Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Hearing aids – electrical – Specified casing or housing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-18
2004-04-20
Ni, Suhan (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Hearing aids, electrical
Specified casing or housing
C381S384000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06724901
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A hearing aid comprising a housing having at least one acoustic inlet opening and at least one acoustic outlet opening, said housing containing at least one pickup means, an amplifier in connection with said pickup means, a receiver in connection with said amplifier and a switch for switching between different rationales for different listening conditions or between the mentioned pickup means and a further pickup means, said switch being operable from the housing exterior by means of an activating button.
In order to toggle between different programs or settings or different pickup means or a combination of these a switch may be provided in the housing. For the operation of the switch an activating button may be provided.
One previously known type of switch comprises mutually slidable parts. This previously known switch is rather complicated since it comprises several separate parts, which must be assembled prior to the mounting. This leads to a time consuming and therefore costly manufacturing of the hearing aid. Furthermore the previously known switches are rather space consuming in order to allow activating by the user. The large size is undesirable in connection with a hearing aid since this most often is desired to be as small as possible. This switch is also complicated both from a construction point of view and a assembling point of view.
The object of the present invention is to provide a hearing aid with a switch which is simpler from a construction point of view and which may be mounted in a simpler manner than hitherto known and at the same time occupies a small volume.
A further object of the invention is to provide a switch for use in a hearing aid which switch is simpler from a construction point of view and which may be mounted in a simpler manner than hitherto known.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a hearing aid as set forth in the foregoing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention the object of the invention is achieved by means of a hearing aid of the type mentioned in the introductory part of the description characterized in comprising a switch which comprises a first and a second element adapted for mounting on a circuitry board, where the first element comprises a flexible arm adapted to be movable by means of the activating button in such a manner that the flexible arm hereby touches the second element.
By providing a hearing aid having the switching means provided in the above-mentioned manner a simple and reliable construction has been obtained. The hearing aid being provided with such switching means is simpler from a manufacturing point of view as well as a assembling point of view. The switch occupies only a very small volume.
In a preferred embodiment the arm is provided as a result of a bending of a part of the first element.
In a further preferred embodiment the second element comprises an area protruding from the circuitry board, preferably provided as a result of a bending of the second element. This is intended as a contact area for the flexible arm hereby allowing a larger tolerance of the bending between the first element and the flexible arm and furthermore allowing a larger tolerance of the movement of the flexible arm.
In a still further preferred embodiment the first element comprises an area supporting the flexible arm when this is activated by means of the activating button, said supporting area preferably being provided as a result of a bending of a part of the first element. This feature serves to control the movement of the flexible arm upon activating this towards the second element.
According to the invention the switch is characterized in that it is manufactured as a single unit adapted for being separated in order to form a first element and a second element with a flexible arm.
By manufacturing the switch as a single unit adapted for subsequent separation it is possible to mount the switch as a unit element and after the mounting process perform a separation of the single unit into two mutually separated elements in order to provide electrically separated parts of the switch. Hereby the mounting is significantly facilitated.
In a preferred embodiment the single unit comprises two bendings, the area between the two bendings forming the first and the second elementt for connection of the switch to the circuitry board.
This embodiment is particularly suitable for surface mounting, a so-called SMT device.
In a preferred embodiment an end area of the single unit is adapted for separation, preferably a connection at one side of a bending. Having separated the first and the second element by a single cut or by cutting at two distanced positions the first and the second element are electrically separated.
This embodiment is specifically suitable for use in a hearing aid since only limited space is available and the switch for this reason must be limited in size. By this embodiment it is still possible to perform the separation in a reliable manner even on a switch of a very small size.
According to the invention the method is characterized in that, the single unit is mounted on a circuitry board, and the single unit is separated into two electrically isolated separate elements.
The invention will be described more detailed in the following description showing a preferred embodiment of a hearing aid according to the invention and where
REFERENCES:
patent: 4739512 (1988-04-01), Hartl et al.
patent: 5193116 (1993-03-01), Mostardo
patent: 5463692 (1995-10-01), Fackler
patent: 5915031 (1999-06-01), Hanright
patent: 4331382 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 95/12207 (1995-05-01), None
Dykema Gossett PLLC
Ni Suhan
Oticon A/S
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