Patent Abstract:
A space-saving electrical contact assembly for a hearing instrument faceplate can be fashioned by physically conforming the configuration of individual contacts to the battery and the battery door in the faceplate. By providing each contact of the assembly with an interconnected terminal, the wiring of the assembly is reduced.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   As shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,118,540; 5,799,095; and 6,088,465; incorporated by reference herein, a hearing instrument may be provided with electrical contacts in the faceplate to facilitate programming and adjustment. For in-the-ear hearing instruments, internal space, i.e, within the instrument, is at a premium and the contacts necessarily occupy some portion of this space. To fit properly and comfortably within the user&#39;s ear, the size of the instrument must be kept as small as possible. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective drawings of a hearing instrument faceplate having a battery receptacle, a microphone, and a programming contact assembly; and 
       FIGS. 3-5  are perspective views of the individual contacts comprising the programming contact assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The space required for the electrical contacts can be minimized by physically conforming them to the battery receptacle and door. This arrangement reduces the wiring needed for the hearing instrument and eases manufacturing. Moreover, it permits a smaller volume for the hearing instrument. 
   A hearing instrument faceplate  10 , a battery  20 , a battery door  24 , a battery support contact  22 , and a programming contact assembly  30  are illustrated in  FIG. 1  (illustrating the faceplate in phantom) and  FIG. 2 . The battery door  24  resides in an opening  12  in the faceplate  10  while the programming contact assembly  30  is adjacent to the battery door  24  and is arranged to generally conform to the door  24 . The battery  20 , the battery support contacts  22 , and the battery door  24  protrude vertically away from the surface  14  of the faceplate  10 . Taking note of  FIG. 1 , it should be understood that this surface  14  would be inside the hearing instrument, the outer surface (not shown) being below. 
   Although the programming contact assembly  30  shows three distinct contacts  40 ,  50 , and  60 , any number of contacts could have been provided. The faceplate  10  can be fabricated by injection molding, during which the battery support contacts  22  and the programming contact assembly  30  are held in place. 
   In the particular arrangement shown in  FIG. 1 , there are two outer contacts  40  and  50 , and a center contact  60  which conform to the space adjacent the battery  20  and the battery door  24 . As illustrated in the perspective views of  FIGS. 3-5 , each of the contacts has a contact portion  42 ,  52 , or  62  that lies in a plane generally adjacent the door  24  and a terminal portion  44 ,  54 , or  64 , respectively, oriented in a different plane with respect to the corresponding contact portions  42 ,  52 , or  62 . In the figures, these planes are roughly at right angles although-other orientations may be used. As illustrated, the contact portions  42 ,  52 , and  62  extend generally vertically from the inner surface  14  of faceplate  10 , although tilting or curving somewhat towards the battery door  24 . To reach this orientation, it may be necessary to apply pressure to and bend the contact portions  42 ,  52 , and  62  towards the door  24 . 
   The contacts  40 ,  50 , and  60  have intermediate interconnection portions  46 ,  56 , and  66  between the respective contact and terminal portions. As shown in  FIG. 1 , at least a portion of each of the interconnection portions  46 ,  56 , and  66 , and possibly portions of the contact portions  42 ,  52 , and  56 , and the terminal portions  44 ,  54 , and  64  are embedded within the faceplate  10 . 
   In the drawings (e.g.,  FIG. 1 ), the terminal portion  64  of contact  60  is adjacent the battery support contact  22  and the two items may be either soldered or spot welded together. The other contacts  40  and  50  may be connected to wires (not shown) soldered or spot welded to the respective terminal portions  44  and  54 . 
   The material used to fabricate the contacts  40 ,  50 , and  60  must be flexible enough to allows the contact portions  42 ,  52 , and  62  to flex but not so soft that they will not maintain there general shape during the injection molding process. Beryllium copper and stainless steel have been found to perform satisfactorily.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7