Enclosure assembly for in-ear portion of a hearing device

Abstract

Disclosed is a closure assembly for an in-ear portion of a hearing device, the in-ear portion having a cavity for holding an output transducer, the in-ear portion having an opening and the closure assembly configured to be mounted into the opening, the closure assembly comprising: an insertion portion having an insertion portion opening for receiving and mounting a connector, the connector configured to mechanically connect the in-ear portion of the hearing device to a behind-the-ear portion; and a cover portion comprising a recess for receiving and mounting the insertion portion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a closure assembly for an in-the-ear part of a hearing device. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a hearing aid comprising an in-the-ear part with a closure assembly, in particular a behind-the-ear hearing aid (BTE). BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of hearing aids, in particular BTE hearing aids, the issue of visibility of the hearing aid is important. In particular, the user wants the hearing aid to be as little visible as possible. One measure to this end is to provide an in-the-ear part of the hearing device with a color adjusted to the skin color. This can be achieved by an in-the-ear part of the hearing device having a custom color. However, the hearing aid has to fit the user's hearing needs primarily. This means that the user needs the hearing aid to have a specific gain to compensate for the specific hearing loss of the user, which leads to a specific size of the loudspeaker / output transducer and thus a cover size adjusted to the loudspeaker. However, in this case, producing a hearing aid with an in-the-ear part custom made for a specific user requires not only a specific color, but also a cover having a specific size, which has a cover for connection to the behind-the-ear part of the hearing aid. This leads to an increased cost.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a solution that solves at least some of the above mentioned problems. SUMMARY

[0004] According to an aspect of the present invention, a closure assembly for an in-the-ear part of a hearing device is provided. The closure assembly comprises an in-the-ear part having a cavity for holding an output transducer, the in-the-ear part having an opening and the closure assembly being configured to be mounted into said opening, the closure assembly comprising:

[0005] an insert part having an insert part opening for receiving and mounting a connector configured to mechanically connect the in-the-ear part of the hearing device to a behind-the-ear part; and

[0006] a cover part comprising a recess for receiving and mounting said insert part.

[0007] The insertion portion is the portion that interconnects the cover and the connector in a fixed relationship. The insertion portion can be produced in a single size and have covers of varying sizes, the combination of cover and insertion portion being able to provide a combination that supports a large number of output transducer sizes in a simple and efficient manner. Thus, the insertion portion can be used with different covers, e.g. with covers of different sizes. This makes the insertion portion a universal portion that can be used with many sizes of output transducers. This is because the size of the cover needs to be large enough to enable the speaker to be placed in the ear portion of the hearing device, e.g. a custom ear mold. Thus, the size of the cover needs to be adjusted to the size of the speaker that is placed in the ear portion of the hearing device, since the speaker / output transducer needs to be inserted into the ear portion during production, and since a larger speaker needs to be inserted, the corresponding opening in the ear portion also needs to be larger. This is especially important in custom ear portions, since in such products not only the shape is adjusted to the specific user, but also the color. Thus, the cover can be produced in a custom color, shape and size that matches the skin color of the intended user as chosen, and then assembled with the insertion portion. Thus, at production, advantageously, a smaller number of combination variants are needed.

[0008] The closed combination can comprise an insertion portion opening configured such that the connector enters the insertion portion at an acute angle formed between the axis of the end of the connector and the surface of the cover portion.

[0009] The insertion portion has an opening configured to receive the end of the connector. The end of the connector can be fixed in the insertion portion, e.g. mechanically, e.g. by press fitting or the like, or by using an adhesive such as glue. Thus, the insertion portion can be seen as a mount for mounting the connector to the cover portion. The end of the connector is fixed to the insertion portion. When the end is fixed in the opening of the insertion portion, the end of the connector is angularly arranged such that the elongated portion of the connector is inclined towards the surface of the cover when the insertion portion is inserted into the cover. An angle is formed between the axis of the end of the connector and the surface of the cover, the angle preferably being less than 90 degrees. This enables the connector to be positioned closer to the head of the user when the user has the ear portion at least partially mounted in the ear canal and the behind-the-ear portion positioned in the area behind the pinna / at the top of the pinna. Advantageously, the elongated portion is placed in the insertion portion such that the elongated portion is oriented in the direction of the behind-the-ear portion of the hearing aid.

[0010] The closed combination can comprise a cover portion configured for an ear portion, the ear portion being an ear mold shaped for the individual ear canal of a user.

[0011] The closed combination can comprise a cover portion configured such that it at least partially surrounds the insertion portion.

[0012] The closed combination can comprise a cover portion comprising a recess having a complementary shape to at least a portion of the insertion portion.

[0013] The closure assembly can comprise a recess which locks the insert part relative to the cover part.

[0014] The closure assembly can comprise a locking formed by mechanically connecting the protrusion of the insert part in a complementary shaped cavity of the recess of the cover part.

[0015] The closure assembly can comprise an insert part which can be mounted to the cover part by gluing.

[0016] The closure assembly can comprise an insert part which can be slidably mounted in the cover part.

[0017] The closure assembly can comprise a recess which can be provided at the outer rim of the cover part.

[0018] The closure assembly can comprise an insert part which is manufactured by moulding.

[0019] The closure assembly can comprise that a part of the insert part has a curved shape.

[0020] The closure assembly can comprise an insert part which can have a top portion surrounding the opening and a lower portion, the top portion having a first area size and the lower portion having a second area size, the first area size being smaller than the second area size, wherein the top portion is flush with the cover part when the insert part is received in the recess.

[0021] According to an aspect of the present application, there is provided a hearing aid comprising a closure assembly according to the present application.

[0022] According to an aspect of the present application, there is provided a behind-the-ear hearing aid comprising a closure assembly according to the present application.

[0023] As the recess in the cover has a corresponding shape to the insert part, the insert part substantially fills the recess and makes the shape of the cover unnoticeable.

[0024] The insert part is locked in the recess, thus forming a stable connection of the elements of the hearing aid.

[0025] This means that the insert part can have a protrusion around its periphery, and the recess in the cover has a cavity which has a shape corresponding to said protrusion. This is particularly advantageous as the protrusion enters the cavity, which is underneath the surface of the cover, thus reducing the part of the insert part which can be seen from the outside. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] The various aspects of the application will be best understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. The drawings are schematic and simplified for clarity and the detailed description is illustrative only. Wherever possible, reference numerals have been used throughout the drawings to promote understanding of the various aspects of the application. Each aspect of the application can be combined with any or all of the other aspects of the application. These and other aspects, features, and / or technical effects will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 A hearing aid with a closure assembly according to the application is shown;

[0028] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the insertion portion is shown;

[0029] Figures 3A-3D An enlarged view of the insertion portion according to the application is shown;

[0030] Figure 4 A closure assembly with connectors of different sizes is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The detailed description set forth below, in connection with the appended drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Rather, the detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. Several aspects of the apparatuses and methods are described by way of various blocks, functional units, modules, elements, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0032] Electronic hardware can include micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), integrated circuits (such as application-specific integrated circuits), microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, printed circuit boards (PCBs) (such as flexible PCBs), and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionalities described herein, such as sensors, e.g., to sense and / or record physical properties of the environment, device, user, etc. Computer programs shall be construed broadly to include instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0033] A hearing device (or hearing instrument, hearing aid) can be or can comprise a hearing aid which is adapted to improve or enhance the hearing ability of a user by receiving acoustic signals from the user's environment, generating corresponding audio signals, possibly modifying the audio signals, and providing the possibly modified audio signals as audible signals to at least one ear of the user. "Improving or enhancing the hearing ability of a user" can include compensating for a specific hearing loss of an individual user. "Hearing device" can also refer to a device like a hearable, a headset or a headphone which is adapted to electronically receive audio signals, possibly modify the audio signals, and provide the possibly modified audio signals as audible signals to at least one ear of the user. The audible signals can be provided in the form of acoustic signals radiating into the outer ear of the user, of acoustic signals transmitted through the bone structure of the head and / or through parts of the middle ear to the inner ear of the user as mechanical vibrations, and of electrical signals directly or indirectly transmitted to the cochlea nerve and / or to the auditory cortex of the user.

[0034] The hearing device is adapted to be worn in any known manner. This can include i) arranging the units of the hearing device behind the ear (with a tube leading the airborne signal into the ear canal or with a receiver / speaker placed close to or in the ear canal and connected by wires (or wirelessly) to the behind-the-ear unit), like a behind-the-ear hearing aid, and / or ii) placing the hearing device wholly or partly in the pinna and / or ear canal of the user, like an in-the-ear hearing aid or a canal / deep canal hearing aid, or iii) placing the units of the hearing device in connection to fixtures implanted into the skull, like a bone-anchored hearing aid or a cochlear implant, or iv) placing the units of the hearing device as wholly or partly implanted units, like a bone-anchored hearing aid or a cochlear implant.

[0035] Figure 1 An exploded view is shown of an in-the-ear portion, generally designated 18, connected to the connector 4 with a plug or connector 16. For a hearing aid, these general components are often referred to as a speaker assembly 20. Figure 1 The closure assembly according to the present application is also shown in an exploded view.

[0036] The closure assembly comprises an insert part or insert portion 1 and a cover or cover portion 2. The cover portion 2 comprises a recess 7. The recess 7 has a shape cut in the outer edge or rim of the cover portion 2. The cover portion 2 can have a cavity or groove 8 formed along at least part of the recess 7. The insert part 1 can have a protrusion 9 provided along at least part of the periphery of the insert part 1. The protrusion 9 is configured such that when the insert part 1 is inserted into the cut or recess 7, the shape of the protrusion 9 corresponds to the shape of the cavity 8. Thus, the insert part 1 fits the recess 7 or matches the recess 7. In use, a connecting piece 4 is provided, which is configured to establish a mechanical connection between an in-ear portion and a behind-the-ear portion of a hearing aid. The insert part 1 is configured to be mounted onto one end of the connecting piece 4. The insert part 1 with the connecting piece 4 is then mounted into the cover portion 2. The insert part 1 has a top portion 12, which fills the surface of the cover portion 2 when the insert part 1 is placed in the cover portion 2. When the insert part 1 is mounted to the cover portion 2, the top portion 12 is flush with the surface of the cover such that there is no visible transition between the two portions. Furthermore, the top portion has very small dimensions when seen from above, thus not making the outer surface of the assembly noticeable. The top portion 12 is visible from the outside of the closure assembly. The top portion 12 needs to be as narrow as possible in order to reduce the visibility of the insert part 1 from the outside.

[0037] The connecting piece 4 has a tab connector 14 at the end opposite the end connected to the insert part 1, which is configured to cooperate with a corresponding plug (not shown here) in the behind-the-ear housing of the hearing aid. The connecting piece 4 comprises a plurality of electrical conductors configured to convey signals between the in-ear portion and the behind-the-ear portion. Such signals include signals for outputting to a transducer 5, here an acoustic transducer called a receiver, to be converted into a sound signal to be output to the user's ear canal.

[0038] The end 6 of the connecting piece 4 is mounted into the opening 8 of the insert part 1. This end 6 of the connecting piece 4 is fixed in the opening 8. The connecting piece is preferably fixedly mounted in the opening 8. The mounting is for example by mechanical connection and / or gluing. Since there can be a small opening between the end 11 of the connecting piece 4 and the insert part 1, another material can be added to seal this opening to protect the interior of the in-ear portion from e.g. earwax and / or sweat or other contaminants.

[0039] The connecting piece 4 comprises two electrically conductive wires for establishing communication from a sound processor in the behind-the-ear portion to an output transducer in the in-ear portion. If the in-ear portion comprises further elements like an input transducer, e.g. a so-called ear canal or monitor microphone, further wires can be provided to establish communication between these further elements and the behind-the-ear portion. One end 11 of the connecting piece 4 is fixed to the insert part 1 and the other end of the connecting piece 4 is connected to a connector 10. The connector 10 is for connection to the behind-the-ear portion (not shown) of the hearing aid. The output transducer 5 is provided with a suspension 34 to reduce vibrations to the custom portion 3.

[0040] The opening 26 of the insertion part 1 is inclined at an acute angle a relative to the main surface of the insertion part 1, i.e. the top 12, which can be seen in more detail in Figure 2 The angle (a) is preferably about 45 degrees, and can be about 40 degrees, or about 30 degrees, or about 20 degrees. The angle is preferably less than 80 degrees, such as less than 70 degrees, such as less than 60 degrees, such as less than 50 degrees, such as less than 40 degrees. Other suitable angles or intervals are conceivable. The top surface 12 of the insertion part 1 is a surface which will be parallel with the surface of the cover part 2, so that the top surface 12 is flush with the surface of the cover part 2 when the two are connected.

[0041] In the connecting piece 4, a receiving wire or conductor 29 is received. This wire 29 is used to establish an electrical connection between the output transducer 5 and the behind-the-ear part, in which elements such as a microphone and a signal processor are located.

[0042] Below the cover part 2, two wires 27 are connected to the receiver 5. Since the connecting piece 4 is fixed relative to the insertion part 1, the wires 27 will not move when the user pulls the in-the-ear part out of the ear canal or inserts the in-the-ear part into the ear canal. Thus, the receiver / output transducer 5 has only a small or no risk of being disconnected from the electrical connection.

[0043] Due to the inclined opening 26, the elongated part 6, i.e. the end of the connecting piece 4, is oriented in the desired direction, i.e. in the direction in which the behind-the-ear part will be placed at the top region of the pinna, so that the housing of the behind-the-ear part is essentially hidden by the pinna and thus less visible when looking at the user's face.

[0044] In Figure 2 the insertion part 1 is in the recess 7 of the cover part 2. Between the connecting piece 4 and the insertion part 1, a layer of adhesive can be seen. The insertion part 1 has a protrusion 9 which engages a cavity 8 formed along the edge of the recess 7. As shown in the figure, the protrusion 9 forms a larger area than the area in the parallel plane of the top 12. The size of the top 12 which will be visible should be as small as possible. It is an advantage that the top 12 is small, since the cover can be coloured according to the user's skin colour, so that the overall impression of the in-the-ear part will be as unobtrusive as possible. Since the top 12 is as small as possible, it is not necessary to produce this part in the same colour as the cover part 2. Thus, the insertion part 1 can be produced in only a single colour, which makes production simpler. As will be explained, the cover and the ear mould can be produced by 3D printing, and the chosen material can have a colour which matches the user's skin colour as closely as possible.

[0045] The part of the insertion part 1 which enters the cover 2 preferably has curved corners 36, 38, as shown in Figure 3C The part of the insertion part 1 which enters the cover part 2 can have a different shape, for example, it can be entirely curved, oval or conical. Figure 1The in-ear portion shown also includes a receiver 5 disposed or stored in the earmold 3. The earmold 3 is preferably a custom-made earmold shaped to fit the specific user's ear canal. A cover portion 2 and an insertion portion 1 assembly are mounted in the outer portion 28 of the earmold 3. In use, the outer portion 28 is located at the opening of the user's ear canal. The outer portion 28 is attached to or integrally formed with the earmold 3. In the outer portion 28, an opening 30 is configured to receive the cover and insertion portion assembly. The earmold 3, the outer portion 28, and the cover portion 2 are, for example, made of the same material and of the same color. This further enables the selection of a color that best matches the user's skin tone. During assembly, the insertion portion 1 is inserted into the cover portion 2, and the cover portion 2 closes or seals the earmold 3 after the receiver 5 is placed in it. At the tip 24 of the earmold 3, an outlet provides acoustic sound from the receiver 5 to the user's ear canal when the in-ear portion is installed on the user or worn by the user. The insertion part 1 will be located at or abut against the wall 30 of the inner ear portion, and the cover part 2 will fit the rest of the opening 28.

[0046] The inner ear portion, i.e., the earmold 3, also includes a ventilation channel 22. This channel ensures, or at least reduces, the pressure that accumulates in the ear canal when the earmold 3 is inserted into the user's ear canal. Furthermore, when the earmold 3 is removed from the ear canal, the ventilation channel helps prevent, or at least reduces, any possible discomfort.

[0047] exist Figures 3A-3D The diagram shows different views of the insertion section 1. The three figures above are rear views. Figure 3A ), side view ( Figure 3B ) and main view ( Figure 3C ),and Figure 3D This is a cross-sectional view. The opening 26 is formed such that when the end of the connector 4 is inserted into the insertion portion 1 and the insertion portion 1 is installed in the cover portion 2, the connector 4 is inclined relative to the surface of the cover portion 2. The opening 26 may include a protrusion 40 to engage with the outer surface of the connector 4 to secure the connector in the insertion portion 1.

[0048] As shown in these figures, the protrusion 9 extends beyond the top 12, thus forming a larger area compared to the top 12. In this context, this area is considered to be... Figure 3C The plan view, i.e., the top view, is formed here. Here, the outline of the top is approximately half of the area formed by the protrusion 9. During installation, the wall 32 of the insertion part 1 will be adjacent to or in contact with the wall of the ear opening 28.

[0049] exist Figures 3A-3D As can be seen, the top 12 of the insertion portion 1 forms a smaller region or outer geometry than the outer geometry formed at the bottom.

[0050] Figure 4Three different sizes of covers 2 are shown, each configured to close the opening in the in-ear portion for receiving a receiver of the corresponding size. As mentioned, for higher sound output levels, larger receivers / output transducers are needed. The closure assembly according to the present application is thus a universal part, which can be used with different sizes of covers as shown in Figure 4 Figure 4 The closure assembly according to the present application is shown with different sizes of covers.

[0051] List of reference signs

[0052] 1 insertion portion

[0053] 2 cover portion

[0054] 3 ear tip

[0055] 4 connector

[0056] 5 output transducer or receiver

[0057] 6 slim portion

[0058] 7 notch or cut-out

[0059] 8 cavity or groove

[0060] 9 protrusion

[0061] 10 connector

[0062] 11 end of slim portion

[0063] 12 top portion

[0064] 14 fin connector

[0065] 18 in-ear portion

[0066] 20 speaker assembly

[0067] 22 venting channel

[0068] 24 tip

[0069] 25 adhesive

[0070] 26 opening of insertion portion / beveled opening

[0071] 27 lead wire

[0072] 28 in-ear portion opening

[0073] 29 conductor

[0074] 30 wall of in-ear portion opening

[0075] 34 suspension​

[0076] 36, 38 rounded corners

[0077] 40 protrusion

Claims

1. A closure assembly for an in-ear part of a hearing device, the in-ear part having a cavity for holding an output transducer, the in-ear part having an opening and the closure assembly configured to be mounted into the opening, the closure assembly comprising: an insert part having an insert part opening for receiving and mounting a connector, the connector configured to mechanically connect the in-ear part of a hearing device to a behind-the-ear part; and a cover part comprising a recess for receiving and mounting the insert part; wherein the insert part has a top part surrounding the insert part opening and has a lower part, wherein the top part has a first area size and the lower part has a second area size, the first area size being smaller than the second area size, wherein the insert part and the recess match when the insert part is received in the recess and the top part is flush with the cover part.

2. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the insert part opening is configured such that the connector enters the insert part at an acute angle formed between an axis of an end of the connector and a surface of the cover part.

3. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover part is configured for an in-ear part shaped for an individual ear canal of a user, the in-ear part being an ear mold.

4. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover part is configured such that it at least partly surrounds the insert part.

5. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a shape complementary to at least a part of the insert part.

6. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recess locks the insert part with respect to the cover part.

7. The closure assembly according to claim 6, wherein the locking is formed by a mechanical connection of a protrusion of the insert part in a complementary shaped cavity of the recess of the cover part.

8. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the insert part is adhesively mounted to the cover part.

9. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the insert part is slidably mounted in the cover part.

10. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recess is provided at an outer rim of the cover part.

11. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein the insert part is manufactured by molding.

12. The closure assembly according to claim 1, wherein a part of the insert part has a curved shape.

13. A hearing aid comprising the closure assembly according to any of claims 1-12.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 13, wherein the hearing aid is a behind-the-ear hearing aid.

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