JP2013232860A - Earphone and hearing device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact and high-power earphone capable of hearing air conduction sound and bone conduction sound with low power consumption.SOLUTION: An earphone includes: an armature part where a pair of plates 3, 4 to which a pair of coils 5, 6 are respectively attached are respectively fixed to both surfaces of an armature 2; cases 9, 10 to which the armature part is attached; and a pair of magnets 7, 8 attached to inner side surfaces of the cases 9, 10 facing the pair of plates 3, 4. The earphone has a balanced electromagnetic structure where the pair of plates 3, 4, the pair of coils 5, 6, and the pair of magnets 7, 8 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the armature 2 and the centers of the armature 2 and the plates 3, 4 are arranged on a center axis C of the magnets 7, 8.

Description

  The present invention relates to a balanced armature type (hereinafter referred to as a balance type) electromagnetic structure earphone capable of listening to air conduction sound and bone conduction sound, and a listening device using the same.

Piezoelectric and electromagnetic transducers are used in conventional earphones capable of listening to air conduction sound and bone conduction sound. Further, Patent Document 1 includes a bone conduction speaker unit and a case that accommodates the bone conduction speaker unit and serves as a vibration part, and the compliance increasing means is disposed along the peripheral part of the vibration surface of the case for fixing the bone conduction speaker unit. A bone conduction speaker is disclosed.

JP 2004-274593 A

However, the conventional earphones using the transducer as described above do not have a small and high output that can be used for a hearing aid or the like, and it is difficult to obtain a high output in a frequency band of 2000 Hz or less that is particularly important for conversation. Further, in the bone conduction speaker described in Patent Document 1, when the size is set such that the speaker can be inserted into the ear canal, the output becomes small, and it is not useful.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to be able to listen to small-sized, high-output, low-power-conducted sound and bone-conducted sound. An earphone and a listening device using the earphone are provided.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to an armature portion in which a pair of plates each having a pair of coils attached thereto is fixed to both surfaces of the armature, a case to which the armature portion is attached, and the pair of plates. A pair of magnets attached to the inner surface of the case, wherein the pair of plates, the pair of coils, the pair of magnets are symmetrical with respect to the armature, and the center of the armature and the plate is the magnet It is set as the balance type electromagnetic structure arrange | positioned on the center axis | shaft of this.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the earphone according to the first aspect, a joint portion of the plate with the armature is made smaller than a surface of the plate facing the magnet.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the earphone according to the first or second aspect, a through hole that penetrates the case, the magnet, the plate, and the armature is provided in the center.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the earphone according to any one of the first to third aspects is held, and an earplug for holding the earphone is mounted in the ear canal.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a listening device is configured by using the earphone according to any of the first to fourth aspects for a hearing aid or an audio device.

According to the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to obtain a displacement that is larger than that of the unbalanced type, and it is possible to realize an earphone with a small size, high output, and low power consumption. As it can be attached to the concha cavity or the external auditory canal, it is easy to use. In addition, since there is no sound mouth, there is no possibility of clogging of earwax, and further cleaning is possible, so that it can always be used cleanly.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the elastic displacement range of the armature can be increased without substantially damaging the driving force by reducing the joint portion with the armature while maintaining the area of the surface of the plate facing the magnet. Can do.

According to the invention which concerns on Claim 3, since a through-hole acts as a vent hole, it can wear comfortably.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by attaching the earplug to the earphone, it can be stably held in the ear canal, and fluctuations in vibration output due to the holding condition to the ear canal can be suppressed. Even when the earphone is larger than the external auditory canal, the earphone can be stably attached to the concha cavity by attaching the earplug to the earphone.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since there is no sound mouth, there is no possibility of clogging of the ears and further washing can be performed, so that it can always be used cleanly as a hearing aid or an earphone of an audio device. Further, it can be used as a waterproof hearing aid or a waterproof audio equipment earphone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is explanatory drawing of 1st Embodiment of the earphone which concerns on this invention, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. Top view of armature Sectional view when the joint part of the plate with the armature is reduced It is explanatory drawing of 2nd Embodiment of the earphone which concerns on this invention, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is explanatory drawing of an ear hook type hearing aid which attached the earplug to the earphone, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is an action figure. Perspective view of sealed earplug It is explanatory drawing of the earplug for wearers with a small external auditory canal, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is an effect | action figure. Perspective view when applied to audio equipment Perspective view of earplugs with ventilation means

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an earphone 1 having a balanced electromagnetic structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes an armature 2, upper and lower plates 3, 4, upper and lower coils 5, 6, upper and lower magnets 7, 8, and upper and lower yokes. The terminal plate 11 and the lead wire 12 are also provided.

The earphone 1 has upper and lower plates 3 and 4, upper and lower coils 5 and 6, upper and lower magnets 7 and 8, and upper and lower cases 9 and 10 that are symmetrical with respect to the armature 2. Although the outer shape of the earphone 1 is not limited, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is substantially cylindrical.

  The armature 2 may be a solid circular flat plate, but may have a shape as shown in FIG. The upper and lower plates 3 and 4 and the upper and lower magnets 7 and 8 have a circular shape, and the centers of the armature 2 and the upper and lower plates 3 and 4 are provided on a central axis C passing through the centers of the magnets 7 and 8.

Further, the upper and lower cases 9 and 10 are fixed by welding or an adhesive over the entire circumference with the disk-shaped armature 2 interposed therebetween. By welding or adhering over the entire circumference, the joint between the upper and lower cases 9 and 10 and the armature 2 is sealed, so that the earphone 1 can be washed with water.

The cylindrical upper and lower plates 3 and 4 are fixed to the armature 2 by spot welding or the like. The upper and lower coils 5 and 6 which are air core coils are attached to the upper and lower plates 3 and 4 with an adhesive, respectively. The armature part is constituted by the armature 2, the upper and lower plates 3, 4 and the upper and lower coils 5, 6. The upper and lower coils 5 and 6 are connected to a lead wire 12 (not shown) and connected to the terminal plate 11. The upper and lower coils 5 and 6 can be configured by being connected in parallel or in series.

  A magnetic material is used as the material of the armature 2. For example, 45-permalloy or the like is used, and 45-permalloy or the like is also used as the material of the upper and lower plates 3 and 4 and the upper and lower cases 9 and 10.

The upper and lower magnets 7 and 8 have a predetermined coercive force and magnetic flux density, and are made of a rare earth magnet such as neodymium or samarium cobalt, and have a sheet shape and a circular shape for miniaturization. The upper and lower magnets 7 and 8 are fixed to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower cases 9 and 10.

The upper gap 13 between the upper plate 3 and the upper magnet 7 and the lower gap 14 between the lower plate 4 and the lower magnet 8 have the same dimensions. When the upper and lower magnets 7 and 8 are both magnetized in the same direction, for example, in the upward direction, upward magnetic lines of force are generated in the upper and lower gaps 13 and 14.

A magnetic attractive force acts between the upper plate 3 and the upper magnet 7 and between the lower plate 4 and the lower magnet 8. Upper and lower magnets so that the static magnetic force acting between the upper plate 3 and the upper magnet 7 and the static magnetic force acting between the lower plate 4 and the lower magnet 8 are almost balanced when no current flows through the coils 5 and 6. The balanced magnetic circuit of the earphone 1 is configured by adjusting the force or the gap length.

The upper and lower coils 5 and 6 may be connected either in parallel or in series. However, when a current in a certain direction is passed, the direction of the magnetic lines generated in the gaps 13 and 14 by the coil current is mutually in the upper and lower gaps. Connect in the opposite direction.

  When a drive current is passed through the upper and lower coils 5 and 6 of the earphone 1 configured as described above, the armature 2 to which the upper and lower plates 3 and 4 and the upper and lower coils 5 and 6 are attached depends on the direction of the current. The case side receives the reaction force in the opposite direction and vibrates. Then, the upper and lower cases 9 and 10 vibrate to vibrate the ear cartilage portion in contact with the air and the earphone 1, and air conduction sound and bone conduction sound are generated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, if the joint surfaces of the joint portions 3a and 4a with the armature 2 are made small without changing the areas of the surfaces facing the upper and lower magnets 7 and 8 of the upper and lower plates 3 and 4, the driving force can be reduced. The elastic displacement range of the armature 2 can be further increased with little damage.

Since the outer peripheral portion of the armature 2 is fixed by the upper and lower cases 9 and 10 and the central portion is fixed by the upper and lower plates 3 and 4, when the earphone 1 vibrates, the intermediate portion sandwiched between the two fixing portions of the armature 2 Will be displaced. Assuming the armature having the same thickness, the elastic displacement range can be further increased by lengthening the intermediate portion of the armature 2. Increasing the elastic displacement range of the armature 2 is effective because a displacement of about several tens of μm is required to obtain a high output particularly at a frequency of 1000 Hz or less.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the earphone 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has through holes that penetrate the upper and lower cases 9 and 10, the upper and lower magnets 7 and 8, the upper and lower plates 3 and 4, and the armature 2. 22 is provided on the central axis C at the center, and a non-magnetic tube 23 is disposed. The tube 23 is bonded and fixed to the upper and lower cases 9 and 10, but is not fixed to the armature 2 and the upper and lower plates 3 and 4 with a gap 19. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  By providing such a through hole 22 at the center of the earphone 21, the through hole 22 serves as a vent hole through the outside air and the ear canal, and the earphone 21 can be comfortably worn. Blocking the external auditory canal exacerbates any self-voiced sound or ear leakage. The through hole 22 is effective in reducing deterioration of sound accumulation and ear leakage.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the earplug 25 can be attached to the earphone 21 of the ear-mounted hearing aid 24. The earplug 25 is made of silicon. The outer periphery of the earphone 21 is held by the outer periphery 25 b of the earplug 25. When the ear canal 25 is attached to the ear canal 26, the ear canal 26 is sealed with the umbrella portion 25 a of the ear canal 25, the umbrella portion 25 a is crushed, and at least a part of the outer peripheral portion 25 b of the ear canal 25 that houses the earphone 21 is covered. The earphone 21 is held in the ear canal 26 by contacting the ear canal 26. By stabilizing the insertion into the ear canal, the change in the vibration output of the earphone 21 due to the insertion is suppressed. The vibration generated by the earphone 21 is transmitted to the ear cartilage through the outer peripheral portion 25b of the earplug 25.

By holding the earphone 21 in the ear canal 26 via the ear canal 25, fluctuations in vibration output due to the holding state of the earphone 21 to the ear canal 26 can be suppressed. In addition, the external auditory canal 26 communicates with the outside air through a central through hole 25 c of the earplug 25 that communicates with the through hole 22 of the earphone 21.

The main body 24a of the ear-mounted hearing aid 24 contains a microphone, a signal processing device (DSP), a battery, and the like, but does not contain an earphone. The in-ear type hearing aid 24 outputs a sound signal obtained by converting an ambient sound into an electric signal using a microphone, and a hearing aid process is performed on the sound signal in accordance with the hearing of the wearer using a signal processing device (DSP). Output a signal.

The main body 24 a and the earphone 21 are electrically connected via the terminal plate 11. When sound signals output from the main body 24a are passed through the upper and lower coils 5 and 6 of the earphone 21, driving forces in the same direction are generated in the upper and lower gaps 13 and 14, respectively, and vibrate according to the sound signals.

When the upper and lower cases 9 and 10 vibrate, air is vibrated and air conduction sound is generated, and vibrations by the upper and lower cases 9 and 10 are also transmitted to the cartilage portion in contact with the earphone 21. If it is a problem that the sound pressure in the low frequency region is reduced by the through hole 25c of the earplug 25, the sealed earphone 29 having no through hole shown in FIG. In order to close 22 or to reduce the hole diameter, a tube can be inserted and adjusted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the earplug 30 is formed so that the earphone 21 can be worn stably even when the earphone 21 is larger than the ear canal 26. When such an earplug 30 is attached to the earphone 21 and attached to the ear canal 26, the distal end portion 30 a is held in the ear canal 26, and the earphone 21 is attached to the concha cavity 27.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the earphone 21 can be used as a general-purpose earphone 31 for listening to audio or radio by attaching an open earplug 25 to the earphone 21.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, if the ear canal 33 is provided with a plurality of grooves 32 as ventilation means in the umbrella portion 33 a and the outer peripheral portion 33 b and the outer ear canal 26 is not sealed, the through hole 22 is formed in the center. Even if it is not the provided earphone 21, the ear canal 26 can be ventilated with outside air.

  According to the present invention, since it is small, high output, low power consumption, and there is no sound mouth, there is no possibility of clogging of ear wax and it can be further washed, so that it can be always used cleanly for a hearing aid or audio equipment. An earphone that can be provided can be provided.

1, 21, 31 ... Earphone, 2 ... Armature, 3 ... Upper plate, 3a ... Joint part, 4 ... Lower plate, 4a ... Joint part, 5 ... Upper coil, 6 ... Lower coil, 7 ... Upper magnet, 8 ... Lower Magnet, 9 ... Upper case, 10 ... Lower case, 13 ... Upper gap, 14 ... Lower gap, 19 ... Gap, 22 ... Through hole, 23 ... Tube, 24 ... Hearing aid, 24a ... Main body, 25, 29, Numerals 30, 33 ... earplugs, 25a, 33a ... umbrella, 25b, 33b ... outer periphery, 25c ... through-hole, 26 ... ear canal, 27 ... concha, 30a ... tip, 32 ... groove, central axis ... C .

Claims (5)

From an armature part in which a pair of plates each having a pair of coils attached are fixed to both sides of the armature, a case to which the armature part is attached, and a pair of magnets attached to the inner surface of the case facing the pair of plates A balanced electromagnetic structure in which the pair of plates, the pair of coils, and the pair of magnets are symmetrical with respect to the armature, and the centers of the armature and the plate are disposed on the central axis of the magnet. Earphones characterized by that. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein a joint portion of the plate with the armature is made smaller than a surface of the plate facing the magnet. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a through-hole penetrating each of the case, the magnet, the plate, and the armature is provided in the center. An earphone that holds the outer periphery of the earphone according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and that is equipped with an earplug that holds the earphone in the ear canal. A hearing device comprising: the earphone according to claim 1 used in a hearing aid or an audio device.

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