Ear device

Abstract

To provide an ear device that can provide various types of wearing feeling.SOLUTION: An ear device 100 comprises: a body part 1 having a housing 11 being a body base part and a shank 12 that projects from the housing 11 and is provided with a groove part 121 in a part in an axial direction AL thereof along its outer periphery; and an earpiece 2 having a cylindrical part 22 that is formed with a locking part 221 overhanging inward along its inner periphery at a position corresponding to the groove part 121, and when the shank 12 is inserted thereinto, is locked to the shank 12 by the locking part 221 being fitted into the groove part 121. The cylindrical part 22 is formed such that the length from the locking part 221 to one end of the cylindrical part 22 and the length from the locking part to the other end of the cylindrical part (that is, the distance Pα being the length from the locking part 221 to one end and the distance Pβ being the length from the locking part 221 to the other end) are shorter than the length from the housing 11 being the body base part to the groove part 121 of the shank 12 (the distance Lα).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ear device. [Background technology]

[0002] Ear devices such as earphones that are worn in a person's ears are known. However, the shapes of the ears into which such ear devices are worn vary from person to person. If the shape or other characteristics of the ear device do not match, you may not be able to get the fit you desire.

[0003] In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an earphone that comprises a main body, an ear hook portion (hook) attached to the main body so as to be hung on the outside of the auricle when in use, and a concave-convex engagement portion that engages the ear hook portion (hook) with the main body, the concave-convex engagement portion allowing the ear hook portion (hook) to be selectively engaged at multiple positions in the direction in which the axis of the main body extends. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the ear hook portion (hook) relative to the main body portion in the direction in which the axis extends, which is expected to improve the fit on the auricle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-78071 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, particularly in the case of ear devices in which an earpiece is inserted into the entrance of the ear canal when worn in the user's ear, such as in-ear earphones, a comfortable fit cannot be obtained unless the part inserted into the ear canal matches the size and shape of the opening in the ear canal. In this regard, with the earphones described in Patent Document 1, it was not possible to adjust the portion that is inserted into the ear canal (that is, the earpiece).

[0006] Furthermore, when wearing an ear device for a long period of time, even for the same user, the fit desired by the user may change, for example, initially wearing it tightly and over time preferring a softer fit. In such a case, it is inconvenient for the user to prepare and carry around multiple types of earpieces.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an ear device that can accommodate a variety of wearing sensations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the ear device according to the present invention is to A main body portion having a main body base and a shaft portion protruding from the main body base and having a groove portion provided along an outer periphery in a part of an axial direction; an earpiece having a tubular portion formed with a locking portion that juts out inward along an inner circumference at a position corresponding to the groove portion, and which is locked to the shaft portion when the shaft portion is inserted and the locking portion fits into the groove; Equipped with The cylindrical portion is characterized in that the length from the locking portion to each of the one end and the other end of the cylindrical portion is formed to be shorter than the length from the main body base to the groove portion. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The present invention has the effect of being able to accommodate a variety of wearing sensations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an oblique view of a main part of an ear device according to an embodiment, seen from the outside. [Diagram 2]2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a main body of the ear device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an earpiece of the ear device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which an earpiece of an ear device according to an embodiment is attached to a shaft part of a main body part with a first part oriented to be inserted into an ear. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the earpiece of the ear device according to the embodiment is attached to the shaft part of the main body with the second part oriented to be inserted into the ear. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of an ear device according to one modified example, showing an earpiece attached to a shaft portion of a main body with a first portion oriented to be inserted into an ear. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of an ear device according to one modified example, showing the earpiece attached to the shaft of the main body with the second portion oriented to be inserted into the ear. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of an ear device according to one modified example, showing an earpiece attached to a shaft portion of a main body with a first portion oriented to be inserted into an ear. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of an ear device according to one modified example, showing the earpiece attached to the shaft of the main body with the second portion oriented to be inserted into the ear. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a side view showing a main part of an ear device according to a modified example. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the earpiece. [Figure 12] 13 is a side view of a main portion showing a modified example of the shaft portion of the main body. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a side view of a main portion showing a modified example of the shaft portion of the main body. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an ear device according to one modified example, showing the earpiece attached to the shaft of the main body with the exterior part oriented to be inserted into the ear. FIG. [Figure 15]13 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an ear device according to one modified example, showing an earpiece attached to a shaft part of a main body part with a tubular part oriented to be inserted into an ear. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of an ear device according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 . In addition, the embodiments described below are subject to various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0012] [composition] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of an ear device according to an embodiment, as viewed from the outside. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a main body of the ear device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an earpiece of the ear device shown in Fig. 1.

[0013] 1 to 3, the ear device 100 of the present embodiment includes a main body 1 (see FIG. 2) and an earpiece 2 (see FIG. 3). When in use, the earpiece 2 is adapted to be inserted into the entrance of the ear canal of the user, and the ear device 100 is a so-called canal-type closed ear device. In addition, the ear device 100 of this embodiment may be an earphone that can hear the output sound (sound waves) when worn in the user's ear, or a detector that detects various types of biometric information such as body temperature, or a hearing aid or earplug, etc., and may broadly include devices that are worn in the ear.

[0014] 2, the main body 1 has a housing 11 which is a main body base, and a shaft portion 12 which is formed to protrude from the housing 11. In the following, the side of the shaft portion 12 which contacts the housing 11 is referred to as the base end portion Bp side in the axial direction AL, and the protruding free end side is referred to as the tip end portion Tp side. The shaft portion 12 may be solid or may be hollow and tubular. The housing 11 and the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 are made of, for example, various resins. Note that the material from which the main body 1 is made is not limited to resin, and may be, for example, various metals.

[0015] For example, when the ear device 100 is an earphone, a driver unit (not shown) that converts an electric signal supplied from an external device into sound and produces sound is accommodated in the housing 11. When the ear device 100 is an ear-mounted biological information detector such as a thermometer, a sensor (not shown) according to the application is provided on the shaft portion 12 (for example, near the tip Tp of the shaft portion 12) or the like. There may be one type of sensor, or multiple types of sensors may be mounted to detect various types of biological information. The ear device 100 may have multiple functions, such as an earphone and a biological information detector.

[0016] A groove 121 is provided along the outer periphery of the shaft portion 12 in a part of the axial direction AL (see FIG. 2, etc.) The axial direction AL is indicated by a dashed line in FIG. A locking portion 221 of the earpiece 2, which will be described later, is locked into the groove portion 121. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the groove portion 121 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and the shapes of one side and the other side in the axial direction AL (i.e., the shapes at the top and bottom in Fig. 2) are symmetrical. The distance (distance Lα in FIG. 2) of the shaft portion 12 from the housing 11 side, which is the base of the main body (i.e., the base end portion Bp side in the axial direction AL), to the groove portion 121 is equal to or greater than the distance (distance Lβ in FIG. 2) from the tip end portion Tp side to the groove portion 121.

[0017] The earpiece 2 is made of, for example, silicone, and includes an exterior portion 21 and a tubular portion 22 formed inside the exterior portion 21, as shown in FIG. The material from which the earpiece 2 is made is not limited to silicone, but may be, for example, urethane resin, various types of foamed resin, or the like. The earpiece 2 is inserted into the entrance of the ear canal when the ear device 100 is attached to the user's ear, and it is preferable that at least the exterior part 21 that contacts the inner wall of the ear canal when attached has a certain degree of flexibility and deformability. For this reason, the earpiece 2 may be formed of different materials depending on the part, for example, the exterior part 21 may be formed of a soft material and the tubular part 22 may be formed of a harder material.

[0018] The exterior part 21 is formed on the outside of the cylindrical part 22 from one end side to the other end side of the cylindrical part 22, and one end side and the other end side of the exterior part 21 are closed. This makes it difficult to damage the exterior part 21 even if it is pinched and pulled when putting on or taking off the ear device 100, and also prevents dirt, dust, etc. from getting into the exterior part 21. In this embodiment, the inside of the exterior part 21 (between the exterior part 21 and the tubular part 22) is hollow. This allows for a high degree of freedom in deformation and makes the earphone easy to fit in the user's ear.

[0019] In addition, exterior portion 21 has first portion 21a on one side (upper side in Figure 3) and second portion 21b on the other side (lower side in Figure 3) of the position where locking portion 221 described below is formed in internal tubular portion 22, and first portion 21a and second portion 21b are formed asymmetrically.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the exterior portion 21 is formed so that the first portion 21a and the second portion 21b have different shapes. Specifically, the size of the outer diameter (outer diameter Wa in FIG. 3) of the end portion on one side (the first portion 21a side) of the exterior part 21 is different from the size of the outer diameter (outer diameter Wb in FIG. 3) of the end portion on the other side (the second portion 21b side). For example, in the illustrated example, the other side (the second portion 21b side) is bulging outwardly more than the one side (the first portion 21a side), and the outer diameter Wa of the end portion on the one side (the first portion 21a side) is smaller than the outer diameter Wb of the end portion on the other side (the second portion 21b side), and is formed to be slender. Even when viewed from the inclination from the center C to the opening, the one side (the first portion 21a side) narrows at a steep angle linearly toward the opening, while the other side (the second portion 21b side) gradually narrows toward the opening while bulging gently, so the inclination is gentle. The configuration in which the shapes of the first portion 21a and the second portion 21b are asymmetric is not limited to this, and they may be different in other respects than the outer diameter size (thickness). Moreover, the central portion C is located at the midpoint of the length from one end to the other end of the earpiece 2 along the axial direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1 etc., the tubular portion 22 is the portion into which the shaft portion 12 of the main body portion 1 is inserted, and inside the tubular portion 22, a locking portion 221 is formed that protrudes inward along the inner circumference at a position corresponding to the groove portion 121 of the shaft portion 12. When the shaft portion 12 is inserted, the locking portion 221 fits into the groove portion 121, and the cylindrical portion 22 is locked to the shaft portion 12. The locking portion 221 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the groove 121, and like the groove 121, the shapes of one side and the other side in the axial direction AL (i.e., the shapes of the top and bottom in FIG. 2) are symmetrical.

[0022] In the embodiment, at least the inner shape of the cylindrical portion 22 is symmetrical on one side (upper side in FIG. 3) and the other side (lower side in FIG. 3) sandwiching a substantial central portion (central portion C in FIG. 3, etc.) in the axial direction AL. That is, the portion 22a on the one side, which is the upper side in FIG. 3, and the portion 22b on the other side, which is the lower side in FIG. 3 separated by the central portion C, are formed in a symmetrical shape. The distance from the opening on one end side (the upper opening portion in Figure 3) to the locking portion 221 (distance Pα in Figure 3) of the tubular portion 22 is approximately equal to the distance from the opening on the other end side (the lower opening portion in Figure 3) to the locking portion 221 (distance Pβ in Figure 3).

[0023] In addition, in an embodiment, the lengths of the tubular portion 22 from the locking portion 221 to one end and the other end of the tubular portion 22 (i.e., the distance Pα which is the length from the locking portion 221 to one end, and the distance Pβ which is the length from the locking portion 221 to the other end) are shorter than the length from the housing 11, which is the base of the main body, to the groove portion 121 of the shaft portion 12 (i.e., distance Pα<distance Lα, and Pβ<distance Lα).

[0024] [Effect] Next, the operation of the ear device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. When wearing and using the ear device 100 shown in the embodiment on the ear, the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 is inserted into the tubular portion 22 of the earpiece 2 with the side shaped to provide the desired fit facing the ear canal, and the locking portion 221 of the tubular portion 22 is fitted into the groove portion 121 of the shaft portion 12 to lock the earpiece 2 to the main body 1.

[0025] For example, in the case of a user with a relatively narrow and small ear canal, or in the case of a user wishing to insert the earpiece 2 deep into the ear canal in a relatively loose state, the earpiece 2 is attached to the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 in an orientation such that the first portion 21a, which is one side of the earpiece 2, is the insertion side, with the first portion 21a on the upper side and the second portion 21b on the lower side as shown in FIG. 4.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 4 and other figures, the tubular portion 22 of the earpiece 2 has a distance Pα from the locking portion 221 to the opening on one end side and a distance Pβ from the locking portion 221 to the opening on the other end side that are substantially the same (see Fig. 3), and are substantially symmetrical with respect to the center C. In contrast, the shaft portion 12 has a distance Lα from the base end Bp side to the groove portion 121 that is longer than a distance Lβ from the tip end Tp to the groove portion 121 (see Fig. 2). Therefore, when the earpiece 2 is inserted to a position where the locking portion 221 is locked in the groove portion 121, the shaft portion 12 is not filled in the tubular portion 22 up to the end on the side that is inserted into the ear canal. Therefore, the shaft portion 12 does not directly contact the inner wall of the ear, and the impact on the ear is soft.

[0027] Also, for example, in the case of a user with a relatively wide ear canal or when it is desired to fix the earpiece 2 in the ear canal in a relatively tight condition, the earpiece 2 is attached to the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 in an orientation such that the second portion 21b, which is the other side of the earpiece 2, is the insertion side, and the second portion 21b is on the upper side and the first portion 21a is on the lower side as shown in FIG. 5.

[0028] As described above, in the shaft portion 12, the distance Lα from the base end Bp side to the groove portion 121 is longer than the distance Lβ from the tip end Tp to the groove portion 121 (see FIG. 2), whereas in the tubular portion 22 of the earpiece 2, the distance Pα from the locking portion 221 to the opening on one end side is substantially the same as the distance Pβ from the locking portion 221 to the opening on the other end side (see FIG. 3). Therefore, even if the first portion 21a and the second portion 21b of the earpiece 2 are reversed and attached to the shaft portion 12, the shaft portion 12 does not reach the end on the side that is inserted into the ear canal, and the shaft portion 12 does not directly contact the inner wall of the ear, providing a comfortable fit.

[0029] In this way, the ear device 100 of the present embodiment can change the fit in the ear canal and the wearing comfort simply by changing the direction in which the earpiece 2 is attached to the shaft portion 12. For this reason, the wearing comfort can be easily changed with one earpiece 2, for example, when the ear device 100 is first worn, the side of the second portion 21b having a larger outer diameter is inserted into the ear canal and worn in a tight state, and when the ear becomes compressed over time, the side of the first portion 21a having a smaller outer diameter is inserted into the ear canal and worn in a loose state.

[0030] [effect] As described above, the ear device 100 of this embodiment comprises a main body 1 having a housing 11 which is a main body base, and an axis portion 12 which protrudes from the housing 11 and has a groove portion 121 provided along the outer periphery in part of the axial direction AL, and an earpiece 2 having a tubular portion 22 which is formed with a locking portion 221 which protrudes inward along the inner periphery at a position corresponding to the groove portion 121, and which is locked to the axis portion 12 when the axis portion 12 is inserted by the locking portion 221 fitting into the groove portion 121, and the tubular portion 22 is formed so that the respective lengths from the locking portion 221 to one end and the other end of the tubular portion 22 (i.e., the distance Pα which is the length from the locking portion 221 to the one end, and the distance Pβ which is the length from the locking portion 221 to the other end) are shorter than the length from the housing 11 which is the main body base to the groove portion 121 of the axis portion 12 (the distance Lα from the base end portion Bp side to the groove portion 121 in Figure 2). This allows the earpiece 2 to be attached so that the first portion 21a is the side that is inserted into the ear, or conversely, so that the second portion 21b is the side that is inserted into the ear. Therefore, for example, if one end of the earpiece 2 becomes dirty or deformed, it can be reversed and attached to the shaft portion 12, allowing one earpiece 2 to be used for a long time. As described above, by setting the relationship between the tubular portion 22 of the earpiece 2 and the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 such that distance Pα<distance Lα and Pβ<distance Lα, the earpiece 2 can be smoothly fitted onto the shaft portion 12 without colliding with the housing 11, which is the base of the main body, and becoming deformed, whether the earpiece 2 is attached to the shaft portion 12 with the first portion 21a facing down or the second portion 21b facing down.

[0031] In this embodiment, the groove 121 and the locking portion 221 are symmetrical in shape on one side and the other side in the axial direction AL. This makes it easy to attach the earpiece 2 so that the first portion 21a is the side that is inserted into the ear, or conversely, so that the second portion 21b is the side that is inserted into the ear.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, the tubular portion 22 has a distance Pα from the opening on one end (upper side in Figure 3) to the locking portion 221 and a distance Pβ from the opening on the other end (lower side in Figure 3) to the locking portion 221 that are approximately equal. This allows the locking portion 221 to fit into the groove portion 121 and ensure smooth installation, whether the first portion 21a is the ear insertion side (as shown in Figure 4) or the second portion 21b is the ear insertion side (as shown in Figure 5).

[0033] In the embodiment, it is preferable that the distance Lα of the shaft portion 12 from the base end Bp side in contact with the housing 11 to the groove portion 121 is equal to or greater than the distance Lβ from the tip end Tp side to the groove portion 121. In the present embodiment, the distance Lα is longer than the distance Lβ as shown in FIG. As a result, whether the first portion 21a is the ear insertion side (as shown in FIG. 4) or the second portion 21b is the ear insertion side (as shown in FIG. 5), the shaft portion 12 does not protrude beyond the tubular portion 22 and does not directly contact the inner wall of the ear canal. This provides a comfortable fit on the ear. In addition, if the ear device 100 is a detector that detects biological information and various sensors are mounted on the tip of the stem 12, and it is desired to insert the sensor as deep as possible into the ear canal, the distances Lα and Lβ may be made the same, or the distance Lβ may be made longer than the distance Lα, so that the stem 12 extends to a point where it is not covered by the earpiece 2.

[0034] In addition, on the outside of the tubular portion 22 of the earpiece 2 of this embodiment, an exterior portion 21 that comes into contact with the inner wall of the ear canal when worn is formed from one end side (upper side in Figure 3) to the other end side (lower side in Figure 3) of the tubular portion 22, and both the one end side and the other end side of the exterior portion 21 are closed. This makes it difficult for the exterior part 21 to be torn or broken even if it is pinched and pulled when putting on or taking off the ear device 100. In addition, since there is no opening, it is possible to prevent dirt, dust, and the like from getting between the exterior part 21 and the cylindrical part 22.

[0035] In addition, in the exterior portion 21 of the earpiece 2 of this embodiment, on one side (upper side in FIG. 3) of the position where the locking portion 221 is formed in the internal tubular portion 22 (approximately the center portion in the axial direction AL, center portion C in FIG. 3 etc.), the one side portion 22a (first portion) and the other side portion 22b (second portion) are formed asymmetrically. This makes it possible to easily change the fit to the ear by simply changing the attachment direction of one earpiece 2 to shaft portion 12.

[0036] Specifically, exterior portion 21 may be formed so that one side portion 22a (first portion) and the other side portion 22b (second portion) have at least a different shape, inclination, or outer size. For example, if the portion 22a (first portion) on one side and the portion 22b (second portion) on the other side are formed in different shapes, it can be adapted to ears (ear canals) of various shapes simply by changing the attachment direction of one earpiece 2 to the shaft portion 12.

[0037] In particular, in the present embodiment, the outer diameter (outer diameter Wa in FIG. 3) of the end portion on one side (upper side in FIG. 3) of the exterior portion 22 is different from the outer diameter (outer diameter Wb in FIG. 3) of the end portion on the other side (lower side in FIG. 3). As a result, when the first portion 21a is the ear insertion side (as shown in FIG. 4), the earpiece 2 becomes slender and relatively loose, providing a comfortable fit with little pressure even when worn for long periods of time. When the second portion 21b is the ear insertion side (as shown in FIG. 5), the earpiece 2 becomes relatively thick and providing a stable fit.

[0038] [Variations] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0039] For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the entire exterior portion 21 (between the exterior portion 21 and the tubular portion 22) is hollow has been illustrated as an example, but the configuration of the exterior portion 21 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, a first portion 21c on one side of the exterior portion 21α of the earpiece 2α (above the central portion C in the axial direction AL in Figure 6) may be hollow, and a second portion 21d on the other side (below the central portion C in the axial direction AL in Figure 6) may be solid. As a result, when the earpiece 2α is attached to the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 in an orientation such that the first portion 21c is at the tip side of the ear device 200 (the upper side in FIG. 6) as shown in FIG. 6, when the ear device 200 is worn on the ear, the hollow first portion 21c is inserted into the ear canal, allowing the ear device to be worn with a soft feeling.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the earpiece 2α is attached to the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 with the earpiece 2α facing inversely and the second portion 21d facing the tip side of the ear device 200 (the upper side in FIG. 7), when the ear device 200 is worn on the ear, the solid second portion 21d is inserted into the ear canal and fits firmly against the ear canal, providing a stable feel when worn. In this way, by changing whether the first portion 21c and the second portion 21d are hollow or solid, it is possible to obtain different wearing sensations with one earpiece 2α simply by changing the orientation in which it is worn. Even if both the first section and the second section are hollow, the hardness of the first section and the second section may be changed by changing the thickness of each section.

[0041] Also, for example, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first portion 21e on one side of the exterior portion 21β of the earpiece 2β (above the central portion C in the axial direction AL in Figure 8) may be made of soft silicone, and the second portion 21f on the other side (below the central portion C in Figure 8) may be made of harder silicone. As a result, when the earpiece 2β is attached to the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 in an orientation such that the first portion 21e is at the tip side of the ear device 300 (the upper side in FIG. 8) as shown in FIG. 8, when the ear device 300 is worn on the ear, the first portion 21e formed from a soft material is inserted into the ear canal, allowing the ear device 300 to be worn with a soft feeling.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, when the earpiece 2β is attached to the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 with the earpiece 2β turned upside down and the second portion 21f is oriented toward the tip side of the ear device 300 (the upper side in FIG. 9), when the ear device 300 is worn in the ear, the second portion 21d made of a harder material is inserted into the ear canal and fits firmly against the ear canal, providing a stable feel when worn. In this way, by using different materials for forming the first portion 21e and the second portion 21f, it is possible to obtain different wearing sensations with the same earpiece 2β simply by changing the wearing orientation.

[0043] In the case of the earpiece 2α shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the earpiece 2β shown in Figures 8 and 9, the external shapes of the first portions 21c, 21e and the second portions 21d, 21f may be symmetrical from top to bottom in the axial direction AL, as in the illustrated examples. In this case, however, it becomes difficult to tell from the outside which are the first portions 21c, 21e and which are the second portions 21d, 21f. For this reason, the first portions 21c, 21e and the second portions 21d, 21f may be different in color or may be provided with identification marks such as letters or symbols so that they can be distinguished from each other in appearance. In this way, the user can intuitively distinguish between the earpieces at a glance without having to touch them to check their texture, and can easily wear the earpieces 2α, 2β in a direction that gives the user a desired tactile sensation.

[0044] Furthermore, in exterior portion 21, the texture of the outer surface of the first region may be different from the texture of the outer surface of the second region. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 10, a first portion 21g on one side (above the center portion C in the axial direction AL in Fig. 10) of the exterior portion 21γ of the earpiece 2γ has a plurality of slit portions 213 extending in the vertical direction (axial direction AL) or a direction close to it, which are formed side by side. Also, a second portion 21h on the other side (below the center portion C in Fig. 10) has a plurality of groove portions 214 formed in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the axial direction AL).

[0045] As a result, for example, when the earpiece 2γ is attached to the shaft 12 of the main body 1 in an orientation such that the first portion 21g is at the tip side of the ear device 400 (upper side in FIG. 10), the ear device 400 can be fitted smoothly to the ear when worn on the ear. Also, when the earpiece 2γ is turned in the opposite direction and the earpiece 2γ is attached to the shaft 12 of the main body 1 in an orientation such that the second portion 21h is at the tip side of the ear device 400 (upper side in FIG. 10), the ear device 400 can be worn in a state that is not easily slippery or come off when worn on the ear.

[0046] In this way, by changing the texture of the outer surface formed by the first portion 21g and the second portion 21h, it is possible to obtain different wearing sensations with the same earpiece 2γ simply by changing the orientation in which it is worn. The difference in texture is not limited to the difference between the vertical slits 213 and the horizontal grooves 214 as shown in Fig. 10. For example, a first portion of the exterior portion 21 may be surface-treated to have a rough feel, and a second portion may be surface-treated to have a smooth or silky feel.

[0047] Furthermore, the earpiece is not limited to being circular when viewed in the axial direction AL. For example, the outer shape of exterior part 210 of earpiece 20 may be elliptical when viewed in axial direction AL as shown in Fig. 11. The human ear canal is often elliptical rather than circular, and an elliptical exterior part 210 may fit more comfortably in the ear. Also in this case, it is preferable that the cylindrical portion 22, which is the portion attached to the shaft portion 12, has a substantially circular shape when viewed in the axial direction AL.

[0048] In the present embodiment, the stepped surface shape of the groove 121 formed in the shaft portion 12 of the main body 1 is U-shaped, but the stepped surface shape of the groove is not limited to the U-shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the groove 121a may be wedge-shaped with its upper and lower portions inward toward the center portion C in the axial direction AL. Conversely, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the groove 121b may have a rounded shape such that the inner side (axial center side) is recessed toward the center C.

[0049] In either case, the locking portion 221 of the tubular portion 22 that fits into the groove is formed into a shape that corresponds to the groove. When the cross section of groove 121a is made substantially wedge-shaped as shown in Fig. 12, it is more difficult to fit locking portion 221 into the groove than when the cross section is U-shaped, but it is more difficult to remove. On the other hand, when groove 121b has an R as shown in Fig. 13, it is more easy to fit into the groove than when the cross section is U-shaped, but it is more easy to remove. Whatever shape the groove has, the cross-sectional shape of the groove is formed so that it is symmetrical up and down in the axial direction AL in order to enable the earpiece to be attached in either up or down orientation.

[0050] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, one end and the other end (top and bottom in the axial direction AL) of the exterior portion 21 of the earpiece 2 are closed, but the shape of the earpiece 2 is not limited to this. For example, like an ear device 500 shown in FIG. 14, an earpiece 2δ may be open on the other end side of the exterior part 21δ (the lower side in the axial direction AL in FIG. 14). In this case, too, if the top and bottom of the tubular portion 22 are symmetrical in the axial direction AL, then by turning the exterior portion 21δ inside out, as shown in FIG. 15, for example, an ear device 500 can be created in which the tubular portion 22 is inserted into the ear canal. This allows a single earpiece 2δ to be worn in two different ways: with the exterior portion 21δ fitted inside the ear canal, or with the tubular portion 22 fitted in the ear canal, allowing the user to select the fit they prefer.

[0051] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Main unit 11. Housing 12 Shaft 121 Groove 2 ear pieces 21 Exterior part 21a First Section 21b Second part 22 Cylindrical part 221 Locking part 100 Ear Devices AL Axial direction C central part Tp tip

Claims

1. A main body portion having a main body base and a shaft portion protruding from the main body base and having a groove portion provided along an outer periphery in a part of an axial direction; an earpiece having a tubular portion formed with a locking portion that juts out inward along an inner circumference at a position corresponding to the groove portion, and which is locked to the shaft portion when the shaft portion is inserted and the locking portion fits into the groove; Equipped with The cylindrical portion is formed such that the length from the locking portion to each of the one end and the other end of the cylindrical portion is shorter than the length from the main body base to the groove portion. An ear device comprising:

2. The groove portion and the locking portion have symmetrical shapes on one side and the other side in the axial direction.

2. An ear device as claimed in claim 1 .

3. The inner shape of the cylindrical portion is symmetrical between one end side and the other end side with respect to a substantially central portion in the axial direction.

2. An ear device as claimed in claim 1 .

4. The cylindrical portion has a substantially equal distance from an opening on one end to the locking portion and a substantially equal distance from an opening on the other end to the locking portion.

2. An ear device as claimed in claim 1 .

5. The shaft portion has a distance from the main body base to the groove portion that is equal to or greater than a distance from a tip side to the groove portion.

2. An ear device as claimed in claim 1 .

6. an exterior part that contacts an inner wall of an ear canal when the earpiece is worn is formed on an outside of the tubular part from one end side to the other end side of the tubular part, One end side and the other end side of the exterior part are closed.

2. An ear device as claimed in claim 1 .

7. The exterior part has a first part on one side and a second part on the other side, with respect to a position where the locking part is formed on the internal cylindrical part, and the first part and the second part are formed asymmetrically.

7. An ear device as claimed in claim 6.

8. The exterior portion is formed so that the first portion and the second portion have at least a different shape, a different inclination, or a different outer size.

8. An ear device as claimed in claim 7.

9. The exterior portion has a hardness different between the first portion and the second portion.

8. An ear device as claimed in claim 7.

10. The exterior portion has an outer surface of the first region and an outer surface of the second region having a different texture.

8. An ear device as claimed in claim 7.

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