JP2004357198A - Earphone - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an earphone which can obtain a feeling of moderate fit in wearing irrespective of a shape and a scale of an ear of a user. <P>SOLUTION: In the earphone of an ear hanging type, the earphone is fixed on an ear by clamping the ear by using an earphone body 2 with which a speaker is attached, and an ear hanging member 3 which is attached rotatably on the end of the earphone body 2 and in which an attaching angle to the earphone body can be adjusted. To the earphone, a leaf spring 16 which energizes the ear hanging member 3 in the direction in which the degree of a setting angle to the earphone body 2 becomes small, and an adjustment screw 17 which adjusts an urging force which acts on the ear hanging member 3 from the leaf spring 16 is arranged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an earphone for outputting sound, and more particularly to an earphone of an ear-hook type provided with an ear-hook member hooked on an auricle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Since the earphone is small and excellent in portability, it can be used for various purposes. For example, even in a public place such as a train or a library, it is possible to listen to the sound without disturbing the surroundings by using the earphone.
[0003]
Furthermore, in recent years, ear-hook type earphones that have an ear-hook member that hooks on the upper part of the auricle and fix the earphone to the ear in a stable state using this ear-hook member have appeared, such as portable MDs and portable CDs. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). According to the ear-hook type earphone, the ear-hook member is caught on the outer periphery of the pinna in a stable state, and the earphone easily falls off from the ear even when the earphone is worn and the sound is heard while moving. Can be prevented.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-243492 [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
However, in the above-mentioned conventional ear-hook type earphone, although the ear-hook member is formed so as to be curved so as to be properly hooked on the outer periphery of the pinna, depending on the shape and size of the user's ear, the ear-hook type earphone may not be used. There was a problem that an appropriate fit could not be obtained.
[0005]
That is, in the ear-hook type earphone, due to the configuration in which the auricle is sandwiched between the ear-hook member and the earphone body, depending on the person, the pinna may be strongly sandwiched by the ear-hook member and the earphone body, and pain may be felt. Conversely, the force of being pinched was too weak, and the earphone sometimes dropped off from the ear.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to provide an earphone that can obtain an appropriate fit when worn regardless of the shape and size of the user's ear.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has the following configuration.
[0008]
(1) an earphone body to which a speaker is attached;
An ear hanging member which is rotatably attached to an end of the earphone main body, and a part or all of which is formed of an elastic member and whose mounting angle with respect to the earphone main body is adjustable,
An urging member that urges the ear hanging member in a direction in which a mounting angle of the ear hanging member with respect to the earphone body is reduced;
Adjusting means for adjusting the urging force of the urging member.
[0009]
In this configuration, an ear hook member that catches on the ear is rotatably supported at the end of the earphone body, and the ear hook member is opened at an arbitrary angle with respect to the earphone body when the earphone body is worn, so that the earphone body and the ear hook The biasing force of the biasing member that applies force in a direction in which the mounting angle of the ear hanging member with respect to the earphone body is reduced with the earphone fixed to the ear by the ear being sandwiched between the member and the earphone is adjusted by the adjusting unit. .
[0010]
Therefore, when the earphone is used, the strength of the force for pinching the user's ear by the earphone body and the ear hanging member is adjusted to an arbitrary strength of the user, so that the earphone is independent of the shape and size of the user's ear. An appropriate fit with no excess or deficiency is obtained at the time of mounting.
[0011]
(2) The biasing member is a cantilevered leaf spring disposed on the earphone main body such that the free end side thereof comes into pressure contact with a peripheral surface of a cam-shaped member constituting a rotation axis of the ear hanging member. And
The adjusting means is disposed on the earphone main body so as to press a plate surface on the fixed end side of the leaf spring on the fixed contact side with respect to the pressure contact portion with the cam-shaped member, and is provided on the peripheral surface of the cam-shaped member from the leaf spring. It is an adjusting screw for adjusting a force applied to the adjusting screw.
[0012]
In this configuration, the free end side of the leaf spring arranged in a cantilever state is pressed against the peripheral surface of the cam-like member included in the shaft portion of the ear hook member, so that the elastic force of the leaf spring is applied to the ear hook member. Acts as a force that regulates rotation. Then, the magnitude of the force applied from the leaf spring to the peripheral surface of the cam-shaped member is adjusted by the adjusting screw.
[0013]
Therefore, the strength of the force for pinching the user's ear by the earphone body and the ear hanging member is appropriately adjusted with a simple configuration. In particular, in a leaf spring arranged in a cantilever manner, when the adjusting screw is pressed against the fixed end side of the pressure contact with the cam-shaped member, the pressure contact with the adjusting screw in the leaf spring is displaced. Since the strength of the reaction force of the leaf spring at the pressure contact point with the cam-shaped member at the free end side from the point is easily adjusted, the adjustment of the pressure contact force between the leaf spring and the cam-shaped member is easily and easily performed by the adjusting screw. It is done reliably.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an earphone of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an earphone according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1A shows the configuration on the side (outside) opposite to the side that comes into contact with the ear when worn, and FIG. 1B shows the configuration on the side (inside) that comes into contact with the ear when worn. . As shown in these drawings, the earphone 1 includes an earphone main body 2 to which a speaker is attached, and an ear hook member 3 whose one end is rotatably supported at an end of the earphone main body 2.
[0015]
The ear hanging member 3 is a member for fixing the earphone 1 to the ear, and is partially or entirely formed of an elastic body. On the other end side of the ear hanging member 3, a hook portion formed in a curved shape so as to conform to the outer peripheral shape of the ear is formed.
[0016]
The earphone main body 2 includes a housing composed of an upper case 11 located outside when worn and a lower case 12 located inside when worn, and the housing covers the internal structure of the earphone body. .
[0017]
The upper case 11 is formed with a hole (not shown) into which an adjustment screw 17 for adjusting the strength of a force (pinching force) for pinching the user's ear by the earphone body 2 and the ear hook member 3 when worn is screwed. . For this reason, when the adjustment screw 17 is attached to the upper case 11, the shaft of the adjustment screw 17 is guided into the inside of the earphone main body 2 through the hole formed in the upper case 11, and the head of the adjustment screw 17 is The earphone body 2 is exposed outside. On the other hand, the lower case 12 is arranged so as to face the ear canal when the earphone 1 is attached. Further, the lower case 12 is provided with a sponge-like cushion material on a contact surface with the ear.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the earphone 1. A speaker unit 13 that outputs sound is attached to a speaker attachment portion (not shown) of the lower case 12. A leaf spring 16 made of an elastic member is provided at a predetermined position in the lower case 12 in a cantilever manner so that one end is a fixed end and the other end is a free end. Here, when the leaf spring 16 is fixed to the lower case 12, the tip of the shaft of the adjusting screw 17 guided into the inside of the earphone main body 2 through the hole formed in the upper case 11 is attached to the leaf spring 16. The leaf spring 16 is arranged so as to contact the position on the fixed end side. The leaf spring 16 may be screwed to the lower case 12 at the fixing portion 16a, or the leaf spring 16 and the lower case 12 may be fixed by caulking. Is not limited to a specific method.
[0019]
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of a main part illustrating a configuration near a shaft portion 3 a of the ear hook member 3. As shown in these figures, the leaf spring 16 is a rectangular plate-like body, and has a curved portion in a part of its cross section. This curved portion is arranged on the free end side when fixing the leaf spring 16 to the lower case 12.
[0020]
The ear hanging member 3 is supported by a fulcrum shaft 15 provided on the lower case 12 of the earphone main body 2. Specifically, a shaft portion 3 a formed in a cam shape at the end of the ear hanging member 3 is supported by the fulcrum shaft 15. The cross section of the shaft portion 3a orthogonal to the axial direction of the fulcrum shaft 15 has a circular shape in which a triangular protrusion is formed on a part of the peripheral surface, and is fixed to the lower case 12 via the fulcrum shaft 15. Have been.
[0021]
Here, the ear hanging member 3 is arranged such that the peripheral surface thereof is pressed against a curved portion formed on the free end side of the leaf spring 16. The peripheral surface of the shaft portion 3a is always in pressure contact with the leaf spring 16. Therefore, the elastic force of the leaf spring 16 is transmitted to the shaft portion 3a as a force for restricting the rotation of the ear hook member so as not to rotate the shaft portion 3a.
[0022]
When the ear hook member 3 is opened in the direction of arrow A when the earphone 1 is attached to the ear and the mounting angle of the ear hook member 3 with respect to the earphone main body 2 is increased, the mounting angle of the ear hook member 3 with respect to the earphone main body 2 is reduced. The force by the elastic force of the leaf spring 16 acts on the ear hook member 3 in the following direction. Thus, the user's ear is sandwiched between the ear hook member 3 and the earphone main body 2 in a state where the hook portion of the ear hook member 3 is hooked on the outer periphery of the user's auricle.
[0023]
Here, the strength with which the user's ear is pinched by the ear hook member 3 and the earphone body 2 is determined by the elastic force of the leaf spring 16. For this reason, in the present invention, by adjusting the elastic force of the leaf spring 16 acting on the ear hook member 3 with the adjusting screw 17, an appropriate fit can be obtained when the earphone 1 is worn.
[0024]
FIG. 4 shows a state in which the elastic force of the leaf spring 16 is adjusted by the adjusting screw 17. As described above, the tip of the adjusting screw 17 screwed into the hole of the upper case 11 presses the plate surface of the plate spring 16 at a substantially right angle. In this embodiment, the head of the adjustment screw 17 exposed to the outside is rotated to change the amount of the shaft of the adjustment screw 17 screwed into the inside of the earphone main body 2, so that the leaf spring 16 is pressed against the adjustment screw 17. The displacement of the point is adjusted. Then, as the pressure contact with the adjusting screw 17 of the leaf spring 16 is displaced, the pressure contact with the peripheral surface of the shaft portion 3a on the free end side is also displaced. It is possible to adjust the strength of the reaction force from the control signal 16. Further, the displacement of the pressure contact with the adjusting screw 17 in the leaf spring 16 makes it possible to adjust the movable amount of the leaf spring 16 on the free end side.
[0025]
Next, a method of using the earphone 1 in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 shows a state of the ear hanging member 3 at the time of wearing. When the ear hanger member 3 is hooked on the auricle and the earphone 1 is attached to the ear, the ear hanger member 3 is rotated about a fulcrum axis to place the auricle between the earphone body 2 and the ear hanger member 3. Let it. At this time, the curved portion of the leaf spring 16 always contacts the peripheral surface of the shaft portion 3a, and the force in the direction in which the mounting angle of the ear hook member 3 with respect to the earphone body 2 is reduced is applied to the shaft portion 3a. The mounting angle between the ear hanging member 3 and the earphone main body 2 is narrowed, and the earphone 1 is fixed to the ear in a stable state.
[0026]
When the user wearing the earphone 1 feels uncomfortable with the fit of the earphone 1, the head of the adjusting screw 17 exposed to the outside of the upper case 11 is rotated so that the earphone main body 2 and the ear hook member 3 are in the ear. , The strength of the pinching force can be adjusted. When the adjusting screw 17 is screwed in the direction of the arrow B1 shown in the figure, the leaf spring 16 is displaced in the direction of the arrow B1, so that the ear hook member 3 that is pressed against the curved portion of the leaf spring 16 is difficult to return to the fixed position, and the earphone The main body 2 and the ear hanging member 3 pinch the ear to reduce the strength of the force.
[0027]
Conversely, when the adjusting screw 17 is pulled out in the direction of arrow B2 shown in the figure, the leaf spring 16 is displaced in the direction of arrow B2, so that the ear hook member 3 pressed against the curved portion of the leaf spring 16 easily returns to the home position. As a result, the earphone body 2 and the ear hanging member 3 pinch the ear to increase the strength.
[0028]
In the present embodiment, the adjusting screw 17 is used to change the strength and direction of the force applied from the leaf spring 16 to the shaft portion 3a. Discomfort can be eliminated. For this reason, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to adjust the crimping force of the ear hook member 3 to an optimal state in accordance with the difference in the shape, size, and the like of each ear of the user of the invention.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
[0030]
(1) An ear hook member that is hooked on the ear is rotatably supported at the end of the earphone body, and when the earphone body is worn, the ear hook member is opened at an arbitrary angle with respect to the earphone body, and the earphone body and the ear hook member are connected to each other. An earphone that is fixed to the ear with the ear interposed therebetween, the adjusting means for adjusting the urging force of the urging member for applying a force in a direction in which the mounting angle of the ear hook member with respect to the earphone main body is reduced; The user can adjust the strength of the force to pinch the user's ear by the earphone body and the ear-hook member when using the device. It is possible to obtain a moderately fit feeling without.
[0031]
(2) The free end side of the leaf spring disposed in a cantilever manner is pressed against the peripheral surface of the cam-shaped member included in the shaft portion of the ear hanging member, whereby the elastic force of the leaf spring is used to rotate the ear hanging member. In addition to acting as a regulating force, the magnitude of the force applied from the leaf spring to the peripheral surface of the cam-shaped member is adjusted by an adjusting screw, so that the force of pinching the user's ear by the earphone body and the ear hook member is increased. It is possible to properly adjust the length with a simple configuration. In particular, in a leaf spring that is arranged in a cantilever manner, by pressing an adjustment screw on the fixed end side with respect to the pressure contact with the cam-shaped member, the pressure contact with the adjustment screw in the leaf spring is displaced. Since the strength of the reaction force of the leaf spring at the pressure contact with the cam-shaped member at the free end side of the pressure contact can be easily adjusted, the adjustment of the pressure contact force between the leaf spring and the cam-shaped member can be easily performed by the adjusting screw. It is done reliably.
[0032]
Therefore, it is possible to provide an earphone that can obtain an appropriate fit when worn, regardless of the shape and size of the user's ear.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of an earphone of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the earphone of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of the earphone of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the operation of the earphone of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1-Earphone 2-Earphone main body 3-Ear hanging member 3a-Shaft 11-Upper case 12-Lower case 15-Support shaft 16-Leaf spring 17-Adjustment screw

Claims (2)

An earphone body to which a speaker is attached,
An ear hanging member which is rotatably attached to an end of the earphone main body, and a part or all of which is formed of an elastic member and whose mounting angle with respect to the earphone main body is adjustable,
An urging member that urges the ear hanging member in a direction in which a mounting angle of the ear hanging member with respect to the earphone body is reduced;
An adjusting means for adjusting the urging force of the urging member. The biasing member is a leaf spring disposed in a cantilever manner on the earphone main body so as to be in pressure contact with a peripheral surface of a cam-shaped member constituting a rotation axis of the ear hanging member on a free end side,
The adjusting means is disposed on the earphone main body so as to press a plate surface on the fixed end side of the leaf spring on the fixed contact side with respect to the pressure contact portion with the cam-shaped member, and is provided on the peripheral surface of the cam-shaped member from the leaf spring. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the earphone is an adjusting screw for adjusting a force applied to the earphone.

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