Hearing aid with plug connection for earpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10425752-B2
Application number	US-201715822890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A hearing aid contains an ear insert which has an earpiece and a connection part which is connected to a receiver. The earpiece and the connection part each has a plug connector and are connected together by the plug connectors. One plug connector is a connection piece which extends in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis and has a thickened portion in the radial direction, and the other plug connector engages behind the thickened portion in order to axially fix the earpiece to the connection part. The thickened portion has an undercut and forms a retaining surface which runs into the thickened portion in a wedged manner. In this manner, the earpiece is attached to the connection part in a particularly secured manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hearing aid, comprising:
a receiver; and
an ear insert having an earpiece and an attachment part connected to said receiver, said earpiece and said attachment part each having a plug connector and are connected to each other by means of said plug connectors, wherein a first said plug connector is configured as a nozzle extending in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis and having a neck portion and a thickened portion adjoining said neck portion in the axial direction and extending in a radial direction, and a second said plug connector engaging behind said thickened portion for axially fixing said earpiece to said attachment part, said thickened portion, viewed in the axial direction, having an undercut formed therein and forming a retaining surface running like a wedge into said thickened portion, said retaining surface extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said thickened portion is curved at least in part like a sphere.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said earpiece is formed in one piece and from an elastic material.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said second plug connector has a chamber and in said chamber said nozzle sits and said chamber completely surrounds said thickened portion.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 4 , wherein said chamber has a mating surface which bears on said retaining surface.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 5 , wherein said chamber has a hollow cylindrical taper which surrounds said nozzle and on which said mating surface is formed.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 5 , wherein said mating surface is configured complementing said retaining surface and covers said retaining surface.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 4 , wherein:
said chamber has an opening formed therein for an insertion of said nozzle into said chamber; and
said neck portion of said nozzle is disposed inside said opening and has a diameter that is at least 10% smaller than said opening.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said retaining surface encloses an angle with the longitudinal axis, said angle being smaller than 90° and greater than 30°.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said nozzle has a first sound channel portion formed in the axial direction and leads in the axial direction into a second sound channel portion of said second plug connector.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein:
said thickened portion is curved at least in part like a sphere;
said second plug connector is a hollow cylindrical socket with a chamber;
said nozzle sits in said chamber; and
said chamber completely surrounds said thickened portion.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 11 , wherein:
said chamber has a mating surface bearing on said retaining surface;
said chamber has a hollow cylindrical taper surrounding said nozzle and on which said mating surface is formed;
said mating surface is configured complementing said retaining surface and covers said retaining surface;
said retaining surface encloses an angle with the longitudinal axis, said angle is smaller than 90° and greater than 30°; and
said nozzle has a first sound channel portion formed in the axial direction and leads in the axial direction into a second sound channel portion of said second plug connector.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 12 , wherein said earpiece is formed in one piece and from an elastic material.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid is a behind-the-ear hearing aid.

Assignees

• Sivantos Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Kral Holger
• Meister Bernd
• HAEDER Kristina

Classifications

• H04R25/656

  Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal · CPC title

• H04R1/1016

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R2201/10

  Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups · CPC title

• H04R25/02

  adapted to be supported entirely by ear · CPC title

• H04R25/40

  Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic · CPC title