Modular hearing aid

• US 5,204,917 A
• Filed: 04/17/1991
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unitron Hearing Limited (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Unitron Industries Ltd. (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Arndt, Horst, Spencer, Terrence D., Kroetsch, Edward S., Stork, Fred J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US07/686,368
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 381/69, 381/68.7, 381/68
• US Class Current: 381/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/609 of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence

Abstract

A modular hearing aid having separate microphone, receiver, amplifier and battery modules. The microphone module is connected to the receiver module by two dovetails. The receiver module is connected to the amplifier module by one dovetail and to a forwardly projecting plate of the battery module by another dovetail. The amplifier module is connected to the battery module by another dovetail. A flexible circuit board of the amplifier module has a flap which extends over part of the receiver module and is soldered to pins projecting therefrom. The pins extend within the receiver housing and are connected to the receiver therein. Another flap of the circuit board extends over part of the battery module and is soldered to connections on the battery module. Another flexible circuit board extends from the amplifier module over the receiver module and is connected to pins on the microphone module housing. Cover plates cover the top and bottom of the assembled modules to provide a cosmetically attractive appearance.

Claims

1. A modular hearing aid comprising:

(a) a microphone module having a microphone therein,

(b) a receiver module having a receiver therein,

(c) an amplifier module having an amplifier therein,

(d) a battery module adapted to receive a battery,

(e) said modules having removably connected together by dovetail connections, each dovetail connection between a pair of connected modules comprising a first surface on one of said connected modules defining a slot having a neck of first width and an interior of second width greater than said first width, and a projection on the other of said connected modules shaped to fit snugly and slidingly into said slot, said projection having an outer surface of third width corresponding to said second width and said projection having a neck of fourth width corresponding to said first width, said dovetail connections all extending in a direction substantially parallel to each other, said dovetail connections having ends,

(f) and a pair of cover plates, one on each side of said hearing aid, said cover plates covering said modules and said ends of said dovetail connections and being removably connected to said assembled modules and substantially covering said modules to help seal said modules against ingress of moisture, dust and the like and to provide a changeable cosmetically attractive appearance for said hearing aid.

2. A hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said modules each have edge walls which together form outer edge walls of said hearing aid, said outer edge walls extending between said cover plates and said cover plates being spaced apart by said outer edge walls.

3. A hearing aid according to claim 2 wherein said microphone module is removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said amplifier module is removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said battery module is removable connected to both said receiver and amplifier module by dovetail connections, said hearing aid including electric circuit means interconnecting said modules.

4. A hearing aid according to claim 3 wherein said receiver module includes resilient protection means over said receiver, said protection means having a plurality of resilient projections therefrom, said receiver module further including a housing, said housing being adapted to receive said sleeve with said resilient projections contacting said housing and assisting to acoustically isolate said receiver from the remainder of said hearing aid.

5. A hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said microphone module includes a housing, resilient protection means over said microphone, said protection means having resilient projections extending therefrom, said projections contacting said housing for improved acoustic isolation of said microphone from the remainder of said hearing aid.

6. A hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said battery module contains connection means adapted to receive a direct electrical input.

7. A modular hearing aid comprising:

(a) a microphone module having a microphone therein,

(b) a receiver module having a receiver therein,

(c) an amplifier module having an amplifier therein,

(d) a battery module adapted to receive a battery,

(e) said microphone module being removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said amplifier being removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said battery module being removably connected to both said receiver and amplifier modules by dovetail connections, and hearing aid including electric circuit means interconnecting said modules,

(f) said circuit means including a flexible printed circuit board forming a part of said amplifier module and having a flap having openings therein, said receiver module having electrical connection means projecting through said openings and soldered to said flap,

(g) a pair of cover plates, one on each side of said hearing aid, said cover plates being removably connected to said assembled modules and substantially covering said modules to help seal said modules against ingress of moisture, dust and the like and to provide a changeable cosmetically attractive appearance for said hearing aid,

(h) said modules each having edge walls which together form edge walls of said hearing aid.

8. A modular hearing aid comprising:

(a) a microphone module having a microphone therein,

(b) a receiver module having a receiver therein,

(c) an amplifier module having an amplifier therein,

(d) a battery module adapted to receive a battery,

(e) said microphone module being removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said amplifier being removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said battery module being removably connected to both said receiver and amplifier modules by dovetail connections, said hearing aid including electric circuit means interconnecting said modules,

(f) said amplifier module including a flexible printed circuit board forming a part of said circuit means and having a flap which projects over said battery module, said flap having openings therein, said battery module having electrical connection means projecting through said openings and soldered to said flap,

(g) a pair of cover plates, one on each side of said hearing aid, said cover plates being removably connected to said assembled modules and substantially covering said modules to help seal said modules against ingress of moisture, dust and the like and to provide a changeable cosmetically attractive appearance for said hearing aid,

(h) said modules each having edge walls which together form edge walls of said hearing aid.

9. A modular hearing aid comprising:

(a) a microphone module having a microphone therein,

(b) a receiver module having a receiver therein,

(c) an amplifier module having an amplifier therein,

(d) a battery module adapted to receive a battery,

(e) said modules being removably connected together by dovetail connections,

(f) a pair of cover plates, one on each side of said hearing aid, said cover plates being removably connected to said assembled modules and substantially covering said modules to help seal said modules against ingress of moisture, dust and the like and to provide a changeable cosmetically attractive appearance for said hearing aid,

(g) said receiver housing including a bottom wall, an encircling sidewall extending from said bottom wall, and an upper edge, said sidewall having a recess in said upper edge, a plurality of metal tabs extending through said sidewall and having first ends extending into said recess and second ends projecting outwardly from said bottom wall adjacent said sidewall, said first ends of said tabs being electrically connected to said receiver, and a lid removably fitted over said upper edge of said sidewall to close said housing, said lid having a flap covering said recess, said second ends of said tabs being electrically connected to said amplifier module.

10. A hearing aid according to claim 9 wherein said amplifier includes a flexible printed circuit board forming a part of said circuit means, said printed circuit board having a flap projecting over said second ends of said tabs of said receiver module, said flaps having openings therein, said second ends of said tabs projecting through said openings and being soldered to said flap.

11. A modular hearing aid comprising:

(a) a microphone module having a microphone therein,

(b) a receiver module having a receiver therein,

(c) an amplifier module having an amplifier therein,

(d) a battery module adapted to receive a battery,

(e) said modules being removably connected together by dovetail connections,

(f) a pair of cover plates, one on each side of said hearing aid, said cover plates being removably connected to said assembled modules and substantially covering said modules to help seal said modules against ingress of moisture, dust and the like and to provide a changeable cosmetically attractive appearance for said hearing aid,

(g) said microphone module including a housing, resilient protection means over said microphone, said projection means having resilient projections extending therefrom, said projections contacting said housing for improved acoustic isolation of said microphone from the remainder of said hearing aid,

(h) said housing including a bottom wall, an encircling sidewall connected said bottom wall and having an upper edge, said upper edge having a recess therein, a plurality of metal tabs extending through said sidewall and having first ends projecting into said recess and second ends projecting from said bottom wall adjacent said sidewall, said first ends being electrically connected to said microphone, said second ends being electrically connected to said amplifier.

12. A hearing aid according to claim 11 wherein said circuit means includes a flexible printed circuit board connected to said second ends of said tabs and extending over said receiver module and electrically connected to said amplifier module.

13. A modular hearing aid comprising:

(a) a microphone module having a microphone therein,

(b) a receiver module having a receiver therein,

(c) an amplifier module having an amplifier therein, said amplifier module including a switch for said hearing aid, a volume control for said hearing aid, and an amplifier for said hearing aid,

(d) a battery module adapted to receive a battery,

(e) said microphone module being removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said amplifier being removably connected to said receiver module by a dovetail connection, said battery module being removably connected to both said receiver and amplifier modules by dovetail connections, said hearing aid including electric circuit means interconnecting said modules,

(f) a pair of cover plates, one on each side of said hearing aid, said cover plates being removably connected to said assembled modules and substantially covering said modules to help seal said modules against ingress of moisture, dust and the like and to provide a changeable cosmetically attractive appearance for said hearing aid,

(g) said modules each having edge walls which together form outer edge walls of said hearing aid.

14. An electronic module for a modular hearing aid, said module including a housing having a bottom wall, an encircling sidewall extending from said bottom wall and having an upper edge, said upper edge having a recess therein, a plurality of metal tabs extending through said sidewall and having first ends extending into said recess and second ends projecting outwardly from said bottomwall adjacent said sidewall, an electronic unit consisting of either a receiver or microphone located in said housing, said first ends of said tabs being electrically connected to said unit, and a lid removably fitted over said upper edge of said sidewall to close said housing, said lid having a flap covering said recess, said housing having dovetail connection means adapted to connect said housing to other components of said hearing aid.

15. A module according to claim 14 wherein said unit is a receiver for a hearing aid.

16. A module according to claim 14 wherein said unit is a microphone for a hearing aid.