Hearing device with hard mounted receiver

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing device comprising a receiver support structure and a speaker, such as a hearing device receiver. The speaker includes a vibration motor assembly housed within the receiver housing. The receiver housing is rigidly secured to the receiver support structure so that a receiver suspension is not required.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hearing device comprising a receiver support structure and a speaker (such as a hearing device receiver). The speaker comprises a vibration motor assembly mounted in a speaker housing (such as a receiver housing). The receiver housing is fixed to the receiver support structure. Background Art

[0002] It is often desirable to achieve high gain in hearing devices such as hearing aids and hearing instruments to compensate for greater hearing loss in the user. The gain can be determined in a number of ways, for example by a standardized measurement setup, where the sound field at the microphone of the hearing device and the sound pressure output by the receiver or loudspeaker are determined in a standardized manner. The output sound pressure can be measured, for example, by a specific ear simulator or acoustic coupler that can represent the average acoustic properties of a human ear.

[0003] However, inherent mechanical and acoustic feedback paths limit the maximum gain achievable in most hearing devices. The mechanical feedback path is created by mechanical vibrations of the receiver housing caused by vibrations of the receiver motor assembly being transmitted through the various housing structures of the hearing device and back to the microphone. The acoustic feedback path is created by acoustically transmitting sound pressure back to the microphone through various acoustic leakage paths of the housing and its acoustic tube.

[0004] Instabilities in hearing devices caused by these feedback paths are sometimes audible in the form of a continuous, usually high-frequency tone or whistle emanating from the device. The stability limit of a hearing device can conveniently be expressed in terms of a so-called maximum stable gain, which represents the stability limit of the hearing device under a particular measurement setup.

[0005] In the hearing device of the prior art, it is common practice to suspend the receiver on a soft elastic suspension surrounding the receiver housing to suppress or attenuate the vibration transmission through the mechanical feedback path. The elastic suspension of the prior art is made of elastic materials such as rubber or neoprene.

[0006] However, the soft elastic suspension takes up space around the receiver, which results in an increase in the size of the hearing device housing. This is disadvantageous because it is generally desirable to reduce the size of the hearing device housing, for example in order to reduce its visibility and improve user comfort. Summary of the invention

[0007] Therefore, the above mentioned problems are solved by providing a hearing device according to a first aspect of the present invention, the hearing device comprising:

[0008] - a housing comprising an outer wall and an inner wall, the outer wall being configured to be arranged at or in an ear of a user, the inner wall defining an inner receiving space including a receiver support structure,

[0009] -Receiver, comprising:

[0010] A receiver housing includes a vibration motor assembly housed within the receiver housing, wherein the receiver housing is secured to a receiver support structure.

[0011] According to one embodiment, at least one section of the receiver housing is press-fitted into a mating recess of a receiver support structure, and the receiver housing is secured to the receiver support structure. This press-fit preferably establishes physical contact between the receiver housing and the receiver support structure so that these components are rigidly connected. The press-fit between the at least one section of the receiver housing and the receiver support structure can be achieved by making one or more dimensions of the recess smaller than the mating dimensions of the at least one section of the receiver housing. At least one section of the receiver housing may include a pair of substantially planar opposing (e.g., substantially parallel) housing walls.

[0012] The receiver housing may include a substantially box-shaped base section including substantially parallel housing walls, and a cylindrical sound port mounted on the sound outlet of the box-shaped base. In other embodiments, the receiver housing may have a substantially cylindrical shape and a recess in the receiver support structure having a matching cylindrical recess having a smaller size (e.g., diameter) than the substantially cylindrical receiver housing.

[0013] For example, the receiver housing may be rigidly secured to the receiver support structure without requiring a conventional elastic or compliant suspension structure, such as an elastic suspension structure disposed between the receiver housing and the receiver support structure.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the hearing device, at least one section of the receiver housing is fixed or attached to the receiver support structure by an adhesive (such as a non-compliant repair glue or hardening glue). For example, the glue may include a fast-curing cyanoacrylate glue or an epoxy glue, or any other glue discussed in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The repair glue or hardening glue preferably forms a rigid connection between the at least one section of the receiver housing and the receiver support structure.

[0015] In some embodiments of the hearing device, the receiver support structure comprises a receiver compartment surrounding the receiver. One or more walls of the receiver housing are rigidly fixed to one or more mating inner walls of the receiver compartment. The receiver compartment is preferably closed and acoustically seals the receiver relative to an internal receiving space of the hearing device. This acoustic seal reduces leakage of sound from the receiver housing and the sound outlet into the internal receiving space of the hearing device.

[0016] The skilled person will understand that a rigid connection between at least one section of the receiver housing and the receiver support structure may be understood as a hard mounting of the receiver to the receiver support structure.

[0017] Surprisingly, the hard mounting of the receiver effectively reduces the level of feedback transmitted to the microphone via the mechanical feedback path. The stability of the hearing device is thereby improved, the reasons for which will be discussed in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] The vibration motor assembly of the receiver may include at least one of the following:

[0019] - a moving armature driver configured to cause the diaphragm to vibrate to produce and emit sound output,

[0020] - an electrodynamic drive, such as a dynamic coil drive, configured to vibrate the diaphragm to produce and emit sound output,

[0021] - A piezoelectric driver configured to vibrate the diaphragm to produce and emit an acoustic output. Thus, as discussed in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, various types of speakers and exemplary balanced dynamic receivers may be utilized.

[0022] As discussed in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, the material of the receiver support structure may have a Young's modulus between 60 MPa and 200 MPa, for example between 120 MPa and 140 MPa.

[0023] The housing of the hearing device may have a well-known shape to adapt to a particular device on the user's ear (such as at least one of a BTE hearing device, an ITC hearing device, an ITE hearing device, and a RIC hearing device). The hearing device may include a microphone device located in the internal receiving space for picking up sound from the surrounding environment of the hearing device.

[0024] An embodiment of the hearing device comprises a housing which is manufactured by low-pressure molding around the receiver, thereby simplifying the assembly of the hearing device. Low-pressure molding may completely encapsulate the receiver.

[0025] The main resonant frequency of the receiver and the receiving assembly in the hearing device is above 10 kHz. As discussed in more detail below with reference to the figures, the main resonant frequency of the receiver and the receiving assembly can be determined by a maximum stable gain measurement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The hearing device of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings illustrate one way of implementing the invention and should not be considered limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0027] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary BTE hearing device mounted at a user's ear,

[0028] Figure 2 is a first cross-sectional perspective view of a prior art hearing device using an elastic receiver suspension,

[0029] Figure 3 is a second cross-sectional perspective view of a prior art BTE hearing device comprising a receiver chamber mounted within a housing of the BTE hearing device,

[0030] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a receiver chamber mounted within a housing of a prior art BTE hearing device,

[0031] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an exemplary BTE hearing device according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0032] Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an exemplary balanced armature receiver,

[0033] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a press-fit installation of an exemplary balanced armature receiver in a receiver support structure of a housing of an exemplary BTE hearing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention,

[0034] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the installation of an exemplary balanced armature receiver in a receiver support structure of a housing of an exemplary BTE hearing device using a rigid adhesive according to a second embodiment of the present invention,

[0035] Fig. 8A is a schematic circuit diagram of variants of a measurement setup for measuring the maximum stable gain of a hearing aid, such as the BTE hearing device of the first and second embodiments; and

[0036] Fig. 9 A comparison of experimentally measured maximum stable gains of a prior art BTE hearing device and a BTE hearing device according to the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 1An exemplary BTE hearing device 200 according to some embodiments of the present invention mounted at the ear of a user 250 is shown. The shape and size of the housing of the BTE hearing device is designed to be mounted behind the earlobe of the user. The sound tube 202 transmits the output sound pressure of the BTE hearing device 200 to the ear canal of the user. The output sound pressure is typically a processed version of the input sound pressure of a microphone device (not shown) of the BTE hearing device 200. The microphone device may be located in an internal housing space and configured to pick up sounds (such as speech and noise) from the surrounding environment of the hearing device 200. The BTE hearing device 200 typically includes a software programmable processing unit (not shown), such as a microprocessor and / or a DSP (not shown), which is configured to process signals by applying various signal processing algorithms to the sounds picked up or received by the microphone device. The signal processing algorithms may include one or more of hearing loss compensation, beamforming, noise reduction, dynamic range compression, power amplification, etc.

[0038] Figure 2 and Figure 3 A first and a second perspective cross-sectional view of a prior art BTE hearing device 1 are shown. The prior art BTE hearing device 1 comprises a housing 3 defining an interior space 22 in which various transducers and electronic components may be arranged and protected. The prior art BTE hearing device 1 comprises an acoustically sealed receiver chamber 11 arranged in the interior space 22 of the housing 3. A loudspeaker 9 (a receiver such as a balanced armature receiver) is suspended in a soft elastic suspension 17 (which may be made of an elastic material) arranged inside the sealed receiver chamber 11. The output sound generated by the receiver 9 is propagated through a receiver sound tube 13 coupled to a sound port (not shown) of the receiver 9. The receiver sound tube 13 may also be surrounded by a receiver tube chamber 15 and further transmit the output sound through a hollow so-called hook 5, the distal end of which has a sound outlet 7 from which the output sound is emitted. The prior art hearing device 1 comprises an energy source, such as a battery 25 mounted in a matching battery chamber 23. The energy source may power the processing unit and other electronic components discussed above, which may be mounted on a suitable carrier substrate to form an electronic assembly 19. The prior art BTE hearing device 1 further comprises a microphone device (not shown), which is typically coupled to a microphone assembly 12. Figure 1 It works as discussed and receives sound through the microphone sound inlet 21.

[0039] like Figure 2As shown, the soft elastic suspension 17 of the receiver 9 may completely surround the receiver housing on all sides, or include a pair of elastic bands or belts wrapped around the housing of the receiver 9. Therefore, the soft elastic suspension 17 is arranged between the housing of the receiver 9 and the inner wall of the sealed receiver chamber 11 to isolate the mechanical vibrations originating from the receiver housing 9 from the sealed receiver chamber 11. The mechanical vibrations are further isolated from the housing 3. The technician will understand that the soft elastic suspension 17 takes up a lot of space around the receiver 9, which results in a larger internal space of the sealed receiver chamber 11 and a corresponding increase in the size of the receiver chamber 11. The increase in the size of the receiver chamber 11 in turn results in an increase in the housing 3 of the hearing device 1 to accommodate the receiver chamber 11.

[0040] Figure 4 Is installed in Figure 3 A cross-sectional perspective view of a sealed receiver chamber 11 in the interior space 22 of the housing 3 of a prior art BTE hearing device 1 is shown. The receiver 9 is mounted in a ribbon-like soft elastic suspension 17. The receiver sound tube 13 is coupled to a sound port (not shown) of the receiver 9 and may terminate in an acoustic / mechanical connector 26 at the distal end of the receiver sound tube 13.

[0041] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an exemplary BTE hearing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2-Figure 4 The same reference numerals as the corresponding elements and features of the disclosed prior art BTE hearing device are given to the same elements and features of the exemplary BTE hearing device 1. The inner wall 24 of the housing 3 defines the inner receiving space 22. A section or area of ​​the inner wall 24 serves as a receiver support structure for the receiver 9. For example, the receiver 9 may be rigidly fixed to the section or area of ​​the inner wall 24 by an adhesive such as a non-compliant repair glue or a hardening glue.

[0042] In other embodiments, the receiver support structure includes a recess (not shown), which is integrally formed on or with the housing 3, for example using injection molding of the housing 3. The shape and size of the recess can be designed to match the housing of the receiver 9, so that at least a portion of the receiver housing is effectively press-fitted into the recess.

[0043] Figure 6is a vertical cross-sectional view of an exemplary balanced armature receiver 9 that can be used as a speaker for outputting sound in various exemplary embodiments of a BTE hearing device 1 according to the present invention. The receiver 9 includes a vibration motor assembly, which includes a moving armature type driver. The receiver 9 includes a receiver housing 27 and a sound port 93. The receiver housing 27 can have a generally box-like shape with two pairs of generally planar and opposing walls for defining the interior of the receiver 9. Except for the sound port 93, the receiver housing can be substantially closed. The receiver housing can include or be made of a metal material to provide high mechanical strength and good electromagnetic interference EMI shielding.

[0044] The moving armature driver of the exemplary balanced armature receiver 9 includes a pair of opposed permanent magnets 97 including a flat inner surface formed therebetween corresponding to the air gap. The vibration motor assembly also includes a U-shaped armature 95 having a leg portion 95a extending into the air gap. A drive coil 96 is wound around the leg portion 95a. The receiver includes a pair of input terminals or pads 94 that can be connected to the output terminals of a suitable power amplifier or signal processor of the hearing device so that the power amplifier applies a signal voltage and current to the drive coil 96. The signal current flowing through the drive coil 96 induces a corresponding vibration movement of the leg portion 95a of the armature 95. The leg portion 95a is mechanically connected to the compliant diaphragm 91 via a drive rod 92. Therefore, the vibration movement of the leg portion 95a causes a corresponding vibration movement of the compliant diaphragm 91, thereby generating a sound pressure corresponding to the signal voltage and current. The sound pressure generated by the vibration movement of the compliant diaphragm 91 is ultimately transmitted to the surrounding environment through the sound port 93.

[0045] The skilled person will appreciate that various different types of speakers may be used in the exemplary embodiment of the BTE hearing device 1 according to the present invention. The speaker may include an electrodynamic driver (e.g., a dynamic speaker) or a piezoelectric driver configured to vibrate a diaphragm to generate and emit sound output.

[0046] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a press-fit installation of an exemplary receiver 9 according to a first embodiment of the invention in a receiver support structure 3 of an exemplary BTE hearing device 1. The receiver support structure 3 may include a receiver chamber 11 substantially similar to the sealed receiver chamber 11 discussed previously.

[0047] In this embodiment, the dimensions of the receiver chamber 11 are slightly smaller than the dimensions of the receiver housing 27. When the receiver 9 is press-fitted into the receiver chamber 11 of the receiver support structure 3, the wall of the receiver housing 27 is slightly deformed in a concave manner by the receiver chamber wall section 33 of the receiver chamber 11. This deformation of the wall of the receiver housing 27 causes the corners of the receiver housing to bear firmly against the receiver chamber wall 33 under friction. For clarity, Figure 7 The deformation of the wall of the receiver housing 27 due to the press fit is magnified in FIG. Such deformation of the receiver housing 27 can be achieved by appropriately selecting the hardness and shape of the material of the housing 3, or by selecting the material of the receiver chamber 11. In this case, the inventors' experimental and finite element simulation results of the prototype BTE device show that the material of the receiver support structure (such as the receiver chamber or housing) preferably has a Young's modulus between 60MPa and 200MPa, such as between 100MPa and 140MPa. The material of the receiver chamber 11 may include a sufficiently hard polyether block amide, such as Pebax 5533.

[0048] The skilled person will appreciate that, unlike in prior art hearing devices, the receiver 9 is not surrounded by or suspended in any soft elastic suspension. At least a portion of the receiver housing 27 is rigidly fixed to a mating wall of the housing 3. In some embodiments, all sides of the receiver housing 27 are rigidly fixed or attached to a mating wall section 33 in the housing 3. Thus, the internal space of the housing of the prior art hearing device occupied by the soft elastic suspension of the receiver is eliminated. The skilled person will appreciate that by eliminating the soft elastic suspension around the receiver, the internal space of the receiver chamber 11 is also reduced accordingly. In some cases, when the receiver is installed according to embodiments of the present invention, the space required for the receiver can be reduced by more than 70%.

[0049] Figure 83 is a schematic diagram of the installation of an exemplary balanced armature receiver 9 in a receiver support structure of a housing 3 of an exemplary BTE hearing device using a rigid adhesive 31 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the dimensions of the previously discussed receiver chamber wall section 33 are slightly larger than the mating dimensions of the receiver housing 27, whereby the receiver housing 27 does not deform when installed in the receiver chamber 11. The receiver housing 27 is rigidly fixed to the receiver chamber wall 33 by an adhesive 31 (such as a cured, hardened glue). The adhesive 31 may be disposed in at least one section of the receiver housing 27 (such as a pair of flat opposing housing walls) and between the mating receiver chamber wall section 33. For example, the adhesive 31 may include a fast-curing cyanoacrylate glue, an epoxy resin glue, a thermoplastic polymer glue (such as a polyamide glue), a thermosetting polymer glue (such as a polyester resin), or any other suitable hardening adhesive. The glue is preferably applied before the receiver 9 is mounted to the receiver chamber 11. Depending on the type of glue, the glue may be applied to the receiver housing 27, the receiver chamber 11, or both. In this embodiment, the dimensions of the receiver chamber 11 are slightly larger than the dimensions of the receiver housing 27. Therefore, the gap between the two is filled with glue. Once the glue hardens or cures, the receiver 9 remains rigidly fixed to the housing 3.

[0050] Fig. 9 The experimentally measured maximum stable gain (G) of a prior art BTE hearing device and a BTE hearing device according to the present invention are shown. s,max ). The scale on the Y axis is arbitrary, but accurately shows the relative gain and the gain difference in dB. The BTE hearing devices are essentially the same, in particular using the same microphones and receivers etc.

[0051] Graph 900 shows, by a solid line, the measured maximum stable gain (G) of a prototype BTE hearing device with a hard-mounted receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. s,max ), while graph 910 shows by a dashed line the measured maximum stable gain (G) of a prior art BTE hearing device with a resiliently suspended receiver. s,max ). Graph 900 shows the G of the front microphone of a BTE hearing device. s,max , while graph 910 shows the G of the rear microphone of the BTE hearing device. s,max As shown in the figure, the prototype BTE hearing device has a significant frequency range between 1kHz and 5kHz, G s,maxThe overall shape of both response curves shows a series of response peaks and valleys. These response peaks and valleys are a result of the typical frequency response of a receiver for a hearing device (e.g., model 33AP015 from supplier Sonion, or model CI-22955-000 from supplier Knowles Electronics). The data sheets for these receivers are incorporated herein by reference. For example, at 3100 Hz, the front and rear microphones of a BTE hearing device with a hard-mounted receiver, G, are significantly higher than those of a BTE hearing device with a resiliently suspended receiver. s,max The graphs 900 and 910 also show that the G of the front and rear microphones in the range of 1 kHz to 5 kHz is increased by 10-12 dB and 8-10 dB respectively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, through a hearing device with a hard-mounted receiver. s max Typically an increase of 5dB to 10dB.

[0052] In the case of using a receiver that is rigidly and fixedly attached to the receiver support structure (i.e., a hard-mount receiver), the G of the prototype BTE s,max The surprising improvement is because the acoustic feedback path discussed above dominates over the mechanical feedback path in the usable frequency range of the hearing device. The hard mounting of the receiver effectively adds mass from the receiver support structure to the receiver, and this mass absorbs vibrations of the receiver housing, which in turn reduces the transmission to the microphone through the mechanical feedback path. In addition, the main resonant frequency (not shown in the graphs 900, 910) is shifted above 10 kHz by the design of the hard mounted receiver. Therefore, the main resonant frequency is shifted above the frequency range of interest for the hearing device.

[0053] Used to measure the G of the prototype BTE s,max The measurement setup consists of connecting its sound port to a standard acoustic coupler. Fig. 8A A schematic circuit diagram showing the variables of the measurement setup is shown above. The variables used are as follows:

[0054] Receiver input / drive voltage: V rec

[0055] Microphone output voltage: V mic

[0056] Acoustic coupler pressure: P cl

[0057] Sound pressure at the microphone: P mic

[0058] Microphone sensitivity: η aco , where aco is the acoustic sensitivity of the microphone

[0059] Receiver transfer function: G rec

[0060] The equivalent sound level at the microphone converted from the microphone voltage output:

[0061]

[0062] P cl and P mic Can be measured directly in standard couplers.

[0063]

[0064] Finally, the maximum stable gain G s,max The calculation formula is

[0065] G s，max =P cl -P mic

[0066] The calculated values ​​are then plotted in graphs 900 and 910 in dB. In this way, the maximum stable gain G in a certain frequency range can be obtained by the measurement setup described. s,max .

Claims

1. A hearing device comprising: - a housing comprising an outer wall and an inner wall, the outer wall being configured to be arranged at or in an ear of a user, the inner wall defining an inner receiving space including a receiver support structure, -Receiver, comprising: a receiver housing including a vibration motor assembly disposed within the receiver housing, - wherein the receiver housing is fixed to the receiver support structure.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein At least one section of the receiver housing is press-fit into a mating recess of the receiver support structure.

3. The hearing device according to claim 2, wherein: The at least one section of the receiver housing has a size that is larger than a size of the mating recess of the receiver support structure.

4. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein: At least one section of the receiver housing is attached to the receiver support structure by an adhesive, such as a hardening glue.

5. A hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The receiver support structure includes a receiver compartment surrounding the receiver, wherein one or more walls of the receiver housing are secured to one or more mating interior walls of the receiver compartment.

6. The hearing device according to claim 5, wherein: The receiver compartment is closed such that the receiver is acoustically sealed relative to the interior containment space.

7. A hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The vibration motor assembly of the receiver includes at least one of the following: - a moving armature driver configured to cause the diaphragm to vibrate to produce and emit sound output, - an electrodynamic driver, such as a dynamic coil driver, configured to vibrate the diaphragm to produce and emit sound output, - A piezoelectric driver configured to vibrate the diaphragm to generate and emit an audible output.

8. A hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The Young's modulus of the material of the receiver support structure is between 60 MPa and 200 MPa, for example between 120 MPa and 140 MPa.

9. A hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The receiver housing has, for example, a box shape including two pairs of parallel wall sections, or a cylindrical shape having a substantially circular cross-sectional profile.

10. The hearing device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising at least one of a BTE hearing device, an ITC hearing device, an ITE hearing device and a RIC hearing device.

11. A hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The housing is manufactured by low pressure molding around the receiver.

12. The hearing device according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a microphone device located within the inner receiving space and configured to pick up sound from the surroundings of the hearing device.

13. A hearing device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The main resonant frequency of the receiver and the receiving assembly is above 10 kHz.

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