Hearing aid with audible control for volume adjustment

• US 5,003,607 A
• Filed: 04/12/1989
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James S. Reed
• Original Assignee: James S. Reed
• Inventors: Reed, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Application Number:
  US07/338,376
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68.4, 381/69, 381/69.1-69.2, 381/68.6, 381/104, 381/68, 381/60, 381/109, 338/163, 338/174, 200/291, 200/308, 200/11 TW, 128/746
• US Class Current: 381/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture

Abstract

An in the ear hearing aid where the volume is reset to predetermined level after inserting into the ear of the user by counting a predetermined number of clicks from high or low volume. The clicks are produced by a pawl engaging serrations on the peripheral edge of the volume control.

Claims

1. An in the ear hearing aid comprising a body sized to fit wholly within a user'"'"'s ear and having a portion facing outwardly of the user'"'"'s ear, a microphone mounted on said portion for picking up sound, a volume control rotatably mounted on said portion in spaced relation to said microphone and accessible to the user, when the hearing aid is inserted, for rotational movement between high volume and low volume extreme positions, and means associated with the volume control to produce distinct separate audible clicks as the volume control is moved incrementally from high to low volume extreme positions so that the user is aided in hearing the separate audible clicks when the hearing aid is inserted.

2. An in the ear hearing aid comprising a body sized to fit wholly within a user'"'"'s ear and having a portion facing outwardly of the user'"'"'s ear, a microphone mounted on said portion for picking up sound, a rotatable volume control knob on said portion and accessible to the user, when the hearing aid is inserted, for rotational movement between high volume and low volume extreme positions, and means associated with the volume control knob to produce distinct separate clicks made audible to the user through said hearing aid while inserted in the user'"'"'s ear as the volume control is moved incrementally from high to low volume positions, the volume control knob being provided with peripheral serrations and said means comprising a pawl urged into the serrations for producing the audible clicks as the volume control knob is moved from high to low volume extreme positions.

3. The hearing aid of claim 2 wherein the serrations are on the circumferential edge of the volume control knob and the pawl is of spring steel having one end fixed in a pin on the body of the hearing aid and having a free end urged against the serrated edge of the knob.