Earphone

Abstract

To provide an earphone with high fitting property to be reliably fitted to an ear of a user while securing an excellent sound volume feeling and sound quality.SOLUTION: An earphone 1 includes: an acoustic duct 3 composed of a hard material so as to be inserted to an external auditory canal of an ear; an earphone body 2 connected to an end on the opposite side of an insertion direction of the acoustic duct 3; and an elastically deformable earring 4 to be attached to an outer side surface of the acoustic duct 3. A length of the acoustic duct 3 on a central axis is 5 mm to 13 mm. The earring 4 is extended from the outer side surface of the acoustic duct 3 so as to allow an inclination angle with respect to the acoustic duct 3 to be 60 to 100°. The earphone body 2 is extended in the opposite direction of the earring 4 at an inclination angle of 50° to 70° with respect to the acoustic duct 3 from a connection part with the acoustic duct 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an earphone that is worn by inserting an acoustic duct extending from an earphone body into the ear canal of a user's ear. [Background technology]

[0002] Normally, sound vibrations transmitted by air conduction are transmitted to the eardrum inside the ear, and the vibrations of the eardrum are transmitted to the cochlea via three ossicles in the eardrum. The cochlea contains lymphatic fluid, and the vibrations of this lymphatic fluid are converted into electrical signals and transmitted to the auditory nerve, which the brain recognizes as sound.

[0003] Among earphones worn in the user's ears, there are air-conduction earphones that reproduce sound by applying an audio signal to a speaker placed close to the ear and transmit the sound to the eardrum through air conduction. Air-conduction earphones are broadly divided into two types: inner-ear type and in-ear (earplug) type.

[0004] Inner-ear type earphones (see, for example, Patent Document 1) are earphones that are used by hooking onto a part of the ear called the concha at the entrance to the ear. Inner-ear type earphones have the advantage that they do not feel oppressive and make it easy to hear surrounding environmental sounds. In contrast, canal type earphones (see, for example, Patent Document 2) are used by inserting earplug-type earpieces into the ear. Canal type earphones have the advantage that they provide high sound insulation and do not leak sound.

[0005] Bone conduction earphones are also known as earphones that allow users to hear surrounding sounds even while wearing them. Bone conduction is a method of transmitting sound vibrations directly to the cochlea via the user's skull, without the need for the eardrum and ossicles in the air conduction mechanism described above. Therefore, even if a person has hearing loss and has abnormalities in the eardrum or ossicles, as long as the cochlea and auditory nerve are normal, they can still hear sounds reliably through bone conduction. Bone conduction earphones apply this principle.

[0006] Various proposals have been made regarding bone conduction earphones. For example, Patent Document 3 proposes a bone conduction earphone that is comfortable to wear, has a completely waterproof and dustproof structure, and allows the acoustic characteristics (frequency characteristics) of a bone conduction microphone to be partially controlled. Specifically, this bone conduction earphone is composed of a rear cover and an earphone case that houses a bone conduction microphone and a bone conduction speaker and is attached to the rear cover, and a hard resin earplug provided in the earphone case is covered with a sensing cover made of a softer material than the hard resin earplug.

[0007] Patent Document 4 also proposes a bone conduction earphone that is unlikely to shift out of position even when the user moves vigorously. This bone conduction earphone is composed of a holder that is inserted into the ear canal and held in the ear canal, and a device main body, and the device main body has an elastic part that connects the holder to a housing that vibrates by an electromechanical conversion part. With this bone conduction earphone, when the bone conduction earphone is attached to the user's auricle, the elastic force of the elastic part can press the housing against the inner surface of the intertragic notch, so that the bone conduction earphone is unlikely to shift out of position even when the user moves vigorously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-222492 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-145962 A [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. WO2013 / 118539 [Patent Document 4] JP 2021-175144 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, inner-ear earphones have the disadvantage of low sound insulation and easy sound leakage. In contrast, canal-type earphones have the disadvantage that the earpieces are inserted deep into the ear, which puts a strong pressure on the ear and makes it difficult to hear surrounding environmental sounds. Therefore, there is a demand for earphones that have high sound insulation, can prevent sound leakage, and do not put a pressure on the ear.

[0010] In addition, if the diameter of the diaphragm of the speaker housed in the earphone body is increased in order to improve the sound quality of the earphone and ensure high volume and sound quality, the earphone body will become larger. In addition, if functions such as a microphone function or a noise canceling function are added to the earphone, the battery and circuit board will become larger, and the earphone body will become larger and heavier. In the structure of conventional earphones, if the earphone body becomes larger or heavier, there is a problem that the earphone becomes more likely to fall out of the ear or the pressure on the ear increases, making the earphone fit worse for the user.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and its object is to provide earphones that are comfortable to wear and can fit securely in the user's ears while ensuring high volume and sound quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an earphone comprising: an acoustic duct made of a hard material and inserted into the ear canal of the ear; an earphone main body connected to the end of the acoustic duct opposite the insertion direction; and an elastically deformable ear ring attached to the outer surface of the acoustic duct, wherein the length of the acoustic duct on the central axis is 5 mm to 13 mm, the ear ring extends from the outer surface of the acoustic duct so that the inclination angle relative to the acoustic duct is 60° to 100°, and the earphone main body extends from the connection with the acoustic duct in the opposite direction to the ear ring at an inclination angle of 50° to 70° relative to the acoustic duct.

[0013] The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the length of the earphone body along the central axis is 15 mm to 75 mm.

[0014] The present invention also provides an earphone in which, when worn, the earring elastically deforms and presses against the inner wall of the concha due to the force received when the side of the acoustic duct abuts against the tragus of the ear, and the end of the earphone body presses against the cheek due to a moment generated by a reaction force received by the earring from the inner wall of the concha.

[0015] The present invention also provides the above-mentioned earphone, wherein the ear ring is detachably attached to the acoustic duct.

[0016] The present invention also provides the above earphone, wherein the length of the ear ring in the longitudinal direction is 12 to 20 mm.

[0017] The present invention also provides the above-mentioned earphone, wherein the ear ring is configured by connecting and integrating two rings.

[0018] The present invention also provides the above-mentioned earphone, wherein the acoustic duct is integrally formed with the earphone body.

[0019] The present invention also provides the above-mentioned earphone, wherein a speaker is built into the earphone body and is disposed directly above the acoustic duct.

[0020] The present invention also provides an earphone, wherein the earphone is an air conduction earphone.

[0021] The present invention also provides an earphone, wherein the earphone is a bone conduction earphone.

[0022] The present invention also provides the above-mentioned earphone, wherein the acoustic duct is provided with at least one sensor for detecting biological information of a user. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, when a user wears an earphone, the side of the acoustic duct is abutted against the tragus of the ear, and the tragus of the ear presses the acoustic duct into the ear canal. The force received by the acoustic duct causes the earring to elastically deform and abut against the inner wall of the concha, more specifically, the inner wall of the concha, and presses against the inner wall. The earring then receives a reaction force from the inner wall of the concha, more specifically, the inner wall of the concha. The moment generated by this reaction force causes the longitudinal end of the earphone body to abut against the cheek of the user, pressing against the cheek and receiving a reaction force from the cheek. Therefore, the earphone of the present invention presses against the inner wall of the concha and the cheek with a pressing force that is equal in magnitude to the two reaction forces but in the opposite direction, according to the principle of action and reaction. As a result, even if the earphone adopts a configuration in which the acoustic duct is inserted into the ear canal of the ear, it can be worn reliably in a state where it fits the user's ear, and the wearing comfort is improved.

[0024] In this way, the earphone of the present invention can also be called a "seesaw-type earphone" because the entire earphone can swing like a seesaw, centered around the point where the tragus of the acoustic duct abuts (point a in Figure 6).

[0025] As described above, the earphone of the present invention is fitted by swinging like a seesaw, so even if the earphone body becomes larger or heavier, it can be fitted securely without feeling any pressure on the ear. Therefore, it is possible to increase the diameter of the speaker's diaphragm to improve sound quality, or to increase the size of the battery and circuit board to add various functions.

[0026] With the earphones of the present invention, one side of the acoustic duct only needs to abut the tragus of the ear, and there is no need to stabilize the earphones solely with an earpiece that is inserted into the ear canal as with conventional canal-type earphones, thereby reducing the feeling of pressure on the ear.

[0027] In addition, with the earphone of the present invention, the acoustic duct is inserted deeper than the tragus into the ear canal, so that the vibration of the sound can be reliably introduced into the ear canal. For example, if the earphone of the present invention is a bone conduction earphone, the vibration from the speaker is transmitted directly and efficiently to the user's bones through the acoustic duct inserted into the ear canal, so that a high sense of volume and sound quality can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view of an earphone according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the earphone according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is an exploded partial perspective view showing an earring attachment / detachment structure of an earphone according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a user's ear showing an earphone being worn according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a substrate incorporated in an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a cross-sectional view of an acoustic duct of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the names of each part of the auricle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an earphone 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view of the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 5 is an exploded partial perspective view showing the attachment / detachment structure of the earring of the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the user's ear showing the earphone 1 according to the present embodiment being worn.

[0030] In the following description, the directions of the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2 correspond to the "front-rear" and "up-down" directions, respectively, as shown in the figures.

[0031] The "up-down" direction is the direction in which the earphone 1 is connected to the user's ear when the user wears the earphone 1 in the ear, in other words, the direction in which the earphone 1 is inserted into or removed from the ear. The direction from the earphone 1 to the user's ear, i.e., the direction in which the earphone 1 is inserted into the ear, is defined as the "down" direction, and the direction from the user's ear to the earphone 1, i.e., the direction in which the earphone 1 is removed from the ear, is defined as the "up" direction.

[0032] The "front-rear" direction is a direction perpendicular to the "up-down" direction, and is a direction connecting the position where the earphone 1 abuts against the tragus of the user's ear and the position where the earphone 1 abuts against the inner wall of the concha when the user wears the earphone 1 in their ear. The direction from the earphone 1 toward the tragus of the ear, i.e., toward the user's cheek, is the "rear" direction, and the direction from the earphone 1 toward the inner wall of the concha, i.e., toward the back of the head, is the "front" direction.

[0033] FIG. 10 shows the names of each part of the auricle. As shown in FIG. 10, the tragus (also called the tragus) is a protrusion on the face side of the entrance of the ear canal. The outer curved part of the auricle is called the helix. The concha is composed of the cavity of the concha and the velum of the concha shown in FIG. 10. The cavity of the concha is a depression located immediately near the entrance of the ear canal. The velum of the concha is a depression located outside the cavity of the concha when viewed from the entrance of the ear canal, and is separated from the cavity of the concha by a part of the helix. The earphone 1 of the present invention abuts against the inner wall of the velum of the concha. In this specification, the "inner wall of the concha" or the "inner wall of the velum of the concha" refers to the wall that forms the edge of the depression that constitutes the concha or the velum of the concha.

[0034] 1 to 4 and 6, the earphone 1 according to this embodiment includes an acoustic duct 3, an earphone main body 2, and an ear ring 4. The earphone 1 according to this embodiment may be a bone conduction earphone or an air conduction earphone, or may be an earphone having both bone conduction and air conduction functions.

[0035] The acoustic duct 3 is a rectangular rod-shaped member that is inserted from the external ear hole of the user's ear into the ear canal deeper than the tragus, and its side surface abuts against the tragus of the ear. The acoustic duct 3 is formed to extend diagonally downward from the front end of the lower case 2B of the earphone main body 2. In the present invention, the shape of the acoustic duct may be any shape that allows easy insertion from the external ear hole into the ear canal deeper than the tragus, and may be any shape, such as a rod shape, a tube shape, a cylindrical shape, or a polygonal prism shape.

[0036] The length of the acoustic duct 3 is a length that can be inserted deeper than the tragus into the ear canal of the user's ear. The length from the bottom surface of the earphone body 2 to the tip of the acoustic duct 3 on the central axis of the acoustic duct 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is a length that can introduce speaker sound into the ear canal of the user's ear, but if it is, for example, 5 mm or more, the speaker sound can be reliably introduced into the ear canal of the user's ear. In addition, if the length on the central axis of the acoustic duct 3 is, for example, 8 mm or more, the speaker sound can be more reliably introduced into the ear canal of the user's ear. The length on the central axis of the acoustic duct 3 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 13 mm or less, which can give the user a comfortable fit without making him feel oppressive. In addition, if the length on the central axis of the acoustic duct 3 is, for example, 10 mm or less, the user can be more comfortably fitted without feeling any more oppressive.

[0037] The length of the acoustic duct in the present invention can be at least 10 mm or more from the point where it abuts against the tragus in the ear canal of the user's ear. With this length, the speaker sound can be reliably introduced into the ear canal of the user's ear when worn on a standard adult's ear. Also, with this length, the acoustic duct abuts firmly against the tragus, so the acoustic duct, ear ring, and earphone body swing like a seesaw to fit the user's ear and be worn reliably.

[0038] The acoustic duct 3 may be made of a solid material or a hollow material. For example, when the earphone 1 is a bone conduction earphone, the acoustic duct 3 may be made of a solid material. When the earphone 1 is an air conduction earphone, the acoustic duct 3 may be made of a hollow material.

[0039] The earphone body 2 is a long and thin case body connected to the end of the acoustic duct 3 on the opposite side to the insertion direction in the longitudinal direction, and is located outside the ear when the earphone 1 is worn in the ear. The earphone body 2 is formed so as to extend from the connecting portion with the acoustic duct 3 in the direction opposite to the ear ring 4, that is, toward the rear (see Figs. 1 and 2). The earphone body 2 is configured so as to extend toward the rear from the connecting portion with the acoustic duct 3 at an inclination angle of a predetermined angle θ (see Fig. 2) with respect to the acoustic duct 3. Therefore, the acoustic duct 3 extends from the front end portion of the earphone body 2 so as to be inclined diagonally downward and backward by the angle θ. The angle θ can be set to, for example, θ = 60°, but in the present invention, the inclination angle θ is not limited to this and can be set to, for example, 60° ± 10° (50° to 70°).

[0040] When the inclination angle θ is within a range of 50° to 70°, for example, when the earphone 1 is worn, the ear ring 4 elastically deforms due to a force F received when the side surface of the acoustic duct 3 abuts against the tragus 11 of the ear, and presses against the inner wall 13 of the concha. Then, a moment M generated by a reaction force R1 received by the ear ring 4 from the inner wall 13 of the concha causes the rear end of the earphone main body 2 to press against the cheek 14. The earphone 1 is worn to fit securely in the user's ear, with the tip of the ear ring 4 pressing against the inner wall of the concha and the end of the earphone main body 2 pressing against the cheek.

[0041] Furthermore, when the tilt angle θ is, for example, 68° or less, the earphone 1 fits more softly when worn. When the tilt angle θ is, for example, 65° or less, the earphone 1 can be fitted even more softly when worn. When the tilt angle θ is, for example, 55° or more, the earphone 1 has the advantage of fitting more tightly when worn and being less likely to fall off. When the tilt angle θ is, for example, 58° or more, the earphone 1 has the advantage of fitting more tightly when worn and being less likely to fall off.

[0042] The length on the central axis of the earphone main body 2 is not particularly limited as long as it extends from the end of the acoustic duct 3 and can abut against the user's cheek, but if it is at least 15 mm or more, the end of the earphone main body 2 presses the cheek 14 with moderate strength when worn, so that the earphone can be securely fitted and worn in the user's ear. In addition, the length on the central axis of the earphone main body 2 is preferably 20 mm or more, so that the end of the earphone main body 2 presses the cheek 14 more strongly when worn, so that the earphone can be more securely fitted and worn in the user's ear. In addition, the length on the central axis of the earphone main body 2 is not particularly limited, but if it is, for example, 75 mm or less, the user can be securely fitted and worn in the user's ear without feeling a sense of pressure, and a high wearing feeling can be provided. In addition, the length on the central axis of the earphone main body 2 is preferably 70 mm or less, so that the user can be even less likely to feel a sense of pressure, and the earphone can be more securely fitted and worn in the user's ear, and a high wearing feeling can be provided.

[0043] The earphone body 2 is formed by joining together an upper case 2A and a lower case 2B. The earphone body 2 houses a speaker 5 (see FIG. 2), a board on which various electronic components are mounted, a battery, and a switch (not shown). The electronic components mounted on the board include an electromagnetic or piezoelectric converter that converts the electrical signal output from the speaker 5 into mechanical vibration. As shown in FIG. 3, a round multifunction button (command button) 6 is disposed in the center of the longitudinal direction of the upper surface of the earphone body 2 (upper case 2A). Also, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, a cover 7 is detachably attached to the front of the lower surface of the earphone body 2 (lower case 2B) to cover an opening (not shown) for battery replacement from below.

[0044] 2, the speaker 5 is disposed in a position directly above the acoustic duct 3 at the front end of the earphone main body 2 so as not to come into contact with the user's ear. Because the speaker 5 is disposed in such a position, even if the aperture of the speaker 5 is made sufficiently large to improve the sound quality of the speaker 5, the speaker 5 does not get in the way of the ear. Note that, although the speaker 5 is housed horizontally along the longitudinal direction within the earphone main body 2 in this embodiment, the speaker 5 may also be housed by arranging it perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the earphone main body 2.

[0045] The acoustic duct 3 and the earphone main body 2 may be formed integrally or separately. By forming the acoustic duct 3 and the earphone main body 2 integrally, the strength and rigidity of these components can be increased.

[0046] In this embodiment, the earphone body 2 (upper case 2A and lower case 2B) and the acoustic duct 3 are made of a hard resin such as ABS resin with high rigidity. Note that in the present invention, the earphone body and the acoustic duct are not limited to this embodiment and can be made of a hard material. For example, not only ABS resin but also various resins such as polypropylene and polystyrene can be used as the hard material. The acoustic duct may also be made of metal.

[0047] The earphone of the present invention is fitted by the earring elastically deforming due to the force received when the side of the acoustic duct abuts against the tragus of the ear, pressing the inner wall of the concha, and the end of the earphone body pressing the cheek due to the moment generated by the reaction force received by the earring from the inner wall of the concha. Therefore, by making the acoustic duct out of a hard material, the acoustic duct acts as a fitting pillar, allowing the earphone to be fitted securely and stably. In addition, the acoustic duct in the earphone of the present invention does not need to completely cover the inside of the ear canal, and a gap may be formed between the acoustic duct and the inner wall of the ear canal. Therefore, the earphone of the present invention does not require a member such as an earpiece that is attached to the tip of a canal type earphone and elastically deforms in order to be inserted deep into the ear and fixed, and therefore can provide a comfortable fit without pressing the ear. In addition, by making the acoustic duct out of a hard material, it is possible to attach a sensor that detects biological information as in the modified example described below.

[0048] The ear ring 4 is an elastically deformable member that is attached to the outer surface of the acoustic duct 3 opposite to the surface that abuts against the tragus of the ear and extends forward (to the left in Figs. 1 to 4) from the front surface of the acoustic duct 3. The ear ring 4 is formed so as to extend in the direction opposite to the direction in which the earphone body 2 extends. The ear ring 4 is configured by connecting and integrating two ring-shaped rings 4A and 4B. One of the ear rings 4, ring 4A, is formed so as to abut against the side surface on the front side of the acoustic duct 3 and protrude forward. Ring 4B is formed outside ring 4A and protrudes forward. In this embodiment, rings 4A and 4B are approximately circular, but are not particularly limited in the present invention, and may be shaped as long as they are surrounded by curves or straight lines, for example, elliptical or polygonal. Since the ear ring 4 is formed by connecting and integrating two rings 4A and 4B, the springiness of the ear ring 4 is improved and it can flexibly and elastically deform to fit the shape of the user's ear, making it easy to fit any ear.

[0049] The length of the ear ring 4 in the longitudinal direction, that is, the length from the part of the ring 4A attached to the acoustic duct 3 to the tip of the ring 4B protruding forward, can be set appropriately according to the size of the ear, and is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 12 to 20 mm from the viewpoint of stability of wearing. Furthermore, if the length of the ear ring 4 in the longitudinal direction is, for example, 13 to 18 mm, the stability of wearing can be further improved.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 2, the ear ring 4 is attached so as to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the earphone body 2. In the present invention, the angle at which the ear ring is attached is not limited to this embodiment, and for example, the ear ring can be attached so that the inclination angle with respect to the acoustic duct is 60 to 100°. The angle at which the ear ring is attached can be any angle between an angle that is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the earphone body and an angle that is approximately perpendicular to the acoustic duct.

[0051] The earring 4 can be made of any material that is elastically deformable, such as soft silicone, elastomer, and rubber.

[0052] The ear ring 4 may be detachable from the acoustic duct 3, or may be integral with the acoustic duct 3. If the ear ring 4 is detachable, multiple types of ear rings of different sizes can be prepared, allowing the user to select the ear ring that best suits the size and shape of their own auricle and ear canal. This allows all users to feel a high level of comfort when wearing the ear ring.

[0053] An example of the structure for attaching and detaching the ear ring 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. A semicircular ring-shaped mating protrusion 3A is formed integrally on the upper front side of the acoustic duct 3, and an engagement protrusion 3a is integrally formed at the circumferential center of this mating protrusion 3A. Also, an engagement groove 3b is formed in the vertical direction at the width center of the front side of the acoustic duct 3, extending linearly downward from the mating protrusion 3A.

[0054] On the other hand, one ring 4A of the ear ring 4 is formed with a fitting recess 4a having a concave curved surface (semicircular) shape that fits into the fitting protrusion 3A formed in the acoustic duct 3, and an engagement groove 4b is formed along the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of this fitting recess 4a. Also, an engagement protrusion 4c that engages with the engagement groove 3b formed in the acoustic duct 2 is integrally formed at the center of the lower part of the fitting recess 4a.

[0055] Therefore, the mating recess 4a formed on one ring 4A of the ear ring 4 is fitted into the mating convex portion 3A of the acoustic duct 3, the engagement protrusion 3a protruding from the mating convex portion 3A is engaged with the engagement groove 4b formed in the ear ring 4 (ring 4A), and the engagement protrusion 4c protruding from the ring 4A of the ear ring 4 is engaged with the engagement groove 3b formed in the acoustic duct 3, so that the ear ring 4 is removably and non-rotatably attached to the upper front side of the acoustic duct 3.

[0056] The position where the earring 4 is attached to the acoustic duct 3 can be any position between the bottom surface of the earphone body 2 and the tip of the acoustic duct 3. On the central axis of the acoustic duct 3, the length from the front end of the earphone body 2 to the earring 4 attachment position and the length from the earring 4 attachment position to the tip of the acoustic duct 3 are not particularly limited, but if they are, for example, 1:9 to 9:1, the earphone 1 can be securely fitted to the user's ear. In the acoustic duct 3, the length from the front end of the earphone body 2 to the earring 4 attachment position and the length from the earring 4 attachment position to the tip of the acoustic duct 3 are preferably 2:3 to 2:5, which allows the earphone 1 to be more securely fitted to the user's ear.

[0057] Although the configuration of the earphone 1 worn on one ear (left or right) of the user has been described above, the configuration of the earphone 1 worn on the other ear (right or left) is exactly the same as or symmetrical to that of the other, so illustrations and descriptions thereof will be omitted. If the configurations of the earphones worn on the left and right ears are exactly the same without distinction between left and right, the user can wear both earphones on either the left or right ear without distinction between left and right, which increases user convenience.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows the state in which the earphone 1 according to this embodiment is worn on the user's ear. The earphone 1 is worn in a direction in which the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 abuts against the tragus 11 (tragus) of the ear. That is, the earphone 1 is worn on the user's ear by inserting the acoustic duct 3 into the ear canal 12 of the ear, and at this time, the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 abuts against the tragus 11 of the ear. Then, the acoustic duct 3 is pressed by the tragus 11, so that the ear ring 4 attached to the acoustic duct 3 is pressed against the inner wall 13 of the concha, more specifically, the inner wall of the concha, and bends due to elastic deformation as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the ear ring 4 is configured by connecting and integrating two rings 4A and 4B, so that it easily elastically deforms and is pressed against the inner wall 13 of the concha.

[0059] Next, in the XY coordinate plane with the left-right direction (front-back direction) of Figure 6 as the X axis and the up-down direction as the Y axis, the forces acting on the earphone 1 and the moments generated by these forces can be analyzed as follows: The point where the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 abuts against the tragus 11 of the ear is designated as a, the point where the ear ring 4 abuts against the inner wall 13 of the concha is designated as b, and the point where the earphone body 2 abuts against the cheek is designated as c.

[0060] When the earphone 1 is worn, an external force F is applied from the tragus 11 of the user's ear to point a on the rear surface of the acoustic duct 3 of the earphone 1. The application of the external force F pushes the ear ring 4 forward and strikes against point b on the inner wall 13 of the concha, and the ear ring 4 is compressed between the acoustic duct 3 and the inner wall 13. This causes the ear ring 4 to elastically deform and bend in an arc shape as shown in FIG. 6, and receives a reaction force (resistance) R1 from the inner wall 13 of the concha at point b. This reaction force R1 generates a moment M in the direction of the arrow (clockwise) in the earphone 1, and the earphone main body 2 of the earphone 1 that receives this moment M has its rear end abut against the cheek 14 of the user at point c, and receives an upward reaction force (reaction force) R2 from the cheek 14.

[0061] Here, the X-axis components Fx, R1x, and R2x of the external force F and the two reaction forces R1 and R2 are expressed by the following equations, respectively. Fx = F sinθ R1x = R1 sinθ R2x=0 As shown in the above equation, the X-axis component of the reaction force R2 is R2x=0, so F=R1 holds true.

[0062] In addition, the Y-axis components Fy, R1y, and R2y of the external force F and the two reaction forces R1 and R2 are expressed by the following equations, respectively. Fy = F cosθ R1y=R1·cosθ R2y=R2

[0063] Here, if we consider the balance of the moment with the distance in the X-axis direction between points a and b as L1 and the distance in the X-axis direction between points a and c as L2, the following equation holds: R1y L1 = R2 L2 … (1)

[0064] Therefore, reaction force R2 that earphone main body 2 (lower case 2B) of earphone 1 receives from user's cheek 14 can be calculated from above equation (1) as follows: R2 = R1y (L1 / L2) = R1 cosθ (L1 / L2) =F cosθ (L1 / L2) … (2)

[0065] Therefore, according to the principle of action and reaction, the user's cheek 14 receives a pressing force P from the earphone 1 at point c that is equal to but opposite in direction to the reaction force R2 expressed by equation (2).

[0066] The user receives a pressing force Q at point b that is the same magnitude as the reaction force R1 acting on the inner wall 13 of the concha, but in the opposite direction. In this way, the earphone 1 attached to the user's ear presses the inner wall 13 of the user's concha with the pressing force Q at point b, and presses the user's cheek 14 with the pressing force P at point c, so that the earphone 1 fits securely in the user's ear and is attached, improving the fit. Here, the variation in size and shape of the user's concha and ear canal 12 is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the ear ring 4, so the earphone 1 can ensure high fit for any user, and will not easily come off and fall off the ear, even if the user moves vigorously.

[0067] As described above, when wearing the earphone 1 of this embodiment, the force F received when the side surface of the acoustic duct 3 abuts against the tragus 11 of the ear causes the ear ring 4 to elastically deform and press against the inner wall 13 of the concha, more specifically, the inner wall of the concha. Then, the moment M generated by the reaction force R1 received by the ear ring 4 from the inner wall 13 of the concha causes the rear end of the earphone main body 2 to press against the cheek 14. The earphone 1 is securely fitted and worn in the user's ear by the tip of the ear ring 4 pressing against the inner wall of the concha and the end of the earphone main body 2 pressing against the cheek.

[0068] In this way, unlike conventional earplug-type earphones that are worn by inserting earpieces attached to acoustic ducts into the ears, the earphones 1 of this embodiment do not press against the inner wall of the ear canal with the acoustic duct 3. Therefore, the acoustic duct 3 can be made of a hard material and its thickness can be made thinner than the ear canal. Therefore, the user can obtain a comfortable fit without feeling any pressure.

[0069] In the case where the earphone 1 of this embodiment is a bone conduction earphone, when the earphone 1 is fitted to the left and right auricles 10 of the user and worn, the electric signal of the sound (speaker sound) emitted from the speaker 5 is converted into mechanical vibration by a converter (not shown) built into the earphone body 2. The mechanical vibration is conducted to the bone near the user's ear through the acoustic duct 3, vibrating the bone. Then, the vibration of the bone is transmitted to the cochlea, and the vibration of the lymph fluid in the cochlea is converted into an electric signal and transmitted to the auditory nerve, and the brain recognizes this electric signal as sound. Therefore, even if a person with hearing loss has an abnormality in the eardrum or ossicles, if the cochlea and auditory nerve are normal, they can reliably hear the sound by this bone conduction. In the earphone 1 of this embodiment, the vibration from the speaker 5 is directly transmitted to the user's bone through the acoustic duct 3 inserted in the ear canal 12, so that a high sense of volume and sound quality can be obtained. That is, in this embodiment, the acoustic duct 3 is inserted into the external auditory canal 12 of the user's ear, and the acoustic duct 3 is made of a hard resin with high rigidity (e.g., ABS resin), so that the vibrations caused by the speaker sound are transmitted directly and efficiently to the bones around the user's ear without being attenuated, thereby achieving a high sense of volume and sound quality.

[0070] When the earphone 1 of this embodiment is an air conduction earphone, a communication passage may be formed in the acoustic duct 3 of the earphone 1 to communicate the speaker 5 with the ear canal of the ear. The speaker sound is introduced into the ear canal of the user's ear through this communication passage and is transmitted to the cochlea via the eardrum. With the earphone 1 of this embodiment, the speaker sound is reliably introduced into the ear canal, so that the speaker sound can be clearly heard even in places where the environmental sound is loud, and touch noise and the user's own voice can be prevented from reverberating.

[0071] As a result, the earphone 1 according to this embodiment has the effect of ensuring high volume and sound quality while allowing the earphone 1 to be worn fitting securely in the user's ear.

[0072] (Modification) Next, a modified example of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a substrate incorporated in an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an acoustic duct of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an earphone according to a modified example of the present invention. Note that in the following description of this modified example, only configurations that differ from the above-mentioned embodiment will be described, and descriptions of common parts will be omitted.

[0073] This modification is different from the above-mentioned embodiment in that the acoustic duct 3 is provided with at least one sensor that detects the user's biological information. In other words, the earphone of this modification also functions as a device for measuring the user's biological information. In this specification, "biological information" means information about the state of a living body, specifically, information about the health and exercise state of the living body. Biological information detected by the present invention is not particularly limited, but includes, for example, pulse rate, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood pressure, blood flow rate, HRV analysis (stress level), vascular age, head tilt, activity level, body temperature, and ear temperature.

[0074] In this modification, the acoustic duct 3 has a function of detecting the user's biological information in addition to a function of introducing speaker sound into the user's ear canal. In this modification, the acoustic duct 3 has a pulse sensor (HR sensor) 8 and a temperature sensor 9. In this modification, as shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the acoustic duct 3 incorporates a board 10 on which the pulse sensor 8 and the temperature sensor 9 are mounted. The pulse sensor 8 and the temperature sensor 9 are attached so as to be exposed on the surface of the acoustic duct 3 that abuts against the tragus, and when worn, they come into contact with the skin behind the tragus in the ear canal. The board 10 is not particularly limited, but can be a deformable board, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC).

[0075] The pulse sensor 8 is a reflective pulse wave sensor that detects the pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), etc., by shining light of a specified wavelength onto the skin inside the ear canal and measuring the reflected light.

[0076] The temperature sensor 9 is a sensor that includes a thermal contact type temperature detection element such as a thermistor, and detects the temperature of the skin, that is, body temperature, by contacting the skin in the ear canal.

[0077] In the present invention, the sensor provided in the acoustic duct is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor capable of acquiring biometric information of the user, and may be, for example, a pulse sensor, a temperature sensor, a body temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a 9-axis sensor, and a blood pressure measurement sensor.

[0078] In the present invention, the sensor provided in the acoustic duct is not limited to a sensor that contacts the skin in the ear canal to obtain biological information through the skin, but may be a sensor that obtains biological information without contacting the skin in the ear canal. For example, the sensor provided in the acoustic duct may be a non-contact temperature sensor that measures the surface temperature using infrared rays or the like.

[0079] The earphone of the present invention may also be equipped with an acceleration sensor to obtain the tilt (posture) of the user's head, motion state, and the like as biometric information.

[0080] The earphone 1 of this modified example is equipped with two sensors, a pulse sensor 8 and a temperature sensor 9, but the earphone of the present invention is not limited to this and may have only one sensor, or may have three or more sensors. Furthermore, the earphone of the present invention may measure one or multiple pieces of biological information.

[0081] The earphone 1 of this modified example measures biometric information inside the ear canal, so when measuring pulse waves using a reflective pulse wave sensor such as an HR sensor, the biometric information can be acquired stably without being affected by sunlight or other factors.

[0082] The main body 2 of the earphone 1 of this modified example may house a board connected to the board 10 built into the acoustic duct 3, or the board may be formed integrally with the board 10. The electronic components mounted on the board in the main body 2 include an A / D converter that converts analog signals detected by the pulse sensor 8 and the body temperature sensor 9 into digital signals, a storage means that temporarily stores the converted digital signals, and a communication means that transmits measured data to an external terminal or the like.

[0083] The earphone 1 according to this modified example fits securely in the user's ear without causing the user to feel any pressure, and thus has the effect of enabling accurate measurement of the user's biological information.

[0084] The earphones of the present invention may be configured such that, for example, the earphone worn on one ear further functions as a biological information measuring device as in the above-mentioned modified example, and the earphone worn on the other ear only functions as an earphone. In this way, it is possible to wear an earphone having the function of a biological information measuring device and an earphone having only the earphone function on the left and right ears, respectively, and enjoy music or the like with both ears while measuring biological information with one ear.

[0085] In addition, the earphones of the present invention may be configured so that the earphone attached to one ear is equipped with a pulse sensor and a body temperature sensor, and the earphone attached to the other ear is equipped with an acceleration sensor, making it possible to enjoy music with both ears while measuring different biological information with each ear.

[0086] Conventionally, wristwatch-type biological information measuring devices that are worn on the user's wrist are known as devices for measuring biological information. However, wristwatch-type biological information measuring devices are prone to noise when the user moves their hands during training and in daily life. In addition, wristwatch-type devices cannot completely block external light, which reduces the accuracy of the optical sensor.

[0087] In contrast, the earphone of the present invention is worn with the entire earphone swinging like a seesaw around the point where the tragus of the acoustic duct, which serves as the measuring section, comes into contact (point a in FIG. 6). When the earphone of the present invention is worn as described above, the side of the acoustic duct comes into close contact with the surface of the tragus side inside the user's ear canal. Because the tragus is highly elastic, the side of the acoustic duct and the skin on the tragus side inside the ear canal are very tightly attached to each other. Because the tragus has many capillaries and the skin is thin, the sensor of the acoustic duct comes into close contact with this part, allowing accurate measurement of biological information such as pulse rate.

[0088] In addition, the earphone of the present invention measures biometric information inside the ear canal, so compared to conventional wristwatch-type earphones, it can block external light and improve accuracy even when using an optical sensor. In addition, there is less movement inside the ear than inside the arm, so noise caused by movement is less likely to occur. Therefore, the earphone of the present invention can accurately measure biometric information even while the user is active during training and daily life.

[0089] Furthermore, in the earphones of the present invention, sensors are provided in the acoustic duct, which has a length that is inserted into the ear canal, so that multiple sensors can be arranged along the length of the acoustic duct.

[0090] In addition, the portion that functions as the biological information measuring device of the present invention can be attached to other types of earphones in addition to the earphones of the present invention. In other words, the sensor that detects the user's biological information of the present invention can be attached to the acoustic duct of any earphone, not limited to the earphones of the present invention, to make the earphones capable of detecting biological information in the ear canal.

[0091] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1: Earphone, 2: Earphone body, 2A: Upper case, 2B: Lower case, 3: acoustic duct, 3A: fitting protrusion of acoustic duct, 3a: engagement protrusion of acoustic duct, 3b: Acoustic duct engagement groove, 4: Ear ring, 4A, 4B: Ring, 4a: Ring fitting recess, 4b: Ring engagement groove, 4c: Ring engagement protrusion, 5: Speaker, 6: Multifunction button, 7: Cover, 11: Tragus, 12: external auditory canal, 13: inner wall of the concha, 14: cheek

Claims

1. An acoustic duct made of a hard material and inserted into the ear canal; An earphone body connected to an end of the acoustic duct opposite to an insertion direction thereof; and an elastically deformable ear ring attached to an outer surface of the acoustic duct, The length of the acoustic duct on the central axis is 5 mm to 13 mm; The ear ring extends from an outer surface of the acoustic duct at an inclination angle of 60 to 100 degrees with respect to the acoustic duct, The earphone body extends from a connection portion with the acoustic duct in a direction opposite to the ear ring at an inclination angle of 50° to 70° with respect to the acoustic duct.

2. The earphone according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the earphone body on the central axis is 15 mm to 75 mm.

3. 3. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein, when worn, the earring elastically deforms and presses against the inner wall of the concha due to a force received when the side of the acoustic duct abuts against the tragus of the ear, and a moment generated by a reaction force received by the earring from the inner wall of the concha causes the end of the earphone body to press against the cheek.

4. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ear ring is detachably attached to the acoustic duct.

5. 3. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal length of the ear ring is 12 to 20 mm.

6. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ear ring is formed by connecting two rings together.

7. The earphone according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic duct is integrally formed with the earphone body.

8. The earphone body has a built-in speaker, The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the speaker is disposed directly above the acoustic duct.

9. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, which is an air conduction earphone.

10. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, which is a bone conduction earphone.

11. The earphone according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the acoustic duct is provided with at least one sensor for detecting a biological information of a user.

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