WO2009004395A1

WO2009004395A1 - Auricular electro-acoustic device

Info

Publication number: WO2009004395A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/001790
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean Gallay; Vincent Pean
Original assignee: Frame S.A.
Priority date: 2007-06-29
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2009-01-08

Abstract

Auricular electro-acoustic device comprises a shell (1) comprising a first substantially rectilinear part shaped in such a way as to constitute a first support zone in the concha (12) or against the antitragus (14) of the wearer's ear, and a second incurved part to which a distal part intended to be introduced into the auditory canal is connected by a flexible link (7), the distal end of the flexible link (7) comprising a conical cannula (18) made of a flexible material supported by the peripheral wall of the auditory canal, thus forming a second zone of support of the device in the wearer's ear. The shell (1) of the device comprises electronic components such as one or more microphones, a microprocessor and also a transmitter receiver, according to the use envisaged. The end of the distal part of the flexible link (7) accommodates a loudspeaker for delivering the sounds in proximity to the wearer's eardrum.

Description

Aural electroacoustic device

The present invention relates to the field of electro-acoustic devices and more particularly to electro-acoustic ear devices. These devices are generally used as a hearing aid or as a simple earpiece.

Many devices worn in, on or around the ear exist on the market for multiple applications. As a non-limiting example, hearing aids that correct deafness of the hearing impaired, listening assistants that amplify sounds and improve listening, or earpieces that can receive and reproduce sounds for hearing ear of the wearer. Other devices, such as simple headphones are also in the form of a headset placed in the ear of the ear at the entrance of the ear canal. Most of these devices require holding means in or on the ear to ensure the proper positioning of the device and / or prevent its loss during inadvertent movements of the wearer's head. These holding means are various and are for example in the form of a semi-rigid flexible link which surrounds the flag of the ear or an elastic member which is supported in the pavilion of the ear to maintain the device in place. Other known holding means cooperate with the branches of the wearer's spectacles. Finally, some hearing aids are custom molded in the ear canal and / or the conch of the roof or glued in this shell of the ear to prevent them from moving. All these devices have the disadvantage of requiring holding means which are on the one hand often unsightly and uncomfortable and on the other hand complicate the manufacture of such devices while increasing their production costs. Some electro-acoustic devices, including hearing aids some of which are introduced into the ear canal require custom manufacturing according to the morphology of the ear of the wearer. For the latter, it is necessary to previously perform a molding of the conch and / or the ear canal of the user and to customize the manufacture of the prosthesis so that it fits perfectly to the conduit. These operations also significantly increase the manufacturing costs of such prostheses.

It should also be noted that certain acoustic prostheses or safety earpieces are held in the ear by the introduction of a part of the device into the ear canal. These devices have the disadvantage of being uncomfortable and prevent the user to perceive the external sounds by obstructing the ear canal.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above by proposing an electro-acoustic ear device adaptable to the vast majority of human ears, which does not require prior molding of the ear canal and which can be worn indifferently in the ear. left ear or in the right ear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device devoid of external holding means and which does not completely obstruct the ear canal.

These objects are achieved by an electro-acoustic ear device which is distinguished by the features set forth in claim 1. Other advantages of the device according to the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the detailed description which follows.

The accompanying drawing illustrates schematically and by way of example an embodiment of an electro-acoustic ear device according to the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a partial sectional side view of the electro-acoustic device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic view of an adult human ear.

Figure 3 is a top view of the shell of the device shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the atrial device according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional top view showing the device in service position in the ear. FIG. 6 is a view from above of a particular embodiment of the earmold equipping the distal part of the device

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional side view along the line A-A of the nozzle illustrated in FIG. 6.

With reference to FIG. 1, the atrial electro-acoustic device consists of a body forming a shell 1 intended to be positioned in the conch of the ear. This shell 1, preferably made of a rigid synthetic material, incorporates all or part of the electronic components necessary for the operation of the device according to the intended use.

The shell 1 comprises a source of electrical energy (not shown) which may be in the form of a rechargeable battery or rechargeable battery. This source of energy supplies the various active electronic components integrated in the body of the shell 1. This is in particular one or more microphones 2 for the acquisition of sounds, and a microprocessor 3 to process the received signals. The hull 1 also incorporates, depending on the applications envisaged, a miniaturized transceiver 4 of any type of wave, preferably electromagnetic waves (AM, FM, Bluetooth, Wifi, etc.) but also infra-red or optical waves. if necessary.

The shell 1 finally comprises a connector 5 which makes it possible to connect the components mentioned above, via a wire connection 6 through a flexible connecting element 7 to an electromagnetic transducer 8 of the loudspeaker type located at the distal end of the connecting element 7.

The shell 1 has an oblong shape of substantially rectangular shape extending at one of its ends by a curved portion which forms an angle of the order of 60 to 120 degrees with the body of the shell 1. The Particular shape of this shell 1 allows positioning in the ear shell Ï2 and has dimensions adapted to the morphology of the adult ear. The dimensions of the shell 1 are generally of the order of 18 to 22 millimeters in length for a width of about 8 to 12 millimeters. FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the anatomy of the human ear on which a peripheral bead 9 or helix can be distinguished, which widens downwards to form the lobule 10 of the ear and a concentric relief to the helix called the antilix 11. The central part or conch 12 in which opens the auditory canal is lined with tragus 13 forwards and antitragus 14 down which forms a bead located above the lobule 10. The shell 1 is shaped so as to bear in the bottom of the conch 12 of the ear and is held down by the antitragus 14. This is a first support zone of the device in the ear carrier which allows, in association with at least a second bearing zone to be described later, to keep the device in place in the ear without external or auxiliary fastening element. Thanks to its symmetrical shape, the shell 1 can be used indifferently in the left or right ear without requiring adaptation.

Preferably, the shell 1 is made of a rigid synthetic material such as a polymer resin or a rigid plastic material. The electronic components mentioned above are embedded in the resin during the manufacture of the shell of the device.

In a particular embodiment, the device is supplied with energy by means of a rechargeable battery or accumulator housed in a circular recess or well 15 made in the body of the shell 1. This recess 15 is open on a face of the shell 1 and allows the introduction of a battery or accumulator (not shown). The well 15 is deep enough so that the battery or accumulator does not protrude from the outer surface of the shell 1 and forms a compartment isolated from the rest of the shell thus ensuring a moisture-tightness with respect to the others. 2,3,4 electronic elements housed in the body of the hull 1. The energy supplied by the power source is conveyed to the electronic components via two contacts housed in the well 15. The maintenance of the battery or accumulator in the well is ensured by a elastic contact 16 preferably located on the inner periphery of the well 15 in the lower part thereof. The contact 16 is constituted for example by an elastic blade that deforms during the introduction of the battery and holds the latter in place in the well. The bottom of the well 15 is provided with a second contact for connecting the other pole of the power source.

The control, the adjustment or the calibration of the electronic components is preferably obtained by telemetry using a suitable reader / transmitter which can interact with the micro-processor 3. It is also conceivable to equip the well 15 with a additional connection through which one can act by a wired link on the microprocessor 3 with the aid of a programming interface. In order to extract the battery or accumulator from the well 15, a magnet mounted for example on a rod or a suitable support is preferably used.

In a variant, certain electronic components are arranged not in the shell of the device but in an outer casing (not shown) which communicates with the ear device. This is in particular the microphones 2 and the micro processor 3. These elements are deported in an external box that includes the following elements: One or more microphones preferably directional to allow the acquisition of sounds, a micro processor of management and processing of the input signals and a transceiver for example of the 'bluetooth' type and a FM transmitter tuned to an FM receiver placed in the device carried in the ear. This outer casing consists of a shell whose size is adapted to manual handling and is equipped with a clip or any other fastener to allow its retention to a garment. It also includes a dwelling internal access for example using a drawer, for receiving and to allow the loading of reserve accumulators for the ear device.

This external box is equipped with an on / off switch, an audio input jack for receiving audio signals from other wired audio devices, a battery pack or an accumulator, and a power input socket by the mains. It also preferably comprises a key for selecting the input functions so that the microphone or microphones, the Bluetooth transmitter / receiver, or the audio input can be selectively selected and activated. The housing also includes the electronic components necessary to control the power and quality of the sound delivered by the ear device and the controls to adjust these functions. These control members may be in the form of buttons or buttons +/- to control the volume, a tone selection member, a selector of the directivity of the microphone or microphones and a device for selecting and adjusting the frequency of the FM transmitter / receiver. In a preferred embodiment, the housing also includes certain indicators of the operating state such as, for example, a battery charge indicator and reserve accumulators of the ear device, as well as a liquid crystal display screen for example for display information on the state of the ear device.

With this external housing, the wearer of the ear device can pick up ambient sounds via the microphones included in the housing, receive signals of Bluetooth origin or other types of electromagnetic signals and / or receive audio signals from audio systems connected to the housing. The external box can then process the signals from various origins and retransmit them through its FM transmitter to the ear-worn ear device. It also ensures the charging of the spare accumulators of the ear device thus providing increased autonomy of the assembly. As illustrated in Figure 1, the curved portion of the shell 1 comprises at its end a socket 5 integrated in the body of the shell 1. The output of the microprocessor 3 is connected to the socket 5 to route the electrical signals to an electromagnetic transducer 8 such as a loudspeaker located at the distal end of a flexible link. This flexible connection is for example in the form of a hollow tube whose length is dimensioned so as to be partially introduced into the ear canal without its end reaches the eardrum. A length of about 15 millimeters fits the vast majority of human ear canals. The diameter of the hollow tube is substantially smaller than that of the auditory canal so as not to injure the walls of the latter during the placement of the device and not to obstruct the ear canal once in the operating position. The flexibility of the tube facilitates the introduction and passage of the tube in the convolutions of the ear canal. In the operating position, the ear canal is not obstructed by the flexible part of the device so that the wearer of the device can hear external sounds and does not feel uncomfortable feelings of autophony and resonance as is the case with rigid ear prostheses or more obturating devices The tube will preferably be made of a flexible and non-allergenic material. The end of the flexible connection 7 connected to the curved portion of the shell 1 comprises a socket 17 which allows the coupling of the tube to the socket 5 integrated in the shell 1.

An electromagnetic transducer 8 of the speaker type is integrated with the distal end of the hollow tube and can route the sounds in the direction and near the eardrum. A wired connection connects the socket 17 to the transducer 8 which can thus be controlled by the microprocessor 3 when the tube is coupled to the shell 1 via the socket 5. The distal end of the flexible connection 7 comprises an ear piece or cannula 18 generally made of a flexible and deformable material such as silicone for example. This cannula 18 is for example of conical shape and can be full or perforated according to the intended use of the device. When the cannula is perforated, the sounds coming from outside reach the eardrum of the wearer. If you want to use the device as a hearing protection against loud sounds or as a music listening system, you will choose a shutter cannula that isolates the eardrum from external sounds.

The peripheral edges of the cannula 18 bear against the inner wall of the auditory canal thus constituting a second bearing zone of the ear device in the ear. The cannula 18 also has the function of centering the speaker 8 in the external auditory canal and on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the eardrum thereby providing optimal hearing.

The flexible connection 7 being removably mounted on the shell 1, the user can easily proceed, by simply coupling / uncoupling the socket 17 to the socket 5, the change of the speaker 8 in case of failure or cleaning of the flexible part introduced into the auditory canal.

In a second embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the flexible connection 7 is integral with the curved portion of the shell 1 and can not be detached from the latter. To manufacture the ear device according to this second embodiment, the procedure is as follows. The active electronic components such as the microprocessor 3, the microphones 2 and the transmitter 4 are arranged on an abacus or a support and the various components are connected to each other by means of a suitable wiring or welded directly on a flex type support. Once the connections made, the components are embedded in a flexible material such as silicone for example. The shell portion 1 is then overmolded with a rigid material which encapsulates the flexible material to the end of the curved portion of the shell 1. The connection between the curved portion of the shell and the speaker 8 located at the distal end is not coated in a rigid material and thus retains some flexibility as in the first embodiment. The distal end of the flexible connection 7 is also overmolded with a rigid material to protect the speaker 8 and allow the attachment of the cannula 18. To facilitate the good behavior of the cannula 18, the overmolded portion at the distal end of the device has pins 19 which hold the cannula in position and prevent it from being detached from the end of the flexible link.

It is also conceivable to make the shell 1 and the flexible connection in materials having a different elasticity. The rectilinear portion of the shell 1 will preferably be made of a rigid material while the curved portion and the flexible connection will be made of a softer material that can be deformed to promote the introduction into the auditory canal and to adapt to the convolutions of it.

Figure 5 illustrates the positioning of the device in the conch of the ear. Due to its particular shape, the shell 1 is positioned in the conch 12 of the ear and retained by the antitragus. The stability of the device in the ear is obtained by at least two contact zones between the device and the ear of the wearer. A first contact zone at the level of the cannula 18 whose peripheral edges bear against the inner wall of the auditory canal and a second support zone of the shell 1 against the bottom of the conch 12 of the ear. Depending on the morphology of the ear, a third contact zone exists between the curved portion of the shell 1 and the entrance or meatus of the ear canal. The plurality of these contact areas imparts great stability to the assembly and does not require the use of other external holding elements as in most existing devices.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, there is provided a particular embodiment of the cannula 18. This cannula has a central cylindrical foot enclosing the end of the speaker 8 and supporting a flexible dome whose top is full and which has openings 20 distributed on the periphery a circle whose diameter is at least equal to the diameter of the cylindrical foot. The central foot supporting the dome has in its upper part recesses 21 preferably located opposite openings 20. Thus the sound wave emitted by the speaker in the axis of the cylindrical foot is reflected against the inner apical portion of the dome , and out through the recesses 21 and the openings 20 in the auditory canal. This embodiment of the cannula has advantages over existing cannulas. Due to the absence of an aperture located at the top of the dome in the axis of the speaker, it prevents the speaker output 8 is obstructed by the cerumen present in the ear of the wearer. Moreover, the sound energy delivered by the loudspeaker is distributed in the auditory canal, after reflection on the apical inner face of the dome, through the openings 20 and provides a better distribution of sounds towards the eardrum relative to a cannula that has a single opening located at the top of the dome. The ear device according to the invention has many advantages, among which we can mention the fact that it adapts to the vast majority of adult ears. Thanks to its particular shape, it is not necessary to make molds of the auditory canal to then make customized devices according to the morphology of the user. Its holding also allows the user to move the head in all directions without fear of seeing the device out of position. Moreover, the same device can be used indifferently in the left ear or in the right ear. This results in a significant decrease in manufacturing costs. Thanks to its modest size, the device is both discreet and comfortable to wear. In a variant, it is possible to provide a removable decorative element which is fixed on the front part of the shell 1 emerging from the auditory canal.

Finally, by design, the device is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and requires no special maintenance. Since the electronic elements are embedded in the body of the shell, the device is in principle not intended to be repaired with the exception of the speaker 8 equipping the distal end of the flexible connection 7 and the cannula 18. These two components can be replaced in case of failure or wear for the loudspeaker or for Hygienic reasons with regard to the cannula 18. Multiple uses of a device according to the invention are possible.

For example, use as a hearing aid or listening assistant to amplify and process sounds and bring them close to the eardrum of the wearer or as a receiver of electromagnetic signals from an external source or transmitter . Finally, the device can also be used as a headset when it is coupled to a mobile phone or a music player either directly or through the external box.

Although in the foregoing description, the device has been described without wired connection with an external device, it is obvious that the same device can be used by being connected to a device type walkman or mobile phone through cables of connection. In this case, an additional connection will be provided in the body of the shell (1) to accommodate the end of the connection cables.

Simple variants or adaptations, in particular shapes and dimensions of the shell can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

claims

1. Acoustic electroacoustic device, characterized in that it comprises a shell (1) comprising a first substantially rectilinear portion and shaped so as to constitute a first support zone in the conch (12) or against the antitragus ( 14) of the ear, and a second curved portion to which is connected a distal portion intended to be introduced into the ear canal of the wearer via a flexible connection (7), the distal end of the flexible connection (7) comprising a cannula (18) of flexible material which bears against the peripheral wall of the ear canal and thus forms a second support zone of the device in the ear of the wearer.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shell (1) comprises a recess (15) open on one of its faces and intended to accommodate a rechargeable energy source or not.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a micro processor (3) and at least one microphone (2) are integrated in the shell (1), the microprocessor for analyzing and treating the signals of at least one microphone (2) for delivering the processed signal to an electromagnetic transducer (8) housed at the distal end of the flexible link (7).

4. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the shell (1) comprises an electromagnetic wave receiver coupled to a corresponding transmitter arranged in an outer housing which further comprises one or more microphones, a microphone processor, as well as organs for controlling and adjusting the electronic components housed in the housing and in the shell (1) of the ear device.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible connection (7) is removably arranged on the curved portion of the body of the shell (1), said flexible connection (7) consisting of a hollow tube incorporating a socket (17) cooperating with a corresponding socket (5) integrated in the shell (1).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the flexible connection (7) is integral with the curved end of the shell (1).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distal portion of the flexible connection (7) comprises lugs (19) promoting the maintenance of a cannula (18).

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cannula (18) consists of a cylindrical foot supporting a dome whose apex is solid and provided with openings (20) distributed on the periphery of a circle of diameter at least equal to that of the cylindrical foot and in that the end of the cylindrical foot located under the dome has recesses (21).