Hearing aid dryer and disinfection kit

• US 11,102,588 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2019
• Issued: 08/24/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel R. Schumaier
• Original Assignee: Daniel R. Schumaier
• Inventors: Schumaier, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKinney, Angelica M
• Application Number:
  US16/671,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20210044907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/12 Sanitary or hygienic devices for mouthpieces or earpieces, e.g. for protecting against infection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• 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

A portable airtight electronic component dryer device includes a container having an interior portion for receiving one or more electronic components for drying and a removable lid for the container. A desiccant is disposed in the interior portion of the container. The removable lid contains a disinfecting light source and a power source for providing power to the disinfecting light source. Light generated by the disinfecting light source is directed into the interior portion of the container.

Claims

1. A portable electronic component dryer device comprising:

a container having an interior portion for receiving one or more electronic components for drying;

a desiccant disposed in the interior portion of the container; and

a removable lid for the container, the removable lid comprising;

an ultraviolet disinfecting light source,

a controller circuit that is isolated from the interior portion of the container, wherein the controller circuit generates an indication that the desiccant is due for replacement based on a programmable change-out threshold count, and

a battery for providing power to the ultraviolet disinfecting light source and the controller circuit,

wherein light generated by the ultraviolet disinfecting light source is directed into the interior portion of the container.

2. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit controls the ultraviolet disinfecting light source to operate during a predetermined period of time.

3. The electronic component dryer device of claim 2, wherein the controller circuit activates the ultraviolet disinfecting light source for the predetermined period of time ranging from minutes to hours.

4. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the removable lid further comprises a switch that is isolated from the interior portion of the container, the switch for activating the ultraviolet disinfecting light source.

5. The electronic component dryer device of claim 4, wherein the switch comprises a capacitive switch.

6. The electronic component dryer device of claim 5, wherein the capacitive switch is on a top portion of the removable lid.

7. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet disinfecting light source comprises one or more ultraviolet light emitting diodes or one or more ultraviolet lamps.

8. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a cylindrical container.

9. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the removable lid is an air-tight removable lid.

10. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the desiccant comprises a replaceable desiccant holder containing desiccant and having vent holes therein.

11. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1, wherein the change-out threshold count is reprogrammed by a software application running on a mobile computing device.

12. The electronic component dryer device of claim 1 further comprising an indicator lamp disposed on the removable lid, wherein the indication comprises changing a property of light generated by the indicator lamp.

13. An improved electronic component dryer kit comprising an air-tight container having an interior portion and a removable desiccant disposed within the interior portion, the improvement comprising:

a removable lid for the container, the removable lid comprising;

a disinfecting light source,

a controller circuit that is isolated from the interior portion of the container, wherein the controller circuit generates an indication that the desiccant is due for replacement based on a programmable change-out threshold count, and

a battery for providing power to the disinfecting light source and the controller circuit,

wherein light generated by the disinfecting light source is directed into the interior portion of the container.

14. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 13, wherein the controller circuit controls the disinfecting light source to operate during a predetermined period of time.

15. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 14, wherein the controller circuit activates the disinfecting light source for the predetermined period of time ranging from minutes to hours.

16. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 13, wherein the removable lid further comprises a switch that is isolated from the interior portion of the container, the switch for activating the disinfecting light source.

17. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 16, wherein the switch comprises a capacitive switch on a top portion of the removable lid.

18. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 13, wherein the disinfecting light source comprises an ultraviolet light source.

19. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 18, wherein the ultraviolet light source comprises one or more ultraviolet light emitting diodes or one or more ultraviolet lamps.

20. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 13, wherein the container comprises a cylindrical container.

21. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 13, wherein the removable lid is an air-tight removable lid.

22. The improved electronic component dryer kit of claim 13, wherein the desiccant comprises a replaceable desiccant holder containing desiccant and having vent holes therein.

23. The electronic component dryer device of claim 13, wherein the change-out threshold count is reprogrammed by a software application running on a mobile computing device.

24. The electronic component dryer device of claim 13 further comprising an indicator lamp disposed on the removable lid, wherein the indication comprises changing a property of light generated by the indicator lamp.

25. A portable electronic component dryer device comprising:

a container having an interior portion for receiving one or more electronic components for drying;

a desiccant disposed in the interior portion of the container;

an air-tight removable lid for the container, the removable lid comprising;

a disinfecting light source,

a controller circuit that is isolated from the interior portion of the container, wherein the controller circuit generates an indication that the desiccant is due for replacement based on a programmable change-out threshold count,

a battery for providing power to the disinfecting light source and the controller circuit, and

lid removal detection circuitry that removes power from the disinfecting light source upon removal of the lid from the container,

wherein light generated by the disinfecting light source is directed into the interior portion of the container.

26. The portable electronic component dryer device of claim 25 wherein the lid removal detection circuitry comprises a magnetic switch or metal contacts on the container and the lid that closes a circuit between the battery and the disinfecting light source when lid is secured to the container.

27. The portable electronic component dryer device of claim 25 wherein the lid includes threads that engage corresponding threads on the container, and wherein the removal detection circuitry comprises metal contacts on the threads of the container and metal contacts on the threads on the lid that close a circuit between the battery and the disinfecting light source when lid is secured to the container.

28. A portable electronic component dryer device comprising:

a container having an interior portion for receiving one or more electronic components for drying;

a desiccant disposed in the interior portion of the container; and

a removable lid for the container, the removable lid comprising;

a disinfecting light source that generates light directed into the interior portion of the container when the removable lid is attached to the container;

a battery for providing power to the disinfecting light source; and

a controller circuit for controlling the disinfecting light source to operate during a predetermined period of time and for generating an indication that the desiccant is due for replacement based on a programmable change-out threshold count.

29. The electronic component dryer device of claim 28 further comprising an indicator lamp disposed on the removable lid, wherein the indication comprises changing a property of light generated by the indicator lamp.