Battery Lock
The present invention refers to smallest electronic
devices, such as e.g. hearing aids being operated by means
of batteries, such as e.g. so called button batteries.
Smallest electronic devices such as hearing instruments may
be operated with batteries such as e.g. zinc-air batteries.
In order to avoid children eating the batteries of hearing
instruments, different solutions of tamper proof battery
compartments are on the market.
A tamper-resistant battery drawer is mostly solved as
locking mechanism, which does not allow opening the battery
compartment in the locked position. Different solutions are
possible with mechanical parts, which have to be locked or
unlocked with tools. Often the battery compartment is used
as On/Off switch, which leads to complicated mechanical
solutions in order to avoid opening the battery compartment
completely, but allow opening it partly for On/Off
functionality.
The main disadvantage is that for battery compartments with
On/Off functionality, difficult mechanical solutions are
needed. Another disadvantage is that most of the locking
mechanisms have to be operated with a separate tool, which
must be available all the time in order to change the
battery. A screw driver for example is a special tool,
which is not accepted as solution in specific countries.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problem
of developing difficult mechanical solutions for tamper
proof_battery compartments, which often need an additional
tool to be operated. In other words an object of the
present invention is to allow to open completely the
battery compartment and to unlock the battery without an
additional tool, taking nevertheless the above mentioned
problem into consideration that the battery cannot be
removed by children or mentally handicapped persons.
As a consequence, the present invention proposes a smallest
electronic device or a hearing instrument respectively
being operated by means of a battery wherein the battery is
locked in the battery compartment instead of prevent
opening the compartment itself.
In other words, the battery is locked in the battery
compartment which can be easily opened without the need of
an additional tool to prevent the removal of the battery
out of the compartment.
Specifically, the present invention refers to devices being
operated by means of so called button batteries, coin cells
or round cell-batteries wherein the battery is locked
within the battery compartment to prevent removal.
The battery might be locked e.g. by means of at least one
lock bar.

The lock bar can be either removable or can be pivotable
for de-blocking the battery for removal, etc.
Of course other means can be used for locking the battery
within the compartment as e.g. clamping means, engaging
protections, etc.
It is also noted that although the following detailed
description illustrates a BTE application, the invention
can also be applied to ITE, ITC and CIC hearing devices, as
well as to hearing instrument accessories such as remote
microphones and remote controls, wireless communication
interfaces and others.
The present invention is described in more details with
reference to the attached figures, where
Fig. 1 shows in perspective view a battery compartment of
an electronic smallest device with the battery lock in
"locked" position, and
Fig. 2 shows in a sectional view part of a hearing
instrument including the battery compartment.
Fig. 3 shows in perspective view a battery compartment of
an electronic smallest device with the battery lock in an
intermediate position.

Fig. 4 shows in perspective view a battery compartment of
an electronic smallest device with the battery lock in
"open" position.
Figs. 5a and 5b show in perspective view battery
compartments of an electronic smallest device comprising
additional functionality such as an RF receiver or a
wireless communication interface or other.
Fig. 1 shows in perspective view a battery compartment 1,
where within a receiving cavity 2 a button battery 3 is
ranged. The battery compartment 1 can be opened out of a
housing of a smallest electronic device such as a hearing
instrument by pivoting around an axis 5. After opening of
the compartment the battery 3 is still firmly retained
within the cavity 2 by means of a locking bar 7, which
means the battery is retained by means of the lock bar to
prevent removal. In other words the battery 3 itself is
locked in the battery compartment. The lock bar 7 can be
operated for instance by means of fingers in the direction
of the arrow 9. If the battery 3 has to be changed, the
lock bar has to be unlocked. This solution allows opening
and closing the battery compartment 1 the same way, with or
without battery lock in place.
In addition, locking the battery in the battery compartment
prevents loosing the battery wile opening the battery
compartment. Furthermore, the battery can not easily be
removed e.g. by a child or by a mentally handicapped
person. In addition, tolerances of batteries are not

anymore as problematic as they have been in the past.
Therefore this solution according to the present invention
is not only for tamper proof applications. It offers a
benefit to every hearing instrument wearer and more
generally to all electronic smallest devices, which are
operated by means of batteries.
Furthermore, in fig. 2 in sectional viewing part of a
hearing instrument 11 is shown, including a battery
compartment 1 similar to the one shown in fig. 1. Again
within the battery compartment 1 in a receiving cavity 2 a
battery 3 is arranged. The battery compartment 1 can be
opened by pivoting around an axis 5 and due to the
arrangement of the lock bar 7 there is no danger of loosing
the battery out of the compartment. In other words, for
removing the battery, first the lock bar 7 has to be
operated as described with reference to fig. 1. The
compartment itself can be easily opened or closed, as it is
only hold by means of a mechanical catch 8 within the
housing of the hearing instrument 11.
As shown in fig. 3 the lock bar 7 can be operated e.g. by
means of fingers in the direction of an arrow 9 into an
intermediate position.
If the battery 3 has to be changed, the lock bar 7 is
unlocked by further movement in direction of arrow 10 as
shown in fig. 4 which shows in a perspective view the
battery compartment 1 of the electronic smallest device
with the battery locked in "open" position.

Figs. 5a and 5b show in perspective view battery
compartments of an electronic smallest device comprising
additional functionality such as e.g. a RF-Receiver 21
(Fig. 5a) or a wireless communication interface 23 (Fig.
5b). Those additional components may be connected to the
electronic smallest device by connecting pins 22 or 24.
The present invention is not at all limited to the use of a
lock bar, as shown with reference to fig. 1+2. First of
all the lock bar can be slidably arranged to lock or unlock
the battery or it can be pivotably arranged for unlocking
the battery or both in combination. Instead of a lock bar
also clamping means can be arranged for firmly holding the
battery within the compartment or elastic protections
surrounding the outer surface of the battery. Still other
possible means can be arranged for firmly holding the
battery within the compartment.
The great advantage of the present invention is, that the
introduced battery lock is robust and easy to be operated,
offering enhanced ease of use and operational safety for
hearing instrument users in general and for pediatric
applications in particular. The lock bar can be attached to
a regular battery compartment. Therefore no additional tool
or no separate battery compartment is needed for tamper
proof features. The idea of locking the battery in the
compartment instead of developing difficult mechanical
solution will be the solution for future hearing instrument
battery compartments.

We Claims:
1. Smallest electronic device such as e.g. a hearing
instrument being operated by means of a battery
comprising a battery compartment (1) holding at
least one battery (3) for battery supply to the
device characterized in that the battery (3) is
locked in the compartment to prevent removal or
falling out of the battery.
2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that
the battery (3) is locked by means of at least one
lock bar (3).
3. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that
the lock bar is slidably or pivotably operable or
both in combination to lock or unlock the battery
within the compartment.
4. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that
the battery is locked within the compartment by
means of clamping means of elastic protecting means
at least partially surrounding the outer surface of
the battery.
5. Device according to one of the claims 1 to 4
characterized in that the compartment is suitable

for the arrangement of button batteries, coin
cells, round cell-batteries, rechargeable
batteries, fuel cells etc.
6. Device according to one of the claims 1 to 5
characterized in that within the compartment or
attached to it further components maybe arranged or
combined with comprising additional functionality
such as an RF-Receiver, a wireless communication
interface, etc.

Smallest electronic device such as e.g. a hearing
instrument being operated by means of a battery which
comprises a battery compartment (1) or the at least one
battery (3) for power supply of the device. The battery
(3) is locked in the compartment (2) to prevent removal
or falling out of the battery.