PIM housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9774964-B2
Application number	US-201013994894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2010
Priority date	Dec 28, 2010
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

In a process for producing a hearing aid, comprising a housing made out, at least partially, of a metallic or ceramic part using powder injection molding technique (PIM) within the housing ( 1 ) at least one additional element ( 3 ) made out of a polymeric material is arranged for placing functional parts ( 5, 7, 13 ) within or at the housing ( 1 ) to reduce complexity of P parts and/or to compensate any tolerances due to the PIM process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing a hearing aid, comprising a housing made out, at least partially, of a metallic or ceramic part using powder injection molding technique (PIM), wherein within the housing at least one additional element made out of a polymer material is arranged for placing functional parts within or at the housing to reduce complexity of PIM parts and/or to compensate any tolerances due to the PIM process, wherein at least a main part of the housing design is made with an integral tubular cross section, wherein at least two ceramic or metal parts are used for the housing of the hearing aid, and wherein the hearing aid comprises at least one intermediate part made out of a polymeric material to ensure a stress free connection between the at least two parts.

2. A process for producing a hearing aid, comprising a housing made out, at least partially, of a metallic or ceramic part using powder injection molding technique (PIM), wherein within the housing at least one additional element made out of a polymer material is arranged for placing functional parts within or at the housing to reduce complexity of PIM parts and/or to compensate any tolerances due to the PIM process, wherein at least a main part of the housing design is made with an integral tubular cross section, and wherein in case two or more metal or ceramic housing parts are made with PIM technique and a wide gap between the housing parts occurs, the wide gap is compensated by an arrangement of compression ribs at the at least one additional element that can deform to adjust and fasten the distance between the assembled metal or ceramic parts.

3. A hearing aid comprising at least two metal or ceramic parts made using powder injection molding technique (PIM), wherein at least one additional element is arranged within the housing for placing functional parts to compensate any tolerances due to the PIM process, wherein at least a main part of the housing design comprises an integral tubular cross section, and wherein the hearing aid comprises an arrangement of compression ribs that are deformed to compensate for a gap between the assembled metal or ceramic parts.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein electronic components are placed within the housing, using a frame made out of a polymeric material.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein supplement parts, are carried by the additional element and/or a further additional element made of a polymeric material.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein for assembling the hearing aid, fastening elements are used together with respective counterparts for fixation of the fastening elements, wherein the counterparts are made out of a polymeric material.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein in case of the use of a metal injection molded part a non-conductive lacquer (coating or another non-conductive encapsulation part) is applied to the metal injection molded part to ensure separation from electronic components.

8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid includes a battery door comprising a ceramic or metal cover and a counterpart made of a polymer material, being integrated in the battery door for holding a battery, the counterpart being connected to the PIM made ceramic or metal cover by a fastening element, snap-fit, adhesive bonding, welding or press-fit.

9. A process according to claim 1 , wherein in case polymeric parts are connected to metal or ceramic parts, the connection is achieved by adhesive bonding, the adhesive bonding can also be used to seal already connected parts.

10. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional element is designed with an integral hinge or spring characteristic to be used as an elastic structure and to compensate a larger tolerance range with metal or ceramic parts.

11. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two ceramic or metal parts are coated with a hydrophobic coating.

12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a microphone protection and/or sound port are directly integrated into a ceramic or metal housing part by means of laser or conventional milling and drilling.

13. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is labelled or serialized with means of a laser engraving process.

14. A process according to claim 9 , wherein the PIM part is subjected to a laser treatment prior to a bonding process in order to increase surface roughness.

15. A hearing aid according to claim 3 , wherein the at least two metal or ceramic parts are relatively movable against each other.

16. A hearing aid according to one of the claim 3 or 15 , wherein the additional element is made out of a polymeric material.

17. A hearing aid according to claim 3 , wherein electronic components are arranged in a separate frame made of a polymeric material.

Assignees

• Karamuk Erdal
• Waeckerlin David
• Kunzi Pascal
• Sonova Ag

Inventors

• Karamuk Erdal
• Waeckerlin David
• Kunzi Pascal

Classifications

• H04R25/65

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

• Y10T29/49002

  Electrical device making · CPC title

• B22F7/062

  involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts · CPC title

• B22F3/225

  by injection molding · CPC title

• B22F2003/242

  Coating · CPC title