DE102021006311A1 - construction element - Google Patents

Abstract

A structural element (100) for the head area of a person as a hearing aid is proposed, characterized in that the structural element (100) has at least one structural element (10) which is designed to be self-retaining or has at least one holder (12), the structural element (100 ) is suitable due to its shape and its internal structure and is intended to guide incoming air essentially through the structural element (100) in order to release the air again at a suitable point.

Description

The invention relates to a construction element, in particular for use in bicycle helmets.

State of the art

When air moves around the human body, due to the physical properties of air, a perceptible noise develops in the ear from a certain speed of air movement. Even at relatively low flow speeds, this flow noise covers or influences all other acoustic perceptions of the human ear.

The basis for the physical consideration of this problem are explanations for improving the quality of hearing, which biological evolution has developed in the hearing organs of corresponding wild animals, such as lynx, wolf, deer, etc.... In this case, negative hearing impairments caused by wind are not achieved by dissipating it, but by targeted modulation of the air flow, i.e. reducing the air flow speed at the ear and avoiding turbulence and air flow breaks.

Solutions are disclosed that use or are made of soft materials such as the DE000001710056U "Motorcycle goggles" or the US000005477564A , "Wind noise reducing earfoil". These formations are designed to more or less cover and enclose the ear. The material there is also essentially used to completely evacuate air or to support the fit and increase comfort, especially when attaching it.

A "hearing-effective measure for road users" is also known DE 20 2010 016 336 U1 . The measure is intended to keep airflow and air turbulence away from the ears of road users whose ears are directly in the airstream. To do this, an object, such as a plate, is placed against the head in front of the ear at right angles to the flow direction of the air flowing past.

However, this complete deflection of the air flow at the ear is counterproductive in that the flow breaks away at the edges of the plate above a certain flow speed and this creates a backflow with turbulence, which acoustically eliminates the previously positive acoustic deflection effect.

In the case of the known static wind deflection elements, there is a problem of inherent noise generation. The flow noises become louder and louder as the speed increases linearly, since the noise-reducing concept and design implemented there in the known devices negatively opposes an increase in speed.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device which is suitable for eliminating flow noises generated by air flows around the human head in the human ear and for generating a normal hearing situation reduced by the flow noise.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is disclosed by the features of the main claim. Embodiments and developments are the subject matter of the further claims that follow the main claim.

A construction element is disclosed which has at least two construction parts which, in the way they are designed and combined and in the hitherto unknown method of use, justify the innovation of the construction. The construction element acts as a hearing aid.

On the one hand, the construction element has a first, air-permeable construction part, a structural element made of a fabric or mesh material, fiber structure material or the like for reducing the flow speed and local return to a laminar flow.

On the other hand, a further, second structural part is designed as a technical mount that is appropriate for the material of the structural element, in order to preferably position this material of the structural element in front of the ear. This positioning is the best way to influence the air flow in terms of reducing the flow velocity and eliminating existing air turbulence and preventing turbulence caused by the air flow past the ear. The aim is to harmonize the flow and the boundary layers when the air flow passes the ear.

The positioning of the structural element in front of the ear has the additional advantage that rearward sound sources are reflected towards the ear on the structural element and can therefore be perceived better. The air permeability of the construction element through the appropriate choice of the material of the structural element ments can be designed in such a way that the development of flow noise is completely prevented by the construction element for predetermined, defined flow speeds, for example by varying the material thickness, the number and size of meshes of the net material and a constructive, streamlined shape. In special cases, the two construction parts mentioned could flow into one another.

The construction element can also be included as an integral part of an existing product, such as a helmet, goggles, etc., e.g. by enlarging the chin strap on the side of a helmet or by suitably pulling down the helmet shell. The structural element thus consciously and purposefully directs flow air through the device designed according to the invention with the first and the second structural part in order to release the flow air again in a defined manner at another point of the device.

The air can flow through the first structural part, i.e. the structural element. The effect is that it reduces the flow speed and existing turbulence and creates a laminar flow at the ear. This also prevents the formation of vortices at the tear-off edges of the ear and also at the outer edges of the two construction parts. This eliminates flow-acoustic effects of the air flow and prevents renewed turbulence.

Another effect is an underflow, i.e. the generation of a second parallel air flow to the causally disturbing air flow at the ear, with a defined, reduced amount of air adapted to the respective speed, which then creates a corresponding turbulence of the remaining air, which is then still at the ear and the Construction element flows past, prevents and only allows again far behind the ear or the head. The effect of creating this second air flow comes from several parts. On the one hand, because the air flows past the ear at a lower flow rate and, on the other hand, because it has a higher static pressure or relatively higher pressure than the air flowing past it in parallel. This creates an expansion and suction effect into the faster flow, which in turn suppresses turbulence and thus prevents noise.

In a further exemplary embodiment, a structural element with the structural element and the holder is three-dimensional. There is practically no deflection of the air in front of the structural element, since the impinging air always enters the structural element almost completely and, in particular, is guided backwards through the structural element and into the various sides and is released from there into the boundary layer of the air flowing past. Depending on the shape and internal structure of the structural element, it can be defined which part should come out on the sides and which part should flow past the ear behind the structural element. This allows the necessary acoustic reduction effects to be specifically defined for certain air flow speeds. This is done by adjusting for best effect at predefined airflow speeds.

In the case of the construction element, the physical effect is also geared to the effect that, at higher speeds, a stronger reduction effect is automatically generated by the higher through-flow speed or the higher air quantity.

By using the construction element according to the invention with the structural element and the holder, more air is passed through the construction element when the inflow velocity is increased, which air can then better eliminate the backflow directly at the ear.

The formation in the three-dimensional form results in additional positive effects, since the additional air, the increase in the proportion of air that flows into the device at higher speeds, increases the rear and also the lateral outflow quantities. In this way, the greater turbulence that occurs at higher air flow speeds can be better counteracted and an active calming of the flow is achieved. The renewed and increased formation of turbulence can thus be better intercepted. This effect is an advantage of the three-dimensional design, since with increasing speed the construction element itself can expand or strengthen its "sphere of action" in a streamlined manner.

The construction element can be manufactured in different configurations by designing the wind-breaking material of the structural element in such a way that the flow speed at the ear is reduced to exactly the right amount for a specific driving speed or air speed, e.g. when cycling in city traffic, for racing cyclists, for Height workers in a storm. The right training can be used easily and specifically for every wind speed range.

The material of the structural element can be in the form of a mesh material, for example. In the In this design, the form of the mesh is a basic form or initial form of the entire device of the construction element, because the design of the corresponding variable flow-through surface, in relation to the air flow to be reduced or the air speed, specifically influences the modulation of the flow, which also is a corresponding development concept of this device. It should not only be aimed at a wide range of applications, but also at the possibility of solving very specific acoustic problems with this device.

The function of the mesh material of the structural element is achieved in that the turbulence that already exists around the head is compensated for by the mesh material, broken up and converted back into a laminar flow from a corresponding flow speed. This function essentially outweighs the disadvantage of the slight deflection of the flow due to a dynamic pressure occurring in front of the network. For this reason, the mesh material must also be sufficiently permeable so that there is hardly any back pressure or discharge. A multi-layer mesh can be advantageous at this point, as this also reduces the cross flow of the turbulence in a staggered form. Against this background, an enlargement of this permeable structural element in the Z-axis is also found to be particularly effective, since the turbulences are completely eliminated in the area over the dimension of the Z-axis of the material. In addition, renewed formation of turbulence in the edge area of the flow around the structural element is reduced by an additional effect of the inflow into the surrounding boundary layer, the so-called blowing into the boundary layer.

If the construction element is designed with a three-dimensional structural element, the shape of this element is a further development of the two-dimensional network shape of the structural element. The basic idea when designing the structural element with a mesh is that the air flow essentially passes through the structural element in order to eliminate undesirable flow-acoustic effects on the other side by means of a corresponding speed reduction and freedom from turbulence. With this type of network and a corresponding ratio of inflow velocity and the desired reduced velocity, this causes a certain dynamic pressure in front of the structural element at higher velocities, with this pressure equalizing upwards, downwards and laterally past the head, with possibly negative flow-acoustic effects, such as turbulence at the tear-off edges , holding parts, etc.

A variant of the use of the structural material or mesh material in the construction element forms the corresponding further development of the mesh material in the spatial plane as a three-dimensional shape and has the effect that, with a further reducible flow velocity behind the construction element, no dynamic pressure forms in front of the construction element, which would cause an unfavorable flow around the Device would generate, but that the amount of air not discharged to the rear defined by the construction element are discharged over all lateral open surfaces of the construction element. With this form of flow control, a targeted calming and flow stabilization of the air flowing past occurs through a "blow-in effect" in the boundary layers of the air flow passing around the construction element.

This effect in the three-dimensional structural element explains the fact that the structural element into which the air flows from the front not only comes out with a corresponding delay through the structural element at the rear, but is also introduced into the surrounding air via the lateral surfaces of the structural element. This means that the air that flows into the front of the construction element partly goes straight through, but also escapes laterally via the surfaces. This lateral outlet eliminates the formation of vortices in the air flowing past in the boundary layer to the structural element.

An important point in the three-dimensional flow modulation is that the corresponding amount of air, which hits the structural element from the front, essentially completely penetrates the structural element and only then flows up and down and onto the one open side surface accordingly due to pressure gradients within the structural element the remaining amount of air is passed through at a reduced flow speed at the rear, so that a corresponding reduced speed range with a higher static pressure can prevent renewed formation of turbulence in the air flowing around. Due to the corresponding possibility of introducing air into the boundary layer of the air flowing past via the side surfaces, under-ventilation is promoted and a significantly longer laminar flow past the ear is thus generated. In this way, a laminar flow is generated from a turbulent flow at the ear.

This counteracts a problem from the prior art, namely that the flow lines are compressed there due to the displacement of air to the side, so that very much higher flow velocities occur locally than the initial flow itself has. Thus, the features of the invention achieve that there is no significant local flow rate increase.

In this context, the structural possibility of influencing the ratio of the volume of air currently flowing through to the volume of air introduced laterally into the flow by the structural element should be pointed out. This ratio is important for different flow rate ranges as areas of use.

The vented air over the lateral surfaces produces a corresponding reduction in boundary surface turbulence, allowing for an air cushion that directs the outer flow past turbulence-free.

The practical enlargement of the structural material in the z-axis of the structural element increases the air intake capability of this structural device, since more air-emitting surface is available laterally with lower flow velocities in terms of quantity balance, especially behind the structural element on the ear, and this drastically reduces the dynamic pressure that occurs in Consequence can again produce negative flow effects by the outflow past the construction element in a derivative function.

The structural element acts like a diffuser, in which it allows the air entering the front of the structural element to exit in all directions, from all surfaces of the structural element flowed around and introduces it in a defined manner transversely to the boundary layer of the air flowing past. I.e. also on the upper and lower surface, on the side surface and on the back surface, i.e. the surface directly in front of the ear with regard to the flow. This creates a laminar "wind bell" that is inherently capable of equalizing and eliminating the turbulence of the outer flow.

What all of the structural elements shown have in common with a design of the structural element as a mesh and with structural material is that the corresponding components and structural elements, which are located in the direct air flow, have a very small geometry in terms of flow technology. In the case of a net device, the design of the structural element has, for example, threads, holding rods, etc..., in the case of structured elements, for example, fibers in different designs, e.g. with different fiber strengths, and optionally inner or outer support elements or others. This means that these structural elements do not develop their own turbulence at the flow velocities considered here in the air flow and the formation of a turbulent flow from these structural elements themselves, beyond the correspondingly necessary Reynolds number, is hardly achieved for the applications considered here.

The construction element can be designed in such a way that it is formed from an L-shaped frame or bracket which is fastened to the helmet or a strap by means of a clip. A mesh or a suitable material is stretched between two L-shaped mesh holders, which extends laterally away from the ear.

The side net holders can be designed flexibly and designed so that at defined speeds they are positioned slightly backwards or strongly backwards in order to optimally reduce the corresponding flow speed acoustically. Side bars or brackets may curve slightly backwards in shape to streamline the mesh material, or forwards to provide more flow through the structural element.

A firmer mesh material that achieves such a self-supporting function would also be conceivable. No additional net holders are required. With the soft nets, the turbulence reduction in the air flow is better, since their elasticity extracts more energy from the flow and harmonizes the flow better.

The air-permeable structural material or the air-permeable construction can be designed in such a way that the air flow that flows into the structural element at the front part, i.e. at the inlet, and is formed and guided through channels in the structural element in such a way that it comes out in a targeted manner at a defined point to generate a corresponding flow pattern and flow reductions after the structural element.

When positioned in front of the ear, noises coming from behind can be acoustically reflected by a suitable device on the construction element. The effect can be intensified with appropriate structural design, for example sound-reflecting elements on the back, or coating.

Instead of the net material, a kind of comb with soft rods modeled on the hair on the ears of wild animals could also serve as a flow-modulating structural element. This would be likened to a small upside down broomstick in a three dimensional modulation in the cubic form.

The structural element can be attached to or through a helmet strap. By the Helmet band means, for example, under the helmet band, between the band and the head. The attachment to the helmet strap can also be realized with Velcro. The helmet strap could already contain a Velcro part or one could be sewn on there and then only the object would have to be adapted accordingly.

The structural element could also function as an integral part of the helmet, i.e. for example as an attachment to the side, which can be positioned or is structurally positioned in such a way that the function of the device is given.

The helmet strap could also be designed in such a way that it contains this structural element as an integral part.

A helmet strap could also be formed from a double band that is elastic, air-permeable, or is designed like a sleeve around or contains the webbing, into which the air-permeable structural element can be pushed from one side above or below. It could be pushed in or pulled out as needed. This could be used if a different air permeability is required for different speed ranges, e.g. downhill, at a higher speed in order to reduce high flow speeds in a targeted manner. In this case, a different modulation of the air flow would be necessary. The construction element or the structural material in its entirety can also be attached directly to the helmet strap in a simple manner via an elastic band.

The construction element can also be attached to glasses or other frames or straps such as a sweatband, headband, cap, helmet, headphones, loudspeakers or the like, which are attached to the head or another place, e.g. on the neck or on the shoulder possible. The construction element can be executed in these objects as an integral part. The construction element can also be integrated into side impact protection systems on the head or attached directly to the ear using a headband.

The effect of the construction of the construction element is based on a reduction in the air velocity flowing past the ear and a modulation of the flow situation around the head, essentially the air coming from the front. Here, not only the design of the element is decisive, but also the positioning of the element on the ear. The technical implementation creates an air flow modulation on the ear, so that the wind noise is acoustically eliminated, but the perception of all other remaining ambient noises / sound sources is not impaired, such as when the ear is shielded by complete or partial coverage or shielding in one direction by sound-impermeable material .

The design element is therefore not about diverting the flow, but about deliberately guiding it through and modifying it so that a defined flow is applied to the ear, which is suitable for buffering or supporting the corresponding external flow so that there is no turbulence in the ear are or can get there to generate acoustic interference or flow noise. The construction element generates a modulation of the flow to a level that is suitable as a result of no longer generating any disturbing flow noises on the ear. The air flow at the ear is not eliminated, but modulated flow-acoustically.

The following exemplary versions of the descriptions of the figures are essentially based on the area of noise reduction due to airflow and also on the use of bicycles, especially since the wind noise in the main area of use of this activity is disruptive or impairs safety. The construction element according to the invention also results in a significant increase in safety, since the sources of danger that exist in road traffic can be identified much better and thus earlier. In particular, potential hazards to the rear, e.g. approaching vehicles, can be identified earlier and localized better and more clearly.

The circle of perception increases many times over, especially in the speed range that is mainly used by a bicycle (15 - 25 km/h). This is primarily to the rear and sides, as visual perception is generally exclusively forward and limited to the side. This is particularly relevant for e-bikes. You can reach 25 km/h with motor support. At this speed, vehicles behind are hardly audible or only very late when they are already very close. The construction element can also be used in other activities where speed is actively sought, such as skiing, skateboarding, inline skating, etc. Use is also possible in areas exposed to the wind as part of other activities such as alpinism, work at heights, storms, roof work or other manual activities, etc.

Further advantages and advantageous configurations of the invention are shown in the following Figu description, the drawings and the claims.

• 1 zeigt ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel eines Konstruktionselements in einer isometrischen Ansicht von der Seite,
• 2 zeigt ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel für dreidimensionale Strömungsmodulatoren in einer isometrischen Ansicht,
• 3 stellt die schematische Funktionsweise des ersten Ausführungsbeispiels aus 1 in einer Draufsicht dar,
• 4 zeigt die Funktionsweise des ersten Ausführungsbeispiels aus 1 mit einer zweidimensionalen Strömungsmodulation in einer Draufsicht,
• 5 zeigt eine Draufsicht auf das zweite Ausführungsbeispiel aus 2 mit der schematischen Darstellung der Funktionsweise dar,
• 6 stellt die Funktionsweise des zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel in einer weiteren Draufsicht dar,
• 7 zeigt eine Funktionsweise einer dreidimensionalen Strömungsmodulation des zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels in einer isometrischen Ansicht von der Seite,
• 8 stellt eine dreidimensionale Strömungsmodulation des zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels in isometrischer Ansicht dar,
• 9 zeigt schematisch die Anbringung des zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels an einem Ohr von der Seite,
• 10 stellt eine weitere Anbringungsmöglichkeit von der Seite dar,
• 11 stellt in einer isometrischen Ansicht ein weiteres, drittes Ausführungsbeispiel für eine dreidimensionale Strömungsmodulation dar,
• 12 zeigt eine abgewandelte Anordnung des Konstruktionselements in einer schematischen isometrischen Ansicht,
• 13 stellt eine weitere Variante des zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels in einer isometrischen Ansicht dar,
• 14 zeigt einen vergrößerten Detailausschnitt eines Strukturelements,
• 15 stellt ein Ausführungsbeispiel für eine eindimensionale Strömungsmodulation mit einer kammförmigen Anordnung schräg von der Seite dar und
• 16 zeigt eine Paketanordnung von flexiblen Stäben schräg von der Seite.

An exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached schematic drawings. It shows:

• 1 shows a first embodiment of a construction element in an isometric view from the side,
• 2 shows a second embodiment for three-dimensional flow modulators in an isometric view,
• 3 shows the schematic operation of the first embodiment 1 in a plan view,
• 4 shows the operation of the first embodiment 1 with a two-dimensional flow modulation in a plan view,
• 5 12 shows a plan view of the second embodiment 2 with a schematic representation of how it works,
• 6 shows the functionality of the second embodiment in a further plan view,
• 7 shows how a three-dimensional flow modulation of the second embodiment works in an isometric view from the side,
• 8th represents a three-dimensional flow modulation of the second embodiment in an isometric view,
• 9 shows schematically the attachment of the second embodiment to an ear from the side,
• 10 represents another attachment option from the side,
• 11 is an isometric view of another, third embodiment for a three-dimensional flow modulation,
• 12 shows a modified arrangement of the construction element in a schematic isometric view,
• 13 represents another variant of the second embodiment in an isometric view,
• 14 shows an enlarged detail of a structural element,
• 15 FIG. 12 shows an exemplary embodiment for a one-dimensional flow modulation with a comb-shaped arrangement obliquely from the side and
• 16 shows a package arrangement of flexible rods at an angle from the side.

In 1 a construction element 100 is shown. The structural element 100 has a structural element 10 and a holder 12 . The structural element 10 has two holding elements 14 for the structural element 10 . The structural element 10 is made of an air-permeable mesh material. The holding elements 14 serve to hold the structural element 10 which is stretched between the two holding elements 14 . With the bracket 12, the construction element 100 is arranged at an attachment point. The bracket 12 is designed here as a terminal strip. In this example, the attachment point is a helmet strap 16 on which the holder 12 is arranged.

2 shows a further embodiment of the structural element 100. In this embodiment, the holder 12 is designed as a Velcro strip adapted to the helmet strap 16 and consists of a first Velcro strip 18 and a counterpart, the second Velcro strip 20. The structural element 10 is made of air-permeable structural material, which is adapted to the second Velcro strip 20 and can therefore be attached to the first Velcro strip 10 as a counterpart.

In 3 a schematic representation of air flow velocities in the head area at the ear of a person is shown. Designated is a head outside 22 and the position of an ear 24. The structural element 10 is used for the defined reduction of the air flow speed at the ear 24. The shape and size can be or the like according to the conditions of use such as wind speeds, exercised. be adjusted. The air permeability can also be varied, for example by choosing a mesh material with different flow resistances. An outer air flow 26 is shown at an original speed without flow-acoustic audible effects. There is no flow-acoustically relevant turbulence, as there is an air cushion under the flow. An inner air flow 28 has a reduced speed at the ear, so that this reduced inner air flow 28 does not produce any audible flow noise directly at the ear. Further air flow 30 leads past the head and the structural element 100 .

4 Fig. 1 shows the functioning for a two-dimensional flow modulation. In contrast to the solutions mentioned in the prior art, there is no turbulence in the outer flow 26, whereas in the prior art due to the resulting tear-off edge, however, there is strong turbulence. The inner air flow 28 has a correspondingly reduced speed at the ear, so that no flow noises can be heard from this inner air flow 28 . Flow flows through the structural element 10 and turbulence vortices are dissolved. This is achieved by preventing or disrupting cross-currents of the vortices when flowing through the material of the structural element 10, for example a net. Only one velocity vector in the z-direction is maintained if the mesh size is selected to be narrow enough according to the velocity according to the Reynolds number or if the material is used in multiple layers. The flow vectors in the longitudinal direction remain at different speeds. Behind the structural element 100, these match each other again, on a laminar, flow-acoustically optimized level. The directions of flow in the vortices of the air are denoted by the reference numeral 32 .

5 shows schematically the air flow velocities. An extension of the dimension of the structural element in the z-axis is also shown. The inner air flow 28 has a reduced speed at the ear, so that no audible flow noises are generated directly at the ear by this reduced inner air flow 28 . In addition, in this variant of the structural element 100, air 34a emerges laterally with the representation of the flow as a lateral underflow of the boundary layer to avoid flow vortices at the boundary layer and a backflow at the separation edge.

6 FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of airflow velocities in relation to pressure conditions. The outer airflow 26 has a higher velocity and thus has a lower static pressure, similar to an airplane wing effect. The inner air flow 28 has a lower speed and thus a higher static pressure in relation to the outer air flow 26. The air cushion expands and, as a result of the expansion, again counteracts the formation of vortices in the outer air flow 26. A lateral pressure drop 34 at the boundary layer to the outer air flow 26 is shown. This prevents the formation of eddies at the boundary layer as a result of inflow into the boundary layer. There is also no backflow at the structural element edge. The air flow past the head 30 enables an almost uniform pressure profile within the flow.

7 shows the functioning of an exemplary embodiment as a schematic representation in a view that shows how the flow-through area is expanded in the Z-axis in order to achieve improved turbulence compensation of the air flowing through. There is an additional effect due to the release of air via the outer surfaces. This causes air to be “blown in” from below, represented by S (a), S (b), S (c), into the respective boundary layers of the air flowing past the structural element 10 and additionally stabilizes the air flowing past against renewed formation of turbulence especially at the tear-off edges and to prevent backflow. The flow S (d), which passes through the structural element 10, generates a laminar flow behind the structural element 10 and forms an air cushion that prevents turbulence in the air flow around the structural element 10. In this exemplary embodiment, the structural element 10 is made of air-permeable cubic structural material through which air can flow in all directions.

8th shows a mode of operation of a three-dimensional flow modulation with a schematic representation of the mass flows. A mass M(d) flowing through is reduced by the partial masses M(a), M(b) and M(c), which further reduces the flow speed behind the structural element 10 . In this exemplary embodiment, the structural element 10 is made of air-permeable cubic structural material through which air can flow in all directions.

9 FIG. 12 represents a further possibility of attaching the structural element 10. A retaining bracket 36 is suitable in terms of shape and material for being fastened to an ear 38. FIG. The retaining bracket 36 is designed, for example, as a correspondingly shaped plastic bracket. The structural element 10 made of air-permeable structural material, for example made of air-permeable three-dimensional structural material, is attached to the holding bracket 36 .

10 shows a possibility of attachment to the helmet strap 16 of a helmet 40. The structural element 10 is formed here from air-permeable cubic structural material through which air can flow in all directions.

11 shows a special case for three-dimensional flow modulations. The way it works is based on the same fluidic principle as with other three-dimensional modulations, but the design is adapted in such a way that in this variant it can be easily combined with other objects that are used at the same time, e.g. open-ear headphones, glasses, hearing aids, etc. The In this example, the attachment point is an ear hook of a headphone. Attachment to open-ear headphones, for example, enables use with an additional acoustic device. It is an attachment device 44 for others elements arranged. For example, the structural element can be arranged with a suitable recess or also directly on the ear clip 42 on an active loudspeaker of a headphone. In this exemplary embodiment, the structural element 10 is formed from air-permeable mesh or structural material which is arranged on a suitable load-bearing frame so that the air flowing in at the front exits via the rear and side surfaces. The mesh or structural material can thus achieve the desired flow modulation on the ear through a suitable choice of air permeability on the various surfaces.

12 shows another embodiment of the structural element 10, which is formed in a semi-circular shape. This produces the same results with due regard for proper local air permeability.

13 represents a further equipment variant for a three-dimensional flow modulation. To improve the perception of rear sound sources, the structural element 10 can be equipped with additional sound reflectors 46 on the back. The structural element 10 is made of air-permeable cubic structural material and can be flowed through in all directions. The sound reflector 46 is made of sound-reflecting material to improve the audibility of rearward sound sources. The mass M(d) flowing through is reduced by the partial masses M(a), M(b) and M(c), and is also influenced by the reflection surface of the sound reflector 46, which, however, is influenced by the partial mass flows M(a) to M( c) and can be compensated for by increased air permeability in the Z direction.

14 shows an enlarged detail of the structural element 10. The structural element 10 is formed from a fiber structure with an inherent support function. The structure of the structural elements 10 is comparable to the structure of air filter fabrics for filtering coarse particles. This means that they have a very high ability to penetrate air with a very low pressure difference required for this. The structural element 10 or its material is made of plastic fibers of different thicknesses and configurations and has a certain inherent stability.

15 12 shows the structural element 10 in an exemplary embodiment for a one-dimensional flow modulation. On a holder 48 for a comb-shaped arrangement 50. The holder 48 can be, for example, a terminal strip on the helmet strap. The comb-shaped arrangement 50 has flexible rods which are arranged on a holding element. The rod-shaped structure of the comb-shaped arrangement 50 influences the air flow in one dimension, the Y-direction. This means that turbulence in this direction is prevented from spreading and the flow calms down as it flows through the structural element 10 in one dimension, namely the Y-axis.

16 shows the embodiment 15 with an arrangement of several comb-shaped arrangements 50 to form a package arrangement 54. Turbulence calming can be increased by connecting several rod-shaped structural elements in series, which form comb-shaped arrangements 50 15 are formed to achieve this package arrangement 54.

Structural elements 10 with solidified fibers with a similar structure are also suitable in terms of construction, these being made of different raw materials and being comparable to abrasive pads, support materials for filter fleeces in air filter technology or the like. These structural elements 10 have fine structures similar to those of the filter fleeces mentioned above, but are inherently more stable and less sensitive to the weather. What both have in common is a fundamentally very high air penetration rate.

A corresponding modulation of the air flow within the structural element can be achieved by a progressive build-up, which is compressed in one direction, as is usual with nonwoven filter fabrics, or by structural shaping within the structural element 10 with regard to the fiber arrangement or compression, or of the structural element 10 itself. Since a variety of industrial materials and designs can be used for modeling the structural element 10 in order to achieve the desired technical function, each of these designs is referred to as "structural element 10".

All of the features presented in the description, the following claims and the drawings can be essential to the invention both individually and in any combination with one another.

Reference List

10

structural element

12

bracket

14

Holding element for 10

16

helmet strap

18

first velcro

20

second Velcro as counterpart

22

head outside

24

position ear

26

external air flow

28

internal airflow

30

Air flow past the head and structural element 100

32

Flow directions in the vortex

34

pressure drop

34a

underflow of the boundary layer

36

mounting bracket

38

Ear

40

helmet

42

earhook

44

attachment device

46

sound reflector

48

Bracket for 50

50

Comb arrangement

52

Holding element for sticks of 50

54

package arrangement

S (a)

Direction of air flowing through A-axis

S (b)

Direction of air flowing through B-axis

S(c)

Direction of air flowing through A-axis opposite S (a)

S (d)

Direction of air flowing through Z-axis

m (0)

incoming air mass

M (a)

first partial mass

M (b)

second partial mass

M (c)

third partial mass

m (d)

air mass flowing through

100

construction element

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• DE 000001710056 U [0004]
• US000005477564A [0004]
• DE 202010016336 U1 [0005]

Claims (21)

Structural element (100) for the head area of a person as a hearing aid, characterized in that the structural element (100) has at least one structural element (10) which is designed to be self-retaining or has at least one holder (12), the structural element (100) being Shape and its internal structure is suitable and intended to pass incoming air substantially through the structural element (100) to release the air at a suitable point again. Construction element (100) after claim 1 , characterized in that the structural element (10) is designed to be air-permeable. Construction element (100) according to one of Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the structural element (10) is designed as a two-dimensional surface structure. Construction element (100) after claim 3 , characterized in that the structural element (10) is formed from a mesh material or a comb-like material. Construction element (100) according to one of Claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the structural element (10) is designed as a spatial three-dimensional structural material. Structural element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an airflow entering the structural element (100) is subjected to targeted modulation when passing through the structural element (100), so that the airflow in its nature regarding the degree of turbulence and/or the speed and/or internal pressures are changed and the air flow exits the structural element (100) again in this changed form. Construction element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural element (10) has at least two holding elements (14). Construction element (100) after claim 7 , characterized in that the holding elements (14) are used to hold the structural element (10) which is clamped between the two holding elements (14). Structural element (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural element (100) is arranged with the bracket (12) at an attachment point. Construction element (100) after claim 9 , characterized in that the attachment point is designed as a helmet strap (16) on which the holder (12) is arranged. Structural element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (12) is designed as a terminal strip. Structural element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (12) is designed as a Velcro strip adapted to the helmet strap (16) and consists of a first Velcro strip (18) and a counterpart, the second Velcro strip (20). Construction element (100) after claim 12 , characterized in that the structural element (10) is adapted to the second Velcro strip (20) and is thus attached as a counterpart to the first Velcro strip (18). Structural element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural element (10) is used for the defined reduction of the air flow speed at an ear (24), in that the shape and size of the structural element (10) are adapted according to the conditions of use and the Air permeability is variable through the arrangement and choice of a mesh or structural material with different flow resistances. Structural element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a retaining bracket (36) for the structural element (10) is designed in shape and material such that it can be fastened to an ear (38). Construction element (100) after claim 15 , characterized in that the retaining clip 36 is designed as a molded plastic clip adapted to the shape of an ear. Construction element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the construction element (100) with other, simultaneously used devices such as open-ear headphones, glasses, hearing aids or active loudspeakers of headphones at an attachment point with an attachment device (44) for the devices is arranged. Construction element (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural element (10) with additional union sound reflectors (46) on the back of the structural element (10) is equipped for better perception of rearward sound sources. Construction element (100) after Claim 18 , characterized in that the sound reflector (46) is formed from sound-reflecting material. Structural element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural element (10) is made of plastic fibers of different thickness and arrangement, non-woven filter material or solidified fibers. Construction element (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural element (10) has an inherent stability.

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