JP7394502B1 - earphone - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide earphones with high wearability that securely fit and are worn in a user's ears while ensuring a high sense of volume and sound quality. SOLUTION: The earphone 1 is made of a hard material, and includes an acoustic duct 3 inserted into the external auditory canal of the ear, an earphone body 2 connected to an end opposite to the insertion direction of the acoustic duct 3, and an acoustic duct 3, the length on the central axis of the acoustic duct 3 is 5 mm to 13 mm, and the ear ring 4 has an inclination angle with respect to the acoustic duct 3. The earring 4 extends from the outer surface of the acoustic duct 3 at an angle of 60 to 100 degrees, and the earphone body 2 extends from the outer surface of the acoustic duct 3 at an inclination angle of 50 to 70 degrees with respect to the acoustic duct 3. extends in the opposite direction. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an earphone that is worn by inserting an acoustic duct extending from an earphone body into the external auditory canal of a user's ear.

Normally, sound vibrations transmitted by air conduction are transmitted to the eardrum in the ear, and vibrations of the eardrum are transmitted to the cochlea via three ossicles in the eardrum. The cochlea contains lymph fluid, and the vibrations of this fluid are converted into electrical signals and transmitted to the auditory nerve, which the brain recognizes as sound.

BACKGROUND ART Earphones worn in a user's ears include air conduction earphones that reproduce sound by applying an audio signal to a speaker placed close to the ear and transmit the sound to the eardrum through air conduction. Air conduction earphones can be roughly divided into two types: inner-ear type and canal (earplug) type.

Inner-ear earphones (see, for example, Patent Document 1) are earphones that are used by being hooked onto a portion called the concha at the entrance of the ear. In-ear earphones have the advantage of not feeling pressured and making it easier to hear the surrounding environmental sounds. On the other hand, canal earphones (see, for example, Patent Document 2) are used by inserting an earplug-shaped earpiece into the ear. Canal type earphones have the advantage of providing high sound insulation and no sound leakage.

Bone conduction earphones are also known as earphones that allow you to hear surrounding sounds while wearing them. Bone conduction omits the process in which vibrations pass through the eardrum and auditory ossicles in the air conduction mechanism described above, and sound vibrations are directly transmitted to the cochlea through the user's skull. Therefore, even people with hearing loss who have abnormalities in their eardrums or auditory ossicles can reliably hear sounds through bone conduction, as long as their cochlea and auditory nerve are normal. Bone conduction earphones apply this principle.

Various proposals have been made regarding bone conduction earphones. For example, Patent Document 3 proposes bone conduction earphones that are comfortable to wear, have a completely waterproof and dustproof structure, and can control the acoustic characteristics (frequency characteristics) of some bone conduction microphones. ing. Specifically, this bone conduction earphone consists of a rear cover and an earphone case that houses a bone conduction microphone and a bone conduction speaker and is assembled to the rear cover. The ear plug is covered with a sensing cover made of a softer material than the hard resin ear plug.

Further, Patent Document 4 proposes bone conduction earphones that are unlikely to be misaligned even when the user moves his body vigorously. This bone conduction earphone is composed of a holder that is inserted into and held in the ear canal, and a device body, and the device body connects the holder to a casing that vibrates by an electromechanical transducer. Equipped with an elastic part. According to this bone conduction earphone, when the bone conduction earphone is attached to the user's auricle, the elastic force of the elastic part allows the casing to be pressed against the inner surface of the intertragal notch, causing the user to violently push the body. Even when moved, the bone conduction earphone is unlikely to be misaligned.

JP2006-222492A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-145962 International Publication WO2013/118539 Publication Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-175144

However, inner-ear earphones have the disadvantage of poor sound insulation and easy sound leakage. On the other hand, canal earphones have the disadvantage that because the earpiece is inserted deep into the ear, there is a strong feeling of pressure on the ear, making it difficult to hear surrounding environmental sounds. Therefore, there is a need for earphones that have high sound insulation properties, can prevent sound leakage, and do not put pressure on the ears.

Furthermore, if the diameter of the diaphragm of the speaker housed in the earphone body is increased in order to improve the sound quality of the earphone and ensure a high sense of volume and sound quality, the earphone body will become larger. Additionally, when functions such as a microphone function and noise canceling function are added to earphones, the battery and circuit board become larger, which increases the size and weight of the earphone itself. With the structure of conventional earphones, if the earphones become larger or heavier, the earphones become more likely to fall out of the ear, and the feeling of pressure on the ear becomes stronger, which worsens the user's comfort in wearing the earphones. There's a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide earphones with high wearability that securely fit and are worn in the user's ears while ensuring a high sense of volume and sound quality. It is in.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes an acoustic duct made of a hard material and inserted into the external auditory canal of the ear, an earphone body connected to an end opposite to the insertion direction of the acoustic duct, and an earphone body connected to an end opposite to the insertion direction of the acoustic duct. The acoustic duct has an elastically deformable ear ring that is attached to the outer surface of the duct, and the length on the central axis of the acoustic duct is 5 mm to 13 mm, and the ear ring has an inclination angle of 60 to 100 degrees with respect to the acoustic duct. The earphone body extends from the outer surface of the acoustic duct at an angle of inclination of 50° to 70° with respect to the acoustic duct from the connecting portion with the acoustic duct in the opposite direction to the earring. , provide earphones.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the length of the earphone body on the central axis is 15 mm to 75 mm.

The present invention also provides the above earphone in which, when worn, the earring is elastically deformed by the force received when the side surface of the acoustic duct comes into contact with the tragus of the ear and presses against the inner wall of the concha. To provide an earphone in which an end of an earphone body presses against the cheek by a moment generated by a reaction force received from an inner wall of the earphone.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the earring is detachably attached to the acoustic duct.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the length of the earring in the longitudinal direction is 12 to 20 mm.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, in which the earring is configured by connecting and integrating two rings.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the acoustic duct is integrally formed with the earphone body.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, in which the earphone body has a built-in speaker, and the speaker is disposed directly above the acoustic duct.

The present invention also provides an earphone, wherein the earphone is an air conduction earphone.

The present invention also provides an earphone, wherein the earphone is a bone conduction earphone.

The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the acoustic duct includes at least one sensor for detecting biometric information of the user.

According to the present invention, when a user wears an earphone, when the acoustic duct is inserted into the external auditory canal from the external auditory canal of the user's ear, the side surface of the acoustic duct comes into contact with the tragus of the ear, and the tragus of the ear contacts the acoustic duct. For pushing, the earrings are elastically deformed by the force applied to the acoustic duct and come into contact with the inner wall of the concha, more specifically the inner wall of the concha, and press the inner wall. Then, the earring receives a reaction force from the inner wall of the concha, more specifically from the inner wall of the concha. Due to the moment generated by this reaction force, the longitudinal end of the earphone body comes into contact with the user's cheek, presses the cheek, and receives a reaction force from the cheek. Therefore, according to the principle of action and reaction, the earphone of the present invention presses the inner wall of the concha and the cheek with a pressing force having the same magnitude and opposite direction as the two reaction forces. As a result, even if the earphone adopts a configuration in which an acoustic duct is inserted into the external auditory canal of the ear, the earphone can be reliably worn in a state that fits the user's ear, and its wearability is improved.

As described above, the earphone of the present invention is called a "seesaw type earphone" because the entire earphone can swing like a seesaw around the point where the tragus of the acoustic duct comes into contact (point a in Figure 6). You can also call.

As described above, the earphone of the present invention is worn by swinging like a seesaw, so even if the earphone itself becomes larger or heavier, it can be worn securely without feeling pressure on the ear. I can do it. Therefore, in order to improve the sound quality, it is possible to increase the diameter of the diaphragm of the speaker, or to add various functions and increase the size of the battery and circuit board.

With the earphones of the present invention, one side of the acoustic duct only needs to come into contact with the tragus of the ear, and there is no need to stabilize the earphones with only an earpiece that is inserted into the ear canal, unlike conventional canal earphones. , it is possible to suppress the feeling of pressure on the ears.

Furthermore, with the earphone of the present invention, since the acoustic duct is inserted deeper into the ear canal than the tragus, sound vibrations can be reliably introduced into the ear canal. For example, when the earphones of the present invention are bone conduction earphones, vibrations from the speaker are efficiently transmitted directly to the user's bones via an acoustic duct inserted into the ear canal, resulting in a high sense of volume and sound quality. can get.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded partial perspective view showing a structure for attaching and detaching an earring of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a user's ear portion showing a state in which an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn. It is a figure which shows the board|substrate incorporated into the earphone based on the example of a modification of this invention. It is a sectional view of the acoustic duct of the earphone concerning the example of a modification of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. It is a figure showing the name of each part of an auricle.

(Embodiment)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earphone 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the earphone 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the earphone 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the earphone 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded partial perspective view showing the attachment/detachment structure of the earring of the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the user's ear portion showing the state in which the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment is worn.

In the following description, the arrow directions in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be referred to as the "back and forth" direction and the "up and down" direction, respectively, as shown.

The "up and down" direction is the direction in which the earphone 1 is connected to the user's ear when the user wears the earphone 1 in the user's ear, or in other words, the direction in which the earphone 1 is inserted into or removed from the ear. The direction from the earphone 1 to the user's ear, that is, the direction in which the earphone 1 is inserted into the ear, is defined as the "down" direction, and the direction from the user's ear toward the earphone 1, that is, the direction in which the earphone 1 is removed from the ear, is defined as the "up" direction. do.

The "front-back" direction is a direction perpendicular to the "up-down" direction, and when the user wears the earphone 1 in the ear, the earphone 1 touches the tragus of the user's ear and the inner wall of the concha. This is the direction connecting the position. The direction from the earphone 1 toward the tragus of the ear, that is, the direction toward the user's cheek, is defined as the "rear" direction, and the direction from the earphone 1 toward the inner wall of the concha, that is, the direction toward the back of the head, is defined as the "front" direction.

Here, FIG. 10 shows the names of each part of the auricle. As shown in FIG. 10, the tragus (also called the tragus of the ear) is a protrusion on the face side of the entrance to the external auditory canal. The outer curved part of the auricle is called the helix. The concha is composed of a concha cavity and a concha boat as shown in FIG. The concha cavity is a depression located just near the entrance to the external auditory canal. The conchae is located outside the concha cavity when viewed from the entrance of the external auditory canal, and is a depression separated from the concha cavity by a portion of the helix. The earphone 1 of the present invention comes into contact with the inner wall of the concha in the concha. As used herein, the term "inner wall of the concha" or "inner wall of the concha" refers to the wall that forms the edge of the recess that constitutes the concha or the concha.

The earphone 1 according to the present embodiment includes an acoustic duct 3, an earphone body 2, and an earring 4, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6. Note that the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment may be a bone conduction earphone or an air conduction earphone, or may be an earphone having both bone conduction and air conduction functions.

The acoustic duct 3 is a rectangular rod-shaped member, and is inserted into the external auditory canal from the external auditory canal of the user's ear to a depth deeper than the tragus, and its side surface abuts the tragus of the ear. The acoustic duct 3 is formed to extend diagonally downward from the front end of the lower case 2B of the earphone body 2. In the present invention, the shape of the acoustic duct may be any shape as long as it can be easily inserted from the external ear canal into the external auditory canal deeper than the tragus, for example, any shape such as a bar shape, a cylindrical shape, a cylindrical shape, a polygonal column shape, etc. can be.

The length of the acoustic duct 3 is such that it can be inserted deeper into the ear canal of the user's ear than the tragus. The length from the bottom of the earphone body 2 to the tip of the acoustic duct 3 on the central axis of the acoustic duct 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is long enough to introduce the speaker sound into the ear canal of the user's ear, but for example, it is 5 mm. With the above configuration, the speaker sound can be reliably introduced into the external auditory canal of the user's ear. Further, if the length of the acoustic duct 3 on the central axis is, for example, 8 mm or more, the speaker sound can be more reliably introduced into the external auditory canal of the user's ear. The length of the acoustic duct 3 on the central axis is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 13 mm or less, thereby providing a comfortable wearing feeling without giving the user a feeling of pressure. Further, if the length of the acoustic duct 3 on the central axis is, for example, 10 mm or less, it is possible to provide a more comfortable wearing feeling without making the user feel any pressure.

Note that the length of the acoustic duct in the present invention can be such that it is inserted at least 10 mm or more deep from the point where it contacts the tragus in the external auditory canal of the user's ear. With this length, the speaker sound can be reliably introduced into the external auditory canal of the user's ear when worn on a standard adult's ear. In addition, with this length, the acoustic duct firmly contacts the tragus, so the acoustic duct, earring, and earphone body swing like a seesaw to fit in the user's ear and be securely worn.

The acoustic duct 3 may be made of a solid member or may be made of a hollow member. For example, if the earphone 1 is a bone conduction earphone, the acoustic duct 3 may be made of a solid member. Further, when the earphone 1 is an air conduction earphone, the acoustic duct 3 may be formed of a hollow member.

The earphone body 2 is an elongated case body connected to the end of the acoustic duct 3 on the opposite side to the insertion direction in the longitudinal direction, and is located outside the ear when the earphone 1 is worn in the ear. The earphone main body 2 is formed to extend from the connecting portion with the acoustic duct 3 in the opposite direction to the earring 4, that is, toward the rear (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The earphone main body 2 is configured to extend rearward from a connecting portion with the acoustic duct 3 at an inclined angle of a predetermined angle θ (see FIG. 2) with respect to the acoustic duct 3. Therefore, the acoustic duct 3 extends downward from the front end of the earphone body 2 so as to be inclined diagonally backward by an angle θ. The angle θ can be set to, for example, θ=60°, but in the present invention, the inclination angle θ is not limited to this, and can be set to, for example, 60° ± 10° (50° to 70°). can.

When the inclination angle θ is within the range of 50° to 70°, for example, when the earphone 1 is worn, the earring 4 is elastically deformed by the force F received when the side surface of the acoustic duct 3 comes into contact with the ear tragus 11. and press the inner wall 13 of the concha. Then, the rear end portion of the earphone body 2 presses against the cheek 14 due to the moment M generated by the reaction force R1 that the earring 4 receives from the inner wall 13 of the concha. The earphone 1 is worn in a secure fit in the user's ear, with the tip of the earring 4 pressing against the inner wall of the concha and the end of the earphone body 2 pressing against the cheek.

Further, when the inclination angle θ is, for example, 68° or less, the earphone 1 is worn with a softer fit. When the inclination angle θ is, for example, 65° or less, the earphone 1 can be worn with a softer fit. Further, when the inclination angle θ is, for example, 55° or more, the earphone 1 has the advantage that it fits tightly when worn and is difficult to fall off. When the inclination angle θ is, for example, 58° or more, the earphone 1 has the advantage of being worn with a stronger fit and being less likely to fall off.

The length of the earphone body 2 on the central axis is not particularly limited as long as it extends from the end of the acoustic duct 3 and can come into contact with the user's cheek, but if it is at least 15 mm or more, the earphone body 2 can be used when worn. Since the end of the main body 2 presses the cheek 14 with appropriate strength, the main body 2 can be worn in a secure fit on the user's ear. Further, the length of the earphone body 2 on the central axis is preferably 20 mm or more, so that the end of the earphone body 2 presses the cheek 14 more strongly when worn, so it fits more securely to the user's ear. can be installed. In addition, the length of the earphone body 2 on the central axis is not particularly limited, but if it is, for example, 75 mm or less, the length of the earphone main body 2 on the central axis is 75 mm or less, so that the earphone body 2 can be worn securely in the user's ear without feeling pressured, and can be worn with a high degree of comfort. It can give a feeling. In addition, the length of the earphone body 2 on the central axis is preferably 70 mm or less, so that the user does not feel any pressure, and the earphone body 2 can fit more securely into the user's ears while providing a higher wearing comfort. can be given.

The earphone main body 2 is constructed by joining and integrating an upper case 2A and a lower case 2B. In addition to the speaker 5 (see FIG. 2), the earphone body 2 houses a board on which various electronic components are mounted, a battery, a switch (not shown), and the like. The electronic components mounted on the board include an electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducer that converts the electrical signal output from the speaker 5 into mechanical vibration. As shown in FIG. 3, a round multi-function button (command button) 6 is arranged at the longitudinal center of the upper surface of the earphone body 2 (upper case 2A). In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, a cover 7 is removably attached to the front of the lower surface of the earphone body 2 (lower case 2B) to cover an opening (not shown) for battery replacement from below. It is being

As shown in FIG. 2, the speaker 5 is placed in the front end of the earphone body 2 at a position directly above the acoustic duct 3 so as not to come into contact with the user's ear. Since the speaker 5 is arranged in such a position, even if the diameter of the speaker 5 is made sufficiently large to improve the sound quality of the speaker 5, the speaker 5 will not interfere with the ears. In this embodiment, the speaker 5 is housed horizontally in the earphone body 2 along the longitudinal direction, but the speaker 5 may also be housed vertically to the longitudinal direction of the earphone body 2. good.

The acoustic duct 3 and the earphone body 2 may be formed integrally or separately. By integrally configuring the acoustic duct 3 and the earphone body 2, their strength and rigidity can be increased.

In this embodiment, the earphone body 2 (upper case 2A and lower case 2B) and the acoustic duct 3 are made of a hard resin such as ABS resin with high rigidity. Note that in the present invention, the earphone main body and the acoustic duct are not limited to this embodiment, and can be made of a hard material. As the hard material, various resins such as not only ABS resin but also polypropylene and polystyrene can be used. Further, the acoustic duct may be made of metal.

In the earphone of the present invention, the earring is elastically deformed by the force received when the side surface of the acoustic duct comes into contact with the tragus of the ear and presses the inner wall of the concha, and the earring receives a reaction from the inner wall of the concha. The earphone body is worn by pressing the end of the earphone body against the cheek due to the moment generated by the force. Therefore, since the acoustic duct is made of a hard material, the acoustic duct serves as a support for wearing the earphone, and can fit securely to the ear and be stably worn. Further, the acoustic duct in the earphone of the present invention does not need to completely cover the inside of the ear canal, and a gap may be formed between the acoustic duct and the inner wall of the ear canal. Therefore, the earphone of the present invention does not require a member such as an earpiece that is attached to the tip of a canal type earphone and which elastically deforms in order to insert it deep into the ear and fix it, so it does not put pressure on the ear. It can provide a comfortable wearing feeling. Further, since the acoustic duct is made of a hard material, it becomes possible to attach a sensor for detecting biological information as in a modification described later.

The ear ring 4 is attached to the outer surface of the acoustic duct 3 opposite to the surface that contacts the ear tragus, and extends from the front surface of the acoustic duct 3 toward the front (to the left in FIGS. 1 to 4). It is an elastically deformable member. The earrings 4 are formed to extend in a direction opposite to the direction in which the earphone body 2 extends. The earring 4 is constructed by connecting and integrating two ring-shaped rings 4A and 4B. One ring 4A of the earring 4 is formed to abut on the front side surface of the acoustic duct 3 and protrude forward. Ring 4B is formed outside ring 4A so as to protrude forward. Although the rings 4A and 4B are approximately circular in this embodiment, they are not particularly limited in the present invention, and may have any shape as long as they are surrounded by curved lines or straight lines, and may be, for example, oval, polygonal, etc. can. Since the earring 4 is constructed by connecting and integrating two rings 4A and 4B, the springiness of the earring 4 is improved and it can be elastically deformed flexibly to match the shape of the user's ear. This has the effect of making it easier to match.

The length of the earring 4 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the length from the portion of the ring 4A attached to the acoustic duct 3 to the tip of the ring 4B that protrudes forward, should be set as appropriate depending on the size of the ear. Although not particularly limited, it can be, for example, 12 to 20 mm from the viewpoint of stability of attachment. Further, if the length of the earring 4 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 13 to 18 mm, the stability of wearing can be further improved.

As shown in FIG. 2, the earrings 4 are attached parallel to the longitudinal direction of the earphone body 2. Note that in the present invention, the angle at which the earrings are attached is not limited to this embodiment, and may be attached so that the angle of inclination with respect to the acoustic duct is 60 to 100°, for example. Further, the angle at which the earrings are attached can be any angle between approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the earphone body and approximately perpendicular to the acoustic duct.

The earrings 4 can be constructed of any elastically deformable material, such as flexible silicone, elasmer, and rubber.

The earrings 4 may be detachably attached to the acoustic duct 3, or may be configured integrally with the acoustic duct 3. When the earrings 4 are removable, multiple types of earrings of different sizes can be prepared, and the user can select the earring that is most suitable for the size and shape of his or her own auricle and external auditory canal. I can do it. Therefore, a high wearing comfort can be provided to all users.

An example of a structure for attaching and detaching the earring 4 will be explained based on FIG. 5. A semicircular ring-shaped fitting protrusion 3A is integrally formed on the upper front side of the acoustic duct 3, and an engagement protrusion 3a is integrally protruded from the circumferential center of the fitting protrusion 3A. has been done. Further, at the center of the front surface of the acoustic duct 3 in the width direction, an engagement groove 3b extending linearly downward from the fitting convex portion 3A is formed along the vertical direction.

On the other hand, one ring 4A of the earring 4 is formed with a fitting concave portion 4a having a concave curved surface (semicircle) that fits into a fitting convex portion 3A formed in the acoustic duct 3. An engagement groove 4b is formed along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 4a. Furthermore, an engagement protrusion 4c that engages with the engagement groove 3b formed in the acoustic duct 2 is integrally provided at the center of the lower part of the engagement recess 4a.

Therefore, the fitting recess 4a formed in one ring 4A of the earring 4 is fitted into the fitting protrusion 3A of the acoustic duct 3, and the engaging protrusion 3a protruding from the fitting protrusion 3A is inserted into the earring 4. (The ring 4A) is engaged with the engagement groove 4b formed in the ring 4A, and the engagement protrusion 4c protruding from the ring 4A of the earring 4 is engaged with the engagement groove 3b formed in the acoustic duct 3. As a result, the earring 4 is detachably and non-rotatably attached to the upper front side of the acoustic duct 3.

The earring 4 can be attached to the acoustic duct 3 at any position between the bottom of the earphone body 2 and the tip of the acoustic duct 3. On the central axis of the acoustic duct 3, the length from the front end of the earphone body 2 to the earring 4 attachment position and the length from the earring 4 attachment position to the tip of the acoustic duct 3 are not particularly limited, but for example, 1. :9 to 9:1, the earphone 1 can reliably fit and be worn in the user's ear. In the acoustic duct 3, the length from the front end of the earphone body 2 to the earring 4 attachment position and the length from the earring 4 attachment position to the tip of the acoustic duct 3 are preferably 2:3 to 2:5. As a result, the earphone 1 can be fitted to the user's ear more reliably.

Although the configuration of the earphone 1 worn on one ear (left or right) of the user has been described above, the configuration of the earphone 1 worn on the other ear (right or left) may be exactly the same as that of one ear, or Since it is symmetrical, illustration and description thereof will be omitted. If the configuration of the earphones worn on the left and right ears is exactly the same, the user can wear both earphones on either the left or right ear without distinguishing between the left and right ears, and the user's Convenience can be improved.

Here, FIG. 6 shows a state in which the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment is worn in the user's ear. The earphone 1 is worn with the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 in contact with the tragus 11 of the ear. That is, the earphone 1 is attached to the user's ear by inserting the acoustic duct 3 into the external auditory canal 12 of the ear, and at this time, the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 comes into contact with the tragus 11 of the ear. Then, since the acoustic duct 3 is pressed by the tragus 11, the earring 4 attached to the acoustic duct 3 is pressed against the inner wall 13 of the concha, more specifically, against the inner wall of the concha. 6, it bends due to elastic deformation. In this case, since the ear ring 4 is constructed by connecting and integrating two rings 4A and 4B, it is easily elastically deformed and pressed against the inner wall 13 of the concha.

Next, in the X-Y coordinate plane in which the left-right direction (front-back direction) is the X-axis and the up-down direction is the Y-axis in FIG. 6, the force acting on the earphone 1 and the moment generated by this force are analyzed as follows. Become. The point where the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 contacts the tragus 11 of the ear is designated as a, the point where the ear ring 4 contacts the inner wall 13 of the concha is designated as b, and the point where the earphone body 2 contacts the cheek is designated as c. do.

When the earphone 1 is worn, an external force F acts on a point a on the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 of the earphone 1 from the tragus 11 of the user's ear. As the external force F acts, the earring 4 is pushed forward and hits point b on the inner wall 13 of the concha, and the earring 4 is compressed between the acoustic duct 3 and the inner wall 13. As a result, the earring 4 is elastically deformed and bent in an arc shape as shown in FIG. 6, and receives a reaction force (resistance) R1 from the inner wall 13 of the concha at point b. This reaction force R1 generates a moment M in the direction of the arrow (clockwise) in the earphone 1, and the earphone main body 2 of the earphone 1 that receives this moment M has its rear end touching the cheek 14 of the user. and receives an upward reaction force (reaction force) R2 from the cheek 14.

Here, the X-axis direction components Fx, R1x, and R2x of the external force F and the two reaction forces R1 and R2 are respectively expressed by the following equations.
Fx=F・sinθ
R1x=R1・sinθ
R2x=0
As in the above formula, the X-axis direction component of the reaction force R2 is R2x = 0, so
F=R1
holds true.

Further, the Y-axis direction components Fy, R1y, and R2y of the external force F and the two reaction forces R1 and R2 are respectively expressed by the following equations.
Fy=F・cosθ
R1y=R1・cosθ
R2y=R2

Here, when considering moment balance, assuming that the distance in the X-axis direction between points a and b is L1 and the distance in the X-axis direction between points a and c as L2, the following equation holds true.
R1y・L1=R2・L2…(1)

Therefore, the reaction force R2 that the earphone body 2 (lower case 2B) of the earphone 1 receives from the user's cheek 14 can be obtained from the above equation (1) as follows.
R2=R1y・(L1/L2)
=R1・cosθ・(L1/L2)
=F・cosθ・(L1/L2)…(2)

Therefore, according to the principle of action and reaction, the user's cheek 14 receives a pressing force P from the earphone 1 at point c that has the same magnitude and opposite direction as the reaction force R2 expressed by equation (2).

Then, the user receives a pressing force Q having the same magnitude and opposite direction as the reaction force R1 acting on the inner wall 13 of the concha at point b. In this way, the earphone 1 attached to the user's ear presses the inner wall 13 of the concha of the user's ear with a pressing force Q at point b, and presses the user's cheek 14 with a pressing force P at point c. The earphone 1 is worn while reliably fitting the user's ear, and its wearability is improved. Here, variations in the size and shape of the user's auricle and external auditory canal 12 are absorbed by the elastic deformation of the earring 4, so the earphone 1 can ensure high wearability for any user. Even if the user moves violently, they will not easily fall out of the ear.

As explained above, when the earphone 1 of the present embodiment is worn, the earring 4 is elastically deformed by the force F received when the side surface of the acoustic duct 3 comes into contact with the tragus 11 of the ear, causing the earring 4 to deform conchae. The inner wall 13, more specifically, the inner wall of the concha boat is pressed. Then, the rear end portion of the earphone body 2 presses against the cheek 14 due to the moment M generated by the reaction force R1 that the earring 4 receives from the inner wall 13 of the concha. The earphone 1 is worn in a secure fit in the user's ear, with the tip of the earring 4 pressing against the inner wall of the concha and the end of the earphone body 2 pressing against the cheek.

As described above, the earphone 1 of the present embodiment is different from conventional earplug-type earphones that are worn by inserting an earpiece attached to an acoustic duct into the ear. There is no. Therefore, the acoustic duct 3 can be made of a hard material and its thickness can be made thinner than the external auditory canal. Therefore, the user can feel comfortable wearing it without feeling pressured.

When the earphone 1 of this embodiment is a bone conduction earphone, when the earphone 1 is fitted and worn on the left and right auricles 10 of the user, the electrical signal of the sound (speaker sound) emitted from the speaker 5 is transmitted to the earphone itself. It is converted into mechanical vibration by a converter (not shown) built in 2. The mechanical vibrations are conducted through the acoustic duct 3 to the bones near the user's ears, causing them to vibrate. The vibrations of the bones are then transmitted to the cochlea, and the vibrations of the lymph fluid in the cochlea are converted into electrical signals and transmitted to the auditory nerve, which the brain recognizes as sound. Therefore, even people with hearing loss who have abnormalities in their eardrums or auditory ossicles can reliably hear sounds through bone conduction, as long as their cochlea and auditory nerve are normal. In the earphone 1 of this embodiment, vibrations from the speaker 5 are directly transmitted to the user's bones via the acoustic duct 3 inserted into the ear canal 12, so that a high sense of volume and sound quality can be obtained. That is, in this embodiment, the acoustic duct 3 is inserted into the external auditory canal 12 of the user's ear, and the acoustic duct 3 is made of a highly rigid hard resin (for example, ABS resin), so that vibrations caused by the speaker sound are attenuated. The sound is transmitted directly and efficiently to the bones around the user's ears, providing a high sense of volume and sound quality.

When the earphone 1 of this embodiment is an air conduction earphone, the acoustic duct 3 of the earphone 1 may be formed with a communication path that communicates the speaker 5 with the inside of the ear canal. The speaker sound is introduced into the external auditory canal of the user's ear through this communication path, and is transmitted to the cochlea via the eardrum. With the earphone 1 of this embodiment, the speaker sound is reliably introduced into the ear canal, so the speaker sound can be clearly heard even in places with loud environmental sounds, and touch noise and the user's own voice can be heard. can be prevented.

As a result of the above, the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment has the effect that the earphone 1 can be worn while reliably fitting the user's ear while ensuring a high sense of volume and sound quality.

(Modified example)
Next, a modified example of the above-described embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a board incorporated into an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an acoustic duct of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. In the following explanation of this modification, only the configurations that are different from the above-described embodiment will be explained, and the explanation of the common parts will be omitted.

This modification differs from the embodiment described above in that the acoustic duct 3 includes at least one sensor that detects biometric information of the user. That is, the earphone of this modification also functions as a device that measures the user's biological information. In this specification, "biological information" means information regarding the state of a living body, and specifically means information regarding the health state, exercise state, etc. of a living body. The biological information detected by the present invention is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, pulse rate, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood pressure, blood flow, HRV analysis (stress level), vascular age, and head Includes inclination, activity level, body temperature, and internal ear temperature.

In this modification, the acoustic duct 3 has a function of detecting the user's biological information in addition to a function of introducing speaker sound into the user's ear canal. In this modification, the acoustic duct 3 includes a pulse sensor (HR sensor) 8 and a temperature sensor 9. In this modification, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the acoustic duct 3 incorporates a substrate 10 on which a pulse sensor 8 and a temperature sensor 9 are mounted. The pulse sensor 8 and the temperature sensor 9 are attached so as to be exposed on the surface of the acoustic duct 3 that contacts the tragus, and come into contact with the skin on the back side of the tragus in the external auditory canal when worn. Although not particularly limited, the substrate 10 can be a deformable substrate, for example, a flexible substrate (FPC).

The pulse sensor 8 is a reflective pulse wave sensor that measures the pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), etc. by emitting light of a predetermined wavelength toward the skin in the external auditory canal and measuring the reflected light. It is a sensor that detects.

The temperature sensor 9 is a sensor that includes a thermal contact type temperature detection element such as a thermistor, and detects the temperature of the skin, that is, the body temperature, by contacting the skin in the ear canal.

In the present invention, the sensors provided in the acoustic duct are not particularly limited as long as they are sensors capable of acquiring biometric information of the user, and include, for example, a pulse sensor, a temperature sensor, a body temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a 9-axis sensor, and It can be a blood pressure measurement sensor or the like.

In the present invention, the sensor provided in the acoustic duct is not limited to a sensor that contacts the skin in the ear canal and acquires biological information through the skin, but also a sensor that acquires biological information without contacting the skin in the ear canal. You can. For example, the sensor included in the acoustic duct may be a non-contact temperature sensor that measures surface temperature using infrared rays or the like.

Furthermore, the earphone of the present invention may include an acceleration sensor to acquire the tilt (posture) of the user's head, the state of movement, etc. as biological information.

Although the earphone 1 of this modification is equipped with two sensors, a pulse sensor 8 and a temperature sensor 9, the earphone of the present invention is not limited to this, and may include only one sensor, or three sensors. There may be more than one. Moreover, the number of biological information measured by the earphone of the present invention may be one or more.

Since the earphone 1 of this modification measures biological information within the ear canal, it is not affected by sunlight etc. when measuring pulse waves using a reflective pulse wave sensor such as an HR sensor. Biological information can be stably acquired.

The main body 2 of the earphone 1 of this modification may house a board connected to the board 10 incorporated in the acoustic duct 3, or the board may be formed integrally with the board 10. The electronic components mounted on the board in the main body 2 include an A/D converter that converts analog signals detected by the pulse sensor 8 and body temperature sensor 9 into digital signals, and temporarily stores the converted digital signals. It includes a storage means and a communication means for transmitting measured data to an external terminal or the like.

The earphone 1 according to this modification can be worn while reliably fitting the user's ear without giving the user a feeling of pressure, so it is possible to accurately measure the user's biological information. It will be done.

In the earphone of the present invention, for example, the earphone worn in one ear further has a function as a biological information measuring device as in the above-mentioned modification, and the earphone worn in the other ear has only the function as an earphone. You may be prepared. This allows you to wear an earphone with the function of a biological information measuring device and an earphone with only an earphone function in each of your left and right ears, and enjoy music etc. with both ears while reading biological information with one ear. It becomes possible to measure.

Further, in the earphone of the present invention, for example, the earphone worn on one ear may be equipped with a pulse sensor and a body temperature sensor, and the earphone worn on the other ear may be equipped with an acceleration sensor. This makes it possible to enjoy music etc. with both ears and measure different biological information with each ear.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a device for measuring biological information, a wristwatch type biological information measuring device worn on a user's wrist is known. However, in a wrist-worn type of biological information measuring device, noise is likely to be generated when the user moves his/her hand during training and in daily life. In addition, the wristwatch type cannot completely block out external light, and there is also the problem that the accuracy of the optical sensor becomes low.

In contrast, the earphone of the present invention is worn with the entire earphone swinging like a seesaw around the point (point a in FIG. 6) where the tragus of the acoustic duct as the measuring section comes into contact. When the earphone of the present invention is worn as described above, the side surface of the acoustic duct comes into close contact with the tragus side surface in the user's ear canal. Since the tragus has high elasticity, the adhesion between the side surface of the acoustic duct and the skin on the tragus side in the ear canal is extremely high. Since there are many capillaries in the tragus and the skin is thin, the sensor included in the acoustic duct comes into close contact with this area, allowing accurate measurement of biological information such as pulse rate.

Furthermore, since the earphone of the present invention measures biological information within the ear canal, it can block external light compared to conventional wristwatch-type earphones, and can improve accuracy even when using an optical sensor. Additionally, because there is less movement in the ear than in the arm, movement noise is less likely to occur. Therefore, the earphone of the present invention can accurately measure biological information even while the user is active during training and daily life.

Further, in the earphone of the present invention, since sensors are provided in a long acoustic duct that is inserted into the ear canal, a plurality of sensors can be arranged along the length of the acoustic duct.

Furthermore, the portion that functions as a biological information measuring device in the present invention can be attached to other types of earphones in addition to the earphones of the present invention. That is, the sensor for detecting biological information of a user according to the present invention is not limited to the earphone according to the present invention, but can be attached to the acoustic duct of any earphone, and can be used as an earphone that can detect biological information within the ear canal. It is.

The application of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, specification, and drawings. Of course.

1: Earphone, 2: Earphone body, 2A: Upper case, 2B: Lower case,
3: acoustic duct, 3A: fitting convex portion of acoustic duct, 3a: engaging protrusion of acoustic duct,
3b: Acoustic duct engagement groove, 4: Ear ring, 4A, 4B: Ring,
4a: Ring fitting recess, 4b: Ring engagement groove, 4c: Ring engagement protrusion,
5: Speaker, 6: Multi-function button, 7: Cover, 11: Tragus,
12: External auditory canal, 13: Inner wall of concha, 14: Cheek

Claims (10)

an acoustic duct made of a hard material and inserted into the ear canal;
an earphone body connected to an end opposite to the insertion direction of the acoustic duct;
and an elastically deformable ear ring attached to the outer surface of the acoustic duct,
The length of the acoustic duct on the central axis is 5 mm to 13 mm,
The earring extends from the outer surface of the acoustic duct such that the earring has an inclination angle of 60 to 100° with respect to the acoustic duct,
The earphone body extends from a connecting portion with the acoustic duct at an inclination angle of 50° to 70° with respect to the acoustic duct in a direction opposite to the earring,
When worn, the earring is elastically deformed by the force received when the side surface of the acoustic duct comes into contact with the tragus of the ear and presses against the inner wall of the concha, and the earring receives a reaction from the inner wall of the concha. An earphone , wherein the end of the earphone body presses against the cheek due to a moment caused by a force . The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the length of the earphone body on the central axis is 15 mm to 75 mm. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the earring is detachably attached to the acoustic duct. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the earring has a longitudinal length of 12 to 20 mm. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the earring is configured by connecting and integrating two rings. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acoustic duct is integrally formed with the earphone main body. The earphone body has a built-in speaker,
The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the speaker is placed directly above the acoustic duct. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, which is an air conduction earphone. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, which is a bone conduction earphone. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acoustic duct includes at least one sensor that detects biometric information of a user.

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