Wireless battery charging system for existing hearing aids using a dynamic battery and a charging processor unit
First Claim
1. A system for recharging hearing aid batteries, comprising:
- a combined battery, inductive coil, and charging circuitry, contained within a battery case having the same dimensions and being interchangeable with, a standard non-rechargeable battery, for placement within a hearing aid; and
a charging unit, provided with an inductive coil, for generating an electromagnetic field such that when a hearing aid with the combined battery, inductive coil, and charging circuitry installed is placed near the charging unit, a current is induced in the inductive coil of the combined battery, inductive coil, and charging circuitry, charging the battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rechargeable battery which may be used with most presently available hearing aids (or other appliances) with no modification to the existing hearing aid is needed in order to use the described wireless charging system. The battery may be known a “Dynamic battery” as the battery is actively charged by means of an inductor circuit built into the battery housing itself or added onto the battery. The hearing aid may simply be placed within the charger housing (or cradle) to charge the battery. No electrical connection by either wires or electrical contacts is needed to recharge the battery, which is located inside the hearing aid housing. Moreover, the battery need not be removed from the hearing aid (or other appliance).
15 Citations
4 Claims
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1. A system for recharging hearing aid batteries, comprising:
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a combined battery, inductive coil, and charging circuitry, contained within a battery case having the same dimensions and being interchangeable with, a standard non-rechargeable battery, for placement within a hearing aid; and
a charging unit, provided with an inductive coil, for generating an electromagnetic field such that when a hearing aid with the combined battery, inductive coil, and charging circuitry installed is placed near the charging unit, a current is induced in the inductive coil of the combined battery, inductive coil, and charging circuitry, charging the battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of converting a Prior Art hearing aid which uses disposable batteries into a rechargeable hearing aid, comprising the steps of:
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removing a non-rechargeable battery from a battery compartment of a Prior Art hearing aid, replacing the non-rechargeable battery in the Prior Art hearing aid with a rechargeable battery and inductive charging circuit comprising an inductive charging circuit formed within a first portion of a housing of a standard hearing aid battery cell and a rechargeable battery, formed within a second portion of a housing of a standard hearing aid battery cell, wherein the resulting converted hearing aid may be recharged by placing the hearing aid near an inductive charging station which induces a current into the inductive charging circuit formed in the combined rechargeable battery and inductive charging circuit so as to recharge the rechargeable battery.
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Specification