Antennas for standard fit hearing assistance devices
AssigneeStarkey Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsBeau Jay Polinske, Jorge F. Sanguino, Jay Rabel, Jeffrey Paul Solum, Michael Helgeson, David Tourtelotte
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Abstract
An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.
Claims20
A hearing assistance device, comprising:
- a housing configured to be worn outside an ear of a wearer;
- a power source;
- a radio circuit within the housing and electrically connected to the power source;
- a flex antenna configured to form an aperture, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture, and wherein the flex antenna has at least a portion including a shape memory that tends to straighten the flex antenna from a flexed position, and bias a portion of the flex antenna into contact with an interior surface of the housing;
- and
- a transmission line to electrically connect the flex antenna to the radio circuit.
A method of forming a hearing assistance device, comprising:
- placing a radio circuit within a housing of the device, wherein the housing is configured to be worn outside an ear of a wearer;
- and
- looping a flex circuit to form an aperture and electrically connecting the flex circuit to the radio circuit, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture,
- wherein the flex circuit has at least a portion including a shape memory that tends to straighten the flex circuit from a flexed position, and bias a portion of the flex circuit into contact with an interior surface of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.