Hearing instrument with an integral injection-molding casing

• US 9,271,093 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Goly, Volker
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCARTY, TAUNYA A
• Application Number:
  US13/196,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/322, 381/323, 381/328, 381/324
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

A hearing instrument has an integral injection-molding casing. The hearing instrument fixes the internal components in an integral casing that is simple in design, production, and assembly; requires few components; and is easy to handle. Accordingly the hearing instrument contains an integral casing and a frame arranged within the casing. The casing has an assembly opening through which the frame is pushed into the casing. Additionally, the casing has a fixation opening oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction, which fixation opening interacts with a fixation device arranged on the frame in order to fix the frame in the casing. This provides a simple fixation mechanism. The fixation opening can be applied as a bore after the production of the casing, and so the casing has no undercuts and can therefore be produced in an injection-molding method. The fixation device can be embodied as a bolt. The bolt can be integrally molded onto the frame. The bolt can be inserted into the fixation opening by a spring force. In one embodiment, a microphone to be assembled after the frame has been inserted into the casing serves as a bolt.

Claims

1. A hearing instrument, comprising:

a casing;

a frame disposed within said casing, said casing having an integral design and surrounding said frame in five spatial directions;

a fixation device disposed on said frame; and

said casing having in a further spatial direction an assembly opening formed therein dimensioned such that said frame can be pushed into said casing through said assembly opening, said casing further having a fixation opening formed therein in one of the spatial directions perpendicular to the further spatial direction of said assembly opening, said fixation opening interacting with said fixation device disposed on said frame, such that said frame is fixed against sliding out of said casing, said fixation device having a bolt being introduced into said fixation opening and removable from said fixation opening and said bolt being kept therein by a spring force; and

an elastic device applying the spring force, directed in a direction of said fixation opening, onto said frame.

2. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said bolt is integrally molded onto said frame.

3. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said bolt is molded onto said frame using an elastic material for applying the spring force.

4. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said bolt is embodied as a barb, and in that said fixation opening is fitted to said bolt such that, as a result of a mutual engagement with said fixation opening, a force directed into said fixation opening is applied to said bolt when said frame moves in a direction of sliding out of said casing.

5. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said fixation opening is further embodied as a microphone opening and said fixation device is embodied as a microphone receptacle.

6. The hearing instrument according to claim 5, further comprising a microphone and said frame is fixed as a result of a mutual engagement between said microphone, inserted into said microphone receptacle, and said microphone opening.

7. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said assembly opening is configured to serve as a battery opening as well.

8. The hearing instrument according to claim 3, wherein said frame has an arm and said bolt is formed on said arm.

12. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a pivotable cover disposed at said assembly opening for closing said assembly opening.

13. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, further comprising electrical components disposed on said frame.

9. A casing for a hearing instrument having a frame and a fixation device disposed on the frame, the casing comprising:

a casing body for housing the frame disposed within said casing body, said casing body having an integral design and surrounding the frame in five spatial directions;

said casing body having in a further spatial direction an assembly opening formed therein dimensioned such that the frame can be pushed into said casing body through said assembly opening, said casing body further having a fixation opening formed therein in one of the spatial directions perpendicular to the further spatial direction of said assembly opening, said fixation opening interacting with the fixation device disposed on the frame, such that the frame is fixed against sliding out of said casing body, said fixation device having a bolt being introduced into said fixation opening and removable from said fixation opening and said bolt being kept therein by a spring force; and

an elastic device applying the spring force, directed in a direction of said fixation opening, onto the frame.

14. The casing according to claim 9, further comprising a pivotable cover disposed at said assembly opening for closing said assembly opening.

10. A frame for a hearing instrument having a casing, the frame comprising:

a frame body disposed within the casing, the casing having an integral design and surrounding said frame body in five spatial directions;

a fixation device disposed on said frame body;

the casing having in a further spatial direction an assembly opening formed therein dimensioned such that said frame body can be pushed into the casing through the assembly opening, the casing further having a fixation opening formed therein in one of the spatial directions perpendicular to the further spatial direction of the assembly opening, the fixation opening interacting with said fixation device disposed on said frame body, such that said frame body is fixed against sliding out of the casing, said fixation device having a bolt being introduced into said fixation opening and removable from said fixation opening and said bolt being kept therein by a spring force; and

an elastic device applying the spring force, directed in a direction of said fixation opening, onto said frame.

11. The frame according to claim 10, wherein said frame body mounts internal components of a signal-processing apparatus of the hearing instrument.

15. The frame according to claim 10, further comprising electrical components disposed on said frame.