Transverse Connector for Hearing Aid Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RIC-BTE hearing aids have a conspicuous and large connector that obstructs the visibility and design flexibility of the hearing aid, and the microphone arrangement is suboptimal due to the connector's location and size, which impairs sound registration and directionality.
Innovation Solution
A transversely connected plug-in connector is designed to be located on the side wall of the hearing aid housing, featuring a mechanical connecting component with a retaining collar and elastic deadbolt, and an electric connecting component with a pogo pin, allowing for a more flexible and secure connection that reduces the visibility of the connector and enhances microphone placement for improved directionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connector is located on the front end wall of the housing, then the electric connection is established, but the connector becomes conspicuous and large, obstructing visibility and design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is relocated from the front end wall (one dimension) to the side wall (another dimension), changing the spatial arrangement. This dimensional shift allows the connector to be positioned in a less conspicuous location while maintaining its electric connection function, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and aesthetic design.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the connector is large in size, then the mechanical connection is secure, but the microphone arrangement becomes suboptimal, impairing sound registration and directionality
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into distinct components: a retaining collar for mechanical connection and a deadbolt for locking. This segmentation allows the connector to maintain secure mechanical connection through the retaining collar while the deadbolt provides additional stability, enabling the connector to be more compact and thus improving microphone placement for better sound registration and directionality.
3Shape
If the connector is located on the side wall, then the visibility is reduced and design flexibility is enhanced, but the connector orientation becomes transverse to the longitudinal direction
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with asymmetric features including a retaining collar and a deadbolt that engages in a specific orientation. The deadbolt has a head that can be actuated from the side, allowing the connector to be inserted and locked in a transverse orientation. This asymmetric design accommodates the transverse orientation requirement while maintaining secure connection, resolving the contradiction between visibility improvement and device complexity.
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
The solution results in a more aesthetically pleasing and compact hearing aid design with improved sound registration and directionality, as the connector is less exposed and the microphone arrangement is optimized for better spatial resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a second undercut (113) for an elastic deadbolt (118) of the connector (121)
Implementation Method 2
an electric connecting component with a pogo pin
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter. A microphone can be arranged on the end face instead of the connector so as to improve sound pick-up and directionality.