KR100847673B1 - An air-conditioning and cushion type of Mastoid for a Bone Conduction Vibrator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is formed or coupled to the mastoid part of the bone conduction vibrator, it is possible to keep the skin contact surface comfortable by introducing and circulating the outside air to the skin contact area, attenuating it when a pressure of a predetermined size or more due to excessive signal transmission is applied It is to provide an air-cushioned mastoid that can cut off and adjust the acoustic impedance according to different conditions of users. The mastoid may form a ventilation hole so that outside air flows into the yolk projection, and the amplitude may be adjusted by setting the rigidity of the elastic support beam formed together due to the formation of the ventilation hole. In addition, a vibration transmission protrusion may be formed on the lower surface of the vibration transmission unit which is substantially in contact with the skin, and a ventilation groove may be formed in the gap between the projections to maintain the skin contact surface comfortably. In this case, the acoustic impedance may be adjusted by setting an area ratio of the vibration transmission protrusion and the ventilation groove according to the skin condition of the user.

Description

An air-conditioning and cushion type of Mastoid for a Bone Conduction Vibrator for air-cushioned mastoids and mastoids used in bone conduction vibrators

1 is a plan view showing a conventional bone conduction vibrator,

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention is used in combination with a conventional bone conduction vibrator,

4 is a perspective view from above of the air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention;

5 is a perspective view from below of an air-cushioned mastoid according to the invention, and

6 is a view showing an example of a plurality of elastic systems to which the elastic support beam of the present invention is applied in conjunction with the bone conduction oscillator to explain the elastic system of the air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: bone conduction vibrator 52: vibration transmission axis

100: mastoid 110: vibration transmission shaft coupling portion

120: vibration transmission unit 121: vibration transmission protrusion

122: ventilation groove 130: ventilation hole

140: elastic support beam

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bone conduction hearing aid that helps to facilitate communication when working in a hearing impaired or noisy environment. In particular, the present invention relates to a structure of a mastoid, which is a skin contact portion of a bone conduction oscillator.

In general, almost all information around us is transmitted in the form of waves. For example, the sound heard by the ears, the light coming into the eyes, and the electromagnetic waves received by the television and the radio, are transmitted in the form of wave motion from the source to the point of reception without moving material between the two points.

Sound comes from the human ear canal, or through the ear canal, vibrates in the tympanic membrane, and the cells are stimulated in the inner ear of the tympanic membrane to be transmitted to the brain. The range of sounds that humans can hear is 20 to 20,000 Hz, and the conversational frequency is used to communicate with each other between 300 and 4,000 Hz. Normal people can hear sounds of all wavelengths in between, but deaf people can't hear all wavelengths or only certain wavelengths.

Recently, a goldo phone has been developed that allows people with hearing impairments, such as deaf or elderly, to talk like normal people. The bone conduction phone allows the elderly with hearing impairments to use the bone conduction in the ear to talk like a normal person without using external aids such as hearing aids. Whereas ordinary telephones convert electrical signals into acoustic signals through a handcuff consisting of speakers, the telephones are called "Bone hearing" in which the hearing impaired in the ear and middle ear can hear the bones around the forearm. Medical principles are used. When using the bones of hearing, it is said that it is effective for blocking the noise of the surroundings, so it is excellent not only for the telephone call for the hearing loss but also for the telephone call of normal people in the noise environment such as the market and the construction site.

Examples of using such bone conduction hearing include, for example, Korean Patent Publication No. 2005-78583 (Waterproof Bone Vibration Speaker), Korean Patent Publication No. 1999-46111 (Ultra Bone Conduction Speaker), and Korean Patent Publication No. 1998-83959 (Goldo) And bone conduction vibrators for airway auditory combined use).

Looking at the configuration of the "miniature bone conduction speaker" as an example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,

A frame 12 having a side wall and a lower wall and defining a constant space S;

A protector 40 having an inner periphery bonded on an upper surface of the side wall and having an opening (not shown) in the center thereof;

A damper 20 having an outer end disposed between an upper end of the side wall and a lower surface of the inner periphery, for reducing vibration or sound amplitude while performing stable vibration;

Located in the space (S), and having an extension part 22b which is formed integrally with the main body part 22a for supporting the inner end of the damper 20 and extends downward, the yoke for concentrating magnetic flux ( 22);

A magnet 24 disposed inside the extension part 22b and having an upper surface closely adhered to a lower surface of the main body part 22a;

An upper plate 26 disposed inside the extension part 22b and forming a magnetic circuit together with the yoke 22 and the magnet 24, the upper surface of which is in close contact with the lower surface of the magnet 24; ;

The upper part exposed to the outside through the opening portion is provided with a vibrating contact portion 52 in direct contact with the head of the human body, the protector 40, the yoke 22, the magnet 24 and the upper plate ( Fixing means (50) for integrally fixing 26; And

And a voice coil 30 disposed at a gap G formed between both ends of the upper plate 26 and the magnet 24 and an inner surface of the extension part 22b, and having a lower end fixed to the lower wall. .

Looking briefly at the operation of such a small bone conduction speaker 10, first, when the current is supplied to the voice coil 30, the voice coil 30 induces a change in the magnetic field from the voice signal electrical energy. That is, when a current is applied to the voice coil 30, a magnetic field is generated between the voice coil 30 located in the gap G of the magnetic circuit composed of the upper plate 26, the magnet 24, and the yoke 22. As it happens, Fleming's left-hand rule holds.

Then, the magnetic fields formed between the voice coil 30, the upper plate 26, the magnet 24, and the yoke 22 while the voice coil 30 is fixed are coupled to each other by applying attraction and repulsive force to each other. The upper plate 26, the magnet 24, and the yoke 22, which are the magnetic circuits, vibrate up and down. At this time, the free vibration of the magnetic circuit is suppressed by the damper 20 provided at the top of the yoke 22 to maintain a constant up and down vibration. This vibration is transmitted to the human head that the mastoid portion 52 is in contact with via the mastoid portion 52 (the vibration contact portion), which is the uppermost portion of the fixing means 50, and as a result, the vibration force for listening to the bone conduction sound. Is obtained.

However, the conventional bone conduction oscillators as described above have a technical focus only on the mechanical characteristics of converting electrical signals into mechanical vibrations.

In other words, when an electric signal is input, the vibration is generated by the method of the principle of electro-dynamic transducer, the method using the piezoelectric element, etc., and the focus is on the mechanical design that maintains the vibration stably and efficiently.

On the other hand, no product or technology developed for the characteristics or structure of the mastoid portion, which is the final signaling portion, has yet been published.

In the bone conduction vibrator, the voice signal is transmitted to the auditory nerve only after the mastoid part transmits vibration to the skin and the mammary protrusion after the electrical signal is converted into the mechanical signal.

In this process, the mastoid part of the vibrator directly transmits the stimulus to the skin and the endosperm. In this case, efficient impedance matching is required for vibration transmission between the mastoid part and the skin, skin, and the endosperm, but the existing bone conduction vibrators do not consider such impedance matching separately, and only the efficiency of vibration transmission for the endosperm In consideration of the use of hard materials, vibrations can cause excessive irritation to the skin and mammary glands.

In addition, when used for a long time, the contact between the plastic and the skin may cause heterogeneity and discomfort caused by skin secretions.

In addition, there is a big difference in the efficiency of signal transmission depending on the degree of pressure applied when the bone conduction vibrator and the skin or yangdol.

Conventional bone conduction hearing aids and eyeglass type hearing aids have been applied to adjust the distance between the limbs so that the bone conduction vibrator presses the endosperm at a constant pressure. However, this method has a problem of causing fatigue in prolonged use by applying pressure to the head and the endosperm.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to be formed or coupled to the mastoid portion of the bone conduction vibrator, it is possible to maintain a comfortable skin contact surface by introducing and circulating outside air to the skin contact area The present invention provides an air-cushioned mastoid that attenuates or cuts off when a certain amount of pressure is applied due to excessive signal transmission, and adjusts an acoustic impedance according to different conditions of users.

The present invention to achieve the above object,

In the fact that the sound signal input is vibrated to the endosperm using a normal bone conduction vibrator and the bone conduction can hear the sound,

Provided to the vibration transmission axis of the bone conduction oscillator is an air-cushion type mastoid used in the bone conduction oscillator, characterized in that the soft mastoid having a radially spread vibration transmission portion is attached to the vibration transmission axis.

At this time, the vibration transmission shaft coupling portion may be formed in the center on the upper surface of the mastoid to be coupled to the vibration transmission shaft.

A through hole and an elastic support beam may be formed on the radially lower inclined surface of the vibration transmission shaft coupling unit.

In addition, a protruding vibration transmission protrusion is further formed on the lower surface of the vibration transmission unit, and a ventilation groove for circulating outside air to the skin contact surface may be formed between the vibration transmission unit and the vibration transmission protrusion.

Or, the present invention,

In attaching a mastoid having a suction plate shape to a vibration transmission shaft of a normal bone conduction vibrator,

Perforated holes on the inclined surface of the mastoid to form an inclined surface with a beam having elasticity, when excessive vibration is supplied from the bone conduction vibrator, used in the bone conduction vibrator, characterized in that the input vibration in the beam to attenuate or nodule A method of adjusting the acoustic amplitude of an air-cushioned mastoid is provided.

Or, the present invention,

In attaching a mastoid having a suction plate shape to a vibration transmission shaft of a normal bone conduction vibrator,

The vibration transmission protrusion and the ventilation groove are formed on the lower surface of the vibration transmission part of the mastoid, and the acoustic impedance can be adjusted by adjusting the area ratio of the vibration transmission protrusion and the ventilation groove in consideration of the skin thickness of the user. Provided is a method for adjusting the acoustic impedance of an air-cushioned massoid used in a bone conduction vibrator.

Hereinafter, an air-cushioned mastoid according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention is used coupled to the conventional bone conduction oscillator.

Referring to FIG. 3, the air-cushioned mastoid 100 according to the present invention is directly contacted with a human ileum protrusion in a conventional bone conduction vibrator 10 used for a hearing aid or an eyeglass type hearing aid for hearing loss. It is to be coupled to or formed on the vibration transmission shaft (massoid portion) 52 that causes.

4 is a perspective view from above of an air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view from below of an air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the air-cushioned mastoid 100 according to the present invention has a single suction plate shape, and is a soft material such as silicone because it directly causes friction with the skin. Is preferably used.

Here, in the case of a suction plate shape, it is formed in a soft thin thickness but convex in the shape of a hemisphere, and when it adheres to a flat surface, it is compressed and attached while the air inside escapes. It is used to hang. And the vibration transmission unit 120 is further formed integrally on the radial lower end of the mastoid 100 having a suction plate shape.

The vibration transmission shaft coupling unit 110 may be formed at the center on the upper surface of the air-cushioned mastoid 100.

The vibration transmission shaft coupling unit 110 is a portion to which the vibration transmission shaft 52 which transmits the vibration generated by the bone conduction vibrator 10 to the skin or bone is coupled, and the vibration transmission shaft 52 is coupled to the vibration transmission shaft coupling unit ( 110) to be used or fixed. That is, as shown in Figure 3, the front end of the vibration transmission shaft 52 may be fitted with a fitting groove 60 to be coupled to the vibration transmission shaft coupling portion 110, or, the inner side of the vibration transmission shaft coupling portion 110 It may be formed smaller than the vibration transmission shaft 52 may be coupled to the interference fit.

Here, if the air-cushioned mastoid 100 of the present invention is formed at the tip of the vibration transmission shaft 52, it is not necessary to form a separate vibration transmission shaft coupling portion 110.

On the other hand, the elastic support beam 140 together with the vent hole 130 may be formed on the radially lower inclined surface of the vibration transmission shaft coupling portion 110.

First, the vent 130 is a space for exposing the mastoid protrusion to the outside air as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and is formed for the purpose of maintaining a comfortable state of the skin. In addition, when reinforcement of elasticity by the elastic support beam 140 is required, an elastic member such as silicone rubber or a porous air filter (not shown) is formed in the internal cavity formed by the elastic support beam 140 and the vent hole 130. ) Can be used.

When the amplitude of the vibration signal generated from the vibration transmission shaft 52 operates within the limit, the elastic support beam 140 is directly transmitted to the vibration transmission unit 120, but the vibration has an amplitude exceeding a set limit. When a signal is input, it acts like a spring to reduce excessive amplitude. The elasticity of the elastic support beam 140 is preferably designed to be several times to several tens of times larger than the elastic restoring system configured inside the vibrator.

6 is a view showing an example of a plurality of elastic systems to which the elastic support beam of the present invention is applied in conjunction with the bone conduction oscillator to explain the elastic system of the air-cushioned mastoid according to the present invention.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, two springs may be directly connected, and the stiffness of the whole system is 1 / kt = 1 / k1 + 1 / k2, and k2 >> k1. becomes k1. Where k1 is the stiffness of the internal vibrometer 10 and k2 is the stiffness of the massoid 100 according to the present invention. Therefore, when the stiffness of the elastic support beam 140 is properly set, it operates as if the vibration is directly transmitted to the vibration transmitting unit 120 without the elastic support beam 140 with respect to a normal input. When an input signal is applied, a repulsive force acts by the elasticity of the elastic support beam 140 to attenuate excessive input signals.

As such, when excessive input is applied, the elastic support beam 140 may be disconnected as necessary to block the signal input.

The elastic support beam 140 may be advantageous to use a material having a low elasticity and internal loss among general materials such as plastic and metal rubber.

Next, the vibration transmission unit 120 is a portion that substantially transmits the vibration while rubbing the input vibration with the yolk projection, the vibration transmission protrusion 121 and the ventilation groove on the lower surface of the vibration transmission unit 120 ( 122) is further formed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the vibration transmission protrusion 121 and the ventilation groove 122 are part of a surface where the vibration transmission unit 120 contacts the skin, and the vibration transmission protrusion 121 is vibration transmission. Protruding onto the lower surface of the portion 120, a relatively gap (gab) (ventilation groove) 122 is formed between the vibration transmitting portion 120 and the skin contact surface to allow air to circulate through the gap 122. To have a structure.

At this time, the vibration transmission protrusion 121 has a function of adjusting the acoustic impedance according to the area ratio of the groove 122 for the ventilation.

When using the bone oscillator by attaching the mastoid according to the present invention, fatigue and discomfort can be minimized by excessive shock noise and cushioning action of the elastic support beam and ventilation holes of the ventilation grooves, even during continuous use.

In addition, in the conventional bone conduction hearing aids, only the reproduction band and the transmission signal level have been determined by adjusting the vibration propagation characteristics in the low-voltage circuit. It is possible to secure more safety and convenience of use.

That is, since the thickness of the skin is different for each individual, the vibration signal applied by the vibrator can be finely adjusted more effectively by adjusting the contact area between the mastoid and the skin.

Although described above with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art can be variously modified and changed within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims You will understand.

Claims (7)

In the air-cushion-type mastoid used for the bone conduction vibrator which can generate sound by inputting the acoustic signal to the endosperm using the normal bone conduction vibrator 10 to hear sound in the bone conduction and hearing, The mass transfer 100 is formed on the vibration transmission shaft 52 of the bone conduction vibrator 10 has a suction plate shape and a vibration transmission unit 120 is formed radially. Cushioned mastoid. According to claim 1, wherein the vibration transmission shaft coupling portion 110 is formed in the center on the upper surface of the mastoid 100 is used for bone conduction vibrator, characterized in that the- Cushioned mastoid. The air-cushion type used in the bone conduction vibrator according to claim 2, wherein the through hole 130 and the elastic support beam 140 are formed on the radially lower inclined surface of the vibration transmission shaft coupling unit 110. Mastoid. 4. The air-cushioned mastoid of claim 3, wherein an elastic member is inserted into an internal cavity formed by the elastic support beam 140 and the vent hole 130. The vibration transmission protrusion 121 is further formed on the lower surface of the vibration transmission unit 120, and between the vibration transmission unit 120 and the vibration transmission protrusion 121. Air-cushion type mastoid used in the bone conduction oscillator, characterized in that the groove 122 for ventilating the outside air to the skin contact surface is formed. In the amplitude adjustment method of the air-cushion type mastoid used for the bone conduction vibrator, in which a massoid having a suction plate shape is attached to the vibration transmission axis of the conventional bone conduction oscillator, Bone diagram, characterized in that to form a beam having elasticity by drilling a vent hole on the inclined surface of the mastoid, if excessive vibration is supplied from the bone oscillator, the input vibration in the beam to attenuate or nodule Amplitude adjustment method of air-cushioned mastoid used in vibrator. In the acoustic impedance adjustment method of an air-cushion type mastoid used in a bone conduction vibrator, in which a massoid having a suction plate shape is attached to the vibration transmission axis of a conventional bone conduction oscillator, A vibration transmission protrusion and a ventilation groove are formed on the lower surface of the vibration transmission part of the mastoid, and the acoustic impedance is adjusted by adjusting the area ratio of the vibration transmission protrusion and the ventilation groove in consideration of the skin thickness of the user. A method for adjusting the acoustic impedance of an air-cushioned mastoid used in a bone conduction vibrator, characterized in that the pelvis oscillator can be used.

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