Hearing device with a barrier element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10375491-B2
Application number	US-201816045419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 26, 2015
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, having a protection system is disclosed. The device includes an input unit for receiving an acoustic signal from a user's surroundings and providing a corresponding audio signal, and an output unit receiving said audio signal and providing an audible signal to the user, where the hearing device further includes a barrier element for protecting elements of the hearing device. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a hearing device inlet system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hearing device comprising
an input unit for receiving an acoustic signal from a user's surroundings and providing a corresponding audio signal, and
an output unit receiving said audio signal and providing an audible signal to the user, where the input and/or output unit(s) comprises a sound port which are exposed to the exterior and/or an interior environment of the hearing device,
the hearing device further comprising a barrier element having a base part and a neck part, said neck part protruding from said base part, and said base part and neck part forming an inner channel of said barrier element such that interior sides of said neck part define a portion of said inner channel,
wherein said inner channel of the barrier element is arranged to substantially surround a circumferential edge of at least a part said sound port while allowing for sound to pass through said inner channel to said sound port,
wherein the interior sides of said neck part protrude from said base part at a substantially constant first angle of zero or more degrees in relation to a longitudinal centerline of said inner channel,
wherein exterior sides of said neck part protrude from said base part at a substantially constant second angle greater than zero degrees in relation to the longitudinal centerline of said inner channel, said second angle being greater than said first angle,
wherein said base part is comprised of a ring surrounding a portion of the sound port, and
wherein around said portion of the sound port, the thickness of said ring defines interior and exterior sides of said base part.

2. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior sides of the neck part are configured to simultaneously guide foreign substances to said base part and away from said longitudinal centerline.

3. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sound port of said input and/or output unit(s) extends into the inner channel of said barrier element, such that at least the base part of said barrier element surrounds the circumferential edge of the sound port with or without sheltering the sound port.

4. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the exterior sides of said neck part define an angle with the longitudinal centerline of the inner channel within the range of 30 to 60 degrees.

5. A hearing device according to claim 1 , where said base part comprises a shape that substantially covers a surface area around the sound port of the input and/or output unit.

6. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein said neck and said base part is substantially circular and said base part forms the ring around the sound port of at least one of said input and/or output unit(s) as viewed from a sightline parallel to said longitudinal center.

7. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner channel of said barrier element is uniform relative to the longitudinal centerline of said inner channel.

8. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein said neck part defines an opening at a distance from said sound port and where a transition point is defined between said base part and said neck part, said transition point being substantially closer to the sound port than said opening of said neck part.

9. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein said neck part at a transition point between said base part and said neck part comprises a first thickness, and at an opening of said inner channel comprises a second thickness, which thickness decreases in size as a function of distance from said transition point to said inner channel opening of said neck part, or at least that said second thickness is smaller than said first thickness.

10. A hearing device according to claim 9 , wherein said opening of said neck part comprises a substantially rounded shape having a thickness within the range of less than 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, the thickness being defined as a point on the inner side wall of the inner channel to a point on the outer side of the surface of the neck part.

11. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein said barrier element is retained by fastening means of said sound port.

12. A hearing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein said hearing device further comprises a cover element having a sound opening which are in acoustic communication with said sound port of said input and/or output unit, and comprises a set of fastening elements, said fastening elements being configured to retain said barrier element at the position substantially surrounding a circumferential edge of at least a part said sound port.

13. A hearing device according to claim 12 , wherein an outer surface of the barrier element abuts a set of fastening elements, said fastening elements including protruding flanges provided on said inner sides of the cover element.

14. A hearing device according to claim 12 , wherein the sound opening of the cover element is configured to be positioned substantially aligned with the sound port of the input unit, such that a direct sound path between the sound opening in the cover element and the sound port of the input and/or output unit is provided along said inner channel.

15. A barrier element for use in a hearing device, said barrier element comprising
a base part; and
a neck part,
wherein said neck part at a transition point protrudes from said base part,
wherein said base part and said neck part defines an inner channel of said barrier element such that interior sides of said neck part define a portion of said inner channel,
wherein the interior sides of said neck part protrude from said base part at a substantially constant first angle of zero or more degrees in relation to a longitudinal centerline of said inner channel,
wherein exterior sides of said neck part protrude from said base part at a substantially constant second angle greater than zero degrees in relation to the longitudinal centerline of said inner channel, said second angle being greater than said first angle,
wherein the input and/or output unit(s) comprises a sound port exposed to the exterior and/or an interior environment of the hearing device, said inner channel of the barrier element being arranged to substantially surround a circumferential edge of at least a part said sound port while allowing for sound to pass through said inner channel to said sound port,
wherein said base part is comprised of a ring surrounding a portion of the sound port, and
wherein around said portion of the sound port, the thickness of said ring defines interior and exterior sides of said base part.

16. A hearing device according to claim 15 , wherein the exterior sides of said neck part are configured to simultaneously guide foreign substances to said base part and away from said longitudinal centerline.

17. A barrier element according to claim 15 , wherein the neck part comprises an inner edge corresponding to the inner sides of the inner channel and an outer edge, where the distance between the inner edge and the outer edge defines a thickness t of the material of the neck part, wherein said neck part at said transition point comprises a first thickness, and at an opening of said neck channel comprises a second thickness, which thickness decreases in size as a function of distance from said transition point to said opening of said neck part, or at least that said second thickness is smaller than said first thickness.

18. A hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second angle is less than 90 degrees.

19. A hearing device according to claim 1 ,

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Larssen Michael Frydendal
• Petersen Michael Frank
• Pedersen Troels Holm
• Spidsbjerg Brian
• Monroy Lars
• Persson Lars
• Pedersen Jesper
• HEIBING Sune
• Andersen Mikael
• Bjerregaard Henning
• Christensen Niels Erik Holm
• Kvist Preben

Classifications

• H04R2225/021

  Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/658

  Manufacture of housing parts · CPC title

• H04R25/654 Primary

  Ear wax retarders · CPC title

• H04R25/65 Primary

  Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture · CPC title

• H04R1/28

  Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means {(combinations of transducers with horns, i.e. front-loaded horns H04R1/30)} · CPC title