Ear-wearable device having tunnel with electrical contact pins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10764667-B2
Application number	US-201816213719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2018
Priority date	Dec 7, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

An ear-wearable device includes a shell shaped for wearing in a user's ear. The shell comprises a tunnel wall shaped to define a tunnel that passes through the ear-wearable device. The tunnel wall defines one or more contact pin apertures through which distal ends of two or more contact pins pass. One or more electrical components are encased within the shell. The contact pins are conductors from the one or more electrical components. The distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of a cable plug that is removably inserted into the tunnel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ear-wearable device comprising:
a shell shaped for wearing in an ear of a user, wherein:
the shell comprises a tunnel wall,
the tunnel wall being a portion of the shell shaped to define a tunnel that is open-ended and passes through the ear-wearable device;

two or more contact pins positioned within the shell;
the tunnel wall being shaped such that the tunnel wall defines one or more contact pin apertures through which distal ends of the contact pins pass;
one or more electrical components encased within the shell, the contact pins being conductors from the one or more electrical components, wherein:
the shell comprises a faceplate and a shell component,
the shell component is shaped to define an interior cavity containing the one or more electrical components,
the faceplate is shaped to cover an opening of the interior cavity,
the faceplate is shaped to define a protrusion shaped to engage a recess defined in the shell component,
the recess is defined by a floor portion of the shell component and a riser portion of the shell component,
the protrusion forms a sector of a segment of the tunnel wall and the riser portion of the shell component defines a sector of the segment of the tunnel wall complementary to the sector of the segment of the tunnel wall formed by the protrusion, and
the first contact pin aperture and the second contact pin aperture are defined in the sector of the segment of the tunnel wall formed by the riser portion of the shell component; and

wherein the distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of a cable plug that is removably inserted into the tunnel.

2. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an elastomeric spring pad disposed on the shell, wherein pressure applied by the elastomeric spring pad to the cable plug inserted into the tunnel forces the terminals of the cable plug into electrical contact with the distal ends of the contact pins.

3. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising a plug-stop member extending outwardly from the tunnel wall toward a lengthwise axis of the tunnel at a distance from a lateral portal of the tunnel, wherein the plug-stop member limits a maximum insertion depth of the cable plug into the tunnel.

4. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 ,
wherein the contact pins are mounted within the shell such that the contact pins are immovable relative to the shell.

5. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the tunnel is a vent, and
the shell is shaped such that during wear of the ear-wearable device, a medial portal of the tunnel is located inside an ear canal of the ear of the user.

6. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the shell is shaped such that during wear of the ear-wearable device, a medial portal of the tunnel is located in a concha of the ear of the user.

7. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical components comprise a battery configured to be recharged using electrical energy supplied through the cable plug and two or more of the contact pins.

8. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical components are configured to process data transmitted to the ear-wearable device through the cable plug and two or more of the contact pins.

9. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more electrical components comprise a battery configured to be recharged using electrical energy supplied through the cable plug and a first set of two or more of the contact pins, and
wherein the one or more electrical components are configured to process data transmitted to the ear-wearable device through the cable plug and a second set of two or more of the contact pins.

10. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the tunnel wall is shaped to form a trench running from a lateral portal of the tunnel at least through a maximum insertion depth of the cable plug.

11. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the ear-wearable device is configured to continue operating as a hearing aid while the cable plug is inserted in the tunnel.

12. The ear-wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the shell has a lateral surface and a medial surface,
the lateral surface of the shell is distal to a midline of the user when the ear-wearable device is worn by the user,
the medial surface of the shell is proximal to the midline of the user when the ear-wearable device is worn by the user, and
the tunnel passes through the ear-wearable device from the lateral surface of the shell to the medial surface of the shell and is open at both the lateral surface of the shell and the medial surface of the shell.

13. A system comprising:
a cable having a cable plug;
an ear-wearable device comprising:
a shell shaped for wearing in an ear of a user, wherein the shell comprises a tunnel wall, the tunnel wall being a portion of the shell shaped to define a tunnel that is open-ended and passes through the ear-wearable device;
two or more contact pins positioned within the shell;
the tunnel wall being shaped such that the tunnel wall defines one or more contact pin apertures through which distal ends of the contact pins pass; and
one or more electrical components encased within the shell, the contact pins being conductors from the one or more electrical components,
wherein the distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of the cable plug that is removably inserted into the tunnel; and

a sensor unit connected to an end of the cable opposite an end of the cable having the cable plug, the sensor unit including one or more sensors, and the sensor unit configured to rest in or proximate the ear of the user.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the ear-wearable device further comprises an elastomeric spring pad disposed on the shell, wherein pressure applied by the elastomeric spring pad to the cable plug inserted into the tunnel forces the terminals of the cable plug into electrical contact with the distal ends of the contact pins.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the ear-wearable device further comprises a plug-stop member extending outwardly from the tunnel wall toward a lengthwise axis of the tunnel at a distance from a lateral portal of the tunnel, wherein the plug-stop member limits a maximum insertion depth of the cable plug into the tunnel.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the contact pins are mounted within the shell such that the contact pins are immovable relative to the shell.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the tunnel is a vent, and
the shell is shaped such that during wear of the ear-wearable device, a medial portal of the tunnel is located inside an ear canal of the ear of the user.

Assignees

• Starkey Labs Inc

Inventors

• Higgins Sidney A
• Tourtelotte David
• Alshehri Mohammed
• Farley Mark

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R25/60

  Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles (ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654) · CPC title

• H04R2225/025

  In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/556 Primary

  External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules (H04R25/607 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R25/65

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