Patents by Inventor Holger Kral

Holger Kral 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: 11956598
    Abstract: A loudspeaker box that is particularly suitable for a hearing aid, includes a cup-like box bottom shell, which delimits a box interior for at least partially receiving a loudspeaker, and a cup-like box cover shell, which, in the intended assembly state of the loudspeaker box, is placed on the box bottom shell overlapping it for a part of its cup height to enclose the box interior and to house the loudspeaker. In the intended assembly state, the box bottom shell and the box top shell form a fluid-tight seal of the box interior in the region of their overlap by the use of a material with increased elasticity relative to the box bottom shell and/or the box cover shell. The box bottom shell and cover shell are reversibly connected to one another in a nondestructively releasable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Bayer, Stefanie Beyfuss, Holger Kral, Hartmut Ritter
  • Patent number: 11729558
    Abstract: A hearing device includes a housing elongated along a longitudinal axis, having an oval cross section, and configured to house electrical components. A loudspeaker disposed outside the housing in an intended wearing state of the hearing device is interconnected with at least a part of the electrical components. A plug connector is connected to the loudspeaker and carries at least six contact elements for interconnecting the loudspeaker with corresponding electrical components. A plug connector receptacle for receiving the plug connector interconnects the contact elements. The plug connector receptacle is disposed in a surface of the housing oriented toward a lower side in the intended wearing state. The plug connector and the plug connector receptacle define a plug-in direction extending from a front side to a rear side in the intended wearing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Muhammad Shahid Bin Shith, Thai Wee Ang, Lit Song Glen Ding, Holger Kral
  • Publication number: 20210345049
    Abstract: A hearing device includes a housing elongated along a longitudinal axis, having an oval cross section, and configured to house electrical components. A loudspeaker disposed outside the housing in an intended wearing state of the hearing device is interconnected with at least a part of the electrical components. A plug connector is connected to the loudspeaker and carries at least six contact elements for interconnecting the loudspeaker with corresponding electrical components. A plug connector receptacle for receiving the plug connector interconnects the contact elements. The plug connector receptacle is disposed in a surface of the housing oriented toward a lower side in the intended wearing state. The plug connector and the plug connector receptacle define a plug-in direction extending from a front side to a rear side in the intended wearing state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Muhammad Shahid Bin Shith, Thai Wee Ang, Lit Song Glen Ding, Holger Kral
  • Publication number: 20210219078
    Abstract: A loudspeaker box that is particularly suitable for a hearing aid, includes a cup-like box bottom shell, which delimits a box interior for at least partially receiving a loudspeaker, and a cup-like box cover shell, which, in the intended assembly state of the loudspeaker box, is placed on the box bottom shell overlapping it for a part of its cup height to enclose the box interior and to house the loudspeaker. In the intended assembly state, the box bottom shell and the box top shell form a fluid-tight seal of the box interior in the region of their overlap by the use of a material with increased elasticity relative to the box bottom shell and/or the box cover shell. The box bottom shell and cover shell are reversibly connected to one another in a nondestructively releasable manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kevin Bayer, Stefanie Beyfuss, Holger Kral, Hartmut Ritter
  • Patent number: 10805743
    Abstract: A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Joachim Roland Barth, Holger Kral, Frank Naumann, Andreas Ratay, Markus Trautner
  • Patent number: 10701810
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a circuit, in particular of a hearing aid, in which method a printed circuit board is made available with a first region and with a second region which are separated by means of a boundary. A component is mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein the component is positioned on the boundary. The first region is covered by means of a mask which has an edge, wherein the edge is positioned on the component, and the printed circuit board is provided with a coating. The coating is cut away in the region of the component and the mask is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefanie Beyfuss, Holger Kral, Bjoern Freels, Johannes Kuhn
  • Patent number: 10667066
    Abstract: A hearing device contains an electronic frame for holding electronic components. The hearing device has first and second resilient contacts. The resilient contacts are fastened to the electronic frame, and the resilient contacts reversibly electrically contact an electronic component using contact surfaces of a double-pole battery. The hearing device contains a rechargeable battery module that contains a rechargeable battery and an electronic convertor. The rechargeable battery module is connected in an articulated manner to the electronic frame so as to be able to move and contains connecting contacts that correspond to the resilient contacts. A kit is provided for the hearing device and the kit has a battery compartment door for reversibly holding the double-pole battery. The battery compartment door is connected to pivot on the electronic frame such that as the battery compartment door is pivoted into a closed position the contact surfaces of the double-pole battery are contacted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefanie Beyfuss, Kok Chian Hong, Bjoern Freels, Anand Ganapathy, Kim Hock Kwok, Fu Keon Ho, Holger Kral, Zainal Abidin Bin Mohd Yahya, Yi Ren Chris Tan, Frank Naumann, Christian Lindschou Hansen, Lau Malthe Borch
  • Patent number: 10595140
    Abstract: An electronics frame for a hearing device serves to hold electronic components and has a contact carrier. The carrier in turn has a first line connector, a second line connector, and a third line connector. The three line connectors serve to electrically contact at least one of the electronic components with a first connection contact, a second connection contact which is at a potential that is different from the first connection contact, and with a third connection contact of a storage battery module which has a rechargeable battery. The contact carrier moreover has a first insertion slot for receiving a first contact arm which serves to electrically contact a contact of a two-pole battery. A kit for the hearing device contains, in addition to the hearing device with the electronics frame, the storage battery module and at least the first contact arm for subsequent mounting on the contact carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefanie Beyfuss, Bjoern Freels, Anand Ganapathy, Holger Kral
  • Publication number: 20200021925
    Abstract: A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: JOACHIM ROLAND BARTH, HOLGER KRAL, FRANK NAUMANN, ANDREAS RATAY, MARKUS TRAUTNER
  • Patent number: 10462587
    Abstract: A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Joachim Roland Barth, Holger Kral, Frank Naumann, Andreas Ratay, Markus Trautner
  • Patent number: 10440485
    Abstract: A hearing aid, in particular a BTE hearing aid, includes an ear insert having an earpiece and an attachment part being linked to a receiver. The earpiece includes an elongate adapter and a plurality of shields. The adapter is mounted on the attachment part and extends in a longitudinal direction. The earpiece is in a modular form and the at least one shield is exchangeably fitted onto the adapter. The adapter has a head with a rear abutment contour against which at least one of the shields abuts. In this way, the earpiece is particularly variably and flexibly configurable. A corresponding earpiece is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Holger Kral, Stefanie Beyfuss, Bjoern Freels
  • Patent number: 10425752
    Abstract: A hearing aid contains an ear insert which has an earpiece and a connection part which is connected to a receiver. The earpiece and the connection part each has a plug connector and are connected together by the plug connectors. One plug connector is a connection piece which extends in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis and has a thickened portion in the radial direction, and the other plug connector engages behind the thickened portion in order to axially fix the earpiece to the connection part. The thickened portion has an undercut and forms a retaining surface which runs into the thickened portion in a wedged manner. In this manner, the earpiece is attached to the connection part in a particularly secured manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Holger Kral, Bernd Meister, Kristina Haeder
  • Publication number: 20190166693
    Abstract: A hearing device has a printed circuit board with two carrier segments, which respectively each have a carrier layer to which a conductor structure adheres, and also with a connecting segment that connects the two carrier segments to each other. The connecting segment is configured so as to be bendable and rotatable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: VOLKER GEBHARDT, HOLGER KRAL, CHRISTIAN SCHMITT
  • Publication number: 20190110141
    Abstract: A hearing device contains an electronic frame for holding electronic components. The hearing device has first and second resilient contacts. The resilient contacts are fastened to the electronic frame, and the resilient contacts reversibly electrically contact an electronic component using contact surfaces of a double-pole battery. The hearing device contains a rechargeable battery module that contains a rechargeable battery and an electronic convertor. The rechargeable battery module is connected in an articulated manner to the electronic frame so as to be able to move and contains connecting contacts that correspond to the resilient contacts. A kit is provided for the hearing device and the kit has a battery compartment door for reversibly holding the double-pole battery. The battery compartment door is connected to pivot on the electronic frame such that as the battery compartment door is pivoted into a closed position the contact surfaces of the double-pole battery are contacted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: STEFANIE BEYFUSS, KOK CHIAN HONG, BJOERN FREELS, ANAND GANAPATHY, KIM HOCK KWOK, FU KEON HO, HOLGER KRAL, ZAINAL ABIDIN BIN MOHD YAHYA, YI REN CHRIS TAN, FRANK NAUMANN, CHRISTIAN LINDSCHOU HANSEN, LAU MALTHE BORCH
  • Publication number: 20190110142
    Abstract: An electronics frame for a hearing device serves to hold electronic components and has a contact carrier. The carrier in turn has a first line connector, a second line connector, and a third line connector. The three line connectors serve to electrically contact at least one of the electronic components with a first connection contact, a second connection contact which is at a potential that is different from the first connection contact, and with a third connection contact of a storage battery module which has a rechargeable battery. The contact carrier moreover has a first insertion slot for receiving a first contact arm which serves to electrically contact a contact of a two-pole battery. A kit for the hearing device contains, in addition to the hearing device with the electronics frame, the storage battery module and at least the first contact arm for subsequent mounting on the contact carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: STEFANIE BEYFUSS, BJOERN FREELS, ANAND GANAPATHY, HOLGER KRAL
  • Patent number: 10038960
    Abstract: A hearing aid, in particular a behind-the-ear hearing aid, has a housing to be worn behind an ear of a user, and a receiver which, in order to transmit sound to the ear, is connected to a sound tube having a housing-side end on which a plug connector is arranged. The plug connector is connected releasably to the housing. The hearing aid is characterized in that the plug connector contains a holder for the receiver, and the receiver is a component part of the plug connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. ltd.
    Inventors: Stefanie Beyfuss, Holger Kral, Bjoern Freels, Hartmut Ritter
  • Publication number: 20180084355
    Abstract: A hearing aid, in particular a BTE hearing aid, includes an ear insert having an earpiece and an attachment part being linked to a receiver. The earpiece includes an elongate adapter and a plurality of shields. The adapter is mounted on the attachment part and extends in a longitudinal direction. The earpiece is in a modular form and the at least one shield is exchangeably fitted onto the adapter. The adapter has a head with a rear abutment contour against which at least one of the shields abuts. In this way, the earpiece is particularly variably and flexibly configurable. A corresponding earpiece is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: HOLGER KRAL, STEFANIE BEYFUSS, BJOERN FREELS
  • Publication number: 20180084354
    Abstract: A hearing aid contains an ear insert which has an earpiece and a connection part which is connected to a receiver. The earpiece and the connection part each has a plug connector and are connected together by the plug connectors. One plug connector is a connection piece which extends in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis and has a thickened portion in the radial direction, and the other plug connector engages behind the thickened portion in order to axially fix the earpiece to the connection part. The thickened portion has an undercut and forms a retaining surface which runs into the thickened portion in a wedged manner. In this manner, the earpiece is attached to the connection part in a particularly secured manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Holger KRAL, Bernd MEISTER, Kristina HAEDER
  • Publication number: 20180020555
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a circuit, in particular of a hearing aid, in which method a printed circuit board is made available with a first region and with a second region which are separated by means of a boundary. A component is mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein the component is positioned on the boundary. The first region is covered by means of a mask which has an edge, wherein the edge is positioned on the component, and the printed circuit board is provided with a coating. The coating is cut away in the region of the component and the mask is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefanie BEYFUSS, Holger KRAL, Bjoern FREELS, Johannes KUHN
  • Patent number: 9654886
    Abstract: A connector-based link is suited to various signals and media for connecting a tube with a hearing instrument, which ensures a reliable mechanical hold, good connection and high tightness and in the process is easy to handle. This is achieved by a connector for a hearing instrument system including a housing which contains a number of connections, and a tube which contains a number of lines, which is embodied to detachably connect a number of lines of the tube to a number of connections of the housing, wherein the connections of the connector contain different spatial orientations. The fact that the connections each have a different spatial orientation brings about a mutual decoupling. As a result, the demands on dimensional stability of the various connections are advantageously reduced since the different connections are not closed in a shared, identical end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Joachim Roland Barth, Holger Kral, Joseph Sauer