Hearing aid

Abstract

A hearing aid contains a housing having a baseplate and a housing shell, a number of electrical units, and a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. The number of electrical units are fastened on the baseplate. The transmitting and receiving unit includes an electronic circuit for generating a transmission signal and an antenna unit coupled thereon, and the antenna unit includes a first antenna arm and a shielding element for shielding the first antenna arm against the number of electrical units.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising: a housing having a baseplate and a housing shell; a plurality of electrical units fastened on said baseplate; and a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving electro-magnetic waves, said transmitting and receiving unit including an electronic circuit for generating a transmission signal and an antenna unit coupled on said electronic circuit, said antenna unit having a first antenna arm and a shielding element for shielding said first antenna arm against said plurality of electrical units, said shielding element having a conductor loop.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna arm is formed as a free arm.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element is positioned between said first antenna arm and said plurality of electrical units.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element is positioned between said first antenna arm and said electronic circuit of said transmitting and receiving unit.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element includes an auxiliary component.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna arm at least partially encloses said shielding element.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein: said antenna unit has a second antenna arm; and said first antenna arm is connected via said second antenna arm to said shielding element.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 7, wherein said second antenna arm is connected to a first end of said first antenna arm.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 7, wherein said second antenna arm has an auxiliary component.

10. A hearing aid, comprising: a housing having a baseplate and a housing shell; a plurality of electrical units fastened on said baseplate; and a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving electro-magnetic waves, said transmitting and receiving unit including an electronic circuit for generating a transmission signal and an antenna unit coupled on said electronic circuit, said antenna unit having a first antenna arm and a shielding element for shielding said first antenna arm against said plurality of electrical units, said antenna unit having an auxiliary component and said first antenna arm is connected via said auxiliary component to said shielding element.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 10, wherein said auxiliary component is connected to a second end of said first antenna arm.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said antenna unit has a feed arm and said first antenna arm is connected via said feed arm to said electronic circuit of said transmitting and receiving unit.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said first antenna arm and said shielding element lie in one plane.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said antenna unit includes a substrate and a plurality of conductor tracks, said conductor tracks are applied to said substrate or to said baseplate.

15. A hearing aid, comprising: a housing having a baseplate and a housing shell; a plurality of electrical units fastened on said baseplate; and a transmitting and receiving unit for transmitting and receiving electro-magnetic waves, said transmitting and receiving unit including an electronic circuit for generating a transmission signal and an antenna unit coupled on said electronic circuit, said antenna unit having a first antenna arm and a shielding element for shielding said first antenna arm against said plurality of electrical units, said antenna unit having an electrically conductive auxiliary arm being connected to said first antenna arm.

16. The hearing aid according to claim 15, wherein said first antenna arm and said shielding element lie in one plane and said electrically conductive auxiliary arm is guided out of the plane.

17. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a waveguide, said electronic circuit of said transmitting and receiving unit is connected via said waveguide to said antenna unit.

18. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a coaxial cable, said electronic circuit of said transmitting and receiving unit is connected via said coaxial cable to said antenna unit.

19. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said shielding element is connected to at least one of the following units to specify a ground potential: said electronic circuit of said transmitting and receiving unit; or one of said electrical units from said plurality of electrical units.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a simplified and partially transparent illustration of a hearing aid having an antenna unit in a first embodiment according to the invention;

(2) FIG. 2 is shows a perspective view of the antenna unit according to the first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 3 is perspective view of the antenna unit in the first embodiment together with further components of the hearing aid;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a part of the antenna unit in a second embodiment;

(5) FIG. 5 is a fourth perspective view of a part of the antenna unit in a third embodiment having an auxiliary arm and a further conductor structure connected thereto;

(6) FIG. 6 is an illustration of the auxiliary arm and the further conductor structure connected thereto; and

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the antenna unit according to a fourth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) Parts corresponding to one another are each provided with the same reference signs in all figures.

(9) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a hearing aid 2 described as an example in a simplified and partially transparent illustration and includes a housing 4 having a baseplate 6 and having a housing shell 8. In this case, the housing 4 is configured in such a way that the baseplate 6 is reversibly detachably connected to the housing shell 8 when the housing 4 is formed and the baseplate 6 may be detached from the housing shell 8 by actuating a pushbutton 10 on the baseplate 6.

(10) Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment multiple electrical and/or electronic units, referred to as E-units 12 in short hereinafter, are fastened on the baseplate 6. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, two microphones 14 each form one of these E-units 12. Furthermore, a data processing unit 16 forms an E-unit 12 and two further E-units 12 are formed by an electronic circuit 18 of a transmitting and receiving unit 20 and by a battery 22.

(11) In this case, the transmitting and receiving unit 20 is configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic waves in operation of the hearing aid 2, in particular to communicate with a second hearing aid (not shown). The electronic circuit 18 and an antenna unit 24, as shown in FIG. 2, are part of the transmitting and receiving unit 20. That antenna unit 24 is configured in the exemplary embodiment as a so-called PIF antenna and includes a shielding element 26, for which a ground potential or reference potential is specified in operation of the hearing aid 2.

(12) That shielding element 26 is formed in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 by a conductor loop, which has a ring shape in a rough approximation. In this case, the shielding element 26 surrounds or encloses the above-mentioned E-units 12 and in this way shields a first antenna arm 28 of the antenna unit 24 from these E-units 12. The first antenna arm 28 is formed as a free arm in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2.

(13) Shielding element 26 and first antenna arm 28 lie in one plane here and both are respectively formed as conductor tracks, for example from copper. Depending on the embodiment variant, the conductor tracks are, for example, applied, for example printed, onto a substrate 30, which is also shown in FIG. 2 and is typically part of the antenna unit 24. In the exemplary embodiment, a film forms the substrate 30 and to form the hearing aid 2, this film is preferably quasi-slipped over the E-units 12 together with the already applied conductor tracks, applied to the baseplate 6 of the housing 4, and adhesively bonded to the baseplate 6. In this state, the E-units 12 penetrate a passage in the substrate 30.

(14) In the exemplary embodiment, the above-mentioned first antenna arm 28 at least partially encloses the shielding element 26 and is connected at a first end via a second antenna arm 32 to the shielding element 26. Moreover, a feed arm 34 branches off from the first antenna arm 28 spaced apart from the second antenna arm 32 in the exemplary embodiment, via which the antenna unit 24 is galvanically connected to the electronic circuit 18 of the transmitting and receiving unit 20.

(15) Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment a connecting element 36 is part of the antenna unit 24, which is formed as a coplanar waveguide in FIG. 2 and connects the feed arm 34, on the one hand, and the shielding element 26, on the other hand, to the electronic circuit 18 of the transmitting and receiving unit 20. For this purpose, the connecting element 36 has three coplanar, parallel conductor strips, of which the two outer conductor strips are each connected to one end of the loop shape of the shielding element 26. The middle conductor strip positioned between the outer conductor strips is additionally connected to the feed arm 34 and then a sensor signal can be fed via this into the antenna unit 24 and/or a received signal can be read out. Depending on the embodiment variant, the connecting element 36 is tilted out of the plane in which the shielding element 26 and the first antenna arm 28 extend, and, for example, protrudes perpendicularly from the substrate 30.

(16) As is apparent from the illustration according to FIG. 3, the pushbutton 10 in the exemplary embodiment is positioned outside the shielding element 26. More precisely, the pushbutton 10 is arranged between first antenna arm 28 and shielding element 26. Alternatively, the pushbutton 10 is arranged within the shielding element 26 or outside the first antenna arm 28, i.e., outside the shielding element 26 and outside an intermediate space between shielding element 26 and first antenna arm 28.

(17) A modified embodiment of the antenna unit 24 is shown or at least indicated in FIG. 4. The shielding element 26 and the first antenna arm 28 have significant extensions in three orthogonal spatial directions here, so that reference can only be made to a limited extent if at all to an arrangement in one plane. Band like conductor structures form the first antenna arm 28 and the shielding element 26 here. In such an embodiment, the shielding element 26 and the first antenna arm 28 are preferably embedded in a plastic compound, in particular a plastic compound which forms the baseplate 6.

(18) The schematic illustration in FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the antenna unit 24. The essential difference from the embodiment according to FIG. 3 is an additional conductor structure 38 having an auxiliary arm 40, which, in contrast to the shielding element 26, the first antenna arm 28, the second antenna arm 32, and the feed arm 34, does not lie in the above-mentioned plane, but rather is guided or tilted out of this plane. The auxiliary arm 40 is thus in particular not embodied as a conductor track on the substrate 30, but as a conductor wire which protrudes from the substrate 30.

(19) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 5, a cross conductor 42 adjoins the auxiliary arm 40, which forms a T shape together with the auxiliary arm 40. A transition arm 44 in turn adjoins the cross conductor 42 in each case at both ends, wherein a bend is formed between each transition arm 44 and the cross conductor 42. Finally, a U-shaped conductor element 46 adjoins each transition arm 44, wherein the opening of the U shape preferably faces toward the first antenna arm 28. The additional conductor structure 38 formed from auxiliary arm 40, cross conductor 42, transition arms 44, and U-shaped conductor elements 46 is shown from a second perspective and enlarged in FIG. 6.

(20) A fourth embodiment variant of the antenna unit 24 is shown in FIG. 7. Starting from the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the fourth embodiment variant differs by way of three auxiliary components 48, 50, 52, which are part of the antenna unit 24. Two of these auxiliary components 48, 52 are quasi integrated in the conductor tracks of the antenna unit 24 and each replace a section of a conductor track on the substrate 30 proceeding from the embodiment according to FIG. 3. The auxiliary component 48 is part of the shielding element 26 here and accordingly is incorporated into the conductor track of the shielding element 26. The auxiliary component 52 is incorporated into the conductor track of the second antenna arm 32. The third auxiliary component 50 connects the second end of the first antenna arm 28 to the shielding element 26.

(21) The three auxiliary components 48, 50, 52 are configured identically or differently depending on the intended application. Independently thereof, a corresponding element is typically an electrical component having an ohmic resistance, having a capacitance, and/or having an inductance, i.e., for example a capacitor, a coil, a resistor, or simply a conductor interruption, i.e., a quasi-gap.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(22) 2 hearing aid 4 housing 6 baseplate (faceplate) 8 housing shell 10 pushbutton 12 E-unit 14 microphone 16 data processing unit 18 electronic circuit 20 transmitting and receiving unit 22 battery 24 antenna unit 26 shielding element 28 first antenna arm 30 substrate 32 second antenna arm 34 feed arm 36 connecting element 38 additional conductor structure 40 auxiliary arm 42 cross conductor 44 transition arm 46 conductor element 48 auxiliary component 50 auxiliary component 52 auxiliary component