US2513746A - Hearing aid support - Google Patents

Description

July 4, 1950 3, ROI-[R 2,5i3,748

HEARING AID SUPPORT Filed Feb. 10, 1947 Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STAI'ES PAT ENT OFFICE HEARING AID SUPPORT CarlP. Rohr, San Antonio, Tex.

Application February 10, 1947, SerialNoi 727,567

(Cl. ISL-23) 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to hearing aid devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a hearing aid attachment of the air conduction type which is supported from the outside of the ear at the point of connection between the ear and the head, so that the weight of the element will not be borne by the orifice of the ear.

Another object of this invention is to provide a supporting means for an air conduction element whereby the element will be positioned behind the crura of the ear so as to be substantially entirely concealed, the sound waves being conducted through a small tube connected to a plug which is inserted in the ear orifice, and the plug being formed of transparent or flesh colored plastic material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a support for an air conduction element which will yieldably support the element so that any pulling strain on the Wire conductors will be absorbed by the support.

A further object of this invention is to provide a support for an air conduction element which includes a metal sound conducting tube which will tend to magnify the sound produced by the element.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a hearing aid support constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the device,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an inner end elevation of the plug inserted into the ear orifice.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I designates generally a plastic body which is formed with a chamber I I Within which a threaded bushing I2, having an outer flange I3, is adapted to be secured. The bushing I2 is adapted to receive the threaded stud I4 of an air conduction hearing aid element I of conventional construction.

The body ID has extending from the forward side thereof a tube It which communicates at its rear end with the chamber II. The tube I6 is longitudinally bent and is adapted to engage on the rear side of the ear crura II so that the body I0 will be substantially concealed behind the crura of the ear. The opposite end of the tube 16, which comprises a sound wave conductor, is embedded within a plug I8 which is adapted to be inserted within the orifice of the ear.

The tube I6 extends lengthwise through the plug I8 so that the inner end of the tube IE will communicate with the orifice of the ear and the sound will not be in contact with the plastic plug.

In order to support the body [0 in a position substantially concealed behind the crura, I have provided a hook-shaped flexible supporting wire I9. The rear end of the wire I9 is embedded within the body It and this wire extends downwardly and forwardly for engagement over the base of the ear. The tube I6 and the Wire I9 form a flexible support for the body II], the tube I6 being bent in hook shape to substantially follow the configuration of the base of the ear.

In the use of this device, the air conduction element is secured within the socket or bushing I2 of the body ID. This body I0 may be made of plastic and may be either transparent or of substantially skin color. The supporting wire I9 is engaged over the ear and the plug I8 is extended into the orifice of the ear. The sound waves generated by the air conduction element IE will be communicated through the tubular conduction element I6 to the orifice of the ear. In this manner the user of this device will not support the hearing aid element I5 directly from the ear orifice so that there will not be any strain on the ear due to the weight of the element. The supporting wire or hook I9 can be used or adjusted as to substantially entirely support the air conduction element and the tube I G from the base of the ear.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A hearing aid support for an air conduction unit, a plug for engagement in the ear orifice, said plug having a passage therein, a tube fixed at one end in the passage of said plug, an air conduction supporting body fixed to the other end of said tube, said body having a chamber therein with which said tube communicates, said chamber being formed to receive an air conduction unit, and a hook-shaped supporting wire fixed at one end to said body and adapted to engage over the base of the ear said tube being formed as a continuation of said wire behind the ear constituting with said wire a supporting member for said plug and said air conduction supporting body.

2. A hearing aid support for an air conduction unit comprising supporting body having a chamber formed therein adapted to receive an air conduction unit, a pair of opposed openings formed. in said body and communicating with said chamher, a hook shaped supporting wire having one end thereof fixed in one of said openings and adaptedto engage over the base of the ear, a plug for engagement within the ear orifice and having a passage formed therethrough, a longitudinally bent sound conducting tube having the opposite ends thereof fixed in said passage and in the other of said body openings respectively and adapted to engage under and behind the ear crura and with said wire provide a support for said 4 plug and said air conduction unit supporting body.

CARL P. ROHR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,224,331 Smart May 1, 1917 1,384,595 Buck July 12, 1921 1,581,700 Summer Apr. 20, 1926 1,587,643 Harman June 8, 1926 15 1,969,559 Kelly Aug. 7, 1934 Lieber Mar. 28, 1939

Images