Hearing device

Abstract

A hearing device has a sealable housing with a wall that delimits an inner space. In addition, the hearing device has a microphone which is arranged in the inner space, and a microphone opening in the wall, as well as a protective element for protecting the microphone. The housing has a sound channel with at least one sound inlet opening, and the protective element is positioned in the sound channel.

Claims

1. A hearing device, comprising: a housing having a wall that delimits an inner space, said wall having a microphone opening formed therein; a microphone disposed in said inner space; a protective element for protecting said microphone; said housing having a sound channel that leads to said microphone and at least one sound inlet opening formed therein, said protective element is disposed in said sound channel; said wall having an inner wall region and an outer wall region delimiting said sound channel, said sound channel extending in a sound channel direction: said microphone opening being oriented transversely to said sound channel; said inner wall region having a hole formed therein forming said microphone opening; said protective element being elastic and being gripped within said sound channel as a result of its elasticity; said protective element being reversibly replaceable in said sound channel and said protective element configured to be pushed in the sound channel direction into said sound channel via said sound inlet opening.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said sound channel is configured to extend through said housing and has a respective sound inlet opening formed at each end, said sound channel being delimited by said wall and connected to said microphone via said microphone opening.

3. The hearing device according to claim 2, wherein said housing is a sealable housing, and when said housing is closed, said protective element may be placed into said sound channel via one said sound inlet opening.

4. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said protective element is disposed in said sound channel a distance apart from said at least one sound inlet opening.

5. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said protective element may be guided through said sound channel.

6. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein for purposes of replacement, said protective element may be guided into or out of said sound channel by means of a tool.

7. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said protective element is a membrane.

8. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said protective element has a hydrophobic and/or oleophobic material.

9. The hearing device according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing element disposed between said microphone and said inner wall.

10. The hearing device according to claim 9, wherein said sealing element is separate from said protective element.

11. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the hearing device is a behind-the-ear hearing device.

12. A hearing device, comprising: a housing having a wall that delimits an inner space, said wall having a microphone opening formed therein; a microphone disposed in said inner space; a protective element for protecting said microphone; said housing having a sound channel that leads to said microphone and at least one sound inlet opening formed therein, said protective element is disposed in said sound channel; and a tool as an accessory, said tool having a handle part and at least one tool tip for guiding said protective element.

13. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein said at least one tool tip is pin-shaped and may be pushed into said sound channel.

14. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein said at least one tool tip is one of two tool tips that are furnished having different lengths.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, longitudinal sectional view through a hearing device according to the prior art;

(2) FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the hearing device with a sound channel for additionally introducing a protective element according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line III-III shown in FIG. 2 of the hearing device with a protective element positioned in the sound channel;

(4) FIG. 4 is the cross-sectional taken along the section line III-III shown in FIG. 2 of the hearing device, with a tool introduced into the sound channel to push the protective element out; and

(5) FIG. 5 is the cross-sectional view taken along the section line III-III shown in FIG. 2 of the hearing device, with a tool introduced into the sound channel to push the protective element in.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) In the drawings, parts having the same effect are represented by the same reference numerals.

(7) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 2 thereof, there is shown a hearing device 6 that has all the parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 necessary for the functionality of the hearing device 6 shown in FIG. 1. The hearing device according to FIG. 2 is a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing device. The hearing device housing 1, or simply the housing 1, has a sound channel 8, which in the exemplary embodiment extends through the housing 1 and has a sound inlet opening 12 at each end. The sound channel 8 is delimited by an outer wall region 12 and an inner wall region 14 of the housing 1. In the exemplary embodiment, the sound channel 8 is arranged such that, when the hearing device 6 is worn, it extends through the housing 1 substantially perpendicular to a scalp 15 of the user oriented. Thus, a sound inlet opening 10 is arranged respectively on each side of the housing 1. In this way, it is prevented, in particular, that a user's hair simply enters the sound channel 8 and thus adversely affects the functionality of the hearing device 6.

(8) The hearing device 6, in particular the housing 1, has an inner space 16 (cf. FIG. 3), in which the components of the hearing device 2, 3, 4, 5 are arranged in the exemplary embodiment, and which is delimited by a wall 11. The inner space 16 is separated from the sound channel 8 by the inner wall region 14. In the exemplary embodiment, a microphone 2 is arranged in the inner space 16 such that the microphone is connected to the sound channel 8 to receive sound via a microphone opening 18 in the inner wall region 14 (see FIG. 3) (preferably in the manner of a borehole). In other words: The microphone 2 is arranged and oriented in the inner space 16 such that sound reaches the microphone 2 via the sound channel 8 and the microphone opening 18.

(9) FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view through the sectional plane III-III shown in FIG. 2. In the exemplary embodiment, a protective element 20 is positioned in the sound channel 8. The protective element 20 serves to protect the microphone 2 from foreign bodies and contaminants, such as for example moisture. In the inserted state (see FIG. 3), the protective element 20 is positioned in the sound channel 8 in such a way that it seals off the microphone opening 18 and thus prevents the entry of the above-mentioned foreign bodies or contaminants. To establish sound permeability, the protective element 20 is formed as a membrane or alternatively as a mesh, either having a hydrophobic and/or oleophobic material or consisting of such a material. Designing the protective element 20 as a mesh is based on the idea that the protective element 20 thus has a firmness that is strong enough to push the protective element 20 in and out of the sound channel 8, but weak enough and thus permeable enough to pass sound to the microphone 2. In the exemplary embodiment, the protective element 20 is adapted to the inner contour of the sound channel 8 and has the same cross-sectional contour, in order both to have a high accuracy of fit in the sound channel 8 and also to have a shape that is simple to manufacture, and which in particular favors production as a user-replaceable part. The protective element 20 is, for example, cylindrical or alternatively block-shaped. The element preferably has a length in the direction of the sound channel 8 that is greater than the microphone opening, for example by at least a factor of 2 or at least a factor of 3.

(10) The longitudinal direction of the sound channel 8 and thus that of the protective element 20 is preferably oriented perpendicular to a normal to the surface of the microphone opening 18. The protective element 20 is generally oriented transversely to the microphone opening 18.

(11) To increase the protective effect, the protective element 20 has the same diameter D as the sound channel 8, except for minimal, for example, production-related tolerances.

(12) In the exemplary embodiment, a sealing element 22 is arranged between the inner wall region 14, especially the microphone opening 18, and the microphone 2. The sealing element 22 serves to provide an additional sealing of the microphone opening 18 against sound from the inner space 16.

(13) FIG. 4 shows a tool 24 introduced into the sound channel 8, in particular a first tool tip 26 of the tool 24 that has been introduced into the sound channel 8. The tool 24 is used to switch out the protective element 20 from the sound channel 8. For this purpose, for example, the first pin-shaped tool tip 26 is introduced into the sound channel 8 through a sound inlet opening 10 so that the tip pushes out the protective element 20 via the opposite sound inlet opening 10 of the continuous sound channel 8. Subsequently, the protective element 20 may be completely removed from the sound channel 8, for example manually, and disposed of. For better handling of the tool 24, it also has a handle part 28 in addition to the first tool tip 26.

(14) To ensure a sufficient pushing out of the protective element 20 by means of the first tool tip 26, this tip has at least one length that corresponds to two-thirds of the length L of the sound channel 8.

(15) In order to push in a new protective element 20 into the sound channel 8, the tool 24 in the exemplary embodiment additionally has a second pin-shaped tool tip 30, as shown in FIG. 5.

(16) The tool tips 26, 30 are arranged, for example, in each case on one (end) side of the handle part 28, so that the user only has to rotate the tool depending on whether the protective element 20 needs to be pushed out or pushed in.

(17) For pushing into the sound channel 8, the user holds the protective element 20, for example, in front of one of the sound inlet openings 10, and then pushes it into the sound channel 8 by means of the second tool tip 30. The configuration of the tool 24 with two tool tips 26, 30 has proven suitable because the second tool tip 30, for example, has a length corresponding to one third of the length L of the sound channel 8. In this way, it is straightforwardly ensured that the protective element 20 will always be positioned in front of the microphone opening 18 in the inserted/pushed-in state. In other words: The user pushes the protective element 20 into the sound channel 8 by means of the tool 24 until, for example, the handle part 28 rests against the housing 1. Due to the advantageously selected length of the second tool tip 30, the protective element 20 is then positioned in front of the microphone opening 18 without the user being able to push the protective element 20 too far into the sound channel 8. Alternatively, the tool 24 has only one tool tip.

(18) The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, other variants of the invention may be derived therefrom by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the subject matter of the invention. In particular, all the individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiment may also be combined with each other in other ways, without departing from the subject matter of the invention.

(19) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: 1 Hearing device housing 2 Microphone 3 Signal processing unit 4 Receiver 5 Battery 6 Hearing device 8 Sound channel 10 Sound inlet opening 11 Wall 12 Outer wall region 14 Inner wall region 15 Scalp of the user 16 Inner space 18 Microphone opening 20 Protective element 22 Sealing element 24 Tool 26 First tool tip 28 Handle part 30 second tool tip D Diameter of the sound channel L Length of the sound channel