JP2008177920A - Behind-the-ear hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a behind-the-ear hearing aid which causes no supply voltage reduction and no deterioration in a function as a hearing aid even when high sound pressure is output from an earphone. <P>SOLUTION: The behind-the-ear hearing aid is provided with a first battery 21 for driving the earphone and a second battery 12 for driving an electric circuit, wherein the first battery 21 is arranged together with the earphone 30 in an earhole-shaped casing 4 to be attached to an external ear canal and the second battery 12 is arranged together with a microphone 10 and a DSP 11 in a hearing aid main body 2. The second battery 12 is a rechargeable battery and even when voltage of one of the first battery 21 and the second battery 12 reduces, the other battery supplies power for the one battery. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a behind-the-ear hearing aid in which an earphone is installed inside an earplug.

  There are two types of ear-mounted hearing aids: an earphone installed in the hearing aid main body and a type installed inside the earplug and connected to the hearing aid main body with a cable. And the conventional hearing aid is operated by one air zinc button battery. Therefore, a high-capacity air zinc button battery is used for a high-output type hearing aid that outputs a large sound pressure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-215098

  However, when outputting a large sound pressure, the sound output from the earphone may be interrupted. This is due to the performance of the battery, and it is impossible to keep a large current flowing, or it takes a long time to restore the capacity after flowing a large current. For this reason, when the output voltage of the battery is lower than the drive voltage of the electric circuit, no sound is emitted from the earphone or the sound is reduced. Further, when a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) is used in the electric circuit, there is a possibility of shutting down. Furthermore, there is a limit to the high output zinc-air button battery. In addition, it is conceivable to use a plurality of air zinc button batteries or dry batteries, but the hearing aid main body becomes large, and the wearing feeling and appearance are deteriorated, which is not suitable for practical use.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to prevent a power supply voltage from being lowered even when a large sound pressure is output from an earphone, and as a hearing aid. The present invention aims to provide an ear-shaped hearing aid that does not cause functional deterioration.

  In order to solve the above problems, an invention according to claim 1 includes a first battery for driving an earphone and a second battery for driving an electric circuit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ear-hearing hearing aid according to the first aspect, the first battery is disposed together with an earphone in an ear hole-shaped housing attached to the ear canal, and the second battery is disposed in the hearing aid body. With a microphone and electrical circuit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the behind-the-ear hearing aid according to the first or second aspect, the second battery is a rechargeable battery.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the hook-type hearing aid according to the first, second, or third aspect, even if either the first battery or the second battery has a voltage drop, the other battery is one Power was supplied up to the battery.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ear-hook type hearing aid according to the second, third, or fourth aspect, the battery holder that holds the first battery is provided with a cable that is electrically connected to the electric circuit. And a connector for electrically connecting the earphone.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if a large sound pressure is output from the earphone, the power supplied to the electric circuit is not affected, so that the sound is not interrupted or the sound is not reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the earphone and the first battery are arranged in the ear hole-shaped housing, it is not necessary to change the size of the hearing aid body, and the wearing feeling and appearance are not impaired.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the electric power consumption of the electric circuit is small, the labor of battery replacement can be saved by employing the rechargeable battery.

According to the invention of claim 4, even if one of the batteries is exhausted, the battery operates normally for a while, so that it does not suddenly disappear.

According to the invention which concerns on Claim 5, since the earplug or the ear mold can be reduced in size, the appearance at the time of wearing becomes good.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a hook-type hearing aid according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an electric circuit, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first battery and a cable with a battery holder. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another ear hole-shaped housing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ear-mounted hearing aid 1 according to the present invention includes a hearing aid main body 2, a cable 3 with a battery holder, and an ear hole-shaped housing 4. Reference numeral 5 denotes a vent hole. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the hearing aid main body 2 is provided with a microphone 10, a DSP (electric circuit) 11, and a rechargeable battery 12 as a second battery. Further, the hearing aid main body 2 is provided with a connector (plug) 13 of three terminals 13a, 13b, 13c for connecting the cable 3 with a battery holder. The terminal 13a is a terminal for transmitting a signal subjected to hearing aid processing by the DSP 11 to the earphone, the terminal 13b is a + terminal, and 13c is a ground (GND) terminal.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the DSP 11 performs a predetermined hearing aid process on the signal from the microphone 10 and outputs it to the earphone installed in the ear hole-shaped housing 4, and the ear hole-shaped housing 4 And a power control unit 16 that manages the rechargeable battery 12 installed in the hearing aid main body 2. The power supply control unit 16 includes a power supply monitoring unit 17 and a power supply switching unit 18. The power monitoring unit 17 monitors the voltage of the first battery and the rechargeable battery 12, and when the voltage of one of the batteries becomes lower than the set value, the power switching unit 18 Switch power supply lines to cover electricity.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cable 3 with the battery holder is connected to the battery holder 22 for storing the zinc-air button battery 21 as the first battery, and one end is connected to the battery holder 22 and the other end is connected to the hearing aid body 2. It consists of a cable 23 to be connected. The battery holder 22 is formed so that the battery can be replaced. The other end of the cable 23 is attached with a connector (receptacle) 24 of three terminals 24a, 24b, 24c to be inserted into a connector (plug) 13 provided in the hearing aid main body 2, and the battery holder 22 is connected to the cable 23 and the earphone. A connector (plug) 25 of three terminals 25a, 25b, and 25c is provided.

  The ear hole-shaped housing 4 shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured by taking a shape from a wearer's ear shape and using an optical modeling method or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, an earphone 30, a battery contact terminal (not shown) for taking out the power of the zinc-air button battery 21, and a battery holder mounting portion (not shown) are provided in the ear hole-shaped housing 4. It has been. A connector (receptacle) 31 of three terminals 31a, 31b, 31c into which the connector (plug) 25 is inserted is installed in the battery holder mounting portion. In the ear-mounted hearing aid 1, the distance between the microphone 10 and the earphone 30 can be increased, and howling is unlikely to occur. Therefore, the diameter of the vent can be larger than that of the ear-hole type hearing aid.

  Further, instead of the ear hole-shaped housing 4 shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 5A, an ear hole-shaped housing 37 in which a removable ear plug 36 is attached to a ready-made housing 35 can be used. . Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, an ear hole-shaped housing 39 in which an open earplug 38 provided with a plurality of through holes 38 a is mounted on the housing 35 instead of the earplug 36 can be used.

  The operation of the behind-the-ear hearing aid 1 according to the present invention configured as described above will be described. First, the wearer of the ear-mounted hearing aid 1 periodically charges the rechargeable battery 12. Even if a large sound pressure is output from the earphone 30, power is supplied to the earphone 30 from the zinc-air button battery 21 as the first battery. Therefore, the power supplied to the DSP 11 from the rechargeable battery 12 as the second battery. Will not drop. Even if the power of the zinc-air button battery 21 as the first battery is reduced, the power is supplied to the earphone 30 from the rechargeable battery 12 as the second battery, so that the sound is not interrupted.

  Further, when the voltage of either battery drops below a predetermined value, a warning sound can be emitted from the earphone 30. Furthermore, when one of the batteries becomes an inoperable voltage, it is possible to cover the power required for the hearing aid body 2 and the earphone 30 with a battery having a surplus capacity.

  Even if a large sound pressure is output from the earphone, it does not affect the power supplied to the electrical circuit, so a hearing aid is provided that does not interrupt the sound or reduce the sound. Expansion is promoted.

Outline perspective view of an ear-shaped hearing aid according to the present invention Overall configuration diagram Configuration diagram of electric circuit A perspective view of a cable with a first battery and a battery holder It is a perspective view of another ear hole type case, (a) when using a normal earplug, (b) when using an open earplug

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hearing-aid hearing aid, 2 ... Hearing aid main body, 3 ... Cable with battery holder, 4, 37, 39 ... Ear-hole case, 10 ... Microphone, 11 ... DSP (electric circuit), 12 ... Rechargeable battery (2nd Battery), 13, 31 ... connector, 21 ... air zinc button battery (first battery), 30 ... earphone.

Claims (5)

An ear-hook type hearing aid comprising a first battery for driving an earphone and a second battery for driving an electric circuit. The ear-hearing hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the first battery is disposed with an earphone in an ear-hole-shaped housing attached to the ear canal, and the second battery is disposed with a microphone and an electric circuit in a hearing aid body. The ear hook type hearing aid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second battery is a rechargeable battery. The ear-hook type hearing aid according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein even if either one of the first battery or the second battery drops in voltage, the other battery supplies power up to the amount of one battery. The ear hook according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein a battery holder for holding the first battery is provided with a cable for electrically connecting the electric circuit and a connector for electrically connecting the cable and the earphone. Shape hearing aid.

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