Headphone with pressure regulation function

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to headphones. The headphones include a pair of earcups; a headband connecting the pair of earcups; and a pressure regulating device installed on each of the pair of earcups and configured to regulate the pressure inside the earcups when worn. By configuring the pressure regulating device to increase or decrease the pressure inside the earcups, it is possible to prevent the pressure from changing significantly depending on external conditions.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to headphones. Background Technology

[0002] Headphones are audio devices used for various purposes, such as listening to music. With the recent increase in mobile phone usage, the use of headphones is also on the rise. Meanwhile, when people are exposed to environments involving changes in altitude, such as hiking or flying on an airplane, they experience changes in internal pressure, which can cause discomfort. Children, the elderly, and patients are particularly sensitive to changes in internal pressure, and such changes can cause significant discomfort to these individuals.

[0003] The matters described in the technical background section of this invention are written to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and may include matters that are not prior art already known in the field to which this technology belongs. The problem to be solved

[0004] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide headphones capable of reducing pressure changes caused by external pressure changes.

[0005] The technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0006] A headphone according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of earcups; a headband connecting the pair of earcups; and a pressure regulating device installed on each of the pair of earcups and configured to regulate the pressure inside the earcups while worn.

[0007] The pressure regulating device may include: an air inlet passage provided in the ear cup and connecting the outside and inside of the ear cup; an air pump for air intake installed in the air inlet passage and acting to supply air from the outside of the ear cup into the inside of the ear cup; an air exhaust passage provided in the ear cup and connecting the inside and outside of the ear cup; an air pump for air exhaust installed in the air exhaust passage and acting to exhaust air from the inside of the ear cup to the outside of the ear cup; a pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the ear cup and outputs a corresponding pressure signal; and a controller that receives the pressure signal and controls the air pump for air intake or the air pump for air exhaust to regulate the pressure inside the ear cup according to the pressure inside the ear cup.

[0008] The above controller can control the air pump for air intake to supply air into the ear cup when the pressure inside the ear cup is below a preset lower limit pressure value, and can control the air pump for air exhaust to discharge air from the ear cup when the pressure inside the ear cup is above a preset upper limit pressure value.

[0009] Headphones according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a chin band that connects the pair of earcups and is configured to be adjustable in length. Effects of the invention

[0010] According to the present invention, by configuring the pressure inside the ear cup to be raised or lowered through a pressure regulating device, it is possible to prevent the pressure from changing significantly depending on external conditions.

[0011] In addition to this, various effects that can be obtained or predicted by the embodiments of the present invention are disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0012] The drawings attached below are intended to aid in understanding the present invention and provide embodiments of the invention together with the detailed description. However, the technical features of the present invention are not limited to specific drawings, and the features disclosed in each drawing may be combined with one another to form new embodiments. The embodiments of this specification may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which similar reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the state in which headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention are worn. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the pressure control function of headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention. The drawings referenced above are not necessarily drawn to scale and should be understood as providing a simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. For example, specific design features of the invention, including specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be partially determined by specific intended applications and usage environments. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0014] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “comprising” as used herein indicate the presence of the specified features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any one or all combinations of one or more items listed in association. The term “combined” indicates a physical relationship between two components where the components are directly connected to each other or indirectly connected through one or more mediating components. Where it is stated that one component is "connected," "combined," or "joined" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected, combined, or joined to the other component, but that another component may also be "connected," "combined," or "joined" between each component.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the state in which headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention are worn. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, headphones (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention include a pair of earcups (11, 12) and a headband (13) connecting the earcups (11, 12). The earcups (11, 12) are formed in a shape that can completely cover a person's ears, and in this respect, headphones (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be described as so-called over-ear type headphones. The headband (13) connects both earcups (11, 12) and is formed so as to be seated on the wearer's head.

[0016] Each ear cup (11, 12) is equipped with a device for controlling the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) while worn. At this time, pressure control can be achieved by supplying external air into the ear cup (11, 12) or by expelling air from the ear cup (11, 12) to the outside. That is, when external air is supplied into the ear cup (11, 12), the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) increases, and when air inside the ear cup (11, 12) is expelled to the outside, the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) decreases. The pressure of the ear cup (11, 12) becomes the wearer's ear pressure, and the wearer's ear pressure can be controlled by controlling the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12). When the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) is lower than the target pressure, air is forcibly supplied into the ear cup (11, 12) to raise the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) to a normal pressure, i.e., about 1 atmosphere. Conversely, when the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) is higher than the target pressure, air is forcibly discharged from the ear cup (11, 12) to lower the pressure inside the ear cup (11, 12) to a normal pressure. Through such pressure control, the pressure inside the ear cup can be adjusted to near normal atmospheric pressure in cases such as hiking or flying in an airplane.

[0017] The ear cup (11) includes a pressure regulating device (20) for regulating pressure. As mentioned above, the pressure regulating device (20) is configured to regulate the pressure within the ear cup (11). Specifically, the pressure regulating device (20) includes an air inlet passage (21) connecting the outer side and the inner side of the ear cup (11), and an air pump (22) installed in the air inlet passage (21) to pump air from outside the ear cup (11) and supply it into the ear cup (11) through the air inlet passage (21). Additionally, the pressure regulating device (20) includes an air outlet passage (23) connecting the inner side and the outer side of the ear cup (11), and an air pump (22) installed in the air outlet passage (23) to pump air from inside the ear cup (11) and discharge it to the outside of the ear cup (11) through the air outlet passage (23). Additionally, the pressure regulating device (20) may include a pressure sensor (25) that detects the pressure inside the ear cup (11) and outputs a corresponding signal.

[0018] The opposite ear cup (12) also includes a pressure regulating device (30) of the same structure. Likewise, the pressure regulating device (30) may include an ear cup (31), an air inlet passage (32), an air pump (32) for air inlet, an air outlet passage (33), an air pump (33) for air outlet, and a pressure sensor (35).

[0019] Meanwhile, the earcups (11, 12) may each include a speaker (29, 39), which is an element for sound implementation, the inherent function of the headphones. Additionally, although not shown in the drawings, the earcups (11, 12) may include elements necessary for driving the speaker (29, 39) and may include elements for ambient sound listening functions, active noise canceling functions, etc. A detailed description of this is omitted.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the pressure control function of headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the air inlet passage (21) is formed as a passage connecting the outside and the inside of the ear cup (11). An air pump (22) for air intake is installed in the air inlet passage (21) and acts to pump air to forcibly supply air from outside the ear cup (11) into the inside of the ear cup (11). The air pump (22) may be a conventional air pump capable of compressing air.

[0021] The air exhaust passage (23) is formed as a passage connecting the inside and outside of the ear cup (11). An air exhaust air pump (24) is installed in the air exhaust passage (23) and pumps air to force air from inside the ear cup (11) to the outside of the ear cup (11).

[0022] A pressure sensor (25) is installed in the ear cup (11) to detect the pressure inside the ear cup (11) and outputs a pressure signal corresponding to the detected pressure to the controller (27). The controller (27) controls the air pumps (22, 24) to operate selectively based on the received pressure signal. For example, if the detected pressure inside the ear cup (11) is at a preset lower limit pressure value, for example, 0.9 atmospheres or lower, which is 0.1 atmospheres lower than atmospheric pressure, the controller (27) determines that the pressure inside the ear cup (11) is low and operates the air pump (22) for air intake so that external air is supplied into the ear cup (11). On the other hand, if the pressure inside the detected ear cup (11) is higher than a preset upper pressure value, for example, 1.1 atmospheres, which is 0.1 atmospheres higher than atmospheric pressure, the controller (27) determines that the pressure inside the ear cup (11) is high and activates an air pump (24) for air discharge so that the air inside the ear cup (11) is discharged to the outside. Accordingly, the pressure inside the ear cup (11), that is, the wearer's ear pressure, can be adjusted to be within a set pressure range that approximates atmospheric pressure.

[0023] Meanwhile, check valves (28, 29) may be provided to allow only one-way flow of air into or out of the ear cup (11). That is, a check valve (28) may be installed in the air inlet passage (21) to allow air to flow only in the direction of inflow, and a check valve (29) may be installed in the air outlet passage (23) to allow air to flow only in the direction of outflow.

[0024] The controller (27) may include a microprocessor, memory, and related hardware and software. The microprocessor may be programmed to perform the pressure control function described above.

[0025] Additionally, a pressure regulating device (30) provided on the opposite ear cup (12) may also include the same components and operate in the same manner. The pressure regulating device (30) may include an air inlet passage (31), an air pump (32) for air inlet, an air outlet passage (33), an air pump (34) for air outlet, a pressure sensor (35), a controller (37), and check valves (38, 39).

[0026] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 1, the headphones (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a length-adjustable chin band (14) to firmly attach the ear cups (11, 12) to the user's head so that pressure control can be achieved more effectively. The chin band (14) is connected to both ear cups (11, 12), and by adjusting the length of the chin band (14), the ear cups (11, 12) can be firmly attached to the wearer's head. As the ear cups (11, 12) are firmly attached to the wearer's head, the inflow or outflow of air through the gap between the ear cups (11, 12) and the wearer's head can be minimized, thereby enabling more accurate and efficient pressure control.

[0027] As described above, the headphones according to the embodiment of the present invention have a pressure regulating function. When a user feels a decrease in ear pressure during activities such as hiking or boarding an airplane, they can wear the headphones according to the embodiment of the present invention to restore the ear pressure to a normal range. Furthermore, if a user boards an airplane and takes off while wearing the headphones according to the embodiment of the present invention, the inside of the earcups is generally airtight and no change in ear pressure is felt. However, if the earcups detach from the user's head and the inside and outside of the earcups become connected, causing the pressure inside the earcups to decrease, the pressure regulating device operates to restore the pressure inside the earcups to a normal range. The headphones having a pressure regulating function according to the embodiment of the present invention can be particularly useful for children, the elderly, patients, and others who are sensitive to changes in ear pressure.

[0028] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto and includes all changes and modifications within the scope recognized as equivalents that can be easily changed by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0029] 10: Headphones 11, 12: Ear cup 13: Headband 14: Chin band 20, 30: Pressure regulator 21, 31: Air intake passages 22, 32: For air intake 23, 33: Air exhaust passages 24, 34: Air pump for air discharge 25, 35: Pressure sensor 28, 29, 38, 39: Check valve

Claims

Claim 1 A headphone comprising: a pair of earcups; a headband connecting the pair of earcups; and a pressure regulating device installed on each of the pair of earcups and configured to regulate the pressure inside the earcups while worn. Claim 2 In claim 1, the pressure regulating device comprises: an air inlet passage provided in the ear cup and connecting the outside and inside of the ear cup; an air pump for air inlet installed in the air inlet passage and acting to supply air from the outside of the ear cup into the inside of the ear cup; an air discharge passage provided in the ear cup and connecting the inside and outside of the ear cup; an air discharge air pump installed in the air discharge passage and acting to discharge air from the inside of the ear cup to the outside of the ear cup; a pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the ear cup and outputs a corresponding pressure signal; and a controller that receives the pressure signal and controls the air pump for air inlet or the air pump for air discharge to regulate the pressure inside the ear cup according to the pressure inside the ear cup. Claim 3 A headphone according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the air pump for air intake to supply air into the ear cup when the pressure inside the ear cup is below a preset lower limit pressure value, and controls the air pump for air exhaust to discharge air from the ear cup when the pressure inside the ear cup is above a preset upper limit pressure value. Claim 4 The headphone according to claim 1, further comprising a chin band that connects the pair of earcups and is configured to be adjustable in length.

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