Safety ear hook apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10674282-B2
Application number	US-201715652746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2017
Priority date	Jul 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

An ear hook apparatus, including an ear hook tip, an ear hook chassis, and a male connector, wherein the ear hook apparatus is configured such that the male connector attaches to one or more components of a BTE device at and/or below a base of a BTE electronics module of the BTE device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ear hook apparatus, comprising:
an ear hook tip;
an ear hook chassis; and
a male connector;
wherein the ear hook apparatus is configured to attach to a BTE electronics module such that the male connector interfaces with a base of the BTE electronics module, and
wherein the ear hook apparatus is further configured to attach to a body of the BTE electronics module away from the base, and wherein the ear hook tip is located at a top of the ear hook apparatus and the ear hook tip is located at a first end of the resulting assembly of the BTE electronics module plus ear hook apparatus when the ear hook apparatus is attached to the BTE electronics module, the first end being opposite an end of the BTE electronics module having the base.

2. The ear hook apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ear hook chassis defines a female receptacle configured to receive a male portion of the body of the BTE electronics module, and thereby facilitate an attachment to the body of the BTE electronics module.

3. The ear hook apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the male connector is a metal component establishing a concave hook relative to a BTE electronics module facing side of the ear hook assembly;
the chassis is a synthetic based component; and
the chassis is molded about a portion of the male connector.

4. The ear hook apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the ear hook tip is a separate component from the chassis and is locked onto the chassis.

5. The ear hook apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the ear hook apparatus is configured for dual connection to an operational assembly of the BTE device.

6. The ear hook apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the chassis is configured to readily flex relative to the male connector; and
the ear hook apparatus is attached to the BTE electronics module such that the tip is closer to a first location of the BTE electronics module than to the base of the BTE electronics module, the first location being a location that is furthest away from the base of the BTE electronics module.

7. A behind-the-ear (BTE) device, comprising:
a BTE electronics module; and
an ear interface, wherein
the ear interface is operationally removable from the BTE electronics module,
the ear interface includes a portion configured to extend in front of a pinna when the BTE device is worn behind the ear, and
the ear interface is safety connected to the BTE electronics module, and
at least one of:
a battery is attached to the BTE electronics module, and the safety connection is such that the ear interface cannot be removed from the BTE electronics module with the battery connected thereto without breaking the ear interface; or
the ear interface is safety connected to the BTE electronics module via an interference connection relative to the BTE electronics module.

8. The BTE device of claim 7 , wherein:
the ear interface in totality extends along the BTE electronics module to just beyond the end of the BTE electronics module.

9. The BTE device of claim 7 , wherein:
the ear interface is configured to be completely interposed between a concave portion of the BTE electronics module and a pinna of the recipient when worn on the recipient.

10. The BTE device of claim 7 , wherein:
ear interface is safety connected to the BTE electronics module via an via the interference connection relative to the BTE electronics module.

11. The BTE device of claim 7 , wherein:
ear interface is safety connected to the BTE electronics module via a component of the ear interface that extends between the BTE electronics module and the battery attached to the BTE electronics module, wherein the battery has a housing that appears as a structural extension of the BTE electronics module extending downward away from the BTE electronics module.

12. A kit, comprising:
the BTE device of claim 7 , and
an ear hook, wherein
the ear hook is removably attachable to the BTE electronics module when the ear interface is removed from the BTE device, and the ear hook is a different configuration from the ear interface.

13. A method, comprising:
obtaining a behind-the-ear (BTE) assembly including a BTE electronics module;
obtaining an ear interface;
placing the ear interface against the BTE electronics module such that a portion of the interface extends into an area of the behind-the-ear assembly; and
attaching the ear interface to the BTE assembly via the portion extending into the area of the BTE assembly, wherein
the action of placing the interface against the BTE electronics module results in the portion of the interface extending underneath the BTE electronics module and above a location for a battery of the BTE assembly such that the ear interface is attached to the BTE assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the BTE assembly includes the battery, wherein the battery is removably attachable to the BTE electronics module; and
the action of placing the interface against the BTE electronics module results in the portion of the interface extending underneath the BTE electronics module into a battery interface section such that the ear interface is locked to the BTE assembly, wherein the battery interface section establishes a bottom face of the BTE electronics module.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the BTE assembly includes the battery, wherein the battery is removably attachable to the BTE electronics module;
the action of placing the ear interface against the BTE electronics module results in the portion of the ear interface extending underneath the BTE electronics module into a battery interface; and
the method further comprises attaching the battery to the BTE electronics module such that the portion extends between the BTE electronics module and the battery, wherein the action of attaching the battery to the BTE electronics module locks the ear interface to the BTE electronics module.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising at least one of:
detaching the battery from the BTE electronics module, thereby unlocking the ear interface from the BTE assembly; or
detaching the battery from the BTE electronics module, thereby enabling the ear interface to be removed from the BTE assembly.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the action of placing the interface against the BTE electronics module also results in a second portion of the ear interface attaching to a separate portion of the BTE electronics module in a non-locking manner.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
prior to the action of obtaining the ear interface, the method includes removing a second ear interface attached to the BTE assembly, the second ear interface being of a different configuration than the obtained ear interface.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
prior to the action of obtaining the ear interface, the method includes removing a second ear interface attached to the BTE assembly, the second ear interface being of a different configuration than the obtained ear interface, the ear interface having a different BTE assembly attachment configuration than that of the second ear interface.

Assignees

• Russell Peter John
• Ilic Slobodan
• Chan Eddie Sze Chuen
• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Russell Peter John
• Ilic Slobodan
• Chan Eddie Sze Chuen

Classifications

• H04R25/602

  of batteries · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04R25/65 Primary

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

• H04R2225/021

  Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/02 Primary

  adapted to be supported entirely by ear · CPC title