Connector for a hearing instrument, and hearing instrument

Abstract

A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter. A microphone can be arranged on the end face instead of the connector so as to improve sound pick-up and directionality.

Claims

1. A hearing instrument, comprising: a housing configured for placement behind an ear of a user and being generally shaped with a convex upper side, a concave lower side, and defining a longitudinal housing direction; said housing having a connector receptacle formed in said concave lower side and an electric connecting element inside said connector receptacle of said housing; a connector disposed on an earpiece sound tube and configured for interconnecting the earpiece sound tube with the housing of the hearing instrument; said connector having an electric connecting component configured for connecting in mutual engagement with said electric connecting element inside said connector receptacle and a mechanical connecting component configured for placement into mechanical engagement with said connector receptacle; wherein said earpiece sound tube connects to the connector along the longitudinal axis and the connector is formed for insertion into said connector receptacle in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and wherein said connector is received in said connector receptacle flush with said lower concave side of said housing and said earpiece sound tube is ducted into said connector receptacle into said concave lower side of said housing; and said housing having at least one microphone opening formed in the convex upper side or in a forward-facing wall of said housing.

2. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein the hearing instrument is an RIC-BTE hearing aid and said at least one microphone opening is one of two microphone openings formed respectively in said convex upper side and said forward-facing wall, and said microphone openings are arranged substantially at an equal height when the hearing aid is worn behind the ear.

3. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connecting component is formed with undercuts on said housing, and said undercuts are configured to be brought into mutual engagement with a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt of said connector.

4. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a locking-pin receptacle on said housing, said receptacle being oriented such that said connector can be locked by inserting a locking pin into said locking-pin receptacle and unlocked by removing said locking pin.

5. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein the hearing instrument is a behind-the-ear BTE hearing aid and said earpiece sound tube connects said BTE hearing aid to a receiver to be placed in the ear canal of a hearing aid wearer.

6. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connecting component includes a sealing means.

7. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connecting component includes a sealing ring.

8. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt, both to be brought into mutual engagement with an undercut of the housing of the hearing instrument.

9. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a locking-pin receptacle which is oriented such that the connector can be locked by inserting a locking pin into the locking-pin receptacle and unlocked by removing the locking pin.

10. The hearing instrument according to claim 1, wherein said electric connecting component comprises a contact pin to which an elastic force is applied.

11. The hearing instrument according to claim 10, wherein said contact pin is a pogo pin.

12. A connector for a hearing instrument, the hearing instrument having a housing with a concave lower side configured to be placed on the pinna of a user and a convex upper side, the connector comprising: an electric connecting component configured for connecting in mutual engagement with an electric connecting element inside the housing of the hearing instrument and a mechanical connecting component configured for placement into mechanical engagement with a connector receptacle forming a constituent part of the housing of the hearing instrument; the connector being disposed on an earpiece sound tube and the connector being configured for interconnecting the earpiece tube with the housing of the hearing instrument; wherein the earpiece sound tube defines a longitudinal direction at the connector and the connector is formed for insertion into a connector receptacle formed in the concave lower side of the housing in a direction transversely to the longitudinal direction, wherein the connector comes to lie on the pinna of the user when the hearing instrument is being worn.

13. The connector according to claim 12, wherein the hearing instrument is a behind-the-ear BTE hearing aid and the earpiece sound tube connects said BTE hearing aid to a receiver to be placed in the ear canal of a hearing aid wearer.

14. The connector according to claim 12, wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt, both to be brought into mutual engagement with an undercut of the housing of the hearing instrument.

15. The connector according to claim 12, wherein said mechanical connecting component comprises a locking-pin receptacle which is oriented such that the connector can be locked by inserting a locking pin into the locking-pin receptacle and unlocked by removing the locking pin.

16. A hearing instrument, comprising: a connector according to claim 12; a housing having a concave lower side, a convex upper side, and a connector receptacle formed in the concave lower side for accommodating said connector; said housing defining a longitudinal housing direction and said connector receptacle opening in a direction transverse to the longitudinal housing direction such that said connector is connected by insertion into said connector receptacle transversely to the longitudinal housing direction.

17. The hearing instrument according to claim 16, wherein the hearing instrument is an RIC-BTE hearing aid.

18. The hearing instrument according to claim 16, wherein the longitudinal housing direction is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction defined by the sound tube at said connector.

19. The hearing instrument according to claim 16, wherein said connector receptacle comprises an electric connecting component and a mechanical connecting component, said electric connecting component includes an electric connecting element located inside said housing, and said mechanical connecting component includes a mechanical connecting element forming a constituent part of said housing.

20. The hearing instrument according to claim 19, wherein said mechanical connecting component is formed with undercuts on said housing, and said undercuts are configured to be brought into mutual engagement with a retaining collar and an elastic deadbolt of said connector.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of a prior art hearing aid;

(2) FIG. 2 is a side view of a hearing aid having a lateral connector and a microphone on the front end wall;

(3) FIG. 3 is a front view of a hearing aid having a lateral connector and a microphone on the front end wall;

(4) FIG. 4 shows a connector, earpiece tube, and hearing-aid housing;

(5) FIG. 5 is a schematic of the microphone axes on a hearing-aid wearer's ear;

(6) FIG. 6, 7, 8 are schematics of both sides of the connector; and

(7) FIG. 9 shows a hearing aid with a connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a hearing aid having a lateral connector 24 or, as the case may be, lateral connector receptacle 29 and a microphone 22 on the front end wall. The hearing aid comprises a housing 21 that is to be worn behind a hearing-aid wearer's ear and located in which, alongside other customarily necessary components, are microphones 22 and a plug-in connector 23 for establishing a connection to an earpiece tube 25. Plug-in connector 23 is embodied as a socket and is located in a connector receptacle 29. Earpiece tube 25 has a connector 24 that includes a plug. Connector 24 has been inserted into connector receptacle 29 provided laterally on housing 21. The plug belonging to connector 24 has therein been plugged into the socket belonging to plug-in connector 23. A receiver that is not shown but which is located on the end, also not shown, of earpiece tube 25 is electrically connected thereby by means of electric line 26 extending in earpiece tube 25.

(9) What is indicated by the schematic is that connector 24 is inserted into connector receptacle 29 from the side of housing 21. The direction of motion when connector 24 is inserted is therefore transverse to the longitudinal direction of earpiece tube 25 in the region of connector 24 because connector 24 is situated on a longitudinal end of earpiece tube 25.

(10) Because of the lateral arrangement of connector 24 it is possible for earpiece tube 25 likewise to be arranged laterally on housing 21 along with connector 24. Connector 24 is for that purpose of flat design compared with housing 21. Because of that arrangement, connector 24 does not obscure the front end wall of housing 21. The front end wall can therefore be put to another use and front microphone location 27 is situated there. Situated on front microphone location 27 is a microphone opening (not shown) in housing 21, to which opening one of microphones 22 is connected. Front microphone location 27 is therefore situated overall further forward on the hearing aid compared with a conventional RIC-BTE hearing aid having an earpiece-tube connector located at the front on an end face. That means that rear microphone location 28 which, so that sound detecting can undergo a spatial resolution, has to be spatially separate from the front microphone, has also overall been moved further forward on the hearing aid.

(11) FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a hearing aid having a lateral connector and a microphone on the front end wall. Provided in housing 31 at front microphone location 37 are microphone openings 38 to which the associated microphone (not shown) is connected. It can be seen that front microphone location 37 is situated on the front end wall of housing 31. Neither the rear microphone location nor the microphone openings are visible in the selected view.

(12) Located on the lower side of housing 31 is a connector receptacle 39 into which earpiece tube 35 has been ducted. Neither the connector of earpiece tube 35 nor the plug connection between earpiece tube 35 and housing 31 are visible in the selected view.

(13) It can be seen that such kind of arrangement of an earpiece-tube connector designed as correspondingly flat or, as the case may be, having a small cross-section can be used for designing housing 31 of the hearing aid as being overall flatter or less extensive in area in order to enhance wearing comfort and achieve an esthetically more pleasing form. The end wall which as a rule is visible over the ear from the front can in particular be designed as being flatter or less extensive in area.

(14) FIG. 4 is a schematic of a plug-in connector 23 between earpiece tube 45 and the hearing-aid housing (not shown), which connector could, as described above, be used arranged laterally on a hearing-aid housing. Extending through earpiece tube 45 is an electric line 46 by means of which a receiver that is not shown but which is located on the end, also not shown, of earpiece tube 45 is connected. Connector 44 of earpiece tube 45 has a socket 42.

(15) A plug 43 provided on the hearing-aid housing can be plugged into the socket. Plug 43 forms part of plug-in connector 23 and is located on a substrate 40. A through-connection 41 extends right through substrate 40 and connects plug 43 to electronic components (not shown) of the hearing aid, for example to an output amplifier.

(16) It can be seen that connector 44 is plugged into or, as the case may be, onto plug-in connector 23 from below.

(17) FIG. 5 is a schematic of the microphone axes on a hearing-aid wearer's ear. Hearing aid 51 appears only in outline so that the possible microphone locations 27, 28, FM, RM can be illustrated thereupon. Of the hearing-aid wearer's ear only the contour of pinna 52 is indicated, but it does not need to be shown true to scale nor correctly as regards its orientation with respect to housing 51.

(18) Microphone locations FM and RM identify the locations that are customary in the case of a conventional RIC-BTE hearing aid. Front microphone location FM (Front Microphone) is situated on the top side of housing 51 and with rear microphone location RM (Rear Microphone) situated further down forms a backward downsloping lineas shown in the figure. The backward downsloping line results perforce because the microphone locations have to be situated spatially apart for directionality to be possible at all and because, on the other hand, housing 51 slopes down backward from front microphone location FM to rear microphone location RM following the contour of pinna 52.

(19) Spatially arranging microphone locations FM and RM at different heights is less favorable in terms of directionality than arranging them at the same height. It can moreover be seen that both microphone locations FM and RM are at least partially obscured by pinna 52, making it more difficult to register acoustic ambient signals. It is, though, not possible to move front microphone location FM further forward (or, consequently, the rear location, either) because in a conventional RIC-BTE hearing aid the front end wall of housing 51 is occupied by the earpiece-tube connector (not shown).

(20) In contrast thereto, inventively arranging the earpiece-tube connector on the side wall of housing 51 will enable the front end wall or, as the case may be, front end-wall region to be put to another use. The thus created free front end wall is inventively used as the site for front microphone location 27. Front microphone location 27 is hence situated further forward on housing 51 compared with conventional front microphone location FM. Rear microphone location 28 is correspondingly also situated further forward. The two microphone locations 27 and 28 therefore form an at least approximately horizontal lineas shown in the figure. Spatially arranging microphone locations 27 and 28 at least approximately at the same height is particularly favorable in terms of directionality. It can moreover be seen that at least front microphone location 27 is relatively less obscured by pinna 52, which favors the registering of acoustic ambient signals.

(21) FIG. 6 is a schematic of both sides, meaning connector 101 and connector receptacle 111. A housing 100 of a hearing aid therein includes one side, namely connector receptacle 111. The other side, namely connector 101, is located on an earpiece tube 102.

(22) FIG. 7 is again a schematic of both sides of a connector link with connector 108 and connector receptacle 119. Connector 108 includes a contact pin 106. What is not shown in the figure is that a force elastically driving it out of plug 108 can have been applied to contact pin 106; it can accordingly be embodied as a pogo pin, for instance. Arranged around contact pin 106 is sealing ring 107 that can be embodied as an O ring, for example. Sealing ring 107 has been arranged such as to form a seal against the ingress of moisture, water, dirt, and suchlike along the path via the electric plug connection when said connection has been closed.

(23) Located in connector receptacle 119 is an opening through which contact pin 107 can be inserted into a contact-pin receptacle 104. The electric contact between connector receptacle 119 or, as the case may be, the hearing aid and connector 108 will be closed thereby. Contact-pin receptacle 104 is therein attached to inner frame 103 of the hearing aid; it can form a constituent part of other electric components attached to inner frame 103.

(24) FIG. 8 is a schematic of both sides of a connector link with connector 121 and connector receptacle 120. Connector 121 is located on an earpiece tube 114. It has a contact pin 116 surrounded by a sealing ring 117. It further comprises a rigid retaining collar 115 and a flexible deadbolt 118; the deadbolt can have been molded onto plug 121 as a single piece therewith; it can be made of flexible plastic, for example.

(25) Connector receptacle 120 is located on a housing 122 and includes an opening through which contact pin 116 can be inserted into a contact-pin receptacle 109. Contact-pin receptacle 109 is mounted on an inner frame 110 possibly together with or as a constituent part of other electric components. Contact pin 116 and contact-pin receptacle 109 jointly form the plug connection's electric connecting component. It can be seen that the electric connecting component comprises plug 121 and inner frame 110 or, as the case may be, components attached to inner frame 110.

(26) Connector receptacle 120 has undercuts 112, 113 that can be brought into mutual engagement with retaining collar 115 or, as the case may be, deadbolt 118 of connector 121. Connector 121 is for that purpose first inserted by means of retaining collar 115 into undercut 112 assigned to retaining collar 115. Elastic deadbolt 118 is then brought into mutual engagement with undercut 113 assigned to it by rotationally moving connector 121 around the rotational axis formed by undercut 112 and retaining collar 115. Retaining collar 115, deadbolt 118, and assigned undercuts 112 and 113 jointly form the plug connection's mechanical connecting component. It can be seen that the mechanical connecting component comprises connector 121 and housing 122.

(27) Undercut 113 and deadbolt 118 can be shaped such as to render separate actuating of deadbolt 118 unnecessary; it instead snaps into undercut 113 automatically when connector 121 is pressed in. That does not require a separate tool. To open the connector link, deadbolt 118 must be actuated such as to be released from undercut 113 so that connector 121 can be pulled out; depending on the specific embodiment, that may require the use of a narrow tool such as a screwdriver to be able to reach into the gap between deadbolt 118 and the housing part forming undercut 113.

(28) FIG. 9 is a schematic of a hearing aid having a lateral connector receptacle or, as the case may be, a lateral connector 134. The hearing aid comprises a housing 132 provided in which is a locking-pin receptacle 137. Locking-pin receptacle 137 is embodied as a round opening. In the connector receptacle an electric plug-in connector 135 mounted inside housing 132 on inner frame 139 can be accessed through an opening.

(29) Connector 134 is located on the longitudinal end of an earpiece tube 133. It likewise comprises a locking-pin receptacle 138 embodied likewise as a round opening. Connector 134 furthermore has an electric plug-in connector 136.

(30) Connector 134 is inserted laterally into the housing's connector receptacle by means of a movement that is transverse to the longitudinal direction of earpiece tube 133. The electric connection from connector 134 into the interior of housing 132 is therein closed by electric plug-in connectors 135, 136. Locking-pin receptacles 137, 138 are moreover brought into congruent positions situated one above the other and the mechanical connection from connector 134 to housing 132 is closed by pushing a locking pin (not shown in the figure) through. The locking pin has a cross-section that is the same as or smaller than that of locking-pin receptacles 137, 138 to the extent that it can be pushed through them but cannot spontaneously slip out of them. To open the connector link the locking pin has to be removed from locking-pin receptacles 137, 138 by being pulled or pushed.

(31) A basic idea of the invention can be summarized thus: The invention relates to a connector for a hearing instrument, in particular an RIC-BTE hearing aid. The object of the invention is to disclose a small and visually inconspicuous connector for a hearing instrument, the aim being for the connector to be as little visible as possible or even not at all on the hearing instrument when being worn, and which connector will make a microphone arrangement possible that is favorable for directionality and sound registering when used on a BTE hearing aid. A connector 24, 44, 101, 108, 121, 134 on an earpiece tube 25, 35, 45, 102, 114, 133 is disclosed for that purpose, with a longitudinal direction being defined in the region of connector 24, 44, 101, 108, 121, 134 by earpiece tube 25, 35, 45, 102, 114, 133 and with connector 24, 44, 101, 108, 121, 134 being connected transversely to the longitudinal direction by being inserted into a connector receptacle 29, 39, 111, 119, 120 of a hearing instrument. Further disclosed is a hearing instrument, in particular an RIC-BTE hearing aid, having a laterally arranged connector receptacle 29, 39, 111, 119, 120 into which a connector 24, 44, 101, 108, 121, 134 is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction of the hearing aid. Because it is plugged in transversely to the longitudinal direction, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing. The lateral arrangement enables the housing's front end wall to be of smaller design and the housing hence overall of flatter design. Instead of the connector a microphone can furthermore be arranged on the end wall, which is advantageous in terms of sound registering and directionality.