Telephone hearing aid

• US 4,596,899 A
• Filed: 09/14/1984
• Issued: 06/24/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Wojcik, Jacek J., Przybysz, Andrzej, Milton, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/650,271
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 C, 179/81 B, 179/107 R-107 S, 179/82, 381/68, 381/69
• US Class Current: 379/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling

Abstract

A portable telephone hearing aid having an acousto-acoustic/magnetic amplifier providing a maximum gain of 20 dB has a circular housing at one end of a U-shaped resilient clip member for attaching it to the telephone receiver in a handset. A battery compartment, also housing an ON/OFF switch, and a gain control wheel, is located at the other end of the U-shaped clip.

Claims

1. A telephone hearing aid for attachment to a telephone handset, the hearing aid having a disc shaped circular symmetric housing for an acousto-electric input transducer, an amplifier, a transformer having a primary winding connected in series with the input transducer and a secondary winding series connected to both an electro-acoustic output transducer and an electro-magnetic output transducer, said transducers being circular symmetric and concentrically located on the axis of the housing, said housing having a domed rear face adapted to fit into a dished face of the telephone handset receiver, and a resilient curved band extending from the housing and terminating at a self contained power source, said band enabling spring mounting of the telephone hearing aid onto a telephone handset with the telephone handset receiver gripped between said housing and said power source.

2. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 1, said amplifier comprising an electronic voice-band amplifier having an output driving both said electro-acoustic transducer and said electro-magnetic transducer.

3. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 1, said housing having an annular sound absorbent cushion surrounding its periphery for attenuating sound between the input and the output when the telephone handset receiver is pressed against a human ear.

4. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 1, wherein the input transducer comprises an electret microphone.

5. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 1, in which the eletro-magnetic output transducer comprises a cylindrical magnetic-field producing coil within said housing, said coil having its cylindrical axis substantially perpendicular to the telephone handset receiver.

6. A telephone hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 said self contained power source comprising a battery compartment adapted to receive a battery to power said amplifier, said housing connected to said battery compartment by said resilient curved band;

and wherein the acoustic-electric transducer on one side of said housing faces the telephone handset receiver and the electro-acoustic transducer is on the opposed side of said housing and radiates in a direction away from the telephone handset receiver.

7. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 6, said electronic voice-band amplifier comprising a potentiometer for adjusting its electrical gain by a user of said telephone hearing aid.

8. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 7, said acousto-electric transducer being an electret microphone, and said electro-acoustic transducer being a hearing aid-type receiver.

9. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 8, said electro-magnetic transducer being a cylindrical magnetic-field producing coil within said housing.

10. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 9, said coil having its cylinder axis substantially perpendicular to the receiver when said housing is in place.

11. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 10, said housing having an annular sound absorbent cushion surrounding its periphery for attenuating sound between the input and the output particularly when pressed against a human ear.

12. The telephone hearing aid as defined in claim 11, said housing having an input aperture in said one side surrounded by a sound attenuating O-ring when contiguous said telephone receiver.