Hearing Aid Flexible Carrier Antenna Reducing Assembly Size
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to reduce the size of the electrical assembly of hearing devices while maintaining design flexibility and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Innovation Solution
The electrical assembly of a hearing aid includes a printed circuit board and a flexible printed circuit board with antennas, where the terminals and pads are connected by electrically conductive material at specific angles, allowing for reduced surface area and simpler routing, and incorporating indentations to alleviate mechanical stress and improve assembly accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional rigid circuit board routing is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but the electrical assembly size is larger and design flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional planar rigid circuit board routing to three-dimensional flexible circuit board routing. The flexible circuit board can be folded and bent to achieve complex routing paths in limited space, reducing the overall electrical assembly size while maintaining routing simplicity through standardized flexible board construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible circuit boards that can be dynamically configured through folding and bending, rather than fixed rigid routing. This dynamic flexibility allows the same circuit board to adapt to different spatial constraints and design requirements, reducing assembly size without increasing manufacturing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible circuit boards with angled connections are used, then design flexibility increases, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a range of acceptable connection angles (30° to 150°) rather than requiring a single precise angle. This parameter change from exact angle specification to range specification maintains design flexibility while reducing manufacturing precision requirements, allowing for practical tolerances in production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality requirements to different parts of the connection system. The flexible circuit board itself requires high precision for maintaining electrical connections, while the connection angles to the housing are allowed greater variability within the specified range, optimizing both flexibility and manufacturability.
3Area of stationary object
If compact antenna configurations are used, then device size is reduced, but mechanical stress on connections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible circuit boards as thin film structures that can accommodate mechanical stress through their inherent flexibility. These flexible boards absorb stress from compact antenna configurations and housing interactions, protecting the electrical connections while enabling reduced device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates flexible circuit boards that inherently cushion and distribute mechanical stresses before they can concentrate on connection points. This beforehand cushioning effect protects the electrical assembly from stress-related failures in compact configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hearing aid is disclosed, the hearing aid comprising an electrical assembly comprising a printed circuit board having a first board surface and a second board surface, the printed circuit board having a first pad in a first pad region on the first board surface, the first pad region having a first board normal. The electrical assembly comprises a flexible printed circuit board comprising an antenna having a first terminal in a first terminal region on a first flexfilm surface of the flexible printed circuit board, the first terminal region having a first terminal normal,wherein the electrical assembly comprises first electrically conductive material connecting the first pad and the first terminal, and wherein the first terminal normal and the first board normal forms a first angle in the range from 30° to 150°. Further, a method for manufacturing an electrical assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed.