Hearing aid with self-contained battery compartment and volume control

A hearing aid of the self-contained type. The hearing aid includes a unitary housing shaped for insertion into an ear of a wearer. The housing has a face plate adapted to face outwardly of the ear of the wearer. A first opening is provided in the face plate to form a battery compartment. The battery compartment normally is concealed by a pivotable door movable from a closed position to an open position providing access to the battery compartment. A wheel mounting cavity is also provided within the unitary housing in laterally spaced relation to the battery compartment. The cavity is defined in part by an outer wall integral with the end plate. A second opening is provided in the face plate to form a volume control wheel compartment. The compartment is disposed between the battery compartment and the wheel mounting cavity and is in communication with the wheel mounting cavity. A volume control wheel is disposed in the volume control wheel compartment for rotational movement. The wheel is mounted on supporting structure rigidly secured within the wheel mounting cavity and extending into the volume control wheel compartment. The hearing aid also includes at least a portion of the outermost peripheral extent of the volume control wheel projecting above the pivotable door and the outer wall. With this construction, the volume control wheel is adapted for manipulation by a finger of the wearer.