Hearing aid and earpiece

• US 10,440,485 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Kral, Holger, Beyfuss, Stefanie, Freels, Bjoern
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US15/822,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20180084355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/10 Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/02 adapted to be supported entirely by ear
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/40 Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/656 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

A hearing aid, in particular a BTE hearing aid, includes an ear insert having an earpiece and an attachment part being linked to a receiver. The earpiece includes an elongate adapter and a plurality of shields. The adapter is mounted on the attachment part and extends in a longitudinal direction. The earpiece is in a modular form and the at least one shield is exchangeably fitted onto the adapter. The adapter has a head with a rear abutment contour against which at least one of the shields abuts. In this way, the earpiece is particularly variably and flexibly configurable. A corresponding earpiece is also provided.

Claims

1. A hearing aid or BTE hearing aid, comprising:

an ear insert having a receiver, an earpiece and an attachment part connected to said receiver;

said earpiece having a modular construction and including an elongate adapter being mounted on said attachment part and extending in a longitudinal direction;

said adapter including only one central portion and a head having a rear abutment contour, said head adjoining said central portion in said longitudinal direction, and said central portion being tapered relative to said head; and

said earpiece having a plurality of shields configured to be exchangeably fitted onto said central portion with at least one of said shields bearing against said rear abutment contour, wherein said one shield bears directly against said rear abutment contour, and another of said shields bears against said one shield.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said shields is exchangeable and is chosen from a set of shields for individual adaptation to an auditory canal of a user.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said shields has an opening with an opening diameter corresponding at most to an external diameter of said central portion.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein:

said adapter has an end portion secured on said attachment part; and

said central portion defines a continuously formed transition between said head and said end portion without any additional rear abutment contour for said another of said shields.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 4, wherein:

said head has an external diameter; and

said end portion has an external diameter and the external diameter of said end portion corresponds to the external diameter of said head.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said adapter is formed in one piece.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said adapter and at least one of said shields are formed of identical material.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said adapter is tubular and has a sound channel leading into a sound outlet opening in said head.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said head has an external diameter in a range of 2 mm to 5 mm.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said adapter is at least 4 mm long and at most 12 mm long.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said adapter is at least 4 mm long and at most 8 mm long.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said head has a rounded front end.

13. In a hearing aid according to claim 1, an earpiece having a modular construction, the earpiece comprising:

an elongate adapter constructed for connection to said attachment part of the hearing aid, said adapter extending in a longitudinal direction, and said adapter having a head with a rear abutment contour; and

a plurality of shields, at least one of said shields being exchangeably fitted onto said adapter and at least one of said shields bearing against said rear abutment contour.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein:

said shields each have a central part and a radial shield part;

said central part extends in the longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, and said radial shield part is formed at said second end; and

said shields abut each other at said central parts.

15. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said another shield has a larger diameter than said one shield which bears directly against said rear abutment contour.

16. The hearing aid according to claim 15, wherein said radial part of said shield which bears directly against said abutment contour has a radial outermost part which touches said radial part of said another shield with the larger diameter only at said radial outermost part.

17. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein:

said adapter has an end portion secured on said attachment part;

said central portion defines a continuously formed transition between said head and said end portion without any additional rear abutment contour for said another of said shields; and

said shields each have a central part and a radial shield part, said central part extending in the longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, said radial shield part is formed at said second end and said shields abut each other at said central parts.