Soft hearing aid moulding apparatus
US6434248B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 28, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 28, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R2225/77
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A hearing aid instrument of the in-the-ear type (and preferably CIC) provides a plate member with electronic hearing aid components mounted thereto. The plate member is preferably of a harder material such as hard plastic. A soft polymeric body is bonded to the plate member and encapsulates preferably a plurality of the electronic hearing aid components. The body is soft and is shaped to conform to the ear canal of the user. The soft polymeric body and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components define a soft structure compliant to the ear canal during use and that is substantially solid and free of void spaces between at least some of the components and the ear canal. This combination of soft compliant structure and encapsulated electronic hearing aid components addresses problems of peripheral leakage, poor fit, pivotal displacement that occurs with jaw motion and internal cross talk of components housed in prior art hollow type hearing aids.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.