Abstract:
A hearing aid includes a body and an ear piece. A life tube is disposed between the hearing aid body and the ear piece for guiding sound from a receiver in the hearing aid body to the ear of the wearer. In order to adapt the hearing aid to different wearers with different ear conches, a tube system is provided with an adaptable length.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of European Patent Application EP 14 155 051.7, filed Feb. 13, 2014; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a tube system and a life tube adaptor for a hearing aid having a body and an ear piece. The life tube is provided between the hearing aid body and the ear piece for guiding sound from a receiver in the hearing aid body to the ear of the wearer. 
     The size of the concha and the position of a behind the ear hearing aid in relation to the ear canal differ due to individual physical properties of the wearer. A great variety in length and shape of sound tubes is required for physically fitting a hearing aid to a wearer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a tube system and a life tube adaptor for a hearing aid, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which simplify a physical fitting procedure. 
     With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a tube system for a hearing aid having a hearing aid body with a receiver and an ear piece. The tube system, which is configured for providing a sound connection between the hearing aid body and the ear piece, has an adjustable length. 
     Since the length of the tube system is adjustable, it is an advantage that less tube system sizes are required for physically fitting a hearing aid to all types of wearers. 
     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the tube system includes a tube and an adaptor for connecting the tube to the ear piece or the hearing aid body, wherein the adaptor is releasably connectable to the tube. 
     The releasably connected adaptor makes it possible to shorten the tube and connect the adaptor to the tube, thereby providing a tube system of adjustable length. 
     In accordance with a further feature of the tube system of the invention, the length of the adaptor is adjustable. 
     The adjustable length of the adaptor makes it possible to adapt the length of the tube system by changing the length of the adaptor. 
     In accordance with an added feature of the tube system of the invention, a locking element is provided for locking a connection between the tube and the adaptor. 
     The locking element advantageously fixes the tube to the adaptor while allowing easy connection of the tube to the adaptor before the locking element is applied. 
     With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided an adaptor for a tube system, comprising an integrally formed insertion tool for inserting the adaptor into the tube. The insertion tool is releasably connected to the adaptor. 
     Since the parts of a hearing aid are small, it is difficult to handle those parts. By providing an insertion tool integrally formed with the adaptor, it is ensured that the adaptor cannot get lost and is easier to handle. 
     In accordance with another feature of the adaptor of the invention, an element with adjustable length is integrally formed with the tube. 
     This makes the tube itself adjustable in length without manipulating and connecting different parts. 
     In accordance with a further feature of the adaptor of the invention, the tube system includes two tube segments with a connector element for connecting the two tube segments releasably. 
     By connecting two tube segments with a connector, it is advantageously possible to provide a great variety of different tube lengths with a much smaller number of tube segment sizes. 
     In accordance with an added feature of the adaptor of the invention, the length of the connector element is adjustable. This may be in the form of a connector element which may be cut in length or may provide a telescopic slide-out. 
     In accordance with an additional feature of the adaptor of the invention, the connector element provides two sub-elements for connecting to the tube segments and at least a third sub-element for interconnecting the two sub-elements for connecting the tube. 
     The length of the tube system may easily be adjusted by inserting a single third sub-element with different lengths or inserting a different number of third elements stacked in series. 
     In accordance with a concomitant feature of the adaptor of the invention, the connector element provides two sub-elements for connecting to the tube, wherein the sub-elements (first and second sub-elements) provide devices for releasably engaging in a plurality of positions relative to each other. Such devices may be circumferential grooving provided at an inner and an outer side of the first and second connectors, which engage if the first sub-element is plugged into the second sub-element. 
     Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a tube system and a life tube adaptor for a hearing aid, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  includes diagrammatic, exploded and assembled, perspective views of an example of a tube system and an adaptor according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary, perspective view showing details with regard to adjusting a length of a tube system; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing details with regard to adjusting the length of a tube system; 
         FIG. 4  is a longitudinal-sectional view showing an example of an adaptor and a locking element according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a longitudinal-sectional view showing an example of an adaptor being adjustable in length according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a longitudinal-sectional view showing another example of an adaptor being adjustable in length according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an example of a tube system with a locking element according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a fragmentary, perspective view showing in detail the application of a locking element according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a tube system according to the present invention which is ready for application to a hearing aid; 
         FIG. 10  is a longitudinal-sectional view of a connector element being adjustable in length for connecting two tube segments according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a longitudinal-sectional view of another connector element being adjustable in length for connecting two tube segments according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a longitudinal-sectional view of another connector element being adjustable in length for connecting two tube segments according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a longitudinal-sectional view of another connector element being adjustable in length for connecting two tube segments according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded, longitudinal-sectional view of another connector element being adjustable in length for connecting two tube segments according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is seen a tube system  100  including a tube  30  and adaptors  10  connected to each end of the tube  30 . One of the adaptors  10  is provided with an insertion tool  12 . The Adaptor  10  is fixed by a locking element  13  to the tube  30 . The adaptor  10  may include an adaptor body  11  and an insertion tool  12  which may be integrally formed with the adaptor body  11 , e.g. by molding the adaptor body  11  and the insertion tool  12  from plastics. The adaptors  10  or connectors  20  (see  FIG. 10 ) could also be made from metal. 
       FIG. 2  shows in detail, how an adaptor  10  is fixed to the tube  30 . First, the adaptor body  11  is inserted into the tube  30  by holding and moving the insertion tool  12 . After the adaptor body  11  is inserted into the tube  30 , the locking element  13  is moved over the tube  30  and the adaptor body  11 , thereby fixing the tube by squeezing it in between. Eventually, the insertion tool is removed from the adaptor body by bending the insertion tool relatively to the adaptor body  11  and thereby twisting a flange between the adaptor body  11  and the insertion tool  12 . 
     In the same way, connectors  20  maybe inserted by using an insertion tool integrally formed with the connector. It is also possible according to the invention to use a locking element to fix the tube to a connector  20 . 
       FIG. 3  shows in the procedure of  FIG. 2  in greater detail. 
       FIG. 4  shows in detail, how the tube  30  is locked between the locking element  13  and the adaptor body  11 . For a better grip, circumferential groves or bumps are provided at the exterior of the adaptor body  11 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an adaptor with a telescopic slide-out to adjust the length of the adaptor  10 . 
       FIG. 6  shows an adaptor  10  provided with circumferential grooves to make it possible to cut the adaptor to different lengths. 
       FIG. 7  shows a disassembled tube system  100  wherein the adaptor  10  is not yet inserted. 
       FIG. 8  shows in detail how the adaptor  10  is fixed to the tube  30 . After the locking element  13  has been pushed over the tube  30 , the tube length maybe cut as required for the wearer. Then the adaptor  10  is inserted into the tube  30 . In this case, the adaptor  10  is inserted without the help of an insertion tool  12 . The adaptor body  11  is provided with a flange  14 , which stops the tube  30 . After the tube  30  has been slipped over the adaptor body  11 , the locking element  13  is pushed over the tube  30 , thereby squeezing the elastic tube in between and fixing it to the adaptor  10 . 
       FIG. 9  shows the complete tube system  100  after assembly. 
       FIG. 10  shows an example of a connector  20  interconnecting two segments  31 ,  32  of the tube  30 . In this embodiment, the connector  20  is provided with a flexible bellows which may be adjusted in length by applying longitudinal force. It is also possible according to an embodiment of the present invention to provide such a bellows integrally formed with the tube  30 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a connector  20  providing a first sub-element  21  and a second sub-element  22  with a telescopic slide-out. The two sub-elements  21 ,  22  are formed in such a way that they can be plugged into each other, thereby providing a hermetically closed connection between the first tube segment  31  and the second tube segment  32 . The two sub-elements  21 ,  22  may be moved relative to each other within certain limits without losing the connection. Devices may be provided on opposite surfaces of the two sub-elements to fix the first sub-element  21  and the second sub-element  22  in position relative to each other. Such devices may e.g. be grooves and bumps as indicated in  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 12  shows another embodiment, wherein the two sub-elements  21  and  22  are interconnected by a third sub-element  23 . The sub-elements may be provided with threads on opposite surfaces, in such a way that the length of the connector  20  maybe adjusted by turning the sub-element  23  relative to the sub-elements  21 ,  22 . 
       FIG. 13  shows another embodiment of the connector  20 , wherein the third sub-element  23  may be provided in different lengths or a plurality of sub-elements  23  may be stacked and inserted between the sub-elements  21  and  22 , thereby adjusting the length. 
       FIG. 14  is similar to  FIG. 11 , but the telescopic slide-out is provided in a simpler construction.