Other

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Lawrence K Baker

Adrian B Chernoff

Christopher E Borroni-Bird

Robert Louis Vitale

Mohsen D Shabana

John G Casali

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an in-the-ear-canal device comprising: an insertion element; and at least one non-circumferential protrusion, where the at least one non-circumferential protrusion is operatively connected to a surface of the insertion element and provides a stabilizing force for maintaining the position of the insertion element in an ear canal.

Cartilage displacing bead, ridge, or key projection

A vehicle is capable of being driven in a plurality of forward directions, the direction of travel being a function of the forward-facing orientation of a movable seat or movement of the driver to a different seat. The vehicle includes a frame, at least three wheels, a steering system, a braking system and an energy conversion system operable with respect to at least one of the wheels and controllable through non-mechanical control means. The vehicle has at least one movable seat connected to the frame and at least one operator interface operably connected to at least one of the steering system, braking system and energy conversion system that is usable to drive the vehicle in different directions when the seat is moved. A control cockpit for use on a vehicle controllable through non-mechanical controls includes a panel with a passageway, a movable seat mounted on the panel with a second passageway in communication with the first passageway, a driver interface that is movable with respect to the seat and usable for operating the vehicle via a connector connected at one end to the driver interface and extending through the first and second passageways.

Multi-directional drive

An otherwise conventional in-canal hearing aid, including a receiver providing a sound output port typically facing directly towards the ear drum of a user, is provided with a hood disposed between the sound port and the ear drum completely shielding the sound port from foreign substances moving towards the hearing aid from all directions except upwardly from the bottom floor of the user's ear canal. The hood can comprise solid vertical walls completely surrounding the sound port and forming a downwardly extending sound conduit terminating in a downwardly facing sound exit, or the vertical walls can comprise a mesh preferably also forming a downwardly facing sound conduit and sound exit. The hoods provide gravity assisted paths, particularly for mobile fluid components of the foreign substances, downwardly past and away from the receiver sound port. The hoods can be extensions of the hearing aid receiver at the front end of the receiver. The combination of shielding the sound port from entry of foreign substances and the presence of paths diverting fluids past the sound port greatly facilitates cleaning of the hearing aid, particularly by use of previously generally unavailable solvent washing.

Protection and solvent washing of in-canal hearing aids

An otherwise conventional in-canal hearing aid, including a receiver providing a sound output port typically facing directly towards the ear drum of a user, is provided with a hood disposed between the sound port and the ear drum completely shielding the sound port from foreign substances moving towards the hearing aid from all directions except upwardly from the bottom floor of the user's ear canal. The hood can comprise solid vertical walls completely surrounding the sound port and forming a downwardly extending sound conduit terminating in a downwardly facing sound exit, or the vertical walls can comprise a mesh preferably also forming a downwardly facing sound conduit and sound exit. The hoods provide a gravity assisted path, particularly for mobile fluid components of the foreign substances, downwardly past and away from the receiver sound port. The hoods can be integral with the hearing aid envelope or provided in a kit of differently dimensioned hoods for being selectively attachable to existing hearing aids. The combination of avoiding entry of foreign substances into the sound conduit and the presence of fluid paths past the sound port greatly facilitates cleaning of the hearing aid, particularly by use of previously generally unavailable solvent washing.

A resonant earmold for amplifying selected frequencies of the sound signal introduced into the earmold. The path for sound through the earmold includes transversely disposed, off-axis elongated chamber sections (24,25), the various sections functioning as a single acoustic chamber. Interchangeable inserts (30,50) of different dimensions are used, on a trial and error basis, for changing the dimensions of at least one of the sections for fine tuning the sound characteristics of the earmold to best match the hearing aid performance characteristics with the needs of the user.

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Gate City, VA, United States of America

Lawrence K Baker