Variable sound attenuator with hearing aid
First Claim
1. A variable control sound attenuator and hearing aid or tinnitus device, comprising:
- a housing having a first housing and a second housing, the first housing being rotatable relative to and engaged with the second housing;
the first housing being hollow and cylindrical and containing a first housing passageway therein, said first housing passageway extending through said first housing;
the second housing being hollow and cylindrical and containing a second housing passageway therein, said second housing passageway extending through said second housing;
rotation of the first housing providing a variable alignment between the first housing passageway and the second housing passageway thereby providing a variable control of sound transmission through the sound attenuator, wherein the rotation to align the first housing passageway and the second housing passageway provides an open passageway permitting sound transmission therethrough, and further the rotation to not align the first housing passageway and the second housing passageway provides a closed passageway blocking sound transmission therethrough; and
a sound-amplifying hearing aid or a sound-generating tinnitus device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device combining a variable sound attenuator with a hearing device, (such as a hearing aid or tinnitus device) that allows a user to adjust the amount of attenuation of environmental sound in a variable, continuous fashion or in a discrete controlled fashion from zero attenuation to maximum attenuation without removing the device from the ear. The attenuator includes a housing having a passageway, the passageway allowing for sound to pass through the housing and a variable control, the variable control able to control the size of the passageway through the housing and the device including a second passageway for transmitting amplified sound from the hearing device into the ear of the wearer.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A variable control sound attenuator and hearing aid or tinnitus device, comprising:
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a housing having a first housing and a second housing, the first housing being rotatable relative to and engaged with the second housing; the first housing being hollow and cylindrical and containing a first housing passageway therein, said first housing passageway extending through said first housing; the second housing being hollow and cylindrical and containing a second housing passageway therein, said second housing passageway extending through said second housing; rotation of the first housing providing a variable alignment between the first housing passageway and the second housing passageway thereby providing a variable control of sound transmission through the sound attenuator, wherein the rotation to align the first housing passageway and the second housing passageway provides an open passageway permitting sound transmission therethrough, and further the rotation to not align the first housing passageway and the second housing passageway provides a closed passageway blocking sound transmission therethrough; and a sound-amplifying hearing aid or a sound-generating tinnitus device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A variable control sound attenuator and hearing device configured to be worn by a user, comprising:
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a housing; a first passageway in said housing; a hearing aid having a forward-facing unidirectional microphone, the microphone being positioned to pick up sound from a direction transverse to the first passageway and to provide amplified sound; a second passageway in said housing and configured to connect to the hearing aid to deliver amplified sound; an adjustor connected to said housing and operable to move between open and closed positions to change an amount of environmental sound passing through the first passageway. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A hearing aid device having a variable control sound attenuator and configured to be at least partially placed in an ear of a wearer, comprising:
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a housing; a passageway in said housing; an earpiece; a sound-receiving microphone; a sound amplification device amplifying sound received in said microphone and providing amplified sound into said earpiece, wherein said microphone is directional and sound from a direction transverse to the first passageway is received by said microphone and amplified by the sound amplification device; and an adjustor operable to move between open and closed positions to thereby adjust a size of an aperture of the first passageway to change a mixture of sound passing into said earpiece, the mixture of sound between environmental sound through said passageway and the amplified sound. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification