Hearing aid

• US 4,447,677 A
• Filed: 04/09/1982
• Issued: 05/08/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Nobuyuki, Miyahra, Katsunobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schroeder, L. C.
• Application Number:
  US06/367,214
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 179/107 R, 179/107 FD, 179/107 E, 179/107 H, 179/139
• US Class Current: 381/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/609 of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603

Abstract

A hearing aid has a reproducing transducer and a microphone each having a diaphragm and a sound conduction opening and being closed hermetically except for said sound conduction opening. The reproducing transducer and the microphone are so mounted and accommodated in a housing that the vibration planes of the respective diaphragms are not parallel to each other, and the respective sound conduction openings may be directed towards the outside of the housing.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising a housing, a microphone for converting a received sound into an electrical signal, said microphone being mounted in said housing and having a first diaphragm, and a reproducing transducer for converting said electrical signal into sound, said reproducing transducer being mounted in said housing and having a second diaphragm, wherein the first diaphragm and second diaphragm are placed in different locations and their respective planes of vibrations are placed at an angle relative to each other, and wherein said microphone is supported by a supporting member made of an elastic material, said supporting member comprising a first portion fixed to a solid member and a second portion connected to said first portion at a predetermined angle and having a free end, and said microphone is placed on said second portion.

2. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein vibrations of the microphone are transmitted to an opening in said housing through a tubular member made of resilient material, and wherein said tubular member is positioned between said microphone and said opening in said housing for elastically supporting said microphone.

3. A hearing aid comprising a housing, a microphone for converting a received sound into an electrical signal, said microphone being mounted in said housing and having a first diaphragm, and a reproducing transducer for converting said electrical signal into sound, said reproducing transducer being mounted in said housing and having a second diaphragm, wherein the first diaphragm and second diaphragm are placed in different locations and their respective planes of vibrations are placed at an angle relative to each other, and wherein first and second circuit board members are mounted in said housing and spaced apart from each other for defining a space therebetween, and a battery is mounted in said space for separating said microphone from the reproducing transducer.

4. A hearing aid comprising a housing, a microphone for converting a received sound into an electrical signal, said microphone being mounted in said housing and having a first diaphragm, and a reproducing transducer for converting said electrical signal into sound, said reproducing transducer being mounted in said housing and having a second diaphragm, wherein the first diaphragm and second diaphragm are placed in different locations and their respective planes of vibrations are placed at an angle relative to each other, and wherein said housing has a battery closure member between the microphone mounting portion and the reproducing transducer mounting portion said battery closure member being rotatably carried by a column mounted in said housing.

5. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 4 wherein said column is hollow, said battery closure member is positioned between said first and second circuit board members mounted in the housing and having contacts for said battery, and wherein a lead connecting from one of said contacts to an amplifier is passed through said column.