# US 12,225,356 B2 · Connector and a hearing device comprising said connector

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- Number: US 12,225,356 B2
- Document ID: US12225356B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/844,737
- Filed: 2022-06-21
- Published: 2023-07-27
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-01-21
- Assignees: GN Hearing A/S
- Applicants: GN Hearing A/S
- Inventors: Qi Yang; Erin O'Neill; Christian Grønnegaard; Michalis Papakostas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225356B2

## CPC

- H04R 1/105: {Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)}
- H04R 25/65: {Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture}
- H04R 25/02: adapted to be supported entirely by ear
- H04R 25/607: {of earhooks}
- H04R 2225/021: Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a connector for providing sound into an ear canal of a user. The connector is configured to connect a behind-the-ear, BTE, component of a hearing device to an ITE component of the hearing device. The connector comprises a first portion configured to be connected to the ITE component of the hearing device and configured to be at least partly inserted into an ear canal of the user. The first portion is configured to extend at least partly in the ear canal of the user when the connector is in its intended position at the ear of the user. The connector further comprises at least one identifiable marker being a user guide.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A connector configured to connect a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of a hearing device to an in-the-ear (ITE) component of the hearing device, the connector comprising:
a first portion configured to be connected to the ITE component of the hearing device and configured to be at least partly inserted into an ear canal of a user, wherein the first portion is configured to extend at least partly in the ear canal of the user when the connector is in its intended position with respect to an ear of the user,
wherein the connector comprises an identifiable marker, wherein the identifiable marker is a user guide; and
wherein the identifiable marker is non-removable.

### Claim 2

A connector configured to connect a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of a hearing device to an in-the-ear (ITE) component of the hearing device, the connector comprising:
a first portion configured to be connected to the ITE component of the hearing device and configured to be at least partly inserted into an ear canal of a user, wherein the first portion is configured to extend at least partly in the ear canal of the user when the connector is in its intended position with respect to an ear of the user,
wherein the connector comprises an identifiable marker, wherein the identifiable marker is a user guide;
wherein the connector further comprises:
a second portion configured to be connected to the BTE component of the hearing device, and configured to be at least partly arranged at a front part of a pinna of the ear of the user when the connector is in its intended position at the ear of the user; and
a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
wherein the identifiable marker is at the first portion, the second portion, or the third portion of the connector.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The connector according to claim 2, further comprising an additional identifiable marker;
wherein the additional identifiable marker is at the first portion, the second portion, or the third portion of the connector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The connector according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable marker is configured to indicate an insertion depth of the ITE component into the ear canal of the user.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The connector according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable marker comprises a pattern of any of or any combination of color, mesh, transparency, fabric, texture, surface roughness, or shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The connector according to claim 1, wherein the marker comprises a tactile pattern.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The connector according to claim 6, wherein the tactile pattern is on an exterior surface of the connector, thereby improving a grip of the connector for the user when inserting the ITE component of the hearing device into the ear canal of the user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The connector according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable marker comprises a visual pattern.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The connector according to claim 8, wherein the visual pattern comprises a visible-spectrum pattern.

### Claim 10

A connector configured to connect a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of a hearing device to an in-the-ear (ITE) component of the hearing device, the connector comprising:
a first portion configured to be connected to the ITE component of the hearing device and configured to be at least partly inserted into an ear canal of a user, wherein the first portion is configured to extend at least partly in the ear canal of the user when the connector is in its intended position with respect to an ear of the user,
wherein the connector comprises an identifiable marker, wherein the identifiable marker is a user guide and comprises a visual pattern; and
wherein the visual pattern comprises a non-visible-spectrum pattern.

### Claim 11

A connector configured to connect a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of a hearing device to an in-the-ear (ITE) component of the hearing device, the connector comprising:
a first portion configured to be connected to the ITE component of the hearing device and configured to be at least partly inserted into an ear canal of a user, wherein the first portion is configured to extend at least partly in the ear canal of the user when the connector is in its intended position with respect to an ear of the user,
wherein the connector comprises an identifiable marker, wherein the identifiable marker is a user guide and comprises a visual pattern; and
wherein the visual pattern is a painted pattern.

### Claim 12

A connector configured to connect a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of a hearing device to an in-the-ear (ITE) component of the hearing device, the connector comprising:
a first portion configured to be connected to the ITE component of the hearing device and configured to be at least partly inserted into an ear canal of a user, wherein the first portion is configured to extend at least partly in the ear canal of the user when the connector is in its intended position with respect to an ear of the user,
wherein the connector comprises an identifiable marker, wherein the identifiable marker is a user guide and comprises a visual pattern; and
wherein the connector comprises a transparent casing enclosing the visual pattern.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is made of transparent plastic.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The connector according to claim 1, wherein the identifiable marker is identifiable by the user to guide the user in a positioning of the connector.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A hearing device comprising:
a behind-the-ear (BTE) component configured to be arranged behind an ear of a user, when the user is wearing the hearing device;
an in-the-ear (ITE) component configured to be arranged into an ear canal of the user when the user is wearing the hearing device; and
the connector according to claim 1, the connector configured to connect the BTE component of the hearing device to the ITE component of the hearing device.