In-Ear Hearing Aid Handle Antenna With Double-Helix RF Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-the-ear hearing aids face challenges in achieving a compact, discreet, and efficient antenna design due to limited space, with existing antennas often protruding visibly and requiring a single coil configuration that limits efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an arc-shaped antenna element with helical conductor strands, forming a double helix, which extends along the handle element, allowing for a compact and efficient RF signal transmission/reception, with intertwined strands improving mutual coupling and impedance adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the antenna element is integrated into the handle element and made arc-shaped, then the antenna achieves compact construction and discreet placement, but the antenna length is reduced which limits efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by forming the antenna element as an arc-shaped structure with helical conductor strands wound around a curved carrier. This curvature enables the antenna to achieve compact construction while maintaining effective electrical length through the helical winding pattern, resolving the contradiction between small volume and high efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a planar antenna design to a three-dimensional helical structure wound around a curved carrier. This dimensional change allows the antenna to pack more effective length into a smaller volume by utilizing the third dimension (height/depth) through the helical winding, thereby maintaining efficiency while reducing overall antenna volume.
2Device complexity
If a single coil configuration is used for the antenna, then the construction is simplified, but the Q factor and mutual coupling are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the antenna into multiple helical conductor strands (first and second strands) wound around the curved carrier. This segmentation creates multiple coils that can be intertwined or positioned in close proximity, increasing mutual coupling and Q factor while maintaining relatively simple individual strand constructions that are easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple helical conductor strands in close proximity or intertwined configurations around the same curved carrier. This merging of multiple coils increases the effective inductance and mutual coupling, thereby improving the Q factor without requiring complex individual coil designs, as the simplicity is maintained at the strand level while achieving enhanced performance through combination.
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
This configuration achieves a highly efficient, miniaturized antenna with improved Q factor and effective length, ensuring discreet placement and enhanced performance without protrusion, suitable for frequencies like 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz.
Implementation Method 1
The arc-shaped antenna element has at least one helical conductor strand, which is designed for transmitting or receiving a signal, in particular an RF signal (radio frequency)
Data Source
AI summary
An in-the-ear hearing aid has a housing with a transmitting and receiving unit arranged therein and has an arc-shaped antenna element emerging from the housing, which is at least part of a handle element, with the aid of which the hearing aid is removable from the ear by the user. The antenna element has at least one helical conductor strand, which is used for transmitting or receiving a signal and which is connected to the transmitting and receiving unit arranged in the housing. An efficient, discrete antenna element is formed by this configuration.