Muffler

Abstract

To provide a silencer for reducing the volume of a cry transmitted to the surroundings by silencing the cry generated by an animal.SOLUTION: In the muffler 10, the area of the outlet opening 16 is smaller than the area of the inlet opening 14. The side wall 12 extends from the inlet opening 14 to the outlet opening 16, the cylinder inner space 20 is defined by the inner wall of the extending side wall 12, at least a part of the extending side wall 12 is the tapered cylinder wall part 18 in which the diameter of the long cylindrical body is tapered from the inlet opening 14 toward the outlet opening 16, and the short length of the part of the cylinder inner space 20 defined by the inner wall of the side wall 12 of the part corresponding to the tapered cylinder wall part 18 is also tapered from the inlet opening 14 toward the outlet opening 16. A sound absorbing material 28 is laid on the inner wall of a part corresponding to at least the tapered cylindrical wall part 18 out of the inner wall of the side wall 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to sound mufflers, and more particularly to mufflers that reduce the volume of barking produced by animals such as dogs. [Background technology]

[0002] In modern society, there are a considerable number of people who keep dogs as pets. However, dogs bark for a variety of reasons. If their barking echoes through the neighborhood, it can become a nuisance for the neighbors. Dog owners also worry that their barking will cause a nuisance to their neighbors.

[0003] In view of such problems, muzzles that are attached to the muzzle of a dog to prevent the dog from barking are known. By attaching such a muzzle to a dog's muzzle, even a dog that has not been sufficiently trained not to bark unnecessarily or a dog with dementia will not be able to bark. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3020668 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-9817 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, all of the muzzles disclosed in the above patent documents are designed to prevent a dog from opening its mouth to bark, which causes a great deal of stress for the dog when it is unable to open its mouth. Therefore, there is a demand for devices that prevent dog barking from reverberating around the area while not causing stress to the dog.

[0006] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a silencer that does not specifically suppress the barking of animals such as dogs, but reduces the volume of the barking transmitted to the surrounding area by muffling the barking as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a silencer having a side wall of a long cylindrical body that constitutes the main body of the silencer, an inlet opening defined by one end of the side wall is formed at one end of the side wall, and an outlet opening defined by the other end of the side wall is formed at the other end of the side wall, the area of ​​the outlet opening is smaller than the area of ​​the inlet opening, the side wall extends from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, an intra-cylindrical space is defined by the inner wall of the extending side wall, at least a portion of the extending side wall is a tapered cylindrical wall portion in which the diameter of the long cylindrical body becomes narrower as it extends from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, the short side length of the portion of the intra-cylindrical space defined by the inner wall of the side wall at the part corresponding to the tapered cylindrical wall portion also tapers as it extends from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and a sound-absorbing material is laid on the inner wall of at least the part of the side wall that corresponds to the tapered cylindrical wall portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a unique effect is achieved in that the sounds made by animals are muted and the volume of the sounds transmitted to the surrounding area is reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a silencer according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of the silencer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view of the embodiment of the silencer shown in FIG. 1 as seen from one side. [Figure 4] 4 is another side view of the embodiment of the silencer shown in FIG. 1, taken from the opposite side to that of FIG. 3. [Figure 5]2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the silencer shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of use of the embodiment of the silencer shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, one embodiment of the silencer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The silencer 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a device manufactured primarily for the purpose of silencing dog barks, and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, its main body has a generally elongated cylindrical shape. Therefore, it can be said that the main body of the silencer 10 constitutes the side wall 12 of the elongated cylindrical body.

[0011] The material forming the main body of the silencer 10 may be any material that is excellent at maintaining the shape of a substantially elongated cylinder, but it is particularly preferable to use a material that is as light as possible. In particular, forming the main body of the silencer 10 using a synthetic resin material is suitable from the viewpoint of appropriate hardness and lightness. In addition, it is preferable that the thickness of the side wall 12 of the elongated cylinder that forms the main body of the silencer 10 is uniform.

[0012] The silencer 10 has a generally cylindrical shape, and openings 14 and 16 are formed at both ends of the side wall 12 of the main body, which extends in the longitudinal direction and is defined by the end portions of the side wall 12. The opening 16 has a smaller opening area than the opening 14.

[0013] The dimensions of the opening area of ​​opening 14 (the "diameter" in the case of a circular opening as in the embodiment of the attached drawings) are such that the muzzle of the dog intended for use can be completely inserted, and that the dog with the muzzle inserted in opening 14 is not hindered from opening and closing its mouth. In other words, the dog with the muzzle inserted in opening 14 is not restricted from barking. Since opening 14 serves as the entrance for the dog's muzzle, this opening 14 will be referred to as entrance opening 14 in the following description.

[0014] On the other hand, opening 16 serves as an exit for sound when a dog with a muzzle inserted in entrance opening 14 makes a sound such as barking. Therefore, this opening 16 will be referred to as exit opening 16 in the following explanation. By providing exit opening 16 on the longitudinal opposite side of entrance opening 14, comfortable breathing is ensured for a dog with a muzzle inserted in entrance opening 14.

[0015] The size relationship between the inlet opening 14 and the outlet opening 16 is clearly depicted in Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a side view of the silencer 10 as viewed from the inlet opening 14 side, and Figure 4 is a side view of the silencer 10 as viewed from the outlet opening 16 side. In Figure 3, the entire outlet opening 16 can be seen when looking at the opposite longitudinal direction of the silencer 10 from the inlet opening 14 side, while in Figure 4, the entire inlet opening 14 cannot be seen when looking at the opposite longitudinal direction of the silencer 10 from the outlet opening 16 side.

[0016] The side wall 12, which is the main body of the silencer 10, includes at least a tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 in which the diameter, i.e., the short side length, of the cylindrical body gradually tapers from the inlet opening 14 toward the outlet opening 16 (see FIG. 2 in particular). The shape of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 may be, but is not limited to, a shape that always tapers at a constant rate, like the side wall surface of a frustum. For example, as in the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 may extend substantially parallel to each other like the side wall surfaces of a cylinder from the inlet opening 14 toward the outlet opening 16, and then gradually taper from that point on. Furthermore, for reasons such as fitting to the shape of a dog's muzzle, particularly the shape when the mouth is open, it may have a portion that tapers slightly as it extends longitudinally from the inlet opening 14. The essential structural feature of the shape of the side wall 12, which is the main body of the silencer 10, is that at least a portion of it tapers as it extends longitudinally from the inlet opening 14, and as a result, when comparing the end portion of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 on the inlet opening 14 side with the end portion on the outlet opening 16 side, the end portion of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 on the outlet opening 16 side is narrower, regardless of the shape during extension.

[0017] The side wall 12, which is the main body of the silencer 10, extends from the inlet opening 14 to the outlet opening 16, and since the side wall 12 has the above-mentioned shape including the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18, an in-cylinder space 20 defined by the inner wall of the side wall 12 is formed inside the side wall 12 of the silencer 10. The spatial shape of the in-cylinder space 20 also becomes a tapered space as a whole in accordance with the shape of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18.

[0018] The side wall 12, which is the main body of the silencer 10, may be composed only of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. However, as shown in the embodiment of the accompanying drawings, it may also include a grip portion 22 in addition to the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. In this embodiment, the grip portion 22 is provided adjacent to the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 on the tapered outlet opening 16 side of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. The grip portion 22 has dimensions and a shape that allow a user of the silencer 10 to easily grip the silencer 10. The interior of the grip portion 22 is hollow, like the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18, and a continuous intra-cylinder space 20 continues from the internal cavity of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. In this embodiment, the outer and inner diameters of the grip portion 22 are approximately the same as the outer and inner diameters of the tapered end of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. Therefore, the transverse spatial width of the intra-cylinder space 20 extending from the tapered side of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 through the grip portion 22 is approximately constant.

[0019] As in the present embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the main body of the silencer 10 may be provided with a grip end 24 in addition to the grip portion 22. The grip end 24 in this embodiment is a part that constitutes the tip of the grip portion 22 on the outlet opening 16 side, and is hollow inside like the grip portion 22. In other words, a continuous intra-cylinder space 20 extends inside the silencer 10 from the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18 to the grip portion 22 and then to the grip end 24. The diameter of the grip end 24, i.e., the length in the short direction, is wider than the diameter of the grip portion 22. By providing the grip end 24 of the grip portion 22 in the silencer 10 according to the present invention, the silencer 10 is less likely to slip from the hand of a user holding the grip portion 22.

[0020] With the configuration of the silencer 10 as described above, the diameter, i.e., the length in the short direction, of the in-cylinder space 20 in the silencer 10 gradually narrows overall as it moves from the inlet opening 14 to the outlet opening 16. However, depending on the shapes of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18, the grip portion 22, or the grip end 24, there may be some locations where the diameter of the in-cylinder space 20 expands, but this configuration is acceptable.

[0021] Attaching a carrying string 26 to the silencer 10 is preferable in terms of making it easier for the user to handle and store the silencer 10. In this embodiment, the carrying string 26 is fastened around the outer periphery near the connection between the grip portion 22 and the grip end 24.

[0022] A sound-absorbing material 28 that absorbs sound and reduces sound reflection is laid on the inner wall of the side wall 12 of the silencer 10 that faces the cylindrical space 20, particularly on the inner wall surface of the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. The sound-absorbing material 28 is laid on the inner wall of the silencer 10, for example, by attaching a sheet-like sound-absorbing material to the inner wall of the main body (i.e., the side wall 12), as shown in FIG. 5. The sheet-like sound-absorbing material attached inside the silencer 10 may be, for example, a known sound-absorbing sheet that has a porous structure and converts sound energy resulting from vibrations when sound enters its many pores into heat energy. The sound-absorbing performance of the silencer 10 can be further improved by using a material with high sound insulation properties as the material for forming the main body of the silencer 10, or by adding a highly sound-insulating material to the inner wall of the main body of the silencer 10 by coating, attaching, or the like, and then laying the sound-absorbing material 28 on top of that.

[0023] Although it can be said that the sound-absorbing material 28 laid on the inner wall of the main body of the silencer 10 is preferably laid on the entire inner wall of the side wall 12, this is not necessarily required. As long as the sound-absorbing material 28 is laid on the inner wall of the main body defining the intra-cylindrical space 20 of the silencer 10 from the inlet opening 14 to at least the wall surface defining the narrowest portion of the intra-cylindrical space 20 in the short direction (width), the silencer 10 can exhibit sufficiently excellent sound absorption and, in turn, soundproofing performance. This means that the silencer 10 can exhibit sufficiently excellent soundproofing performance if the sound-absorbing material 28 is laid on at least the inner wall surface of the side wall 12 in the portion corresponding to the tapered cylindrical wall portion 18. If the sound-absorbing material 28 is laid in this manner, not only the sound vibrations that spread over a wide range but also most of the sound vibrations that travel in a straight line will collide with the sound-absorbing material 28 before passing through the outlet opening 16. It is to be noted that the sound absorbing material 28 laid on the inner wall of the main body of the silencer 10 may be laid on the outer wall of the cylinder, with a portion of it protruding from the inner wall of the cylinder of the silencer 10. For example, the sound absorbing material 28 may be laid on the side wall 12 of the silencer 10 so as to be wrapped around the entire inner and outer walls of the side wall 12 of the silencer 10.

[0024] The silencer 10 preferably has a buffer 30 fixedly or detachably attached to it so as to cover the end surface of the tapered cylindrical wall 18 on the side that defines the inlet opening 14. The area near the end surface of the tapered cylindrical wall 18 on the inlet opening 14 side is likely to come into contact with the base of the dog's muzzle when the silencer 10 is placed over the dog's muzzle. As described above, the tapered cylindrical wall 18 is formed of a material with a certain degree of hardness, such as a synthetic resin, so that it can maintain its approximately elongated cylindrical shape. Therefore, if the buffer 30 is placed over the area where contact is expected and its surrounding area to prevent pain at the base of the dog's muzzle when the silencer 10 is placed over it, it is believed that the dog wearing the silencer 10 will not feel any discomfort.

[0025] The cushioning body 30 is preferably made of a material that is moderately flexible and pleasant to the touch. Suitable materials for forming the cushioning body 30 include, for example, cotton fabric, woolen fabric, and silk fabric. Alternatively, the cushioning body 30 may be made by first forming one of these fabrics into a bag shape, filling the bag with a highly elastic material such as feathers, sponge, or powder beads, and then sealing the bag.

[0026] Next, an example of use of an embodiment of the silencer 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a front view of one embodiment of the silencer 10 when the silencer 10 is placed over the muzzle of a dog 50, and the muzzle of the dog 50, which is inserted into the cylindrical space 20 through the inlet opening 14 and cannot be seen from the outside, is shown by a dotted line.

[0027] The silencer 10 according to the present invention does not include any particular device for holding the silencer 10 in a state where it is fitted onto the dog's muzzle. Therefore, the silencer 10 is used on the dog 50 by a person such as the owner of the dog 50 holding the dog 50 with one arm and using the other hand to pass the dog's 50's muzzle through the entrance opening 14 from the outside of the silencer 10, thereby placing the dog's 50's muzzle into the intra-cylindrical space 20 within the silencer 10.

[0028] In this way, by having a human hand place the silencer 10 on the muzzle of the dog 50, it is possible to prevent the barking of the dog 50 from reverberating around, while still allowing physical contact between the dog 50 and the human. Furthermore, for the dog 50 that has the silencer 10 placed on it, the silencer 10 does not restrict the opening and closing of the dog 50's mouth, and the dog 50 can bark as much as it likes, so the dog 50 does not experience stress due to behavioral restraints, and instead it serves as a stress relief.

[0029] In particular, the embodiment of the silencer 10 according to the present invention is intended primarily for use with elderly dogs with dementia. Generally, such elderly dogs do not try to remove the silencer 10 from their muzzles. Therefore, the absence of a device for securing and holding the silencer 10 on the dog 50 does not impair convenience.

[0030] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions of components are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims, or that equivalents to the above-described embodiments may be constructed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10 Silencer 12 (Main body) side wall 14 Inlet opening 16 Outlet opening 18 Tapered tube wall 20 Cylinder space 22 Grip section 24 Grip end 28 Sound-absorbing material 30 Buffer

Claims

1. A side wall of a long cylindrical body that constitutes the main body of the silencer, one end of the side wall defines an inlet opening defined by the one end of the side wall; the other end of the side wall defines an outlet opening defined by the other end of the side wall; the area of ​​the outlet opening is smaller than the area of ​​the inlet opening; The side wall extends from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and an inner wall of the extending side wall defines an in-cylinder space, At least a portion of the extending side wall is a tapered tubular wall portion in which the diameter of the elongated tubular body decreases from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, a short side length of a portion of the cylindrical space defined by the inner wall of the side wall at a portion corresponding to the tapered cylindrical wall portion also tapers from the inlet opening toward the outlet opening, A silencer characterized in that a sound absorbing material is laid on the inner wall of at least a portion of the side wall that corresponds to the tapered cylindrical wall portion.

2. 2. The silencer according to claim 1, wherein a buffer body is provided at one end of said side wall defining said inlet opening so as to cover the surface of said one end.

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