JP3066305U - Hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] A conventional hearing aid is extremely miniaturized so that it can be hidden by the ear, so that it is difficult to handle for elderly people. However, it is not suitable for elderly people who need hearing assistance and those who have severe hearing loss. SOLUTION: A method is used in which the head is allowed to increase in size and weight, and a plurality of large-capacity general-purpose batteries are used to generate a loud sound with good sound quality using an earphone.
The microphone and the earphone are spaced apart from each other so that howling is unlikely to occur, and a large sound volume required for a person with severe hearing loss is enabled. In addition, a three-dimensional sound listening type is provided by microphone amplifier circuits provided separately for the left and right ears, and the performance of clearly hearing words in ambient noise has been improved. In addition, the power switch automatically turns on when put on the head, eliminating the need for switch operation, making it easier for elderly people to handle.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

 The present invention relates to a hearing aid that is used by a person whose hearing function is impaired due to presbycusis or other causes for short-distance conversation or communication with a distant place.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Hearing aids for hearing-impaired people, which are generally widely used in the past, have been thoroughly miniaturized in order to hide them in the ears in order to make them less noticeable. There are products such as the “ear-hole type” that is inserted into the ear hole and the “ear-hook type” that is used by hanging behind the ear. Many manufacturers sell products at specialized hearing aid stores.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

 In the conventional hearing aid, in order to make it a small product that can be hidden in the ear, not only the external shape but also all the components have to be extremely small. The first problem with this is that because the distance between the earphone for sound generation and the microphone for sound collection is extremely close, part of the sound generated from the earphone leaks out of the ear canal and enters the microphone. It was easy for the howling phenomenon to occur when entering. This is the biggest problem for the user, as the hearing aid becomes completely unusable when in a howling state. The second problem is that in order to prevent a howling state, the user must use the earphone with a reduced volume, and the sound from the earphone cannot be raised to the required volume, The result was insufficient volume for the hearing impaired. The third problem is that in order to prevent the howling condition from occurring, it is necessary to make the outer shape of the earphone close to the ear hole without gaps so that sound from the earphone does not leak out of the ear hole. Since the hearing aids are manufactured to fit the shape of the ear holes, the hearing aids were generally made to order, and the delivery time was high and the price was high. Fourth, hearing aids were often expensive, and one hearing aid was often used for only one ear. Originally, the language pattern recognition function of the human brain performs information processing to understand the meaning of words by listening three-dimensionally to sounds coming in from both the left and right ears, so loud sounds are heard only in one ear. When it does, the language recognition function does not work effectively, and the ability to discriminate words from surrounding noise is reduced. For this reason, there was a case where a person with particularly severe hearing loss could hear the sound, but it was difficult to hear the words. Fifth, the need to downsize the entire system requires the use of extremely small batteries for the power supply, which is difficult for elderly people to handle, and because only one battery is used, the battery capacity is small and the sound is pronounced. The operating power of the earphone for use was also limited, so that it was impossible for a person with strong hearing loss to output a loud and necessary sound, and the time required for the battery to be consumed was short. The sixth problem is that the volume of the sound coming out of the earphones is difficult to control for elderly people due to the small volume control components, and the actual sound volume has to be removed from the ears. I couldn't make adjustments to my ear sensitivity while listening to. The seventh problem was that the power switch was too small for the elderly to operate, making it difficult to operate. For this reason, there was also a problem that it was easy to forget to turn off the switch after use.

[0004] The eighth problem is that a person who is hard of hearing alone cannot hear the ringing sound of the telephone or the voice of the handset in some cases. There were cases where hearing impaired people could not hear the communication broadcast in the jurisdiction, and there were insufficient means of talking from distant places, and some measures were needed. The ninth problem is that people with severe hearing impairment in such a solitary or group living environment are as if they are always wearing glasses during their entire life time except during sleep, without frequently wearing and removing glasses. In addition, hearing aids must be worn at all times, and conventional hearing aids have not been designed for continuous use for a long time.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The hearing aid of the present invention is designed not to be small enough to be hidden by the ears, but to give priority to the necessary functions over the external shape, and even if the overall size and weight increase, there is no practical problem. For example, the system is used by hanging on the head like a headphone, and the above-mentioned various problems have been solved and improved by this basic means, and will be described in detail below.

The first means of the present invention is that a microphone is attached to one end of an amplifier circuit board and an earphone having a long-sized electric cord is connected to the other end, so that a distance between the microphone and the earphone is increased. However, the configuration was sufficiently separated. As a result, the occurrence of the howling phenomenon was suppressed even when the signal collected by the microphone was amplified and amplified by the amplifier circuit, and the earphone was output at the output to listen to the sufficiently large expanded sound with the ear. As a result, the occurrence of howling, which was the first problem described above and the biggest problem of the conventional hearing aids, was eliminated. As a result, it is possible to output a sound volume that is necessary and sufficient for a person with severe hearing impairment, thereby solving the second problem. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary to strictly prevent the sound of the earphone from leaking out of the ear hole, there is no need to customize the shape of the earphone to a personal ear shape. Offer has become possible. In the second means, two sets of the left ear and the right ear, each of which is composed of the microphone described in the first means and the earphone connected to the amplifier circuit via the electric cord, are prepared and put on the head. In addition, the two ends are approximately the upper positions of the left and right ears, and are configured to be capable of listening to three-dimensional sound attached to both ends of a semicircular headband. With this configuration, the sound arriving near the upper part of the left and right ears can be collected by each microphone, and the sound expanded by the individual amplifier circuit can be heard by two earphones, and the sound heard from the left and right ears However, by adjusting the amplification of the left and right amplifier circuits so that they can be heard in the center of the brain, the left and right volumes are balanced, and a good standing sound can be heard from both ears. This makes it possible to understand the direction and extent of the sound that can be heard, and more importantly, the language pattern recognition function of the brain works effectively, improving the ability to clearly hear even words that are interrupted by noise or the like. Were improved, and the ability to assist hearing for people with severe hearing loss was significantly improved. The third means is that the system is used by hanging it on the head, so that the restrictions on the size and weight of the battery are eased, and it becomes possible to use a plurality of inexpensive general-purpose batteries of any size. The power supply voltage was increased by connecting a plurality of batteries in series, the operating voltage of the amplifier circuit was increased, and the earphone worked with large power. With this configuration, it is possible to output loud sound with good sound quality, and in addition, the continuous use time has been prolonged due to the increase in the battery capacity, thereby solving the fifth problem and improving the ninth problem. Furthermore, by enabling the use of general-purpose batteries, rechargeable batteries can be used, and the batteries can be repeatedly charged and used, so they can be used continuously for a long time without worrying about battery consumption. Has become easier, and the ninth problem has been further improved. The fourth means is that large-scale volume control knobs, which can be found by groping without directly looking at the eyes, are individually provided in the two amplifier circuits for the left ear and the right ear, which are the configurations of the second means. The configuration was provided. This makes it easy for the user to adjust the volume according to the sensitivity of his or her left and right ears while listening to the actual sound while hanging the instrument on his / her head. Since the balance can be adjusted separately for the left and right of the sound volume, the volume adjustment operation for better stereophonic listening can be easily performed even by the elderly, thus solving the sixth problem. Furthermore, this measure is also effective for adjusting the volume correction in accordance with the volume decrease due to battery consumption, and it is easy to use up the battery to the limit of consumption, so that the same effect as extending the battery life can be obtained. Was. The fifth means is that a power switch having a large operation lever is attached to the headband, and when the headband is put on the head, the operation lever is pressed against the head and the power switch is automatically operated. It is. In this configuration, when the headband is put on the head, the operating lever is pressed by the whole weight and the switch is turned on, and when the headband is removed from the head, it is turned off. Since the power is turned on and turned off when removed from the head, operation is easy even for elderly people, and there is no need to turn off the switch, thus solving the seventh problem.

A sixth means is to attach a transmission / reception circuit for a short-range radio wave (ultra-high frequency band) which is generally permitted to use and an antenna thereof to the headband, and to attach the headphone to the microphone and the amplifier described above. It is a combination of a circuit, an earphone, and a power supply, and has the same function as a transceiver or a cordless telephone, for example. This configuration makes it possible to communicate with remote places via radio waves.For example, if a conversation with a senior citizen with severe hearing loss is necessary, the voice from outside is actually worn by the person with severe hearing loss. You can talk directly through the earphones and the response can be communicated through the microphone. In addition, if you just want to confirm the safety, etc., rather than the conversation, you can intercept the sound of life through the microphone from outside. Also, in the case of simultaneous broadcast from the office around the inside and outside of a nursing home, etc., it is possible to use the common radio wave of the target person to direct the message to each person's earphone, In the case of contact, the individual earphones can be selectively sounded by individual radio waves, it is also possible to relay external telephones to individuals, etc.In addition, if you wander outside the museum, You can also detect your whereabouts using the source of individual radio waves as a clue. By these means, it is possible to solve the above-mentioned eighth problem.

[0008]

[Embodiment of the invention]

 The hearing aid of the present invention is a basic form that is worn on the head like a headphone, for example, and a semi-circular headband for hanging on the head has a long end where both ends are almost at the upper positions of the left and right ears. At both ends, a configuration for hearing aid for the left and right ears is provided.The configuration consists of a microphone for sound collection and an amplification for amplifying the output signal. A circuit and an earphone for generating sound with its amplified output are connected via an electric cord.In particular, the microphone and the earphone are well separated from each other. It is configured to be connected via a power switch that operates automatically. This power switch is provided on the above-mentioned headband, and is depressed and turned on when the headband is put on the head, and automatically turned off when the headband is removed from the head. In addition, the above-mentioned headband is hung on the head, and the volume of the left and right is easily adjusted while listening to the sound. A volume control knob was provided for each of the above amplifier circuits. Furthermore, the center of the above headband is equipped with a short-range radio wave transmission / reception circuit and its antenna. It is a hearing aid that also enables hearing assistance at the same time.

[0009]

An embodiment of the hearing aid of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a front view showing the configuration of the device, and FIG. 1B is a side view for the left ear. Although the right ear is not shown, it is symmetrical with the left ear. FIG. 1C is an explanatory diagram of another method for automatically operating a power switch. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the electric circuit configuration of the entire instrument.

First, a headband 1a shown in FIG. 1A has a semicircular shape for hanging on a head, and a left ear case 2a is attached to one end of the headband 1a in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1B, the inside of the battery 2a is divided into a portion for accommodating a battery 3a of, for example, AAA type, and a portion for accommodating the circuit board 5a. The structure is such that it is pressed and held by the holding spring 4a for ease. The circuit board houses the circuit board 5a fixed so as not to move. As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 5a has a microphone 6a, an amplifier circuit 8a for amplifying and amplifying an electric signal from the microphone 6a, and a rotary variable circuit for increasing / decreasing the amplification. It comprises a resistor and a volume control knob 7a integrally formed with the resistor. The volume control knob 7a used here is located on the head at the time of use, and is used to find the location without looking at it and operate it directly by hand. The non-amplifying circuit 8a is made as small as possible, for example, by using microelectronic components such as chip-type semiconductors and chip-type resistors. The electric signal amplified and amplified by the amplifier circuit 8a is output to an earphone 10a via an electric cord 9a. The microphone 6a is mounted on the upper end of the circuit board 5a so that the distance between the microphone 6a and the earphone 10a is far away as shown in FIG. 1 (B). The earphone 10a is mounted so as to face forward so that the sound collection sensitivity in the direction in which the earphone 10a is located is reduced as much as possible. Furthermore, a case 2b for the right ear is attached to the other end of the headband 1a. The inside of this case 2b has the same configuration as that for the left ear described above, and houses a battery 3b and a circuit board 5b (not shown). The configuration of the circuit board 5b is as shown in FIG. It comprises a microphone 6b, an amplification circuit 8b, and a volume control knob 7b integrated with a rotary variable resistor. Further, the output of the amplifier circuit 8b is connected to an earphone 10b via an electric cord 9b. As shown in FIG. 2, a power supply for operating the above-described circuit is formed by connecting a battery 3a and a battery 3b in series, and supplying the power to both the amplifier circuits 8a and 8b via a power switch 11. The power switch 11 shown in FIG. 2 is the power switch 11a shown in the mounted state in FIG. 1A, and is fixed to the headband 1a, and the rear surface thereof is shown in FIG. Have been. One of a plate-like switch lever 12 having a spring property is fixed to the power switch 11a, and the other side is free to move around the fixed side as a fulcrum, and the free side is in contact with the user's head. Then, the power switch 11a is turned on. Accordingly, when the user puts the headband 1a on his / her head, the power switch 11a is pressed by the head and the power switch 11a is turned on. When the user removes the headband from his / her head, the switch lever 12 is returned by the spring property and turned off. Next, an embodiment of another method for operating the switch in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the headband will be described with reference to FIG. The figure is a partially enlarged view for explanation. A part of a semicircular headband 1b hung on the head has a joint structure rotatable around a rotating shaft 13, and one of the joints has a power supply. The switch 11b is fixedly provided, and includes a spring 14 that is pulled in a direction to close the joint. With this configuration, when the headband 1b is put on the head, the joint is further opened from the state shown in the figure, and the power switch 11b is pressed and turned on. The unit is closed, and the power switch 11b is turned off. Although this method requires a joint structure, it has the advantage that hair does not get tangled when hooked on the head because the switch lever does not protrude.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1A, a radio wave transmitting / receiving circuit 16 is provided at the center of the headband 1 a as an integral part of the antenna 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the radio wave transmission / reception circuit 16 includes a reception circuit 17 and a transmission circuit 18, and these are high-frequency circuits having a short-range ultrashort frequency which is generally permitted to be used. The contact c of the transmission / reception switch 19 is the receiving side, and the antenna 15 is connected to the input of the receiving circuit 17 to form a receiving state, whereby the information received from a remote place is output in the form of a low frequency signal. Then, the signal enters both the amplifier circuit 8a and the amplifier circuit 8b, and can be heard by the earphone 10a and the earphone 10b. The other contact d is the transmitting side, and the antenna 15 is connected to the output of the transmitting circuit 18 to establish a transmitting state. The signal of the sound collected by the microphone 6b is amplified by the amplifier circuit 8b. And transmitted as a high-frequency signal to a location remote from the antenna 15. Although the transmission / reception changeover switch 19 is illustrated as moving mechanically in order to facilitate the description of the operation function, a switch that is actually used is a well-known type in which the switching operation is repeatedly performed at high speed in a time-division manner. It is an electronic switch circuit.

The electrical wiring between the respective circuits shown in FIG. 2 is not shown in FIG. 1, but is entirely provided inside the headband 1a so as not to be touched from the outside to protect the electric wires. It has an embedded configuration. In the above, the embodiment having all the functions of the present invention has been described.However, in order to reduce the production cost and to reduce the battery consumption, it is not possible to configure only the functions according to the purpose. Of course, a configuration excluding the radio wave transmission / reception circuit 16 and the antenna 15 and a configuration only for one of the left ear and the right ear are naturally possible.

[0013]

[Effect of the invention]

 The hearing aid of the present invention can output a loud volume with good sound quality from the earphone, and there is no volume limit to suppress howling. Due to the three-dimensional listening with a good balance from the ear and the significant improvement in performance such as the ability to hear words containing noise, even people with severe hearing impairment who could not be satisfied with conventional hearing aids can talk with people Hearing functions necessary for general home life such as watching TV and telephone / TV can be secured. Also, when going out, for example, it is possible to independently respond to calls at hospitals and banks, to participate in group trips, etc., to secure hearing functions necessary for normal social life, etc. Provided a great effect. In terms of handling, power consumption is reduced by the automatic operation of the power switch, the ability to adjust the volume while listening to the actual sound, the use of large batteries that are easy to handle, and the use of rechargeable batteries. For example, it can be used continuously for a long time without worrying, and it can provide convenience to more people for the aging society, which is further progressing in the future. Furthermore, facilitating communication with severely hearing-impaired persons from a distant place has a great effect of improving communication means in living such as elderly people living alone and nursing homes. Note that the hearing aid function of the present invention is not limited to the use for hearing-impaired persons, but can enhance the hearing sensitivity of healthy hearing persons.For example, birdwatching outdoors, nighttime security without visibility, and industrial It can also be used for audio-visual examinations, etc., and can also be used as a wireless earphone that can listen to extremely low-volume sounds while moving, when watching AV equipment indoors at midnight. On the other hand, a headband-type function that can transmit and receive radio waves for short distances can be used as a hands-free transceiver with both hands free for communication during group activities such as cycling and motorcycle touring.

[0014]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view, a left ear side view, and a partial explanatory view of a hearing aid of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall circuit configuration of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a 1b Headband 3a 3b Battery 5a 5b Circuit board 6a 6b Microphone 7a 7b Volume control knob 8a 8b Amplification circuit 10a 10b Earphone 11a 11b Power switch 12 Switch lever 15 Antenna 16 Radio transmission / reception circuit

Claims (5)

[Utility model registration claims] 1. A semicircular headband for hanging on a head, microphones for sound collection provided at both ends for a left ear and a right ear, and an amplifier circuit for amplifying an output signal thereof. And an earphone connected via an electric cord for generating sound with the amplified output, and a hearing aid connected with a battery for the power source via a power switch. 2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the power switch is turned on when the headband is put on the head, and turned off when the headband is removed. 3. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the headband is worn on the head while listening to the sound from the earphone, and the volume of the audible sound can be easily adjusted.
A hearing aid equipped with large-scale volume control knobs for each of the left and right amplifier circuits that can be located even if they are not visible. 4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein a radio wave transmitting / receiving circuit and an antenna thereof are provided in the headband, a sound received from a remote place is listened to by the earphone, and a sound from the microphone is heard. A hearing aid that transmits to a remote location. 5. A microphone for collecting sound, an amplifier circuit for amplifying an output signal of the microphone, and an earphone connected via an electric cord for generating sound with the amplified output, and a power supply for these power sources. A hearing aid provided with a configuration in which batteries are connected via a power switch on a semicircular headband for hanging on a head.