Hearing aid comprising a contact spring arrangement

• US 4,947,439 A
• Filed: 03/06/1989
• Issued: 08/07/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Buettner, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Danita R.
• Application Number:
  US07/318,968
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 381/69, 381/69.1, 381/69.2, 381/68.7
• US Class Current: 381/323
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/004 Application hearing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements

Abstract

A hearing aid having a battery compartment pivotally attached thereto with a recess in the compartment for retaining therein a battery and a spring contact arrangement for coupling the battery to electrical components of the hearing aid, wherein a first spring contact engages a casing of the battery in abutting relationship, a second spring contact engages a face of the battery in abutting relationship only upon closure of the compartment, and an insulated spring arm engages the face of the battery to prevent inadvertent contacting of the second spring contact and the battery face unless the compartment is closed, the second spring contact being held in a preadjusted or prealigned position by an appropriate securing element.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a battery compartment member pivotally attached to said housing, said compartment member having a recess adapted for receiving therein a battery, said compartment being adapted to pivot between closed and not closed positions;

(c) electrical hearing aid components positioned within said housing;

(d) a first contact positioned within said housing and adapted to contact a casing of said battery when said compartment is pivoted to its closed position;

(e) a second contact positioned within said housing and adapted to contact a face of said battery in substantially non-wiping relation when said compartment is pivoted to its closed position; and

(f) an arm positioned within said housing, said arm being biased to extend out from said housing so as to prevent said contacting between said battery and said second contact whenever said battery compartment is in a position other than its closed position.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein said arm is an insulated arm.

3. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein said first contact is a spring contact.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein said second contact is a spring contact.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein said arm is a spring arm.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein said battery contacts said first contact substantially in non-wiping relation.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein said arm includes a supporting member that biases said arm out from said housing.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the second spring is held in an aligned position by means of an element securable to the housing.

9. The hearing aid of claim 3, wherein the element for securing the second spring contact to the housing comprises a plastic clasp.

10. A hearing aid comprising:

(a) a housing member;

(b) electrical hearing aid components arranged within said housing;

(c) a battery compartment member pivotally attached to said housing member, said compartment member pivoting between closed and opened positions;

(d) first contact means positioned within said housing member and adapted for coupling said electrical hearing aid components to said battery substantially in a non-wiping manner;

(e) second contact means positioned within said housing member and adapted for coupling said electrical hearing aid components to said battery substantially in a non-wiping manner; and

(f) means for extending from said housing when said compartment is not in its closed position to prevent contact between said battery and said second contact.

11. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein means for extending from said housing to prevent contact between said battery and said second contact is an insulated arm.

12. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein said second contact means is secured to said housing by means of a securing element.

13. The hearing aid of claim 12, further including a bearing block therein when a securing element is a clasp that attaches to said bearing block, securing the second contact means therebetween.

14. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the first and second contact means are spring contacts.

15. The hearing aid of claim 11, wherein said insulated arm is an insulated spring arm.

16. A hearing aid comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) electrical components located within said housing;

(c) a battery compartment pivotally attached to said housing, said battery compartment being movable between open and closed positions, said battery compartment adapted to receive therein a battery;

(d) a first contact positioned within the housing and being electrically coupled on one end to said electrical components and being adapted for electrically coupling substantially in non-wiping fashion on another end to one pole of said battery when said compartment is in the closed position;

(e) a second contact positioned within the housing and being electrically coupled on one end to said electrical components and being adapted for electrically coupling substantially in non-wiping fashion on another end to an opposite pole of said battery only when said compartment is in the closed position; and

(f) a spring arm positioned in said housing, said spring arm being secured on one end to said housing and positioned so as to prevent said second contact from contacting said battery whenever said compartment is in a position other than in the closed position.

17. The hearing aid of claim 16, wherein the first and second contacts are spring contacts.

18. The hearing aid of claim 17, wherein the housing includes a bearing block and wherein the spring arm is secured to the bearing block by means of a securing element.

19. The hearing aid of claim 16, wherein the spring arm is electrically insulating.

20. The hearing aid of claim 16, wherein the spring arm attached thereto is a supporting element that engages an inside surface of the housing and that biases the spring arm out from the housing.