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Solar powered hearing aid and reenergizer case

  • US 5,210,804 A
  • Filed: 03/18/1991
  • Issued: 05/11/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An in-the-ear hearing aid of the type in which a shell is shaped to fit in a wearer'"'"'s outer ear, the shell having a canal portion extending into the auditory canal of the wearer and a back plate facing outwards, the back plate being colored to match the skin color of the wearer, the aid comprising pickup transducer means in the shell for converting ambient sounds to an electrical signal, electrical amplifier means within the case for amplifying said electrical signal, acoustic output transducer means in the canal portion of the case coupled to an output of the amplifier means for delivering amplified sound into the auditory canal of the wearer, a rechargeable electrical storage cell permanently situated within said shell below said back plate, a photocell carried on said back plate and permanently connected in parallel with said storage cell and of sufficient power capacity to power the amplifier means in full sunlight and to contribute a substantial portion of the operating current for said amplifier means when said hearing aid is being worn in ambient outdoor daytime light conditions and to recharge said storage cell when the photocell is exposed to light when the aid is not in use, and comprising the improvement wherein a door formed of a semitransparent material is disposed on said back plate and colored to match the color of the back plate, said door being operable fully to expose the photocell there beneath and closable over said photocell for concealing and covering the photocell when the aid is being worn yet permitting a significant portion of incident light to penetrate to the photocell, and which can be opened to expose the photocell fully for reenergizing the storage cell when the aid is not being worn.

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