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US 6,493,453 B1Granted
Hearing aid apparatus
AssigneeDouglas H. Glendon
InventorDouglas H. Glendon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved earring-style hearing aid that includes an ear mold that renders the majority of the ear canal unfilled, and that delivers to the eardrum amplified sound that is received through a breakaway connector from a hearing aid circuit that is attached to the ear lobe and that can be configured using one of many different covers to take the appearance of one of many different earrings.
Claims25
A hearing aid comprising:
- an ear canal sound conduit insertable into the auditory canal of the wearer's outer ear, the sound conduit having an outermost portion connected to an innermost portion by a middle portion, the innermost portion substantially filling the auditory canal proximate to the eardrum, the middle portion having a cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the auditory canal, wherein once the sound conduit is inserted into the wearer's ear, the innermost portion is proximately located near the eardrum, the middle portion travels along the auditory canal of the ear, and the outermost portion is disposed at the intertragic notch of the outer ear, said ear canal sound conduit defining a hollow receiver tube;
- a hearing aid circuit for generating a sound signal output;
- a housing having a major facade, the facade having a first side, a second side and defining a first aperture, the hearing aid circuit being disposed in said housing;
- and
- a breakaway connector, said connector passing through said first aperture and connecting the output from the hearing aid circuit to the outermost portion of the ear canal sound conduit
- wherein said break away connector further comprises an extension tube, said extension tube disposed at a nipple end of the connector and said extension tube engaging the end of the hollow receiver tube at the outermost portion of the ear canal sound conduit at one end, and the opposite end operatively connected to the hearing aid circuit.
3 more elements
A hearing aid comprising:
- an ear canal sound conduit insertable into the auditory canal of the wearer's outer ear, the sound conduit having an outermost portion connected to an innermost portion by a middle portion, the innermost portion substantially filling the auditory canal proximate to the eardrum, the middle portion having a cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the auditory canal, wherein once the sound conduit is inserted into the wearer's ear, the innermost portion is proximately located near the eardrum, the middle portion travels along the auditory canal of the ear, and the outermost portion is disposed at the intertragic notch of the outer ear, said ear canal sound conduit defining a hollow receiver tube;
- a hearing aid circuit for generating a sound signal output;
- a housing having a major facade, the facade having a first side, a second side and defining a first aperture, the hearing aid circuit being disposed in said housing;
- a breakaway connector, said connector passing through said first aperture and connecting the output from the hearing aid circuit to the outermost portion of the ear canal sound conduit,
- a stud-pin having a shaft end and a head end wherein the housing has a vertical slot configured to receive the shaft end of the stud-pin, and the stud-pin is selectively fixed by the wearer so that the shaft end of the stud-pin protrudes through the vertical slot at a desirable position and angle, and the head end of the stud-pin is held in position between the circuit holder and the first side of the facade of the housing, and
- a circuit holder that is coupled to the first side of the facade of the housing, the circuit holder adapted to hold the hearing aid circuit.
3 more elements
A hearing aid comprising:
- an ear canal sound conduit insertable into the auditory canal of the wearer's outer ear, the sound conduit having an outermost portion connected to an innermost portion by a middle portion, the innermost portion substantially filling the auditory canal proximate to the eardrum, the middle portion having a cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the auditory canal, wherein once the sound conduit is inserted into the wearer's ear, the innermost portion is proximately located near the eardrum, the middle portion travels along the auditory canal of the ear, and the outermost portion is disposed at the intertragic notch of the outer ear, said ear canal sound conduit defining a hollow receiver tube;
- a hearing aid circuit for generating a sound signal output;
- a housing having a major facade, the facade having a first side, a second side and defining a first aperture, the hearing aid circuit being disposed in said housing;
- a breakaway connector, said connector passing through said first aperture and connecting the output from the hearing aid circuit to the outermost portion of the ear canal sound conduit, and a stud-pin having a shaft end and a head end wherein the housing has a vertical slot configured to receive the shaft end of the stud-pin, and the stud-pin is selectively fixed by the wearer so that the shaft end of the stud-pin protrudes through the vertical slot at a desirable position and angle, and the head end of the stud-pin is held in position between the interchangeable housing cover and the first side of the facade of the housing.
1 more element
A hearing aid apparatus comprising:
- a first microphone for generating a signal;
- an amplifier configured to receive the signal generated by the first microphone for producing the amplified signal;
- a control means adapted to control the amplifier;
- a control means adapted to control the amplifier;
- an ear canal sound conduit insertable into the auditory canal of the wearer's outer ear, the sound conduit portion having an outermost portion connected to an innermost portion by a middle portion, the innermost portion substantially filling the auditory canal proximate to the eardrum, and the middle portion having a cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the auditory canal, wherein once the sound conduit is inserted into the wearer's ear, the innermost portion is proximately located near the eardrum, the middle portion travels along the auditory canal of the ear, and the outermost portion is disposed at the intertragic notch of the outer ear, said ear canal conduit defining a hollow receiver tube;
- a housing having a major facade, the facade having a first side, a second side, and defining an aperture, the housing adapted to hold at least a partial hearing aid circuit including the first microphone, the amplifier, the control means, and a battery;
- a breakaway connector having a nipple end and a connective end, the connective end having an entrance hole with a perimeter, the connective end being connected to the housing so that the perimeter of the entrance hole is disposed substantially over the aperture on the second side of the facade of the housing, an output of the partial hearing aid circuit being coupled to the entrance hole of the connective end of the breakaway connector, and the nipple end of the breakaway connector having an outer surface that abuttingly engages an opening at the outermost portion of the sound conduit;
- a receiver disposed in the innermost portion of the sound conduit proximate the eardrum, the receiver configured to convert the amplified signal into a sound pressure signal;
- an electronic coupling means that provides a transmission path between the amplifier and the receiver so that the amplified signal can be received by the receiver;
- wherein the amplified signal received by the receiver is converted into the sound pressure signal, the sound pressure signal being substantially delivered to the eardrum.
7 more elements
A hearing aid comprising:
- an ear canal sound conduit insertable into the auditory canal of the wearer's outer ear, the sound conduit having an outermost portion connected to an innermost portion by a middle portion, the innermost portion substantially filling the auditory canal proximate to the eardrum, the middle portion having a cross-sectional area that is substantially less than the cross-sectional area of the auditory canal, wherein once the sound conduit is inserted into the wearer's ear, the innermost portion is proximately located near the eardrum, the middle portion travels along the auditory canal of the ear, and the outermost portion is disposed at the intertragic notch of the outer ear, said ear canal sound conduit defining a hollow receiver tube;
- a hearing aid circuit for generating a sound signal output;
- a housing having a major facade, the facade having a first side, a second side and defining a first aperture, the hearing aid circuit being disposed in said housing;
- and
- a breakaway connector, said connector passing through said first aperture and connecting the output from the hearing aid circuit to the outermost portion of the ear canal sound conduit,
- a circuit holder that is coupled to the first side of the facade of the housing, the circuit holder adapted to hold the hearing aid circuit, and
- a stud-pin having a shaft end and a head end wherein the housing has a vertical slot configured to receive the shaft end of the stud- pin, and the stud-pin is selectively fixed by the wearer so that the shaft end of the stud-pin protrudes through the vertical slot at a desirable position and angle.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.