US 6,310,960 B1Granted

Rechargeable hearing aid system

AssigneeResearch International, Inc.

InventorsElric W. Saaski, Boone B. Owens, Michael Bizak, Stefano Passerini

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Abstract

A contactless rechargeable hearing aid system in which a rechargeable hearing aid may be optically or inductively recharged by an optical or an inductive recharger. The optically rechargeable hearing aid may have a dual purpose optical fiber that may act as a light conduit for the recharging light, and that may also act as a draw string for the hearing aid. The rechargeable hearing aid may use a high energy nickel metal-hydride rechargeable battery or a high energy, high voltage lithium based rechargeable battery, in conjunction with a DC to DC voltage regulating circuit for converting the rechargeable battery's declining DC output voltage to the fixed DC input voltage needed by the hearing aid's audio related circuitry. The DC to DC voltage regulating circuit may also help to present a supply impedance that matches the input impedance of the audio related circuitry in the hearing aid. The rechargeable battery may have an alternately folded cell stack, a spiral wound cell stack or an accordion folded cell stack, in order to provide, in a minimized volume, the large anode, cathode and electrolyte areas that may be needed to reduce the rechargeable battery's output impedance, in order to help reduce internal resistance losses during use of the battery.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A contactless rechargeable hearing aid system comprising a charger means and a rechargeable hearing aid means;

wherein said charger means is for generating an energy for recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means is for assisting a user's hearing;
wherein said contactless rechargeable hearing aid system does not comprise any electrical contact means for transferring said energy from said charger means to said rechargeable hearing aid means while said charger means is recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said energy comprises a light energy;
wherein said charger means comprises an optical charger means for generating said light energy;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means comprises an optically rechargeable hearing aid means;
and wherein said light energy is transferred from said optical charger means to said optically rechargeable hearing aid means while said optical charger means is recharging said optically rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said optical charger means comprises a light source means for generating said light energy;
wherein said optically rechargeable hearing aid means comprises a light conversion means for converting said light energy into an electrical energy;
wherein said optically rechargeable hearing aid means further comprises an optical fiber means;
wherein said optical fiber means is for transferring said light energy from said light source means to said light conversion means while said optical charger means is recharging said optically rechargeable hearing aid means;
and wherein said optical fiber means is also for serving as a drawstring means for aiding said user in removing said optically rechargeable hearing aid means from said user's ear.

9 more elements

A contactless rechargeable hearing aid system comprising a charger means and a rechargeable hearing aid means;

wherein said charger means is for generating an energy for recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means is for assisting a user's hearing;
wherein said contactless rechargeable hearing aid system does not comprise any electrical contact means for transferring said energy from said charger means to said rechargeable hearing aid means while said charger means is recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means comprises a high energy rechargeable battery, an audio related circuitry, and a transfer means for transferring an electrical energy from said high energy rechargeable battery to said audio related circuitry;
and wherein said high energy rechargeable battery comprises a lithium based rechargeable battery;
wherein said lithium based rechargeable battery has an external volume of less than about 10 cubic centimeters;
wherein said lithium based rechargeable battery comprises a housing means, an alternately folded cell stack, and positive and negative electrical connections for said alternately folded cell stack;
wherein said housing means is for holding said alternately folded cell stack and is for providing said positive and negative electrical connections for said alternately folded cell stack;
wherein said alternately folded cell stack comprises a cathode, an anode, and layers of electrolyte;
wherein said cathode and said anode are folded alternately over each other to form alternate layers of said cathode and said anode;
wherein one of said layers of electrolyte is located between, and separates, an adjacent pair of said alternate layers of said cathode and said anode;
wherein said housing means comprises an entire external surface having an entire external surface area;
wherein said entire external surface comprises at least one pair of parallel external faces that are at least generally parallel with respect to each other;
wherein each said pair of parallel external faces has a respective combined external parallel surface area;
and wherein a ratio of a largest said respective combined external parallel surface area to a difference between said entire external surface area and said largest said respective combined external parallel surface area is greater than about 0.5.

12 more elements

A contactless rechargeable hearing aid system comprising a charger means and a rechargeable hearing aid means;

wherein said charger means is for generating an energy for recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means is for assisting a user's hearing;
wherein said contactless rechargeable hearing aid system does not comprise any electrical contact means for transferring said energy from said charger means to said rechargeable hearing aid means while said charger means is recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means comprises a high energy rechargeable battery, an audio related circuitry, and a transfer means for transferring an electrical energy from said high energy rechargeable battery to said audio related circuitry;
and wherein said high energy rechargeable battery comprises a lithium based rechargeable battery;
wherein said lithium based rechargeable battery has an external volume of less than about one cubic centimeter;
wherein said lithium based rechargeable battery comprises a housing means, a spiral wrapped cell stack, and positive and negative electrical connections for said spiral wrapped cell stack;
wherein said housing means is for holding said spiral wrapped cell stack and is for providing said positive and negative electrical connections for said spiral wrapped cell stack;
wherein said spiral wrapped cell stack comprises a cathode, a first layer of electrolyte, an anode, and a second layer of electrolyte;
wherein said cathode, said first layer of electrolyte, said anode, and said second layer of electrolyte are wound on top of each other to form concentric, alternating layers of said cathode, said first layer of electrolyte, said anode, and said second layer of electrolyte;
wherein said cathode and said anode are separated by said first and second layers of electrolyte;
wherein said housing means comprises an entire external surface having an entire external surface area;
wherein said entire external surface comprises at least one pair of parallel external faces that are at least generally parallel with respect to each other;
wherein each said pair of parallel external faces has a respective combined external parallel surface area;
and wherein a ratio of a largest said respective combined external parallel surface area to a difference between said entire external surface area and said largest said respective combined external parallel surface area is greater than about 0.5.

12 more elements

A contactless rechargeable hearing aid system comprising a charger means and a rechargeable hearing aid means;

wherein said charger means is for generating an energy for recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means is for assisting a user's hearing;
wherein said contactless rechargeable hearing aid system does not comprise any electrical contact means for transferring said energy from said charger means to said rechargeable hearing aid means while said charger means is recharging said rechargeable hearing aid means;
wherein said rechargeable hearing aid means comprises a high energy rechargeable battery, an audio related circuitry, and a transfer means for transferring an electrical energy from said high energy rechargeable battery to said audio related circuitry;
and wherein said high energy rechargeable battery comprises a lithium based rechargeable battery;
wherein said lithium based rechargeable battery has an external volume of less than about one cubic centimeter;
wherein said lithium based rechargeable battery comprises a housing means, an accordion folded cell stack, and positive and negative electrical connections for said accordion folded cell stack;
wherein said housing means is for holding said accordion folded cell stack and is for providing said positive and negative electrical connections for said accordion folded cell stack;
wherein said accordion folded cell stack comprises a cathode, an anode, and a layer of electrolyte located between said cathode and said anode;
wherein said layer of electrolyte separates said cathode and said anode;
wherein said cathode and said anode are accordion folded over each other;
wherein said housing means comprises an entire external surface having an entire external surface area;
wherein said entire external surface comprises at least one pair of parallel external faces that are at least generally parallel with respect to each other;
wherein each said pair of parallel external faces has a respective combined external parallel surface area;
and wherein a ratio of a largest said respective combined external parallel surface area to a difference between said entire external surface area and said largest said respective combined external parallel surface area is greater than about 0.5.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/413,680Filed 7 Oct 1999 · division
Priority: 23 Feb 1998
Granted: 30 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H01M 10/46
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: accumulators structurally combined with charging…
H01M 10/0431
Construction or manufacture in general: cells with wound or folded electrodes
H01M 10/30
Alkaline accumulators: nickel accumulators
H04R 25/602
Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles: of batteries