Hearing aid having electrical contact means arranged in a battery compartment

• US 5,188,540 A
• Filed: 03/17/1992
• Issued: 02/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Mueller, Jochen, Haertl, Christof
• Primary Examiner(s): MCGLYNN, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US07/852,950
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 439/500, 381/68, 381/68.1-68.7, 381/69, 381/69.1, 381/69.2
• US Class Current: 439/500
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/216 adapted for button or coin cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/502 using analog signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A hearing aid having at least one additional contact is provided for the electrical connection of an external programing device to at least one programmable hearing aid part. In order to minimize requirements for the additional contact, individual contacts which are electrically insulated from one another are arranged within a battery compartment in the region of a surface lying opposite a battery pole. At least one of the individual contacts can then be electrically connected to a programmable hearing aid part.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

a plurality of electrical contact means arranged inside a battery compartment for two-pole electrical contact with a battery and to hearing aid component parts, one of said plurality of contact means being positioned in said compartment for making a mechanical and electrical connection with an input, insertable in said compartment, of an external programming device, said plurality of contact means being insulated from one another in the battery compartment in a region of a surface lying opposite a battery pole; and

said one of said plurality of contact means being electrically connected to a programmable hearing aid part.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of contact means are secured at a region in the battery compartment that lies opposite a contact surface of said pole of said inserted battery.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein an individual contact of said plurality of contact means can be contacted to a pole of said battery such that said individual contact is saliently positioned in a cavity of said battery compartment relative to the remaining individual contacts.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of individual contact means include four individual contacts facing a positive pole of said battery.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of individual contact means are in the form of a resiliently-shaped tongue.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of individual contact means are secured therein with ends of said plurality of individual contact means facing toward the opening of said battery compartment, and opposing ends of said plurality of individual contact means facing in an opposite direction from said opening of said battery compartment and further comprise elevations in the direction of said cavity of said battery compartment.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said individual contact connected to said programmable hearing part and the remaining contacts can be connected in common and by multi-poles by a connector member connected to said external programing device and can be introduced into said battery compartment.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 7 wherein said connector member further comprises:

a recess into which a male member of a hinge of said battery compartment can be introduced for an exact contact guide of said connector member.