Hearing aid communications earpiece

• US 6,438,245 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GN Resound A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: ReSound Corp. (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Mercer, William D., Taenzer, Jon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ray, Lonnie L
• Application Number:
  US09/184,071
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 381/84, 381/127, 381/382, 381/370, 381/330, 381/328, 381/322, 379/428.02, 379/430, 379/52
• US Class Current: 381/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/215 by non-intrusive coupling means, e.g. acoustic couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A mechanism for detachably mounting an earpiece having a receiver and an acoustic tube to any one of a variety of hearing aids includes using an adhesive and a clip attached to the acoustic tube to adhere the clip and thus the earpiece to a surface of the hearing aid, so that an open end of the acoustic tube is near an acoustic aperture of the hearing aid and can thus provide an acoustic sound signal to a microphone within the hearing aid. Alternatively, the clip can be provided with a magnet and a ferric plate can be fixed to a surface of the hearing aid, so that magnetic forces between the magnet and the ferric plate will attach the earpiece and the hearing aid together. The magnet and the ferric plate can be chosen so that the earpiece will separate from the hearing aid when a relative force between the earpiece and the hearing aid exceeds a predetermined threshold, thus preventing injury to a user wearing the hearing aid and the earpiece.

Claims

1. A two-way communications earpiece for use with a hearing aid, comprising:

an acoustic tube; and

a mount for detachably mounting the earpiece on a hearing aid so that when the earpiece is mounted on the hearing aid, an end of the acoustic tube is fixed near a microphone in the hearing aid and the acoustic tube can convey acoustic sound generated by a transducer in the earpiece to at least one of an acoustic aperture and the microphone in the hearing aid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount fixes the earpiece to the hearing aid by adhering to a surface of the hearing aid via an adhesive.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mount separates from the hearing aid when a relative force between the earpiece and the hearing aid exceeds a predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the adhesive is double-sided tape.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount includes a magnet fixed to one of the earpiece and an outer surface of the hearing aid, and a ferric plate fixed to the other of the earpiece and the outer surface of the hearing aid, and magnetic force between the magnet and the ferric plate fixes the earpiece to the hearing aid.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the ferric plate separates from the magnet when a relative force between the earpiece and the hearing aid exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one of the ferric plate and the magnet that is fixed to the outer surface of the hearing aid is adhered to the outer surface of the hearing aid via an adhesive.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the earpiece includes a transmitter telecoil for transmitting audio frequency electromagnetic waves to a corresponding pickup telecoil in a hearing aid.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter telecoil and the transducer are connected in series.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter telecoil and the transducer are connected in parallel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transducer functions as a transmitter telecoil for transmitting audio frequency electromagnetic waves to a corresponding pickup telecoil in a hearing aid.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detachable mount is fixed to the earpiece via the acoustic tube, and releases the acoustic tube when a relative force between the earpiece and the hearing aid exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

one of a two-way transceiver and a transponder; and

a microphone.

14. A two-way communications earpiece for use with a hearing aid, comprising:

an acoustic tube; and

means for detachably mounting the earpiece on a hearing aid so that when the earpiece is mounted on the hearing aid, an end of the acoustic tube is near a microphone in the hearing aid and the acoustic tube can convey acoustic sound generated by a transducer in the earpiece to at least one of an acoustic aperture and the microphone in the hearing aid.

15. The earpiece of claim 14, further comprising:

one of a two-way transceiver and a transponder; and

a microphone.