Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention relates to an invisible retaining device to prevent the loss of a hearing aid. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hearing aids have gotten progressively smaller and less visible. One of the most prevalent is a curved unit that rests behind the ear with a connecting line to an ear bud that is inserted into the ear. The ergonomic shape of the curved unit is designed to be placed behind the ear and to remain there with considerable security. However, if not properly seated or if the wearer is physically active, the unit may become dislodged and fall away resulting in possible damage to the unit. If this is not noticed at once the unit is lost. The small compact units are quite expensive to replace and the user may then be without the hearing aid until a replacement can be obtained. 
     There have been very few attempts to solve this problem. Rosal, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0217641, addressed this issue as well as the problem of the discomfort caused by wearing the hearing aid for long periods of time. He encases the behind the ear unit in a soft, absorbent fabric sheath or sleeve. An elastic cord is attached to the sleeve on one side of the wearer and extends across the front of the wearer to the sleeve encasing the behind the ear unit on the other side. The center of the cord hangs down in front of the wearer and has an attached clip. The clip can be affixed to the clothing so that if the unit on one side is dislodged it will hang from the elastic cord, will not pull down the opposing unit, and cannot be lost. This entire system is very visible, clumsy, and could be quite annoying to the wearer. 
     Sohayda, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,499, teaches a chain, one end of which is linked to an ear bud style hearing aid. The opposing end of the chain is held in front of the ear by the post of an earring designed to by worn in a pierced ear. Though the chain is relatively short, it is made of plastic and therefore quite visible and does not add to the aesthetic of the earring. It also requires the ear bud to be manufactured with a loop or bar of some type to which the chain can be attached. Additionally, this device is only used with a post type earring and therefore is not usable by most males that may require a hearing aid. 
     Others have disclosed the use of a tether having an adjustable loop at one end to encircle an ear bud or other hands free listening device and an alligator clip at the other end. The tether can be made of a chain, stainless steel wire or coated stainless steel wire (Roser, U.S. Pat. No. 8,186,022), or a nylon strap or other heavy ribbon, nylon cord with beads attached, or a chain with charms attached (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0122435). These devices are designed to be attached to clothing on the person of the wearer or to a personal article such as a briefcase or purse, are clearly visible, and can get in the way of the user when attached to clothing. Additionally, the alligator clip may be pulled away if not carefully attached to the clothing or personal article. 
     There is a need for a safety device that is virtually invisible to retain a hearing aid and yet not call attention to the fact that the wearer is using a hearing aid. There is a need for such a safety device that is strong and will hold the hearing aid in a secure manner and cannot slip off the retaining article to which it is attached. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a safety device to retain a hearing aid on the person of the wearer if it becomes dislodged and falls from behind the ear. The device can be reversibly attached to any hearing aid and is virtually invisible. The attachment is strong and will retain the hearing aid so that it cannot fall and become damaged from impact with a hard surface and to prevent the hearing aid from being lost. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety device to retain a hearing aid on the person of the wearer so that it cannot be lost or damaged. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety device that is virtually invisible so as not to call attention to the hearing aid. 
     Another object of the present invention is to have a safety device that can be securely and reversibly attached to any hearing aid. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a safety device that is easy to attach to or to remove from the hearing aid itself and to attach to and remove from the retaining article on the person of the wearer. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide a safety device that cannot slip from the retaining article. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety device that is inexpensive to manufacture. 
     The invention is a safety device for the retention of a hearing aid of a type worn in or about the ear of a wearer. The safety device comprises a two part attachment system having a first portion and a second portion, a transparent filament, and a securing plate. One end of the filament is integral with the second portion of the attachment system and the opposing end of the filament is integral with the securing plate. There is also a means for attaching the first portion of the attachment system to the hearing aid. When the first portion is attached to the hearing aid, the second portion is in cooperation with the first portion and the securing plate is retained on a retaining article on the person of the wearer the hearing aid cannot fall from the wearer and cannot be damaged or lost. 
     The invention is also a safety device for the retention of a hearing aid of a type having a behind the ear unit, a connecting member and an ear bud. The safety device comprises a two part attaching strip having a first portion for secure attachment to the behind the ear unit, the first portion having an outer surface and a cooperating inner surface, and a second portion having a cooperating surface that reversibly and securely attaches to the cooperating inner surface of the first portion. There is a transparent filament, and a securing plate. One end of the filament is integral with the second portion of the attaching strip and the opposing end of the filament is integral with the securing plate. There is also a means for securely attaching the outer surface of the first portion to the behind the ear unit. When the first portion is attached to the behind the ear unit, the second portion is in cooperation with the first portion and the securing plate is retained on a retaining article on the person of a wearer the hearing aid cannot fall from the wearer and cannot be damaged or lost. 
     The invention may also be described as a safety device for the retention of a hearing aid of a type including a behind the ear unit. The safety device comprises a two part attaching strip having a first portion with an inner surface and an outer surface and a cooperating second portion, a transparent filament, and a securing plate. One end of the filament is integral with the second portion of the attaching strip and the opposing end of the filament is integral with the securing plate. There is an adhesive layer disposed on the outer surface of the first portion for secure attachment of the first portion to the behind the ear unit. The securing plate comprises a flat surface with a central slit therein and a circumferential semi-rigid raised rim. The rim is compressible to open the slit to receive a retaining article worn on the person of a wearer. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be seen from the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the device of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is cross section through line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  for hook and loop type fastener; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section through line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  for interlock fastener; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the device and hearing aid assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the securing plate; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross section through line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a front view showing how the securing plate is compressed to admit the ear piece; and 
         FIG. 8  is a side plan view of a wearer with the hearing aid and device in place. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The safety device  10  of the present invention may be designed to be used with a hearing aid assembly  14  of the type consisting of a behind the ear component  15  a connecting cable  16  and an ear bud  17 . (See  FIG. 4 ) The safety device  10  may have three essential integral parts, the attaching strip  11 , the filament  12  and the securing plate  13  which can be seen in  FIG. 1 . All parts may be made of transparent materials which may make the device  10  virtually invisible so as not to call attention to the hearing aid. 
     The attaching strip  11  may be made of a two part cooperating system such that one part, a first portion  34 , may be permanently attached to the behind the ear component  15  of the hearing aid  14 . The second portion  35  may be detachable from the first portion  34  so the device  10  may be easily attached to or removed from the hearing aid at the convenience of the wearer. The second portion  35 , may be integral with one end of the filament  12 , the other end of which may be integral with the securing plate  13 . See  FIG. 4 . 
     The two part cooperating system may be of any construction, but two practical examples are hook and loop type fastener  18  ( FIG. 2 ) and interlock fastener  21  ( FIG. 3 ). Both of these systems are available in flexible sheets or strips with an adhesive  29  on one or both outer surfaces and a peel-off cover strip  28  over the adhesive  29 . The sheets may be cut or manufactured in any desirable size and shape. For this device  10  an adhesive layer  29  may be needed on only the first portion of the two part system as seen in  FIG. 4 . 
     The device  10  of the present invention may be utilized with any hearing aid of the general type described above. The hearing aid does not have to have any attaching bar, loop or other means manufactured integral with its outer surface. When the device  10  is purchased, the wearer need only peel off the cover strip  28  and press the adhesive layer  29  on the first portion  34  of the two part attaching strip  11  against the surface of the curved behind the ear component  15  of the hearing aid  14  ( FIG. 4 ). The first portion  34  may be positioned so that it does not make contact with the skin when the behind the ear component  15  is properly seated. Once the first portion  34  is affixed to the behind the ear component  15 , the cooperating second portion  35  can easily be connected to the hearing aid by pressing the inner surfaces of the two portions  34 , 35  together. Thereafter, it may just as easily be removed from the behind the ear component  15  by pulling the two portions  34 , 35  apart. The first portion  34  may be permanently attached to and may remain on the behind the ear component  15  of the hearing aid  14  as noted above. 
     The interlock fastener system  21  ( FIG. 3 ), such as that manufactured by 3M Corporation under the designation Low Profile Dual Lock fastener, may have advantages over the more common hook and loop type fastener  18 . First, the inner surfaces of the two cooperating portions  22  are identical and when disengaged the surfaces are smooth and will not attach to or cause pilling of fabrics they may come into contact with, and second, the connection is somewhat tighter then with hook and loop fastener  18  and requires a bit more pressure for the two portions to be pulled apart. This may make for a stronger connection with less chance of the two portions being unintentionally separated. Hook and loop fastener  21  may be somewhat easier for use by a wearer with less manual dexterity and maneuverability. 
     The shape of the attaching strip  11  may also be important. Though the attaching strip  11  may be cut into any desirable shape or size, the larger the area of contact with the surface of the behind the ear component  14  of the hearing aid, the more secure may be the attachment. Since the behind the ear component  14  may be quite small and may rest closely between the side of the head and the back of the ear, the surface area that is not in contact with skin may be limited. The shape for the attaching strip  11  with the potential for the largest area of contact with the surface of the behind the ear component  14  may therefore be long and narrow. Thus, the strip  11  may preferably be oblong with the length far exceeding the width. (See  FIGS. 1 and 4 ) It may be advantageous for the corners of an oblong strip to be rounded for better retention against the surface of the behind the ear component. The attaching strip  11  may also be oval. 
     As previously noted, one end of the filament  12  may be integral with one end of the second portion  35  of the attaching strip  11 . The filament  12  may itself be very fine and transparent, much like the nylon filaments used for fishing line. Such a filament may be affixed to or fused to the second portion  35  of the attaching strip  11  by any method known in the art that produces a permanent and secure attachment. The length of the filament  12  may be short enough so that there is no slack but long enough so there may be no pulling or strain on the line when in use. Exact length may be determined according to the dimensions of the attaching strip  11 , the securing plate  13 , and the location of the retention article used by the wearer. 
     Since the opposing end of the filament  12  may be integral with the securing plate  13 , the attachment of the filament  12  to the securing plate may also be accomplished by any permanent attachment means known in the art. The securing plate  13  may be substantially planar with a flat inner surface and a raised rim  24  around its entire circumference on both the obverse and reverse surfaces as may be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . There may be a longitudinal slit  26  in the center of the flat inner surface  25  of the securing plate  13 . The device  10  may be designed to be reversibly affixed to a retaining article worn on the person of the wearer. The device  10  may function optimally when affixed to the temple  31  of a pair of glasses  30 . The slit  26  may be just long enough for the earpiece  32  of the temple  31  to be passed through it. To insure that the securing plate  13  cannot easily slip from the earpiece  32 , the material of which the securing plate  13  is constructed may be of great importance. 
     The securing plate  13  may be composed of a semi-rigid polymeric or plastic material that may enable the inner surface  25  of the securing plate  13  to be somewhat thinner and more pliable than the circumferential raised rim  24 . The circumferential raised rim  24  may be quite strong and may only distort under pressure such as may be applied from opposing sides of the rim and directed towards the center. This may be accomplished by grasping opposing edges between the thumb and index or middle finger and applying pressure. See  FIG. 7 . Under this pressure the securing plate  13  may distort just enough to cause the slit  26  to open so the earpiece  32  may be inserted therethrough. When the pressure is released the slit  26  may close and the earpiece  32  may be securely retained within the securing plate  13 . Thus, the securing plate  13  may not slip from the earpiece  32  without having pressure applied again for its release. 
     The shape of the securing plate  13  may also be important in meeting the goals of the device  10 . Visibility and comfort may also be considered. The plate  13  must be long enough so that the slit  26  may be opened sufficiently under side pressure to admit the earpiece  32 . However, the width of the plate  13  need only provide a small surface  25  on each side of the slit  26 . The best shape for the plate  13  may be oval as seen in  FIG. 5  or oblong. If oblong, it may be preferable for the corners to be rounded for the comfort of the wearer. The securing plate  13  may also be round. 
     In use, the adhesive backed first portion  34  may be affixed to the behind the ear component  15  of the hearing aid  14  as the first step. The device  10  may thereafter be attached to the hearing aid  14  by uniting the two portions  34 , 35  of the connecting strip  11 . This may be accomplished either before or after the glasses  30  are put on. It may also be possible for the device  10  to remain on the temple  31  of the glasses  30  and the hearing aid  14  detached therefrom when the glasses  30  are removed. The securing plate  13  may be worn in back of the ear or in front of the ear according to the comfort of the wearer. The securing plate  13  may, of course, be less visible when worn behind the ear as seen in  FIG. 8 . The securing plate  13  may be made of a transparent material so that it may be virtually invisible when in place either in front or in back of the ear. 
     Typically, the wearer of a hearing aid may use an individual hearing aid assembly  14  in each ear. Therefore, one device  10  of the present invention may be used for each hearing aid assembly  14 . The securing plates  13  for the devices  10  used with the hearing aid assemblies  14  worn on each ear may be placed on the temples  31  of the glasses  30  before the glasses are put on. Once the glasses  30  are in place, the hearing aids  14  may be placed behind the ears, the two portions  34 ,  35  of the attaching strips  11  may be joined and the devices  10  may maintain the security of the hearing aids  14 . 
     The securing plate  13  of the device  10  of the present invention may also be affixed to a retaining article other than glasses  30  such as an article of jewelry. Post earrings or a neck chain can be used by inserting the post or one end of the chain through the slit  26  in the securing plate  13  in the manner described above. For either of these usages the length of the filament may be somewhat greater then needed when the device  10  is affixed to the temples  31  of glasses  30 . 
     The device  10  of the present invention may also be utilized to retain and protect an unattached ear bud that may not be a part of a more complex hearing aid assembly. If an ear bud is to be protected, the attaching strip  11  may be quite small, with just enough surface area to adhere to a smooth portion of the ear bud. 
     The flexibility of the filament  12  and the size and shape of the securing plate  13  may insure that the device  10  causes no discomfort to the wearer. The transparency of the components of the device  10  may also insure that while worn, the device may remain inconspicuous and may not call any attention to the presence of the hearing aid. 
     The device  10  of the present invention may be sold singly, but sets of two may be more practical since most wearers use a hearing aid in each ear. There may also be packages containing more than one set, each set having a filament of a different length so the wearer may have a choice as to the selection of a retaining article. 
     While one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited thereto and may be otherwise practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: h