H04R2460/11

HEARING AIDS AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS
20230022584 · 2023-01-26 · ·

A hearing aid includes a microphone, an electro-acoustic transducer, and a housing that supports the electro-acoustic transducer such that the housing and the electro-acoustic transducer together define a first acoustic volume and a second acoustic volume. The electro-acoustic transducer is arranged such that a first radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the front acoustic volume and such that a second radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the second acoustic volume. The hearing aid is configured such that the first and second acoustic volumes are acoustically coupled to the microphone when the hearing aid is worn. The housing supports an acoustic element that is acoustically coupled to the microphone and the second acoustic volume and is arranged such that acoustic energy radiated from the acoustic element sums with acoustic energy leaked from the first acoustic volume at the microphone so as to cancel each other.

Earplug with wireless audio communication

An earplug includes a housing and a receiver positioned in the housing. The receiver may be configured to receive a wireless audio signal from an audio source external to the earplug and convert the wireless audio signal to an electrical audio signal. The earplug may include a speaker configured to receive electrical audio signal from the receiver and convert the electrical audio signal into audible sound output from a speaker port. The earplug may include a projection including an opening that defines at least a portion of a sound channel from the speaker. The projection may receive the audible sound output from the speaker and output the audible sound out of the earplug. The earplug may include earplug padding configured to form a seal with a user's ear canal. The earplug may include an acoustic vent positioned in the sound channel, including a waterproof membrane extending across the channel.

Earphone body with tuned vents

An earphone body includes an internal chamber, a transducer housed in the internal chamber, a first tuned vent and a second tuned vent. The transducer has a front surface facing a direction of insertion of the earphone body in use and a rear surface 6B. The internal chamber provides a proximal acoustic volume adjacent the front surface of the transducer and a distal acoustic volume adjacent the rear surface of the transducer. The first tuned vent and the second tuned vent each extend between the distal acoustic volume and the ambient environment and are adapted to provide fluid communication between the distal acoustic volume and the ambient environment. The first tuned vent is tuned to a first frequency and the second tuned vent is tuned to a second frequency, the first frequency being lower than the second frequency.

Headphone device

A headphone device includes a covering member, a sound chamber casing and a speaker unit. The sound chamber casing is combined with the covering member, so that a sound chamber is formed. The speaker unit is installed within the sound chamber. The sound chamber includes a gas channel. The gas channel has a bend portion.

Nearfield inductive coupling in a contact hearing system
11706573 · 2023-07-18 · ·

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of transmitting information from an ear tip to a contact hearing device, the method comprising the steps of: exciting a transmit coil, the transmit coil being positioned in the ear tip, wherein the transmit coil is wound on a core, the core including a ferromagnetic material; radiating an electromagnetic field from the first coil through the ear canal of a user; receiving the radiated electromagnetic field at a receive coil, the receive coil being positioned on a contact hearing device, the contact hearing device including a receive coil without a ferrite core; and transmitting the information from the transmit coil to the receive coil using, for example, near-field radiation.

Earphone with an acoustic rear chamber vent
11706554 · 2023-07-18 · ·

An earphone comprising a rear chamber and a vent structure. The vent structure comprises a longitudinal recess in the housing wall, which recess is defined by a bottom wall and recess walls connecting the bottom wall and the housing wall, a recess opening in the recess, which recess opening connects the recess and the rear chamber, a mesh device arranged parallel with the bottom wall, whereby a longitudinal recess cavity is provided between the bottom wall and the mesh structure. The invention also relates to the manufacturing such an earphone.

Dual-diaphragm moving-coil audio transducer for hearing device

The present disclosure relates to dual-diaphragm moving-coil audio transducers for hearing devices. The transducer includes a magnetic circuit including an inner portion located between first and second coils coupled to corresponding diaphragms supported by a housing. An outer portion of the magnetic circuit is adjacent outer portions of the first and second coils. The transducer emits sound when the first diaphragm moves in a first direction and the second diaphragm moves in a second direction, opposite the first direction, in response to an electrical audio signal applied to the first and second coils.

IN-EAR AUDIO OUTPUT DEVICE HAVING A STABILITY BAND DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE ACOUSTIC PORT BLOCKAGE

Aspects describe an in-ear audio output device. The in-ear audio output device includes an acoustic chamber defined by an earbud housing shaped to fit in the lower concha of an ear of a wearer of the in-ear audio output device, the earbud housing comprising: a resistive port located on a first side of the earbud housing creating an opening in a wall of the earbud housing and a first feedforward microphone located on a second side of the earbud housing, the second side substantially opposite the first side of the earbud housing; and a stability band. The stability band includes at least one attachment feature that couples the stability band to the earbud housing and a first side substantially opposite the attachment feature that only partially covers the resistive port when the in-ear audio output device is positioned in the ear of the wearer.

FLOW RELIEF FEATURES EMBEDDED IN COSMETIC SURFACE OF WEARABLES

Aspects describe air flow relief features in the cosmetic surface of the housing of an in-ear audio output device. Due to design constraints based, at least in part, on the limited space available in the acoustic chamber and ear geometry, ports coupling the acoustic chamber with an area outside the housing are susceptible to full blockage when placed in-ear. Air flow relief channels for ports, extending from the port aligned in the concha cymba, over the helix crus, to the cymba cavum minimize complete blockages of the port as compared to current designs.

Hearing aid connector

In embodiments of the invention, the invention comprises a light tip cable including a cartridge assembly affixed to a medial end of the cable, the cartridge assembly including an emitter housing where the emitter housing includes an opening at a medial end of the housing and a flange at a lateral end of the housing. In embodiments of the invention, the cartridge assembly includes a light emitting element in the housing extending to the opening, retention features covering at least a portion of the housing, including the flange, the retention features comprising a lateral face and a lobe and at least one load bearing strand extending from the cable to the emitter; and electrical connectors extending from the cable to the light emitting element.