GB2329787A

GB2329787A - Hearing devices

Info

Publication number: GB2329787A
Application number: GB9720662A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Edmund Munro
Original assignee: AUDIO MEDICAL DEVICES Ltd
Current assignee: AUDIO MEDICAL DEVICES Ltd
Priority date: 1997-09-29
Filing date: 1997-09-29
Publication date: 1999-03-31
Also published as: GB9720662D0

Abstract

In a hearing device 10 an earphone 14 is located in a first portion of relatively small cross-section and is connected to a battery (not shown) in a compartment 16 in a portion of relatively large cross-section. The acoustic path from the earphone to the wearer's ear canal comprises a sound tube 15 sealed to the base 18 of the battery compartment, an acoustic chamber former within battery cap 12, and a sound outlet tube 30 attached to the cap. The cap 12 may be connected at various rotary positions relative to the other section 11. A volume control 29 may be provided in the same surface as a step or taper 24 between the portions of differing cross-sections. In use, a battery is located between contacts 26 and 27. The device 10 may be a hearing aid or a noise generator for masking the effects of tinnitus.

Description

Hearing Devices The present invention relates to hearing therapy devices such as hearing aids or noise generators for masking the effects of tinnitus.

Existing hearing devices are relatively bulky and convey the sound directly from an earphone into the ear via a tube.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved hearing device.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a hearing device having a first portion of relatively large cross-section and housing a battery, and a second portion of relatively small cross-section and housing an earphone, the portions being joined by an intermediate stepped or tapered portion.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a hearing device comprising an earphone, a battery compartment and an outlet tube. wherein the battery compartment forming part of an acoustic path extending from the earphone to the outlet tube.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a hearing device comprising an earphone and a battery compartment, the battery compartment having a removable cap attached to which is a sound outlet tube. the cap being attachable to the battery compartment at various relative rotary positions.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described. by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. of which: Fig. I shows a view of a hearing aid device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention with a battery cap removed; Fig.2 is a sectional view of the device of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a view of the device from the top in Fig. 1: Fig.4 is a view on arrows A-A of Fig.3; Fig.S is a sectional view of an assembled hearing aid device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; and Fig.6 is a view of a hearing device in accordance with the invention when inserted in a wearer's ear.

Referring to the drawings, a hearing aid device 10 comprises an earphone section 11 and a battery cap 12 which defines an enclosure for a battery (not shown).

Within section 11. an earphone 14 is connected to a sound tube 15 which is sealed to the base 18 of the battery compartment or cavity 16. The housing for section 11 has a first end 21 of relatively small cross-section joined to a second end 22 of larger cross-section by means of a gently-widening intermediate part 24.

Battery connectors 26,27 are attached to end 22 and hold and position a battery (not shown) while contacting the opposite poles thereof. The electrical supply for the earphone 14 passes via connectors 26,27 to amplifier circuitry within section 11 including a volume control 29.

Acoustic signals generated by earphone 14 pass along sound tube 15 to the battery compartment 16. When battery cap 12 is fitted, an acoustic seal is formed between the rim of the cap and the compartment base 18. In addition, the cap is arranged to form an acoustic chamber so that sound is conveyed along a continuous sound path from the earphone 14 to an outlet tube 30 which is integrally-formed with cap 12 and passes the sound into the wearer s ear canal.

In use the hearing aid is worn in the helix of the ear and outlet sound tube 30 runs around the rim of the concha of the ear towards the ear canal.

Fig.5 shows a hearing aid in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention when assembled. This embodiment does not have a volume control.

The above-described embodiments have the advantage that the earphone 14 is positioned remote from the outlet tube 30. This means that the earphone can be conveniently located in the helix of the wearers ear. This can be seen in Fig.6. in which the end of the smaller section Il is tucked away under the adjacent flap of the ear. To combine this feature with accessibility of volume control 29 it will be seen that the taper of part 24 is provided in the same surface as v plume control 29.

Moreover. the relatively-bulky battery compartment. when closed. forms an acoustic link between the earphone and the outlet tube. Hearing aids according to the invention are very compact.

It will be noted that the battery cap 12 can be attached to section 11 at any desired rotational disposition. Thus outlet tube 30 can effectively be rotated to any desired angle relative to the helix of the ear and to allow the hearing aid device to be used in the left or right ear without change to the integrity of the acoustic chamber.

Various modifications may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments. In particular intermediate section 24 may be of stepped shape or it may taper in a straight line. Also, if desired, some or all of the circuitry associated with the earphone may be incorporated in battery cap 12; in other words, the gap between section 11 and cap 12 can occur anywhere along the sound tube 15.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A hearing device having a first portion of relatively large cross-section and arranged to house a battery, and a second portion of relatively small cross-section and housing an earphone, the portions being joined by an intermediate stepped or tapered portion.
2. A hearing device according to claim 1 wherein the first portion has a sound outlet tube attached thereto and constitutes part of an acoustic path extending from the second portion to the outlet tube.
3. A hearing device according to claim 2 wherein the outlet tube is attached to a removable cap forming at least part of said first portion.
4. A hearing device according to claim 3 wherein the removable cap is attachable at various rotary positions relative to the rest of the device.
5. A hearing device according to any preceding claim, wherein there is provided in the second portion a sound tube which is connected at one end to the earphone and is sealed at its other end to a base member within the first portion.
6. A hearing device according to any preceding claim and including a volume control, the volume control being provided in the same side surface as the step or taper.
7. A hearing device comprising an earphone, a battery compartment and an outlet tube, wherein the battery compartment forms part of an acoustic path extending from the earphone to the outlet tube.
8. A hearing device comprising an earphone and a battery compartment, the battery compartment having a removable cap attached to which is a sound outlet tube, the cap being attachable to the battery compartment at various relative rotary positions.
9. A device substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 or Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
10. A device according to any preceding claim which is a hearing aid.
11. A device according to any preceding claim which is a noise generator.