JP2021121857A - Sound collection aid - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sound collection aid which is excellent in portability, is inconspicuous in appearance when attached, corresponds to various ear shapes and can exhibit optimum sound collection effect.SOLUTION: A sound collection aid comprises: an inverted J-shaped hooking part in which one end side is set to be a bending part exposed to a face side from an occipital side between a helix and a root of a top of a pinna through an arc-shaped bent part, and the other side to be a curved part having a curvature along a root shape of the occipital side of the pinna; and a plasticity pressing part having a column part suspended from the curved part and an arm part which is laterally installed in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the curved part from a tip of the column part. Since the plasticity pressing part bends the pinna from the back side of the pinna at an arbitrary angle, the aid is attached by being pressed toward the face.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a sound collecting assisting tool, particularly a sound collecting assisting tool without an electrical or electronic amplification mechanism.

There are sound collecting aids that electrically or electronically amplify the sound that reaches the pinna. However, since it is provided with an electric and electronic amplification mechanism, there is a problem that the cost is high and complicated work such as charging or battery replacement occurs due to consumption of a drive source such as a battery.

Therefore, a sound collecting assisting tool that utilizes a physical phenomenon without utilizing an electrical or electronic amplification action has been proposed. That is, based on the "parabolic principle", there is a sound collecting assisting tool that forms a rotating paraboloid so that the focal point of the parabola is located near the external auditory canal and converges the incident sound. Specifically, it has a configuration in which a curved plate or the like that expands the auricle is attached to the back side of the auricle or the like.

In most of the sound collecting assisting tools, the auricle extension portion is connected by a headband straddling the curved plate to be worn on both ears so that the sound collecting assisting tool can be worn on both ears at the same time.

However, by interposing a headband, the sound collecting assisting tool becomes bulky, impairs portability, and may damage the hairstyle when worn, so its use has been avoided.

Therefore, for example, in order to solve the above problem, a semicircular opening that intersects at right angles is formed by cutting an inexpensive material such as a cylindrical paper cylinder or resin and shaping it into a dome shape or press molding, and opening on one side. There has been proposed an auricle area expansion assisting device in which the shape of the auricle is corrected according to the shape of the base of the auricle to which the auricle is attached by an attachment hook or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-14770

According to the device described in the prior art document, the auricle area expansion assisting device can be attached to both ears by the attachment hook without using the headband, but since the assisting device itself is large, there is still a problem in portability. In addition, even when the auxiliary device is attached, the auxiliary device is exposed to a large extent, resulting in an unfavorable appearance depending on the user, and there is a problem that the use is hesitant.

By the way, the principle of sound collection is as described above, but the shape of the ear varies greatly from person to person, and even if a sound collection aid having a uniform shape is attached, a shape that provides the optimum sound collection effect for the user ( It is not always a paraboloid.

In this regard, according to the apparatus described in the prior art document, a configuration in which a wire is embedded in the outer edge portion is also proposed in order to deform the attachment portion according to the shape of the ear shell different from the individual, but this is wearability. It is a configuration provided from the viewpoint of the above, and is not a function for improving the sound collecting effect.

The present invention is for solving the above-mentioned problems, and is a sound collecting assisting tool which is excellent in portability, is inconspicuous in appearance even when worn, and exhibits an optimum sound collecting effect corresponding to various ear shapes. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention has a hooking portion that hangs on the upper part of the auricle and plasticity that allows the auricle to be bent at an arbitrary angle from the back side of the auricle toward the face. The most important feature is that it has a pressing portion.

That is, it is a sound collection aid that does not have an electrical or electronic amplification mechanism.
One end side is the tip bending part that is exposed from the occipital side to the face side between the helix and the base of the upper end of the auricle through the arc-shaped bending part, and the other end side is the curvature along the base shape of the occipital side of the auricle. Inverted J-shaped hooking part to be a curved part to have,
It has a plastic pressing portion having a strut portion suspended from the curved portion and an arm portion laterally laid from the tip of the strut portion in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion.
The plastic pressing portion is characterized in that it is pressed in the face direction in order to bend the auricle from the back side of the auricle at an arbitrary angle.

According to this configuration, both the hooking portion and the plastic pressing portion constituting the sound collecting assisting tool are formed of a frame body, and when worn, they are almost invisible from the face side. Further, the plastic pressing portion can bend the auricle steplessly at an arbitrary angle.

The strut portion may be configured to be slidably suspended in the longitudinal direction of at least one of the curved portion and the arm portion.

According to this configuration, the bending position can be arbitrarily moved according to the size of the pinna.

Since the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention is composed of a hooking portion and a plastic pressing portion of the frame body, it is lightweight and compact, and has an effect of being excellent in portability.

Further, since the configuration is as described above, there is an effect that the appearance is not conspicuous even when worn, there is no resistance to wearing, and positive use can be expected.

Further, the plastic pressing portion can be bent steplessly, and has an effect that the optimum sound collecting effect can be exhibited corresponding to various ear shapes.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a wearing state of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention, (a) is a schematic view of the auricle before wearing, and (b) is a pinnament after wearing the sound collecting assisting tool. It is a schematic diagram of. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first modification of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second modification of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a third modification of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a fourth modification of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a fifth modification of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sixth modification of the sound collecting assisting tool according to the present invention.

1 to 3 are views showing a sound collecting assisting tool 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of the sound collecting assisting tool 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the sound collecting assisting tool 1, FIG. 2 is a rear view of the sound collecting assisting tool 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the sound collecting assisting tool 1. The sound collecting assisting tool 1 is composed of a hooking portion 11 and a plastic pressing portion 12. The hooking portion 11 has an inverted J-shaped shape as a whole, and more specifically, the bent portion 112 on the one end side and the tip bent portion 111 on the other end side and the other end side via the bent portion 112 and the bent portion 112 in an arc shape. It is composed of the curved portion 113 of the above.

As will be described later, the hooking portion 11 may be formed of an elastic member (for example, a polyimide resin or a silicone resin) so that the hooking portion 11 can be hooked in close contact with the back of the auricle.

The plastic pressing portion 12 is composed of a strut portion 121 vertically hung from the curved portion 113 and an arm portion 122 laterally arranged from the tip of the strut portion 121 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 113. As will be described later, the plastic pressing portion 12 has a function of pressing and bending the auricle from the back side of the auricle, and therefore, it may be formed of a plastic material (for example, a plastic resin or a wire).

In the present embodiment, the support column portion 121 is vertically provided from the substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 113. Further, in the present embodiment, the arm portion 122 is joined to the strut portion 121 at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction, and is horizontally provided in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 113. Then, both ends of the arm portion 122 have arm portion side joint portions 122a and 122b that are bent toward the curved portion 113 and joined to the curved portion 113. Both ends of the strut portion 121 are joined to the curved portion 113 and the arm portion 122 by the strut side joint portions 121a and 121b, respectively. That is, the entire shape is formed in a θ shape by the curved portion 113, the strut portion 121, and the arm portion 122.

In the present embodiment, the support column side joints 121a and 121b and the arm side joints 122a and 122b are joined by the support column side joints 121a and 121b and the arm side joints 122a and 122b. Although the form in which the jointed portion, that is, the curved portion 113, the arm portion 122, and the strut portion 121 is wound is shown, the joining method is not limited to this method. Therefore, for example, any method can be used as long as the shape described above can be realized, such as one in which the whole is integrally molded (however, in this case, different resins are integrally molded), one for welding, one for screwing, and the like. May be joined by.

As shown by the arrows in FIG. 1, at least the strut-side joints 121a and 121b of the strut portion 121 are slidably installed in the longitudinal direction of either the curved portion 113 or the arm portion 122. (In this embodiment, all of them are slidable). Further, the arm-side joints 122a and 122b may also be slidably joined in the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 113. In the case of slidable joining, the joining method is a method such as winding as shown in the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of being worn on an ear by using the sound collecting assisting tool 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 4A is a schematic view of the auricle E before wearing from the side of the face (the left side in the drawing is the face side F and the right side is the occipital side B). The pinna E forms a shape similar to a rotating paraboloid with the earlobe E2 as the outer edge from the helix E1 and has an external ear hole E3 near the center, but the shape varies greatly among individuals, and the earlobe E1 In many cases, the so-called "parabolic principle" simply does not work because it has complex irregularities (eg, triangular fossa, anti-wheel leg, etc.) from the earlobe E2 to the external earlobe E3.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which the sound collecting assisting tool 1 is attached to the auricle E. The hooking portion 11 hooks the bent portion 112 between the helix E1 and the base of the upper end portion of the auricle E, and exposes the front bent portion 111 from the back of the head B side to the face side F. Since the curved portion 113 has a curvature along the base shape on the back of the head B side of the auricle E, the curved portion 113 can be attached in close contact with the back side of the auricle E. As described above, since the hook portion 11 is an elastic member, it is actually formed to be slightly smaller than the base shape of the average auricle E, and the curvature of the curved portion 113 is slightly widened at the time of wearing. However, if the bent portion 112 is brought into close contact with the base of the auricle E, the bent portion 112 is hooked between the auricle E1 and the base of the upper end of the auricle E, and then the curved portion 113 is brought into close contact with the base of the occipital region B side. Can be fixedly attached. With such a configuration, a good wearing feeling can be obtained even without a headband.

The plastic pressing portion 12 is attached by pressing in the face direction in order to bend the auricle from the back side of the auricle E at an arbitrary angle. Then, the user may bend the auricle E at the best angle from above the plastic pressing portion 12 while listening to the sound. Since the plastic pressing portion 12 is made of a plastic material capable of forming a curved surface steplessly, if the pressing is stopped at the best angle, the auricle E maintains the bent shape formed by the pressing. Become. In this way, the auricle can be flexibly bent according to the shape of each user's auricle and the surrounding environment to obtain an optimum listening angle. That is, it is possible to bend the auricle steplessly and maintain such a bent state at a desired position, and the principle of parabola according to the shape of each auricle can be easily realized.

The plastic pressing portion 12 includes bending of the strut portion 121 (bending of the auricle E in the vertical direction), bending of the arm portion 122 (bending of the auricle E in the lateral direction), and bending of the auricle E in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Both can be bent.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the number of support columns 121 has been described using one form, but a plurality of columns may be provided (not shown).

Hereinafter, a modified example of the sound collecting assisting tool 1 will be described.
<Modification example 1>
FIG. 5 is composed of an arm portion 123 in which the plastic pressing portion 12 is separated from each other without bending both ends of the arm portions 122 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4 and joining the curved portion 113. It is a thing. Since both ends of the arm portion 123 are open ends, it is easy to bend in the lateral direction.

<Modification 2>
In FIG. 6, the arm portion 124 is laterally provided only in the direction of the tip bending portion 111 from the tip of the strut portion 121, and the tip of the arm portion 124 is bent toward the curved portion 113 in the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 113. It shows the structure which has the upper end joint part 124a which joins with the tip bending part 111 side end part. The size of the plastic pressing portion 12 is halved as compared with the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. In many cases, raising the upper part of the pinna E makes it easier to hear the sound from the front of the face. Therefore, in this modification, the plastic pressing portion 12 has a half shape. The pressing force may be increased by stretching the planar member 125 in a closed space composed of the support column 121, the arm portion 124, and the curved portion 113.

<Modification example 3>
In FIG. 7, the strut portion 121 is vertically installed from the end of the curved portion 113 on the side of the bent portion 111, and the arm portion 126 is horizontally installed in the direction of the end of the curved portion 113 opposite to the end of the bent portion 111. However, the plastic pressing portion 12 is formed in an inverted L shape between the strut portion 121 and the arm portion 126. It has the simplest structure and is easy to manufacture.

<Modification example 4>
In FIG. 8, the arm portion 122 has the same configuration as that of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4, but the strut portion 127 is obliquely provided in an X shape with two from the curved portion 113. By forming the strut portion 127 into an X shape, a truss structure can be formed, the arm portion 122 is stable against an external force, and the shape is maintained.

<Modification 5>
FIG. 9 shows a plastic pressing portion 12 formed of a planar pressing plate 128. That is, the modified examples 1 to 4 are based on the frame structure, but in the modified example 5, the plastic pressing portion is formed by winding one end side 128a of the planar pressing plate 128 around the curved portion 113. 12 is formed. The planar pressing plate 128 presses the back side of the auricle with surface pressure. The material of the planar pressing plate 128 is not particularly limited, such as metal and resin. Further, the planar pressing plate 128 may be provided so as to cover the entire plastic pressing portion 12 of any of the frame structures shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 (not shown).

<Modification 6>
FIG. 10 shows a form in which the plastic pressing portion 12 is provided with a connecting portion (not shown) to which the plastic auricle expansion plate 2 can be attached. The connecting portion is not particularly limited as long as it is in close contact and connected so that the plastic auricle expanding plate 2 follows the bending angle of the plastic pressing portion 12. Since the present invention is an auxiliary tool for obtaining a sound collecting effect only by bending the auricle, the plastic auricle expansion plate 2 is an accessory that is supplementarily removable.

In any of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4 and the embodiments 1 to 6, the hooking portion 11 and the plastic pressing portion 12 are partially or wholly covered with sponge, urethane, or other cushioning material. It may be covered. In particular, when a wire is used for the plastic pressing portion 12, it is desirable to cover all of them in consideration of metal allergies and the like.

In addition, there may be variations in size such as S size, M size, and L size according to individual differences in the size of the auricle.

1 Sound collection aid 11 Hooking part 12 Plastic pressing part 111 Tip bending part 112 Bending part 113 Bending part 121 Strut part 122, 123, 124, 126 Arm part

Claims (12)

A sound collection aid that does not have an electrical or electronic amplification mechanism.
One end side is the tip bending part that is exposed from the occipital side to the face side between the helix and the base of the upper end of the auricle through the arc-shaped bending part, and the other end side is the curvature along the base shape of the occipital side of the auricle. Inverted J-shaped hooking part to be a curved part to have,
It has a plastic pressing portion having a strut portion suspended from the curved portion and an arm portion laterally laid from the tip of the strut portion in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion.
The plastic pressing portion is a sound collecting assisting tool that is worn by pressing in the direction of the face in order to bend the auricle from the back side of the auricle at an arbitrary angle. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 1, wherein the strut portion is slidably suspended in at least one of the curved portion and the arm portion in the longitudinal direction. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both ends of the arm portion are bent toward the curved portion side. The arm portion according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the arm portion has a joint portion for joining both ends of the curved arm portion to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the curved portion. The described sound collection aid. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 4, wherein the joint portion is slidably joined in the longitudinal direction of the curved portion. The sound collecting assisting tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of the support columns are provided. The arm portion is laterally provided only in the direction of the tip bending portion from the tip of the strut portion, the tip of the arm portion is bent toward the bending portion side, and the end of the bending portion in the longitudinal direction of the bending portion. The sound collecting assist according to claim 1, further comprising an upper end joint portion to be joined to the portion, and a planar member being stretched in a closed space composed of the arm portion, the strut portion, and the curved portion. Ingredients. The strut portion is vertically hung from the tip bending portion side end portion of the curved portion, and the arm portion is laterally provided in the direction of the end opposite to the tip bending portion side end portion of the curved portion. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plastic pressing portion is formed in an inverted L shape between the arm portion and the arm portion. The strut portion is obliquely provided in an X shape with two from the curved portion, and both ends of the arm portion laterally arranged in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion from the tip of each strut portion are described. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising joints that are bent toward the curved portion and joined to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the curved portion. The plastic pressing portion is formed by a planar pressing plate in place of the strut portion and the arm portion, and the end edge portion of the planar pressing plate is wound around the curved portion and attached to the hooking portion. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 1. The sound collecting assisting tool according to claim 10, wherein the planar pressing plate covers the strut portion and the arm portion according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The sound collecting assisting tool according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plastic pressing portion has a connecting portion to which a plastic auricle expansion plate can be attached.

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