Inventors:
Hardy Petrick - Niles IL, US
Paul Stonikas - Darien IL, US
Gregory Prutnikov - Niles IL, US
Manolo Blancaflor - Desplaines IL, US
International Classification:
H04R025/00
US Classification:
381/322000, 381/312000, 381/314000, 381/323000, 381/324000
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a modular hearing aid as well as the resultant hearing aid is provided. The provided hearing aid is comprised of a shell and a faceplate assembly. The shell may be formed of a soft, flexible material or a rigid or semi-rigid material. The faceplate assembly is comprised of at least a pair of pieces, preferably an upper faceplate piece and a lower faceplate piece, and can be fabricated from a variety of different materials. During assembly, a portion of the shell is captured within the faceplate assembly, for example between the upper and lower faceplate pieces. The individual faceplate pieces can be attached to one another using any of a variety of techniques, including miniature screws, interlocking and complementary members, fastening clips or other means. The faceplate assembly can also be coupled together using a permanent or semi-permanent means, although the use of a permanent means limits the ease with which the device can be disassembled.