IP Library Granted Patent US 7,869,613
Granted Patent B2
US 7,869,613 · App. 11/613,322 · Granted Jan 11, 2011

Earwax protection device and method having a contrasting or colored membrane

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,869,613
App. No.
11/613,322
Granted
Jan 11, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides the ability to efficiently detect a defect of an earwax protection device membrane. To achieve this, a high contrast is set between the membrane and the associated carrier. If the membrane is torn, the carrier in the background can then easily be detected. A particularly suited brightness contrast between the membrane and the carrier is >0.1. In the case of a desired high color contrast, the color of the membrane should be spaced apart from the color of the carrier by at least 60° on a blue-yellow-red color circle.

Claims (22)

1. A protection device for a hearing aid, comprising:

a carrier that has a sound passage opening;

a membrane that is tensioned over the sound passage opening in order to protect against penetrating earwax; and

wherein a visual attribute of the carrier and a visual attribute of the membrane are sufficiently different to permit detection of a defect in the membrane, said visual attribute comprising a brightness contrast between the membrane and the carrier is greater than 0.1.

2. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the brightness contrast is greater than 0.3.

3. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the brightness contrast is greater than 0.5.

4. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the brightness contrast is greater than 0.7.

5. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the brightness contrast is greater than 0.9.

6. A protection device for a hearing aid, comprising:

a carrier that has a sound passage opening;

a membrane that is tensioned over the sound passage opening in order to protect against penetrating earwax; and

wherein a visual attribute of the carrier and a visual attribute of the membrane are sufficiently different to permit detection of a defect in the membrane, said visual attribute comprising a color of the membrane being spaced apart by at least 60° from a color of the carrier on a blue-yellow-red color circle.

7. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the colors are spaced apart by at least 90° on the color circle.

8. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 6 , in which the two colors are essentially complementary.

9. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier is of a funnel-shaped design.

10. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the carrier is of a funnel-shaped design.

11. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier is of a step-funnel-shaped design.

12. The earwax protection device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the carrier is of a step-funnel-shaped design.

13. A protection device for a hearing aid, comprising:

a carrier that has a sound passage opening;

a membrane that is tensioned over the sound passage opening in order to protect against penetrating earwax; and

wherein a visual attribute of the carrier and a visual attribute of the membrane are sufficiently different to permit detection of a defect in the membrane.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 10, 2015
From: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
To: SIVANTOS GMBH
Reel/Frame 036090/0688 →