Hearing Aid Battery Module Ferrite Jacket Inductive Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing devices, particularly ITE hearing aids, face challenges with precise alignment and distance requirements for inductive charging, leading to inefficient energy transfer due to individually adapted housings, and are susceptible to eddy current losses and skin effects during wireless charging.
Innovation Solution
A battery module with a secondary cell, copper jacket, ferrite jacket, induction coil, resonant capacitor, and thermistor, which reduces eddy current losses and allows for resonant charging with improved energy yield, enabling charging with increased tolerance in coil alignment and distance, and temperature monitoring during charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If inductive charging is implemented in ITE hearing aids, then wireless charging capability is achieved, but precise coil alignment and distance requirements cannot be met due to individually adapted housings
Solution Approach 1:
A ferrite jacket is introduced as an intermediary component between the induction coil and the secondary cell. This ferrite jacket serves as a magnetic flux guide that concentrates and directs the magnetic field, enabling effective inductive charging even when the distance and alignment between coils are not precisely controlled, thus resolving the contradiction between wireless charging capability and coil alignment precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the magnetic properties of the charging system by introducing ferrite material with specific magnetic permeability. This parameter change enhances magnetic coupling efficiency and allows the system to tolerate variations in coil positioning, thereby achieving wireless charging without requiring precise manufacturing tolerances
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional inductive charging is used, then wireless charging is achieved, but eddy current losses and skin effects reduce energy transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the source of eddy current losses by using a ferrite jacket instead of conventional metallic structures. The ferrite material provides a high-resistivity path for magnetic flux while preventing the formation of eddy currents, thus removing the energy loss mechanism while preserving the wireless charging function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining ferrite jacket with the secondary cell housing. This composite construction provides both magnetic flux guidance and electrical isolation, reducing eddy current losses and skin effects while maintaining effective inductive coupling for wireless charging
3Adaptability or versatility
If charging electronics unit and converter electronics unit are added, then voltage conversion and charging control are achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the charging electronics unit and converter electronics unit into a single integrated electronic component system. This consolidation performs both voltage conversion and charging control functions within one unit, reducing the total number of components and simplifying the device architecture while maintaining full functionality
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The battery module enhances wireless charging efficiency by reducing eddy current losses and allowing for resonant charging, supporting effective energy transfer even in ITE hearing aids with less precise coil alignment, while ensuring safe temperature monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
a copper jacket surrounding said secondary cell
Implementation Method 2
a ferrite jacket arranged on an outside of said copper jacket
Implementation Method 3
an induction coil arranged on an outside of said ferrite jacket, said induction coil being configured to inductively receive energy
Implementation Method 4
a resonant capacitor connected to said induction coil in close vicinity of said induction coil
Implementation Method 5
a thermistor for monitoring a cell temperature, said thermistor being electrically insulated with respect to said secondary cell but thermally coupled to said secondary cell with low thermal resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A battery module for a hearing device includes a secondary cell and two contact elements for making contact with the secondary cell at two different potential areas. A fuse which is arranged at a short distance from the contact element that is assigned to a positive potential. A copper jacket surrounds the secondary cell, and a ferrite jacket is arranged on the outside of the copper jacket. An induction coil is arranged on the outside of the ferrite jacket and is configured to inductively receive energy for charging the battery module. A resonant capacitor is coupled to the induction coil at a short distance from the latter. A thermistor for monitoring a cell temperature is arranged with electrical insulation from the secondary cell but is coupled to the latter with low thermal resistance using heat-transfer capability.