JP2022018786A - earphone - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide earphones that make it easy to hear sounds across the entire audible range, and that are less uncomfortable and less stressful for the user. [Solution] The earphones (1) have a bone conduction vibration generating element (10) and an air conduction vibration generating element (20), and when the earphones (1) are worn, the air conduction vibration generating element (20) is positioned deeper in the ear cavity than the bone conduction vibration generating element (10). [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an earphone having a bone conduction vibration generating element and an air conduction vibration generating element.

Conventionally, bone conduction earphones using a bone conduction vibration generating element have been known. Bone conduction refers to a sound recognition mechanism in which bone conduction vibration (bone conduction sound) that conducts bone is transmitted directly to the cochlear through a pair of tissues such as the skull without passing through the eardrum and the ossicles.

In normal sound recognition, sound (air conduction sound) vibrates the tympanic membrane and is transmitted to the inner ear through the air, but bone conduction sound does not need to pass through the outer or middle ear, so there is also a disorder in the outer or middle ear. Bone conduction vibration generating elements are useful for people with hearing impairment.

In addition, since bone conduction sound is not easily affected by air conduction sound, for example, in a place where external noise is intense such as a construction site, a worker can use a bone conduction earphone or the like using a bone conduction vibration generating element. , It can be used for conversation between workers and alerting for ensuring safety, and it is possible to improve the safety of work.

As a bone conduction earphone using such a bone conduction vibration generating element, as shown in Patent Document 1, it reacts instantly to a weak current change supplied, thereby improving sound quality and current consumption. Bone conduction earphones that can reduce the rate are known.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-131470

Bone conduction earphones using the conventional bone conduction vibration generating element may cause discomfort to the user of the bone conduction earphone because the vibration of the bone conduction vibration generating element becomes too large in some sounds such as low frequencies. , There was a problem that the sound was hard to hear.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an earphone in which the entire sound in the audible range is easy to hear, the user is less likely to feel discomfort, and the burden is less.

The earphones that could solve the above problems are earphones having a bone conduction vibration generating element and an air conduction vibration generating element, and the air conduction vibration generating element is more in the ear cavity than the bone conduction vibration generating element. It is characterized by being placed on the back side.

In the above earphones, it is preferable that the minimum frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element is smaller than the minimum frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element.
However, the lowest frequency refers to the lowest frequency in the frequency domain in which the gain is within -10 dB from the peak value in the frequency characteristic graph in which the gain is displayed on the vertical axis.

In the above earphone, the peak value of the natural frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element is preferably lower than the peak value of the natural frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element.

According to the earphone of the present invention, it has a bone conduction vibration generating element and an air conduction vibration generating element, and when the earphone is worn, the air conduction vibration generating element is deeper in the ear cavity than the bone conduction vibration generating element. By arranging it on the side, it is possible to make an earphone that makes it easy to hear the sound of the entire audible range and does not give a burden to the user.

A schematic cross-sectional view of the earphone according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown.

Hereinafter, the earphones according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In addition, it is possible to carry out, and all of them are included in the technical scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the earphone 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the earphone 1 has a bone conduction vibration generating element 10 and an air conduction vibration generating element 20, and the air conduction vibration generating element 20 has an ear cavity more than the bone conduction vibration generating element 10. It is located on the back side of. That is, in the state where the earphone 1 is worn, the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is closer to the user than the bone conduction vibration generating element 10. Further, when the earphone 1 has a sound emitting hole, the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is arranged at a position closer to the sound emitting hole than the bone conduction vibration generating element 10.

Since the earphone 1 has the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 and the air conduction vibration generating element 20, the air conduction of some sounds such as the bass range where the vibration of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 tends to be large. It can be generated from the vibration generating element 20. That is, when the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 in the bass range or the like is generated, a large vibration is generated and some sounds that may give a burden to the ears of the user of the earphone 1 are the air conduction vibration generating element 20. Can originate from. As a result, it is possible to suppress a large vibration of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10, and it is possible to prevent the earphone 1 from vibrating greatly and making it difficult to hear the sound or causing discomfort to the user and imposing a burden on the user. Will be.

Further, since the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is arranged deeper in the ear cavity than the bone conduction vibration generating element 10, the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 blocks the sound emitted from the air conduction vibration generating element 20. It is difficult, and both the sound emitted from the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 and the sound emitted from the air conduction vibration generating element 20 can be sufficiently transmitted to the user of the earphone 1. As a result, the sound of the entire audible range can be transmitted by the earphone 1.

The minimum frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is preferably smaller than the minimum frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10. However, the lowest frequency refers to the lowest frequency in the frequency domain in which the gain is within -10 dB from the peak value in the frequency characteristic graph in which the gain is displayed on the vertical axis. Since the lowest frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is lower than the lowest frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10, the sound range that the air conducting vibration generating element 20 can emit can be generated by the bone conduction vibration generating element 10. It is lower than the range. Therefore, the air conduction vibration generating element 20 generates a low-pitched sound in which the vibration of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 tends to be large, and the earphone 1 is less likely to vibrate greatly. Therefore, it is less likely to cause discomfort to the user of the earphone 1, and it becomes easier to hear the sound emitted from the earphone 1.

The minimum frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is preferably 20 Hz or higher, more preferably 60 Hz or higher, and even more preferably 100 Hz or higher. By setting the lower limit of the minimum frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 in the above range, the air conducting vibration generating element 20 tends to emit a low tone, and when the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 emits a sound, a large vibration is generated. It is less likely to occur. The upper limit of the minimum frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 can be, for example, 500 Hz or less, 300 Hz or less, and 200 Hz or less.

The minimum frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 is preferably 200 Hz or higher, more preferably 250 Hz or higher, and even more preferably 300 Hz or higher. By setting the lower limit of the minimum frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 in the above range, the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 does not vibrate significantly when the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 generates sound, and the earphone 1 Can be prevented from vibrating significantly. The upper limit of the minimum frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 can be, for example, 1 kHz or less, 750 Hz or less, and 500 Hz or less.

The natural frequency calculated by the following formula (1) of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is preferably lower than the natural frequency calculated by the following formula (1) of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10.
Natural frequency [Hz] = 1 / 2π × √ (k / m) (1)
(In the equation, k indicates the spring constant [N / m], and m indicates the mass [kg].)
Since the natural frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is lower than the natural frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10, the air conduction vibration generating element 20 tends to generate a low tone, and the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 produces a high tone. As a result, it becomes easier to hear the sound of the entire audible range.

The natural frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 is preferably lower than the natural frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 and is preferably 20 Hz or more and 10 kHz or less. By setting the natural frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 in the above range, the air conducting vibration generating element 20 can sufficiently transmit the bass.

The natural frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 is preferably higher than the natural frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element 20 and preferably 500 Hz or more and 12 kHz or less. By setting the natural frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 to the above range, the bone conduction vibration generating element 10 can sufficiently emit high-pitched sound, and the earphone 1 user's ears are less likely to be burdened. Can be done.

Although not shown, the earphone 1 may have only one of the right side earphone and the left side earphone, and may have the right side earphone and the left side earphone. Above all, it is preferable that the earphone 1 has a right side earphone and a left side earphone. Since the earphone 1 has the right side earphone and the left side earphone, the sound output from the earphone 1 can be heard by both ears, and the sound becomes easy to hear.

When the earphone 1 has a right side earphone and a left side earphone, it is preferable that the right side earphone and the left side earphone are connected by a cord or the like. By connecting the right earphone and the left earphone with a cord or the like, it is possible to prevent one of the right earphone and the left earphone from being lost.

Although not shown, the earphone 1 preferably has a microphone. Since the earphone 1 has a microphone, it becomes easy to have a conversation when the earphone 1 is used and a call is made using a mobile phone or the like.

As described above, the earphone of the present invention is an earphone having a bone conduction vibration generating element and an air conduction vibration generating element, and when the earphone is attached, the air conduction vibration generating element is a bone conduction vibration generating element. It is characterized in that it is arranged on the user side rather than on the user side. The earphone has a bone conduction vibration generating element and an air conduction vibration generating element, and when the earphone is attached, the air conduction vibration generating element is arranged on the user side of the bone conduction vibration generating element. As a result, it is possible to make an earphone that makes it easy to hear the sound of the entire audible range and does not give a burden to the user.

1: Earphone 10: Bone conduction vibration generating element 20: Air conduction vibration generating element

Claims (3)

An earphone having a bone conduction vibration generating element and an air conduction vibration generating element.
The earphone characterized in that the air conduction vibration generating element is arranged deeper in the ear cavity than the bone conduction vibration generating element. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the lowest frequency of the air conduction vibration generating element is smaller than the lowest frequency of the bone conduction vibration generating element.
However, the lowest frequency refers to the lowest frequency in the frequency domain in which the gain is within -10 dB from the peak value in the frequency characteristic graph in which the gain is displayed on the vertical axis. The natural frequency calculated by the following formula (1) of the air conduction vibration generating element is lower than the natural frequency calculated by the following formula (1) of the bone conduction vibration generating element according to claim 1 or 2. Earphones.
Natural frequency [Hz] = 1 / 2π × √ (k / m) (1)
(In the equation, k indicates the spring constant [N / m], and m indicates the mass [kg].)

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