Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Hearing aids – electrical – Specified casing or housing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-10
2001-09-18
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Hearing aids, electrical
Specified casing or housing
C381S328000, C381S329000, C181S130000, C607S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292572
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to hearing aids. More particularly, the invention pertains to hearing aids having a standardized, spheroidal housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many known hearing aids are formed as custom products, especially adapted to properly fit a specific ear of a user. Such hearing aids and methods of making same are disclosed in prior printed publications and patents and would be known to those of skill.
Because many of the known hearing aids and methods of making same are oriented toward custom products intended to fit the ear of a single user, they do not benefit from the economics of scale that can be achieved using standard products. On the other hand, custom made hearing aids have been developed as a way to provide an improved fit and performance for a user.
So-called modular hearing aids are also known. These products combine a standardized electronic/battery module with one of a plurality of different size tips to provide a personalized aid from standard components.
Known hearing aids usually are intended to be properly located approximately at the same region of the ear from one user to another, irrespective of ear size or shape. That is to say, the body or housing size of an aid for an individual with a small ear canal would not normally be used with a person having a large ear canal as it might be loose or exhibit undesirable feedback due to gaps between the housing and the ear canal.
In view of the above, there is a continuing need to provide hearing aids which will fit properly in an individual's ear, yet will hopefully benefit from the economics associated with mass production. Preferably, such hearing aids will be comfortable to insert and remove and will comfortably fit in a user's ear canal and also minimize feedback problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Standardized hearing aid housings, which will comfortably and effectively fit into the ear canals of a variety of users, are formed as spheroids based on various geometric shapes. Such housings can be characterized as “one size fits all”.
The housings carry an elongated insertion and removal element which can be gripped by a user for the purpose of inserting the housing into an ear canal or removing it therefrom. Because a single spheroidal shape is intended to be used with a large number of different ears, it is intended that the spheroidal housing be inserted as far as possible into the respective ear canal by the user. Hence, in larger ears, the spheroidal may have a location further into the ear canal than would be the case with smaller ears.
The housings can be formed of molded plastic with or without a deformable, exterior coating. A deformable or sponge-like layer can be used to cover a spheroidal standardized housing. Alternately, the housings can be formed of a deformable material such as a high density sponge-like material.
When inserted, the spheroidal shapes exhibit either a concave or a convex exterior surface relative to a user's outer ear. This exterior surface, or the entire spheroid could be formed with a non-reflective, exterior. If desired, a black, non-reflective surface can be provided.
In one aspect of the invention, a spheroidal housing is formed by lofting an ellipse into an ellipse and then into a circle. In another embodiment of the invention, a housing is formed by revolving a spline around a central axis. Finally, in yet another embodiment of the invention, a housing is formed with an egg or pear-shaped exterior surface symmetrical about a center line.
In each of the above instances, the housing is intended to be formed substantially symmetrically about an axial center line and to fit into a plurality of different ear canals. Significantly different sizes of ear canals could be accommodated by a single or a limited number of different sizes of the standardized housings.
Hearing aids which embody the present invention immediately benefit from the economics of mass production. The various standardized housing shapes as described above are each intended to be useable with a variety of shapes and sizes of ear canals.
The respective housings, both deformable and non-deformable, each define a substantially closed interior region. Components such as microphones, processing circuitry, receivers and batteries can be carried in respective regions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2595672 (1952-05-01), Greenwood
patent: 3448224 (1969-06-01), Giller
patent: 3527901 (1970-09-01), Geib
patent: 3983336 (1976-09-01), Malek et al.
patent: 4150262 (1979-04-01), Ono
patent: 4672672 (1987-06-01), Eggert et al.
patent: 4736430 (1988-04-01), Schroder
patent: 4817609 (1989-04-01), Perkins et al.
patent: 4962537 (1990-10-01), Basel et al.
patent: 5002151 (1991-03-01), Oliveira et al.
patent: 5046580 (1991-09-01), Barton
patent: 5295191 (1994-03-01), Van Vroenhoven
patent: 5310163 (1994-05-01), Barton
patent: 5381484 (1995-01-01), Claes et al.
patent: 5395168 (1995-03-01), Leenen
patent: 5535282 (1996-07-01), Luca
patent: 5606621 (1997-02-01), Reiter et al.
patent: 5659621 (1997-08-01), Newton
patent: 5701348 (1997-12-01), Shennib et al.
patent: 6097825 (2000-08-01), Yoest et al.
Posen Miles
Prutnikov Greg
Yoest Robert
Beltone Electronics Corporation
Kuntz Curtis
Ni Suhan
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
LandOfFree
Hearing aids with standardized spheroidal housings does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Hearing aids with standardized spheroidal housings, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hearing aids with standardized spheroidal housings will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2454702