US 12,323,772 B2
Ear-wearable device with foreign material trap
Craig M. Standish, Waconia, MN (US); Thaddeus R. Hoffman, Brooklyn Park, MN (US); Cindy S. Walters, Webster, MN (US); and Ganesh Borra, Plymouth, MN (US)
Assigned to Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US)
Filed by Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/141,050.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/336,664, filed on Apr. 29, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0353964 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 25/658 (2013.01) [H04R 25/604 (2013.01); H04R 25/609 (2019.05); H04R 2225/0216 (2019.05)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hearing aid assembly comprising:
a housing comprising a top case and a bottom case, the housing being configured to rest against a user's outer ear in a behind-the-ear orientation, the housing defining:
an electronics cavity between the top case and the bottom case;
a front housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
a first rear housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
an electronics assembly positioned within the electronics cavity of the housing, the electronics assembly defining a front microphone inlet and a rear microphone inlet, wherein a front acoustic passageway extends inward from the front housing inlet to the front microphone inlet and a rear acoustic passageway extends inward from the first rear housing inlet to the rear microphone inlet, the electronics assembly comprising:
a front microphone;
a rear microphone;
a front mesh layer covering the front microphone inlet; and
a rear mesh layer covering the rear microphone inlet;
wherein the front acoustic passageway comprises a front trap portion located below the front microphone inlet when the housing is in the behind-the-ear orientation; and
wherein the rear acoustic passageway comprises a first rear trap portion, wherein the first rear trap portion is positioned below the rear microphone inlet when the housing is in the behind-the-ear orientation.
 
14. A hearing aid assembly comprising:
a housing comprising a top case and a bottom case, the housing being configured to rest against a user's outer ear in a behind-the-ear orientation, the housing defining:
an electronics cavity between the top case and the bottom case;
a front housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
a left rear housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
a right rear housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
an electronics assembly positioned within the electronics cavity of the housing, the electronics assembly defining a front microphone inlet and a rear microphone inlet, wherein a front acoustic passageway extends inward from the front housing inlet to the front microphone inlet and a rear acoustic passageway extends inward from the left rear housing inlet and from the right rear housing inlet to the rear microphone inlet, the electronics assembly comprising:
a front microphone;
a rear microphone;
a front mesh layer covering the front microphone inlet;
a front gasket contacting a top case inner surface and a bottom case inner surface, the front gasket comprising an interior surface that surrounds a portion of the front acoustic passageway;
a rear mesh layer covering the rear microphone inlet; and
a rear gasket contacting the top case inner surface and the bottom case inner surface, the rear gasket comprising an interior surface that surrounds a portion of the rear acoustic passageway;
wherein the front acoustic passageway comprises a front trap portion located below the front microphone inlet when the housing is in the behind-the-ear orientation; and
wherein the rear acoustic passageway comprises a right rear trap portion and a left rear trap portion, wherein the right rear trap portion and the left rear trap portion are positioned below the rear microphone inlet when the housing is in the behind-the-ear orientation.
 
21. A method of forming of a hearing aid assembly comprising:
providing a top case and a bottom case configured to be connected to form a housing, the housing being configured to rest against a user's outer ear in a behind-the-ear orientation, the housing defining:
an electronics cavity between the top case and the bottom case;
a front housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
a left rear housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
a right rear housing inlet between the bottom case and the top case;
providing an electronics assembly configured to be positioned within the electronics cavity of the housing, the electronics assembly defining a front microphone inlet and a rear microphone inlet, the electronics assembly comprising:
a front microphone;
a rear microphone;
a front mesh layer covering the front microphone inlet; and
a rear mesh layer covering the rear microphone inlet;
positioning the electronics assembly within the bottom case; and
connecting the top case to the bottom case to enclose the electronics assembly, wherein a front acoustic passageway extends inward from the front housing inlet to the front microphone inlet and a rear acoustic passageway extends inward from the left rear housing inlet and from the right rear housing inlet to the rear microphone inlet, wherein the front acoustic passageway comprises a front trap portion located below the front microphone inlet when the housing is in the behind-the-ear orientation, and wherein the rear acoustic passageway comprises a right rear trap portion and a left rear trap portion, wherein the right rear trap portion and the left rear trap portion are positioned below the rear microphone inlet when the housing is in the behind-the-ear orientation.