Miniature Low-Power Remote Battery Charging Systems and Methods

A method comprising:

• removably placing a hearing aid inside a charging chamber of a remote battery charger, the charger comprising a transmitter inductor electrically connected to an external power source, the hearing aid comprising a rechargeable hearing aid battery body and a receiver inductor electrically connected to the battery body, the receiver inductor being inductively coupled to the transmitter inductor through a generally-longitudinal air gap, the battery body being disposed opposite the transmitter inductor relative to the receiver inductor;
• and
• charging the rechargeable battery by inductively coupling energy from the transmitter inductor to the receiver inductor;
• wherein the remote battery charger comprises a set of lateral field-shaping protrusions disposed laterally with respect to the receiver inductor, the field-shaping protrusions directing a charging magnetic field generated by the transmitter inductor away from a central axis of the transmitter inductor so as to decrease an inductive coupling of the transmitter inductor to the battery body.

A system comprising:

• a remote battery charger comprising a transmitter inductor electrically connected to an external power source;
• a rechargeable battery body situated within a charging chamber of the remote battery charger;
• and
• a receiver inductor electrically connected to the battery body and situated between the transmitter inductor and the battery body, the receiver inductor being inductively coupled to the transmitter inductor through a generally-longitudinal air gap;
• wherein the remote battery charger comprises a set of lateral field-shaping protrusions disposed laterally with respect to the receiver inductor, the field-shaping protrusions directing a charging magnetic field generated by the transmitter inductor away from a central axis of the transmitter inductor so as to decrease an inductive coupling of the transmitter inductor to the battery body.

A method comprising:

• placing a rechargeable battery body within a charging chamber of a remote battery charger, the remote battery charger comprising a transmitter inductor electrically connected to an external power source, the battery body being electrically connected to a receiver inductor situated between the transmitter inductor and the battery body, the receiver inductor being inductively coupled to the transmitter inductor through a generally-longitudinal air gap;
• and
• charging the rechargeable battery by inductively coupling energy from the transmitter inductor to the receiver inductor;
• wherein the remote battery charger comprises a set of lateral field-shaping protrusions disposed laterally with respect to the receiver inductor, the field-shaping protrusions directing a charging magnetic field generated by the transmitter inductor away from a central axis of the transmitter inductor so as to decrease an inductive coupling of the transmitter inductor to the battery body.

A remote hearing-aid battery-charging system comprising:

• a charging chamber sized to receive a hearing aid for recharging a battery of the hearing aid;
• and
• a transmitter inductor configured to emit a radio-frequency charging magnetic field along a generally longitudinal direction through an air gap between the transmitter inductor and a location of a receiver inductor electrically connected to the battery;
• wherein the charging chamber comprises a set of lateral field-shaping protrusions disposed laterally with respect to the transmitter inductor, the field-shaping protrusions directing the charging magnetic field generated by the transmitter inductor away from a central axis of the transmitter inductor so as to decrease an inductive coupling of the transmitter inductor to the battery.