Ear-mounted equipment

Abstract

To improve safety for a user as compared with a case in which electricity used for heat generation is stored inside.SOLUTION: Ear-mounted equipment 10 mounted on the ear for warming the ear includes: an acquisition part 11 for obtaining electricity from a power supply device 10 for storing the ear mounted equipment 10; and a heat generation part 12 which is energized while the acquisition part 11 acquires electricity and generates heat, and which is not energized when the acquisition part 11 does not acquire electricity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to earwear. [Background technology]

[0002] Since acupressure points and lymph nodes are concentrated around the ears, devices that warm the ears to provide a relaxing effect have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ear canal temperature regulator comprising an ear canal insertion portion that is inserted into the ear canal and a temperature adjustment portion, the heat storage portion of the ear canal insertion portion having a circular cross section and formed from a heat storage material with a cross-sectional diameter that allows it to be inserted into the ear canal, and the temperature adjustment portion heats or cools the heat storage portion of the ear canal insertion portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-076159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, in a device that warms the ears by generating heat through electrical current, if the electricity used to generate heat is stored internally, there are concerns about safety for the user if the stored electricity causes abnormal heat while warming the user's ears. An object of the present invention is to improve safety for the user compared to when electricity used for heat generation is stored internally. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To this end, the present invention provides an ear-worn device that is worn on the ear to warm the ear, and includes an acquisition unit that obtains electricity from a power supply device that houses the ear-worn device, and a heat-generating unit that is energized and generates heat while the acquisition unit is obtaining electricity, but is not energized unless the acquisition unit is obtaining electricity. Here, the device may further include an output unit that outputs a signal indicating the temperature of the heat generating unit when it is in a heat generating state. The output unit may also be configured to output the detection result of a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the heat generating unit when it is in a heat generating state. Furthermore, when the acquisition unit is receiving electricity, the acquisition unit can be configured to stop receiving electricity if a predetermined condition is met with the detection result of a first temperature detection unit that detects the internal temperature of the ear wearing device and the detection result of a second temperature detection unit that detects the outer surface temperature of the ear wearing device.Furthermore, the temperature of the heat generating unit can be controlled depending on whether the acquisition unit receives electricity.Furthermore, the earwear can further include a planar unit on which the acquisition unit and the output unit are provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, safety for the user can be improved compared to when electricity used for heat generation is stored internally. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an ear warming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating examples of ear wearing devices, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a bottom view. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of a power supply device in a closed state, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a rear view. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of a power supply device in an open state, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a power supply device in an open state, the power supply device housing a pair of ear-worn devices. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the ear wearing device. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views illustrating examples of the internal configuration of an ear wearing device, where (a) is one example, (b) is another example, and (c) is another example. [Figure 8] 1 is a graph showing the rise in surface temperature of the ear wearing device when heated by a heater, with the vertical axis representing the surface temperature (H) of the ear wearing device and the horizontal axis representing the elapsed time (T). [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart for controlling power supply to a heater that generates heat when powered on. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an ear warming device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an ear warming device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, an ear warming device 100 according to this embodiment is configured to be worn in an ear canal to warm the ear. More specifically, the ear warming device 100 includes an ear wearing device 10 and a power supply device 30. The ear wearing device 10 and the power supply device 30 are separate entities.

[0009] First, the functional configuration of the ear wearing device 10 will be described. The ear wearing device 10 is a device that is worn in the ear canal to warm the ear. More specifically, the ear wearing device 10 includes a power receiving unit 11, a heat generating unit 12, a heat storage unit 13, a temperature detecting unit 14, and an output unit 15.

[0010] The power receiving unit 11 of the ear wearing device 10 receives electricity supplied from the power supply device 30. The power receiving unit 11 may be configured with a contact or a terminal, or may be configured with a component that realizes wireless power supply. Power receiving unit 11 obtains the supplied electricity based on the signal from output unit 15. More specifically, as will be described later, power receiving unit 11 does not obtain electricity when the temperature of heat generating unit 12 detected by temperature detection unit 14 is at a predetermined upper limit temperature. Furthermore, power receiving unit 11 does not obtain electricity when the detection results of temperature detection unit 14 and temperature detection unit 33 satisfy predetermined conditions, as will be described later.

[0011] Heat generating unit 12 generates heat by the electricity received by power receiving unit 11. That is, heat generating unit 12 heats up when electricity is applied. The temperature of heat generating unit 12 is controlled depending on whether power receiving unit 11 receives electricity. The heat generating section 12 may be made of, for example, a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) material with a conductive pattern printed thereon, or may be made of a Peltier element. Such a Peltier element is a semiconductor thermoelectric element that generates heat or cools one surface of the element when a direct current is passed through it, and generates the other heat or cools the other surface of the element. When the heat generating part 12 is made of the above-mentioned PET material, the heat generating part 12 can be constructed simply and lightly compared to the case of a Peltier element.

[0012] The heat storage section 13 stores the heat generated by the heat generating section 12 and serves as a temporary heat source. For this reason, it is considered that the heat storage section 13 is made of a material with high heat storage properties. Such a member may be a metal member. Examples of metal members include aluminum, iron, stainless steel, and copper. If the member is made of aluminum, the weight of the ear wearing device 10 can be reduced compared to iron, etc. On the other hand, if the member is made of iron, the weight of the ear wearing device can be utilized to provide a comfortable fit for the user.

[0013] Furthermore, the heat storage section 13 is not limited to a metal member, and may be made of stone that easily emits far infrared rays, or saline solution sealed in a sheet-like resin. Examples of stones that easily emit far infrared rays include bakuhan stone, which is used in bedrock baths.

[0014] Saline is an aqueous solution of sodium chloride that is adjusted to be approximately isotonic with human body fluids, and while it heats up more easily than metal components or stones, it also tends to cool down more easily. For this reason, when using saline, heating by heat generating unit 12 becomes more frequent, and ear wearing devices 10 must be replaced with other ones that are at the appropriate temperature more frequently. Taking these characteristics into consideration, heat storage unit 13 can be selected according to the application. In addition, when a sealed saline solution is used, the degree of freedom in shape is greater than in the case of using a metal member or stone.

[0015] The heat generating section 12 and the heat storing section 13 will be further described. By using a configuration in which the heat storage section 13 is a block member having a flat surface formed thereon and the heat generating section 12 is mounted on the flat surface of the block member, the internal space of the ear wearing device 10 can be used effectively. Alternatively, the heat storage section 13 may be spherical, and the heat storage section 13 may be cylindrically shaped as the heat generating section 12, with the heat storage section 13 placed inside the cylinder, or the heat storage section 13 may be flattened and brought into contact with the heat generating section 12.

[0016] The temperature detection unit 14 detects the temperature of the heat generating unit 12. The temperature detection unit 14 converts the measured temperature into an electrical signal and outputs it externally. In addition to or instead of detecting the temperature of the heat generating unit 12, the temperature detection unit 14 may also detect the temperature of the heat storage unit 13 that is in contact with the heat generating unit 12. The heat storage unit 13 is an example of a part whose temperature rises due to the heat generated by the heat generating unit 12. It is conceivable to use, for example, an NTC thermistor (Negative Temperature Coefficient Thermal sensitivity resistor) as the temperature detection unit 14. An NTC thermistor is a temperature sensor that utilizes the resistance characteristic that the resistance value decreases as the temperature rises.

[0017] Output unit 15 outputs the detection result of temperature detection unit 14, which detects the temperature of heat-generating unit 12, to power supply device 30. Output unit 15 is composed of contacts or terminals for signal connection with power supply device 30, but is not limited to this and may be composed of components that realize wireless communication. More specifically, the detection result of the temperature detection unit 14 output from the output unit 15 is not processed, such as by calculation, within the ear wearing device 10. If the temperature detection unit 14 is, for example, an NTC thermistor, the detection result of the temperature detection unit 14 output from the output unit 15 is a resistance value, which is an example of a signal indicating temperature. The process of converting the resistance value to temperature is performed on the power supply device 30 side. Therefore, the ear wearing device 10 does not need to be equipped with a processing circuit, which allows for a simplified configuration of the ear wearing device 10 and allows for a smaller, lighter device. Although the above description has been given of a case in which the ear wearing device 10 does not perform any processing such as calculations on the detection results of the temperature detection unit 14, the present invention is not limited to this, and a modified example in which some or all of the processing is performed is also conceivable.

[0018] Output unit 15 in this embodiment outputs the detection result of temperature detection unit 14, which detects the temperature of heat generating unit 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a modified example is also possible in which output is the detection result of temperature detection unit 33, described below, which detects the surface temperature of ear wearing device 10, in addition to the detection result of temperature detection unit 14. In such a modified example, output unit 15 outputs a signal indicating the temperature of heat generating unit 12 when it is in a heat generating state. Power receiving unit 11 obtains the supplied electricity based on the signal from output unit 15.

[0019] The ear wearing device 10 will be further described. The ear wearing device 10 does not have a structure for temporarily storing electricity such as a battery. In other words, the ear wearing device 10 does not store electricity. Therefore, in the ear wearing device 10, the heat generating unit 12 generates heat when the power receiving unit 11 receives electricity from the power supply device 30, and the heat generating unit 12 does not generate heat when the power receiving unit 11 does not receive electricity from the power supply device 30. The ear wearing device 10 does not have an operation unit such as a power button for turning on / off the power supply.

[0020] In this way, a configuration is adopted in which heating is performed by the heat generating unit 12 of the ear wearing device 10 by combining the ear wearing device 10 with the power supply device 30. In other words, the heat generating unit 12 does not generate heat when using the ear wearing device 10 alone, which improves safety when the ear wearing device 10 is inserted into the ear for use. In addition, a configuration is adopted in which the ear wearing device 10 itself does not store electricity, which allows the weight of the ear wearing device 10 to be reduced. The ear wearing device 10 does not include a switch for electrically heating the heat generating unit 12 because the heat generating unit 12 generates heat by receiving electricity from the power supply device 30. However, a modified example including such a switch is also conceivable.

[0021] Next, the functional configuration of the power supply device 30 will be described. The power supply device 30 is a device that supplies electricity to the ear wearing device 10. More specifically, the power supply device 30 includes a power storage unit 31, a power supply unit 32, a temperature detection unit 33, an acquisition unit 34, an operation unit 35, a control unit 36, and a notification unit 37.

[0022] The power storage unit 31 of the power supply device 30 stores electricity to be supplied to the ear wearing device 10. The power storage unit 31 may be configured as a primary battery such as a dry cell battery, or may be configured as a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. The power supply device 30 is configured to include an external terminal and an AC / DC converter that can supply electricity from an external commercial power supply 70. The power supply device 30 may be configured to supply power from the outside via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable. Additionally, it is also conceivable that the power supply device 30 does not include the power storage unit 31 and is configured to receive electricity from the commercial power source 70.

[0023] The power supply unit 32 supplies electricity to the power receiving unit 11 of the ear wearing device 10. The power supply unit 32 includes a boost circuit that boosts the voltage to a predetermined level. In the case of a lithium-ion battery, the boost circuit boosts 3.7V to a predetermined constant voltage.

[0024] The temperature detector 33 detects the surface temperature or the outer surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 to which electricity is being supplied. The temperature detector 33 converts the measured temperature into an electrical signal and outputs it to the outside. The temperature detector 33 of the power supply device 30 is disposed in a housing portion 48 (see FIG. 4) described below that houses the ear wearing device 10, and detects the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 housed in the housing portion 48.

[0025] Here, consider a case where temperature detector 33 that detects the surface temperature of ear wearing device 10 is provided in ear wearing device 10 rather than in power supply device 30. To further improve detection accuracy, a configuration is adopted in which temperature detector 33 is provided on the surface of ear wearing device 10 or in a position close to the surface. However, with such a configuration, there is a high risk of temperature detector 33 being damaged or making erroneous detections when handling ear wearing device 10, for example, when attaching or detaching ear wearing device 10 to or from ear. In contrast, in the present embodiment, a temperature detector 33 that detects the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 is provided on the power supply device 30. This improves the accuracy of the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 while preventing damage to the sensor.

[0026] The acquisition unit 34 acquires the detection result of the temperature detection unit 14 output by the output unit 15 of the ear wearing device 10 , and also acquires the detection result of the temperature detection unit 33 . The acquisition unit 34 includes a circuit (not shown) that converts the acquired detection results of the temperature detection units 14 and 33 into temperatures. Through this circuit, the acquisition unit 34 acquires the temperature of the heat generating unit 12 provided in the ear wearing device 10 and the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10. The temperature of the heat generating unit 12 and the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 acquired by the acquisition unit 34 are sent to the control unit 36.

[0027] The operation unit 35 receives an instruction to turn the power on / off. The operation unit 35 also receives an instruction from the user to set the temperature of the ear wearing device 10. The operation unit 35 may be configured with one button or multiple buttons. It is conceivable that the temperature can be set in multiple stages using the operation unit 35. For example, there may be three stages: low temperature, medium temperature, and high temperature. The temperature setting is not limited to this, and it is also conceivable that a specific temperature can be set. It is also possible to consider a modified example in which the user can change the set temperature by sending and receiving data to and from the outside, instead of operating the operation unit 35.

[0028] The control unit 36 controls the power supply to the ear wearing device 10 by the power supply unit 32 based on the temperature of the heat generating unit 12 and the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 acquired by the acquisition unit 34 and the temperature set by the operation unit 35.

[0029] An example of power supply control by the control unit 36 will be shown. When the power is on and power is being supplied to the ear wearing device 10, power supply is stopped when either the temperature of the heat generating part 12 or the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 reaches a set temperature. Furthermore, when the power supply to the ear wearing device 10 is stopped while the power is on, power supply is resumed (power resupply or reheating) when either the temperature of the heat generating unit 12 or the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 drops below the set temperature and falls below a predetermined lower limit temperature. The predetermined lower limit temperature here is the surface temperature HS, which will be described later.

[0030] In another example of power supply control, when power is being supplied to the ear wearing device 10 and the temperature of the heat generating unit 12 exceeds an upper limit temperature, power supply is interrupted regardless of the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 (see steps 102 and 107 described below). The upper limit temperature here is an upper limit temperature K1 described below, which is an example of a predetermined upper limit temperature. By stopping the power supply when the upper limit temperature is exceeded, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an internal short circuit due to the heat generating portion 12 melting. The upper limit temperature here may be, for example, 100 degrees Celsius, at which point the heat generating function of the heat generating portion 12 is not damaged, if the heat generating portion 12 is made of a material that melts at, for example, about 130 degrees Celsius.

[0031] Furthermore, when power is being supplied to the ear wearing device 10, if the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 exceeds a predetermined temperature, power supply is stopped regardless of the temperature of the heat generating unit 12. The predetermined temperature here is the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 that the user desires when inserting the ear wearing device 10 into their ear, and is the set temperature set by the user.

[0032] In another example of power supply control, when power is being supplied to the ear wearing device 10, power supply is stopped when the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 reaches a threshold value that is lower than the set temperature (see steps 103 and 104 described below). Even if power supply is stopped before the set temperature is reached, the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 will rise because the heat generating unit 12 is still heated to a temperature above the set temperature. This is what is known as residual heat utilization. For example, if the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 has risen to 40°C when the heat generating unit 12 is at about 70°C, the residual heat will raise the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 to the set temperature of 45°C. In this way, power supply is stopped at the predicted timing before the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 reaches the set temperature. As a prerequisite for this, the power supply unit 32 (see FIG. 1) is provided with the above-mentioned boost circuit to keep the power supply voltage constant. The set temperature here is a surface temperature H2 (see FIG. 8) which will be described later, and the threshold value lower than the set temperature is a surface temperature H1 (see FIG. 8) which will be described later.

[0033] The notification unit 37 notifies the control details of the control unit 36. The notification unit 37 may notify the temperature of the heat generating unit 12 and the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10. The notification unit 37 may be configured with a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). The notification unit 37 may also be configured with a liquid crystal display, or may be configured with a touch panel capable of displaying. When the notification unit 37 is configured with a touch panel capable of displaying, a modified example in which it also serves as the above-mentioned operation unit 35 may be considered. It is also possible to consider a modified example in which the notification unit 37 notifies by voice in addition to or instead of displaying.

[0034] In the ear warming device 100 according to the present embodiment, the power supply device 30 has a notification unit 37 as a notification function for notifying the user, while the ear wearing device 10 does not have such a notification function, but this is not limited to this. A modified example of the ear wearing device 10 may also be considered, in which the notification function is realized by one or more LEDs.

[0035] In this embodiment, the ear warming device 100 is described as warming the ears of a user, but is not limited to this. There are also modifications that warm parts of the user other than the ears, and cases where the device has uses other than ear warming. Other possible applications include, for example, application to a device that warms the user's eyes or the area around the eyes, stomach, neck, armpits, etc. Depending on the area of the user to which it is applied, it can be attached using a belt, adhesive gel, or hook-and-loop fastener. It can also be used in electric moxibustion, which uses electrical heating to generate high temperatures and provide a warming effect to the user. In the case of electric moxibustion, it is a type that is placed on the body, but it can also be equipped with an adhesive sheet.

[0036] Here, body parts such as the user's ears, eyes or around the eyes, stomach, neck, and armpits are examples of body parts. Here, it is preferable that the temperature setting be based on the part of the body. For example, a device for warming the ears may allow a relatively high temperature setting, such as 48 degrees Celsius, while a device for warming the eyes may allow a lower temperature setting, since 48 degrees Celsius is too hot. In this embodiment, more precise temperature control is possible by using two temperature sensors, namely, temperature detection unit 14 provided inside ear wearing device 10 and temperature detection unit 33 of power supply device 30. Also, by storing heat in heat storage unit 13, it is possible to maintain an optimal temperature for a longer period of time.

[0037] Next, a description will be given of an example of the ear warming device 100. First, the ear wearing device 10 having a portion that comes into contact with the human body will be described, and then the power supply device 30 that supplies power to the ear wearing device 10 will be described. 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating an example of the ear wearing device 10, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a bottom view. As shown in FIG. 2, the ear wearing device 10 includes a main body portion 21 and an insertion portion 22.

[0038] The main body 21 of the ear wearing device 10 is the part that is exposed to the outside when the ear wearing device 10 is worn on the ear. An example of the internal configuration of the main body 21 will be described later (see FIG. 6), but the main body 21 contains the heat generating unit 12, heat storage unit 13, and temperature detecting unit 14 (see FIG. 1) described above.

[0039] Furthermore, main body 21 has contacts 21a, 21b, and 21c on bottom surface 21d. Contacts 21a to 21c are end faces of pins that extend inward and do not protrude from bottom surface 21d. Contacts 21a to 21c are located closer to insertion portion 22, but a modified example in which they are located further away from insertion portion 22 is also possible.

[0040] The contacts 21a and 21c are the power receiving unit 11 (see FIG. 1) described above, and the contact 21b is the output unit 15 (see the same figure). More specifically, contact 21b outputs the detection result of temperature detection unit 14, which detects the temperature of heat-generating unit 12. Contact 21b also outputs a signal from temperature detection unit 14 indicating the temperature of heat-generating unit 12. Furthermore, in a modified example in which main body 21 includes a temperature detector (see temperature detector 33) that detects the surface temperature of ear wearing device 10 in addition to temperature detector 14, contact 21b outputs a signal indicating the surface temperature, which is the temperature of the portion that has risen in temperature due to heat generation by heat generation unit 12. In such a modified example, contact 21b outputs a signal indicating the temperature when the heat generation unit is in a heated state.

[0041] Furthermore, a plate-shaped magnet portion 21e made of a magnet is provided on the bottom surface portion 21d of the main body portion 21. The magnet portion 21e is not exposed to the outside, but is provided inside the main body portion 21. The magnet portion 21e is located in the center of the bottom surface portion 21d.

[0042] The insertion section 22 of the ear wearing device 10 protrudes in one direction from the main body section 21. The insertion section 22 is the portion that is inserted into the user's ear canal and transfers heat from the main body section 21. The insertion section 22 is made of a soft resin member.

[0043] The ear wearing device 10 shown in Fig. 2 is a device that is worn on either the left or right ear of a user, and two ear wearing devices 10 are used. The ear wearing devices 10 may be used for both the left and right ears, or may be dedicated to the left ear and the right ear.

[0044] 2 employs a configuration in which the insertion portion 22 is held by the user's ear (earphone type), but is not limited to this. For example, the ear wearing device 10 may employ a configuration having a portion to be worn on the head (headphone type), a configuration having a portion to be hung on the ear, or a configuration having a portion to be hung around the neck.

[0045] 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating an example of the power supply device 30. Fig. 3 shows the example of the power supply device 30 in a closed state, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a rear view. Fig. 4 shows the example of the power supply device 30 in an open state, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the power supply device 30 is long in the direction of arrow X (width direction) and short in the direction of arrow Y (depth direction) and the direction of arrow Z (height direction) that intersect with the direction of arrow X. More specifically, the power supply device 30 includes a lower case 41 and an upper case 42. As shown in Fig. 3(b), the upper case 42 is connected to the lower case 41 by two hinges 43 extending in the direction of the arrow X. The upper case 42 can be opened and closed around the hinges 43 relative to the lower case 41.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3(a), an opening button 42a is provided on the front side of the upper case 42. By pressing the opening button 42a, the lower case 41 and the upper case 42 are unlocked, and the upper case 42 can be opened as shown in Fig. 4(a).

[0047] 3(b), the lower case 41 has an external terminal 44 on the rear side that can receive electricity from an external commercial power supply 70. The lower case 41 also has an LED 44a that emits light when electricity is being supplied to the external terminal 44 from the commercial power supply 70.

[0048] 3(a) and 4(a), an operation button 45 and a light-emitting unit 46 consisting of three LEDs are provided on the front side of the lower case 41. The operation button 45 is the above-mentioned operation unit 35 (see FIG. 1), and the light-emitting unit 46 is the above-mentioned notification unit 37 (see the same figure). The operation button 45 is used to, for example, switch the power on / off and change the temperature setting. Switching the power on / off is performed, for example, by pressing and holding the operation button 45. Alternatively, the temperature that can be set may be set to a number of predetermined stages, and the temperature setting may be changed, for example, by pressing the operation button 45 for a short time.

[0049] As described above, the light emitting unit 46 is configured to include three LEDs. The light emitting unit 46 has a plurality of predetermined light emitting modes of the three LEDs according to the content to be notified to the user. The light-emitting unit 46 has, for example, three LEDs with off, on, and blinking patterns. The blinking patterns may be long equal intervals, short equal intervals, or a combination of long and short intervals. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 46 may be configured such that the three LEDs can emit light in any one of a plurality of predetermined colors.

[0050] The notification content of the light-emitting unit 46 may include information indicating the operation content of the operation button 45, the detection results of the temperature detection unit 14 of the ear wearing device 10 and the temperature detection unit 33 of the power supply device 30, and the remaining charge of the power storage unit 31 of the power supply device 30.

[0051] The operation of the operation button 45 indicates switching the power on / off and changing the temperature setting. When the power is turned on / off by pressing and holding the operation button 45, all three LEDs turn off when the power is turned off, and when the power is turned on and heating begins, they flash in a pattern corresponding to the set temperature. Furthermore, when the temperature setting is changed by briefly pressing the operation button 45 while the power is on, each short press switches the temperature setting in one of three directions, and the number of LEDs corresponding to the set temperature lights up. If the set temperature has three levels, low, medium, and high, one LED lights up corresponding to low temperature, two LEDs light up corresponding to medium temperature, and three LEDs light up corresponding to high temperature.

[0052] The results of detection by the temperature detector 14 of the ear wearing device 10 and the temperature detector 33 of the power supply device 30 will be described later. To indicate the remaining charge of the power storage unit 31 of the power supply device 30, for example, a short press of the operation button 45 while the power is off lights up a number of LEDs according to the remaining charge of the power storage unit 31. For example, one LED lights up when the remaining charge is low, three LEDs light up when the remaining charge is high, and two LEDs light up when the remaining charge is intermediate. This allows the remaining charge of the battery to be monitored.

[0053] Here, a modification of the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the power supply device 30 includes the light-emitting unit 46, while the ear wearing device 10 does not include such a light-emitting unit. However, this is not limited to this, and a modification in which the ear wearing device 10 includes a light-emitting unit is also conceivable.

[0054] In one such modification, the ear wearing device 10 is equipped with an LED (not shown) that notifies the user whether or not the ear wearing device 10 is in a power supply state. When the power supply device 30 notifies the user that the ear wearing device 10 is in a power supply state, the LED (not shown) of the ear wearing device 10 lights up, which increases the user's sense of security. More specifically, if the contact between the ear wearing device 10 and the power supply device 30 is poor and an electrical connection is not established, the LED (not shown) of the ear wearing device 10 does not light up. If the user notices that the LED is not emitting light, they can check the storage state of the ear wearing device 10 and change the storage position, etc., to ensure an electrical connection.

[0055] In a modified example, it is possible to notify the user of part of the notification content of the light-emitting unit 46 of the power supply device 30 described above. Specifically, the notification content of the ear wearing device 10 may indicate the detection result of at least one of the temperature detection unit 14 of the ear wearing device 10 and the temperature detection unit 33 of the power supply device 30. This allows for more reliable notification to the user. In particular, when the power supply device 30 can accommodate multiple ear wearing devices 10 and the ear wearing devices 10 reach the set temperature at different times, it is possible to distinguish between ear wearing devices 10 that have reached the set temperature and ear wearing devices 10 that have not yet reached the set temperature, thereby improving usability for the user.

[0056] The notification function in this modified example can be realized when the ear wearing device 10 is housed in the power supply device 30. Furthermore, the LED (not shown) of the ear wearing device 10 is located in a position that is easily visible to the user when the power supply device 30 is opened while the ear wearing device 10 is housed in the power supply device 30.

[0057] Returning to the description of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4(a), a battery 61 is provided in the lower case 41 at the center in the direction of the arrow X. The battery 61 is the above-mentioned power supply unit 32 (see Fig. 1). 4(a) is a lithium ion battery that is charged with electricity from a commercial power source 70 (see FIG. 1). For this reason, the battery 61 is covered by a cover member 47 and cannot be seen even when the upper case 42 is opened. Furthermore, although the cover member 47 has an upwardly bulging shape, the shape is not limited to this. For example, if the battery 61 is small, it may be possible to make the cover member 47 flat. In addition, if the battery 61 is a dry battery that is expected to need to be replaced, a configuration is adopted in which, for example, the cover member 47 is made detachable from the lower case 41, and the battery 61 can be accessed when the cover member 47 is removed.

[0058] 4(a), a substrate 62 is provided in the lower case 41 below the battery 61 in the direction of the arrow Z. The substrate 62 has surfaces extending in the directions of the arrows X and Y. Circuits, electrical components, and the like that implement the functions of the control unit 36 (see FIG. 1) described above are mounted on the surface of the substrate 62.

[0059] 4(a) and 4(b), the lower case 41 is provided with storage compartments 48 on one side and the other side of the battery 61 in the direction of arrow X. These two storage compartments 48 are recessed. That is, the battery 61 is located between the two storage compartments 48. Each of the receiving portions 48 forms an internal space capable of receiving the ear wearing device 10 together with a recess 42b at a position of the upper case 42 corresponding to the receiving portion 48.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the storage section 48 has a bottom surface section 48a. Pins 51a, 51b, and 51c are provided to protrude from bottom surface 48a. Pins 51a to 51c are located on bottom surface 48a closer to battery 61. Pins 51a and 51c are the above-mentioned power supply unit 32 (see FIG. 1), and pin 51b is an acquisition unit 34 (see FIG. 1) that acquires the detection result of temperature detection unit 14. When the ear wearing device 10 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 48 of the power supply device 30 (see FIG. 5), the pin 51a contacts the contact 21a (see FIG. 2(c)) of the main body portion 21, the pin 51b contacts the contact 21b (see FIG. 2(c)), and the pin 51c contacts the contact 21c (see FIG. 2(c)).

[0061] In addition, a sensor 52 is provided on the bottom surface 48a. The sensor 52 does not protrude from the bottom surface 48a. The sensor 52 is provided at a position on the bottom surface 48a away from the pins 51a to 51c. The sensor 52 is a temperature detection unit 33 (see FIG. 1) that detects the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 (see FIG. 2(a) for example).

[0062] Furthermore, the bottom surface 48a is provided with a plate-shaped magnet portion 53 made of a magnet. The magnet portion 53 is magnetized so as to be attached to the magnet portion 21e of the ear wearing device 10. The magnet portion 53 is located between the pins 51a to 51c and the sensor 52 in the direction of the arrow X on the bottom surface portion 48a.

[0063] In this embodiment, the housing 48 has a recessed shape corresponding to the shape of the ear wearing device 10 and is surrounded by a surrounding wall from the bottom surface 48a upward, but is not limited to this. For example, a modified example is possible in which the ear wearing device 10 is placed on the bottom surface 48a as a flat surface without a surrounding wall. That is, the ear wearing device 10 may be housed in the power supply device 30 in a manner in which the housing 48 is not recessed, or may not be recessed.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the power supply device 30 is configured to be able to accommodate two ear wearing devices 10, but this is not limiting, and a configuration that can accommodate three or more ear wearing devices 10 may also be employed. In such a configuration, by employing a configuration that does not include a battery 61, the power supply device 30 can be made smaller. Also, a configuration in which the battery 61 is made smaller may also be employed.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the power supply device 30 in an open state, accommodating a pair of ear wearing devices 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the two ear wearing devices 10 are separately housed in the housing 48 of the power feeding device 30 with the insertion sections 22 positioned toward the center in the direction of the arrow X.

[0066] The cover member 47 has a sloped surface 47a formed on the housing portion 48 side. The insertion portion 22 of the ear wearing device 10 is located on the sloped surface 47a side. That is, the ear wearing device 10 is housed in the housing portion 48 with the insertion portion 22 facing the sloped surface 47a side. Therefore, the sloped surface 47a of the cover member 47 ensures a space for housing the insertion portion 22 of the ear wearing device 10. 5, the length of the power supply device 30 in the direction of arrow X would be increased in the stored state with the main body 21 on the side of the sloped surface 47. In the case of FIG. 5, the external dimensions of the power supply device 30 can be reduced.

[0067] 5, the shape of the ear wearing device 10 corresponds to the shape of the housing 48 of the power supply device 30, and the posture of the ear wearing device 10 relative to the power supply device 30 is determined. Furthermore, the magnetic force between the magnet portion 21e of the ear wearing device 10 (see FIG. 2(c)) and the magnet portion 53 of the power supply device 30 determines the positioning of the contacts 21a-21c of the ear wearing device 10 (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pins 51a-51c of the power supply device 30. That is, the positioning of the contact 21a (see FIG. 2(c)) of the ear wearing device 10 and the pin 51a of the power supply device 30 for power connection, and the positioning of the contact 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pin 51c are determined. Furthermore, the positioning of the contact 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pin 51a for signal connection are determined. This stabilizes the electrical connection between the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) of the ear wearing device 10 and the pins 51a to 51c of the power supply device 30. That is, the electrical connection between the contacts 21a, 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pins 51a, 51c enables stable power supply, and the electrical connection between the contact 21b (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pin 51b enables stable signal transmission and reception.

[0068] In this embodiment, the power supply connection and the signal connection are provided adjacent to each other, and the positioning of the electrical connection between the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pins 51a to 51c is performed by a combination of the magnet parts 21e, 53, but this is not limiting. If the power supply connection and the signal connection are provided separately, it is possible to provide a combination of magnets that position the power supply connection and another combination of magnets that position the signal connection.

[0069] As described above, the bottom surface 21d of the ear wearing device 10 is formed as a flat surface, and the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) do not protrude from the flat surface of the bottom surface 21d. More specifically, the bottom surface 21d may be configured to have a concave surface recessed in the center toward the back. In such a configuration, the central contact point 21b of the contact points 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) may be made to protrude from the concave surface in order to ensure a more reliable electrical connection with the pins 51a to 51c of the power supply device 30 when the power supply device 30 is housed.

[0070] In order to further improve the close contact between the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) of the ear wearing device 10 and the pins 51a to 51c of the power supply device 30, it is possible to configure at least one of the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)) and the pins 51a to 51c of the power supply device 30 to be movable in the direction of approach and separation.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the ear wearing device 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the main body 21 of the ear wearing device 10 includes a first case 23 and a second case 24. The first case 23 and the second case 24 form the surface of the ear wearing device 10. The first case 23 is a case in which the insertion portion 22 is provided, and the second case 24 is a case in which the bottom surface portion 21d is provided. In this embodiment, the storage space is formed by two cases 23 and 24, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the storage space may be formed by three or more cases.

[0072] The main body 21 includes a heater 25, aluminum blocks 26 and 27, and a sensor 28 in a space defined by a first case 23 and a second case 24. Heater 25 is made of the above-mentioned PET material and is sandwiched between aluminum blocks 26 and 27. Sensor 28 is provided on aluminum block 27 so as to be in contact with heater 25, and detects the internal temperature of ear wearing device 10 or main body 21. It is also possible to adhere the heater 25 to the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 so that the heater 25 and the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 can be handled as a single unit when assembling the ear wearing device 10. It is also possible to adhere the heater 25 to only one of the aluminum blocks 26 and 27. Although the heater 25 is one piece, the present invention is not limited to this and modifications using multiple pieces are conceivable. For example, multiple pieces may be stacked or placed in different locations, or rolled heaters 25 may be placed side by side, etc.

[0073] The heater 25 is electrically connected to the contacts 21a and 21c (see FIG. 2(c)), and the sensor 28 is electrically connected to the contact 21b. The heater 25 is the heat generating portion 12 (see FIG. 1), the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 are the heat storage portion 13 (see FIG. 1), and the sensor 28 is the temperature detecting portion 14 (see FIG. 1).

[0074] The aluminum blocks 26 and 27 are used as heat storage members that constitute the heat storage section 13. For this reason, although copper is preferable as a heat storage member from the viewpoint of heat storage properties, copper has a large specific gravity and is relatively heavy for the same volume, so in this embodiment, lightweight aluminum members are used. In this embodiment, the heat storage section 13 is composed of two members, aluminum blocks 26 and 27, but this is not limited to this and it is possible to compose it with three or more members, or it is also possible to compose it with one member.

[0075] Thus, while the ear wearing device 10 includes the heater 25, it does not include a battery such as a disposable primary battery or a secondary battery that can be used repeatedly after charging, and therefore can be said to be equipped with only a heater. As described above, the heater 25 of the ear wearing device 10 is supplied with power from the power supply device 30 when the ear wearing device 10 is housed in the housing 48 of the power supply device 30. The heater 25 is energized and generates heat while receiving electricity from the power supply device 30, and is not energized unless it receives electricity from the power supply device 30. It is a non-rechargeable type.

[0076] In other words, the ear wearing device 10 does not conduct electricity unless it is housed in the housing 48 of the power supply device 30. Therefore, when the ear wearing device 10 is detached from the power supply device 30 and worn on the user's ear, the ear wearing device 10 does not generate heat by itself. This increases safety when using the ear wearing device 10. Furthermore, if the ear wearing device 10 were to include a battery, the battery would also become hot due to the heat from the heater 25, necessitating measures to protect the battery from heat. Furthermore, measures would be required to prevent abnormal conditions such as overheating, leakage, and explosion of the battery itself. In this respect, the present embodiment, which does not include a battery, does not require the measures required for a battery, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0077] Furthermore, the ear wearing device 10 does not have any switches that the user operates, which simplifies the configuration of the ear wearing device 10 and improves its design. It also allows for miniaturization, which reduces manufacturing costs.

[0078] 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating examples of the internal configuration of the ear wearing device 10, with (a) being one example, (b) being another example, and (c) being another example. In addition, (a) and (b) of Fig. 7 show cases where the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 shown in Fig. 6 are used as the heat storage unit 13, and (c) shows a case where the sealed container 29 containing a sealed physiological saline solution is used as the heat storage unit 13. As shown in Fig. 7(a), one example of the internal configuration shows a state in which the second case 24 is removed from the first case 23 that constitutes the main body 21 of the ear wearing device 10. More specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 7(a), the heater 25, the sensor 28, and aluminum blocks 26 and 27 are provided in the first case 23 that has the insertion portion 22, and the bottom surface 21d is provided in the second case 24 that does not have the insertion portion 22. Contacts 21a to 21c are provided on the bottom surface 21d (see Fig. 2(c)).

[0079] The heater 25 is sandwiched and held between aluminum blocks 26 and 27. That is, the heater 25 and the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 are integrally formed as a so-called subassembly. Therefore, when assembling the ear wearing device 10, the work can be divided into assembling the subassembly and attaching the subassembly to the first case 23 and / or the second case 24 and making the electrical connections. Additionally, the heater 25, the sensor 28, and the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 are provided in the first case 23, and are not provided in the second case 24 having the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)).

[0080] As shown in Fig. 7(b), another example of the internal configuration shows a state in which the second case 24 is removed from the first case 23 that constitutes the main body 21 of the ear wearing device 10. More specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 7(b), an aluminum block 26 is provided in the first case 23 that has the insertion portion 22, and a heater 25, an aluminum block 27, a sensor 28, and a bottom surface portion 21d are provided in the second case 24 that does not have the insertion portion 22.

[0081] In the second case 24, the heater 25 is electrically connected to the contacts 21a and 21c, and the sensor 28 is electrically connected to the contact 21b. The electrical connections are on the second case 24 side, not the first case 23 side. Therefore, the electrical connections are made in the subassembly including the second case 24, but not in the subassembly including the first case 23. When assembling the ear wearing device 10, the subassemblies are joined together, but no electrical connections are made at that time. This makes it easy to assemble the subassemblies together.

[0082] Additionally, the heater 25, aluminum block 27, and sensor 28 are provided in the second case 24, and the remaining aluminum block 26 is provided in the first case 23. That is, the aluminum block 27 is provided in the second case 24 having the contacts 21a to 21c (see FIG. 2(c)), and the aluminum block 26 is provided in the first case 23. The aluminum block 27 is an example of a part of the heat storage section, and the aluminum block 26 is an example of the other part of the heat storage section. In the other example shown in FIG. 7(b), the heater 25 is provided in the second case 24, but this is not limitative, and a modified example in which the heater 25 is provided in the first case 23 is also possible.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 7(c), in another example of the internal configuration, a heater 25 is provided in a sealed container 29 in which physiological saline is sealed. In Fig. 7(c), the first case 23 and the second case 24 are not shown. The sealed container 29 has a cylindrical shape, and the heater 25 is housed in a hole extending in the height direction at the center. The heater 25 is housed in a spirally wound shape. It is possible to provide one sealed container 29 in the internal space of the first case 23 and the second case 24 (see FIG. 7(a) or (b)), or to provide multiple sealed containers 29. When multiple sealed containers are provided, it is possible to provide the heater 25 in one of the cases and not in the others. Note that if no heater 25 is provided, it is also possible not to provide a hole for accommodating the heater 25. To explain further, by placing the sealed container 29 closer to the insertion portion 22 (see FIG. 7(a) or (b)), the user's ears are more likely to be warmed.

[0084] Next, an example of controlling the power supply to the heater 25 (see FIG. 6) that generates heat when powered will be described. Such power supply control is performed by the board 62 of the power supply device 30 (see FIG. 4(a)). 8 is a graph showing the rise in surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 during heating by the heater, with the vertical axis representing the surface temperature (H) of the ear wearing device 10 and the horizontal axis representing the elapsed time (T). The surface temperature on the vertical axis is the temperature detected by the sensor 52 (see FIG. 4(b)) on the power supply device 30 side. Suppose the user sets the surface temperature to H2 using the operation button 45 (see Fig. 4(a)) of the power supply device 30. Also, suppose the ear-mounted device 10 is housed in the housing part 48 of the power supply device 30 (see Fig. 5).

[0085] As shown in Fig. 8, when the surface temperature of the ear-mounted device 10 is H0 (H0 < H2), the energization from the pins 51a and 51c (see Fig. 4(b)) of the power supply device 30 to the heater 25 (see Fig. 6) of the ear-mounted device 10 is started. The heat of the heater 25 is transmitted from the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 (see the same figure) to the first case 23 and the second case 24 (see the same figure), and the surface temperature of the ear-mounted device 10 rises. Note that the temperature of the heater 25 during energization is higher than the surface temperature of the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 (see Fig. 6) and the ear-mounted device 10. Also, during non-energization, heat transfer occurs so that the difference between the temperature of the heater 25 and the surface temperature of the ear-mounted device 10 becomes small.

[0086] When the surface temperature of the ear-mounted device 10 reaches the surface temperature H1 (H0 < H1 < H2), the substrate 62 (see Fig. 4(a)) stops the energization (elapsed time T1). However, as described above, the temperature of the heater 25 (see Fig. 6) is higher than the surface temperature H1. Therefore, although the heater 25 stops generating heat, the heat of the heater 25 is transmitted to the aluminum blocks 26 and 27, and the surface temperature of the ear-mounted device 10 further rises. Note that the surface temperature H1 is set corresponding to the physical properties, shape, etc. of the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 as the heat storage part 13. Therefore, when the heat storage part 13 is formed of a member other than aluminum, it is set according to the physical properties, etc. of that member.

[0087] The surface temperature of the ear-mounted device 10 becomes hot up to the surface temperature H2 by the heat of the heater 25 (see Fig. 6) for which the energization has stopped (elapsed time T2). The surface temperature H2 is the temperature set by the user as described above. Therefore, the time from the surface temperature H1 to the surface temperature H2 is the time ΔT obtained by subtracting the elapsed time T1 from the elapsed time T2 (ΔT = T2 - T1). After the elapsed time T2, the user removes the ear-mounted device 10 from the power supply device 30 and wears it on the ear.

[0088] In this way, it is possible to reduce the power consumption required to heat the ear wearing device 10 to the surface temperature H2 set by the user. Furthermore, the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 is heated to the temperature set by the user with high precision.

[0089] The surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 gradually decreases due to natural heat dissipation even when the ear wearing device 10 is stored in the power supply device 30 (see FIG. 5). When the ear wearing device 10 reaches a predetermined temperature lower than the surface temperature H1, power is applied to the heater 25 (see FIG. 6). As a result, the heat from the heater 25 reheats the surface of the ear wearing device 10 (see FIG. 6) until the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 reaches surface temperature H1, and the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 is maintained.

[0090] Fig. 9 is a flowchart for controlling the supply of electricity to heater 25 (see Fig. 6) that generates heat when powered on. Note that the example of the processing procedure shown in Fig. 9 is realized by the circuit configuration of board 62 (see Fig. 4(a)) of power supply device 30, but is not limited to this, and it is also possible that it is realized by a CPU (not shown) by a program. 9 is performed when the power supply device 30 is in a state where the ear wearing device 10 is stored (see FIG. 5). It is conceivable that the power supply device 30 detects whether the ear wearing device 10 is stored.

[0091] For example, when the power is turned on using the operation button 45 (see, for example, FIG. 3(a)), power supply to the housed ear wearing device 10 begins (step 101). In the ear wearing device 10, electricity is passed through the heater 25 (see FIG. 6), and the heater 25 begins to generate heat. The heat from the heater 25 is transferred to the aluminum blocks 26 and 27 (see the same figure), and is also transferred to the first case 23 and the second case 24 (see the same figure).

[0092] The power supply device 30 checks whether the heater temperature K, which is the temperature of the heater 25 (see FIG. 6) of the ear wearing device 10, is equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature K1 (step 102). The heater temperature K is detected by the sensor 28 (see FIG. 6) of the ear wearing device 10 and is transmitted as a signal to the power supply device 30 via the contact 21b (see FIG. 2(c)). If the heater temperature K is equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature K1 (Yes in step 102), the power supply device 30 then checks whether the surface temperature H of the ear wearing device 10 exceeds the surface temperature H1 (step 103). The surface temperature H is detected by the sensor 52 of the power supply device 30 (see FIG. 4(b)).

[0093] If the surface temperature H exceeds the surface temperature H1 (Yes in step 103), the power supply device 30 stops supplying power to the ear wearing device 10 (step 104). Then, when time ΔT has passed (step 105), that is, when the time elapsed since power supply was stopped reaches time ΔT, the surface temperature H of the ear wearing device 10 reaches the set temperature, surface temperature H2 (H2>H1), and a predetermined notification is sent to the user (step 106). This predetermined notification is a notification that the set temperature has been reached, which is a so-called optimum temperature notification. This ends the process. In this way, power supply is stopped when the surface temperature H of the ear wearing device 10 reaches the lower surface temperature H1, rather than when it reaches the surface temperature H2, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed until the appropriate temperature is reached. This reduces the consumption of the battery 61 (see FIG. 4) and improves battery life.

[0094] Additionally, the timing for making the predetermined notification after the power supply is stopped is not limited to when the above-mentioned time ΔT has elapsed (step 105), but may be when it is detected that the surface temperature H has reached the surface temperature H2. The elapse of the time ΔT or the surface temperature H having reached the surface temperature H2 are examples of predetermined conditions. The time ΔT is an example of a predetermined time.

[0095] It is considered that the power supply device 30 continues to detect the surface temperature H of the ear wearing device 10 after notifying that the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 has reached the set temperature. In other words, if the ear wearing device 10 continues to be stored in the power supply device 30, the power supply device 30 detects that the surface temperature H of the ear wearing device 10 is equal to or higher than the surface temperature HS (HS

[0096] If the surface temperature H does not exceed the surface temperature H1 (No in step 103), the process returns to step 102. Based on the results of detection by the sensor 52 and the sensor 28, the power supply device 30 performs the processes of steps 102 and 103 described above.

[0097] If the heater temperature K is not equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature K1 (No in step 102), the power supply device 30 determines that the heater 25 (see FIG. 6) is overheating abnormally, interrupts power supply to the ear wearing device 10 (step 107), and notifies the user of an error (step 108), thereby terminating the process.

[0098] As described above, in this embodiment, the power supply from the power supply device 30 to the ear wearing device 10 is stopped based on the detection results of the sensor 28 (see FIG. 6) that detects the temperature of the heater 25 and the sensor 52 (see FIG. 4(b)) that detects the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10. By detecting the temperature of the contact area with the heater 25 in this way, the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 can be heated to the set temperature even when the outside air temperature is relatively high or low.

[0099] 9, when the surface temperature H exceeds the surface temperature H1 (see Yes in step 103), the power supply device 30 stops supplying power to the ear wearing device 10 (see step 104), but this is not limited to this. As a modified example, a processing example in which power supply is stopped when the elapsed time T1 (see FIG. 8) has elapsed since the start of power supply has arrived can be considered. ​In this modified example, the accuracy of the surface temperature H of the ear wearing device 10 is lower than in the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, but the configuration and control can be simplified.

[0100] 9, power supply to the ear wearing device 10 is interrupted (see step 107) and an error notification is sent to the user (see step 108), but this is not limiting. As another variation, after power supply is interrupted (see step 107), the heater 25 naturally cools down, causing the heater temperature K to drop, and if the temperature reaches a point at which power can be supplied again, the process may return to step 101. That is, the process returns to step 101 if the temperature reaches a point at which power can be supplied again within a predetermined natural cooling time, and if the temperature does not reach a point at which power can be supplied again within that natural cooling time, an error notification is sent (see step 108). In the case of this modified example, it is possible to improve usability for the user compared to the case of the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0101] For example, in the case of a typical thermostat control that switches between closed and open using a bimetal that changes shape in response to temperature changes, since it only turns the heater temperature on and off, if it is turned on and off at a constant temperature it is easily affected by the outside temperature and errors become large. Such large errors are expected to cause problems such as the temperature being too hot or too lukewarm. In this embodiment, the power supply to the heater 25 is controlled taking into account the outside air temperature detected by temperature detection, so the error in the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 relative to the set temperature can be reduced, allowing heating to an optimal temperature.

[0102] As described above, in this embodiment, the energization control is performed based on the temperature detection by sensor 28 of heater 25 of ear wearing device 10 and the temperature detection by sensor 52 of the surface of ear wearing device 10. However, this is not limiting, and modified examples are also conceivable in which energization control is performed based on only one of these. That is, energization control may be performed based on only the temperature detection by sensor 28 or only the temperature detection by sensor 52. Additionally, when power supply control is performed based only on temperature detection by the sensor 28, power supply control is performed based on the temperature of the heater 25 detected by the sensor 28. In such power supply control, it is possible to determine a correspondence relationship between the temperature of the heater 25 and the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 in advance, and perform power supply control based on this correspondence relationship. In this embodiment, the sensor 52 included in the power supply device 30 can be omitted.

[0103] Next, notifications made by the light-emitting unit 46 (see FIG. 3(a) or FIG. 4(a)) during the above-mentioned power supply control will be described. Notifications to the user using the three LEDs of the light-emitting unit 46 include a notification that the set temperature has been reached (see step 106) and an error notification (see step 108). Note that these notifications indicate the detection results of the temperature detector 14 of the ear wearing device 10 and the temperature detector 33 of the power supply device 30.

[0104] As a notification that the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 has reached the set temperature (see step 106), an example of a light-emitting mode in which three LEDs flash in green light, or an example of a light-emitting mode in which the number of LEDs corresponding to the set temperature flash in green light, may be considered. As an example of the error notification (see step 108), a light emitting mode in which three LEDs flash in red (flashing red) is conceivable. This allows the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 and the temperature of the heater 25 to be monitored.

[0105] When power supply is stopped (see step 104), a notification that the set temperature will soon be reached may be given (an example of a warning) during the time ΔT (see step 105) until a notification that the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 has reached the set temperature is given (see step 106). Such a warning notification may be given in a different light emission mode from the notification that the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 has reached the set temperature (see step 106), for example, by flashing at long equal time intervals. The above-described advance notice may be omitted, and no notification may be given at the timing of power supply stop (see step 104). Also, if the time ΔT is short, it may be possible to give a notification that the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 has reached the set temperature at the timing of power supply stop (see step 104).

[0106] To explain further, the power supply device 30 may accommodate and supply power to two ear wearing devices 10. Therefore, when supplying power to two ear wearing devices 10, a notification that the set temperature has been reached (see step 106) is sent when both ear wearing devices 10 reach the set temperature. An error notification (see step 108) is sent when either of the two ear wearing devices 10 stops supplying power (step 107). Furthermore, the above-mentioned notification that the surface temperature of the ear wearing device 10 will soon reach the set temperature may be given when both ear wearing devices 10 are applicable, or may be given when either one of them is applicable.

[0107] Next, an ear warming device 100 according to another embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of an ear warming device 100 according to another embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 1 illustrating this embodiment. Note that the block diagram in Fig. 10 has parts in common with Fig. 1, so the common parts are given the same reference numerals and their explanation may be omitted.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 10, an ear warming device 100 according to another embodiment includes an ear wearing device 10 and a power supply device 30, similar to the present embodiment shown in FIG. The ear wearing device 10 shown in Fig. 10 includes a power receiving unit 11, a heat generating unit 12, and a heat storage unit 13. That is, unlike the present embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the ear wearing device 10 shown in Fig. 10 does not include a temperature detecting unit 14. Accordingly, the ear wearing device 10 differs from the present embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that it does not include an output unit 15.

[0109] 10 has the same configuration as the power supply device 30 shown in Fig. 1. To explain further, as described above, the ear wearing device 10 does not include the temperature detection unit 14 and the output unit 15, and therefore the acquisition unit 34 of the power supply device 30 shown in Fig. 10 only acquires the detection result of the temperature detection unit 33.

[0110] Although illustrations of examples of ear warming devices 100 according to other embodiments are omitted, the ear wearing device 10 does not include the contact 21b (see FIG. 2(c)) and the sensor 28 (see FIG. 6), and the power supply device 30 does not include the pin 51b (see FIG. 4(b)).

[0111] To explain further, a possible modification is to omit the first case 23 and the second case 24, and have the aluminum blocks 27 and 28 have the outer shape of the first case 23 and the second case 24, or a simple spherical shape. In such a modification, a configuration is possible in which the sheet-like heater 25 is rolled up and inserted into holes formed in the aluminum blocks 27 and 28.

[0112] Here, the configurations of the present embodiment, other embodiments, and various modified examples described above are configurations (warming devices) for warming parts of the body such as the ears, but this is not limited to this and the configurations may also be applied to configurations (cooling devices) for cooling parts of the body. That is, for example, the ear wearing device 10 to be worn on the ear has a heat absorption part instead of the heat generating part 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 10). Such a heat absorption part may be configured with a Peltier element. Heat absorption by the Peltier element cools the heat storage part 13 (see FIGS. 1 and 10). The power supply device 30 may be provided with a fan (not shown) that exhausts heat released from the ear wearing device 10 into the atmosphere. Furthermore, if the heat generating unit 12 (see FIG. 1) is configured with a Peltier element, the ears can be heated or cooled by a switch (not shown) that changes the direction of the direct current (heating / cooling device). Such a Peltier element is an example of a temperature changing unit that generates or absorbs heat electrically.

[0113] When a Peltier element is used in a heating / cooling tool, it is conceivable to provide a temperature detection unit 14 (see FIG. 1) on the heat-radiating surface of the Peltier element, but this is not limitative. That is, a modified example is conceivable in which a temperature detection unit 14 (see FIG. 1) is provided not only on one surface, i.e., the heat-radiating surface, but also on the other surface, i.e., the heat-absorbing surface. Furthermore, the temperature detection unit 33 (see FIG. 1) in the power supply device 30 is arranged to detect the temperature of the heat-radiating surface when heating, and to detect the temperature of the heat-absorbing surface when cooling. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide the heat storage section 13 (see FIG. 1) on each of the heat radiation surface and the heat absorption surface of the Peltier element, that is, the Peltier element is sandwiched between the two heat storage sections 13. Even if the heating / cooling device uses a Peltier element, like the ear wearing device 10 described above, it does not include a battery such as a primary battery or a secondary battery.

[0114] Here, ear wearing device 10 is an example of an ear wearing device, and power supply device 30 is an example of a power supply device. Power receiving unit 11 and contacts 21a and 21c are an example of an acquisition unit, and heat generating unit 12 and heater 25 are an example of a heat generating unit. Output unit 15 and contacts 21b are an example of an output unit. Sensor 28 is an example of a temperature detection unit. Temperature detection unit 14 and sensor 28 are an example of a temperature detection unit and an example of a first temperature detection unit. Temperature detection unit 33 and sensor 52 are an example of a second temperature detection unit. Bottom surface 21d is an example of a flat surface.

[0115] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiments or the description of the variations thereof. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 10...ear wearing device, 11...power receiving unit, 12...heat generating unit, 13...heat storage unit, 14, 33...temperature detection unit, 15...output unit, 21a, 21b, 21c...contacts, 30...power supply device, 31...power storage unit, 32...power supply unit, 34...acquisition unit, 35...operation unit, 36...control unit, 37...notification unit, 51a, 51b, 51c...pin, 100...ear warming device

Claims

1. An ear wearing device that is worn on the ear to warm the ear, an acquisition unit that acquires electricity from a power supply device that houses the ear wearing device; a heat generating unit that is energized and generates heat while the acquisition unit is obtaining electricity, and that is not energized unless the acquisition unit is obtaining electricity; An ear attachment comprising:

2. An output unit that outputs a signal indicating the temperature when the heat generating unit is in a heat generating state is further provided. The earpiece according to claim 1 .

3. The output unit outputs a detection result of a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the heat-generating unit. The ear wearing device according to claim 2 .

4. When the acquisition unit is receiving electricity, the acquisition unit stops receiving electricity if a predetermined condition is satisfied with respect to a detection result from a first temperature detection unit that detects an internal temperature of the ear wearing device and a detection result from a second temperature detection unit that detects an outer surface temperature of the ear wearing device. The earpiece according to claim 1 .

5. The temperature of the heat generating unit is controlled depending on whether the acquisition unit acquires electricity. The earpiece according to claim 1 .

6. further comprising a planar portion on which the acquisition unit and the output unit are provided, 4. The ear wearing device according to claim 2 or 3.

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