Patents by Inventor Frederick Fritz

Frederick Fritz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7403629
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a modular hearing aid having a base unit and a detachable earmold. A battery, an earmold tip and a receiver can be integrated with the earmold. The earmold can also include a removably attached module. The module can have a shell, electronics, a receiver or a microphone. A hearing aid also includes a flexible hearing aid tip having a vibration isolator portion and a mushroom shaped tip portion. The vibration isolator portion mechanically decouples a receiver from a hearing aid base unit while the mushroom shaped tip portion provides an acoustic seal in the ear canal of a user. The internal components of a hearing aid can be potted to attenuate vibrations created by the receiver during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: John G. Aceti, Marvin A. Leedom, Frederick Fritz, Derek D. Mahoney, John M. Margicin, Walter P. Sjursen, Michael H. Tardugno, David A. Preves
  • Publication number: 20070121967
    Abstract: A disposable-type hearing aid uses a relatively large single diaphragm or a large single diaphragm subdivided into a plurality of smaller active diaphragm areas obtained using a grate-like back support plate with ridges which contact and divide the diaphragm into the several smaller active diaphragm areas. The diaphragm and a backplate are enclosed in a metal housing and are disposed proximal and parallel to a shell-like hearing aid enclosure having sound inlets. The metal housing is closed at an end opposite the sound inlets by a printed circuit board (PCB) forming an acoustical seal for a back volume of the microphone. The PCB also carries substantially all the electronic components for the hearing aid thereon. The PCB has a ground plane in contact with the housing whereby the PCB also acts as an EMI shield. An electrical connection is formed in various ways between the back support plate and the PCB during assembly of the metal housing and components with the PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Walter Sjursen, Marvin Leedom, Derek Mahoney, John Margicin, Frederick Fritz, John Aceti, David Preves, Ponnusamy Palanisamy
  • Publication number: 20070071265
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes a first half shell and a second shell attached to the first shell. A microphone, battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip are mounted within a housing formed by the first half shell and the second half shell. A mechanical securing mechanism, located on the first half shell and the second half shell, attaches the first half shell to the second half shell. A flexible tip for a hearing aid includes a tip portion, a sound port attached to the tip portion and a vent formed in the flexible tip. The vent provides static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventors: Marvin Leedom, Derek Mahoney, John Margicin, Sam Meytus, Reuben Zielinski, Frederick Fritz, Michael Tardugno, Walter Sjursen, David Preves
  • Publication number: 20070009128
    Abstract: A flexible tip for a hearing aid includes a mushroom shaped tip, an inner portion having a bore and a receiver mounted within the bore. The receiver can be housing and sealed within a receiver housing. The receiver housing can include a spring having a high compliance along a longitudinal axis and transverse axis, to provide flexibility in the flexible tip. The spring can also having a high stiffness along a radial direction about the circumference of the spring to provide support of the flexible tip from radially directed loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2006
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Applicant: Samoff Corporation
    Inventors: Derek Mahoney, John Margicin, Frederick Fritz, Walter Sjursen
  • Patent number: 7113611
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes a first half shell and a second shell attached to the first shell. A microphone, battery, electronics, a receiver and a flexible tip are mounted within a housing formed by the first half shell and the second half shell. A mechanical securing mechanism, located on the first half shell and the second half shell, attaches the first half shell to the second half shell. A flexible tip for a hearing aid includes a tip portion, a sound port attached to the tip portion and a vent formed in the flexible tip. The vent provides static pressure equilibrium between an ear canal and an ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation
    Inventors: Marvin A. Leedom, Derek D. Mahoney, John M. Margicin, Sam Meytus, Reuben Zielinski, Frederick Fritz, Michael H. Tardugno, Walter P. Sjursen, David A. Preves
  • Publication number: 20060177083
    Abstract: A disposable-type hearing aid uses a relatively large single diaphragm or a large single diaphragm subdivided into a plurality of smaller active diaphragm areas obtained using a grate-like back support plate with ridges which contact and divide the diaphragm into the several smaller active diaphragm areas. The diaphragm and a backplate are enclosed in a metal housing and are disposed proximal and parallel to a shell-like hearing aid enclosure having sound inlets. The metal housing is closed at an end opposite the sound inlets by a printed circuit board (PCB) forming an acoustical seal for a back volume of the microphone. The PCB also carries substantially all the electronic components for the hearing aid thereon. The PCB has a ground plane in contact with the housing whereby the PCB also acts as an EMI shield. An electrical connection is formed in various ways between the back support plate and the PCB during assembly of the metal housing and components with the PCB.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Walter Sjursen, Marvin Leedom, Derek Mahoney, John Margicin, Frederick Fritz, John Aceti, David Preves, Ponnusamy Palanisamy
  • Publication number: 20020027996
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a modular hearing aid having a base unit and a detachable earmold. A battery, an earmold tip and a receiver can be integrated with the earmold. The earmold can also include a removably attached module. The module can have a shell, electronics, a receiver or a microphone. A hearing aid also includes a flexible hearing aid tip having a vibration isolator portion and a mushroom shaped tip portion. The vibration isolator portion mechanically decouples a receiver from a hearing aid base unit while the mushroom shaped tip portion provides an acoustic seal in the ear canal of a user. The internal components of a hearing aid can be potted to attenuate vibrations created by the receiver during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventors: Marvin A. Leedom, Derek D. Mahoney, John M. Margicin, Sam Meytus, Reuben Zielinski, Frederick Fritz, Michael H. Tardugno, Walter P. Sjursen, David A. Preves