Hearing Aid Retainer Using String and Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing aid retainer accessories are uncomfortable, interfere with control buttons, and do not adjust well to different ear sizes, often entangling with obstacles and adding bulk to the hearing aid housing.
Innovation Solution
A hearing aid retainer accessory featuring an elongated string with two attaching means, one attachable to the hearing aid's hook and the other to its housing, forming a retaining ring without adding to the housing's circumference, with adjustable options via tubular feed-throughs and a lock pin for secure fit, and a flexible sleeve for comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible sleeve is wrapped around the hearing aid housing and connected to clothing via clip and cord, then the hearing aid is prevented from dropping to the ground, but the sleeve adds to the thickness of the housing making it difficult to place behind small ears and the arrangement is likely to entangle with obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin flexible sleeve that can be wrapped around the hearing aid housing. This sleeve is designed to be thin enough not to add significant thickness to the housing, allowing it to fit comfortably behind small ears while still providing the necessary retention function to prevent dropping.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainer accessory is divided into separate functional components: a flexible sleeve for wrapping the housing, a clip for attaching to clothing, and a cord for connection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the sleeve remaining thin while the clip and cord provide the necessary retention without adding bulk to the housing itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tubes with sleeves are used to retain the hearing aid, then adjustment to the user's ear is possible by moving sleeves toward or away from each other, but the sleeves add to the thickness of the housing resulting in discomfort to wear or even ears protruding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin flexible sleeve that can be adjusted by moving it along the housing. This thin design ensures that the sleeve does not add significant thickness to the housing, preventing discomfort or protrusion while still allowing adjustment to fit different ear sizes and shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve is designed to be movable along the housing, allowing dynamic adjustment to accommodate different ear geometries. The user can move the sleeve toward or away from the hook-end to achieve the proper fit, while the thin design of the sleeve ensures this adjustment does not compromise comfort or cause protrusion.
3Reliability
If sleeves are used on the hearing aid housing, then the hearing aid can be retained, but the sleeves are likely to interfere with a control button located at the surface of the hearing aid housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin flexible sleeve that is designed to be sufficiently thin to not interfere with control buttons on the housing surface. The sleeve's thin profile allows it to provide retention while maintaining access to and functionality of the control buttons.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve is designed with specific local properties - it is thin enough to not interfere with buttons in certain areas, yet provides sufficient coverage for retention in other areas. The flexible material allows the sleeve to conform to the housing shape while maintaining button accessibility.
4Reliability
If head bands are used to retain the hearing aid, then the hearing aid can be secured to the user's head, but the arrangements exert an uncomfortable force to the user's head and are rather noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin flexible sleeve that distributes the retention force along a thin profile, reducing the concentration of force on any single point of the user's head. This thin design minimizes discomfort and makes the retainer less noticeable compared to broader head bands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the retainer from broad head bands to a thin sleeve design. This parameter change reduces the cross-sectional area in contact with the user's head, thereby reducing the perceived force and improving comfort while maintaining retention functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing aid retainer accessory to be used together with a hearing aid is provided having a housing with a relatively large diameter longitudinal end face portion and a relatively smaller diameter hook-end to which a hook is attached. The hearing aid retainer accessory comprises an elongated string with a first end portion and a second portion, a first attaching means connected to the first end portion and a second attaching means connected to the second portion, wherein the first attaching means is attachable to a hook of a hearing aid, the second attaching means is attachable to a longitudinal end face portion of a housing of a hearing aid, such that a retaining ring is formed of both the geometry of a hearing aid and the elongated string.