WO2010023331A2 - Tube pour la transmission de sons - Google Patents

Tube pour la transmission de sons Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2010023331A2
WO2010023331A2 PCT/EP2009/067688 EP2009067688W WO2010023331A2 WO 2010023331 A2 WO2010023331 A2 WO 2010023331A2 EP 2009067688 W EP2009067688 W EP 2009067688W WO 2010023331 A2 WO2010023331 A2 WO 2010023331A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
segments
tube
ear
hardness
hearing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2009/067688
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2010023331A3 (fr
Inventor
Erdal Karamuk
Albora De Pablo Pena
Hans Georg Meier
Original Assignee
Phonak Ag
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Phonak Ag filed Critical Phonak Ag
Priority to PCT/EP2009/067688 priority Critical patent/WO2010023331A2/fr
Publication of WO2010023331A2 publication Critical patent/WO2010023331A2/fr
Publication of WO2010023331A3 publication Critical patent/WO2010023331A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
    • H04R25/658—Manufacture of housing parts
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/607—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of earhooks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/021—Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
    • H04R2225/0213—Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/65—Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
    • H04R25/652—Ear tips; Ear moulds
    • H04R25/656—Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to a device for the acoustic connection of a hearing instrument to an ear mould or an earpiece according to the preamble of claim 1 as well as a method for the production of the device.
  • micro-tubes For the acoustic coupling of hearing devices preformed sound tubes, so-called “micro-tubes” are well known. These are polymer tubes with integrated connecting parts for the coupling to a hearing instrument at one end and with a connection to an ear fitting part or ear mould at the other end.
  • a typical example of such a connecting tube comprises an already thermically preformed sound tube with arranged at one end a so-called hook adapter and at the other end an ear fitting piece or ear mould.
  • Such a sound tube has two essential functions:
  • the US 25 73 132, the US 43 81 830, the EP 17 55 361, the US 600 91 83 and the US 59 75 235 solutions are proposed with several parts, where either for the left or the right adaptation different geometries are proposed or several parts have to be combined or assembled respectively to achieve on one side an individual adaptation to the ear and on the other side to take the difference between right and left into consideration.
  • the EP 1 800 516 Bl shows a possibility how the logistics at pre-bent sound tubes can be reduced, as for different hearing instrument types respective adapters are provided which all are compatible with a universal sound tube system. However, the further reduction of the amount of sound tubes within one set is not taken into consideration.
  • One object of the present invention consists in particular to take the above mentioned requirements into consideration by means of one preferably one-piece tube system. Thereby, at a universal acoustic coupling the following factors should be taken into consideration:
  • a secure positioning of the hearing instrument at the ear is important. As on one side the hearing instrument should be unremarkable and unnoticeable (forgotten by the user%) its position should be secured such that an unnoticed loss of the device is practically impossible.
  • the environmental resistance of the system against perspiration, sebum, cerumen, UV, cosmetics, solvents and cleaning means define the durability of the product.
  • the production costs should not be essentially higher than at today's systems, as it is a disposable article which is replaced after some weeks of use.
  • a device is proposed according to the wording of claim 1.
  • the device as proposed which means the tube for the acoustic connection of a hearing instrument to an ear fitting part or ear mould respectively for the acoustic coupling of the hearing instrument, comprises at least two continuously connected portions or segments with different mechanical properties or different material features respectively and/or which are arranged within the same plane.
  • the two segments or portions comprising e.g. different hardness and/or different flexibility and/or each comprising a bending, which both are formed within the same plane.
  • the present invention describes therefore a tube system, which can be used universally, which means which does not know the differentiation between left and right and also ' can be adapted more easily in relation to its length.
  • the background of the invention consists in providing a plurality of portions or segments e.g. based on at least two different materials with different mechanical properties for the tubing system, the segments or portions are connected irreversible.
  • a hard tube such as e.g. with a Shore hardness between e.g. 55 0 D to 72°D for the upper end. This enables to integrate a firm bending, which as known is responsible for the hold and the positioning of the hearing instrument.
  • a further portion follows with a Shore D hardness of e.g.
  • the sound tube may consist out of three segments: a rather hard upper part, of which the bending guarantees the firm positioning at the ear, a middle soft part, which is not or only insignificantly bent and a further hard part, which is introduced into the ear canal and which due to its higher stiffness comprises an easy handling.
  • a tube system is proposed comprising at least two bendings within the same bending direction, the two bendings are shaped more or less within the same plane.
  • Fig. 1 shows a pre-bent sound tube for the connection of a hearing aid with an ear piece that corresponds to the prior art
  • Fig. 2 shows in a longitudinal cut the tube system according to the present invention with connected segments of different hardness and integrated coupling parts for the hearing instrument and the ear fitting part,
  • Fig. 3 shows schematically in sectional cut the intersection between the two tube segments
  • Fig. 4 shows in a schematic illustration a hearing instrument with a sound tube, which is essentially symmetrical
  • Fig. 5 shows in a schematic illustration a hearing instrument with a sound tube which is essentially symmetrical, which is combined out of three segments and which is pre-bent within a single plane
  • Fig. 6 shows schematically a possible production process for the irreversible connection of various tube segments to form a sound tube.
  • Fig. 1 shows a pre-bent sound tube for a left ear with integrated connectors on each side for the hearing aid and the earpiece that corresponds to the prior art. It is clearly visible, that the tube is bent in two planes.
  • Fig. 2 shows schematically in a longitudinal cut a tube system 1 according to the present invention with connected segments 3 and 5 of different hardness. At one end the tube is connected with an integrated coupling part 11 for the hearing instrument and at the other end with a coupling part 13 for the ear fitting piece.
  • the intersection 7 between the two tube segments 3 and 5 is shown in enlarged view as a cut in fig. 3.
  • the hard tube 3 is connected seamless with the soft tube 5.
  • a mixing zone 21 occurs, in which the two materials are melted into each other.
  • Fig. 4 shows schematically a hearing instrument 31 with an essentially symmetrical sound tube 1.
  • a first bending 4 which guarantees the fit at the ear and the positioning behind the ear (microphone position) .
  • a second L-shaped bending 6 within the soft tube segment 5 facilitates the introduction of the ear fitting piece 32 into the ear canal. Both bendings 4 and 6 are shaped within the same plane.
  • the ear fitting piece 32 can be drawn to the left as well as to the right. The torsion forces are absorbed by the soft tube 5 in the section above the bending 6.
  • the tube system according to the present invention as shown in fig. 5 comprises the following features:
  • the at least three tube segments 41, 43, 45 with different hardness do have e.g. identical interior and exterior diameters and are soldered flush into each other.
  • the segments 41 and 45 near the hearing instrument 31 or the ear fitting piece 32 respectively may have the same hardness as e.g. Shore D 50°-70°, while the middle part 43 can be more flexible having a Shore D hardness of e.g. 25°- 40°. It would be an advantage to use the same base material with only different modulus or hardness of the various segments .
  • An example for an embodiment could be the use of a thermoplastic elastomer polymer such as PEBAX
  • Polyetherblockamide which is available in different hardness from 25°C up to 75°D.
  • the various tube segments can be adhered or they can be connected e.g. by using a laser or a thermic soldering device. Similar connections are already used at catheters or for cardiovascular interventions. Processes for such solderings are therefore best known out of the state of the art and the respective technologies are available.
  • the middle part 43 can have the same hardness as the parts 41 and 45. In such a case it is preferred if the bendings between the parts are shaped within the same plane.
  • ⁇ geometry' refers to identical inner and outer diameters of the tubes
  • the length of each tube segment can be different, depending on the design and the application.
  • the pre-cut tube segments 3 and 5 are fitted on a support wire 51, the outer diameter of which corresponds to the interior diameter of the tube.
  • This support wire may be coated e.g. with Teflon or another fluorpolymer, to prevent the adherence of the welded tube and to simplify the removal of the tube.
  • a so-called heat-shrinkable tube 53 is attached, which in its unprocessed conditions does have a slightly larger interior diameter compared to the tube segments.
  • the required heat for the welding process is applied over the shrink tube, which at the same time is fixing the two tube segments.
  • a welding equipment which enables such kind of processes is offered e.g. by the company BW-Tech (B ⁇ lach, Switzerland) .
  • the heat-shrink tube is removed and the connected tube segments are detached from the supporting wire.
  • Such process can of course be automated by supplying the parts to a welding equipment, individually or using interchangeable carrier cassettes that would allow a parallel welding of three or more tubes simultaneously..
  • the mentioned coupling elements are integrated.
  • the respective thread or plug-in connection is arranged and towards the ear canal end the respective element to fix an ear fitting piece.
  • a manufacturing process where - as a precursor product - a straight tube of a hard material is initially manufactured, cut to a desired size and overmolded with the coupling elements. This precursor tube is than cut at a specified location and a defined segment of softer tubing is added in between using e.g. a process as described above.
  • This approach is suited well for a combination of hard/soft/hard segments, where the hard segments at the ear and hearing aid side have the same stiffness. Additionally this process flow allows to easily manufacture hard/soft/hard tubes of different lengths by using only one precursor tube and introducing soft elements of different lengths.
  • the bendings at the tube system can be designed such that they are all arranged within the same plane. Thereby, the right/left symmetry is guaranteed, as the segment carrying the earpiece can be either twisted by ⁇ 90° to the left or right side for introduction into the respective ear.
  • a further improvement compared with the prior art is the introduction of bendings within only one plane, which comprise the same bending direction.
  • the bending line of the sound tube within the plane does not have any direction changes or inflection points respectively. This is shown with the example in fig. 5.
  • the advantage of arranging such bendings consists in the improvement of the mechanical fitting at the ear.
  • the torsion moment which may occur due to a certain stiffness, urges the hearing device towards the head, which is connected to the upper end of the sound tube. Therefore, always a slight contact pressure is remaining, which improves in addition the fitting without being uncomfortable.
  • a cosmetic perfect fitting is guaranteed, as the hearing device cannot protrude and as a result is not unnecessarily highly visible.
  • the softer grades of a thermoplastic elastomer have usually lower environmental stability e.g. against UV radiation compared to the harder grades. This can be overcome by adding stabilizing agents in the resin.
  • a very thin conformal barrier coating could have a thickness of less than 200 nanometers and would therefore not be visible. It would allow to protect or shield the soft segment and the welded transition region against environmental impacts by e.g. UV radiation or acidic and oily substances form sweat, cosmetics, sun lotion or cleaning agents.
  • Coating technologies such a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or molecular vapor deposition (MVD) or plasma-enhanced-CVD are established and well known for such an application.
  • tubing segments with the same outer diameter but different inner diameters to have a ⁇ stepped' tubing with increasing inner diameters from the receiver side in the hearing instrument to the earpiece segment, leading to an improved acoustic coupling with additional resonances (horn effect) .
  • the tube segments of varying inner diameter could have identical or different material properties.
  • the materials are not restricted to the above mentioned materials, but all in particular within the medicine technique used polymer materials such as in particular elastomeric materials which are available with different hardness are suitable for the production of the inventively proposed tubing systems.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif de connexion acoustique d'une prothèse auditive à un moule de l'oreille ou à une prothèse auditive comprenant respectivement un tube (1) comportant au moins deux segments (3, 5), lesdits segments présentant des propriétés mécaniques différentes et/ou étant conçus de manière à être formés dans quasiment au moins un plan.
PCT/EP2009/067688 2009-12-21 2009-12-21 Tube pour la transmission de sons WO2010023331A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2009/067688 WO2010023331A2 (fr) 2009-12-21 2009-12-21 Tube pour la transmission de sons

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2009/067688 WO2010023331A2 (fr) 2009-12-21 2009-12-21 Tube pour la transmission de sons

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2010023331A2 true WO2010023331A2 (fr) 2010-03-04
WO2010023331A3 WO2010023331A3 (fr) 2010-11-18

Family

ID=41722019

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2009/067688 WO2010023331A2 (fr) 2009-12-21 2009-12-21 Tube pour la transmission de sons

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2010023331A2 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103370840A (zh) * 2010-12-14 2013-10-23 泰科电子荷兰公司 制造电缆组件的方法和设备
DE102014014726A1 (de) * 2014-10-04 2016-04-07 GEERS Hörakustik AG & Co. KG Adaptereinrichtung zum Verbinden eines akustischen Elementes, insbesondere eines Hörgerätes

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2573132A (en) 1948-01-21 1951-10-30 George W French Hearing aid support
US4381830A (en) 1981-07-27 1983-05-03 Jelonek Chester J Continuous flow earmold tubing connector
US5975235A (en) 1995-10-23 1999-11-02 Schlaegel; Norman D. Seating member for connecting a continuous-flow earmold tubing connector to an earmold
US6009183A (en) 1998-06-30 1999-12-28 Resound Corporation Ambidextrous sound delivery tube system
US6275596B1 (en) 1997-01-10 2001-08-14 Gn Resound Corporation Open ear canal hearing aid system
US20050190939A1 (en) 1997-07-18 2005-09-01 Gn Resound North America Corporation Method of manufacturing hearing aid ear tube
EP1755361A1 (fr) 2006-01-05 2007-02-21 Bernafon AG Système à la conduite du son, tuyau pour conduire du son, membre de support pour un tuyau à la conduite du son et procédé pour adapter un tuyau à la conduite du son à l'oreille d'un utilisateur
EP1800516B1 (fr) 2004-10-01 2008-05-07 GN ReSound as Adaptateur de contour d'oreille

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5031219A (en) * 1988-09-15 1991-07-09 Epic Corporation Apparatus and method for conveying amplified sound to the ear
ES2297624T3 (es) * 2004-07-30 2008-05-01 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Conformacion de un tubo flexible acustico asi como tubo flexible acustico.

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2573132A (en) 1948-01-21 1951-10-30 George W French Hearing aid support
US4381830A (en) 1981-07-27 1983-05-03 Jelonek Chester J Continuous flow earmold tubing connector
US5975235A (en) 1995-10-23 1999-11-02 Schlaegel; Norman D. Seating member for connecting a continuous-flow earmold tubing connector to an earmold
US6275596B1 (en) 1997-01-10 2001-08-14 Gn Resound Corporation Open ear canal hearing aid system
US20050190939A1 (en) 1997-07-18 2005-09-01 Gn Resound North America Corporation Method of manufacturing hearing aid ear tube
US6009183A (en) 1998-06-30 1999-12-28 Resound Corporation Ambidextrous sound delivery tube system
EP1800516B1 (fr) 2004-10-01 2008-05-07 GN ReSound as Adaptateur de contour d'oreille
EP1755361A1 (fr) 2006-01-05 2007-02-21 Bernafon AG Système à la conduite du son, tuyau pour conduire du son, membre de support pour un tuyau à la conduite du son et procédé pour adapter un tuyau à la conduite du son à l'oreille d'un utilisateur

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103370840A (zh) * 2010-12-14 2013-10-23 泰科电子荷兰公司 制造电缆组件的方法和设备
DE102014014726A1 (de) * 2014-10-04 2016-04-07 GEERS Hörakustik AG & Co. KG Adaptereinrichtung zum Verbinden eines akustischen Elementes, insbesondere eines Hörgerätes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2010023331A3 (fr) 2010-11-18

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