Ear mold with adapter seal

• US 8,462,971 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Gommel, Uli, Ritter, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Loke, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Kimberly M
• Application Number:
  US12/152,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20080285782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 381/322, 381/325, 381/328, 381/330
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/456 mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659

Abstract

When external receivers are used in hearing devices there is a need to suppress feedback further. An ear mold with a receiver is therefore proposed, having a receiver connector including a first snap-fit element at the sound outlet. An adapter is inserted directly into the ear mold and has a second snap-fit element, which is snapped into the first snap-fit element in a manner such that it can be released. A seal, which surrounds the receiver connector completely, is made of a more elastic material than the receiver connector and the adapter and is fitted between the receiver connector and the adapter. It is thus possible to secure the receiver in the ear mold in an acoustically sealed manner, so that there is less feedback. The seal however also ensures that less dirt reaches the receiver.

Claims

1. A receiver unit for a hearing device, comprising:

an ear mold;

a receiver having a receiver connector including a first snap-fit element at a sound outlet;

an adapter inserted directly into the ear mold and which has a second snap-fit element, which is snapped into the first snap-fit element in a manner such that it can be released; and

a seal that surrounds the receiver connector completely and is made of a more elastic material than the receiver connector and the adapter and is fitted between the receiver connector and the adapter.

2. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter is made of polyamide.

3. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal is made of rubber silicone.

4. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal is held in the adapter due to its form.

5. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal is injected into the adapter using a 2-component injection molding technique.

6. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiver connector has a conical surface and a shoulder forms the first snap-fit element on the largest circumference of the conical surface, with which shoulder the second snap-fit element of.

7. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second snap-fit element has three snap-fit lugs, which are distributed at regular intervals on the circumference of the adapter.

8. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seal has a cylindrical segment, in which a cerumen protector is secured.

9. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cerumen protector is secured in the cylindrical segment in a friction-locked manner.

10. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter is made of hard plastic.

11. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adapter is made of polyamide.

12. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the seal is made of an elastic material.

13. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the seal is made of rubber silicone.

14. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the seal is held in the adapter due to its form.

15. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the seal is injected into the adapter using a 2-component injection molding technique.

16. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the receiver connector has a conical surface and a shoulder forms the first snap-fit element on the largest circumference of the conical surface, with which shoulder the second snap-fit element of.

17. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second snap-fit element has three snap-fit lugs, which are distributed at regular intervals on the circumference of the adapter.

18. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the seal has a cylindrical segment, in which a cerumen protector is secured.

19. The receiver unit as claimed in claim 17, wherein the cerumen protector is secured in the cylindrical segment in a friction-locked manner.

20. A receiver unit for a hearing device, comprising:

a receiver having a conical receiver connector at a sound outlet, said conical receiver connector including a conical surface and a shoulder at a largest circumference of the conical surface;

an adapter inserted directly into the ear mold, said adapter having a cylindrical adapter shell configured as a hard plastic part and made of polyamide, said cylindrical adapter shell including snap-fit lugs such that when the receiver is positioned within the ear mold, said snap-fit lugs are snapped over the shoulder such they can be released; and

a funnel-shaped seal made of rubber or silicone, said funnel-shaped seal configured to surround the receiver connector completely and is made of a more elastic material than the receiver connector, and the funnel-shaped seal is fitted between the receiver connector and the adapter wherein the funnel-shaped seal has a conical inner surface which corresponds to the conical surface of the conical receiver connector.