface, and the hearing aid housing and the locking plug being configured so that the visible surface on the locking plug is flush with said concave surface on the hearing aid housing.
  • the wearer normally carries the hearing aid so that the concave side of the hearing aid housing faces the his ear, then this embodiment, and especially if the visible surface is completely surrounded by the concave surface, provides the option of wearing the hearing aid housing so that the visible surface on the locking plug is not visible for others.
  • the skilled person will in this relation easily recognize that the principle of having the visible surface of the locking plug completely surrounded by the concave surface of the hearing aid housing can be used in relation to most other BTE type hearing aids independently of the above mentioned embodiments.
  • the hearing aid may further comprise two locking plugs of the above mentioned kind being shaped substantially identical so that the two locking plugs are interchangeable.
  • the visible surface on the locking plugs may be different, e.g. having different respective identification features.
  • colors such as red and green or different ornamentation such as an "L" and an "R" shaped ornamentation, would enable the user to easily identify the hearing aid housing that is to be placed behind his left or right ear.
  • the locking plugs may have different respective textures or surface finishes.
  • the visible parts of the locking plugs may have different respective shapes. The skilled person will in this relation easily recognize that the principle of having locking plugs with different visible surfaces can be used in relation to most other BTE type hearing aids independently of the above mentioned embodiments.
  • the locking plug is configured so that the part that mutually interlocks said frame structure and said housing, comprises two resilient legs extending on opposite sides of the connector plug in its locked position in the connector socket.
  • the resilient legs and/or the connector plug may advantageously comprise oblique surfaces arranged so that the resilient legs are forced away from each other if the locking plug is mounted in the hearing aid housing when the connector plug is inserted into the connector socket.
  • a hearing aid device includes: a hearing aid housing surrounding an inner space; a frame structure arranged in the inner space of the hearing aid housing, the frame structure configured for mounting at least a microphone for converting sound into an audio input signal, and a signal processing unit configured for providing an audio output signal based on the audio input signal; a sound emitter sized for being arranged in an ear canal of a human being; a conductor configured for transmitting output sound or an output electrical signal to the sound emitter, wherein the sound emitter is arranged on a first end of the conductor; a connector socket arranged in the frame structure, wherein the hearing aid housing comprises a passage located in front of the connector socket; a connector plug arranged on a second end of the conductor, the connector plug being configured for insertion through the passage of the hearing aid housing for connection to the connector socket, a recess at an outer surface of the connector plug; and a locking plug configured for being inserted from outside of the hearing aid housing so that a first part of the locking plug extends through a housing opening at the
  • the conductor is configured to transmit the output electrical signal, not the output sound
  • the sound emitter comprises a receiver configured for receiving the output electrical signal transmitted via wiring in the conductor.
  • the conductor is configured to transmit the output sound, not the output electrical signal; wherein the hearing aid further comprises a receiver arranged in the hearing aid housing, the receiver configured to provide the output sound to the conductor for transmission to the sound emitter through the conductor.
  • the locking plug has a U-shape, and comprises a first leg, a second leg, and an intermediate section connecting the first leg and the second leg, wherein the first leg comprises the first part of the locking plug, and wherein the second leg is configured to interlock the frame structure and the hearing aid housing relative to each other.
  • the locking plug comprises an exterior surface visible from outside the hearing aid housing when the locking plug is inserted in the hearing aid housing, and wherein the exterior surface of the locking plug has a color that is different from a color of the hearing aid housing.
  • the hearing aid housing comprises a concave surface, and the exterior surface of the locking plug is flush with the concave surface of the hearing aid housing when the locking plug is inserted in the hearing aid housing.
  • the exterior surface of the locking plug is surrounded by the concave surface of the hearing aid housing.
  • the hearing aid device further include an additional locking plug, wherein the locking plug and the additional locking plug are interchangeable, and have different respective identification features.
  • the first part of the locking plug comprises two resilient legs extending on opposite sides of the connector plug when the connector plug is connected to the connector socket.
  • the resilient legs are displaceable away from each other when the locking plug is being mounted to the hearing aid housing.
  • the first part of the locking plug when the locking plug is inserted from the outside of the hearing aid housing, the first part of the locking plug also extends through an opening at the frame structure.
  • the connector plug is also configured to lock the frame structure relative to the hearing aid housing.
  • figure 1 shows a hearing aid device of the BTE (Behind The Ear) or the RITE (Receiver In The Ear) type.
  • the hearing aid device has a hearing aid housing 1 and a separate sound emitter 2 connected to the hearing aid housing via a conductor 3 being releasably plugged into the hearing aid housing 1 via a connector plug 4.
  • a locking plug 6 is inserted into the hearing aid housing through an opening arranged in a concave surface 5 on the outside of the hearing aid housing 1.
  • the hearing aid housing encloses a frame structure 7 providing a secure support for mounting various functional components of hearing aid devices, such as a microphone arranged for converting exterior sound into an audio input signal and a signal processing unit 8 configured for processing the audio input signal according to a hearing loss of a user of the hearing device into an audio output signal.
  • various functional components of hearing aid devices such as a microphone arranged for converting exterior sound into an audio input signal and a signal processing unit 8 configured for processing the audio input signal according to a hearing loss of a user of the hearing device into an audio output signal.
  • these and other functional components may be mounted to the frame 7 in many different ways and positions, then most of these components are not shown in these drawings.
  • the hearing aid housing 1 also encloses a receiver 19 configured for converting the audio output signal from the signal processing unit (not shown in this drawing) into an output sound
  • the conductor 3 is a tube configured for transmitting the output sound to the sound emitter 2 (not shown in this drawing).
  • the receiver (not shown) configured for converting the audio output signal (output electrical signal) from the signal processing unit 8 into an output sound is arranged in the sound emitter 2 shown on figure 1 , and the conductor 3 is in this embodiment configured for transmitting, e.g. with electrical wiring 9, the audio output signal (output electrical signal) to the receiver arranged in the sound emitter 2.
  • the locking plug 6 both in the BTE and the RITE version shown in figures 2, 2a, 2b and figures 3, 3a, 3b respectively, has a U-shaped configuration with a first leg 10 and a second leg 11 and an intermediate portion extending between the first leg 10 and the second leg 11 and the intermediate portion forms the visible surface 12 on the locking plug 6.
  • This provides the option of providing different ornamentation or colouring on the visible surface 12 on the intermediate portion of the locking plug 6 in order e.g., to show information, such as a left/right indication, to the user. Due to the fact that the visible surface 12 on the locking plug 6 is arranged on the concave surface or side 5 of the hearing aid housing 1, then this information will be concealed for others, due to the fact that the concave surface or side 5 most often faces the ear of the user carrying the hearing aid housing behind the ear.
  • the first leg 10 extends into a first slot 13 in the frame structure 7 and the second leg 11 extends into a second slot 14 in the frame structure 7 so that the intermediate portion is held in a fixed position extending between the two slots. Due to the locking plug 6 being fixed with respect to the frame structure 7, and the intermediate portion fitting snugly into an opening in the hearing aid housing 1, then the hearing aid housing 1 is thereby fixed by the locking plug 6 with respect to the frame structure 7.
  • the connector plug 4 is inserted into the hearing aid housing 1 where it is connected to the connector socket 15.
  • the free end of the second leg 11 on the locking plug 6 is formed by two resilient legs 17, 18 that extends via the second slot 14 into the connector socket 15 formed in the frame structure 7, and so that each resilient leg 17, 18 engages with a recess 16 on opposite sides of the connector plug 4 and thereby locks the connector plug 4 in its inserted position in the connector socket 15.
  • both the first leg 10 and the second leg 11 of the locking plug 6 are inserted into respective openings at the frame structure 7.
  • only one of the legs 10, 11 is inserted into an opening at the frame structure 7.
  • the first leg 10 may be inserted through a housing opening at the hearing aid housing to reach the connector plug 4. In such case, the frame structure 7 does not have an opening for allowing the first leg 10 to extend therethrough.
  • the locking plug 6 may not include the second leg 11.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
EP23153281.3A 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät Pending EP4195706A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP23153281.3A EP4195706A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP23153281.3A EP4195706A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät
EP15153165.4A EP3051842A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15153165.4A Division EP3051842A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4195706A1 true EP4195706A1 (de) 2023-06-14

Family

ID=52423651

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15153165.4A Ceased EP3051842A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät
EP23153281.3A Pending EP4195706A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15153165.4A Ceased EP3051842A1 (de) 2015-01-30 2015-01-30 Hörgerät

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (2) EP3051842A1 (de)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20080212813A1 (en) * 2007-03-01 2008-09-04 Holger Kral Snap-on fastening device for hearing device
US20080260193A1 (en) * 2005-10-17 2008-10-23 Widex A/S interchangeable acoustic system for a hearing aid, and a hearing aid
US20090074218A1 (en) * 2007-09-19 2009-03-19 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. System for Hearing Assistance Device Including Receiver in the Canal
EP2107830A2 (de) * 2008-03-31 2009-10-07 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur echten Ohrmessung für Empfänger-im-Gehörgang-Vorrichtungen
US20090304216A1 (en) 2007-02-08 2009-12-10 Widex A/S Receiver in the ear (rite) component for a hearing aid
US20130004005A1 (en) * 2010-02-22 2013-01-03 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Connector for a hearing instrument and hearing instrument
US20140079262A1 (en) 2011-05-04 2014-03-20 Phonak Ag Hearing device comprising a locking mechanism for an external connector and method thereof

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20080260193A1 (en) * 2005-10-17 2008-10-23 Widex A/S interchangeable acoustic system for a hearing aid, and a hearing aid
US20090304216A1 (en) 2007-02-08 2009-12-10 Widex A/S Receiver in the ear (rite) component for a hearing aid
US20080212813A1 (en) * 2007-03-01 2008-09-04 Holger Kral Snap-on fastening device for hearing device
US20090074218A1 (en) * 2007-09-19 2009-03-19 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. System for Hearing Assistance Device Including Receiver in the Canal
US8385573B2 (en) 2007-09-19 2013-02-26 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. System for hearing assistance device including receiver in the canal
EP2107830A2 (de) * 2008-03-31 2009-10-07 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur echten Ohrmessung für Empfänger-im-Gehörgang-Vorrichtungen
US20130004005A1 (en) * 2010-02-22 2013-01-03 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Connector for a hearing instrument and hearing instrument
US20140079262A1 (en) 2011-05-04 2014-03-20 Phonak Ag Hearing device comprising a locking mechanism for an external connector and method thereof

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP3051842A1 (de) 2016-08-03

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