Abstract: A hearing aid includes a microphone, signal processing circuitry, receiver and integral battery all mounted in a casing. The battery may be a metal-air device. The battery may be activated by removing a tape which blocks air holes on the battery or, if the battery is sealed into the hearing aid, air-vent holes on the hearing aid. The hearing aid may also include an air-blocking mechanism which is activated when the hearing aid is inserted in the user's ear and deactivated when the hearing aid is removed. The assembled hearing aid may also be packaged in non-permeable packaging material to extinguish battery activity. The hearing aid may also include an electronic switch which monitors the battery potential to disconnect the battery from the hearing aid electronics when the battery is deprived of oxygen and which connects the battery to the electronics when oxygen is provided to the battery.

Abstract: Provided is a powder delivery system which uses mechanical or electrical means to individually release covers that cover powder at a variety of powder aliquot locations on a rigid substrate.

Abstract: A metal-air cell for powering electronic components in a hearing aid device. The metal-air cell has a flex circuit inside containing an anode mixture. The flex circuit comprises a flexible substrate having a cathode electrode area at one end of the substrate, an anode electrode area at another end of the substrate and an electronic components area in between. The flexible substrate is disposed within the housing. The cathode electrode area is near a top surface of the housing, and the anode electrode area is near a bottom surface of the housing and in contact with the anode mixture. The cathode electrode area has air flow means for permitting air into the housing. An isolation means between the cathode electrode area and the anode mixture is provided for preventing contact between the cathode electrode area and the anode mixture.

Abstract: An electronic signal processing system, including a microphone section and an integral battery, may be assembled with a receiver section to form a three section hearing-aid. The shape of the outer shell of an integral battery may approximate the shape of an ear canal when attached to the other two sections. An integral (sealed-in) battery with such an unusual shape may have a higher capacity battery than those of standard insertable/removable batteries. The integral battery (e.g. a zinc-air battery) may be tested for leakage before being assembled to the other sections of the hearing-aid. To preserve battery shelf-life a “pull” tab may be placed over vents in the integral battery. To activate the battery, the “pull” tab may be removed. Conducting strips may be formed on the “pull” tab permitting the circuits, battery and components of the hearing-aid to be tested after assembly.

Abstract: A disposable in-the-ear monitoring instrument includes a monitoring assembly for monitoring one or more vital health signs of a user, a transmitter assembly for transmitting the monitored vital health signs to a remote receiving unit, and a battery for energizing the assemblies. The assemblies and battery are mounted on a printed circuit which is disposed in a cylindrical shell. And the cylindrical shell is itself mounted in an earmold. The disposable in-the-ear monitoring instrument is of an optimum design having a minimum number of components, and thus is easy to assemble on an automated basis. The automated assembly of the in-the-ear monitoring instrument and its optimum design reduces costs and allows for the disposability of the monitoring instrument.

Abstract: Provided is a powder delivery system which uses mechanical or electrical means to individually release covers that cover powder at a variety of powder aliquot locations on a rigid substrate.

Abstract: A hearing instrument is adapted for positioning in the external auditory canal of a human proximal to the tympanic membrane. It includes a substantially rigid shell and a relatively flexible tip member. The tip member includes a hollow body portion defining a elongated passage for the communication of acoustic signals through the tip member. The hollow body portion of the tip member is sufficiently deformable so that an axis of the passage substantially conforms to an axis of the external auditory canal upon insertion. The hollow body is also significantly rigid to resist substantial collapse of the passage upon such insertion. The axis of the passage defined by the hollow body portion is moveable at an angle with respect to the axis of the shell so that the hearing instrument can navigate the canal during insertion. Wax guard and receiver mounting configurations as well as a method of assembly are also described.

Abstract: A hinged hearing aid to allow for ease of inserting the hearing aid into the ear canal with a portion of the hearing aid extending around a bend in the ear canal. The hearing aid includes a boot of a flexible material having two hollow portions. A flexible circuit has mounted thereon a speaker, battery, microphone and electronic components. A portion of the flexible circuit having the speaker and battery thereon is mounted in one of the boot portions and the portion of the flexible circuit having the microphone and electronic components thereon is mounted in the other boot portion. The boot portions are hingedly connected together. A portion of the flexible circuit extends between the boot portions to form at least a portion of the hinge between the boot portions. The boot may have a portion which connects the two boot portions to also form a portion of the hinge.

Abstract: A protective cover, subject to a removable occupancy by a video disc, is inserted into a video disc player. During the insertion of an occupied cover into the player, an appropriately designed platform leads it to a fully inserted position such that a clamping device built into the player protrudes into the cover. The user then removes the cover allowing the video disc to remain in the player resting on the platform. When the player lid is closed, the platform is lowered to effect a transfer of the video disc resting thereon to the player turntable. Upon playback, the lid is raised to cause the video disc to rise with the platform. An empty cover is then inserted to return the video disc back into the cover. The subsequent withdrawal of the cover removes the enclosed video disc.

Abstract: A video disc package comprises a pair of juxtaposed panels defining a cavity for enclosing a video disc and an edge opening in communication with the cavity for permitting insertion and removal of a video disc into and from the cavity. The panels have portions forming a constricted passage between the cavity and the opening. The constricted passage forming portions of the panels are covered with material effecting a cleaning of a video disc each time it is inserted into the package or removed therefrom.

Abstract: A video disc player includes a stylus arm carrying a stylus at one end thereof. The stylus is subject to engagement with a grooved record rotatably disposed on a turntable for playback. The other end of the stylus arm is pivotally secured within a stylus housing by a flexible coupler. The stylus housing is mounted for lateral motion relative to a base of said player between an off-record rest position and an over-record play position. A stylus arm rest is mounted within the stylus housing for motion between an elevated position and a depressed position. The stylus arm rest in the elevated position supports the stylus arm in a manner precluding stylus/record contact when the stylus housing is in the over-record play position. The stylus arm rest in the depressed position permits the stylus arm to occupy a lowered position. The lowered position of the stylus arm is such that the stylus/record contact is established when the stylus housing is in the over-record play position.

Abstract: A pickup cartridge for a video disc player encloses a stylus arm unit comprising a stylus arm carrying a stylus at one end thereof. A connector plate is secured to the other end of the stylus arm via a compliant member. A spring at the stylus carrying end of the stylus arm releasably retracts the stylus arm to a position within the confines of the cartridge. A diaphragm flexibly suspends the connector plate in the cartridge at an angular orientation relative to the cartridge so that, when the stylus arm is held in the retracted position in the cartridge, the compliant member is not under stress. When the cartridge is installed in the video disc player, a support member engages the connector plate to change its orientation with respect to the cartridge such as to permit the stylus to be moved to protrude outside the confines of the cartridge without bending or stressing the compliant member.

Abstract: In a system for playing back prerecorded information from a disc record by a groove-engaging signal pickup, an overhead signal pickup drive apparatus is provided. A support housing is reciprocably mounted in the cover of the player for movement radially of the disc record. A pickup arm, carrying the signal pickup at one end, is pivotally mounted in the support housing at its other end. Means ae mounted in the cover for driving, during playback, the support housing radially with respect to the disc record independent of the radial motion of the groove-engaged signal pickup due to the spiral groove in a manner that maintains the axis of the pickup arm substantially tangential to the groove at the point of pickup record engagement. A grounding apparatus also mounted in the cover is provided for grounding a disc record having a coating capable of accumulating electrical charge.

Abstract: A pickup cartridge for a video disc player encloses a stylus arm unit comprising a stylus arm carrying a stylus at one end and a magnetizable connector plate secured at its other end. A permanent magnet is centrally located in a recess provided in a magnetizable support member which is mounted in a carriage of the player. When the connector plate is engaged with the support member, the separation between the connector plate and the permanent magnet is greater than the separation between the permanent magnet and the walls defining the recess.

Abstract: A pickup stylus adapted to track in a disc record groove has a support element with a tip shaped to have a pair of sides, a rear face, and a bottom with edges defining a right triangle of small dimension. The rear face and the sides terminate at the base, altitude and hypotenuse edges of the bottom respectively. Also the tip has a knife edge formed at an intersection of the sides which extends upward from the apex of the triangular shaped bottom remote from the base edge at an angle obtuse to the bottom. When used in a disc record player system, the stylus tip is aligned such that the base edge of the bottom lies transverse to the groove, the hypotenuse edge spans diagonally substantially the entire width of a groove, while the altitude edge faces the center of rotation of the turntable. The direction of rotation of the turntable beneath the point of stylus reception in the groove extends from the apex of the triangular shaped bottom toward the base edge.

Abstract: A signal pickup stylus which cooperates with an information storing spiral groove on a video disc record is caused to selectively skip groove convolutions of the disc record to produce special effects including stop, fast-forward and reverse motion of the displayed image.

Abstract: In a system for playing back prerecorded information from a disc record by a signal pickup mounted in a support housing, a signal pickup return mechanism is provided. The support housing is reciprocably mounted in the player cover by a suitable bearing. A drive mechanism drives the support housing radially inward in order to facilitate tracking of the disc record by the signal pickup. An extendible cord is provided with its ends attached to the base and the cover of the player. The cord extends when the cover is raised from the base. A leaf spring, with an open-ended slot, is attached to the support housing. The cord is threaded through the open-ended slot. A clamp secured to the cord is subject to engagement with the support housing, and is effective only in causing radially outward movement of the support housing. The clamp urges the support housing to return to a rest position when the cover is raised from the base.

Abstract: A pickup arm cartridge houses a fragile signal pickup assembly of a video disc record player to (1) protect the signal pickup assembly during storage and handling, and (2) facilitate replacement of the signal pickup assembly without any critical manual adjustments or connections. A signal pickup assembly comprises a pickup arm carrying a signal pickup at one end and having its remote end secured to a coupler by a compliant pickup arm support. The coupler is suspended in the pickup arm cartridge such that the suspension, while permitting translatory motion of the coupler, (1) maintains angular orientation of the pickup in signal transfer relation with a disc record, and (2) positions the coupler for engagement with a translatory motion imparting transducer of the player supporting structure when the cartridge is assembled in the player. A leaf spring securely holds the signal pickup assembly in the cartridge during storage and handling.