Antenna for hearing device, ear tip and hearing device provided with such an antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10021495-B2
Application number	US-201615211108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

An antenna module for a hearing device includes a hollow core provided with an axial passageway and a winding around the core which is connectable with a hearing device. The antenna module is arranged to be at least partially contained within the ear canal of a user. This enables the antenna to be separated from sources of interference, since it can be positioned inside the ear canal away from hearing device electronics, thus reducing requirements for shielding and/or compensation. The invention further relates to an ear tip and a hearing device including such an antenna module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Antenna module for a hearing device comprising a hollow core, a sound tube arranged in the hollow core, and a winding provided around said core and connectable with said hearing device, wherein said core comprises a hollow passageway and said antenna module is adapted to utilize said hollow passageway through said core as a pathway for the sound tube, wherein said winding is an electrically conductive antenna in the form of a helical coil and is electrically connected to a signal processing unit of the hearing device, wherein said sound tube is arranged to be connected with a sound output of a receiver unit, and wherein said winding is wound directly around said sound tube.

2. Antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing device is a behind-the-ear-type hearing device.

3. Antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein said tube is connected with said passageway.

4. Antenna module according to claim 3 , wherein said tube passes through said hollow passageway.

5. Antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein said tube is arranged in at least one extremity of said hollow passageway.

6. Antenna module according to claim 5 , wherein a tube is arranged in each extremity of said hollow passageway.

7. Antenna module according to claim 1 , wherein said core is constituted by a flexible or rigid acoustic tube.

8. Antenna module according to claim 7 , wherein said core is arranged to be connected directly with the sound output of a receiver unit.

9. Antenna module according to claim 2 , wherein said antenna module is adapted to be incorporated into a hook of the behind-the-ear-type hearing device.

10. Antenna module according to claim 2 , wherein said antenna module is adapted to be incorporated into a housing of the behind-the-ear-type hearing device.

11. Antenna module according to claim 10 , wherein said antenna module is adapted to be incorporated into the housing of the behind-the-ear-type hearing device at an extremity of the housing.

12. Ear tip for a behind-the-ear-type hearing device comprising an antenna module according to claim 1 .

13. Hearing device comprising an antenna module according to claim 1 .

14. Hearing device according to claim 13 , wherein said hearing device comprises a shell, and wherein said shell comprises a seat located on the inside of said shell and conformed to support said antenna module, and wherein said antenna module is supported by said seat.

15. Hearing device according to claim 14 , wherein said antenna module is bonded to said seat.

16. Hearing device according to claim 15 , wherein said antenna module is bonded to said seat by means of glue.

17. Hearing device according to claim 13 , further comprising a wax guard.

Assignees

• Sonova Ag

Inventors

• Vonlanthen Andi
• Gehring Stephan
• Leist Christoph
• Jakob Andreas
• Probst Daniel

Classifications

• H04R25/554

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title

• H04R2225/021

  Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids · CPC title

• H01Q1/273

  Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals · CPC title

• H04R2225/023

  Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/552

  Binaural · CPC title