Hearing Aid Receiver Bridge for Canal Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids with external receivers often experience poor wearing comfort and acoustic performance due to the receiver being eccentrically positioned in the auditory canal, as the soft earpiece fails to absorb the forces exerted by the cable, leading to instability and feedback issues.
Innovation Solution
A receiver device design that decouples the forces acting on the earpiece from the earpiece itself, using an electrical cable attached to the base part and a bendable bridge with a shell at the receiver end, allowing the receiver to be centrally positioned in the auditory canal, and incorporating a ball joint for alignment and cable protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard soft earpiece is used to hold the receiver in the auditory canal, then the receiver can be positioned in the canal, but the earpiece fails to absorb cable forces and the receiver becomes eccentrically positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the earpiece into two functional segments: a soft earpiece portion for comfort and a rigid bridge portion for force absorption and receiver centering. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally - the soft portion maintains comfort while the rigid bridge absorbs cable forces and ensures the receiver remains centrally positioned in the auditory canal.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid bridge acts as an intermediary element between the cable and the earpiece. It absorbs the forces exerted by the cable and transfers them to the earpiece structure, preventing these forces from directly affecting the receiver's central positioning. This intermediary mechanism protects the receiver's centricity while maintaining earpiece functionality.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cable exerts forces on the earpiece to stabilize the main part, then the main part remains stable, but the receiver is pressed against the canal wall and becomes eccentrically positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The earpiece is segmented into a soft portion for comfort and a rigid bridge portion for force absorption. The rigid bridge specifically absorbs cable forces that would otherwise be transmitted to the receiver, allowing the main part to remain stable while preventing receiver eccentricity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the earpiece have different mechanical properties: the earpiece portion is soft for comfort, while the bridge portion is rigid for force absorption. This local differentiation of material properties allows the structure to simultaneously provide comfort and maintain receiver centricity by directing forces to the appropriate location.
3Ease of operation
If the earpiece is made softer to improve comfort, then wearing comfort increases, but the earpiece cannot absorb cable forces and receiver positioning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The earpiece is divided into a soft earpiece portion for comfort and a rigid bridge portion for force absorption. This segmentation allows the soft portion to maximize wearing comfort while the rigid bridge handles force absorption and receiver positioning, resolving the contradiction between comfort and positioning stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The earpiece structure implements local quality differentiation where the earpiece portion uses soft material for comfort and the bridge portion uses rigid material for force absorption. This localized property assignment allows each region to optimize for its specific function, simultaneously achieving comfort and positioning reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The device has a receiver (25) for converting an electrical signal into acoustic signals. An earpiece (22) is adjusted to an auditory canal of a user when the hearing device e.g. behind-the-ear hearing device, is worn by the user. A base part (20) fastens the receiver and the earpiece, where the receiver and the earpiece are moveable in respective to the base part, where the base part comprises a bendable bar to fasten the receiver. A shell (24) is arranged at an end of the bendable bar on a side of the receiver to fasten the receiver. An independent claim is also included for a hearing device, comprising a housing.