WO2021131466A1

WO2021131466A1 - Earpiece

Info

Publication number: WO2021131466A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/043802
Authority: WO
Inventors: 幸次右代
Original assignee: 幸次右代
Priority date: 2019-12-25
Filing date: 2020-11-25
Publication date: 2021-07-01
Also published as: JP6734606B1; JP2021103841A

Abstract

Provided is an earpiece, which fits to the ear canal while mitigating a feeling of pressure on the ear canal, and which can be used for a long time.　The earpiece comprises: a plug member having an insertion hole in the center thereof into which the tip of a sound conduit is inserted; and a check valve provided to one end of the plug member. The plug member has a hollow section between the outer peripheral wall of the plug member and the inner peripheral wall surrounding the insertion hole. The check valve allows a flow of air from the inside to the outside of the hollow section and suppresses the opposite air flow.

Description

Earpiece

The present invention relates to earpieces. The present invention claims the priority of application number 2019-234148 of the Japanese patent filed on December 25, 2019, and for designated countries that are permitted to be incorporated by reference to the literature, the contents described in the application are as follows. Incorporated into this application by reference.

When using a sound conduit such as earphones by inserting it into the ear canal, it is often used by attaching an earpiece to the outer circumference of the sound conduit so that the inside of the ear canal is sealed.

Patent Document 1 describes earplugs for hearing aids that are difficult to remove.

JP-A-52-80828

However, the earplugs described in Patent Document 1 have a structure in which air is sent from the outside and the pressure is applied to the earplugs to bring them into close contact with the ear canal. Therefore, the ear canal is compressed and it is difficult to use it for a long time.

An object of the present invention is to provide an earpiece that adheres to the ear canal and can be used for a long time while alleviating the feeling of pressure on the ear canal.

The present invention solves at least one of the above problems, and examples thereof are as follows. That is, the earpiece according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plug member having an insertion hole in the center into which the tip of the sound conduit is inserted, and a check valve provided at one end of the plug member. Has a hollow portion between the outer peripheral wall of the plug member and the inner peripheral wall surrounding the insertion hole, and the check valve allows air to flow from the inside to the outside of the hollow portion, and vice versa. It is characterized by suppressing the flow of air.

The check valve has a first member and a second member, and the first member extends outward from the center of a circle to cover a part of the open end of the hollow portion, and the second member. The member may extend from the outside of the circle toward the center and cover a part of the open end of the hollow portion.

The second member may be provided so as to partially overlap the first member, and the second member may be arranged outside the first member.

The earpiece may be entirely made of an elastic material.

The first member may be made of a material harder than the second member.

The first member may be provided on the plug member so as to be movable in the axial direction of the plug member.

The first member may have a protrusion protruding outward from the second member.

The outer circumference of the plug member may be deformed by being pressed, and the air in the hollow portion may escape to the outside through the check valve.

By pressing the end portion of the first member, air may flow into the inside of the hollow portion from the outside through the check valve.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an earpiece that adheres to the ear canal while alleviating the feeling of pressure on the ear canal and can be used for a long time.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure example of the earpiece which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure example of the earpiece which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the use of the earpiece which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure example of the earpiece which concerns on the modification of this embodiment.

An example of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing a schematic configuration example of the earpiece 1 according to the present embodiment. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the earpiece 1, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the earpiece 1 mounted on the sound conduit S, and FIG. 2 is an end view of the side into which the sound conduit S is inserted. Shown. The broken line indicates the range of the opening of the hollow portion 12. The earpiece 1 of the present embodiment is used by being fitted to the tip of the sound conduit (stem) S of a so-called canal type earphone. Further, the earpiece 1 of the present embodiment is used by being detachably fitted to a ready-made sound conduit S.

The earpiece 1 includes a plug member 10 and a check valve 20.

The plug member 10 has an insertion hole 11 into which the tip of the sound conduit S is inserted in the center along the axial direction. Further, the plug member 10 has a hollow portion 12 along the inner circumference.

The stopper member 10 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is formed so that the diameter of the tip side (right side of FIG. 1) of the ear piece 1 is smaller than the diameter of the rear end side (left side of FIG. 1) of the ear piece 1. There is. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer circumference of the plug member 10 has an inclination that descends from the rear end side to the tip side, and the plug member 10 has a shape that is tapered on the tip side. Since the plug member 10 has an inclination, the earpiece 1 can be easily inserted into the ear canal.

The stopper member 10 is made of an elastic material. The material is not particularly limited as long as it is easily deformed, but a material that does not give a sense of discomfort when fitted into the ear canal is preferable, and for example, a low-resilience material such as silicon or urethane. The surface of the plug member 10 may be coated in order to reduce or prevent the inflow and outflow of air through the wall surface surrounding the hollow portion 12.

The insertion hole 11 is formed so as to fit the tip of the sound conduit S. Although the details will be described later, the insertion hole 11 is formed so that the cylindrical member 211 of the first member 21 into which the tip of the sound conduit S is fitted can be mounted.

The hollow portion 12 is formed along the inner circumference of the plug member 10 and is located between the outer peripheral wall of the plug member 10 and the inner peripheral wall surrounding the insertion hole 11. In the hollow portion 12, the front end side (right side in FIG. 1) of the ear piece 1 inserted into the ear canal is closed, and the rear end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the ear piece 1 is open. The opening portion of the hollow portion 12 has an annular shape.

The check valve 20 is connected to the open end on the opening side of the hollow portion 12. The check valve 20 has a first member 21 and a second member 22.

The first member 21 is composed of a cylindrical member 211 and an annular valve member 212 surrounding the cylindrical member 211.

The cylindrical member 211 extends in the axial direction along the inner wall of the insertion hole 11. A sound conduit S is inserted into and attached to the cylindrical member 211 so as to be removable. The valve member 212 is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical member 211 on the end side into which the sound conduit S is inserted and has a ring shape. The valve member 212 has a shape that extends from the cylindrical member 211 side toward the outer circumference of the plug member 10 and becomes thinner toward the outer circumference. The valve member 212 has a flat surface on the opening side of the hollow portion 12, and an inclined surface on the opposite side of the hollow portion 12 so as to gradually become thinner. In this way, the valve member 212 covers a part of the annular opening portion of the hollow portion 12.

The cylindrical member 211 and the valve member 212 of the first member 21 are integrally formed. Alternatively, the cylindrical member 211 and the valve member 212 may be connected so as not to be separated.

The second member 22 is composed of a cylindrical member 221 and an annular valve member 222 formed along the inner wall of the cylindrical member 221.

The cylindrical member 221 extends outward along the axial direction from the end of the plug member 10 and has a ring shape. The valve member 222 is formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical member 221 and has a ring shape. The valve member 222 has a shape that extends from the cylindrical member 221 side toward the center of the plug member 10 and becomes thinner toward the center. The valve member 222 has a shape in which a cylindrical portion 222a having substantially the same shape as the cylindrical member 221 and a disc-shaped portion 222b that becomes thinner toward the center are combined. The cylindrical portion 222a has an inclined surface outward from the opening side of the hollow portion 12, and the disk-shaped portion 222b also has an inclined surface outward from the opening side of the hollow portion 12. In this way, the valve member 222 covers a part of the annular opening portion of the hollow portion 12.

The cylindrical member 221 and the valve member 222 of the second member are integrally formed. Alternatively, the cylindrical member 221 and the valve member 222 may be connected and formed so as not to be separated.

The first member 21 and the second member 22 are made of an elastic material. The first member 21 is made of a material harder than the second member 22 and the stopper member 10, and is not particularly limited as long as it has elasticity, but is, for example, silicon, nylon, or the like. The second member 22 is made of a material softer than the plug member 10 and is not particularly limited as long as it has elasticity, but is, for example, silicon or the like.

The valve member 212 of the first member 21 and the valve member 222 of the second member 22 are provided so that a part of the end portion overlaps. The valve member 212 of the first member 21 is arranged on the opening side of the hollow portion 12, the valve member 222 of the second member 22 is arranged outside the first member 21, and the valve member 212 of the first member 21 and the valve of the second member 22 are arranged. The disk-shaped portions 222b of the member 222 overlap each other.

The valve member 212 of the first member 21 is arranged on the open end side, and the valve member 222 of the second member is arranged outside the first member. With this arrangement, the check valve 20 allows the air inside the hollow portion 12 to flow to the outside, and functions to prevent the air from the outside from flowing into the hollow portion 12.

Specifically, when the outer peripheral wall of the plug member 10 is not pressed, the valve member 222 of the second member 22 is urged to the valve member 212 of the first member 21, and the check valve 20 is closed. Therefore, no air flow occurs between the hollow portion 12 and the outside. When the outer peripheral wall of the plug member 10 is pressed, the plug member 10 is elastically deformed, and the valve member 222 of the second member 22 becomes a valve of the first member 21 due to the pressure that the air in the hollow portion 12 tends to go outward. The check valve 20 opens apart from the member 212, and the air in the hollow portion 12 that presses the outer peripheral wall of the plug member 10 flows out. When the pressure on the outer peripheral wall is loosened to the extent that the plug member 10 is maintained in an elastically deformed state, the air flow from the inside to the outside of the hollow portion 12 is stopped, so that the valve member 222 of the second member 22 becomes the first member. The check valve 20 is closed by being urged by the valve member 212 of 21. When the pressure is released, the elastically deformed plug member 10 tries to restore its original shape, but the check valve 20 is closed, so that the air flow from the outside to the inside is suppressed and the deformed shape is changed. Maintained (some restoration is acceptable).

The first member 21 is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the plug member 10. Specifically, when the end face of the first member 21 is pushed toward the tip end of the plug member 10, the end face of the inner peripheral wall of the hollow portion 12 is pushed and contracts to the tip end side due to elastic deformation, and the first member 21 moves. As a result, when the first member 21 is pushed in the axial direction of the plug member 10, a gap is formed in the overlapping portion of the

valve members

212 and 222 of the first member 21 and the second member 22, and air flows from the outside to the inside of the hollow portion 12. Inflow.

The check valve 20 is attached to the plug member 10 so as not to come off. The first member 21 and the second member 22 of the check valve 20 are attached to the plug member 10 so as not to come off due to adhesion or the like. The first member 21 is attached to the inner side surface of the inner peripheral wall of the hollow portion 12 and the opening end portion on the insertion hole 11 side of the hollow portion 12 by adhesion or the like along the axial direction of the insertion hole 11. The second member 22 is attached to the open end portion of the outer peripheral wall of the hollow portion 12 by adhesion or the like. Of course, the attachment method is not limited to adhesion, and may be another method such as welding.

Next, how to use the earpiece 1 will be explained. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of using the earpiece 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section of the ear canal E and the appearance of the earpiece 1, and peripheral devices such as the earphone body and the sound conduit are omitted.

First, the user picks up the earphone body (not shown) and inserts the earpiece 1 into the ear canal E (FIG. 3 (a)). When the ear piece 1 is inserted into the ear canal E, the portion of the ear piece 1 in contact with the ear canal E is pressed, and the air inside the hollow portion 12 escapes to the outside through the check valve 20 (FIG. 3B). ). Further, when the ear piece 1 is inserted into the ear canal E, the portion of the ear canal 1 in contact with the ear canal E is further pressed to release the air inside the hollow portion 12, and the ear piece 1 is firmly fitted into the ear canal E (FIG. 3 (c)). ). Since the check valve 20 prevents the inflow of air, the outer shape of the earpiece 1 is maintained.

Since air escapes from the hollow portion 12 and the outer shape of the earpiece 1 is deformed and fits into the ear canal E, the user does not feel oppressive feeling unlike the type in which air is introduced into the earpiece to inflate it.

After using the earphone, when the earpiece 1 is removed from the ear canal E and then the earphone is pushed toward the tip of the earpiece 1, the end face of the first member 21 is pushed toward the axial tip side of the plug member 10, and the reverse is true. The stop valve 20 opens, air flows into the hollow portion 12, and the earpiece 1 returns to its original shape.

The present embodiment has been described above. The earpiece 1 of the present embodiment is deformed by the air in the hollow portion 12 being released, and firmly adheres to the user's ear canal. In addition, since it is fitted into the ear canal while removing air, it is less likely to feel pressure or pain and can be used for a long time. Since the earpiece 1 is freely deformed according to the size and shape of the user's ear canal, earpieces of the same size can be used even if the size of the ear canal is different on the left and right.

The earpiece 1 may be formed by integrally molding the stopper member 10, the first member 21, and the second member 22. Further, the earpiece 1 may be provided with an earwax guard on the tip end side of the insertion hole 11 to prevent earwax from adhering to the sound conduit. The plug member 10 is formed so that the diameter changes between the front end side and the rear end side, but it may be formed so that the front end side and the rear end side have the same diameter. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the plug member 10 is not limited to a straight line from the rear end to the tip, and may be curved or arched, for example.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the earpiece 1a according to the modified example of the present embodiment. In this modification, the first member 21a has a protrusion 23.

The first member 21a has a protruding portion 23 whose end portion located on the opposite side of the hollow portion 12 projects outward from the second member 22. The protrusion 23 may be integrally molded with the first member 21a, or may be formed by being attached to the first member 21a by adhesion or the like.

Since the first member 21 has the protrusion 23, it becomes easy to push the first member 21 in the axial direction of the plug member 10. Therefore, even when the earpiece 1a is removed from the earphone, it is easy to return the earpiece 1a to its original shape.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention according to the claims. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art may be able to easily conceive of additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments. .. Various additions, changes and partial deletions are possible without departing from the conceptual idea and purpose of the present invention derived from the contents defined in the claims and their equivalents.

1,1a: Earpiece, 10: Plug member, 11: Insertion hole, 12: Hollow part, 20: Check valve, 21,21a: First member, 22: Second member, 23: Protrusion, 211, 221: Cylindrical member, 212, 222: Valve member, 222a: Cylindrical part, 222b: Disc-shaped part, E: Ear canal, S: Sound conduit

Claims

A plug member having an insertion hole in the center into which the tip of the sound conduit is inserted,
A check valve provided at one end of the plug member is provided.
The plug member has a hollow portion between the outer peripheral wall of the plug member and the inner peripheral wall surrounding the insertion hole.
The check valve is an earpiece that allows the flow of air from the inside to the outside of the hollow portion and suppresses the flow of air in the opposite direction.
The earpiece according to claim 1.
The check valve has a first member and a second member.
The first member extends outward from the center of the circle and covers a part of the open end of the hollow portion.
The earpiece is characterized in that the second member extends from the outside of the circle toward the center and covers a part of the open end of the hollow portion.
The earpiece according to claim 2.
The second member is provided so as to partially overlap the first member.
An earpiece characterized in that the second member is arranged outside the first member.
The earpiece according to claim 2 or 3.
The earpiece is an earpiece characterized in that the whole is made of an elastic material.
The earpiece according to any one of claims 2 to 4.
The first member is an earpiece made of a material harder than the second member.
The earpiece according to any one of claims 2 to 5.
The earpiece is characterized in that the first member is provided on the plug member so as to be movable in the axial direction of the plug member.
The earpiece according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
The earpiece is characterized in that the first member has a protrusion protruding outward from the second member.
The earpiece according to any one of claims 2 to 6.
An earpiece characterized in that the outer circumference of the plug member is deformed by being pressed, and air in the hollow portion escapes to the outside through the check valve.
The earpiece according to any one of claims 2 to 7.
An earpiece characterized in that air flows from the outside into the inside of the hollow portion through the check valve by pressing the end portion of the first member.