HEARING DEVICE

Abstract

A hearing device containing a housing enclosing a housing interior, and a loudspeaker for generating acoustic signals. In addition, the hearing device contains a damping element formed by a damping mat, which is interposed between the loudspeaker and a wall of the housing or a loudspeaker box. The damping mat contains at least one damping chamber filled with fluid.

Claims

1. A hearing device, comprising: a housing enclosing a housing interior and having a wall; a loudspeaker for generating acoustic signals; and a damping element formed as a damping mat, which is interposed between said loudspeaker and said wall of said housing, said damping mat having at least one damping chamber filled with a fluid.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said loudspeaker is braced against said wall with only one side face by means of said damping element.

3. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said damping mat has a support layer formed from a first elastomer and forming said at least one damping chamber filled with said fluid between said loudspeaker and said wall.

4. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein: said damping mat has a covering layer; and said support layer has a plurality of pillar-shaped supports that brace said at least one damping chamber against said loudspeaker, said wall, or said covering layer of said damping mat.

5. The hearing device according to claim 4, wherein said support layer forms a trough with a trough floor, from said trough floor said pillar-shaped supports project upwards, said trough being closed off by said covering layer.

6. The hearing device according to claim 5, wherein said support layer has an injection opening formed therein through which said at least one damping chamber is filled with said fluid and is closed by means of a self-repairing elastomer.

7. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said damping element has at least one retaining loop which holds said loudspeaker against said damping mat.

8. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said loudspeaker is glued onto said damping element.

9. The hearing device according to claim 5, wherein said covering layer is made of a second elastomer being stiffer than the first elastomer.

10. The hearing device according to claim 7, wherein said at least one retaining loop is made of a second elastomer being stiffer than the first elastomer.

11. The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein said support layer has a plurality of pillar-shaped supports that brace said at least one damping chamber against said loudspeaker and said wall.

12. A hearing device, comprising: a housing enclosing a housing interior and having a wall; a loudspeaker for generating acoustic signals; a loudspeaker box housing said loudspeaker; and a damping element formed as a damping mat, which is interposed between said loudspeaker and said loudspeaker box, said damping mat having at least one damping chamber filled with a fluid.

13. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein said damping mat has a support layer formed from a first elastomer and forming said at least one damping chamber filled with said fluid between said loudspeaker and said loudspeaker box.

14. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein: said damping mat has a covering layer; and said support layer has a plurality of pillar-shaped supports that brace said damping chamber against said loudspeaker, said wall, or said covering layer of said damping mat.

15. The hearing device according to claim 14, wherein said support layer forms a trough having a trough floor, from said trough floor said pillar-shaped supports project upwards, and said trough being closed off by said covering layer.

16. The hearing device according to claim 15, wherein said support layer has an injection opening formed therein through which said at least one damping chamber is filled with said fluid and which is closed by means of a self-repairing elastomer.

17. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein said damping element has at least one retaining loop which holds said loudspeaker against said damping mat.

18. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein said loudspeaker is glued onto said damping element.

19. The hearing device according to claim 18, wherein said loudspeaker has an open front volume and is disposed in said loudspeaker box disposed inside said housing.

20. The hearing device according to claim 19, wherein said loudspeaker is disposed inside said loudspeaker box without a sound tube.

21. The hearing device according to claim 15, wherein said covering layer is made of a second elastomer being stiffer than the first elastomer.

22. The hearing device according to claim 12, wherein said support layer has a plurality of pillar-shaped supports that brace said damping chamber against said loudspeaker and said wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a hearing device;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic partial sectional view of the hearing device;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective, detail view of a loudspeaker and a damping element of the hearing device;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of the damping element; and

[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic, partial sectional view of a loudspeaker box and a loudspeaker of a further exemplary embodiment of the hearing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Parts corresponding to one another are always provided with the same reference signs in all figures.

[0034] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a hearing device in the form of hearing aid equipment, specifically hearing aid equipment to be worn behind the ear of the user (also referred to as hearing aid for short; denoted here as “BTE 1”). The BTE 1 contains a housing 2, in which electronic components of the BTE 1 are arranged. These electronic components are, for example, two microphones 4, a loudspeaker 6, a signal processor 8, and a battery module 10. The microphones 4 are used in the intended operation of the BTE 1 for receiving ambient sound and converting it into electrical input signals (also: “microphone signals MS”), which are processed (in particular filtered, amplified and/or damped depending on frequency, etc.) by the signal processor 8 (also referred to as “controller”). The processed input signals are subsequently output at the loudspeaker 6 as output signals AS and converted thereby into sound signals and transmitted to the hearing system of the user.

[0035] In order to protect the microphones 4 from feedback with the loudspeaker 6, the latter is enclosed in a loudspeaker box (“box 12” for short) arranged inside the housing 2. In the box 12, the loudspeaker 6 is attached, decoupled from vibration as far as possible, by means of a damping element 14 described in more detail below.

[0036] In principle, however, the box 12 can also be omitted.

[0037] As can be seen from FIG. 2, a sound output nozzle 15 of the loudspeaker 6 is connected to sound tube 16 which is configured to guide the airborne sound generated by the loudspeaker 6 into an additional sound tube 18 leading from the housing 2 to the user's ear.

[0038] In addition, the loudspeaker 6 is connected in the box 12 to a floor wall 26 of the box 12 (see also FIG. 5), which in turn is connected to the outer wall of the housing 2. In this case, the damping element 14 mentioned above is interposed between the two parts.

[0039] The damping element 14 contains a damping mat (see also FIG. 4). This is formed by a damping layer 30 (also called “support layer”) consisting of a first elastomer with comparatively low Shore hardness and has an approximately rectangular trough, from the trough floor 31 of which as a support structure a plurality of pillars 32 project upwards, which have an approximately hourglass-like longitudinal section. The trough is closed off by a covering layer 34 consisting of a second elastomer with higher Shore hardness, so that the interior of the trough forms a gas-filled damping chamber 36 that is carried or supported by the pillars 32.

[0040] To manufacture the damping element 14, the damping layer 30 is first formed, e.g. injection molded. The trough formed by the damping layer 30 is then closed off with the covering layer 34, for example in a multi-component injection molding process or by sealing the covering layer 34 onto the damping layer 30. Subsequently, a fluid, in particular a gas, a liquid, or even a mixture of gas and liquid, is injected into the damping chamber 36 via an injection channel 38 (or: injection opening). The injection channel 38 is sealed off by means of a self-repairing elastomer so that the injection channel 38 closes again automatically after an injection needle (or canula, etc.) is removed.

[0041] For mounting the loudspeaker 6, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, two retaining loops 40 are connected to the covering layer 34, in particular molded jointly therewith. These retaining loops 40 are configured in such a way that the loudspeaker 6—when pushed under these retaining loops 40—is held by them on the covering layer 34 in a force-fitting manner, i.e. by means of a clamping action.

[0042] If the box 12 is not present, the damping element 14 is glued to a wall, specifically its inside, of the housing 2 or the box 12, specifically its floor wall 26.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows an alternative exemplary embodiment. Within the box 12, however, no sound tube 16 is present here between the loudspeaker 6 and a sound outlet opening 42 of the box 12. This prevents or reduces the transmission of vibrations via the sound tube to the box 12 and thus to the housing 2 of the BTE 1 and in turn via the latter to the microphones 4. In addition, no pumping of the sound tube due to sound pressure can occur within the box 12, which can result in a loss of power on the one hand and to airborne feedback on the other.

[0044] Since there is no sound tube present inside the box 12, the speaker 6 can also be adapted. For this purpose, the loudspeaker 6 is configured with an open front volume, in which a “lid” of the loudspeaker housing, which would be arranged above the sound output side of a loudspeaker diaphragm 44, is missing. The loudspeaker 6 in this exemplary embodiment is shown as a “balanced armature receiver”. The open front volume enables high sensitivity of the BTE 1 in the high-frequency range, in particular in the speech range. Due to the open front volume, the sound outlet nozzle 15 is also missing. Vibrations of the loudspeaker 6 in the direction of the sound outlet opening 42 are therefore not transmitted to the box 12 via the sound outlet nozzle 15 and the sound tube 16.

[0045] In this exemplary embodiment, the loudspeaker 6 is not supported by the retaining loops 40. These are not present in this case. Instead, the loudspeaker 6 is glued to the damping element 14, in particular to the covering layer 34.

[0046] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5 the damping element 14 is adhesively bonded to the floor wall 26 and the loudspeaker 6 is in turn bonded to the damping element 14.

[0047] An opening 46 of the box 12 for feeding connecting wires 48 through to the loudspeaker 6 is sealed sufficiently tightly by means of a rubber insert 50.

[0048] The box 12 is additionally made of a soft magnetic metal with high permeability.

[0049] As can be seen from FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the loudspeaker 6 in each case is mounted with only one side wall against the wall of the BTE 1.

[0050] The subject matter of the invention is not restricted to the above-described exemplary embodiments. Rather, further embodiments of the invention can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the above description.

[0051] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0052] 1 BTE [0053] 2 Housing [0054] 4 Microphone [0055] 6 Loudspeaker [0056] 8 Signal processor [0057] 10 Battery module [0058] 12 Box [0059] 14 Damping element [0060] 15 Sound outlet nozzle [0061] 16 Sound tube [0062] 18 Sound tube [0063] 26 Floor wall [0064] 30 Damping layer [0065] 31 Trough floor [0066] 32 Pillar [0067] 34 Covering layer [0068] 36 Damping chamber [0069] 38 Injection channel [0070] 40 Retaining loop [0071] 42 Sound outlet opening [0072] 44 Loudspeaker diaphragm [0073] 46 Opening [0074] 48 Connection wire [0075] 50 Rubber insert [0076] MS Microphone signal [0077] AS Output signal