Sound pickup device

Abstract

To provide a sound pickup device that has less variation in insertion depth when a wearer inserts the sound pickup device into the external auditory canal to wear it.SOLUTION: A sound pickup device (91) comprises: a microphone unit (1) that has a sound pickup surface (11a); and a holding body (2) that holds the microphone unit (1), and has a body part (21) the contour of which is included in a cross-sectional shape of the external auditory canal (Ea), and a plurality of arm parts (22) having flexibility and extending radially from the body part (21) in a natural state with a length reaching the outside of the cross-sectional shape, when seen from a side of the sound pickup surface (11a) of the held microphone unit (1). The body part (21) can be inserted into the external auditory canal (Ea) by bending the plurality of arm parts (22), and at least one of the plurality of arm parts (22) has a resistance part 5 that generates resistance to prevent insertion of the body part (21) into the external auditory canal (Ea).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1E

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound collecting device. [Background technology]

[0002] A technique for collecting sound by arranging a microphone in the ear canal to measure the head-related transfer function HRTF or the ear canal transfer function ECTF is known. Patent Document 1 describes a sound collection device used for this sound collection, which has a dome-shaped elastic frame and a microphone provided at the top of the frame. This frame is formed as a hemispherical framework with an opening, and the outer diameter of the frame is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the ear canal. Therefore, the sound collection device described in Patent Document 1 can collect sound by arranging the microphone near the entrance of the ear canal by inserting and mounting the frame in the ear canal through elastic deformation.

[0003] As a result, the sound collection device described in Patent Document 1 can prevent shifting of the sound collection position, and because the frame has an opening, the ear canal is not blocked, allowing the ear canal transfer function, etc. to be properly measured. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6903933 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The sound collection device described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in that there is no limit to the depth to which it can be inserted into the ear canal, and therefore there is a possibility that the insertion depth will vary greatly when the device is inserted repeatedly.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sound collection device that has little variation in insertion depth when inserted into the ear canal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration: That is, a sound collection device including a microphone unit having a sound collection surface, a holder having a main body that holds the microphone unit and has an outer shape that is contained in the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal when viewed from the side of the sound collection surface of the held microphone unit, and a plurality of arms that are flexible and extend radially from the main body in a natural state to a length that reaches the outside of the cross-sectional shape, the main body can be inserted into the ear canal by bending the plurality of arms, and at least one of the plurality of arms has a resistance portion that generates a resistance force that prevents the main body from being inserted into the ear canal. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage that there is little variation in insertion depth when the device is inserted and attached into the ear canal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a sound collecting device 91 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional assembly diagram of the sound pickup device 91. FIG. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C is a front view of a holder 2 included in a sound collection device 91. FIG. [Figure 1D] FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line S1D-S1D in FIG. 1A. [Figure 1E] FIG. 1E is a left side view of the head with a sound collection device 91 attached to the external auditory canal Ea of the left ear. [Figure 1F] FIG. 1F is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line S1F-S1F in FIG. 1E. [Figure 2A]FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an upper arm portion 221A which is a first modified example of the upper arm portion 221 of the sound collection device 91, where FIG. 2A(a) is a side view and FIG. 2A(b) is a rear view. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an upper arm portion 221B which is a second modified example of the upper arm portion 221 of the sound collection device 91, where FIG. 2B(a) is a side view and FIG. 2B(b) is a rear view. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a state in which a sound collecting device 91 having an upper arm portion 221A is attached to an ear canal Ea. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a sound collecting device 92 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sound collection device 92 is attached to the external auditory canal Ea of the left ear. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a diagram of a gripper 7 of a support member 95 used when attaching the sound collecting devices 91, 92 to the ear canal Ea, where FIG. 4A(a) is a front view, FIG. 4A(b) is a side view, and FIG. 4A(c) is a bottom view. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a diagram of the case 8 that the support member 95 has, where FIG. 4B(a) is a front view of a half cross section, and FIG. 4B(b) is a side view. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a diagram showing a method of using the support member 95. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a front view showing a state in which the sound pickup device 91 is sandwiched by the support members 95. FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a side view showing a state in which the sound pickup device 91 is sandwiched by the support members 95. FIG. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a modified example of the clamping structure between the support member 95 and the sound collection device 91, where FIG. 5C(a) is a diagram corresponding to the cross-sectional view at the S5C-S5C position in FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C(b) is a partial rear view. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a first diagram showing a method for mounting the sound collector 91 in the ear canal Ea by means of the support member 95. FIG. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a second diagram showing a method for attaching the sound pickup device 91 to the ear canal Ea by the support member 95. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a sound collecting device 91 as a first embodiment and a sound collecting device 92 as a second embodiment.

[0011] (Sound Recording Device 91) First, the sound collector 91 will be described with reference to Figs. 1A to 1F. Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing a sound collector 91 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1B is an assembly diagram of a partial cross section of the sound collector 91. Fig. 1C is a front view of a holder 2 included in the sound collector 91. Fig. 1D is a cross section at the S1D-S1D position in Fig. 1A. Fig. 1E is a left side view of the head in a state in which the sound collector 91 is attached to the ear canal Ea of the left ear. Fig. 1F is a schematic cross section at the S1F-S1F position in Fig. 1E. For ease of explanation, the up-down direction, the front and the back are defined by the directions and faces shown in Fig. 1A, respectively.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a sound collection device 91 includes a microphone unit 1, a holder 2, and a cable section 3. The microphone unit 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape, with one end face (the front) serving as a sound collecting surface 11a, and the other end face (back face 11b) being provided with a connection portion 11c to which the cord 32 of the cable portion 3 is electrically connected.

[0013] The holder 2 is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber. As shown in Figures 1A to 1C, the holder 2 has a main body 21 and multiple arms 22. In this example, the arms 22 are four flexible arms extending in a cross shape when viewed from the front.

[0014] The main body 21 is formed in a cup shape that opens to the front side. The outer diameter of the main body 21 is smaller than the inner diameter of the ear canal of a general adult, for example, about half the inner diameter. The main body 21 has a cylindrical recess 21a that opens to the front side, has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the microphone unit 1, can fit the microphone unit 1, and elastically holds the fitted microphone unit 1. At the back of the recess 21a, a hollowed-out portion 21b that is hollowed out in a truncated cone shape toward the rear side is formed.

[0015] The lower part of the recess 21a is hollowed out downward to form a space, which is the cord outlet section 21c. The space of the cord outlet section 21c is connected to the space of the hollowed out section 21b. This allows the cord 32 extending from the back surface 11b of the microphone unit 1 attached to the recess 21a to be drawn out from the hollowed out section 21b to the cord outlet section 21c without being pinched between the microphone unit 1 and the main body section 21.

[0016] The four arms 22 are an upper arm 221 , a lower arm 222 , a first lateral arm 223 , and a second lateral arm 224 . The upper arm 221 is an arm-shaped part that extends upward from the upper edge of the main body 21, inclining slightly toward the front and tapering. The approximate length of the upper arm 221 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body 21 or slightly longer.

[0017] The lower arm 222 is an arm-shaped part extending from the lower edge of the main body 21 at an incline toward the front. The approximate length of the lower arm 222 is about 1.5 to 2 times the outer diameter of the main body 21. The lower arm 222 is formed hollow and has a cord housing 222b therein. In addition, a slit 222a extending in the vertical direction is formed in the wall on the front side of the lower arm 222. Thereby, as shown in Figs. 1A and 1D, the slit 222a can be elastically expanded to accommodate the cord 32 extending from the microphone unit 1 in the cord housing 222b and extend to the outside from the lower end of the lower arm 222.

[0018] 1A, the cable section 3 has a cord 32 and a sleeve 31 that covers the cord 32. The tip of the cable section 3 on the microphone unit 1 side does not have the sleeve 31, and the cord 32 is exposed by a predetermined length. The length of the exposed cord 32 corresponds to the routing distance from the connection section 11c of the microphone unit 1 to the lower end of the lower arm section 222. Therefore, the lower end of the lower arm section 222 and the upper end of the sleeve 31 face each other with a small gap.

[0019] The first lateral arm portion 223 and the second lateral arm portion 224 are symmetrical in the left-right direction of the paper surface of FIG. 1C, extend so as to incline toward the front side toward the tip, and are formed shorter than the upper arm portion 221.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1E and Fig. 1F, the sound collecting device 91 is inserted and attached to the ear canal Ea. As shown in Fig. 1E, the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal Ea of a general adult is generally an ellipse that is long in the vertical direction. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1E, the ear canal Ea is an ellipse represented by a width inner length LEh, which is the average opening distance in the width direction, and a vertical inner length LEv, which is the average opening distance in the vertical direction.

[0021] In the sound collection device 91, the total length in the width direction between the tip of the first horizontal arm portion 223 and the tip of the second horizontal arm portion 224 in a front view, i.e., the width length L2h shown in FIG. 1C, is sufficiently longer than the width inner length LEh of the ear canal Ea. In addition, the total length in the up-down direction between the tip of the upper arm portion 221 and the tip of the lower arm portion 222 in a front view, i.e., the vertical length L2v shown in FIG. 1C, is sufficiently longer than the vertical inner length LEv of the ear canal Ea. In other words, among the four arms 22, a pair (first pair) of arms 22 facing each other vertically is longer than the remaining pair (second pair) facing each other in the width direction. In addition, the lower arm portion 22 extends longer than the upper arm portion 221.

[0022] In other words, when the holder 2 of the sound collection device 91 is viewed from the side (front side) of the sound collection surface 11a of the held microphone unit 1, the outer shape of the main body 21 is included in the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal Ea. When the holder 2 is positioned at the center of the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal Ea and viewed from the front side, the multiple arms 22 extend radially from the main body 21 in a natural state to a length that reaches the outside of the cross-sectional shape.

[0023] As a result, when the sound collection device 91 is inserted into the ear canal Ea with its back side facing the back of the ear canal Ea, the four arms 22 are pushed against the inner wall of the ear canal Ea and bend to fall to the front side, so that the sound collection device 91 can be inserted into the ear canal Ea as shown in Figures 1E and 1F. When the sound collection device 91 is inserted into the ear canal Ea, the four arms 22 elastically push the inner wall of the ear canal Ea in an attempt to return to their original shape. As a result, the sound collection device 91 is held in the ear canal Ea with a certain holding force.

[0024] The position of the main body 21 when the sound collection device 91 is held in the ear canal Ea, i.e., the position of the microphone unit 1 in the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal Ea, is automatically adjusted so as to be at the center of the cross-sectional shape. That is, the first horizontal arm 223 and the second horizontal arm 224 are pushed by the inner wall in the width direction of the ear canal Ea and bend toward the front side, so that the main body 21 is positioned approximately at the center in the width direction of the ear canal Ea. Similarly, the upper arm 221 and the lower arm 222 are pushed by the upper and lower inner walls of the ear canal Ea and bend toward the front side, so that the main body 21 is positioned approximately at the center in the vertical direction of the ear canal Ea.

[0025] In this way, when the sound collection device 91 is inserted into the ear canal Ea, the microphone unit 1 is positioned approximately at the center of the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal Ea. In addition, since the main body 21 is supported by a plurality of arms 22 spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, sound can be collected by the microphone unit 1 in the ear canal Ea without blocking the ear canal Ea, with the space on the eardrum side of the sound collection device 91 communicating with the space on the opening side. This allows the sound collection device 91 to satisfactorily measure the ear canal transfer function, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, when the sound collection device 91 is inserted into the ear canal Ea, it is stabilized in a mounting position in which the cable portion 3 fits into the intertragal notch Ed between the tragus Eb and the antitragus Ec of the auricle E. This allows for better measurement of the ear canal transfer function and the like, and also provides excellent reproducibility in repeated measurements by inserting and removing the device.

[0027] In addition, since the lower arm 222 of the sound collection device 91 extends longer than the upper arm 221, when the sound collection device 91 is inserted into the ear canal Ea, the tip side of the lower arm 222 is caught on the opening edge Ep of the ear canal Ea (see FIG. 1F) with the tip of the upper arm 221 positioned in the ear canal Ea, generating resistance that hinders insertion. Therefore, the insertion depth of the sound collection device 91 is naturally restricted by the lower arm 222. As a result, there is little variation in the insertion depth of the sound collection device 91 when it is inserted and attached into the ear canal Ea. In order to prevent overinsertion of the sound collection device 91, it is desirable that resistance be generated when the arm 22 is inserted into the ear canal Ea. This resistance is obtained by forming a resistance portion 5 on the arm 22 that slides on the inner wall of the ear canal Ea when the sound collection device 91 is inserted into the ear canal Ea. The resistance portion 5 is formed to generate at least one of an elastic repulsive force when the arm 22 is inserted into the ear canal Ea and elastically deformed, and a sliding resistance force when the arm 22 slides on the inner surface of the ear canal Ea. This resistance portion 5 may be formed on at least any one of the multiple arms 22 (four in this example). The elastic repulsive force can be obtained by forming a portion of the arm 62 (see FIG. 3A) on the tip side of a bent portion Pk1, which will be described later, into a tip portion 621b that is oriented upward or toward the rear side by, for example, changing the direction of bending slightly toward the front side from the base side. The sliding resistance can be obtained by forming fine irregularities by surface treatment on the tip rear side region of the arm 22. Also, by modifying the arm 22 to have a resistance portion 5 as described below, a more significant sliding resistance can be obtained.

[0028] (Modification of upper arm portion 221) The sound collection device 91 may have, instead of the upper arm portion 221, an upper arm portion 221A of the modified example 1 shown in Figures 2A(a) and 2(b), or an upper arm portion 221B of the modified example 2 shown in Figures 2B(a) and 2B(b). Fig. 2A is a diagram showing an upper arm portion 221A which is a first modified example of the upper arm portion 221 of the sound collection device 91, Fig. 2A(a) is a side view, and Fig. 2A(b) is a rear view. Fig. 2B is a diagram showing an upper arm portion 221B which is a second modified example of the upper arm portion 221 of the sound collection device 91, Fig. 2B(a) is a side view, and Fig. 2B(b) is a rear view.

[0029] 2A(a) and (b) has a resistor 5 on the back side of the tip portion. The resistor 5 has a turned portion 22a and a projection group 22bG. The turned portion 22a is a portion that is bent at the tip of the upper arm 221A, which extends at an angle toward the front side toward the tip, and is folded back upward or toward the back side. The protrusion group 22bG is a collection of a plurality of spherical protrusions 22b. Each of the protrusions 22b is a spherical protrusion that is adjacent to the return portion 22a and is arranged in a line so as to protrude outward along the back side ridge line on the base side of the return portion 22a.

[0030] The amount of protrusion of the protrusion 22b is set so that the imaginary line LN1 connecting the vertices of the multiple protrusions 22b is a line obtained by moving the ridgeline of the upper arm 221 in parallel when no protrusions 22b are formed. The amount of extension of the return portion 22a is set so that the tip position is positioned outward beyond the imaginary line LN1.

[0031] When the sound collection device 91 having the upper arm portion 221A on which the resistance portion 5 is formed is inserted into the ear canal Ea, the insertion resistance becomes significantly high due to the contact of the resistance portion 5 with the inner wall of the ear canal Ea. This prevents the sound collection device 91 from being inserted too deeply, and suppresses variation in the insertion depth when the sound collection device 91 is repeatedly inserted into the ear canal Ea.

[0032] This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2C. When the sound collection device 91 having the upper arm portion 221A instead of the upper arm portion 221 is inserted into the ear canal Ea, the upper arm portion 221A comes into contact with the inner wall of the ear canal Ea and starts to bend. The upper arm portion 221A comes into contact with the inner wall of the ear canal Ea first at the return portion 22a, and this return portion 22a is bent upward or in the insertion direction, so a large insertion resistance occurs. That is, when the upper arm portion 221A is inserted into the ear canal Ea, a more significant insertion resistance occurs than when the upper arm portion 221 without the resistance portion 5 is inserted. When the insertion is further advanced, the protrusion 2bG comes into contact with the inner wall of the ear canal Ea after the return portion 22a, and a more significant insertion resistance occurs. That is, the sound collection device 91 having the upper arm portion 221A generates a significant insertion resistance immediately after insertion into the ear canal Ea, so the insertion completion position can be grasped by the insertion resistance force.

[0033] This prevents over-insertion of the sound collection device 91 having the upper arm portion 221A, and reduces variation in insertion depth when repeatedly inserted into the ear canal Ea.

[0034] The upper arm portion 221A may be an upper arm portion 221B in which the resistor portion 5 has a blade protrusion group 22cG consisting of a plurality of blade-shaped protrusions 22c shown in Figure 2B, instead of the protrusion group 22bG consisting of a plurality of protrusions 22b. 2B(a), the blade protrusion 22c is a thin, plate-like protrusion that is cut in the width direction from the back side of the upper arm portion 221B to about half its thickness and is repeatedly formed along the ridge line. The blade protrusion 22c can bend when an external force exceeding a certain value is applied in the extension direction of the upper arm portion 221B.

[0035] The amount of projection of each of the blade projections 22c from the ridgeline of the upper arm portion 221B is set, similarly to the case of the projection 22b, so that the imaginary line LN1 connecting the vertices of each of the blade projections 22c is a line obtained by moving the ridgeline of the upper arm portion 221 in parallel when the blade projections 22c are not formed. The amount of extension of the return portion 22a is set so that the tip position thereof is positioned outward beyond the imaginary line LN1.

[0036] The effect obtained by having upper arm portion 221B on which blade projection group 22cG is formed is the same as the effect obtained by having upper arm portion 221A.

[0037] (Audio Recording Device 92) Next, the sound collector 92 will be described with reference to Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B. Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing a sound collector 92 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the sound collector 92 is attached to the external auditory canal Ea of the left ear.

[0038] The sound collector 92 is configured with a microphone unit 1, a holder 6, and a cable section 3. The microphone unit 1 and the cable section 3 are the same as those of the sound collector 91. That is, the sound collector 92 is obtained by replacing the holder 2 of the sound collector 91 with a holder 6, and the holder 6 will be described in detail below.

[0039] The holder 6 is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber, and has a main body 61 and four arms 62. The holder 6 is different from the holder 2 in that the upper arm 221 is replaced by an upper arm 621 and the lower arm 222 is replaced by a lower arm 622, but the other parts are the same. For the first and second horizontal arms of the holder 2 and the holder 6, which have the same shape, they are distinguished by reference numerals in the sound collection device 92 as a first horizontal arm 623 and a second horizontal arm 624, for convenience.

[0040] 3A, upper arm 621 has bent portion Pk1 at the center of its entire length or slightly toward the tip from the center. The portion of upper arm 621 from bent portion Pk1 toward the root is root portion 621a that extends upward from the upper edge of main body 61 and inclines slightly toward the front. The portion of upper arm 621 from bent portion Pk1 toward the tip is tip portion 621b that connects to root portion 621a, bends at bent portion Pk1, and tapers toward the back side.

[0041] On the other hand, lower arm 622 extends downward longer than lower arm 222 of sound collection device 91, and has bent portion Pk2 at the center of the entire length. The base side of lower arm 622 from bent portion Pk2 is base portion 622a that extends downward from the lower edge of main body 61 and is slightly inclined toward the front side. The tip side of lower arm 622 from bent portion Pk2 is folded portion 622b that connects to base portion 622a, bends at bent portion Pk2, and extends downward slightly toward the rear side. The positions where the bent parts Pk1 and Pk2 are formed may be changed to positions closer to or farther from the main body parts 21 and 61. This allows the distance from the opening of the ear canal Ea to the sound collecting surface 11a of the microphone unit 1 to be set to a desired distance.

[0042] The lower arm 622 is formed hollow with a cord housing 622t inside, similar to the lower arm 222 of the sound collection device 91. In addition, a slit 622s extending in the vertical direction and communicating the external space with the internal cord housing 622t is formed in the wall on the front side of the lower arm 622. This allows the slit 622s to be elastically expanded to accommodate the cord 32 extending from the microphone unit 1 in the cord housing 622t through the slit 622s, and to extend to the outside from the lower end of the lower arm 622.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3B, when the sound collecting device 92 is inserted into the ear canal Ea, at the point of insertion to a certain extent, in the upper arm 621, the root portion 621a bends to narrow and advances into the ear canal Ea. Meanwhile, the tip portion 621b hooks on the opening edge portion Ep of the ear canal Ea and the epidermis Et around it, restricting further insertion of the main body portion 61. Also, in the lower arm 622, the root portion 622a bends to narrow and advances into the ear canal Ea, but the folded portion 622b hooks on the opening edge portion Ep and the epidermis Et, restricting further insertion of the main body portion 61. That is, at the point of insertion of the holder 6 to a certain extent into the ear canal Ea, the upper arm portion 621 and the lower arm portion 622 restrict further advance of the holder 6.

[0044] This prevents the sound collection device 92 from being inserted excessively deep into the ear canal Ea, and effectively suppresses variation in insertion depth when the sound collection device 92 is repeatedly inserted into the ear canal Ea.

[0045] The resistor 5 described as the upper arm 221A, 221B of the sound collection device 91 may be formed on the upper arm 621 of the sound collection device 92. The sound collection device 92 having the resistor 5 has a large resistance during insertion, prevents overinsertion, and better suppresses variation in insertion depth during repeated insertion.

[0046] (Support material) Next, the support member 95, which is an attachment that can be used when inserting the sound collectors 91 and 92 into the ear canal Ea, will be described with reference to Figs. 4A to 5C. Fig. 4A is a diagram of the gripper 7 of the support member 95 used when attaching the sound collectors 91 and 92 to the ear canal Ea, with Fig. 4A(a) being a front view, Fig. 4A(b) being a side view, and Fig. 4A(c) being a bottom view. Fig. 4B is a diagram of the case 8 of the support member 95, with Fig. 4B(a) being a front view of a half cross section, and Fig. 4B(b) being a side view. Fig. 4C is a diagram showing how to use the support member 95. Fig. 5A is a front view showing the state in which the sound collector 91 is clamped by the support member 95. Fig. 5B is a side view showing the state in which the sound collector 91 is clamped by the support member 95. FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a modified example of the clamping structure between the support member 95 and the sound collection device 91, where FIG. 5C(a) is a diagram corresponding to the cross-sectional view at the S5C-S5C position in FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C(b) is a partial rear view.

[0047] The support member 95 has a gripper 7 and a case 8 . The gripper 7 is formed by bending a metal wire for spring, and has a base 71 and a clamping portion 72. The base 71 is formed in a U-shape and has basic extensions 711, 712 extending in parallel. The tip sides of the basic extensions 711, 712 intersect with each other to form cross extensions 721, 722 in the clamping portion 72. The tip portions of the cross extensions 721, 722 are branched in the width direction, and the tip of the cross extension 722 becomes the branch clamping portions 72a, 72b, and the tip of the cross extension 721 becomes the branch clamping portions 72c, 72d that face the branch clamping portions 72a, 72b. As shown in FIG. 4A(c), the inner edges of the branch clamping portions 72a to 72d are rounded.

[0048] In a natural state, a certain gap is formed between the branch clamping portions 72a, 72b and the branch clamping portions 72c, 72d. When the gripper 7 applies a force against the elasticity of the wire rod to the basic extensions 711 and 712 to deform them so as to approach each other (see arrows DR1 and DR2 in FIG. 4A(a)), the upper branch clamping parts 72a and 72b and the lower branch clamping parts 72c and 72d open in directions away from each other (see arrows DR3 and DR4). When the force is released, the branch clamping parts 72a to 72d return to their original positions.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 4B(a) and (b), the case 8 is a bag-shaped member, and is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber. The case 8 has a bag base 81 and a flange portion 82. The bag base 81 is formed in a bag shape having a bag recess 8a which is a narrow space extending longitudinally in the direction of the axis CL8. The flange portion 82 is a flange-shaped portion formed at the opening of the bag recess 8a in the bag base 81 so as to protrude outward over the entire circumference. As shown in Fig. 4B(b), the case 8 has a slit 82a cut from the opening of the bag recess 8a downward in the plane of the paper of Fig. 4B(b). The width of the slit 82a is slightly wider than the width of the bag recess 8a.

[0050] 4C, the support member 95 is configured to house and integrate the gripper 7 in the bag recess 8a of the case 8, and is used in this integrated state. The base 71 of the gripper 7 and a part of the base 71 side of the clamping portion 72 are housed in the bag recess 8a with a slight tight fit. That is, in the support member 95, the case 8 holds the gripper 7 by the elasticity of the silicone rubber. The distance in the direction of the axis CL8 between the flange end surface 82b of the flange portion 82 and the tip of the portion of the gripper 7 protruding from the case 8 is defined as a distance L78.

[0051] When the outside of the case 8 is pinched between the fingers Fg1 and Fg2 and pinched as indicated by the arrows DR1 and DR2, the gripper 7 is elastically deformed and the tip of the clamping part 72 protruding outward spreads as indicated by the arrows DR3 and DR4. When the pinching is stopped, the clamping part 72 returns to its original natural state due to the elasticity of the wire.

[0052] 5A and 5B, the wearer of the sound collector 91 can easily insert and wear the sound collector 91 into the ear canal Ea by clamping the sound collectors 91 and 92 with the support member 95. The manner in which the sound collectors 91 and 92 are clamped by the support member 95 will be described taking the shape of the sound collector 91 as a representative of the sound collectors 91 and 92.

[0053] When the base 71 of the gripper 7 is pinched and crushed by applying force to the case 8 with the fingers Fg1 and Fg2, the tip of the clamping portion 72 opens wider than the outer shape of the main body 21 of the sound pickup device 91. Since the branched clamping portions 72a to 72d are formed so as to be able to enter between the four arm portions 22, the branched clamping portions 72a to 72d are caused to enter between the four arm portions 22 of the holding body 2 while being widely opened.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5B, branched clamping portion 72a and branched clamping portion 72b are inserted between upper arm portion 221 and first horizontal arm portion 223 and second horizontal arm portion 224, respectively. Also, branched clamping portion 72c and branched clamping portion 72d are inserted between lower arm portion 222 and first horizontal arm portion 223 and second horizontal arm portion 224, respectively. At this time, the up-down direction of support member 95 is such that lower arm portion 222 enters slit 82a of case 8 to avoid interference between lower arm portion 222 and flange portion 82, as shown in Fig. 5A.

[0055] Next, the application of force by the fingers Fg1 and Fg2 is released. Then, the clamping portion 72 tries to return to its original position and clamps the main body 21 of the sound collection device 91 from above and below. This allows the sound collection device 91 to be held by the support member 95. This holding mode is exactly the same for the sound collection device 92.

[0056] In the gripping mode of the main body 21 by the gripper 7, a concave-convex engagement portion KB may be provided for achieving the concave-convex engagement as shown in Fig. 5C. Specifically, an outwardly protruding engagement protrusion 211 is formed on the circumferential surface of the main body 21. In this example, it is formed between the upper arm 221 and the first lateral arm 223. Correspondingly, an engagement recess 72a1 into which the engagement protrusion 211 can enter is formed on the inner surface of the branched gripping portion 72a of the gripper 7 as a recess carved from the back side.

[0057] More specifically, when the main body 21 is clamped by the clamping portion 72 of the gripper 7, the engaging protrusion 211 is capable of entering and engaging with the engaging recess 72a1, and the front end wall 211a of the engaging protrusion 211 and the rear wall 72a2 of the engaging recess 72a1 are formed so as to be able to abut as surfaces perpendicular to the axis CL8 (see Figure 5A).

[0058] The concave-convex engagement portions KB may be formed corresponding to the other branched clamping portions 72b to 72d. The concave-convex relationship may be such that the main body portion 21 side is concave and the clamping portion 72 side is convex.

[0059] After holding the sound collection device 91 with the support member 95, the wearer pinches the case 8 with fingers Fg1 and Fg2 without deforming the gripper 7, carries the sound collection device 91 to the auricle E, and inserts it into the ear canal Ea. When the sound collection device 91 is inserted a certain distance into the ear canal Ea, as shown in Fig. 6A, the flange end surface 82b of the flange portion 82 of the case 8 of the support member 95 abuts against the epidermis Et around the opening of the ear canal Ea, restricting further insertion.

[0060] The wearer can recognize that the flange end surface 82b has come into contact with the epidermis Et from the suddenly increasing insertion resistance. When the wearer recognizes the increase in the insertion resistance, he or she firmly grasps the case 8 to widen the clamping portion 72 of the gripper 7, thereby releasing the grip of the holder 2 of the sound collection device 91 by the gripper 7. Then, with the clamping portion 72 still widened, the wearer removes and recovers only the support member 95 from the auricle E, leaving the sound collection device 91 in the ear canal Ea, as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0061] When the flange end face 82b of the support member 95 abuts against the epidermis Et, the four arms 22 of the sound collection device 91 bend sufficiently and apply force to the inner wall of the ear canal Ea by their elastic repulsive force, so that the sound collection device 91 is held at a predetermined position within the ear canal Ea.

[0062] 4C, the depth of the bag recess 8a or the shape of the gripper 7 is set so that the axial distance L78 between the flange end surface 82b and the tip of the gripper 7 can be set so that the sound collection device 91 to be clamped and inserted can be positioned at an optimal position (depth) in the ear canal Ea. By interposing a spacer deep inside the bag recess 8a and changing the thickness of the interposed spacer, the accommodation position of the gripper 7 can be adjusted in the direction of the axis CL8, and thus the placement position (depth) of the sound collection device 91 in the ear canal Ea can be easily adjusted.

[0063] In the case where the main body 21 and the clamping part 72 of the holder 2 are combined to form the concave-convex engagement part KB, when the held sound collection device 91 is initially inserted into the ear canal Ea, the arm 22 deforms and slides on the inner wall of the ear canal Ea, generating sliding resistance. This sliding resistance presses the engagement protrusion 211 toward the back side (front side) of the engagement recess 72a1, and the tip wall 211a of the engagement protrusion 211 abuts against the back wall part 72a2 of the engagement recess 72a1.

[0064] After the tip wall 211a abuts against the back wall 72a2, the engaging protrusion 211 is pressed by the back wall 72a2, so that the insertion can be reliably advanced against the sliding resistance. In addition, since there is no positional deviation between the clamping portion 72 and the main body 21 in the direction of the axis CL8, the accuracy of the insertion depth of the main body 21 when the flange end surface 82b abuts against the epidermis Et is improved. As a result, the depth position of the sound pickup device 91 can be obtained more stably and without variation when the sound pickup device 91 is repeatedly inserted and attached into the ear canal Ea.

[0065] When removing the sound collecting devices 91, 92 inserted into the ear canal Ea from the ear canal Ea, they can be removed by pinching and pulling the front ends of the lower arm portions 222, 622 exposed outside the ear canal Ea with fingers or tweezers.

[0066] On the other hand, the support member 95, which is an attachment for attaching the sound collection devices 91, 92 to the ear canal Ea, is provided with a gripper 7, and the gripper 7 can hold the main body parts 21, 61. Therefore, it is easy to attach the holder 6 to the ear canal Ea. The support member 95 is also provided with a flange part 82 on the case 8 that partially houses the gripper 7. The flange part 82 is adapted to abut against the epidermis Et around the opening of the ear canal Ea when the main body parts 21, 61 held by the holding part 72 are inserted a certain distance into the ear canal Ea. This reduces the variation in the insertion depth, which is the attachment position when the sound collection devices 91, 92 are inserted and attached into the ear canal Ea using the support member 95. In addition, once the gripper 7 opens the clamping portion 72 and clamps the main body portions 21, 62, it can continue to clamp the main body portions 21, 62 without applying force thereafter. This makes it easier to attach the sound collection devices 91, 92 clamped by the gripper 7 to the ear canal Ea, since there is no need to apply force with the fingers Fg1, Fg2 to maintain the clamping when attaching the sound collection devices 91, 92 to the ear canal Ea. In addition, there is almost no possibility of the sound collection devices 91, 92 being unintentionally dropped, so the sound collection devices 91, 92 can be inserted and attached more reliably into the ear canal Ea.

[0067] The embodiment described above in detail is not limited to the configuration, and may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0068] The number of arms 22, 62 is not limited to four arranged in a cross shape. At least three arms allow the main body 21 to be stably positioned at the center of the ear canal Ea. Five or more arms may be used, but four arms arranged in a cross shape is most preferable because the area of ​​the communication passage connecting the inside and outside of the ear canal Ea is reduced and the ear canal Ea is usually an ellipse with a long side.

[0069] The shape of the microphone unit 1 is not limited to a cylindrical shape. It may be one that can be mounted on a board, in which case the main body 21, 61 is formed to be capable of holding the board itself on which the microphone unit is mounted so that the sound collecting surface faces forward.

[0070] The circumferential position at which the slits 222a and 622a are formed is not limited to the front side, and may be in any direction. When inserting a sound collecting device 91, 92 having a resistance portion 5 that generates significant resistance, or a sound collecting device 92 having bending portions Pk1, Pk2 into the ear canal Ea, the support member 5, which is the attachment, can position the sound collecting device 91, 92 at the desired insertion depth even if it does not have a case 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 Microphone unit 11a Sound collection surface 11b Back 11c Connection 2,6 Holder 21,61 Main body 21a Recess 21b Hollow part 21c Cord outlet 211 Engagement protrusion 211a Tip wall 22,62 Arm 22a Return part 22b Protrusion 22bG protrusion group 22c Blade protrusion 22cG Blade protrusions 221, 221A, 221B, 621 Upper arm 222,622 Lower arm 222a Slit 222b Cord storage section 223,623 1st lateral arm 224,624 2nd lateral arm 3 Cable section 31 Sleeve 32 Code 5 Resistance part 6 Holding body 61 Main body 62 Arm 621 Upper Arm 621a Base 621b Tip 622 Lower arm 622a Base 622b Folded part 622t Cord storage section 622s Slit 623 1st lateral arm 624 2nd lateral arm 7 Gripper 71 Base 711,712 Basic extension 72 Clamping part 721,722 Cross extension 72a~72d Branch clamping section 72a1 Engagement recess 72a2 Back wall 8 Cases 8a Bag recess 81 Bag base 82 Flange 82a Slit 82b Flange end face 91,92 Sound recording device 95 Support material (mounting fixture) CL8 axis E. Auricle Ea external auditory canal Eb tragus Ec antitragus Ed intertragal notch Ep opening edge Et epidermis Fg1,Fg2 fingers KB Concave / convex engagement part LEh Inner width length LEv Vertical length LN1 Virtual Line L2h width length L2v Vertical L78 distance Pk1,Pk2 Bend part

Claims

1. A microphone unit having a sound pickup surface; A holder that holds the microphone unit and has a main body whose outer shape is included in the cross-sectional shape of the ear canal when viewed from the side of the sound collection surface of the held microphone unit, and a plurality of arms that are flexible and extend radially from the main body in a natural state to a length that reaches the outside of the cross-sectional shape; Equipped with A sound collection device in which the main body can be inserted into the ear canal by bending the multiple arms, and at least one of the multiple arms has a resistance portion that generates a resistance force that prevents the main body from being inserted into the ear canal.

2. The sound pickup device of claim 1, wherein the multiple arms are arranged in a cross shape, a first pair of opposing arms is longer than the remaining second pair, and the first pair includes one arm having the resistor portion.

3. 3. The sound pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the resistor portion is formed at a portion that bends when the main body portion is inserted into the ear canal and contacts an inner wall of the ear canal from an opening edge portion.

4. The sound collection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the resistance portion generates at least one of a repulsive force of elastic deformation when the arm portion is inserted into the ear canal and a sliding resistance force when the arm portion slides along the inner wall of the ear canal.

Images