In-the-ear hearing aid

• US 4,937,876 A
• Filed: 09/25/1989
• Issued: 06/26/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Biermans, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Danita R.
• Application Number:
  US07/412,025
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68.6, 381/68, 181/130, 181/135
• US Class Current: 381/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers

Abstract

An in-the-ear hearing aid comprises a first unit (1), which unit comprises a microphone (3), an amplifier (4), controller (6) for adjusting a parameter of the hearing aid, and a battery compartment (5), and a second unit (2) comprising a receiver. The first unit (1) is accommodated in a first space situated at the end of comparatively large cross-section of an earmould (11). The second unit (2) is accommodated in a second space (9) situated at the end (13) of smaller cross-section. The earmold has a cap element (14) which allows for insertion of the second unit (2) into the second space (9) from the end (13) of smaller cross-section.

Claims

1. An in-the-ear hearing aid, comprising a first unit which comprises a microphone, an amplifier, control means for adjusting a parameter of the hearing aid, and a battery compartment, and a second unit which comprises a receiver, the hearing aid further comprising electrical connection means for electrically connecting an output of the amplifier to an input of the receiver, the first and the second unit being accommodated in an earmould whose external shape is substantially adapted to the interior of the ear of the user of the hearing aid and which for this purpose has a substantially tapered shape, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the earmould, characterized in that the earmould has a first space situated at the end of comparatively large cross-section to accommodate the first unit, and a space situated at the end of smaller cross-section to accommodate the second unit, and in that the earmould comprises means for inserting the second unit into the second space from the end of smaller cross-section.

2. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized, in that the means are formed in that the second space has an aperture for the passage of the second unit, which aperture is situated at the end of a smaller cross-section and can be closed by means of a cap.

3. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the first space and the second space are formed by a first housing and a second housing respectively which are encapsulated in the earmould.

4. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the first unit and the second unit are accommodated in the first and the second housing relatively so as to be detachable.

5. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the first space accommodates a first connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means and the second space accommodates a second connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means, in that the first connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a third connector unit, after the first unit has been mounted in the first space, which third connector unit belongs to the first unit and is electrically coupled to the output of the amplifier, in that the second connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a fourth connector unit, after the second unit has been mounted in the second space, which fourth connector unit belongs to the second unit and is electrically coupled to an input of the receiver, and in that the first and the second connector unit are electrically coupled to each other.

6. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the cap is formed with an aperture which is acoustically coupled to a sound outlet aperture of the receiver.

7. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the cap is provided with a cerumen protection seal.

8. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first space and the second space are formed by a first housing and a second housing respectively which are encapsulated in the earmould.

9. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the first space accommodates a first connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means and the second space accommodates a second connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means, in that the first connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a third connector unit, after the first unit has been mounted in the first space, which third connector unit belongs to the first unit and is electrically coupled to the output of the amplifier, in that the second connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a fourth connector unit, after the second unit has been mounted in the second space, which fourth connector unit belongs to the second unit and is electrically coupled to an input of the receiver, and in that the first and the second connector unit are electrically coupled to each other.

10. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the cap is formed with an aperture which is acoustically coupled to a sound outlet aperture of the receiver.

11. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the first space accommodates a first connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means and the second space accommodates a second connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means, in that the first connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a third connector unit, after the first unit has been mounted in the first space, which third connector unit belongs to the first unit and is electrically coupled to the output of the amplifier, in that the second connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a fourth connector unit, after the second unit has been mounted in the second space, which fourth connector unit belongs to the second unit and is electrically coupled to an input of the receiver, and in that the first and the second connector unit are electrically coupled to each other.

12. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the first space accommodates a first connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means and the second space accommodates a second connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means, in that the first connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a third connector unit, after the first unit has been mounted in the first space, which third connector unit belongs to the first unit and is electrically coupled to the output of the amplifier, in that the second connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a fourth connector unit, after the second unit has been mounted in the second space, which fourth connector unit belongs to the second unit and is electrically coupled to an input of the receiver, and in that the first and the second connector unit are electrically coupled to each other.

13. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first space accommodates a first connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means and the second space accommodates a second connector unit belonging to the electrical connection means, in that the first connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a third connector unit, after the first unit has been mounted in the first space, which third connector unit belongs to the first unit and is electrically coupled to the output of the amplifier, in that the second connector unit is constructed to cooperate electrically with a fourth connector unit, after the second unit has been mounted in the second space, which fourth connector unit belongs to the second unit and is electrically coupled to an input of the receiver, and in that the first and the second connector unit are electrically coupled to each other.

14. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the cap is formed with an aperture which is acoustically coupled to a sound outlet aperture of the receiver.

15. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the cap is formed with an aperture which is acoustically coupled to a sound outlet aperture of the receiver.

16. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the cap is formed with an aperture which is acoustically coupled to a sound outlet aperture of the receiver.

17. An in-the-ear hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cap is formed with an aperture which is acoustically coupled to a second outlet aperture of the receiver.