Sealing boot for protecting components in a hearing device

Abstract

A hearing device in which an engine module is enclosed in a resilient sealing sleeve. The sealing sleeve is configured to fit tightly onto the engine module and includes a sleeve opening configured to allow the engine module to pass through during assembly or disassembly of the hearing device, and a rigid housing shell covering at least a portion of the resilient sealing sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a head-wearable hearing device including a sealing sleeve, wherein the sealing sleeve encloses the engine module of the hearing device, and a rigid housing covers at least a portion of the resilient sealing sleeve. Background Technology

[0002] Components of hearing devices, such as headphones, headphone, earphone, and hearing aids, are exposed to a range of potentially damaging substances, especially during use. These potentially damaging substances include moisture, grease, dirt, dust, sweat, and earwax. Therefore, the components of hearing devices, especially the electronic components, are shielded to some extent to protect them from these potentially damaging substances.

[0003] Today, the electronic components of hearing devices are typically protected by a series of interlocking hard shells made of materials such as plastic, metal, or composites, and there are usually multiple such shells to protect the electronic components. These interlocking hard shells often require special tools to disassemble.

[0004] When a user wears or operates a hearing aid, the hearing aid is exposed to the user's skin and fingers, which may contain substances such as liquids or oils, thus increasing the exposure of the hearing aid.

[0005] Electronic components typically have a longer lifespan if they are not exposed to moisture, grit, dirt, oil, etc., making sealing them up advantageous. On the other hand, it is also beneficial for technicians to have access to the electronic components for tasks such as repair or replacement.

[0006] In addition, as rechargeable batteries are used in many newer hearing devices and in increasing numbers, the voltage increases compared to non-rechargeable devices, which further exacerbates corrosion problems.

[0007] The electronic components of a hearing aid are typically held together and at least partially secured in place by a rigid frame. As mentioned above, these electronic components are sensitive to environmental influences, and their lifespan can be extended by shielding them with a resilient sealing sleeve as disclosed herein. In addition to protecting the electronic components from potentially damaging substances, the sealing sleeve also reduces impacts to the electronic components caused by the hearing aid being dropped or otherwise, which could otherwise cause one or more electronic components to malfunction. Summary of the Invention

[0008] One object of the present invention is to at least mitigate one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention provides a head-mounted hearing device suitable for use in or at a user's ear, wherein the head-mounted hearing device comprises:

[0010] An engine module comprises multiple electronic components, partially secured in place by a rigid frame.

[0011] The resilient sealing sleeve is configured to fit snugly onto the engine module. The sealing sleeve includes a sleeve opening configured to allow the engine module to pass through during the assembly or disassembly of the hearing device. The hearing device also includes a rigid housing shell covering at least a portion of the resilient sealing sleeve.

[0012] Over-ear hearing devices can be headphones, headphone, earphone, or hearing aid. In particular, over-ear hearing devices can be external hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear or in-the-ear receiver hearing aids, or internal hearing aids, such as in-ear or custom-made hearing aids.

[0013] The engine module of a head-mounted hearing device typically includes multiple electronic components, such as one or more batteries, one or more microphones, printed circuit board circuits, one or more processors, one or more radio receivers, one or more Bluetooth transceivers, etc.

[0014] In some embodiments, the multiple electronic components include at least one microphone adapted to receive incoming sound via a microphone input, and the sealing sleeve also includes a microphone opening positioned such that sound can propagate through the microphone opening to the microphone input. The engine module may include more than one microphone; for example, the engine module may include a second microphone adapted to receive incoming sound via a second microphone input.

[0015] In some embodiments, multiple electronic components include a rechargeable battery. In another embodiment, the rechargeable battery is configured to have a voltage of at least 3V, such as at least 3.5V, or at least 3.7V, when unused and fully charged. The higher the battery voltage, the more problematic corrosion becomes when the engine module is exposed to the environment. If the sealing sleeve is further configured to prevent its removal from the engine module without the use of one or more tools, the use of a rechargeable battery reduces the need for the user of the hearing device to access the engine module, thus reducing user inconvenience.

[0016] Electronic components are at least partially secured in place by a rigid frame. Such a rigid frame is typically made of one or more plastic materials with sufficient rigidity to hold the electronic components in place, but can also be made of other suitable materials such as metals, composite materials, etc. One or more of the components may also be glued together or otherwise secured within / to the rigid frame and / or to each other. The rigid frame may have compartments or support structures that facilitate securing the electronic components in place. Typically, the rigid frame is a partially open structure that allows components, such as one or more buttons and / or microphone inputs, to be exposed so that they can respond to associated inputs, such as pressure applied by the user in the case of a button or toggle switch.

[0017] The resilient sealing sleeve is made of a soft and flexible material, such as silicone, rubber, or TPE. The thickness of the resilient material can be between 0.03 mm and 2.0 mm, for example, between 0.08 mm and 1.0 mm, between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, or between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm, depending on the design of the sealing sleeve. Due to manufacturing processes or design reasons, such as for strength in certain areas, the sealing sleeve may have areas that are thicker than others.

[0018] Typically, because the sealing sleeve is very thin, users can apply pressure to buttons, such as those on engine modules, without needing to create an opening in it. Furthermore, the sealing sleeve can be made of a material with at least some transparency, allowing users to see the light emitted by the LED through it, thus eliminating the need for an opening to make the LED light visible from the outside of the sealing sleeve.

[0019] In one implementation, the sleeve opening, one or more microphone openings, and optional connection openings are the only openings in the sealing sleeve, with the remainder of the sealing sleeve surrounding the entire engine module.

[0020] The sealing sleeve can be manufactured as a single mold, that is, made into a single piece of elastic material, without the need to combine multiple pieces together by means of welding, bonding, etc., or it can be made from multiple pieces and then connected to form a sealing sleeve.

[0021] The sleeve opening is configured to allow the engine module to pass through during assembly or disassembly. Other openings, such as microphone openings or optional connection openings, may be too small for the engine module to pass through in some embodiments, making it possible for the sleeve opening to be the only opening in the resilient material. The sleeve is specifically manufactured to fit a given engine module, allowing it to fit tightly around the engine module, i.e., to tightly wrap around the engine module. In one embodiment, the sleeve is also configured such that it cannot be removed from the engine module without the use of one or more tools. For example, by making the sleeve fit so tightly that one or more tools are needed to assist in removing it from the engine module without damaging the engine module.

[0022] The microphone receives incoming sound from the surrounding environment via its microphone input. When an engine module containing a microphone is encased in a resilient sealing sleeve, the sleeve requires at least one opening to allow sound to pass through to the microphone input. Such a microphone opening, used to allow sound to be received via the microphone input, therefore needs to be positioned so that sound can propagate through the microphone opening to the microphone input. This can be achieved by aligning the microphone opening and the microphone input, i.e., by fully or partially overlapping the microphone input and the microphone opening, allowing sound to propagate from the environment to the microphone without significant obstruction by the sealing sleeve encasing the engine module. If there is more than one microphone in the engine module, the sealing sleeve may have a second microphone opening. Two or more microphone inputs can also share a single microphone opening by being positioned so that sound can propagate through a single microphone opening to two or more microphone inputs. In one embodiment, the size of the microphone opening, such as its diameter, is 0.1mm-2mm, for example, 0.2mm-1.2mm, or for example, 0.2mm-0.8mm. In another embodiment, the sleeve opening and the microphone opening are the same, i.e., a single opening with multiple functions.

[0023] The seal is tightly fitted to the engine module, meaning that the seal is tightly fitted to the engine module.

[0024] The sealing sleeve can be fitted so tightly to the engine module that it is waterproof, i.e., impermeable to water, unless a structural discontinuity is caused under sufficient pressure. The openings in the sealing sleeve can accommodate suitable filters or have built-in filtering functionality. Alternatively, the engine module can have structures such as protrusions, which can be part of a rigid frame, forming a pressure seal at the openings, preventing moisture or grease from easily entering the engine module or the space between the engine module and the sealing sleeve. Therefore, the engine module enclosed by the sealing sleeve can withstand at least average humidity and light exposure to water and other liquids, and possibly more. In one embodiment, the rigid frame includes protrusions that partially extend through the sleeve openings, such that the sleeve openings are sealed by pressure from the tightly fitted sealing sleeve on or around the rigid frame at the protrusions.

[0025] In some types of head-mounted hearing devices, such as in-ear receiver hearing aids, electronic components in the engine module need to connect to components located outside the hearing device, such as components located in the user's ear during use. If the connection is wired, for example in the form of tubing and / or wires and / or optical fibers, the connection can be made via a sleeve opening. Alternatively, the sleeve may include a connection opening configured to allow connection between one or more electronic components and one or more components located outside the hearing device. Thus, the connection opening in the sleeve can provide a physical pathway for wiring and / or tubing through the sleeve. In one embodiment, the sleeve opening, microphone opening, and connection opening are the same, i.e., a single opening has multiple functions. The wired connection through the opening in the sleeve, as described above, can be protected by a tubular component mounted on the housing. Therefore, in one embodiment, the hearing device also includes a tubular component mounted on the housing and configured to allow connection between one or more of a plurality of electronic components and one or more components (e.g., earmolds or receivers) located outside the hearing aid. The tubular component can have any suitable cross-section, such as circular, elliptical, square, etc.

[0026] The hearing aid also includes a rigid housing that covers at least a portion of the resilient sealing sleeve. Thus, the rigid housing completely or partially surrounds the sealing sleeve, which encloses the engine module. In one embodiment, the rigid housing covers the entire sealing sleeve.

[0027] Rigid housings can also be used for various purposes, such as additional design elements like shape, color, and markings, or to reinforce hearing aid components. Using a sealed housing protects the engine module and its internal electronics from environmental factors, such as dirt and grease from the user's hands, should the rigid housing be removed for replacement—for example, if the housing is damaged or a different appearance of the hearing aid is desired. For hearing aid models where the user can replace the housing as needed or wish, this reduces the risk of negative impacts on the engine module.

[0028] If the housing covers the open portion of the sealing sleeve, then the housing may need to have a corresponding opening. For example, if the housing covers the portion of the sealing sleeve with a microphone opening, then the housing will also need to have an opening configured to allow sound to propagate to the microphone input. The housing is typically made of one or more plastics, but can also be made of other suitable materials, such as metals, composite materials, etc. In prior art hearing devices, i.e., without a sealing sleeve, one or more rigid shells are used to protect the internal electronic components from impact and to prevent easy access to the electronic components by the user. Therefore, such rigid shells have properties that are not needed when using a sealing sleeve as disclosed herein. Therefore, one advantage of a sealing sleeve is that a rigid housing can have different properties than when the engine module is not enclosed by a sealing sleeve, such as being made of different materials and / or only partially covering the sealing sleeve that encloses the engine module.

[0029] As an example, a resilient sealing sleeve for enclosing an engine module suitable for use in or around the ear of a hearing aid can be configured to fit snugly onto the engine module, and the sealing sleeve may include:

[0030] The sleeve opening is configured to allow the engine module to pass through during the assembly or disassembly of the hearing device.

[0031] Such a sealing sleeve may also have any of the features described above for the sealing sleeve, such as one or more microphone openings, which are positioned during use to allow sound to be transmitted through the microphone openings to the microphone input of the engine module. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating an embodiment of an elastic sealing sleeve for enclosing an engine module of a hearing aid;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the electronic components that may be present in the engine module;

[0034] Figure 3This is an illustration of an implementation of an engine module, which includes a rigid frame that holds and fixes electronic components in place.

[0035] Figure 4 An embodiment of the sealing sleeve enclosing the engine module is shown; and

[0036] Figure 5 The device shown is a head-mounted hearing aid with a sealed sleeve that encloses the engine module and a rigid housing that covers the sealed sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Various aspects and embodiments of a sealing sleeve for enclosing an engine module and a head-mounted hearing device including the sealing sleeve as disclosed herein will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 An embodiment of a resilient sealing sleeve 1 for use with an engine module of a head-mounted hearing device is shown; the sealing sleeve 1 has a sleeve opening 14 through which the engine module 4 can pass during the assembly or disassembly of the hearing device.

[0039] The engine module 4 of the head-mounted hearing device includes multiple electronic components 6, see [link to documentation]. Figure 2 and Figure 3 For example, one or more batteries 24, microphone 10, printed circuit board circuit, processor, (one or more) radio receiver, (one or more) Bluetooth. TM Transceivers, etc., can be sealed with a sleeve 1 (such as...) Figure 1 The sealing sleeve shown is used for shielding.

[0040] During assembly, the engine module 4 is inserted into the sealing sleeve 1 through the sleeve opening 14 by stretching an elastic material and rolling it over the engine module 4 to wrap it. The sealing sleeve 1 must be manufactured to fit the specific engine module 4 it will wrap, so that it will fit tightly, and that other openings in the sealing sleeve 1 will match the needs of the specific engine module 4. One advantage of the sealing sleeve is that removing or adding the sealing sleeve does not require complex tools, such as specialized screwdrivers or similar tools.

[0041] Figure 1 The sealing sleeve 1 has two microphone openings 16, which are configured to allow sound to be transmitted through the microphone openings 16 to the microphone input 12 included in the engine module 4.

[0042] Figure 1The sealing sleeve 1 shown is an example of a sealing sleeve suitable for enclosing the engine module 4 of an external hearing aid, wherein the electronic components 6 in the engine module 4 need to be connected to components located outside the hearing device, such as components located in the user's ear during use. To facilitate a wired connection between the electronic components 6 of the engine module 4 and the components located in the user's ear, the sealing sleeve 1 has a connection opening 22.

[0043] The sealing sleeve 1 is always manufactured to fit the engine module 4, which has specific shape factors, so that the sealing sleeve 1 will be tightly fitted onto the engine module 4 after assembly.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a diagram of various electronic components 6 that may be present in the engine module 4 of the hearing device. Specifically shown are: two microphones 10 with microphone input terminals 12, LED 28, and battery 24. Figure 2 The microphones 10 shown are mounted on the surface of a printed circuit board, and each microphone is adapted to receive incoming sound via microphone input 12. Figure 2 Only one microphone input terminal (12) can be seen in the image.

[0045] exist Figure 3 The diagram shows electronic component 6 (e.g.) Figure 2 The rigid frame 8 (as shown) is fixed in place within the engine module 4. The rigid frame 8 has a protrusion 20 configured to fit into a sleeve opening 14 in the sealing sleeve 1, as... Figure 4 As shown. The microphone input 12 and LED 28 are not covered by the rigid frame 8 with an open structure.

[0046] Figure 4 An embodiment of the sealing sleeve 1 that encloses the engine module 4 is shown. Figure 4 The sealing sleeve 1 is suitable for external hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear or in-the-ear receiver hearing aids, wherein the engine module 4 is located behind the user's ear during use, and there is tubing extending between the hearing aid and a custom earmold fitted into the user's ear canal during use.

[0047] The protrusion 20 that holds the electronic component 6 on the rigid frame 8 in the engine module 4 extends at least partially through the sleeve opening 14, such that the sleeve opening 14 is sealed by pressure from the tightly fitted sealing sleeve 1.

[0048] The two microphone openings 16 in the sealing sleeve 1 are configured to allow sound to be transmitted from the outside to the microphone input 12 in the engine module 4, which is enclosed by the sealing sleeve 1. The microphone openings 16 may be fitted with one or more filters or have built-in filters that allow sound to pass through but prevent dirt, grease, etc. from entering the engine module 4.

[0049] The connection opening 22 in the sealing sleeve 1 is configured to allow a conduit to connect one or more of the electronic components 6 in the engine module 4 to one or more components outside the engine module 4. As an example, in-ear receiver hearing aids typically have wiring between the receiver (which is in the user's ear during use) and the processor and / or (one or more) other electronic components within the engine module. The connection opening 22 is at least partially sealed by a conduit extending between the hearing aid and the earmold.

[0050] The engine module 4 can be almost completely sealed by the sealing sleeve 1, isolating it from the environment. Therefore, the sealing sleeve 1 serves to suppress or even prevent moisture from contacting the electronic components 6 of the engine module 4, reducing or preventing corrosion of metal parts. Furthermore, it partially or completely prevents grit, dust, earwax, grease, etc., from entering the engine module 4, extending the lifespan of the electronic components 6 therein. All embodiments of the sealing sleeve 1 are tightly fitted around its dedicated engine module 4, and therefore require some effort to remove, thus preventing the user of the hearing device from contacting the engine module 4 during normal use of the hearing device. Meanwhile, technicians can easily access the engine module 4 simply by pulling it out of the resilient sealing sleeve 1. Additionally, the sealing sleeve 1 also serves to reduce the impact caused by the hearing device being dropped or otherwise, which could cause one or more of the electronic components 6 in the engine module 4 to malfunction.

[0051] exist Figure 5 The diagram illustrates an embodiment of a head-mounted hearing device in which a rigid housing 18 completely covers a sealing sleeve. Due to the protection provided by the sealing sleeve 1, the rigid housing 18 does not independently protect the engine module 4, and can be made, for example, lighter and / or made of different materials compared to a rigid housing that independently protects the engine module 4. This also allows the rigid housing 18 to have a different construction than a rigid housing that must independently protect the engine module 4, and the rigid housing 18 is more flexible in fulfilling design purposes other than protecting the engine module 4.

[0052] exist Figure 5 The corresponding microphone opening 30 in the outer casing can also be seen, which aligns with the microphone opening 16 in the sealing sleeve 1, as shown. Figure 4 As shown.

[0053] In addition Figure 5 The diagram shows piping 26 for connecting one or more electronic components within the engine module to one or more components external to the engine module. Connection openings 22 in the sealing sleeve, such as... Figure 4 As shown, it allows for wired connection from engine module 4, with connection opening 22 protected by tubular component 26 (also known as hook) mounted on housing 18. Figure 5The tubular component 26 shown is circular, but in other embodiments it may have different cross-sections, such as circular, elliptical, square, etc.

[0054] Some preferred embodiments have been shown above, but it should be emphasized that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be embodied in other ways within the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0055] In a claim enumerating several features, some or all of these features may be embodied by one and the same element, component, or item. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims or described in different embodiments does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

[0056] It should be emphasized that, when used in this specification, the term "comprises" is used to specify the presence of the stated features, elements, steps, or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, steps, components, or combinations thereof.

[0057] List of reference numerals

[0058] 1. Sealing sleeve

[0059] 2. Headset-mounted hearing devices

[0060] 4. Engine Module

[0061] 6. Electronic components

[0062] 8. Framework

[0063] 10. Microphone

[0064] 12. Microphone Input

[0065] 14. Opening

[0066] 16. Microphone opening

[0067] 18. Shell / Outer Shell

[0068] 20. Protrusion

[0069] 22. Connecting opening

[0070] 24. Battery

[0071] 26. Pipelines

[0072] 28. LED

[0073] 30. Microphone opening in the housing

Claims

1. A head-mounted hearing device suitable for use in or at a user's ear, the head-mounted hearing device comprising: The engine module includes multiple electronic components, which are at least partially secured in place by a rigid frame. A resilient sealing sleeve, made of a soft and flexible material and configured to fit snugly onto the engine module, includes a sleeve opening configured to allow the engine module to pass through during the assembly or disassembly of the hearing device. The rigid housing of the hearing device covers at least a portion of the resilient sealing sleeve, wherein the rigid housing completely or partially surrounds the resilient sealing sleeve, and the resilient sealing sleeve encloses the engine module. The sleeve opening, one or more microphone openings, and optional connection opening are the only openings in the resilient sealing sleeve, the rest of the sealing sleeve surrounding the entire engine module.

2. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The rigid housing covers the entire elastic sealing sleeve.

3. The head-mounted hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The plurality of electronic components include at least one microphone adapted to receive incoming sound via a microphone input, and the resilient sealing sleeve further includes a microphone opening positioned such that sound can propagate through the microphone opening to the microphone input.

4. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The multiple electronic components include a rechargeable battery.

5. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 4, wherein, The rechargeable battery is configured to have at least 3V when not in use and fully charged.

6. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 5, wherein, The rechargeable battery is configured to have a voltage of at least 3.5V or at least 3.7V when not in use and fully charged.

7. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The resilient sealing sleeve is also configured such that it cannot be removed from the engine module without the use of one or more tools.

8. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the elastic sealing sleeve is between 0.03 mm and 2.0 mm.

9. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 8, wherein, The thickness of the elastic sealing sleeve is between 0.08 mm and 1.0 mm, or between 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, or between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.

10. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic sealing sleeve is made of silicone, rubber or TPE.

11. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic sealing sleeve is a single piece of elastic material.

12. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The rigid frame includes a protrusion that extends partially through the sleeve opening, such that the sleeve opening is sealed by pressure from a tightly fitted sealing sleeve.

13. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned head-mounted hearing device is an external hearing aid.

14. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 13, wherein, The hearing aid described is either an behind-the-ear hearing aid or an in-the-ear receiver hearing aid.

15. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 13, wherein, The resilient sealing sleeve includes a connection opening configured to allow connection between one or more of the plurality of electronic components and one or more components located outside the hearing aid.

16. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 15, wherein, The hearing device also includes a tubular component mounted on the rigid housing and configured to allow connection between one or more of the plurality of electronic components and one or more components located outside the hearing aid.

17. The head-mounted hearing device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein, The one or more components located outside the hearing aid are earmolds or receivers.

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