Sound tube for an earpiece, sound tube arrangement, earpiece with such a sound tube or sound tube arrangement and hearing device with such an earpiece

Abstract

The present invention proposes a sound tube (3) for an earpiece (1), wherein a first section (4) of an inner surface of the sound tube (3) has a structured surface, in particular a textural pattern forming a relief comprising convexities (13) and/or concavities (11). Alternatively or additionally, the sound tube (3) features a radially extending, circumferential flange (8), annular lip (8′) or collar at an outer surface of the sound tube (3). The present invention is further directed to a sound tube arrangement comprising two of the proposed sound tubes integrally formed in one piece and to an earpiece (1) with such a sound tube (3) or such a sound tube arrangement as well as to a hearing device with such an earpiece (1).

Claims

1. A hearing device, comprising: an earpiece defining an outer surface; a transducer with a sound port that is lateral of the earpiece outer surface; and a sound tube defining an inner surface, an outer surface, a first section and a second section that is lateral of the first section, the inner surface of the first section having a textural pattern defining convexities and/or concavities and configured to create capillary forces that oppose movement of contaminants out of the first section, at least some of the convexities and/or concavities being located medial of the earpiece outer surface, and the inner surface of the second section lacking convexities and concavities and being mounted on the transducer sound port; wherein the first and second sections together define an integral one-piece structure.

2. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound tube defines first and second ends, the first and second sections form the entire inner surface of the sound tube, the first section extends from the first end towards the second end, and the second section extends from the second end towards first end.

3. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the textural pattern comprises a periodic textural pattern.

4. A hearing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the textural pattern is at least one of sawtooth-shaped, wave-shaped, jagged, and lamellar.

5. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the textural pattern includes at least one of a groove, a notch, a protrusion, a bulge, and a ridge.

6. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound tube defines a longitudinal axis and the textural pattern extends circumferentially around the longitudinal axis.

7. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound tube defines an inner diameter (ID), the textural pattern defines a roughness height (Rz) and an average roughness (Ra), Rz=10 μm to 0.5 ID, and Ra=10 μm to 1 mm.

8. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the textural pattern is configured to restrain cerumen, sweat, oil and other liquids, and physiological debris from passing through the sound tube.

9. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a receiver; the sound tube comprises first and second sound conduction channels, each having a textural pattern defining convexities and/or concavities; the sound port of the receiver is connected to the first sound conduction channel; and the hearing device further comprises a microphone connected to the second sound conduction channel.

10. A sound tube for use with an earpiece that includes a transducer with a sound port, the sound tube comprising: a tubular body defining an outer surface and an inner surface with contiguous first and second portions, a medial end associated with the first portion, and a lateral end associated with the second portion; a textural pattern defining convexities and/or concavities formed in the first portion of the inner surface of the tubular body; the second portion of the inner surface of the tubular body lacking convexities and/or concavities; a flange, defining a medial end, that extends outwardly from the tubular body such that the medial end of the flange is located a predetermined non-zero lateral distance from the medial end of the tubular body; and means for mounting the tubular body onto the sound port such that the second portion of the inner surface of the tubular body extends from the sound port to the first portion of the inner surface of the tubular body.

11. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the textural pattern comprises a periodic textural pattern.

12. A sound tube as claimed in claim 11, wherein the textural pattern is at least one of sawtooth-shaped, wave-shaped, jagged, and lamellar.

13. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the textural pattern includes at least one of a groove, a notch, a protrusion, a bulge, and a ridge.

14. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tubular body defines a longitudinal axis and the textural pattern extends circumferentially around the longitudinal axis.

15. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tubular body defines an inner diameter (ID), the textural pattern defines a roughness height (Rz) and an average roughness (Ra), Rz=10 μm to 0.5 ID, and Ra=10 μm to 1 mm.

16. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the textural pattern is configured to restrain cerumen, sweat, oil and other liquids, and physiological debris from passing through the tubular body.

17. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first section textural pattern defines convexities and concavities; and the concavities define concavity inner diameters and the inner surface of the second section defines an inner diameter that is less than the concavity inner diameters.

18. A hearing device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the convexities define convexity inner diameters and the diameter of the inner surface of the second section is less than the convexity inner diameters.

19. A hearing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound tube defines a medial end; and the sound tube includes a flange, defining a medial end, that extends outwardly from the first portion in such a manner that the medial end of the flange is lateral of the medial end of the sound tube.

20. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tubular body and the flange include respective outer surfaces that intersect and define a circumferential edge that creates a capillary force.

21. A sound tube as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tubular body defines a length; and the predetermined non-zero lateral distance is less than 1/10 of the length of the tubular body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is further explained below by means of non-limiting exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show:

(2) FIG. 1 a simplified cutaway side view of a portion of an earpiece with a transducer and a sound tube according to the prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 a simplified cutaway side view of a transducer connected to an exemplary sound tube according to the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 a simplified cutaway perspective view of an exemplary sound tube according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 simplified cutaway side views of various exemplary sound tubes according to the present invention having a structured inner surface whose contour is a) jagged, b) wave-shaped, c) sawtooth-shaped, d) reverse sawtooth-shaped, e) lamellar;

(6) FIG. 5 a simplified cutaway side view of a front portion of an exemplary sound tube arrangement comprising two sound tubes according to the present invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 a simplified cutaway perspective view of an exemplary sound tube arrangement according to the present invention.

(8) In the figures, like reference signs refer to like parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a simplified cutaway side view of a portion of an earpiece 1 with a transducer 2 and a sound tube 3 according to the prior art (cf. e.g. US 2004/0165742 A1). A portion 3.sub.e of the sound tube 3 extends outwardly from the earpiece 1 towards the eardrum (or tympanic membrane; not shown) when the earpiece 1 is being worn in an ear canal (not shown). The advantage of this extended tube solution is the very simple assembly. However, it has drawbacks such as that the mechanical tolerances of the assembly process can lead to significant variances in the frequency response, and furthermore once the extended tube is polluted, it cannot be easily cleaned. Moreover, the smooth inner surface of the extended tube gives rise to undesired capillary effects, whereby liquids or other pollutants are draw into the tube. The capillary effects increase with decreasing diameter of the tube.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a simplified cutaway side view of a transducer 2 connected to an exemplary sound tube 3 according to the present invention. Here too, the sound tube 3 extends outwards from the earpiece 1, however the inner surface of the outer/front (first) section 4 is structured with a textural pattern forming a relief comprising convexities and/or concavities. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the textural pattern is periodic and comprises an alternating series of grooves 11 and ridges 13 extending circumferentially around a longitudinal axis a of the sound tube 3. Furthermore, the structured inner surface comprises inward directed circumferential edges 12. The contour of the inner surface, i.e. the relief, increases the length of the pathway along the inner surface of the sound tube 3 within the first section 4 towards the transducer 2 and the inward pointing edges 12 give rise to capillary effects that hold back contaminants from passing through the outer section 4 of the sound tube 3. Furthermore, the structured outer section 4 of the sound tube 3 is followed by a back/rear (second) section 5, which has a smooth inner surface, whereby the structured surface of the front section 4 forms a “retarding zone” for restraining contaminants, such as cerumen, sweat, oil and other liquids or physiological debris, from passing into the rear section and reaching the transducer 2, and therefore acts as a “buffer zone” between the front (first) end 6 of the sound tube 3 and the rear section 5, which provides a contaminant-free space in front of the sound port of the transducer 3. Moreover, the sound tube 3 features a radially extending, circumferential flange 8 as well as an annular lip 8′ at the outer/front end 6 of the sound tube 3. Thereby, the flange 8 is slightly offset from the front end 6 (towards the back/rear end) of the sound tube 3. The flange 8, the annular lip 8′ and the outer surface of the sound tube 3 form inward circumferential edges 9, 10. These edges 9, 10 further help to prevent contaminates from entering into the sound tube 3 due to the capillary forces which retain them at the edges 9, 10. The inner diameter of sound tube 3 is in the range between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. The individual length of the first and second section 4 and 5 is each on the order of about 1.5 mm±1 mm. The sound tube 3 is for instance made of fluorsilicone having a hardness of 50 Shore A and manufactured by an injection moulding process.

(11) FIG. 3 shows a simplified cutaway perspective view of an exemplary sound tube 3 according to the present invention clearly illustrating the periodic pattern of radial, circumferential grooves 11 and ridges 13 having edges 12 (which are directed outwardly in this example).

(12) FIG. 4 shows simplified cutaway side views of a plurality of exemplary sound tubes 3 according to the present invention having differently structured inner surfaces. In FIG. 4 a) the contour of the inner surface of the sound tube 3 is jagged with sharp ridges 13, which themselves form outwardly pointing edges, and rounded grooves 11, in FIG. 4 b) it is wave-shaped with rounded grooves 11 and rounded ridges 13, in FIG. 4 c) it is sawtooth-shaped with very distinctive inwardly directed edges 12 and slanted ridges 13 tilted towards the rear end of the sound tube 3, in FIG. 4 d) it is reverse sawtooth-shaped, again with very distinctive inwardly directed edges 12, but this time with slanted ridges 13 tilted towards the front end of the sound tube 3, and in FIG. 4 e) it is lamellar with ribs/fins slanting towards the rear end of the sound tube 3.

(13) Advanced hearing devices employ both a receiver as well as an ear canal microphone in the earpiece, the latter for instance being used in connection with automatic occlusion control in order to improve the perception of the user's own voice when speaking (or other body sounds). The use of two transducers within an earpiece poses several challenges such as achieving a high anatomical fit rate, easy assembly, simple and effective protection against earwax, small mechanical tolerances of the feedback path from the receiver to the ear canal microphone, etc. Moreover, both transducers have to be assembled carefully to achieve a good performance. Known wax protection means do not provide acceptable solutions, because use of two single/separate wax guards is not practical due to their large physical dimensions. FIG. 5 shows a simplified cutaway side view of a front portion of an exemplary sound tube arrangement comprising two sound tubes according to the present invention integrally formed in one piece, i.e. as a single tube having two sound conducting channels. Such a dual sound tube arrangement is well-suited to applications where both a receiver and an ear canal microphone are employed simultaneously in an earpiece. Here the sound tube 3 integrally contains two sound conductions channels, one with an axis a and a front opening 6 through which sound generated by the receiver exits, and the other one with an axis a′ and a front opening 6′ through which sound to be picked up by the ear canal microphone enters. The sound conduction channels each exhibit the same features as the single sound tube 3 depicted in FIG. 2, i.e. a front (first) section 4, 4′ having a structured/textured inner surface and a rear (second) section 5, 5′ having a smooth inner surface. Each sound conduction channel has in its front section a series of radial, circumferential grooves 11, 11′ and ridges 13, 13′ as well as distinct inward directed circumferential edges 12, 12′. Moreover, at its front, outer end the sound tube 3 has a single radially extending, circumferential flange 8 encircling both sound conduction channels as well as a single circumferential lip 8′ also encompassing both sound conduction channels. These together with the outer surface of the sound tube 3 form a first inward directed circumferential edge 9 at the front end of the sound tube 3 and a second inward pointing circumferential edge 10 offset away from the front end (towards the rear end) of the sound tube 3.

(14) FIG. 6 shows a simplified cutaway perspective view of a complete exemplary sound tube arrangement according to the present invention. In this view it can be seen that the flange 8 and the lip 8′ surround both front openings 6, 6′ of the two sound conduction channels. This exemplary sound tube arrangement further comprises a mounting flange 16 for attaching the arrangement to and/or supporting the arrangement at an earpiece 1, as well as a microphone seating 14 for receiving an ear canal microphone and a receiver seating 15 for receiving a hearing device receiver.