Coil assemblies

• US 5,610,989 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrington, Steven J., Salvage, Richard J., Powell, Derek W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D.
• Application Number:
  US08/360,179
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 381/69, 381/69.2, 381/68, 381/68.5, 381/68.6, 381/68.7, 381/68.2, 381/68.3, 381/68.4, 381/194, 381/197, 381/200, 379/52, 336/65
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/027 specially adapted for combination of signal type inductors or transformers with electronic circuits, e.g. mounting on printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/292 Surface mounted devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/06 Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 11/02 Loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622

Abstract

This invention relates to coil assemblies and in particular, but not exclusively, to such assemblies for acoustic transducers. Thus a transducer 10 includes a case 11 in which is located a coil 16 mounted on a flexi-circuit, which locates the coil 16 for its assembly handling and which allows various configurations within the case 11. A method of winding the coil 16 and mounting it on the carrier 17 is also described.

Claims

1. A coil assembly for a hearing aid transducer having a reed, the assembly comprising a fine wire formerless coil for receiving the reed, the coil having an elongated coil body defining a generally circumferential side surface and opposed end surfaces and a set of leads extending from the body and a flexible carrier constituted by a flexi-circuit incorporating electrical paths extending from a first set of terminals to a second set of terminals, the coil body being directly mounted to a planer portion of said flexi-circuit on the side surface of said coil body by means of an adhesive on the carrier and said leads being electrically connected to the first set of terminals, wherein the coil assembly is dimensioned for mounting within the hearing aid transducer.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leads are welded to the first set of terminals.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of coils mounted on the carrier.

4. A method of manufacturing a hearing aid coil assembly for a hearing aid transducer having a reed, the method comprising winding a fine wire formerless coil having an elongated coil body defining a generally circumferential side surface and opposed end surfaces and start and finish leads extending from the body, retaining the start and finish leads in predetermined positions, presenting a flexible carrier constituted by a flexi-circuit having a first set of terminals to the coil, mechanically manipulating the start and finish leads from the predetermined positions to contact with respective first terminals, forming an electrical contact between the leads and the terminals and directly mounting the side surface of the coil body onto a planer portion of the carrier by means of an adhesive, wherein the coil assembly is dimensioned for mounting within the hearing aid transducer and positioned for insertion of the reed into the coil.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electrical connections are formed by welding.