Patent ID: 8526651

Claim:
A receiver module comprising: a housing having a sound port for transmitting acoustic waves within an ear canal and an inflation port; a diaphragm within the housing, the diaphragm being driven to create: (i) the acoustic waves in response to a first electrical input signal to the receiver module, and (ii) a membrane-inflation pressure adjacent to the inflation port in response to a second electrical input signal to the receiver module; a front volume on one side of the diaphragm within the housing and in direct communication with the sound port, the front volume allowing the acoustic waves to be transmitted through the sound port; a back volume within the housing on an opposing side of the diaphragm relative to the front volume, the back volume being in direct communication with the inflation port; and a valve system coupled to the housing directly adjacent to the inflation port, the valve system including a plurality of layers to provide a flat configuration to the valve system wherein the flat configuration to the valve system has a thickness that is less than the width dimension of the housing, at least one of the plurality of layers defining an egress port, and wherein in response to the membrane-inflation pressure created by the diaphragm, the valve system expelling air through the egress port to inflate an external inflatable membrane located within the ear canal of a user.