GB2091063A - Hearing aid - Google Patents

Hearing aid Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2091063A
GB2091063A GB8100919A GB8100919A GB2091063A GB 2091063 A GB2091063 A GB 2091063A GB 8100919 A GB8100919 A GB 8100919A GB 8100919 A GB8100919 A GB 8100919A GB 2091063 A GB2091063 A GB 2091063A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
component
cushioning material
hearing aid
external
tubular component
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8100919A
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.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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 Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB8100919A priority Critical patent/GB2091063A/en
Publication of GB2091063A publication Critical patent/GB2091063A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • H04R25/658—Manufacture of housing parts
    • 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
    • H04R25/656—Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal

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)

Abstract

A hearing aid has a tubular component for insertion into the external auditory canal and on the external surface of which is adhesively secured a band of cushioning material to alleviate sound waves propagating between the component and the canal. The cushioning material may be coated with water resistant material. A water resistant layer may be interposed between the cushioning material and the adhesive.

Description

SPECIFICATION A hearing aid This invention relates to a hearing aid of the type in which a tubular component is inserted into the external auditory canal of the ear and which component facilitates the propagation of sound waves therethrough to the ear drum.
Tubular components for hearing aids as aforementioned are conventionally of a plastics moulded structure having a frusto conical portion which is received within the external auditory canal and a flange portion which is accommodated within the pinna; generally the frusto conical portion is moulded to approximate in shape to the part of the external canal within which it is received. It has also been proposed in my co-pending Application No.
80 41005 to provide a tubular hearing aid component of a hardenable, preferably hydrophylic, material which is inserted into the external auditory canal in a relatively soft pliable condition and hardens to a rigid or semi rigid structure (preferably in a shape which conforms to the profile of the walls of the external canal). With these forms oftubular hearing aids, particularly the conventionally plastics moulded component and, possibly to a lesser extent, with my proposed component of hydrophylic material, it is possible for a small gap to be formed between the external surface of the component and the opposed internal surface of the external auditory canal.The effect of this gap is that sound waves may be propagated therethrough to the ear drum (as well as through the tubular component) and the consequences of this one the wearer can be to provide the disadvantages of a whistling sound or echo effect. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hearing aid by which the aforementioned disadvantages are alleviated.
According to the present invention there is provided a hearing aid which comprises a tubular component for insertion into the external auditory canal and through which sound waves are to be propagated to the ear drum and on the external surface of which component is provided a layer of cushioning material for location, at least in part, within the external auditory canal when the tubular component is fitted to the ear and to alleviate the propagation of sound waves to the ear drum along the exterior of the component.
The cushioning material should have characteristics which are comfortable to the wearer of the hearing aid, for example it is preferably of a soft nature which will not prove an irritant. Desirably the cushioning material whilst being soft to accommodate to the shape of the external canal and thereby provide a good fit and insulation against extraneous noises, preferably provides a high coefficient of friction to assist in retention of the tubular component in the ear. Preferablythe cushioning material is formed by a soft pliable leather such as that which is commonly known as a "sham my-leather". The cushioning material will usually be adhesively secured to the tubular component, preferably by a water resistant adhesive which permits the tubular component to be washed with the cushioning material attached.
Alternatively, or in addition, a layer of water resistant material may be interposed between the cushioning material and an adhesive by which the cushioning material is secured to the tubular component.
The cushioning material may be water absorbent or coated with a water resistant material and may be dyed for cosmetic purposes if it is likely to be visible on the wearer. It is not essential that the cushioning material extends over the whole length of the tubular component which is received within the external canal, for example, a band of approximately 4 millimetres width of such material may be located on the tubular component for seating within the external canal at the end thereof adjacent to the pinna.
1. A hearing aid which comprises a tubular component for insertion into the external auditory canal and through which sound waves are to be propagated to the ear drum and on the external surface of which component is provided a layer of cushioning material for location, at least in part, within the external auditory canal when the tubular component is fitted to the ear and to alleviate the propagation of sound waves to the ear drum along the exterior of the component.
2. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 in which the cushioning material is sufficiently soft to accommodate to the shape of the external canal and provides a high coefficient of friction for assisting in retention of the tubular component in the ear.
3. A hearing aid as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 in which the cushioning material comprises a soft pliable leather.
4. A hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the cushioning material is adhesively secured to the tubular component.
5. A hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the cushioning material is in the form of a band which exists around the tubular component for seating within the external canal at the end thereof adjacent to the pinna.
6. A hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the tubular component comprises a plastics moulding having a frusto conical portion to be receifed within the external auditory canal and a flange portion which is accommodated within the pinna.
7. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described.
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A hearing aid This invention relates to a hearing aid of the type in which a tubular component is inserted into the external auditory canal of the ear and which component facilitates the propagation of sound waves therethrough to the ear drum. Tubular components for hearing aids as aforementioned are conventionally of a plastics moulded structure having a frusto conical portion which is received within the external auditory canal and a flange portion which is accommodated within the pinna; generally the frusto conical portion is moulded to approximate in shape to the part of the external canal within which it is received. It has also been proposed in my co-pending Application No. 80 41005 to provide a tubular hearing aid component of a hardenable, preferably hydrophylic, material which is inserted into the external auditory canal in a relatively soft pliable condition and hardens to a rigid or semi rigid structure (preferably in a shape which conforms to the profile of the walls of the external canal). With these forms oftubular hearing aids, particularly the conventionally plastics moulded component and, possibly to a lesser extent, with my proposed component of hydrophylic material, it is possible for a small gap to be formed between the external surface of the component and the opposed internal surface of the external auditory canal.The effect of this gap is that sound waves may be propagated therethrough to the ear drum (as well as through the tubular component) and the consequences of this one the wearer can be to provide the disadvantages of a whistling sound or echo effect. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hearing aid by which the aforementioned disadvantages are alleviated. According to the present invention there is provided a hearing aid which comprises a tubular component for insertion into the external auditory canal and through which sound waves are to be propagated to the ear drum and on the external surface of which component is provided a layer of cushioning material for location, at least in part, within the external auditory canal when the tubular component is fitted to the ear and to alleviate the propagation of sound waves to the ear drum along the exterior of the component. The cushioning material should have characteristics which are comfortable to the wearer of the hearing aid, for example it is preferably of a soft nature which will not prove an irritant. Desirably the cushioning material whilst being soft to accommodate to the shape of the external canal and thereby provide a good fit and insulation against extraneous noises, preferably provides a high coefficient of friction to assist in retention of the tubular component in the ear. Preferablythe cushioning material is formed by a soft pliable leather such as that which is commonly known as a "sham my-leather". The cushioning material will usually be adhesively secured to the tubular component, preferably by a water resistant adhesive which permits the tubular component to be washed with the cushioning material attached. Alternatively, or in addition, a layer of water resistant material may be interposed between the cushioning material and an adhesive by which the cushioning material is secured to the tubular component. The cushioning material may be water absorbent or coated with a water resistant material and may be dyed for cosmetic purposes if it is likely to be visible on the wearer. It is not essential that the cushioning material extends over the whole length of the tubular component which is received within the external canal, for example, a band of approximately 4 millimetres width of such material may be located on the tubular component for seating within the external canal at the end thereof adjacent to the pinna. CLAIMS
1. A hearing aid which comprises a tubular component for insertion into the external auditory canal and through which sound waves are to be propagated to the ear drum and on the external surface of which component is provided a layer of cushioning material for location, at least in part, within the external auditory canal when the tubular component is fitted to the ear and to alleviate the propagation of sound waves to the ear drum along the exterior of the component.
2. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 in which the cushioning material is sufficiently soft to accommodate to the shape of the external canal and provides a high coefficient of friction for assisting in retention of the tubular component in the ear.
3. A hearing aid as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 in which the cushioning material comprises a soft pliable leather.
4. A hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the cushioning material is adhesively secured to the tubular component.
5. A hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the cushioning material is in the form of a band which exists around the tubular component for seating within the external canal at the end thereof adjacent to the pinna.
6. A hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the tubular component comprises a plastics moulding having a frusto conical portion to be receifed within the external auditory canal and a flange portion which is accommodated within the pinna.
7. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described.
GB8100919A 1981-01-13 1981-01-13 Hearing aid Withdrawn GB2091063A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8100919A GB2091063A (en) 1981-01-13 1981-01-13 Hearing aid

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8100919A GB2091063A (en) 1981-01-13 1981-01-13 Hearing aid

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2091063A true GB2091063A (en) 1982-07-21

Family

ID=10518940

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8100919A Withdrawn GB2091063A (en) 1981-01-13 1981-01-13 Hearing aid

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2091063A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0325107A1 (en) * 1988-01-19 1989-07-26 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Method for manufacturing an ear mould or ear piece
US5002151A (en) * 1986-12-05 1991-03-26 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Ear piece having disposable, compressible polymeric foam sleeve
GB2373951A (en) * 2000-12-08 2002-10-02 Richard Potter Custom moulded hearing protection and communications system

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5002151A (en) * 1986-12-05 1991-03-26 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Ear piece having disposable, compressible polymeric foam sleeve
EP0325107A1 (en) * 1988-01-19 1989-07-26 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Method for manufacturing an ear mould or ear piece
US5008058A (en) * 1988-01-19 1991-04-16 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Method for manufacturing an otoplastic or an ear adaptor member
WO1991005446A1 (en) * 1989-10-04 1991-04-18 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Ear piece having disposable, compressible polymeric foam sleeve
GB2373951A (en) * 2000-12-08 2002-10-02 Richard Potter Custom moulded hearing protection and communications system

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)