BTE/CIC Auditory Device and Modular Connector System Therefor

• US 20100226520A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hear-Wear Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Hear-Wear Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Feeley, Jim, Feeley, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 8,976,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/330
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• 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 2225/0213 Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/57 Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• 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 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks

Abstract

An earpiece auditory device is described which includes a behind-the-ear component shaped to fit behind the ear of a user. The behind-the-ear component can also have at least one microphone and processing circuitry, where the processing circuitry is used to processes audio signal from the microphone. The device also includes a speaker sized to fit in the ear canal of a user, and an ear mold holding the speaker in place. The ear mold can also be position to touch the bony portion of the ear canal and provide sound attenuation in the ear canal. A connector physically and electrically connects the behind-the-ear component to the speaker. The connector is capable of being used to insert and remove the speaker and ear mold from the ear canal of the user.

Claims

1. An earpiece auditory device comprising:

a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user, wherein said behind-the-ear component comprises a module including processing circuitry in communication with a microphone located outside the ear canal of the user;

a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component including a speaker and being shaped to fit in the ear canal of the user, wherein said completely-in-canal component does not extend out of the user'"'"'s ear canal when inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal during operation of the earpiece auditory device; and

a connector configured to physically attach to said behind-the-ear component and to physically attach to said completely-in-canal component, said connector having at least one end detachable from said behind-the-ear component or said completely-in-canal component, wherein said connector is designed to include a portion of said connector within the ear canal of the user when the completely-in-canal component is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal for operation of the earpiece auditory device, said connector being configured to electrically connect the speaker of said completely-in-canal component to the processing circuitry of said behind-the-ear component, and said connector being sufficiently rigid so as to allow said connector to be used to insert and remove the completely-in-canal component from the ear canal of the user.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said connector communicatively couples said behind-the-ear component to said completely-in-canal component, and wherein the at least one detachable end of the connector includes a detachable communicative coupling.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising an ear mold coupled to the completely-in-canal component, wherein the ear mold is selected from a group consisting of a custom ear mold and a universal tip.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the ear mold seals the ear canal when said completely-in-canal component is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein the ear mold is vented such that the ear canal is not sealed when said completely-in-canal component is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said connector comprises:

at least one wire cable; and

at least one fastener physically, as well as communicatively, coupled to said behind-the-ear component or said completely-in-canal component;

wherein said fastener provides the at least one detachable end.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said fastener is operable to prohibit an undesirable external element from interfering with a detachable communicative coupling between said connector and said behind-the-ear component.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said fastener is operable to prohibit an undesirable external element from interfering with a detachable communicative coupling between said connector and said completely-in-canal component.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein the at least one detachable communicative coupling includes a hole and prong arrangement.

10. The device of claim 6 wherein said speaker is detachably physically coupled to an ear mold.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said completely-in-canal component further includes a speaker receiving member, and wherein said connector includes a speaker fastener detachably physically coupled to said speaker receiving member.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said speaker is detachably physically coupled to said speaker fastener.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the detachable physical coupling between said speaker and speaker fastener includes a detachable communicative coupling.

14. The device of claim 6 wherein said at least one fastener is detachably physically coupled to said module of said behind-the-ear component.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the detachable physical coupling between said fastener and said module includes a detachable communicative coupling.

16. The device of claim 10 wherein said ear mold is a universal fit ear mold.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein said completely-in-canal component is an open mold configuration.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein said processing circuitry includes sound processing circuitry.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said sound processing circuitry includes sound amplification circuitry.

20. The device of claim 18 wherein said sound processing circuitry includes sound reduction circuitry.

21. The device of claim 1 wherein said behind-the-ear component further includes a microphone.

22. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one detachable end of the connector includes at least one projection of said connector engaging at least one groove of said behind-the-ear component or said completely-in-canal component.

23. The device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said connector is at least partially taut against the users head when the CIC component is positioned in the users ear canal and BTE component is positioned behind the ear.

24. An earpiece auditory device comprising:

a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user, said behind the ear component comprising a module including processing circuitry in communication with a microphone located outside the ear canal of the user;

a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component including a speaker being shaped to fit in the ear canal of the user, said completely-in-canal component further comprising an ear mold, and wherein said completely-in-canal component including the speaker and ear mold does not extend out of a user'"'"'s ear canal when inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal for operation of the earpiece auditory device;

means for physically attaching said completely-in-canal component to said behind-the-ear component, wherein said means for physically attaching includes means for detaching said completely-in-canal component to from said behind-the-ear component, wherein said means for physically attaching is configured to make contact with both of said completely-in-canal component and said behind-the-ear component, and wherein said means for physically attaching is shaped to place a portion of said means for physically attaching within the ear canal of the user, said means for physically attaching being configured to electrically connect the speaker of said completely-in-canal component to the processing circuitry of said behind-the-ear component, and said means for physically attaching being sufficiently rigid so as to allow said means for physically attaching to be used to insert and remove the completely-in-canal component from the ear canal of the user.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein said means for physically attaching includes means for communicatively coupling said behind-the-ear component to said completely-in-canal component, and wherein said means for detaching includes means for detachably communicatively coupling said completely-in-canal component to said behind-the-ear component.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein said means for detaching includes means for detachably physically coupling at said behind-the-ear component.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein said means for detaching also includes means for detachably physically coupling at said completely-in-canal component.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein said completely-in-canal component further includes a speaker receiving member and wherein said means for physically coupling includes a speaker fastening means.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein said means for detachably physically attaching includes means for detachably physically coupling said speaker to said speaker fastening means.

30. The device of claim 28 wherein said means for detaching includes means for detachably physically coupling said speaker fastening means to said speaker receiving member.

31. The device of claim 24 wherein said processing circuitry includes sound processing circuitry.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein said sound processing circuitry includes sound reduction circuitry.

33. The device of claim 24 wherein at least a portion of said connector is at least partially taught against the users head when the CIC component is positioned in the users ear canal and BTE component is positioned behind the ear.

34. The device of claim 24 wherein the ear mold is selected from a group consisting of a custom ear mold and a universal tip.