Hearing aid device

• US 4,291,203 A
• Filed: 09/11/1979
• Issued: 09/22/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gaspare Bellafiore
• Original Assignee: Gaspare Bellafiore
• Inventors: Bellafiore, Gaspare
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US06/074,425
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 179/107 R, 179/107 BC, 179/107 E, 179/107 H, 179/107 S
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0213 Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers

Abstract

A hearing aid device including a microphone that is located in the auditory canal of the user'"'"'s ear and that is retained in position therein by insertion into a molded ear plug that is received in the auditory canal, the microphone being completely embedded in the ear plug so that only a sound inlet portion thereof projects outwardly therefrom. With the microphone located in the auditory canal the concha portion of the user'"'"'s ear functions in the usual manner as a sound collector for the microphone. A sound tube also extends through the ear plug for communication with the auditory canal of the user'"'"'s ear and further communicates with a transducer that electronically translates the sound into electrical impulses that are amplified and retranslated into amplified sound for transmission through the sound tube, the interior of the sound tube being free and unobstructed to provide for fidelity of sound as transferred through the sound tube to the auditory canal.

Claims

1. A hearing aid device, comprising an ear plug for insertion into the auditory canal of the user'"'"'s ear, a microphone having a body portion and sound inlet portion that projects outwardly of said body portion, the body portion of said microphone being completely embedded in said ear plug so as to be located in said auditory canal and said sound inlet portion projecting outwardly of said ear plug for being directly exposed to transmitted sound waves, a housing for location in close proximity to the ear of the user and having an amplifier located therein, said amplifier and microphone being electrically interconnected for the electrical transmission of sound waves received by said microphone to said amplifier, a transducer located in said housing and being electrically connected to said amplifier, and a sound tube, one end of which extends through said plug for communication with said auditory canal and the other end of which projects into said housing for communication with said transducer, wherein the amplified sound received from said microphone is transmitted by said transducer and sound tube to the auditory canal of the user, the interior of said sound tube being free and unobstructed to provide for fidelity of sound as transferred through said sound tube to the auditory canal of the user, electrical wires interconnecting said microphone and amplifier, and a tube formed independently of said sound tube and carrying the electrical wires therein that interconnect said microphone and said amplifier.

2. A hearing aid device, comprising an ear plug for insertion into the auditory canal of the user'"'"'s ear, a microphone having a body portion and sound inlet portion that projects outwardly of said body portion, the body portion of said mircophone being completely embedded in said ear plug so as to be located in said auditory canal and said sound inlet portion projecting outwardly of said ear plug for being directly exposed to transmitted sound waves, a housing for location in close proximity to the ear of the user and having an amplifier located therein, said amplifier and microphone being electrically interconnected for the electrical transmission of sound waves received by said microphone to said amplifier, a transducer located in said housing and being electrically connected to said amplifier, and a sound tube, one end of which extends through said plug for communication with said auditory canal and the other end of which projects into said housing for communication with said transducer, wherein the amplified sound received from said microphone is transmitted by said transducer and sound tube to the auditory canal of the user, the interior of said sound tube being free and unobstructed to provide for fidelity of sound as transferred through said sound tube to the auditory canal of the user, said ear plug having a recess formed therein, said microphone being received in said recess and being located in the auditory canal such that the longitudinal axis of the microphone is parallel to the longitudinal axis of said ear plug, the sound inlet portion of said microphone extending outwardly beyond the adjacent surface thereof for insuring the exposure of said microphone to sound waves, a second microphone located in said housing and having a sound inlet portion that is exposed exteriorly of said housing, wherein said second microphone complements the first-named microphone for picking up all available sound waves for amplification and transmission to the auditory canal of the user.