JP2023066987A - Ear attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ear attachment in which wearability of a main body part housed in the ear concha is improved.SOLUTION: An ear attachment 91 comprises: a main body part 911 having a projection part 22 and a cylinder part 23 extending from the projection part and attached into the ear concha in a use state; and an insertion part 912 that is attached to the cylinder part and inserted into the external auditory meatus in the use state. The main body part includes: an internal housing 2 in which the projection part is formed; and a cover 3 covering the internal housing. The cover includes: an open part in which a first end part 31b is sealed and fixed to the internal housing side, an intermediate part 31 is separated from the internal housing to form an air chamber V with the internal housing and tightly covers the projection part, and the cylinder part is inserted into a second end part 32 on the side opposite to the first end part with a gap while nipping the intermediate part. The ear attachment has, in the projection part, a groove part that communicates with the open part at one end and extends in a direction separating from the open part toward the other end, and the air chamber and an external space can communicate with each other via the groove part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to earwear.

In patent document 1, in ear fittings such as earplugs, earphones, and hearing aids, an insertion part to be inserted into the ear canal is composed of a soundproof member and an elastic member covering it, and air is introduced into the inside of the elastic member. It describes a technique for improving the feeling of wearing by inflating the earpiece and bringing it into close contact with the inner wall of the external auditory canal.

JP 2014-057164 A

An ear fitting generally has an insertion part inserted into the external auditory canal and a main body part housed in the conchal cavity of the auricle.
The ear fitting described in Patent Literature 1 improves the wearing feeling of the insertion portion inserted into the external auditory canal, and does not improve the wearing feeling of the main body portion accommodated in the concha auricular cavity. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique for improving the feeling of wearing the main body, particularly a technique for improving the feeling when the main body is pressed against the head.

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ear fitting that improves the wearing feeling of the main body that is housed in the conchal cavity of the ear.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configurations.
1) a main body having a projecting portion and a cylindrical portion extending from the projecting portion, and to be attached to the concha auricular cavity in use;
an insertion portion attached to the cylindrical portion and inserted into the ear canal in the used state;
with
the body portion has an inner housing in which the projecting portion is formed, and a cover that covers the inner housing;
The cover has a first end sealingly fixed to the inner housing side, and an intermediate portion separated from the inner housing to form an air chamber between the cover and the inner housing, and closely covers the protruding portion. having an opening through which the cylindrical portion is inserted with a gap at a second end opposite to the first end across the intermediate portion;
The projecting portion has a groove portion whose one end portion communicates with the gap and extends toward the other end portion in a direction away from the opening portion, and the air chamber and the outer space can communicate with each other through the groove portion. It is an ear fitting.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the aspect of this invention, the effect that a feeling of wearing of the main-body part accommodated in the conchal cavity improves is obtained.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an ear plug 91 of Example 1 of the ear attachment according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the right auricle E. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the earplug 91. FIG. FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram of the main body 911 of the earplug 91. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the main body 911 taken along line S4-S4 in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line S5-S5 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the earplug 91 of Example 1, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line S6-S6 in FIG. FIG. 6(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the earplug 91 in a state of being normally worn on the auricle E, and FIG. . 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of the earplug 91B of Example 2, FIG. 7A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the earplug 91B in a normal wearing state on the auricle E, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 7(a) is a partial enlarged view, and FIG. 7(c) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing one process of attaching the earplug 91B to the auricle E. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an earplug 91C of Example 3, FIG. 8(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the earplug 91C in a normal wearing state in the auricle E, and FIG. 8(b) is a valve structure. It is a top view of the filter member 5 used by BK3. FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing the inner housing 2D of the valve structure BK4 of the earplug 91D of Example 4. FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an earplug 91D of Example 4. FIG. FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of an earplug 91E of Example 5. FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an earplug 91E of Example 5. FIG.

Ear fittings according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with earplugs 91, 91B, 91C, 91D and 91E of Examples 1 to 5. FIG.

(Example 1)
An outline of the earplug 91 of Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
The earplug 91 described below is for the right ear and has a symmetrical shape for the left ear. For convenience of explanation, the front, rear, up, down, left, and right directions are defined as the directions of the arrows shown in FIGS.
The vertical direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the wearer of the earplug 91 in a standing posture, and the front-back direction corresponds to the front-back direction of the head. The left-right direction corresponds to the left-right direction of the head.

The earplug 91 has a main body portion 911 that is housed in the conchal cavity Eb and an insertion portion 912 that protrudes from the main body portion 911 and is inserted into the external auditory canal when the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E.
The insertion portion 912 is made of silicone rubber or the like and has elasticity. The insertion portion 912 is detachably attached to the main body portion 911 .
A state in which the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E is also referred to as a state of use.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body portion 911 has a base portion 911a, a projection portion 911b, and a locking projection portion 911c.
The base portion 911a has an ellipsoidal shape that is a three-dimensional flattened ellipse.
The protruding portion 911b is formed to protrude obliquely downward to the rear left at a position biased toward the rear side of the surface facing the conchal cavity Eb when attached to the auricle E.
The locking projecting portion 911c projects with a small diameter along the axial direction of the projecting portion 911b from the end portion side in the projecting direction of the projecting portion 911b.
The insertion portion 912 is elastically locked to the locking protrusion 911c.

In the state of being attached to the auricle E shown in FIG. 1, the insertion portion 912 (not shown) is inserted into the external auditory canal, and the base portion 911a of the main body portion 911 is housed in the concha cavity Eb. The front side of the base portion 911a enters so as to be sandwiched between the conchal cavity Eb and the tragus Ec, and the rear side enters inside the antihelix Ea projecting so as to cover the conchal cavity Eb. are doing. As a result, the earplug 91 is stably worn unless an excessive external force is applied to the auricle E in the detachment direction.

The body portion 911 is configured including the parts shown in FIG. That is, the body portion 911 includes an outer housing 1 , an inner housing 2 and a cover 3 .
The outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are made of hard resin. The hard resin is, for example, PC (polycarbonate).
The cover 3 is made of flexible material. Examples of such materials are elastomers, silicone rubbers, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the main body 911 taken along line S4-S4 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer housing 1 has a substantially flat bottom wall 1a and an outer peripheral wall portion 1e curved and raised from the entire outer edge of the bottom wall 1a.
The outer peripheral wall portion 1e has a peripheral stepped portion 1d that is gouged out along the entire circumference toward the right at the inner edge portion of the left tip surface.
An inner rib 1b projecting leftward at a height lower than the outer peripheral wall portion 1e is formed along the entire periphery of the bottom wall 1a at a position spaced inward from the outer peripheral wall portion 1e.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner housing 2 includes a base portion 21d facing the bottom wall 1a of the outer housing 1, and an engaging convex portion 21b protruding rightward along the entire periphery near the periphery of the base portion 21d. and
A peripheral edge of the base portion 21d forms an outer flange portion 21a that protrudes outward from the engaging convex portion 21b.
A tubular projecting portion 22 projecting obliquely downward to the rear left is formed at a position biased toward the rear of the base portion 21d. A cylindrical portion 23 having a diameter smaller than that of the projecting portion 22 extends from the distal end surface of the projecting portion 22 along the axis of the projecting portion 22 . The locking protrusion 911c, which is visually recognized as an external appearance, is the tubular portion 23. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are arranged such that the engaging protrusions of the inner housing 2 are engaged with the peripheral recesses 1c, which are recesses between the outer peripheral wall portion 1e of the outer housing 1 and the inner ribs 1b. 21b can be mated by entering engagement.
In a state in which the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are combined, the peripheral stepped portion 1d of the outer housing 1 and the peripheral stepped portion 21c of the inner housing 2 face each other with a gap in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cover 3 includes a cover base portion 31 as an intermediate portion in the left-right direction, which has the same outer shape as the outer housing 1, and a left-side cover portion 31 at a position biased to the rear of the cover base portion 31. It has a cylindrical projecting portion 32 projecting obliquely downward to the rear and projecting in the shape of a cylinder with a bottom.
An opening 34 is formed in a shoulder portion 32b that serves as a wall that closes the end portion of the cylindrical projecting portion 32. As shown in FIG. The inner diameter of the opening 34 is larger than the outer diameter of the tubular portion 23 of the inner housing 2 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the cover base 31 has an inner flange 31a that protrudes inward along the entire periphery of the peripheral edge, and a peripheral rib 31b that protrudes rightward from the inner edge of the inner flange 31a along the entire periphery. The circumferential rib 31b is a right first end in the left-right direction. On the other hand, the cylindrical projecting portion 32 serves as a second end on the opposite side of the first end across the intermediate portion (cover base portion 31).
The peripheral rib 31b is sandwiched between the peripheral stepped portion 1d and the peripheral stepped portion 21c formed when the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are combined. The outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 can be assembled in close contact with each other with the cover base portion 31 interposed therebetween.

A main body portion 911 of the earplug 91 is formed by combining the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 with the circumferential rib 31b of the cover base portion 31 interposed therebetween and integrating them by welding or bonding. In other words, the peripheral rib 31b is sandwiched between the peripheral stepped portion 1d and the peripheral stepped portion 21c on the inner housing 2 side and sealed and fixed.
The body portion 911 integrated with the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 with the cover 3 interposed therebetween allows the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2 to be inserted through the opening 34 of the cover 3 in a natural state where no external force is applied. ing.
In the natural state, the cover base portion 31 of the cover 3 is separated leftward from the base portion 21d of the inner housing 2 . That is, in a natural state, an air chamber V is formed as a space between the cover base portion 31 and the base portion 21d.

The formation range of the air chamber V is shown in FIG. 5, for example.
5 is a cross-sectional view at S5-S5 position in FIG. 4, viewed from the left side at a position a little leftward from the base portion 21d of the inner housing 2. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the air chamber V is formed over a wide range corresponding to the outer shape of the base portion 911a.
The cover 3 is made of a material having a certain degree of stiffness, and the shape of the air chamber V is well maintained in a natural state.

The air chamber V extends leftward along the protrusion 22 of the inner housing 2, as shown in FIG. The cover 3 is in close contact with the protruding portion 22 at a position close to the tip in a natural state. That is, the position of the left end of the air chamber V in the natural state is a boundary position where the cover 3 is in close contact with the protrusion 22 at a position near the tip of the protrusion 22 .
The cover 3 is sandwiched between the inner housing 2 and the outer housing 1 and sealed at the inner flange 31a side of the cover base 31, which is the right end side.

The distal end portion of the cylindrical protrusion 32 including the opening 34 of the cover 3 and the inner housing 2 cooperate to form a valve structure BK that controls the entry and exit of the air inside the air chamber V into and out of the external space. there is That is, the earplug 91 has an air chamber V and a valve structure BK that controls the air in and out of the air chamber V. As shown in FIG.

This valve structure BK will be described with reference to FIG. 6(a).
6(a) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the projecting portion 911b of the main body 911, more specifically, a cross-sectional view taken along line S6-S6 in FIG.

The protruding portion 22 of the inner housing 2 includes a cylindrical portion 22a extending in a cylindrical shape about the axis CL22, a ceiling wall portion 22t substantially perpendicular to the axis CL22 and substantially closing the cylinder, and a tip of the cylindrical portion 22a and the ceiling wall portion 22t. and a shoulder 22b that gently connects the edge of the .
When the earplug 91 is in its natural state, the cover 3 is positioned with respect to the protruding portion 22 of the inner housing 2 so that the outer surface 22t1 of the top wall portion 22t and the tip side portion of the outer surface 22b1 of the shoulder portion 22b (from the adhesion boundary line LN1 in FIG. 6 tip side).
Close contact boundary line LN1 is a line that indicates the position where cover 3 begins to contact protruding portion 22 .

Specifically, the inner surface of the cylindrical projecting portion 32 of the cover 3 is formed in the same shape as the outer surface of the projecting portion 22 of the inner housing 2 on the distal end side of the contact boundary line LN1. The portion 32a is in close contact with the cylindrical portion of the protruding portion 22 with the contact boundary line LN1 as a boundary, and the shoulder portion 32b of the cylindrical protruding portion 32 is in close contact with the shoulder portion 22b of the protruding portion 22. As shown in FIG.
As a result, the earplug 91 is in a state in which the valve structure BK is closed in a natural state, and the air chamber V is sealed so that the internal air does not leak to the outside.

The opening 34 of the cover 3 is concentric with the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2 and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 23 . Therefore, a gap F1 having a distance D1 is formed in the radial direction between the root portion of the tubular portion 23 and the end surface of the opening portion 34 .

When attaching the earplug 91 having the valve structure BK to the auricle E, the user grasps the body portion 911 with fingers and inserts the insertion portion 912 into the ear canal while inserting the body portion 911 into the concha cavity. Press to fit in Eb.
When the body portion 911 is pressed against the conchal cavity Eb, the cover base portion 31 of the cover 3 is pressed against the surface of the conchaeous cavity Eb and elastically deformed so that the distance from the base portion 21d of the inner housing 2 is reduced. The air chamber V is thereby compressed.
When the air chamber V is compressed and the internal air pressure rises and exceeds a certain pressure, the valve structure BK opens and the air in the air chamber V is discharged to the outside.
This state is shown in FIG. 6(b).

As shown in FIG. 6B, when the internal pressure of the air chamber V rises and reaches a predetermined value, the cylindrical protruding portion 32 of the cover 3 is pushed open against the elastic repulsive force of that portion. An air passage fa is formed between the inner housing 2 and the inner housing 2 . That is, the tubular protrusion 32 is expanded and deformed to form the air passage fa.
The air passage fa connects the air chamber V and the outer space Vg through the opening 34 .
As a result, the air inside the air chamber V is discharged to the outside through the air passage fa, and the pressure of the air chamber V is lowered.

Since the earplug 91 has the valve structure BK, when the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E, or when the main body 911 of the earplug 91 is pressed against the concha cavity Eb in the attached state, The burden on the head is reduced.
Specifically, when the body portion 911 is pressed against the concha auricular cavity Eb, the air chamber V is compressed, but is closed and has no air discharge path, so it elastically shrinks. As a result, an elastic repulsive force between the air chamber V and the cover 3 is applied to the concha cavity Eb, so that the main body portion 911 feels soft and comfortable.

When the body portion 911 is further pressed against the concha cavity Eb, the pressure in the air chamber V reaches a predetermined value, the valve structure BK opens, and the air inside the air chamber V is gradually discharged to the outside. Chamber V is depressurized. Accordingly, the repulsive force applied to the conchal cavity Eb is gently reduced without becoming excessive despite the strong pressing, and the contact feel of the main body 911 is maintained in a favorable state.

When the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E, the cover 3 does not uniformly adhere to the inner wall of the auricle E in the entire circumferential direction of the valve structure BK. Therefore, the air passage fa is not formed in the entire circumferential direction, but is first formed in a portion where there is a gap between the cover 3 and the inner wall of the auricle E. In order to discharge the pressurized air in the air chamber V, it is sufficient if the air passage fa is partially formed in the circumferential direction.

When the earplug 91 is removed from the auricle with the passage of time or when the airway fa is formed, the restoring force of the cover 3 to return to the initial shape causes the air chamber V to expand from the collapsed state. . At this time, while the deformation of the shoulder portion 32b remains, the air passage fa is maintained and the air flows into the air chamber V from the opening portion 34 . When the cover 3 returns to its original shape, the air passage fa is closed and the air chamber V is closed again.

As a mode of use in which the body portion 911 is strongly pressed by the conchal cavity Eb while the earplugs 91 are attached to the auricle E, the user is in a lateral recumbent position while wearing the earplugs 91, and the head rests on the pillow. There is an aspect. In this embodiment, earplugs 91 are pressed against the head by a pillow.
In this aspect, since the earplug 91 has the air chamber V and the valve structure BK, the main body 911 is in soft contact with the concha auricle Eb, so that the user can obtain a good wearing feeling.

(Example 2)
Next, the earplug 91B of Example 2 will be described. An earplug 91B has a valve structure BK2 instead of the valve structure BK of the earplug 91 of Example 1, and other parts are the same. Therefore, the valve structure BK2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c).
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the shoulder 22b of the inner housing 2 for explaining the valve structure BK2, and FIG. FIG. 7(b) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 7(a), and FIG. 7(c) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing one process of attaching the earplug 91B to the auricle E. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the valve structure BK2 has a cover 3B instead of the cover 3 of the valve structure BK. The side portion 32a and the shoulder portion 32b of the cover 3B are formed so as to be separated from the protruding portion 22 of the inner housing 2 in a natural state so as to form a gap F2 along the entire circumference.
Accordingly, the valve structure BK2 has an air passage fb communicating with the air chamber V between the cover 3B and the projecting portion 22. As shown in FIG.

An opening 34B having an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2 is formed in the shoulder portion 32b of the cover 3B. A peripheral portion of the opening 34B is a ring-shaped flap portion 35 that is thin and easily bent and deformed. In this example, there are two flaps, a thin inner flap 35a and an outer flap 35b spaced apart in the thickness direction. The number of flaps is not limited.

The inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b are in close contact with the outer wall of the tubular portion 23 in a natural state at the periphery of the opening 34, separating the space on the side of the ventilation path fb from the outer space Vg.
The inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b are arranged so as to allow ventilation in the direction of reducing the pressure difference when a predetermined pressure difference occurs between the space on the air passage fb side of the opening 34B and the outer space Vg. A gap is formed between it and the outer wall of the cylindrical portion 23 by bending. This gap is not limited to covering the entire circumference of the outer wall of the cylindrical portion 23, and may be formed partially in the circumferential direction.

When the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E, the cover 3B is pushed by the conchal cavity Eb, the air chamber V is collapsed, and the air chamber V is pressurized. As shown in FIG. 7(c), it deforms so that the pressurized air in the air chamber V is discharged to the outer space Vg as an air flow ARb.

When the earplug 91 is removed from the auricle E in a state in which the cover 3B is pushed and the air chamber V is deformed, the air chamber V of the cover 3B expands from the collapsed state due to the restoring force to restore the original shape. to depressurize. As a result, the inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b are deformed to allow air to flow into the air chamber V from the outer space Vg.
When the cover 3B returns to its original shape, the pressure difference between the pressure inside the air chamber V and the outer space Vg becomes small, and the inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b come into close contact with the cylindrical portion 23 again, and the air chamber V is opened again. It becomes a closed state.

Since the earplug 91B has the valve structure BK2, when the earplug 91B is attached to the auricle E, or when the main body 911 of the earplug 91B is pressed against the concha Eb in the attached state, The burden on the head is reduced.
Specifically, when the body portion 911 is pressed against the concha cavity Eb, the air chamber V is compressed, but the air chamber V is kept sealed until a predetermined pressure difference with the outer space Vg is generated. There is no air discharge path, and the air chamber V elastically shrinks. Along with this, an elastic repulsive force is applied from the cover 3 to the concha cavity Eb, so that the contact feeling is soft and favorable.

When the main body portion 911 is further pressed against the concha cavity Eb, the pressure inside the air chamber V is further increased, and a predetermined pressure difference is generated between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg. Since the flap 35b is opened to discharge the internal air of the air chamber V to the outside, the pressure of the air chamber V is reduced. Along with this, the repulsive force applied to the conchal cavity Eb is reduced without becoming excessive despite the strong pressing of the main body 911, and the contact feeling is maintained satisfactorily.

As a mode of use in which the body portion 911 is strongly pressed against the conchal cavity Eb while the earplug 91B is attached to the auricle E, there is a mode of use (side lying position) described as an example in the description of the first embodiment.
In this case as well, the earplug 91B has the air chamber V and the valve structure BK2, so that the main body 911 is in soft contact with the concha auricle Eb, so that the wearing comfort is improved.

(Example 3)
Next, an earplug 91C of Example 3 will be described. The earplug 91C has a valve structure BK3 instead of the valve structure BK in the earplug 91 of the first embodiment, and other parts are the same, so description thereof will be omitted.
The valve structure BK3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b).
8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the shoulder portion 22b of the inner housing 2 for explaining the valve structure BK3 of Example 3, FIG. 2] is a plan view of the filter member 5 used in the valve structure BK3. [FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), the valve structure BK3 has a cover 3C instead of the cover 3 of the valve structure BK and additionally has a filter member 5. As shown in FIG. The side portion 32a and the shoulder portion 32b of the cover 3C are formed so as to be separated from the projecting portion 22 of the inner housing 2 in a natural state. Thereby, a gap F3 is formed between the cover 3B and the projecting portion 22, and the filter member 5 is interposed in this gap F3.

As shown in FIG. 8(b), the filter member 5 is formed in a substantially bowl-like shape in a gap F3 between the cover 3C and the projecting portion 22 so as to be in close contact with both the cover 3C and the projecting portion 22. ing. An opening 5a through which the tubular portion 23 can be inserted is formed in the center of the bowl-shaped bottom portion of the filter member 5 .
The filter member 5 is made of a material through which air can pass while receiving resistance. That is, the filter member 5 is a ventilation resistor. An example of the material is a porous material such as urethane foam.

Thus, the valve structure BK3 has the filter member 5 between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg. The filter member 5 functions as an air passage fc that allows ventilation between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg with resistance.
Therefore, when the earplug 91C is housed in the conchal cavity Eb, even if the air chamber V is compressed and deformed by pushing the cover 3C in contact with the conchaeal cavity Eb, the air in the air chamber V Since the air is exhausted to the outer space Vg over time due to the resistance of the filter member 5, the air chamber V elastically and gently shrinks.
As a result, an elastic repulsive force corresponding to the compression deformation of the air chamber V is applied from the cover 3 to the concha cavity Eb, so that the contact feeling is soft and favorable.

In the valve structure BK3 of the earplug 91C, when the cover 3C is pushed and deformed and the earplug 91C is removed from the auricle E, the restoring force of the cover 3C to return to the initial shape causes the air chamber V to collapse. Expanding from the state, the air chamber V is decompressed. As a result, outside air flows into the air chamber V through the filter member 5, and the cover 3C returns to its original state.

(Example 4)
Next, an earplug 91D of Example 4 will be described. The earplug 91D has a valve structure BK4 instead of the valve structure BK in the earplug 91 of the first embodiment, and other parts are the same, so description thereof will be omitted.
The valve structure BK4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing the inner housing 2D of the valve structure BK4 of Example 4, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view near the shoulder 22b of the inner housing 2D for explaining the valve structure BK4.

Valve structure BK4 has an inner housing 2D instead of inner housing 2 in valve structure BK. A cover 3 is commonly used.
As shown in FIG. 9, the inner housing 2D differs from the inner housing 2 in that it has grooves 25. As shown in FIG. The groove portion 25 is formed on the outer surface of the projecting portion 22 and extends from the base of the tubular portion 23 through the shoulder portion 22b of the projecting portion 22 to the tubular portion 22a in a radial direction away from the opening portion 34. It is a narrow groove recessed inward from the outer surface of the portion 22 . The cross-sectional shape of the groove portion 25 is not limited, but is rectangular, for example.

As shown in FIG. 10, valve structure BK4 uses the same cover 3 as valve structure BK. That is, the cover 3 and the projecting portion 22 are in close contact with each other except for the groove portion 25 in a natural state. The end portion of the groove portion 25 on the side far from the opening portion 34 on the cylinder portion 22 a side communicates with the air chamber V in a natural state or can communicate with the expansion deformation of the cover 3 .
On the other hand, the end portion of the groove portion 25 on the cylindrical portion 23 side extends through the opening portion 34 of the cover 3 to a position visible from the outside and communicates with the outer space Vg. That is, the air chamber V and the outer space Vg are communicated through the groove portion 25 . The groove portion 25 has a small cross-sectional area as the air passage fd, and great resistance is generated in ventilation between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg.

Thus, the valve structure BK4 has the groove portion 25, and the groove portion 25 serves as a ventilation path fd that allows ventilation between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg by providing a large resistance.
Therefore, when the earplug 91D is housed in the conchal cavity Eb, even if the air chamber V is compressed and deformed by pushing the cover 3 in contact with the conchal cavity Eb, the air in the conchal chamber V is Due to the large resistance when passing through the groove 25, the air is not immediately exhausted to the outer space Vg, and the air chamber V maintains a pressurized state for a certain period of time and elastically and gently shrinks.
As a result, an elastic repulsive force is imparted to the conchal cavity Eb, so that the contact feeling is soft and favorable.

In the valve structure BK4 of the earplug 91D, when the cover 3 is pushed and deformed and the earplug 91D is removed from the auricle E, the restoring force of the cover 3 to return to the initial shape causes the air chamber V to collapse. Expanding from the state, the air chamber V is decompressed. As a result, outside air gradually flows into the air chamber V through the groove 25, and the cover 3 returns to its original state.

(Example 5)
Next, an earplug 91E of Example 5 will be described. The earplug 91E has a valve structure BK5 instead of the valve structure BK in the earplug 91 of the first embodiment, and other parts are the same, so description thereof will be omitted.
The valve structure BK5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG.
FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view showing the inner housing 2E for explaining the valve structure BK5, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view near the shoulder 22b of the inner housing 2E for explaining the valve structure BK5.

Valve structure BK5 has an inner housing 2E instead of inner housing 2 in valve structure BK.
As shown in FIG. 11, the inner housing 2E is the same as the inner housing 2 except that it has a group of grooves 26. As shown in FIG. The groove group 26 includes a long groove 261 and a short groove 262, which are a plurality of (two in this example) grooves with different extension lengths. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the groove group 26 includes four long grooves 261 and four short grooves 262 alternately formed on the outer surface of the projecting portion 22 of the inner housing 2E at a pitch of 45° around the axis CL22. have

The long groove portion 261 extends from the base of the cylindrical portion 23 to the cylindrical portion 22a via the shoulder portion 22b of the projecting portion 22 in a direction away from the radial opening 34, and is recessed inward from the outer surface of the projecting portion 22. narrow groove.
On the other hand, the short groove portion 262 is a groove that extends from the base of the cylindrical portion 23 to the shoulder portion 22b of the protrusion, extends away from the radial opening 34, and is recessed inward from the outer surface of the protrusion 22. It is a narrow groove. The short groove portion 262 is shorter than the long groove portion 261 and does not reach the cylindrical portion 22a.

As shown in FIG. 12, valve structure BK5 uses the same cover 3 as valve structure BK. That is, the cover 3 and the projecting portion 22 are in close contact with each other except for the long groove portion 261 and the short groove portion 262 in the natural state. The long groove portion 261 and the short groove portion 262 are different in the separation distance from the opening 34 of the end of the cover 3 farther from the opening 34 .
In the natural state, the end portion of the long groove portion 261 on the far side from the cylindrical portion 23 is covered with the cover 3 and does not communicate with the air chamber V. As shown in FIG. Similarly, the short groove portion 262 does not communicate with the air chamber V at the far end from the cylindrical portion 23 . That is, communication between the groove group 26 and the air chamber V is restricted.

When the ear plug 91E is housed in the conchal cavity Eb, if the cover 3 is pressed while being in contact with the conchae Eb and the air chamber V is compressed and deformed, if the degree of deformation is small, the air chamber V and the long groove portion 261 communicate with each other. The long groove portion 261 functions as an air passage fe that communicates between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg, and the compressed air in the air chamber V is discharged to the outside through the long groove portion 261, which is the air passage fe. . Since the cross-sectional area of the long groove portion 261 is small, a large resistance is generated in ventilation between the air chamber V and the outer space Vg.
Therefore, even if the cover 3 is deformed and the air passage fe is first established, the pressurized air in the air chamber V is not discharged at once from the long groove portion 261 to the outer space Vg, but is discharged over time. Therefore, the air chamber V elastically and gently shrinks.

On the other hand, when the deformation of the cover 3 is large, the air chamber V communicates not only with the long groove portion 261 but also with the short groove portion 262 . Since the short groove portion 262 functions as an air passage ff that communicates the air chamber V and the outer space Vg, the greatly compressed air in the air chamber V due to the crushing deformation of the cover 3 flows through the long groove portion 261 and the short groove portion. 262, and is exhausted to the outer space Vg.
Therefore, when the crushing deformation of the cover 3 is large, a corresponding amount of pressurized air in the air chamber V can be discharged appropriately. The repulsive force is not applied to the head with excessive force.
That is, when the earplug 91E is attached to the auricle E, the elastic repulsive force of the cover 3 is stably applied to the conchal cavity Eb regardless of the amount of crushing deformation of the cover 3 that is crushed by hitting against the conchal cavity Eb. It is possible to obtain a better feeling of wearing.

The embodiments described in detail above are not limited to their configurations, and modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
Ear fittings are not limited to ear plugs. A so-called earplug-type earphone or hearing aid that accommodates a speaker unit inside the body portion 911 and emits sound into the external auditory canal through the cylindrical portion 23 may be used.

1 Outer housing 1a Bottom wall 1b Inner rib 1c Peripheral recess 1d Peripheral step 1e Peripheral wall 2, 2D, 2E Inner housing 21a Outer flange 21b Engagement projection 21c Peripheral step 21d Base 22 Projection 22a Cylindrical portion 22b Shoulder Portion 22b1 Outer surface 22t Ceiling wall portion 22t1 Outer surface 23 Cylindrical portion 25 Groove portion 26 Groove portion group 261 Long groove portion 262 Short groove portions 3, 3B, 3C Cover 31 Cover base (intermediate portion)
31a inner flange 31b peripheral rib (first end)
32 cylindrical projection (second end)
32a side portion 32b shoulder portion 34 opening portion 35 flap portion 35a inner flap 35b outer flap 5 filter member (ventilation resistor)
5a openings 91, 91B, 91C, 91D, 91E earplugs (ear fittings)
911 Body portion 911a Base portion 911b Protruding portion 911c Locking protruding portion 912 Insertion portion ARb Airflows BK, BK2, BK3, BK4, BK5 Valve structure CL22 Axis line D1 Distance E Auricle Ea Anti-helix Eb Conchal cavity Ec Tragus F1, F2 , F3 Gap fa, fb, fc, fd, fe, ff Air passage LN1 Adhesion boundary line V Air chamber Vg Outer space

Claims (2)

a main body having a projecting portion and a cylindrical portion extending from the projecting portion, and attached to the concha auricular cavity in use;
an insertion portion attached to the cylindrical portion and inserted into the ear canal in the used state;
with
the body portion has an inner housing in which the projecting portion is formed, and a cover that covers the inner housing;
The cover has a first end sealingly fixed to the inner housing side, and an intermediate portion separated from the inner housing to form an air chamber between the cover and the inner housing, and closely covers the protruding portion. having an opening through which the cylindrical portion is inserted with a gap at a second end opposite to the first end across the intermediate portion;
The projecting portion has a groove portion whose one end portion communicates with the gap and extends toward the other end portion in a direction away from the opening portion, and the air chamber and the outer space can communicate with each other through the groove portion. ear fittings. 2. The ear attachment according to claim 1, wherein the groove includes a plurality of grooves having different distances from the opening of the other end.

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