Antennas for standard fit hearing assistance devices
AssigneeStarkey Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsBeau Jay Polinske, Jorge F. Sanguino, Jay Rabel, Jeffrey Paul Solum, Michael Helgeson, David Tourtelotte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.
Claims20
A hearing assistance device, comprising:
- a housing including an outer shell;
- a power source within the housing;
- a radio circuit within the housing and electrically connected to the power source;
- a flex antenna having an aperture oriented orthogonal to an axis of symmetry of the hearing assistance device, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture, wherein the power source is not within the aperture, and wherein ends of the flex antenna are physically connected and a portion of the flex antenna conforms to an inside surface of the outer shell;
- and
- a transmission line integrally formed with the flex antenna and configured to electrically connect to the radio circuit, wherein the housing includes a groove to receive at least a portion of the flex antenna.
A method of forming a hearing assistance device, comprising:
- placing a radio circuit and a power source within a housing of the device, wherein the housing includes an outer shell;
- looping a flex antenna to form an aperture oriented orthogonal to an axis of symmetry of the hearing assistance device, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture, and wherein the power source is not within the aperture and a portion of the flex antenna conforms to an inside surface of the outer shell;
- placing at least a portion of the flex antenna into a groove in the housing;
- electrically connecting the flex antenna to the radio circuit using a transmission line integrally formed with the flex antenna;
- and
- physically connecting ends of the flex antenna.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.