Earmuffs

Abstract

To provide earmuffs that do not get in the way even when using a visor, and that do not come off during work because a bone conduction microphone is fixed in close contact with the wearer's skin by the cushion of the ear pad, and that allow a wearer to hear sounds from a normal speaker naturally within a housing.SOLUTION: Earmuffs include a speaker 14 provided in a recess in a housing 11 facing an ear canal, a bone conduction microphone 13 provided in an ear pad 12 and in close contact with the skin, a drive circuit 15 that connects the speaker 14 and the bone conduction microphone 13 and is provided in the recess in the housing 11, and wiring 20a, 20b that connects the drive circuit 15 and a wireless communication device 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to earmuffs with bone conduction microphones attached to ear pads, and more particularly to earmuffs in which the bone conduction microphones are tightly fitted and do not come off, enabling voice communication in high noise environments. [Background technology]

[0002] [Prior Art] Conventionally, workers have been required to wear earmuffs when working in noisy environments. To facilitate communication between workers, some earmuffs have built-in speakers and a microphone attached near the mouth.

[0003] The microphone used was a boom microphone with noise canceling function. Some devices also use bone conduction microphones instead of boom microphones.

[0004] [Related Technology] Related prior art documents include Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-245580 "Audio Communication Device in MRI Apparatus" (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-307124 "Audio Communication Device in MRI Apparatus" (Patent Document 2).

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a voice communication device, in which earmuffs are used in an MRI device, with a bone conduction speaker provided in the ear pad and a bone conduction microphone inserted into the ear canal.

[0006] Patent Document 2 shows a structure for performing communication using infrared communication in the structure of the audio communication device of Patent Document 1 above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-245580 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-307124 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, with the above-mentioned conventional earmuffs, when a face guard visor is also used at the same time, the microphone located near the mouth can get in the way and fall off, and when the wearer of the bone conduction microphone performs a task that requires movement, the bone conduction microphone can fall off from the wearing position.Furthermore, when a bone conduction microphone and a bone conduction speaker are used at the same time, both are bone conduction, making it difficult to hear the sound from the bone conduction speaker.

[0009] In addition, Patent Documents 1 and 2 are designed for use in a stationary MRI device, and the bone conduction microphone is inserted into the ear canal. Therefore, when performing a task that requires movement, if the housing is not attached in the correct position, the bone conduction microphone will not come into contact with the ear canal. Furthermore, when both the bone conduction microphone and the bone conduction speaker are used at the same time, it can be difficult to hear the sound.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide earmuffs that do not get in the way even when using a visor, that have a bone conduction microphone that is fixed in close contact with the wearer's skin by the cushions of the ear pads, that do not cause the bone conduction microphone to come off during work, and that allow the wearer to hear sound from a normal speaker naturally within the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention, which solves the problems of the above-mentioned conventional examples, is earmuffs to be used in noisy environments, and is characterized by having a bowl-shaped housing that covers the ears, circular ear pads attached to the circumferential edge of the housing, a speaker provided inside a recess in the housing, a bone conduction microphone attached to the ear pads, and a drive circuit provided inside the recess in the housing that drives the speaker and bone conduction microphone and connects them to a communication device.

[0012] The present invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned earmuffs, the bone conduction microphone is attached to a circular ear pad at a position below the ear.

[0013] The present invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned earmuffs, the bone conduction microphone is attached to the ear pad in a clip-type manner.

[0014] The present invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned earmuffs, the bone conduction microphone is embedded in the ear pad by drilling a hole in the ear pad.

[0015] The present invention is characterized in that the earmuffs are of a headphone type or a helmet-attached type. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, earmuffs have a bowl-shaped housing that covers the ears, circular ear pads attached to the circumferential edge of the housing, a speaker located inside the recess of the housing, a bone conduction microphone attached to the ear pads, and a drive circuit located inside the recess of the housing that drives the speaker and bone conduction microphone and connects to a communication device.Since the bone conduction microphone is pressed and fixed to the wearer by the ear pads, the bone conduction microphone will not come off the wearer, and natural sound can be heard through the speaker located in the recess of the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the earmuffs. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of each part connected to a drive circuit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the installation of a bone conduction microphone. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a driving circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Outline of the embodiment] The earmuffs according to an embodiment of the present invention (the present earmuffs) comprise a speaker located in a recess in the housing that generates sound by vibrating a diaphragm with electromagnetic force, a bone conduction microphone located in the ear pad, a drive circuit that connects the speaker and the bone conduction microphone and is located in the recess in the housing, and wiring that connects the drive circuit to a communication device.The bone conduction microphone is fixed in close contact with the wearer's skin by the cushion of the ear pad, so the bone conduction microphone will not come off the wearer, and the wearer can hear natural sounds through the speaker located in the recess in the housing.

[0019] [Earmuffs: Figures 1 and 2] The earmuffs will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the earmuffs, and Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of each part connected to the drive circuit. As shown in FIG. 1, the earmuffs basically include a housing 11, ear pads 12, a speaker 13, a bone conduction microphone 14, and a drive circuit 15.

[0020] Next, each part of the earmuffs will be described. [Housing 11] The housing 11 is cup-shaped and covers the ears, and is made of a material that blocks external sounds, such as plastic. The ears are fitted into the cup-shaped recess of the housing 11 .

[0021] A cover 11a that allows sound to pass through is formed between the speaker 13 in the housing 11 and the ear. FIG. 1 shows a headphone type, in which the left and right housings 11 are connected by a connecting part along the head.

[0022] [Ear pad 12] The ear pads 12 are attached to the rim of the cup-shaped circumference of the housing 11, and are circular in shape, made of a flexible material that adheres well to the skin, such as urethane, sponge, or vinyl. The ear pads 12 can be attached and detached from the housing 11.

[0023] [Speaker 13] The speaker 13 generates sound by vibrating a diaphragm with electromagnetic force, and is provided at the lower center of the cup-shaped recess of the housing 11, so as to generate sound toward the ear canal. As shown in FIG. 2, the speaker 13 is connected to a driving circuit 15 via a wire 15a.

[0024] [Bone conduction microphone 14] The bone conduction microphone 14 is a bone conduction microphone and is provided on the ear pad 12. There are various attachment methods, such as a grip method and an embedded method, and details will be described later. The bone conduction microphone 14 is attached to the ear pad 12 and is fixed in close contact with the wearer's skin by being pressed against it by the cushion of the ear pad 12, so that the bone conduction microphone 14 does not come off the wearer's skin. As shown in FIG. 2, the bone conduction microphone 14 is connected to a driving circuit 15 via a wire 15b.

[0025] [Driver circuit 15] The driving circuit 15 is a circuit that drives the speaker 13 and the bone conduction microphone 14, and is connected to them by wires 15a and 15b. As shown in FIG. 2, the audio signal input to the speaker 13 is input to the drive circuit 15 from the communication device 20 via a wiring 20a.

[0026] Furthermore, the audio signal output from the bone conduction microphone 14 is output to the communication device 20 via a wire 20b, as shown in FIG. The details of the drive circuit 15 will be described later.

[0027] [How these earmuffs work] The earmuffs are connected to a communication device 20, receive an audio signal from the outside through communication, and output the received audio signal to a drive circuit 15 via a wiring 20a. The received audio signal is processed by the driver circuit 15, amplified, and output to the speaker 13.

[0028] Furthermore, the communication device 20 receives an audio signal from the bone conduction microphone 14 via the wiring 20b from the drive circuit 15 and transmits it to the outside via communication. The earmuffs connected to the communication device 20 communicate with the outside in the manner described above.

[0029] [Installation of bone conduction microphone 14: Figure 3] The attachment of the bone conduction microphone 14 to the ear pad 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an explanatory schematic diagram showing the attachment of the bone conduction microphone. Fig. 3(a) shows the clip type, and Fig. 3(b) shows the embedded type. As an alternative to the method shown in FIG. 3, the ear pad 12 and the bone conduction microphone 14 may be fixed together with double-sided tape.

[0030] [Clip Format] One method of attaching the bone conduction microphone 14 to the ear pad 12 is to fix it with a clip 14a (clip type) as shown in FIG. 3(a). In the clip type, a clip 14 a is attached to the back of the bone conduction microphone 14 , and the clip 14 a clamps the inner peripheral edge of the ear pad 12 to fix the bone conduction microphone 14 to the ear pad 12 . This clip type does not require any processing of the ear pad 12, making it easy to attach and remove.

[0031] [Built-in type] Another mounting method is to drill a hole 12a in part of the ear pad 12 and embed the bone conduction microphone 14 in the hole 12a (embedded type), as shown in Figure 3(b). Although it is an embedded type, it can also be easily removed. If a rubber ring 12b is provided around the embedded bone conduction microphone 14 to separate it from the ear pad 12, bone conduction audio signals can be picked up more easily.

[0032] [Installation position of bone conduction microphone 14] The bone conduction microphone 14 may be attached anywhere on the circumference of the ear pad 12, but a position above or below the ear is preferable, and a lower position is particularly optimal.

[0033] In particular, the bone conduction microphone 14 is provided inside the earmuff body so as not to protrude outside the earmuff body. If the bone conduction microphone 14 is provided at a position lower than the upper part of the ear, it is easier to pick up sound since it is closer to the throat, and a louder volume can be obtained.

[0034] [Outline of the drive circuit 15: Figure 4] Next, the outline of the drive circuit 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the drive circuit. As shown in FIG. 4, the driving circuit 15 includes an input terminal 151 for inputting an audio signal from the communication device 20, an amplifier unit 152 for amplifying the audio signal, an output terminal 153 for outputting the amplified audio signal to the speaker 13, an input terminal 154 for inputting an audio signal from the bone conduction microphone 14, a signal processing unit 155 for amplifying and signal processing the audio signal, an output terminal 156 for outputting the signal-processed audio signal to the communication device 20, and a switch (SW) 157 for transmitting the audio signal from the bone conduction microphone 14.

[0035] The switch 157 is connected to the signal processing unit 155 , and when the switch 157 is turned on, the signal processing unit 155 operates to output an amplified audio signal to the output terminal 156 .

[0036] The operation of the drive circuit 15 is such that when an audio signal from the communication device 20 is input to the input terminal 151, the audio signal is amplified by the amplifier 152, and the amplified audio signal is output to the speaker 13 via the output terminal 153.

[0037] In addition, when the switch 157 for transmitting the audio signal from the bone conduction microphone 14 is operated, the audio signal from the bone conduction microphone 14 is input to the input terminal 154, the audio signal is amplified and processed by the signal processing unit 155, and the processed audio signal is output to the communication device 20 via the output terminal 156.

[0038] The switch 157 may also be connected to the amplifier 152, so that when the switch 157 is turned on, the operation of the amplifier 152 is stopped and the audio output from the speaker 13 is stopped. The processing in the drive circuit 15 is carried out as described above.

[0039] [Earmuff type] There are three types of earmuffs: headphone type, helmet-mounted type, and neck type. In the headphone type, the left and right housings 11 are connected on the head by a headband.

[0040] The helmet-mounted type is provided with a mounting slot for mounting the housing 11 to the helmet, and the mounting portion attached to the housing 11 is inserted into the slot and fixed. The neck type is a type in which the housings 11 are connected to each other at the back of the neck.

[0041] [Advantages of this embodiment] The earmuffs comprise a speaker 14 that is provided in a recess in the housing 11 and faces the ear canal, a bone conduction microphone 13 that is provided in the ear pad 12 and fits closely to the skin, a drive circuit 15 that connects the speaker 14 and the bone conduction microphone 13 and is provided in a recess in the housing 11, and wiring 20a, 20b that connects the drive circuit 15 and the wireless communication device 20. The bone conduction microphone 13 does not come off the wearer, and natural sounds can be heard through the normal speaker 14 provided in the recess in the housing 11, which has the effect of making it easier to hear as the sound entering the bone conduction microphone 13 can be distinguished from the sound coming out of the speaker 14.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the present earmuffs, the bone conduction microphone 14 is attached to the ear pad 12 and is located inside the earmuff body that covers the ear, which has the effect of significantly reducing external noise.

[0043] Furthermore, while conventional boom microphones can pick up wind noise, these earmuffs have a bone conduction microphone 14 located inside the earmuff body that covers the ears, which prevents wind noise from being picked up and allows for clear voice pickup. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The present invention is suitable for earmuffs that do not get in the way even when a visor is used, and the bone conduction microphone is fixed in close contact with the wearer's skin by the cushion of the ear pad, so that the bone conduction microphone does not come off during work, and allows the wearer to hear sound from a normal speaker naturally within the housing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 11...housing, 11a...cover, 12...ear pad, 12a...hole, 12b...ring, 13...speaker, 14...bone conduction microphone, 14a...clip, 15...drive circuit, 15a, 15b...wiring, 20...communication device, 20a, 20b...wiring, 151...input terminal, 152...amplifier, 153...output terminal, 154...input terminal, 155...signal processing unit, 156...output terminal, 157...switch (SW)

Claims

1. An earmuff for use in a noisy environment, A bowl-shaped housing that covers the ears, a circumferentially shaped ear pad attached to the circumferential edge of the housing; a speaker provided inside the recess of the housing; a bone conduction microphone attached to the ear pad; The earmuffs further comprise a drive circuit provided inside the recess of the housing, for driving the speaker and the bone conduction microphone and connecting them to a communication device.

2. 2. The earmuff according to claim 1, wherein the bone conduction microphone is attached to the circular ear pad at a position below the ear.

3. 3. The earmuff according to claim 1, wherein the bone conduction microphone is attached to the ear pad in a clip-type manner.

4. 3. The earmuff according to claim 1, wherein the bone conduction microphone is embedded in the ear pad by drilling a hole in the ear pad.

5. 3. The earmuff according to claim 1, wherein the earmuff is a headphone type or a helmet-attached type.

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