Connector for a hearing instrument, and hearing instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020021925-A1
Application number	US-201916565622-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2010
Publication date	Jan 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter. A microphone can be arranged on the end face instead of the connector so as to improve sound pick-up and directionality.

First claim

1 . A hearing instrument, comprising:
a housing configured for placement behind an ear of a user and being generally shaped with a convex upper side, a concave lower side, and defining a longitudinal housing direction; said housing having a connector receptacle formed in said concave lower side and an electric connecting element inside said connector receptacle of said housing; a connector disposed on an earpiece sound tube and configured for interconnecting the earpiece sound tube with the housing of the hearing instrument; said connector having an electric connecting component configured for connecting in mutual engagement with said electric connecting element inside said connector receptacle and a mechanical connecting component configured for placement into mechanical engagement with said connector receptacle; wherein said earpiece sound tube connects to the connector along the longitudinal axis and the connector is formed for insertion into said connector receptacle in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and wherein said connector is received in said connector receptacle flush with said lower concave side of said housing and said earpiece sound tube is ducted into said connector receptacle into said concave lower side of said housing; and said housing having at least one microphone opening formed in the convex upper side or in a forward-facing wall of said housing.

2 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing instrument is an RIC-BTE hearing aid and said at least one microphone opening is one of two microphone openings formed respectively in said convex upper side and said forward-facing wall, and said microphone openings are arranged substantially at an equal height when the hearing aid is worn behind the ear.

3 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical connecting component is formed with undercuts on said housing, and said undercuts are configured to be brought into mutual engagement with a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt of said connector.

4 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a locking-pin receptacle on said housing, said receptacle being oriented such that said connector can be locked by inserting a locking pin into said locking-pin receptacle and unlocked by removing said locking pin.

5 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing instrument is a behind-the-ear BTE hearing aid and said earpiece sound tube connects said BTE hearing aid to a receiver to be placed in the ear canal of a hearing aid wearer.

6 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical connecting component includes a sealing means.

7 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical connecting component includes a sealing ring.

8 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt, both to be brought into mutual engagement with an undercut of the housing of the hearing instrument.

9 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a locking-pin receptacle which is oriented such that the connector can be locked by inserting a locking pin into the locking-pin receptacle and unlocked by removing the locking pin.

10 . The hearing instrument according to claim 1 , wherein said electric connecting component comprises a contact pin to which an elastic force is applied.

11 . The hearing instrument according to claim 10 , wherein said contact pin is a pogo pin.

12 . A connector for a hearing instrument, the hearing instrument having a housing with a concave lower side configured to be placed on the pinna of a user and a convex upper side, the connector comprising:
an electric connecting component configured for connecting in mutual engagement with an electric connecting element inside the housing of the hearing instrument and a mechanical connecting component configured for placement into mechanical engagement with a connector receptacle forming a constituent part of the housing of the hearing instrument; the connector being disposed on an earpiece sound tube and the connector being configured for interconnecting the earpiece tube with the housing of the hearing instrument; wherein the earpiece sound tube defines a longitudinal direction at the connector and the connector is formed for insertion into a connector receptacle formed in the concave lower side of the housing in a direction transversely to the longitudinal direction, wherein the connector comes to lie on the pinna of the user when the hearing instrument is being worn.

13 . The connector according to claim 12 , wherein the hearing instrument is a behind-the-ear BTE hearing aid and the earpiece sound tube connects said BTE hearing aid to a receiver to be placed in the ear canal of a hearing aid wearer.

14 . The connector according to claim 12 , wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt, both to be brought into mutual engagement with an undercut of the housing of the hearing instrument.

15 . The connector according to claim 12 , wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a locking-pin receptacle which is oriented such that the connector can be locked by inserting a locking pin into the locking-pin receptacle and unlocked by removing the locking pin.

16 . A hearing instrument, comprising:
a connector according to claim 12 ; a housing having a concave lower side, a convex upper side, and a connector receptacle formed in the concave lower side for accommodating said connector; said housing defining a longitudinal housing direction and said connector receptacle opening in a direction transverse to the longitudinal housing direction such that said connector is connected by insertion into said connector receptacle transversely to the longitudinal housing direction.

17 . The hearing instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the hearing instrument is an RIC-BTE hearing aid.

18 . The hearing instrument according to claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal housing direction is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction defined by the sound tube at said connector.

19 . The hearing instrument according to claim 16 , wherein said connector receptacle comprises an electric connecting component and a mechanical connecting component, said electric connecting component includes an electric connecting element located inside said housing, and said mechanical connecting component includes a mechanical connecting element forming a constituent part of said housing.

20 . The hearing instrument according to claim 19 , wherein said mechanical connecting component is formed with undercuts on said housing, and said undercuts are configured to be brought into mutual engagement with a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt of said connector.

Assignees

• Sivantos Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Barth Joachim Roland
• Kral Holger
• Naumann Frank
• Ratay Andreas
• Trautner Markus

Classifications

• H01R13/567

  Traverse cable outlet or wire connection · CPC title

• H01R13/5219

  Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal · CPC title

• H01R13/2471

  pin shaped · CPC title

• H01R2201/12

  for medicine and surgery · CPC title

• H01R13/639

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title