Beltone Electronics Corporation

Other

Robert Steven Yoest

Paul R Stonikas

Miles P Posen

Gregory Prutnikov

Roman Klyachman

Greg Prutnikov

Lawrence M Posen

Kevin Thomas Uskali

Ankur M Chhadia

A haptic feedback device including a dual coil linear solenoid is provided. The dual coil linear solenoid construction provides a sense of a pulling force in an opposite direction from a pushing force sensed in the player's hand. A dynamic current source for each coil is disposed to generate dynamic magnetic flux in each coil, whereby a dynamic bi-directional force is exerted on the plunger. A plunger position controller controls the position of the plunger, whereby the plunger position controller applies a dynamic bi-directional force on the plunger to move the plunger to a target position based on the current position of the plunger detected by a plunger position sensor. The haptic feedback device is incorporated into a game controller. Video or arcade games incorporating the feedback device are also disclosed.

Haptic feedback device using a dual coil linear solenoid

A cable incorporates at least one flexible conductor and a non-conductive, elongated, strain relieving member bound mechanically to the conductor. The strain relieving member is mechanically attached between two relatively movable components. The electrical conductor is in turn electrically attached to contacts on the components. Movement of the components relative to one another will be limited by the strain relieving member thereby protecting a somewhat longer electrical conductor extending therebetween. Alternately, a plurality of conductors can be integrally combined with the elongated strain relieving member, by braiding or twisting, to form a unitary cable which incorporates the strain relieving member. In this configuration, all of the conductors in the cable are mechanically protected by the strain relieving element.

Hearing aid connection system

A method of processing an impression of a portion of a user's ear canal that produces a flexible hearing aid housing which duplicates the shape of at least a portion of that impression. A female mold is created using the previously obtained ear impression. A compliant molding material is used to form the female mold. The same material is used to form a male mold in the cavity left in the female mold when the ear impression has been removed. Subsequent to curing of the male mold, it is removed from the female mold and covered with a curable, hardenable plastic such as a UV curable acrylic. Once cured, the compliant male mold is removed leaving a rigid plastic shell whose internal volume conforms in shape to the exterior shape of the ear impression. Mandrels can be inserted into the volume to provide post molding compartments for electronic components. A matrix can be inserted into the internal region or wrapped around the mandrels or respective components. A compliant elastomer can be used to fill, under vacuum, the voids in the rigid shell. When cured, the elastomeric housing can be removed from the rigid shell and the mandrels extracted therefrom. A completed hearing aid can be formed by inserting the respective components into the housing and making the required connections.

Molded hearing aid housing

A compliant hearing aid has a housing formed with an exterior peripheral layer of a deformable material. Electronic components located within the deformable layer can be encapsulated, at least in part, with a second deformable material. The second material also fills voids in the interior of the deformable peripheral layer. The second material can be cured within the deformable layer. Alternately, the second material can be cured apart from the deformable layer. The layer can then be attached to the second material.

Deformable, multi-material hearing aid housing

Hearing aids having housings formed as standardized shapes include electronic components. The components can be separate or integrated into a single unit. The housings can be formed as one or more spheroidal-like surfaces of revolution which are symmetrical along an axis. Alternately, the housings can be formed by lofting ellipses along a central axis. Representative housing shapes include egg-shaped and pear-shaped surfaces. An insertion and extraction element is fixedly attached to an end of the housing which extends toward the outer ear when the aid is inserted into an ear canal. The insertion/extraction member can be formed as either a rigid or a flexible element. The housing can carry a soft, deformable outer layer to improve performance and user comfort when installed in an ear canal.

Hearing aids with standardized spheroidal housings

A hearing aid housing which is formed of a substantially rigid plastic material carries a deformable compliant region. The region, which could be in the form of an annular seal, or which could extend in part axially along the housing improves user comfort and hearing aid performance by providing an improved seal with the user's ear canal. The housing can be formed with a substantially constant wall thickness which includes the regions wherein the compliant material is located.

Multimaterial hearing aid housing

An ear wax barrier for an in-the-ear or in-the-canal type hearing aid device positioned at least in part between a receiver output port and a shell acoustic output port includes a substantially cylindrical housing having a barbed portion for press-fitting the barrier into position. The barrier may include a screen and/or a plurality of undulations, such as a thread internal thereto for providing wax accumulation sites to retard the migration of wax into the hearing aid. The barrier is more easily inserted than removed.

Press-fit ear wax barrier

An acoustic attenuator and wax barrier for a hearing aid includes a substantially cylindrical, color coded, housing having a barbed portion for press-fitting the barrier into position. As the channel diameters increase, an associated peak output frequency also increases for the respective housing. The barrier may include one of a plurality of attenuating or damping screens which provides predetermined sound damping characteristics. Alternately, the barrier may include housings having different acoustic channel diameters to provide the different, predetermined audio attenuation or damping characteristics. The barrier is field changeable and is more easily inserted than removed. The barrier may be provided as part of a system which includes a tool for performing field replacement of the barrier.

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Northbrook, IL, United States of America

Robert Steven Yoest