Hearing device and a method for manufacturing thereof

Abstract

A hearing device to be worn in or at the ear of a user. The hearing device includes a housing for accommodating an electronic component, wherein the housing includes an electromagnetic wave shielding material and is formed with an indentation. The indentation provides a space at the outer side of the housing, allowing an antenna to be inserted into the indentation. The proposed hearing device achieves improved shielding of the antenna against electromagnetic waves radiated from at least one of the electronic components.

Claims

1. A hearing device to be worn in the ear of a user, said hearing device comprises a housing for accommodating an electronic component, wherein said housing is formed with an indentation, said indentation providing a space at an outer side of the housing, wherein said hearing device further comprises an antenna inserted into the indentation, wherein said housing is made of titan as an electromagnetic wave shielding material and has a thickness in the range from 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said hearing device is to be worn at least partially in the hearing canal of a user, wherein said housing is at least partially shaped according to the individual contour of the hearing canal of the user.

3. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is comprised by an antenna module further comprising an enclosure for encapsulating the antenna.

4. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the enclosure is a cast comprising at least one of resin, natural rubber and silicon.

5. The hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the antenna is integrally casted within the enclosure.

6. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the enclosure is shaped such to substantially mate with the contour of the indentation.

7. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the enclosure is shaped such to align with the outline of the housing once the enclosure is inserted into the indentation.

8. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the antenna module comprises a snap-in mechanism, adapted to engage at least a portion of the hearing device housing.

9. The hearing device according to claim 8, wherein the fixture means are integrally formed with a fixing plate bonded to the enclosure.

10. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the enclosure is glued to a portion of the housing comprising the indentation.

11. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is molded into the indentation.

12. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the housing in a portion of the indentation comprises at least one through-hole for routing at least one electrical conductor for electrically connecting the antenna to at least one of the electronic components.

13. A method for manufacturing a hearing device to be worn in the ear of a user, said method comprises the steps of: providing a housing of the hearing device; forming the housing with an indentation, said indentation providing a space at an outer side of the housing; modelling, via a modelling software, placement of an antenna outside of the housing; inserting the antenna into the indentation based on the placement of the antenna during modelling; and fixing the antenna to at least a portion of the housing comprising the indentation, wherein said housing is made of titan as an electromagnetic wave shielding material and has a thickness in the range from 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the providing step comprises the step of shaping the housing of the hearing device such to at least partially mate with the individual contour of the hearing canal of the user.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the fixing step comprises the steps of: encapsulating the antenna within an enclosure; and mounting the enclosure to the portion of the housing comprising the indentation.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of shaping at least a portion of the surface of the enclosure such to substantially mate with the contour of the indentation.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of shaping at least a portion of the surface of the enclosure such to substantially align with the contour of the surface of the housing once the enclosure is inserted into the indentation.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the fixing step comprises the steps of: molding the antenna within the indentation by means of a mold; and surface-treating the mold such to substantially align with the contour of the surface of the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings jointly illustrating various exemplary embodiments which are to be considered in connection with the following detailed description. What is shown in the figures is:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a hearing device according to a first aspect of the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a hearing device according to a second aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematically cross-section views of a hearing device 10 in different aspects of the invention. The shown hearing device 10 is a hearing device to be worn in the hearing canal of a user, also called an In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing device. In a further example, the hearing device can be a hearing device to be worn at the ear of the user, for example a BTE hearing device with a custom shaped earpiece, a custom shaped CIC hearing device, etc.

(5) The hearing device 10 comprises a housing 12 for accommodating a plurality of electronic components. The electronic components comprise but are not limited to a processor 14, a receiver 16, a microphone 18 and a battery 20. The acoustic output of the receiver 16 is coupled to a sound tube 22 which extends to the outside of the housing 12. The hearing device 10 further comprises an antenna 24 allowing wireless connectivity to the environment. A more detailed description of the antenna 24 will be provided in the following.

(6) The housing 12 is made of a material which exhibits electromagnetic wave shielding characteristics, e.g. metal, in particular titan. In particular, the housing 12 is formed integrally with the electromagnetic wave shielding material such to form a Faraday cage. The housing material allows shielding against electromagnetic waves as well as to protect the hearing device 10 against the environment, e.g. against moisture, resulting in a prolonged durability of the hearing device 10. The housing 12 is formed with an indentation 26, wherein the antenna 24 is inserted into the indentation 26. In the shown examples, the indentation 26 is formed in a lower portion of the housing 12.

(7) In the example shown in FIG. 1, the antenna 24 is comprised by an antenna module 28 which further comprises an enclosure 30 for encapsulating the antenna 24. The antenna 24 is schematically shown wound on a spool. The enclosure 30 can comprise a cast made e.g. of at least one of resin, natural rubber and silicon. The antenna 24 is integrally casted within the enclosure 30 such to be sealed against the environment. In doing so, the antenna 24 is sealed and protected against dirt, dust and moisture. It is to be noted that the material of the enclosure 30 is selected from materials which do not absorb or rather shield electromagnetic waves radiated to and/or from the antenna 24. Therefore, wireless connectivity of the hearing device 10 can be enhanced in relation to solutions in which the antenna is inserted into the housing. On the other hand, due to the housing 12 is made of the electromagnetic wave shielding material, the antenna 24 is shielded against electromagnetic waves radiated from one or more of electronic components accommodated inside the housing 12. For example, electromagnetic spikes resulting from one or more digital amplification stages of the receiver 16, which digital amplification stages drive said receiver 16, are prevented from being coupled into the antenna 24. In other words, the housing 12 acts as a Faraday cage preventing electromagnetic waves to radiate to the outside through the housing 12. Advantageously, the antenna 24 and the receiver 16 can be placed in relation to each other such that the distance is less than the distance required in prior art hearing devices. This advantage derives from the fact that the housing 12 is made of electromagnetic wave shielding material separating the antenna 24 from e.g. the receiver 16.

(8) At least one of the advantages provided by the inventive hearing device 10 are as follows: Due to the housing 12 is made of metal, in particular titan, the hearing device 10 is much more durable. The thickness of the housing can be reduced without suffering loss of strength. Due to the placement of the antenna 24 outside the housing 12, electromagnetic waves radiated to and/or from the antenna 24 are not damped, shielded or rather eliminated. The antenna 24 is however shielded against electromagnetic waves radiated from at least one of the electronic components placed inside the housing 12. In other words, the housing 12 acts as a shielding element avoiding interference between the antenna 24 and at least one possibly interfering electronic component of the hearing device 10, for example the receiver 16. Having regard to the above, the antenna 24 and e.g. the receiver 16 can be placed in relation to each other such that the distance thereof can be reduced as compared to prior art solutions, as long as both the antenna 24 and e.g. the receiver 16 are separated from each other by means of the housing 12 made of the electromagnetic wave shielding material. The design factor is improved. One of a plurality of advantages resulting therefrom is a scale reduction of the hearing device as a whole.

(9) A portion of the indentation 26 is pierced by a trough-hole 32 for passing or rather routing at least one electrical conductor 34 for electrically connecting the antenna 24 to at least one of the electronic components, for example the processor 14, a frontend, etc.

(10) The portion of the surface of the enclosure 30 seated into the indentation 26 is shaped such to substantially mate with the contour of the indentation 26. The more precisely the enclosure 30 follows the contour of the indentation 26, the less spaces or rather gaps are created in-between. On the other hand, the portion of the surface of the enclosure 30 facing from the indentation 26 to the outside is shaped such to follow or rather align with the outline of the housing 12 once the enclosure 30 is inserted into the indentation 26.

(11) As shown in FIG. 1, the antenna module 28 is affixed to the housing 12 (or rather to the indentation 26 thereof) by means of fixture means 36′,36″. Said fixture means 36′,36″ engage at least a portion of the housing 12, for example by means of a snap-fit connection. In doing so, at least one fixture means 36′,36″ snaps into respective portions of the housing 12, e.g. recesses. Of course, other means of engagement can be applied which are able to securely affix the antenna module 28 to the hearing device 10 as a whole. In an example, the antenna module 28 can further comprise at least one fixing plate 38′,38″ which is bonded to the enclosure 30, for example by being integrally casted into the enclosure 30. The fixing plate 38′,38″ comprises at least one of the fixture means 36′,36″. In an example, the fixing plate 38′,38″ and the fixture means 36′,36″ are integrally formed such that the fixture means 36′,36″ extend from the fixing plate 38′,38″. The snap-in connection disclosed above is adapted to simply attach the antenna module 28 to the hearing device 10 by simply pushing the antenna module 28 into the indentation 26.

(12) In another example, while not shown, the enclosure 30 of the antenna module 28 can be glued to at least a portion of the indentation 26. In doing so, possibly spaces or rather gaps between the housing 12 and the enclosure 30 are filled with glue preventing to being filled with moisture, dust and/or dirt.

(13) In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 24 is directly attached to the indentation 26 by means of e.g. molding. In this example, firstly the antenna 24 is placed and positioned into the indentation 26. Subsequently, the indentation 26 is simply filled with a mold 40, e.g. a glue. Once the mold 40 is cured, the surface thereof is surface-treated such to follow the contour of the housing 12. Having regard to this, the surface-treatment results in an appearance which is free of any gaps at the hearing device outline. This way of attachment allows to further completely protect the antenna 24 against the environment. Further, advantageously, the antenna 24 is mounted to the hearing device 10 easily without the creation of any spaces or gaps.

(14) As mentioned above, the material of the housing 12 comprises a metal, in particular titan. Of course, other materials comprising electromagnetic waves shielding properties can be chosen. The antenna placement can be modelled by means of using a modelling software. The frequency of the wireless communication can be chosen to be less than 100 MHz, which allows to reduce or rather prevent absorption through human tissue. While hearing devices in the prior art use plastic housings with thicknesses of about 0.6 mm, the thickness of the metal made housing 12 of the inventive hearing device 10 can be 0.2-0.4 mm. Hence, further downsizing is allowed.