Modular hearing aid system

• US 5,185,802 A
• Filed: 04/27/1992
• Issued: 02/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xoma Corp.
• Original Assignee: Belton Electronics Company Limited (Belton Macao Commercial Offshore Limited)
• Inventors: Stanton, Mark F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US07/875,531
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 381/68, 381/68.6, 381/69, 381/150, 381/154, 181/129
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/654 Ear wax retarders

Abstract

A modular hearing aid system has an exterior shell and a removable interior housing. The shell can be customized for a user'"'"'s right or left ear. The housing has a standard, bilateral shape useable with either ear. The housing can be removably locked to the shell. A vent channel is molded into the shell adjacent a region of the housing.

Claims

1. A modular hearing aid system comprising:

an elongated housing with a first end displaced from a second end;

said housing being shaped so as to be usable with a right ear or a left ear;

a latching element, formed as an annular ring, carried on said housing displaced from second end;

an ear specific shell defining a second end receiving region therein with said second end of said housing receivable therein;

a recessed surface, defined on said shell within said receiving region and engageable with said annular ring; and

a vent channel molded in said shell along an interface region between said shell and said housing with said annular ring and said recessed surface cooperating internally within said shell to releasably latch said housing to said shell.

2. A system as in claim 1 with said shell defining an opening extending therethrough adjacent to said receiving region.

3. A system as in claim 2 including a cylindrical guard carried on said second end and extending, at least in part, through said opening.

4. A modular hearing aid system, usable with either a right ear or a left ear of an individual, comprising:

a shell with a proximal end and a distal end insertable into one of a right ear or a left ear, said shell defining an interior region, said region terminating at said distal end at an audio output opening;

a housing usable with either ear, said housing having an elongated shape with a proximal end and a distal end wherein said distal end is insertable into and retained substantially within said region;

a first part of a latch formed as a protrusion on said housing displaced from said distal end and a second part of a latch formed as a recessed surface on said shell within said region, displaced from said distal end wherein said parts of said latch releasably engage one another within said shell when said distal end of said housing is inserted into said internal region of said shell.