Panasonic No. 5 Zinc-Air Hearing Aid Battery
The Panasonic No. 5 1.4 volt zinc-air hearing aid battery is pictured
at the right.
The No. 5 zinc-air hearing aid battery came out by 1995 with
the advent of tiny completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids.
The battery shown here is technically a No. PR5H battery. There were
a number of different brands, each with other letters surrounding the
number 5 such as the PR521, 5UP, ME5Z, 5A, R5ZA, 5SA, S5A, ZA5
batteries--but these are all really just No. 5 batteries and are
interchangeable in hearing aids that use them.
The No. 5 zinc-air battery measured 0.221" in diameter
by 0.076" thick. |
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The bottom (positive end) of the No. 5 battery. Note the tiny air hole
in the center of the battery. A red tab seals this hole keeping the air
out until the battery is ready to be used. By doing this, zinc-air
batteries have a long shelf life. When the tab is removed, the battery
starts "working" and even if you don't use it, in a few weeks it will be
dead.
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The Panasonic No. 5 zinc-air batteries came 6 to a pack. Notice that No.
5 batteries
have red tabs on them, making it easy to identify them.
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Top view of the No. 5 zinc-air hearing aid battery showing its size.
(Each mark on the ruler is 1/16".) |
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Relative size of the five sizes of zinc-air hearing aid batteries as
seen from the top. From left to right they are battery numbers 5, 10,
312, 13 and 675. |
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A three-quarter view of the 5 zinc-air hearing aid batteries showing
their relative size. From left to right they are battery numbers 5, 10,
312, 13 and 675. Relative size of the five sizes of zinc-air hearing aid batteries as
seen from the top. From left to right they are battery numbers 5, 10,
312, 13 and 675. |
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Side view of the 5 zinc-air hearing aid batteries showing their
differences in height. From left to right they are battery numbers 5,
10, 312, 13 and 675. |
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Bottom view of the 5 sizes of zinc-air batteries showing the
color-coded tabs that seal the air holes before they are used. From left
to right they are battery numbers 5 (red tab), 10 (yellow tab), 312
(brown tab), 13 (orange tab) and 675 (blue tab). |
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The largest hearing aid battery in the museum (the
Acousticon No.
57)beside the tiny No. 5 battery—the smallest hearing aid battery
made. In case you missed it at first glance, the No. 5 battery is just
below the bottom right corner of the big battery. |
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Another view of the tiny No. 5 zinc-air battery placed to the left
the right battery terminal of the large Acousticon No. 57 carbon hearing
aid battery. The No. 5 battery is just a bit bigger than the battery
terminal itself!
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