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US 2011/0026747 A1Published application
Hearing device with user control
AssigneePhonak AG
InventorsAndre Lucien Ochsenbein, Andre Simmler, Urs Zueger, Hans Georg Meier
Life of this patent
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AssigneePhonak AG
InventorsAndre Lucien Ochsenbein, Andre Simmler, Urs Zueger, Hans Georg Meier
Estimating the term…
The hearing device comprises a battery door (20); a connector (2) having N≧1 electrical contacts (6); and a user control (8). The user control (8) consists of a) an elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto b) a contact changing member (12), which can be different from or identical with the elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto c) at least one of the N electrical contacts (6). At least a portion of the elastic actuation member (14) forms at least a portion of the battery door (20). The connector (2) is a connector for providing a communication connection to the hearing device. The user control(8) can be a pushbutton switch. The elastic actuation member (14) comprises a body substantially made of elastomeric material and can hold the contact changing member (12). The contact changing member (12) is provided for changing the state of contacting of said at least one electrical contact (6), e.g., to establish or interrupt an electrical connection. Very small-size hearing devices can be realized.
Hearing device (1) comprising
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said hearing device (1) comprises a housing (3), and wherein, in the area right above said connector (2), said housing (3) is formed by said elastic actuation member (14).
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one electrical contact (6) is configured to be used for transmitting information in electrical form to or from said hearing device (1) when said battery door (20) is open and a plug (4) is connected to said connector (2), and wherein said at least one electrical contact (6) is configured to be used in the operation of said user control (8) when said battery door (20) is closed.
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said connector (2) is a socket, and said at least one connector (6) is a contact pin.
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said connector (2) comprises a printed circuit board, and said at least one connector (6) is a contact pad of said printed circuit board.
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said battery door (20) and said elastic actuation member (14) are jointly manufactured in a multi-injection molding process.
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said elastic actuation member (14) is formed by said battery door (20), said contact changing member (12) being a part separate from said elastic actuation member (14), said contact changing member (12) being located within said connector (2).
The device (1) according to one of the preceding wherein said contact changing member (12) is a metallic member comprising a fixing end (12b), said contact changing member (12) being fixedly held in said elastic actuation member (14) at said fixing end (12b).
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said contact changing member (12) is designed to stay substantially undeformed during operation of said user control (8).
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said contact changing member (12) is a piece of metal generally extending along an axis (A), said axis (A) being substantially identical with an axis along which said contact changing member (12) is moved when said user control (8) is operated, and wherein said contact changing member (12) has an acting end (12a) and, at its opposite end, a fixing end (12b), said acting end being arranged—along said axis (A)—below said fixing end and closer to said at least one electrical contact (6).
The device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the hearing device (1) comprises a housing (3), and wherein neither said housing (3) nor said battery door (20) comprises a lever, which lever would be not identical with said battery door (20) and designed to rotate about an axis upon operation of the user control (8).
Method of operating a hearing device (1) comprising a battery door (20), a connector (2) with N≧1 electrical contacts (6), and a user control (8), said method comprising the step of
Use of at least one of N≧1 electrical contacts (6) of a connector (2) of a hearing device (1) as at least one electrical contact (6) of a user control (8) of said hearing device (1), wherein said hearing device (1) comprises a battery door (20), and wherein said user control (8) consists of
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.