Hearing Charger Support Post for Removal Handle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery chargers for ITE hearing devices are unable to accommodate removal handles that extend laterally from the faceplate, leading to challenges in proper alignment and charging.
Innovation Solution
The charger design includes a support post with a top recess and side wall recesses that accommodate the hearing device's removal handle, ensuring proper alignment and secure mounting via magnets and inductive coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional charging posts are used, then charging function is provided, but removal handles extending laterally from the faceplate cannot be accommodated, causing alignment failures
Solution Approach 1:
The charging post is segmented into distinct functional zones: a top recess for receiving the hearing device body and a side wall recess for receiving the removal handle. This segmentation allows each zone to independently accommodate specific components, enabling proper alignment even when removal handles are present.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall recess acts as an intermediary structure that receives and positions the removal handle, preventing it from interfering with the charging alignment between the transmitter and receiver coils.
2Manufacturing precision
If support post structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but cannot accommodate both hearing device body and removal handle for proper alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The support post incorporates local quality variations through the top recess and side wall recess, which are strategically positioned to receive specific components. These localized structural features provide precise alignment without requiring complex overall post design.
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
Facilitates efficient charging of ITE hearing devices with laterally extending handles by maintaining optimal coil alignment and secure attachment, overcoming alignment issues in conventional chargers.
Implementation Method 1
The ITE hearing device may be wirelessly recharged with a battery charger. Here, the ITE hearing device includes a charging receiver coil and the battery charger includes a charging transmitter coil.
Implementation Method 2
The charging post and ITE hearing device may also include magnets that secure the ITE hearing device to the charging post.
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing device charger including a charger housing and a hearing device support post, associated with the charger housing, including a top wall, with a top recess that extends a first distance in a first direction from an open end to a closed end and is configured to receive a portion of the hearing device housing, and a side wall that extends away from the top wall in the first direction and defines a support post outer perimeter and a support post outer recess that extends inwardly from the support post outer perimeter and extends a second distance away from the top wall in the first direction that is greater than the first distance and is configured to receive the hearing device removal handle. A transmitter coil may be associate with the hearing device support post, and a power supply may be operably connected to the transmitter coil.