Water resistant acoustic port in ear-mouthed hearing device

• US 9,636,259 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Henry, Paul D., Lutgring, David M., Hotvet, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US14/798,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20160030246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/654 Ear wax retarders

Abstract

Water resistant acoustic ports and electronic hearing protection devices incorporating such ports are described. More specifically, water proof acoustic ports that provide water protection for an internal sealed chamber by providing acoustically transparent inlets that are capable of withstanding external water pressure at given depth due to their volume relation to that of the internal chamber, as well as hearing protection devices incorporating such ports, are described.

Claims

1. A water resistant acoustic port, comprising:

a housing

a sealed chamber within the housing, the chamber having a volume (V_C), and

an inlet microtube positioned in the wall of the housing and fluidically connecting the chamber to an environment external to the housing, the inlet microtube having an inlet microtube volume (V_I);

a hydrophobic coating that overlaps at least a portion of walls of the inlet microtube;

wherein the inlet microtube volume is greater than or equal to the combined volume of V_C and V_I multiplied by the quantity (1−

(External pressure in air/External pressure when submerged)).

2. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, further comprising at least a second inlet microtube positioned in the all of the housing, the second inlet microtube also connecting the chamber to the environment external to the housing and also being covered with a hydrophobic coating, wherein the volume of the second inlet tube is also a portion of the inlet microtube volume, V_I.

3. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 2, wherein the inlet and second inlet have a length of between about 0.9 and about 1.25 mm.

4. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein V_I is between about 0.5 mm³ and about 1.0 mm³.

5. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein V_C is between about 5 mm³ and about 10 mm³.

6. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, further comprising a semi-permeable diverter positioned on the surface of the housing over the inlet microtube eliminating line of sight path to the inlet microtube.

7. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 6, wherein the semi-permeable diverter comprises small openings on sides of the diverter.

8. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 6, wherein the semi-permeable diverter protects the inlet microtubes from water intrusion due to an impulse event.

9. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein the water resistant acoustic port is sound transparent.

10. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein the inlet microtube is capable of withstanding water intrusion into the cavity at a submersion depth of up to 1 m.

11. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic coating prevents capillary action in the inlet microtube.

12. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein a pressure differential between the chamber and external environment aids in prohibiting water extrusion from the external environment into the chamber.

13. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein the chamber is surrounded by the housing, inlet microtubes, a printed circuit board, a seal separating the housing and circuit board, and a microphone positioned beneath the circuit board.

14. An electronic hearing protection device comprising the water resistant acoustic port of claim 13, and an earpiece that includes a sound-emitting opening that may be positioned within the ear canal of a user.

15. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 1, wherein V_I is at least 10% of V_C.

16. A water resistant acoustic port, comprising:

a housing;

a sealed chamber within the housing;

an inlet microtube positioned in the wall of the housing and connecting the chamber to an environment external to the housing, the inlet microtube being generally capable of resisting water intrusion from ambient water at a submersion of at least one meter, wherein the inlet microtube further comprises a hydrophobic coating that overlaps at least a portion of the internal surfaces of the inlet microtube to reduce capillary effects; and

a semi-permeable diverter positioned on the surface of the housing over the inlet microtube, herein the semi-permeable diverter further protects the inlet microtube from water intrusion due to an impulse event.

17. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 16, wherein the inlet microtube is one a plurality of inlet microtubes and the diverter is positioned over all of the inlet microtubes.

18. The water resistant acoustic port of claim 17, wherein the total volume of the plurality of inlet microtubes, V_I is at least 10% of the volume of the chamber within the housing, V_C.