JP6478028B2 - Dehumidifying case for portable hearing aid - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a hearing aid case, and more particularly, to a portable hearing aid dehumidification case in which moisture attached to the inside or outside of the device or accumulated micro water droplets can be effectively removed by storing the hearing aid.

  Hearing aids, which are assistive devices for hearing impairments, artificially amplify external hearing sounds and transmit them directly to the eardrum, or transmit external sound vibrations to the auditory nerves through bone conduction to simulate deafness. It is something to recover. Hearing aids can be broadly classified according to their usage, and include an ear hole type, an ear hook type, and a separation type. In any method, a hearing aid having an advanced digital signal processing function capable of adjusting a frequency characteristic adapted to the sensitivity of each user to sound has been put into practical use.

  An electronic circuit incorporated in such a hearing aid is composed of a semiconductor circuit chip, and is easily affected by the usage environment such as temperature change and humidity. Especially, moisture or minute water droplets (hereinafter also referred to as moisture) accumulated inside the hearing aid This greatly affects the characteristics and causes deterioration of operation and failure. As is well known, many hearing aids of this type are used by being inserted into the outer ear or attached in the vicinity thereof. Accordingly, moisture inside the outer ear or around the ear shell may adhere to the periphery of the hearing aid, or may enter the inside of the hearing aid to deteriorate the characteristics of the electronic circuit or cause malfunction. For this reason, various measures for removing moisture and the like of the hearing aid when not in use have been proposed. As what disclosed the related prior art, patent document 1, patent document 2, patent document 3, etc. can be mentioned, for example.

  A drying case for removing moisture and the like of a hearing aid disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured by a cylindrical container having a main body with an upper part opened and an upper lid that can open and close the upper opening of the main body. By storing the hearing aid and silica gel in the main body, moisture and the like are removed by the next use.

  Also, as a means to remove moisture attached to the hearing aid in a short time, a motor-driven fan is provided in the container containing the hearing aid and the desiccant so that air is circulated through the contained hearing aid and the desiccant. It is disclosed in Patent Document 2.

  Furthermore, Patent Document 3 is provided with a hearing aid, a moisture adsorbent (zeolite) and a heater that adsorbs the moisture of the hearing aid, and a heater at a heating temperature of about 40 degrees without damaging the hearing aid. Disclosed is a drying case in which moisture adsorbed by the moisture adsorbent is released to the outside to regenerate the adsorption capacity of the moisture adsorbent.

  Patent Document 4 discloses a portable case for a hearing aid. The hearing aid carrying case disclosed in Patent Document 4 is a container that can be stored and carried when the hearing aid is not used, and no special consideration has been given to the removal of moisture attached to the hearing aid.

Hearing aids are not limited to use within a limited range of daily activities such as at home, but are also used by carrying them away from homes such as travel destinations. Therefore, storage means for temporarily suspending use of the hearing aid even at a place away from home or the like is necessary. The case with the conventional drying function described above has a shape and size that is assumed to be stationary, or requires a built-in drying power source or requires an external power source, so that it is portable. It is not a thing, but it is not always easy to use even if it is taken to a destination.

  Further, the hearing aid carrying case disclosed in Patent Document 4 contains a cushion material in a removable manner, and when the cushion material becomes dirty, the cushion material is removed, washed, and used again. It is designed to keep clean at all times, and does not have a function for dealing with problems such as moisture.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-108025 JP 2008-172680 A JP 2009-267582 A JP 2007-306345 A

  As described above, as a means for realizing a drying (or dehumidifying) function for a conventional hearing aid, a container containing a moisture absorbent such as silica gel or zeolite is used as a material for adsorbing moisture. None of the conventional techniques assumes a dehumidifying case for a hearing aid having a shape and size optimal for carrying and having a function of removing moisture and the like. In order to obtain a sufficient dehumidifying (or drying) effect, the case requires a certain amount of volume in consideration of the amount of desiccant and adsorption conditions such as moisture, or an electric fan or electric Equipment such as a heater is required. This is considered to be one of the reasons why it has been difficult to realize a dehumidifying case for a hearing aid that has an effective dehumidifying function and is suitable for portable use.

  In addition to the hearing-impaired persons who need hearing assistance, the number of persons who need to use hearing aids will continue to increase with the recent increase in the elderly population. Therefore, it is desired to realize a dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid that can be handled easily and easily even by elderly people and is lightweight and easy to use.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidifying case for a hearing aid that can be used as a portable type in light of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, which is lightweight and convenient to use and can efficiently remove moisture attached to the hearing aid even in a small volume space. There is.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized by the following typical configurations. In addition, in order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the following description of typical configurations is accompanied by reference numerals attached to examples described later, but the present invention is limited to the configurations indicated by these reference numerals. It is not limited.

(1) An upper housing 1A having an upper opening periphery and the upper housing 1A can be opened and closed by a hinge 2, and the main space is in close contact with the upper opening periphery while the upper housing 1A is closed. The casing 1 including the lower casing 1B having the lower opening periphery through the sealing surface 1F or the main space O-ring, and the upper opening periphery of the upper casing 1A as the lower opening periphery of the lower casing 1B A dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid having a main space for accommodating the hearing aid main body 8 and its components formed jointly and having a decompression pump 4 for decompressing the main space,
The decompression pump 4 includes a push-down portion 4D that can be repeatedly pushed down with one finger while holding the housing 1 with one hand,
At least the hearing aid body 8 and the desiccant 6 are accommodated in the main space, and the main space is decompressed by the operation of the decompression pump 4 so that moisture or the like attached to the hearing aid body 8 can be efficiently transferred to the desiccant 6. It is made to adsorb | suck.

  (2) The pressure reducing pump 4 in (1) is attached to the upper housing 1A side.

  (3) A hearing aid housing portion 5F for housing one or two hearing aid main bodies 8 and a pump housing portion for housing the decompression pump 4 on the lower housing 1B side constituting the main space in (1). 5G and the desiccant accommodating part 5A which accommodates the said desiccant 6 are characterized by the above-mentioned.

  (4) A battery that houses a battery 7 that is isolated from the reduced pressure of the decompression pump 4 within the periphery of the lower opening of the lower housing 1B that constitutes the main space in (1), and is housed in the hearing aid body 8 A battery housing lid 1G that has a housing 5B, seals the battery housing 5B within the periphery of the upper opening of the upper housing 1A, and isolates the inside of the battery housing 5B from the decompression by the decompression pump 4. It is characterized by having.

  (5) The partition wall 5 that separates the hearing aid housing portion 5F and the pump housing region is provided on the lower housing 1B side that constitutes the main space in (1).

  (6) The casing 1 in the above (1) has a three-dimensional vertically long round box shape formed of a curved surface as a whole, and the hinge 2 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the three-dimensional vertically long round box shape, The hinge 2 is characterized in that a locking portion 3 is provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction to releasably hold the joint state of the upper housing 1A and the lower housing 1B.

(7) The decompression pump 4 in (1) is configured so that a user can easily push down the housing 1 using its finger or the like against the elastic force of the coil spring 4N. The piston shaft portion 4C having a polygonal cross section having a pushed-down portion 4D protruding from the surface of 1A and the side wall of the piston cylindrical portion 4V fixed to the end portion of the pushed-down piston shaft portion 4C are slidably received. It has a piston / cylinder mechanism consisting of a cylinder part 4A,
A lock mechanism is provided that locks and releases the state where the piston cylindrical portion 4V is pushed into the cylinder portion 4A between the push-down portion 4D and the cylinder portion 4A.

(8) The lock mechanism in (7) is fixed to the polygonal lock plate 4T having the same outer shape as the piston shaft portion 4C fixed to the piston shaft portion 4C of the push-down portion 4D and the cylinder portion 4A. And a polygonal lock opening 4U slidably contacting the piston shaft portion 4C provided on the upper disk 4F.
When the push-down part 4D is pushed down, the lock plate 4T is parallel to the plane of the upper disk 4F at a position where the lock plate 4T has passed through the lock opening 4U of the upper disk 4F provided on the upper edge of the cylinder part 4A. By pushing around a predetermined angle on a flat surface, the corner of the lock plate 4T is superposed on the lower side of the inner edge of the lock opening 4U, and the superposition state is maintained by the elasticity of the coil spring 4N. The cylinder mechanism is locked to the pushed-down state of the push-down portion 4D.

  (9) The pressure reducing pump 4 in (8) includes a cylinder-side check valve 4M that causes the air inside the cylinder portion 4A to flow into the piston shaft portion 4C by the depression of the push-down portion 4D, and the piston shaft portion. A piston-side check valve 4L that discharges air that has flowed into 4C to the outside is provided, and the push-down portion 4D depressurizes the main space by returning to its original position by the elastic force of the coil spring 4N. .

(10) An air vent hole 4E communicating with the inside of the piston shaft portion 4C is provided at a joint portion between the piston shaft portion 4C and the lock plate 4T in (9).

  (11) A main space air intake hole 5E communicating with the main space is provided in a part of the upper casing 1A in (1).

  (12) The main space which is provided on the lower housing 1B side in (1) and houses the decompression pump 4, the hearing aid body 8 and the desiccant 6 is within the lower opening of the lower housing 1B. The battery housing portion 5B is partitioned by a lower inner wall 5H, and the lower inner wall that seals the main space when the opening of the upper housing 1A is joined to the opening of the lower housing 1B to the upper housing 1A. An upper inner wall 5L joined to 5H is provided, and the battery housing part 5B is isolated from the reduced pressure of the reduced pressure pump 4.

  (13) When the upper housing 1A is joined to the lower housing 1B side of the decompression pump 4 in (1), the lower housing 1B is brought into contact with the lower housing 1B to push down the push-down portion 4D. A bottom projection 4B that transmits pressure to the lower housing 1B is provided.

  (14) The battery housing portion 5B in (12) shares a part of the opening periphery of the lower opening of the lower housing 1B, and closes the battery housing portion 5B in the upper housing 1A. It has a part lid 5M.

  (15) An external communication groove 5K that communicates the inside of the battery housing portion 5B and the outside of the housing 1 is formed on a part of the peripheral edge of the opening shared with the lower opening of the battery housing portion 5B in (12). It is characterized by having.

  (16) The main space air suction hole 5E for discharging the air inside the main space is provided in a part of the casing 1 in (1).

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration and the configurations of the embodiments described later, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

  The portable dehumidifying case for hearing aids according to the present invention was molded from a plastic material (ABS resin or the like) with good touch. The basic structure is composed of an upper housing 1A and a lower housing 1B, which are connected to a hinge 1 to open and close a housing 1 having a main space for housing a hearing aid main body and its accessory parts. did. Thus, the upper housing 1A is provided with a decompression pump 4 with good operability that the user can repeatedly press down even with one finger. The decompression pump 4 is constituted by a piston / cylinder mechanism having a push-down portion 4D that returns to its original state by a return force (elastic repulsive force) such as a built-in coil spring 4N.

  An example of the usage mode is as follows. First, the user houses the hearing aid main body 8 and its accessory parts in the main space forming portion of the lower housing 1B, and seals the opening periphery of the upper housing 1A by joining the opening periphery of the lower housing 1B. Set to 1. A desiccant 6 (hygroscopic agent) is stored in advance in a part of the sealed portion. Next, the pressing part 4D of the decompression pump 4 is pressed down with a thumb or the like, and then the pressing force is released. When the push-down portion 4D returns to the original position by the force of the coil spring 4N, a part of the air in the main space is extracted through the cylinder. By repeating this operation 2-3 times, the air pressure in the main space becomes equal to or lower than the ambient air pressure.

By lowering (decreasing) the pressure of the main space by operating the push-down unit 4D, the amount of air around the hearing aid body 8 is reduced, and the absolute amount of moisture (moisture) contained in the air per unit volume is reduced. Thus, there is a margin in the moisture absorption load of the desiccant 6. As a result, the moisture adhering to the inside and outside of the hearing aid main body 8 is effectively absorbed by the desiccant 6 and the dehumidification is promoted.

  The pressure reduction performance of the pressure reduction pump 4 depends on conditions such as the processing accuracy of the piston / cylinder mechanism, the pressing operation speed and frequency of the push-down portion, and the response of the check valves 4L and 4M installed in the piston / cylinder mechanism. In addition, efficient decompression can be realized by improving these conditions.

  In addition, when a hearing aid or the like is accommodated and the main space is decompressed by operating the decompression pump and the hearing aid or the like is to be taken out for some reason, the main space air suction hole 5E is opened to bring the main space to normal pressure ( The dehumidification case for hearing aids can be opened by returning to the same atmospheric pressure. The main space air suction hole 5E is not limited to the position described in the embodiments described later, and is provided in a portion that is connected to the main space of the housing 1 and suitable for operation. The main space air intake hole 5E is not limited to the trigger-type lid-type on-off valve as in the embodiment, and a known push-button type on-off valve can be used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a whole perspective view explaining Example 1 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids concerning this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which isolate | separates the upper housing | casing and lower housing which comprise Example 1 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention, and shows those structures. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the upper housing | casing and lower housing | casing of the housing | casing which comprises Example 1 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention by using a hinge as a fulcrum. It is a perspective view shown with the hearing aid main body accommodated in the housing | casing which comprises Example 1 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids concerning this invention, and its internal component. It is a schematic sectional drawing which cuts and shows the dehumidification case for hearing aids concerning this invention along the long axis. It is a side view explaining the whole external shape of the decompression pump which comprises the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention. It is an expansion | deployment perspective view explaining the structure of the decompression pump which comprises the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the main part of the push-down portion at the top of the piston shaft portion of the decompression pump constituting the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention as viewed from above. It is the principal part perspective view which looked at the lock plate which has the piston shaft part of the decompression pump which comprises the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention from the downward direction. It is a perspective view which shows the state which pushed down the push-down part of the piston part in Example 1 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention, and accommodated the piston part in the housing | casing. It is the side view seen from the arrow B direction of FIG. 10 which shows the state which pushed down the push-down part of the piston part in Example 1 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention, and accommodated the piston part in the housing | casing. It is a whole perspective view explaining Example 2 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids concerning this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the upper housing | casing and lower housing | casing of the housing | casing which comprises Example 2 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention using a hinge as a fulcrum. It is a disassembled perspective view which isolate | separates the upper housing | casing and lower housing which comprise Example 2 of the dehumidification case for hearing aids which concerns on this invention, and shows those structures.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings of the examples.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view for explaining a first embodiment of a dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an upper housing and a lower housing separated from each other. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the housing is opened with a hinge as a fulcrum, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the hearing aid main body housed in the housing and its internal parts. 1 to 4, the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid of the present embodiment includes an upper housing 1A and a lower housing 1B that form a housing space for a hearing aid or the like sealed inside by joining the peripheral edges of the openings. It is comprised with the housing | casing 1 which becomes. The casing 1 is a container having a three-dimensional vertically long round box formed of a curved surface as a whole and having the above-described storage space inside.

  The casing 1 has a hinge 2 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and the joint of the upper casing 1A and the lower casing 1B is connected to the other end on the opposite side to the side in which the hinge 2 is attached. A releasable locking portion 3 is provided. A decompression pump 4 for decompressing a main space to be described later is attached to the upper housing 1A. In addition, the hinge 2 and the latching | locking part 3 can also be provided inside the outline of a housing | casing. Further, the locking portion 3 is not limited to the engagement structure between the protrusion of the upper locking portion 3A provided on the upper housing side and the protruding groove of the lower locking portion 3B provided on the lower housing as shown in the figure. A so-called “base” that locks and opens the opening of the stored item, a type that locks and unlocks by friction, a type that releases the engagement by pressing one locking portion, and the like can be used.

  In a state in which the upper housing 1A is joined to the lower housing 1B and the main space is closed, the main space sealing surface 1FA that is closely joined to the opening periphery of the upper housing 1A (in this embodiment, the flexible surfaces are joined together). A flat surface made of a flexible material that can be intimately closed without gaps: a sealing surface is used, and a rubber o-ring (or O-ring) can be used) at the lower opening periphery of the lower housing 1B. The side main space sealing surface 1FB (same as above) is in close contact with each other to be in a sealed state, and a main space isolated from the external atmosphere is formed in the sealed interior. The main space accommodates the hearing aid body 8 and its components.

  The decompression pump 4 has an upper disk 4F, and the upper disk 4F is fixed to a decompression pump installation opening 1C (see FIG. 2) provided in the upper housing 1A with a fixing screw 4H. The decompression pump 4 has a piston shaft portion 4C that sinks and rises through an opening provided in the center of the upper disk 4F, and includes a push-down portion 4D having a lock plate 4T at the upper end of the piston shaft portion 4C. Reference numeral 4E denotes an air vent hole for discharging air from the inside of the piston shaft portion. The hinge 2 has a well-known structure in which both the cylindrical upper piece 2A and the lower piece 2B are combined and fixed through a shaft. An adhesive or other fixing means can be used instead of the fixing screw 4H.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the decompression pump 4 includes a piston / cylinder mechanism having a cylinder part 4A and a piston cylindrical part 4V (described later in FIG. 7) provided at the lower end of the piston shaft part 4C. A lower disk 4G is attached to the lower side of the upper disk 4F (on the pressure reduction pump installation opening 1C side), and a stepped portion of a ring-shaped stepped portion 1D provided in the pressure reduction pump installation opening 1C via a sealing packing 4P. The screw hole 1E is airtightly fixed with the fixing screw 4H. A bottom projection 4B is provided at the lower end of the cylinder portion 4A. When the upper housing 1A is joined to the lower housing 1B, the bottom projection 4B is the inner bottom of the pump housing portion 5G of the lower housing 1B. The pressure transmitted from the piston portion 4W by the push-down portion 4D is received.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower housing 1 </ b> B has cylindrical desiccant storage portions 5 </ b> A and 5 </ b> A in which a notch 5 </ b> AA is processed in a part of the side wall that stores the desiccant 6 and a cylinder that stores the battery 7. A battery housing portion 5B, a pump housing portion 5G for housing and bottoming the cylinder portion 4A of the decompression pump, and a hearing aid housing portion 5F for housing the hearing aid body 8 (see FIG. 4) are provided. The battery housing portion 5B is formed with a recess 5BA on the upper surface for housing a battery (mainly an air battery) 7 together with the magnet disk 5D. A notch 5BB for hooking is formed in a part of the periphery of the recess 5BA. An O-ring (O-ring) 5C is provided around the upper end surface of the battery housing 5B. The O-ring 5C is isolated from the main space in which the internal space of the battery housing 5B is decompressed by a pump by joining with the battery housing lid 1G provided in the upper housing 1A. Further, the notch 5AA provided in the desiccant container 5A has an effect of increasing the moisture absorption rate by increasing the contact area between the desiccant 6 and air.

  One or two hearing aid main bodies 8 can be accommodated in the hearing aid accommodating portion 5F. When two hearing aid main bodies are accommodated, two batteries can be stacked and accommodated by changing the depth of the battery accommodating portion 5B. In consideration of this, when the depth of the battery accommodating portion 5B is set to a size that allows accommodation of two batteries, and only one battery is accommodated, the bottom of the battery accommodating portion 5B is filled with one battery. It is desirable to put it on the bottom. The padding may be removed when two batteries are accommodated. A partition wall is provided between the pump housing portion 5G and the hearing aid housing portion 5F so as to surround the pump housing portion 5G side. By providing this partition wall 5, the interference between the hearing aid main body 8 accommodated in the hearing aid accommodating portion 5F and the cylinder portion 4A of the decompression pump attached to the pump accommodating portion 5G is avoided. In addition, the battery accommodated in the battery accommodating part 5B may be a reserve battery.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the upper housing 1A has an upper locking portion 3A at the other end, and a lower locking portion 3B is formed at a corresponding position of the lower housing 1B. Yes. When the upper housing 1A is joined to the lower housing 1B, the latch recess 3AA of the upper locking portion 3A is engaged with the latch protrusion (see FIG. 5) of the lower locking portion and locked. The upper locking portion 3A is flexible enough to be pulled by a nail and can be easily unlocked by the user. As described above, various known locking structures can be applied to the locking portion 3.

  The upper housing 1A is provided with a main space air suction hole 5E that can be opened and closed in communication with the inside of the main space. This main space air intake hole 5E has a knob, accommodates a hearing aid, etc., operates the decompression pump to depressurize the main space, and takes out the hearing aid etc. with the main space decompressed for some reason. If this is desired, the main space air suction hole 5E is picked up and opened to open the main space air suction hole 5E, and the main space is returned to normal pressure (same as the ambient pressure) to dehumidify the hearing aid case (housing 1). ) Can be opened. The main space air suction hole 5E can also employ various structures as described above.

  The main space air suction hole 5E keeps the main space in a depressurized state by depressing the push-down portion 4D of the decompression pump 4, and when it is desired to release the main space in a short time thereafter, the main space air intake hole 5E is operated by operating the knob. It is a manual shut-off valve that injects air. Although the decompressed main space depends on the sealing performance between the upper and lower housings, the decompressed main space maintains the decompressed state for several hours required for dehumidification. After the elapse of this time, the main space can be released only by releasing the locking portion 3. The main space air intake hole 5E is not limited to the above-described structure, and other known valve structures can be adopted. For example, an intake / exhaust valve used for a beach ball or the like can be used.

  FIG. 4 shows a state in which the upper casing 1A and the lower casing 1B are opened so that their opening edges are horizontal. Cylinder side opening 4QS which installs check valve 4M (refer to Drawing 7) is opened in the bottom of cylinder part 4A of decompression pump 4 attached to upper case 1A. FIG. 4 shows an accommodation state of the magnetic disk 5D for restraining the movement by restraining the movement of the hearing aid main body 8, the battery 7, and the dehumidifying case for the hearing aid.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the hearing aid dehumidifying case according to the present invention cut along its long axis. FIG. 5 illustrates in detail the internal structure of the decompression pump 4 among the above-described configurations. The decompression pump 4 has a piston part W (see FIG. 7) including a cylinder part 4A, a piston shaft part 4C, a piston cylinder part 4V, and a push-down part 4D, and the piston shaft part 4C has an inner wall of the cylindrical cylinder part 4A. The piston cylindrical portion 4V at the lower end is incorporated so as to slide by the pressing operation of the pressing portion 4D at the upper end of the piston shaft portion 4C.

  The piston cylindrical portion 4V has an O-ring groove 4K, and a piston-cylinder mechanism in which a piston-side O-ring 4J is fitted into the O-ring groove 4K and slides in close contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 4A. The bottom of the cylinder portion 4A has a lower valve seat 4S, and an opening (cylinder side opening) 4QS that passes through the main space is formed in the lower valve seat 4S. This cylinder side opening 4QS has a cross-sectional wedge shape in which the inner diameter of the cylinder portion 4A is large and the main space side (outside of the cylinder portion) has a small inner diameter. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 7, a cylinder-side check valve 4M having a T-shaped cross section is installed in the cylinder-side opening 4QS. The columnar portion (vertical portion of the letter T) of the cylinder-side check valve 4M is tapered (the cross section is wedge-shaped), and the base of the columnar portion opens the cylinder-side opening 4QS when fully inserted into the cylinder-side opening 4QS. Sealing is performed, and the cylinder portion 4A and the main space are cut off.

  On the other hand, the lock plate 4T having the push-down portion 4D is attached to the upper end of the piston portion 4C, and the piston shaft portion 4C has a reverse cup shape. An air vent hole 4E is formed near the boundary between the lock plate 4T and the piston shaft portion 4C. An upper valve seat 4R is provided immediately below the lock plate 4T of the piston shaft portion 4C. The upper valve seat 4R is formed with a piston side opening 4Q having the same shape as the cylinder side opening 4QS of the lower valve seat 4S, and a piston side check valve 4L having the same shape as the cylinder side check valve 4M (see FIG. 7) is installed in the same direction as the cylinder side check valve 4M.

  FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the entire external shape of the decompression pump constituting the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a developed perspective view for explaining the structure of the decompression pump constituting the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention. A bottom projection 4B is formed in the lower part of the cylinder part 4A, and a lower disk 4G is formed in the upper part. The packing 4P is interposed between the ring-shaped step portion 1D of the upper housing 1A and the lower disk 4G to seal the main space. The upper disk 4F is positioned above the piston cylindrical portion 4V and is fixed to the ring-shaped step portion 1D together with the lower disk 4G by a fixing screw 4H. It is also possible to provide appropriate unevenness or scratches on the upper surface of the push-down portion 4D.

  The coil spring 4N is inserted between the inner bottom surface of the cylinder portion 4A and the lower end surface of the piston portion 4W, and normally presses the piston shaft portion 4E having the piston portion 4W to the uppermost position of the cylinder portion 4A. A piston-side O-ring 4J is fitted in an O-ring groove 4K provided in the piston portion 4W. In addition, silicone rubber is suitable for the O-ring used in the present embodiment (including the other embodiments of the present invention) including the piston-side O-ring 4J. Then, it is desirable to apply silicone oil or the like as a lubricating oil to the sliding portion including the O-ring. In this embodiment, silicone oil is applied in order to ensure smooth sliding of the piston portion 4W. Silicone oil is excellent in water resistance, heat resistance, and chemical resistance, has little annual change due to temperature changes, and has little change in characteristics with respect to changes in vapor pressure, making it suitable for small pumps for portable devices where it is difficult to specify the operating environment. Yes.

  When the main space is decompressed, the push-down portion 4D of the piston portion shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is pushed with a finger or the like to push the piston cylindrical portion 4V down into the cylinder portion 4A against the elasticity of the coil spring 4N. In this push-down process, the cylinder-side check valve 4M is closed, the piston-side check valve 4L is released, and a part of air in the cylinder part and the piston shaft part is discharged from the air vent hole 4E to the external atmosphere. After the piston cylindrical portion 4V reaches the lower end, the pressing force is removed from the pressing portion 4D. As a result, the piston portion 4W including the piston shaft portion 4C is raised to the original position by the restoring force of the coil spring 4N.

As the piston part 4W rises, the piston-side check valve 4L closes, the cylinder-side check valve 4M is released, the inside of the cylinder part 4A and the piston shaft part 4C communicates with the main space, and the cylinder part 4A and the piston Part of the air in the main space is sucked into the shaft portion. As a result, the main space is depressurized by the operating volume of the cylinder. The pressure reduction of the main space is promoted by repeating the above-described piston / cylinder operation. The release and closing operation of the check valve can be stabilized by applying silicone oil to the contact surfaces of the piston side and cylinder side valve seats and the respective check valves.

  When the dehumidifying case for hearing aids according to the present embodiment is carried around, if the push-down portion 4D is left protruding from the case (housing 1), usability may be hindered. Hereinafter, a mechanism for locking the piston shaft portion 4C having the push-down portion 4D protruding from the case while being lowered in the upper housing 1A will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an essential part of the push-down portion at the top of the piston shaft portion of the decompression pump constituting the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention as viewed from above, and FIG. FIG. 4B shows a state where the disk is slightly pushed in the direction of arrow A on a plane parallel to the upper disk 4F. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an essential part of the lock plate 4T having the piston shaft part of the decompression pump constituting the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention as viewed from below, and FIG. ), And shows a state in which it is simply pushed into the upper disk 4F. FIG. 8B corresponds to FIG. 8B, and shows a state in which the upper disk 4F is rotated slightly in a plane parallel to the upper disk 4F. Indicates. Reference numeral 4G denotes a lower disk, and the cylinder body is omitted from the insulator.

  8 and 9, in the state shown in FIG. 8A in which the push-down portion 4D is pushed into the upper disk 4F, the upper surface of the lock plate 4T on the lower side of the push-down portion 4D is the lower surface of the upper disk 4F. positioned. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the push-down portion 4D is pushed back slightly, the check valve 4M is in a closed position (when the check valve 4M is in a closed state), and slightly rotated on a plane parallel to the upper disk 4F. The corner of the lock plate 4T goes under the straight side of the lock opening 4U of the upper disk 4F. The piston shaft 4C is prevented from rising by the elastic force of the coil spring 4N.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state where the piston part is housed in the casing by pushing down the push-down part 4D of the piston part. FIG. 11 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 10 showing a state where the piston part is housed in the casing by pushing down the push-down part 4D of the piston part. As can be seen from FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to the present embodiment has a three-dimensional vertically long round box shape whose casing 1 is entirely formed of a curved surface, and as described above, The upper protruding portion can be held in a settling state. Therefore, even if it is carried in a pocket or put in a storage bag or bag, it does not get in the way and is easy to use. The hinge 2 and the locking part 3 are formed inside the contour line of the housing 1, and the structure of the locking part 3 is not limited to that shown in the figure as described above.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, a dehumidifying case for a hearing aid suitable for portable use is provided, which is lightweight, easy to use, can efficiently remove moisture attached to a hearing aid even in a small volume space. can do.

  FIG. 12 is an overall perspective view illustrating Example 2 of the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper housing and the lower housing of the housing constituting the dehumidifying case for hearing aid according to the second embodiment of the present invention are opened with a hinge as a fulcrum. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the upper housing and the lower housing that are part of the dehumidifying case for a hearing aid according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the outer diameter is a three-dimensional vertically long round box shape in which the casing 1 is formed of a curved surface as a whole in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Can be kept in a state. Also in the present embodiment, a main space air suction hole 5E is provided in a part of the upper housing 1A. The main space air suction hole 5E keeps the main space in a depressurized state by depressing the push-down portion 4D of the decompression pump 4, and when it is desired to release the main space in a short time thereafter, the main space air intake hole 5E is operated by operating the knob. It is a shut-off valve that injects air. Although the decompressed main space depends on the sealing performance between the upper and lower housings, the decompressed main space maintains the decompressed state for several hours required for dehumidification. After the elapse of this time, the main space can be released only by releasing the locking portion 3. The structure and arrangement position of the main space air suction hole 5E are not limited to the above structure, and other known valve structures can be adopted as in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, unlike the first embodiment, the main space to be subject to pressure reduction in the lower housing 1B is not the entire inside of the opening of the lower housing 1B, but the lower inner wall 5H accommodates the battery. This is a portion partitioned from the part 5A. This main space is surrounded by the periphery of the opening provided with the O-ring 1H. When the lower casing is closed, the upper casing 1A is provided with an opening periphery that joins the opening periphery surrounded by the O-ring that constitutes the lower casing 1B. An O-ring groove 1J is formed on the opening periphery of the upper casing, and an O-ring (not shown) is installed.

  A battery housing portion 5B is provided outside the lower inner wall 5H of the lower housing 1B. The battery housing 5A is not subject to pressure reduction as in the first embodiment, but is disposed inside the housing 1 but outside the main space to be decompressed. In this embodiment, two batteries can be stored side by side. A partition wall may be provided between the two batteries. An upper battery housing cover 5M is provided on the upper housing 1A side, and covers and seals and holds the battery housing 5B when closed to the lower housing 1B. An external communication groove 5K that communicates with the external atmosphere is formed on the side wall of the battery housing 5B. This external communication groove 5K is not essential.

  In the main space, a pump housing portion 5G, a hearing aid housing portion 5F, desiccant housing portions 5A and 5A, and a partition wall 5 are provided. Two hearing aid main bodies can be sufficiently accommodated in the hearing aid accommodating portion 5F. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  In addition, the latching | locking part 5J in Example 2 is comprised by the upper latching piece 5JA and the lower latching piece 5JB. The closing portion 5J is formed so as not to protrude from the outer contour of the housing 1. Although not shown in detail, for example, the upper locking piece 5JA elastically locks to the lower locking piece 5JB when the upper and lower housings are joined, and the release of the upper locking piece 5JA is released by the upper locking piece 5JA. It is configured so that it can be performed by pulling the tip outward or by pushing the portion of the lower locking piece 5JB inward. Further, the hinge 2 can also be arranged so as to be inside the outline of the housing 1. It is also possible to improve usability by forming a button at the portion where the lower locking piece 5JB is pressed. Further, the shapes of the upper locking piece 5JA and the lower locking piece 5JB can be reversed.

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, a dehumidification case for a hearing aid suitable for portable use is provided, which is lightweight, easy to use, can efficiently remove moisture attached to the hearing aid even in a small volume space. can do.

1: casing 1A: upper casing 1B: lower casing 1C: decompression pump installation opening 1D: ring-shaped stepped portion 1E: stepped portion screw hole 1F: main space sealing surface / main space O-ring 1FA: upper main space sealing surface 1FB: Lower main space sealing surface 1G: Battery housing cover 1H: O-ring 1J: O-ring circumferential groove 2: Hinge 2A: Upper piece 2B: Lower piece 3: Locking portion 3A: Upper locking portion 3AA: Latch recessed part 3B: Lower locking part 4: Pressure reducing pump 4A: Cylinder part 4B: Bottom projection 4C: Piston shaft part 4D: Push-down part 4E: Air vent hole 4F: Upper disk 4G: Lower disk 4H: Fixing screw 4J: Piston side O ring 4K: O ring groove 4L: Piston side check valve 4M: Cylinder side check valve 4N: Coil spring 4P: Packing 4QS: Cylinder side opening 4QP: Piston side opening 4R: Upper valve seat 4S: Bottom Seat 4T: Lock plate 4U: Lock opening 4V: Piston cylindrical part 4W: Piston part 5: Partition 5A: Desiccant container 5AA: Notch 5B: Battery container 5BA: Recess 5BB: Cut 5C: O-ring 5D: Magnet disk 5E: Main space air intake hole 5F: Hearing aid housing part 5G: Pump housing part 5H: Lower inner wall 5J: Locking part 5JA: Upper locking edge 5JB: Lower locking edge 5K: External communication groove 5L: Upper inner wall 5M: Upper Battery compartment lid 6: Desiccant 7: Battery 8: Hearing aid body

Claims (15)

A main space sealing surface or a main space O-ring which is openable and closable by a hinge and has an upper opening peripheral edge and is closely joined to the upper opening peripheral edge in a state where the upper casing is closed A hearing aid main body and its components formed by joining the lower opening periphery of the lower housing to the lower opening periphery of the lower housing. A dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid equipped with a decompression pump for decompressing the main space,
The decompression pump includes a push-down portion that can be repeatedly pushed down with one finger while holding the housing in one hand,
Housing at least the hearing aid body and desiccant in the main space;
A dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid, wherein the main space is depressurized by operating the decompression pump so that moisture adhering to the hearing aid body is efficiently adsorbed by the desiccant.   The dehumidification case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the decompression pump is attached to the upper housing side.   On the side of the lower housing constituting the main space, a hearing aid accommodating portion for accommodating one or two hearing aid main bodies, a pump accommodating portion for accommodating the decompression pump, and a desiccant accommodating portion for accommodating the desiccant. The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1, comprising: A battery housing part for housing a battery built in the hearing aid main body, isolated from the decompression of the decompression pump within the periphery of the lower opening of the lower housing constituting the main space;
2. The battery housing cover according to claim 1, further comprising: a battery housing lid that seals the battery housing within the periphery of the upper opening of the upper housing and isolates the inside of the battery housing from pressure reduction by the vacuum pump. Dehumidification case for portable hearing aids.   The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a partition that separates the hearing aid housing portion and the pump housing area on the lower housing side constituting the main space. The casing is a three-dimensional vertically long round box formed of a curved surface as a whole, and the hinge is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the three-dimensional vertically long round box,
The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the hinge includes a locking portion that holds the joint state of the upper housing and the lower housing at the other end in the longitudinal direction. The decompression pump has many cross sections having a push-down portion that protrudes from the surface of the upper housing so that a user can easily push down the housing using its finger or the like against the elastic force of the coil spring. A piston / cylinder mechanism comprising a square piston shaft portion and a cylinder portion that slidably receives a side wall of a piston cylindrical portion fixed to an end portion of the piston shaft portion that has been pushed down;
2. The portable type according to claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism that locks and releases a state in which the piston cylindrical portion is pushed into the cylinder portion between the push-down portion and the cylinder portion. Dehumidification case for hearing aids. The lock mechanism is slidably contacted with the piston shaft portion provided on the upper disk fixed to the cylinder portion and the polygonal lock plate fixed to the piston shaft portion of the push-down portion. Composed of polygonal lock openings,
At a position where the lock plate has passed through the lock opening of the upper disk provided on the upper edge of the cylinder part by the depression of the push-down part, the push-down part is set at a predetermined angle with a plane parallel to the plane of the upper disk. By pushing around, the corner of the lock plate is superposed on the lower edge of the inner edge of the lock opening,
8. The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 7, wherein the piston / cylinder mechanism is locked to a pushed-down state of the push-down portion by holding the overlapped state by elasticity of the coil spring.   The decompression pump includes a cylinder-side check valve that causes the air inside the cylinder portion to flow into the piston shaft portion when the push-down portion is pushed down, and a piston-side check valve that discharges air that has flowed into the piston shaft portion to the outside. The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 8, further comprising a valve, wherein the main space is decompressed by an operation in which the push-down portion returns to the original position by the elastic force of the coil spring.   The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 9, further comprising an air vent hole communicating with the inside of the piston shaft portion at a joint portion of the piston shaft portion with the lock plate. The main space provided on the lower housing side for housing the decompression pump, the hearing aid main body, and the desiccant is partitioned by a lower inner wall within the lower opening of the lower housing, and a lower inner wall. An upper inner wall joined to the lower inner wall that seals the main space when the opening of the upper housing is joined to the opening of the lower housing in the body;
The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the battery housing part is isolated from the decompression of the decompression pump.   Provided on the lower housing side of the decompression pump is a bottoming projection that contacts the lower housing when the upper housing is joined, and transmits the pressing force of the push-down portion pressing operation to the lower housing. The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1.   12. The battery accommodating part shares a part of the opening periphery of the lower opening of the lower casing, and has an upper battery accommodating part lid for closing the battery accommodating part in the upper casing. Dehumidifying case for portable hearing aids as described in 1.   The external communication groove that connects the inside of the battery housing and the outside of the housing is formed in a part of the periphery of the opening shared with the lower opening of the battery housing. Dehumidifying case for portable hearing aids. The dehumidifying case for a portable hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a main space air suction hole for manually injecting air into the main space in a part of the housing.

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