Hearing aid dryer

• US 8,112,900 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mg Development America, Inc. (MG Développement SARL)
• Original Assignee: Hearing Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Romanek, Harvey
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US12/616,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 342/01, 342/02, 342/18, 342/32, 342/33, 342/35, 342/39, 34/87, 34/88, 345/24, 345/26, 345/34, 345/43, 345/46, 345/49, 345/53, 345/54, 345/62, 345/72, 342/75
• US Class Current: 34/202
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/283 in combination with convection
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/003 Small self-contained devices, e.g. portable

Abstract

An application for a hearing aid drying/disinfecting system includes a closable container with an internally mounted ultraviolet lamp for disinfecting the hearing aid. A heating element creates an internal temperature that is higher than ambient temperature and a fan circulates air through vents from the outside of the container over the hearing aid and back out, thereby drying the hearing aid contained within the drying/disinfecting system. The vents are positioned to reduce ultraviolet emissions out of the container.

Claims

1. A drying system for a hearing aid, the drying system comprising:

an enclosure, the enclosure comprising a lid portion and a base portion, the lid portion hingedly connected to the base portion;

a shelf within the base portion, the shelf supports the hearing aid;

an ultraviolet lamp in the lid portion, at least some ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp is directed towards the hearing aid;

a heater disposed within the base portion and beneath the shelf, the heater providing heat to the hearing aid;

a forced air flow system for circulating air from outside the drying system, the air flowing over the hearing aid, drying the hearing aid without the use of a desiccant, and the air flowing out of the drying system, the forced air flow system comprising a fan, a fan grill, vents in the base portion directing air over the hearing aid, vents in the lid portion, directing the air away from the hearing aid and exit vents in the lid portion directing the air out of the drying system,

air from outside the drying system is pulled into the drying system through the fan grill by the fan, the air flows out of the vents in the base portion towards the hearing aid, through the vents in the lid portion and out of the drying system through the exit vents in the lid portion; and

a power source electrically connected to the fan, the heater and the ultraviolet lamp through a power switch.

2. The drying system of claim 1, further comprising a timer interfaced between the power source and the fan, the heater and the ultraviolet lamp, the timer adapted to connect the power source to the fan, the heater and the ultraviolet lamp during a timer interval.

3. The drying system of claim 1, further comprising a timer interfaced between the power source and the ultraviolet lamp, the timer adapted to connect the power source to the ultraviolet lamp during a timer interval.

4. The drying system of claim 3, further comprising an interlock switch electrically interfaced between the power source and the timer;

the interlock switch operatively coupled between the lid portion and the base portion;

the interlock switch resets the timer, thereby disconnecting the power source from the ultraviolet lamp, responsive to the interlock switch detecting a separation between the lid portion and the base portion;

the interlock switch starts the timer responsive to detecting a closure of the lid portion to the base portion.

5. The drying system of claim 1, further comprising an interlock switch electrically interfaced between the power source and the fan, the heater and the ultraviolet lamp;

the interlock switch mechanically interfaced to the lid portion and the base portion;

the interlock switch disconnects the power source from the fan, the heater and the ultraviolet lamp responsive to the interlock switch detecting a separation between the lid portion and the base portion.

6. The drying system of claim 5, wherein the interlock switch consists of a magnet disposed in the lid portion and a reed switch disposed in the base portion whereas the reed switch disconnects the power source from the fan, the heater and the ultraviolet lamp responsive to an abatement of magnetic field that occurs when the lid portion is separated from the base portion.

7. The drying system of claim 1, wherein the vents in the lid portion are gaps around the ultraviolet lamp.

8. The drying system of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the shelf is mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light and a portion of the inside surface of the lid is mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light.

9. The drying system of claim 1, wherein all inner surfaces around the hearing aid are mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light.

10. A drying system for a hearing aid, the drying system comprising:

an enclosure, the enclosure comprising a lid portion and a base portion, the lid portion hingedly connected to the base portion;

a shelf within the base portion, the shelf supports the hearing aid during drying;

an ultraviolet lamp housed within the lid portion, at least some ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet lamp is directed towards the hearing aid;

a heater disposed within the base portion and beneath the shelf;

a fan disposed within the base portion, the fan drawing ambient air into the drying system through a fan grill in the base portion, the fan forcing the air through air vents in the base portion and over the hearing aid, drying the hearing aid without the use of a desiccant, the air passing through air vents in the lid portion and the air exiting the lid portion through exit vents in the lid portion;

a power source;

a power switch, the power switch electrically connects the fan, the ultraviolet lamp and the heater to the power source when the power switch is closed;

a timer electrically interfaced between the power source and the ultraviolet lamp, the timer connects the power source to the ultraviolet lamp during a timer interval; and

an interlock switch, the interlock switch electrically interfaced to the timer;

the interlock switch mechanically interfaced between the lid portion and the base portion; and

the interlock switch disconnects the power source from the ultraviolet lamp upon detection of an open condition between the base portion and the lid portion.

11. The drying system of claim 10, wherein the interlock switch consists of a magnet disposed in the lid portion and a reed switch disposed in the base portion.

12. The drying system of claim 10, wherein a top surface of the shelf is mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light and a portion of the inside surface of the lid is mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light.

13. The drying system of claim 10, wherein the heater is a resistive heater.

14. The drying system of claim 10, wherein the interface where the lid portion meets the base portion is stepped, thereby reducing amounts of ultraviolet light escaping between the lid portion and the base portion.

15. A drying system for a hearing aid, the drying system consisting of:

an enclosure, the enclosure comprising a lid portion and a base portion, the lid portion hingedly connected to the base portion;

a shelf within the base portion, the shelf supporting the hearing aid;

an electric power source;

an ultraviolet lamp in the lid portion, the ultraviolet lamp directed towards the hearing aid, thereby illuminating the hearing aid with ultraviolet light when power from the electric power source is applied to the ultraviolet lamp;

a heater within the base portion and beneath the shelf;

a means for circulating air from ambient air outside of the enclosure, the means for circulating air limiting unwanted emission of the ultraviolet light to outside of the drying system, the means for circulating air drawing air into the drying system through a fan grill, through vents in the base portion toward the hearing aid, through vents in the lid portion and out of the drying system through exit vents in the lid portion; and

a means for electrically disconnecting the power source from the ultraviolet lamp responsive to detecting an open condition between the lid portion and the base portion by the means for electrically disconnecting.

16. The drying system of claim 15, wherein the means for circulating air includes a fan disposed in the base portion, the fan pulling air into the base portion and blowing air towards the hearing aid.

17. The drying system of claim 16, further comprising a means for controlling the ultraviolet lamp, the heater and the fan.

18. The drying system of claim 15, wherein the means for electrically disconnecting the power source from the ultraviolet lamp consists of a magnet disposed in the lid portion and a reed switch disposed in the base portion.

19. The drying system of claim 15, wherein a top surface of the shelf is mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light and a portion of the inside surface of the lid is mirrored to reflect the ultraviolet light.

20. The drying system of claim 15, wherein the lid portion and the base portion further comprise a means for reducing emission of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet lamp and through a gap between the lid portion and the base portion.