HEARING DEVICE

Abstract

A hearing device comprising a leading sealing element and a trailing receiver and valve, wherein in a longitudinal direction of the hearing device the valve is more distant from the sealing element than the receiver, and wherein the receiver and the valve each are unitary items that are separate from each other, and that the receiver and the valve are connected to each other by a flexible interlink.

Claims

1. A hearing device (1) comprising a leading sealing element (2) and a trailing receiver (3) and trailing valve (4), wherein in a longitudinal direction of the hearing device (1) the valve (4) is more distant from the sealing element (2) than the receiver (3), wherein the sealing element (2), the receiver (3) and the valve (4) each are unitary items that are separate from each other, and that the receiver (3) and the valve (4) are connected to each other by a flexible interlink (6), characterized in that a front end (3′) of the receiver (3) is received in the sealing element (2) and engages a frontal portion (2′) of the sealing element (2), which frontal portion (2′) is equipped with apertures (7) to enable sound from the receiver (3) to escape to a region in front of the sealing element (2), and that the sealing element (2) is equipped with sealing element holes (8) behind a frontal portion (2′) of the sealing element (2) to enable external sounds passing the valve (4) to enter the ear canal (5) of the user in front of the sealing element (2).

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the interlink (6) is arranged with a degree of flexibility to enable flexing of the interlink (6) between the receiver (3) and the valve (4) when the hearing device (1) progresses into an ear canal (5) of a user.

3. The hearing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the interlink (6) has a flexural modulus in the range 200-1200 MPa as measured according to ASTM D790, ISO 527-1/2 or ISO 178.

4. The hearing device according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the interlink (6) has a diameter in the range 0.6-1.0 mm.

5. The hearing device according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the interlink (6) comprises material selected from the group Rilsan, silicone and Pebax.

6. The hearing device according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the interlink (6), the receiver (3) and the valve (4) are rotatable with respect to each other around a longitudinal axis through the interlink (6).

7. The hearing device according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the valve (4) is electromagnetically actuable.

Description

[0018] In the drawing:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a hearing device of the invention in a side view;

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the hearing device of the invention in an exploded view;

[0021] FIG. 3 shows the hearing device of the invention entering an ear canal;

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the hearing device of the invention schematically after it has entered the ear canal;

[0023] FIGS. 5.1-5.3 shows the sealing element of the hearing device of the invention in a bottom view, a side view and an oblique side view respectively; and

[0024] FIGS. 6.1 and 6.2 show a top view and a sectional side view of part of the hearing device of the invention.

[0025] Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

[0026] FIGS. 1-3 show that the hearing device 1 of the invention comprises a leading sealing element 2 and a trailing receiver 3 (only visible in FIG. 2) and trailing valve 4, wherein in a longitudinal direction of the hearing device 1, i.e. in a movement direction of the hearing device 1 when placed in an ear canal 5 of a user, the valve 4 is more distant from the sealing element 2 than the receiver 3. In other words: the receiver 3 is positioned between the sealing element 2 and the valve 4.

[0027] According to an aspect of the invention the sealing element 2, the receiver 3 and the valve 4 are separate units, i.e. the receiver 3 and the valve 4 are separate items that are distinct from each other, wherein the receiver 3 and the valve 4 are connected to each other by a flexible interlink 6, which assists the hearing device 1 to easily negotiate bends in the air canal 5 as is schematically shown in FIG. 4.

[0028] Preferably the interlink 6 is arranged with a degree of flexibility to enable flexing of the interlink between the receiver 3 and the valve 4 when the hearing device 1 is made to progress into an ear canal 5 of a user. Suitably the interlink 6 has a flexural modulus in the range 200-1200 MPa as measured according to ASTM D790, ISO 527-1/2 or ISO 178. Further suitably the interlink 6 has a diameter in the range 0.6-1.0 mm. One thing and another can be easily be accomplished when the interlink 6 comprises material selected from the group Rilsan and Pebax.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows schematically a constructional detail which is better shown in FIG. 6.2, i.e. that a front end 3′ of the receiver 3 is received in the sealing element 2, such that the front end 3′ of the receiver 3 engages a frontal portion 2′ of the sealing element 2. FIG. 6.1 shows that said frontal portion 2′ is equipped with apertures 7 to enable sound from the receiver 3 to escape to a region in front of the sealing element 2. This is also shown in FIG. 5.2.

[0030] Another aspect that is shown in FIG. 5.2 is that the sealing element 2 is equipped with sealing element holes 8 behind a frontal portion 2′ of the sealing element 2 to enable external sounds that are passing the valve 4 to enter the ear canal 5 of the user in front of the sealing element 2. Such sounds can pass the valve 4 through the valve openings 4′ as depicted in FIG. 1. Preferably the valve 4 is electro-magnetically actuable for closing or opening the valve openings 4′, for instance in the manner as shown in EP 3 471 432 and EP 3 471 433 in the name of the applicant.

[0031] Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the hearing device of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.