Sonova Ag

Dynamic Ear Company B.v.

Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Sonion Nederland B.v.

Sonionmicrotronic Nederland B.v.

Microtronic Nederland, B.v.

Microtronic Nederlands B.v.

Wilmink Productionwinkkeling B.v.

Engbert Wilmink

Pieter Gerard Van 't Hof

Aart Zeger Van Halteren

Paul Christiaan Van Hal

Pieter Gerard Van't Hof

Onno Geschiere

Hendrik Dolleman

Adrian Lara-Quintanilla

Nishant Shankar Lawand

Krisztian Kepiro

Henk Dolleman

Adrián Lara-Quintanilla

Pieter Gerard Van 'T Hof

An injection moulded acoustic filter comprising a foil piece or filter structure having a plurality of micro-slits configured to act as acoustic channels through the foil piece for filtering sound waves impinging the foil piece. The micro-slits have a maximum slit width across a surface of the foil piece of less than one hundred micrometres and a combined slit length along the surface of the foil piece of at least five millimetres. An earplug comprising the acoustic filter. A method and mould for manufacturing the acoustic filter.

Acoustic filter and method of manufacturing

An acoustic device is described that comprises an acoustic channel extending through its housing and an acoustic valve disposed in the acoustic channel. The acoustic valve is configured to determine a passage of sound through the housing via the acoustic channel. The acoustic valve comprises a deformable shape forming a deformable perimeter of the acoustic channel, and an actuating mechanism configured to exert an actuating force deforming the deformable shape causing the deformable perimeter to move and change the passage of sound.

Acoustic device with deformable shape as valve

An acoustic filter () comprises a filter housing () with an acoustic channel () and acoustic valve () in the channel. The acoustic valve () can be moved to along a trajectory (S) between positions (P, P). An actuator () is configured to actuate the acoustic valve () along the trajectory (S). The actuator () comprises one or more mechanical elements (). The mechanical elements can move the acoustic valve () along at least an initial part of the trajectory. The actuator () comprises one or more magnetic elements () with a magnetic field (M,M) configured to exert a magnetic force (Fm) on the acoustic valve (). This may help to move the acoustic valve () to the second position (P) along a final part of the trajectory and keep the acoustic valve () at the second position (P). Accordingly the stroke of the valve can be enhanced.

Acoustic filter with enhanced valve stroke

The present disclosure concerns an acoustic valve () for hearing protection. The valve () comprises a housing () that is placeable or integrated in an ear plug (). The housing () comprises a sound passage () extending through the housing () for allowing at least partial transmission of sound from the external surroundings () into the auditory canal (). The housing comprises an impulse filter () comprising a rigid plate (). The rigid plate () forms an enclosed volume () within the sound passage () of the valve. The rigid plate () comprises at least one perforation () for passing part of the sound from the external surroundings () via the perforation () into the enclosed volume (). The housing further comprises an acoustic filter () comprising a mesh () arranged in the sound passage () between the rigid plate () and the auditory canal ().

Acoustic valve and ear plug for hearing protection

An acoustic filter including a valve system with acoustic valves arranged in a sound passage for controlling the acoustic resistance of respective apertures based on a control signal for selecting an attenuation of a sound pressure level of transmitted sound compared to that of received sound. The acoustic filter is adapted to provide the selection of the attenuation from a sequence of predetermined attenuations based on a selection of the control signal. Each attenuation in the sequence corresponds to acoustic valves providing the apertures with a respective predetermined acoustic resistance, wherein the acoustic resistances of subsequent attenuations in the sequence are adapted to correspond with a linear increase or decrease in the attenuation of the sound in decibels.

Acoustic filter with attenuation control

The present disclosure concerns a method for determining a mold shape quality (Q) of an ear mold () customized to an ear canal () of a user by means of a mold testing system (). The mold testing system () comprises an acoustic generator () and a microphone () arranged in a test housing () with an open end () that is connectable to an inner passage () of the custom ear mold (). The method comprises inserting the ear mold () into the ear canal (); connecting the test housing () to the ear mold (); generating an acoustic signal (Sg) into the ear canal () via the inner passage (); measuring the acoustic signal (Sr) from the ear canal (); comparing the measured signal (Sm) with a reference signal (Se); and providing a feedback signal (Sf) based on the said comparison. The feedback signal (Sf) is a measure for the mold shape quality (Q) of the custom ear mold ().

Method and system for testing a mould shape quality of a user-customized ear mould

An ear protector () with a sound damping filter (), comprises a membrane (). The membrane is composed of a material that permits the transmission of air and water vapor with respect to the ear from the into the outside of the ear protector, the membrane is pre stressed mounted in the filter, enabling a bigger surface and hence bigger air and water transport at same sound attenuation.

Ear protector with a sound damping filter, sound damping filter for such an ear protector as well as method for manufacturing a sound damping filter for such an ear protector

An earplug is described for insertion in an auditory duct. The earplug includes a loudspeaker for connection to a playback device. When inserted in a user's ear, the loudspeaker is in acoustic communication with the ear's canal. A transmitter is provided that transmits ambient sound to the ear canal with an adjustable damping level. A regulating unit regulates a damping level depending on detection of control signals to the loudspeaker. When the user does not listen to, for instance, music of the playback device, the user can simply observe ambient sounds without removing the earplug from the ear.

Earplug for insertion into an auditory duct

Earplug comprising a plug member for blocking a man's ear canal, said plug member comprising at least one acoustic channel for channeling incoming acoustic energy to said man's ear. According to the invention, a detector for detecting an acoustic energy level or for detecting a control signal that is indicative for an acoustic energy level to be received, an acoustic valve positioned in said channel, and a control unit that, in response to said detector, controls said valve so as to attenuate the acoustic energy channeled through said acoustic channel.

Earplug

Apparatus and method for manufacturing an electroacoustic transducer for, for instance, a hearing aid, with a diaphragm arranged in a housing. The diaphragm is attached onto a film or punched from a sheet of material, such that along the circumferential edge of the diaphragm, a free strip of film or a strip of material remains present, in a capillary space between the circumferential edge of the film and the inner wall of the housing, or in a capillary space between the diaphragm and the strip of material, a polymer of a low viscosity is provided to connect to diaphragm with the housing wall. Through the method, the production of the transducer is greatly simplified.

Electroacoustic transducer with a diaphragm and method for fixing a diaphragm in such transducer

Microphone/amplifier system in which the microphone comprises a case with an inlet opening, a diaphragm and a backplate, and the amplifier is arranged in the case and is coupled to the diaphragm/backplate system. In the case, the diaphragm forms a first partition between a first compartment containing the inlet opening to the surroundings and a second compartment accommodating the amplifier. According to the invention, the second compartment is divided by a second partition into a first and second subcompartment, while an opening of a predetermined volume is provided in the second partition, this volume having a magnitude such that air in the first subcompartment can be caused to vibrate only with sound vibrations of low frequencies. Through this feature, the frequency characteristic of the system can be influenced.

System consisting of a microphone and an amplifier

The invention relates to an integrated microphone/amplifier unit, in particular for a hearing aid, which is largely insensitive to interference signals such as, for instance, could be caused by GSM telephone apparatuses because capacitive couplings are arranged between the amplifier output and ground, and between the feed and ground. These capacitive couplings are made by the thick-film technique and can be provided with a separate ground connection. In one embodiment the capacitive couplings comprise capacitors, of which the output and feed connections themselves form part. In another embodiment the capacitive couplings comprise capacitors that are formed on the back of a carrier.

Integrated microphone/amplifier unit, and amplifier module therefor

An electroacoustic transducer having a housing with at least two parts, e.g., a cover and a bottom portion, and a diaphragm situated therein. Specifically and illustratively, an edge portion of the diaphragm is attached to one of two opposing edges of side walls of the cover and the bottom portion and, once the housing is assembled, is located between these edges. The edge to which the diaphragm is attached extends in a first plane defined by a central portion of the diaphragm or in a second plane parallel thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Delft, Netherlands

Engbert Wilmink