US 12,302,072 B2
Multiple flexible tips for a hearing assistance device
Nuthan Hegde, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Jonathan Sarjeant Aase, Incline Village, NV (US); and Daniel Shen, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Eargo, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Eargo, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/854,596.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/217,114, filed on Jun. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0007416 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 25/00 (2006.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.01)
CPC H04R 25/656 (2013.01) [H02J 50/10 (2016.02); H04R 25/50 (2013.01); H04R 25/554 (2013.01); H04R 25/65 (2013.01); H04R 25/654 (2013.01); H04R 25/658 (2013.01); H04R 2225/025 (2013.01); H04R 2225/31 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a flexible attachable tip constructed to repeatedly connect as well as disconnect to a body of a hearing assistance device, and
where the flexible attachable tip comprises two or more offset layers of flexible earmolds including an initial offset layer of the flexible attachable tip configured as part is a dome-shaped earmold separated by an air gap from one or more offset layers of inner earmolds, where both the initial offset layer and at least a first offset layer configured as a first inner earmold have multiple bendable members with an air vent constructed into at least one or more of the bendable members for that earmold, where an air space is formed in between each of the individual bendable members of the multiple bendable members making up the flexible earmold for a given layer of the offset layers, where the flexible earmolds including their bendable members are constructed to bend to a deformed state in order to secure the hearing assistance device in position inside an ear canal, and
where the dome-shaped earmold is a petal-style and shaped earmold with four to ten bendable members, and each individual bendable member includes one or more air vents that occupy at least ten percent of an area of the earmold, where an area of a first individual bendable member is measured by a length of the first individual bendable member multiplied by a width of the first individual bendable member in order to supply at least a minimum threshold amount of air flow when the individual bendable members are bent to the deformed state in order to secure the hearing assistance device in position inside the ear canal.
 
9. A method of manufacturing a flexible attachable tip, comprising:
manufacturing the flexible attachable tip to repeatedly connect as well as disconnect to a body of a hearing assistance device, and
manufacturing the flexible attachable tip to have two or more offset layers of flexible earmolds, where an initial offset layer of the flexible attachable tip is a petal-style and shaped earmold that is separated by an air gap from one or more offset layers of inner earmolds,
wherein the petal-style and shaped earmold includes a first plurality of bendable members ranging in number from four to ten bendable members, and each individual bendable member of the first plurality of bendable members includes one or more air vents that occupy at least ten percent of an area of the earmold and an area of a first individual bendable member of the first plurality of bendable members is measured by a length of the first individual bendable member multiplied by a width of the first individual bendable member in order to supply at least a minimum threshold amount of air flow when the first plurality of bendable members are bent to a deformed state in order to secure the hearing assistance device in position inside an ear canal,
wherein at least a first offset layer of the inner earmold includes a second plurality of bendable members with an air vent constructed into at least one or more of the second plurality of bendable members for the inner earmold, where an air space is formed in between each individual bendable members of the second plurality of bendable members and at least the second plurality of bendable members are constructed to bend to a deformed state in order to secure the hearing assistance device in position inside an ear canal.
 
16. A flexible attachable tip constructed to repeatedly connect as well as disconnect to a body of a hearing assistance device, the flexible attachable tip comprising:
one or more offset layers forming inner earmolds; and
an initial offset layer forming a earmold and separated by an air gap from the one or more offset layers,
wherein each of i) the initial offset layer and ii) at least a first offset layer of the one or more offset layers comprises a plurality of bendable members with an air vent constructed into at least one or more of the bendable members, an air space is formed in between each of the individual bendable members of the plurality of bendable members, and each of the plurality of bendable members is constructed to bend to a deformed state in order to secure the hearing assistance device in position inside an ear canal, and
wherein the initial offset layer is a petal-style and shaped earmold with four to ten bendable members and each individual bendable member of the four to ten bendable members includes one or more air vents that occupy at least ten percent of an area of the earmold, where an area of a first individual bendable member is measured by a length of the first individual bendable member multiplied by a width of the first individual bendable member in order to supply at least a minimum threshold amount of air flow when the individual bendable members are bent to a deformed state.