Pacifier and pacifier system

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a pacifier capable of transmitting a relaxing body sound directly from the jaw of an infant or the like.　A pacifier (100) having a nipple member (102) in a main body (101) comprises: a jaw vibration transmission unit (111) disposed inside the nipple member (102); a relaxing body sound generation unit (108) for generating a relaxing body sound; and a vibration generation unit (110) for generating vibration on the basis of the relaxing body sound and transmitting the vibration to the jaw vibration transmission unit (111). The relaxing body sound generation unit (108) has an acquisition unit (135) for acquiring a body sound generated by a mother's body as a relaxing body sound and a relaxing body sound conversion unit (133) for converting the body sound into vibration information.

Description

Pacifier and pacifier system

[0001] The present invention relates to a pacifier and a pacifier system.

[0002] Pacifiers have been used for a long time, and in recent years, research has revealed the following effects: When an infant or young child is nursing, if a nipple or other device is placed in the "sucking cavity," a depression in the upper jaw, a "sucking reflex" is triggered, and the infant or young child begins peristaltic movements of the tongue.

[0003] For this reason, it has become clear that pacifiers have the effect of satisfying the sucking reflex of infants and young children, and this effect promotes mental and physical relaxation for infants and young children. On the other hand, sound and music attract infants' attention. Patent Document 1 discloses a device that allows infants and young children to feel this music.

[0004] The musical pacifier of Patent Document 1 provides a musical pacifier that transmits sound vibrations directly to the baby's ears through the baby's jaw. Specifically, it includes a pacifier frame, a nipple located on one side of the frame, and a housing located on another side of the frame. The housing contains a music IC and power supply, an insulating housing, and a vibration transducer. The insulating housing, made of a soft material, is used to insulate vibrations. The vibration transducer is used to convert pre-stored music into vibrations. The vibration transducer is located within the housing. The vibration transducer is connected to the music IC. A vibration tongue is used to transmit vibrations generated by the vibration transducer to the baby's jaw. The vibration tongue includes a contact portion of the vibration transducer within the housing and a tongue that protrudes from the housing and extends into the nipple.

[0005] Utility Model Registration No. 3169145

[0006] However, the pacifier in Patent Document 1 has what is called a vibrating tongue inside the nipple, and transmits music from a music IC to this vibrating tongue via a vibration transducer, so it is not effective in providing relaxation to infants and young children.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a pacifier that is lightweight and capable of transmitting relaxing internal body sounds directly to the jaw of an infant or young child.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and the invention of claim 1 is a pacifier having a nipple portion as a main body portion, and comprising a jaw vibration transmission portion arranged inside the nipple portion, a relaxing internal sound generation portion that generates relaxing internal sounds, and a vibration generation portion that generates vibrations based on the relaxing internal sounds and transmits them to the jaw vibration transmission portion, and the relaxing internal sound generation portion has an acquisition portion that acquires the internal sounds generated by the mother as the relaxing internal sounds, and a relaxing internal sound conversion portion that converts them into vibration information.

[0009] The invention of claim 2 is the above-mentioned pacifier, wherein the relaxing internal body sound generation unit has a memory unit that stores the relaxing internal body sounds, and multiple types of relaxing internal sounds are stored, and a selected one of the relaxing internal body sounds is generated to execute the relaxing internal body sound conversion unit.

[0010] The invention according to claim 3 is the pacifier described above, wherein the relaxing internal body sound is the heart sound of the mother or the sound of fetal movement.

[0011] The invention of claim 4 is the pacifier as described above, which has a posture sensor and a three-axis coordinate system that defines the posture of the infant holding the pacifier in a three-axis coordinate system, and notifies the infant of the posture of the infant.

[0012] The invention of claim 5 is a pacifier system having a pacifier having a nipple portion as its main body portion, and a mobile terminal, and is equipped with a jaw vibration transmission portion arranged inside the nipple portion, a relaxing internal sound generation portion that generates relaxing internal sounds, and a vibration generation portion that generates vibrations based on the relaxing internal sounds and transmits them to the jaw vibration transmission portion, wherein the relaxing internal sound generation portion has an acquisition portion that acquires the internal sounds generated by the mother as the relaxing internal sounds and a relaxing internal sound conversion portion that converts these into vibration information, and the mobile terminal has an acquisition portion that acquires the internal sounds of the mother from a sound-collecting microphone as the relaxing internal sounds, a communication portion that communicates with the pacifier and stores the relaxing internal sounds in the memory portion, and a playback portion that communicates with the pacifier and plays back the relaxing internal sounds in the memory portion.

[0013] The invention of claim 6 is the above-mentioned pacifier system, in which the relaxing internal body sound generation unit has a memory unit that stores the relaxing internal body sounds, and multiple types of relaxing internal body sounds are stored, and one of the selected relaxing internal body sounds is generated to execute the relaxing internal body sound conversion unit.

[0014] The invention according to claim 7 is the pacifier system, wherein the relaxing internal body sound is the mother's heart sound or the sound of fetal movement.

[0015] The invention of claim 8 is the above-mentioned pacifier system, wherein the pacifier has a posture sensor, and is equipped with a transmitting unit that transmits data from the posture sensor to the mobile terminal, and a three-axis coordinate system that defines the posture of the infant holding the pacifier in a three-axis coordinate system, and displays the posture of the infant on a screen.

[0016] As described above, the pacifier device of the present invention can efficiently transmit relaxing internal body sounds to the infant's jaw, allowing the infant to relax and sleep. It is particularly effective because it transmits the mother's heartbeat or fetal movement sounds to the jaw. Furthermore, the pacifier system of the present invention stores and plays back relaxing internal body sounds in the pacifier device using a mobile device, allowing parents, for example, to put their infant to sleep at a time of their choice, even when they are far away.

[0017] The drawings show specific embodiments of the present invention according to the present disclosure, including essential features of the invention as well as alternative and preferred embodiments. A perspective view of a pacifier. A cross-sectional view of a pacifier. A cross-sectional view of a variation of a pacifier. A schematic diagram of a computer section. A schematic diagram of a pacifier system. A system diagram illustrating the collection of relaxing body sounds. A diagram of a computer section of a pacifier system.

[0018] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention, and therefore various technically preferable limitations are applied. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects unless otherwise specified in the following description to the effect that the present invention is specifically limited. Furthermore, in each drawing, similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted where appropriate.

[0019] 1 and 2, a pacifier device 100 of the present invention includes a main body 101 (the pacifier frame) made of hard plastic, a silica gel nipple 102 located on a first side of the main body 101 (the pacifier frame), and a vibration module located on a second side (opposite the first side) of the main body 101 (the pacifier frame). A hole is located in the main body 101 (the pacifier frame). The rear of the silica gel nipple 102 passes through the hole and contacts the second side of the main body 101 (the pacifier frame) via a protrusion 104 at its rear.

[0020] The vibration module is located on the second side of the main body 101, which is the frame of the pacifier, and includes a housing 105 that connects to the main body 101. A locking eye 106 is located on the second side of the main body 101, and a locking tab 107 is located on the housing 105. The locking tab 107 and the locking eye 106 fit together and are removable. If the nipple 102 needs to be cleaned, this can be done by removing the housing 105 from the main body 101. This prevents short circuits and damage to the electronic circuits in the housing 105.

[0021] The first through-hole is located within the locking tab 107 of the housing 105. A relaxation internal body sound generating unit 108 and a housing 109 used for isolating vibrations are located within the housing 105. A vibration transducer (vibration generating unit) 110 and a jaw vibration transmitting unit 111 are located within the housing 109. The housing 109 is made of a soft material such as rubber or silica gel. The housing 109 covers the vibration transducer 110 and the jaw vibration transmitting unit 111, allowing them to float within the housing 105. This dampens vibrations of these two components and prevents them from being transmitted to the housing 105 and the main body 101, thereby preventing resonance and sound generation.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 , there is a gap between the housing 109 and the relaxation body sound generating unit 108, and they do not contact each other. The housing 109 has a protrusion 112 that protrudes from a first through-hole in the locking eye 106 of the receiving portion 105. A second through-hole is located in the protrusion 112 of the housing 109. The vibration transducer 110 is located in the receiving portion 105, electrically connected to the relaxation body sound generating unit 108, and converts pre-stored sounds into vibrations. The jaw vibration transmitting unit 111 forms a "T"-shaped cross section. The contact portion contacts the arc vibration surface of the vibration transducer 110. When the vibration transducer 110 vibrates, it transmits the vibration to the jaw vibration transmitting unit 111.

[0023] The pacifier 100 includes a switch button 115 and a USB terminal 116 that connects to the relaxing internal body sound generator 108. The switch button 115 extends from the housing 105. When the switch button 115 is pressed, the relaxing internal body sound generator 108 is turned on, heart sounds and the like are emitted, and the jaw vibration transmitter 111 vibrates. When the switch button 115 is pressed again, the heart sounds and the like stop. The pacifier 100 can be recharged by connecting the relaxing internal body sound generator 108 to an external power source via the USB terminal 116, a USB 120, and a cable 121.

[0024] When a baby sucks the nipple 102, their teeth or jaws come into contact with the jaw vibration transmission unit 111 via the nipple 102, and pre-stored heart sounds and other sounds are transmitted by vibration to the baby's jaw and then to the baby's inner ear. This allows the baby to hear heart sounds, fetal movements, and other sounds. Since the housing 109 is made of a soft material, the vibrations are insulated. This prevents the sound from being transmitted outside by resonance with other parts of the pacifier. Surrounding people cannot hear the sound. As a result, the pacifier 100 is suitable for places where silence is required.

[0025] 2 and 3 , pacifier 100a comprises a main body (plastic) 101 that serves as a seat for nipple 102 (located above chin rest 125, described below; not shown in FIG. 2 ), and an L-shaped chin rest (plastic) 125 that rests against the infant's chin and is connected below main body 101. Nipple 102 is formed with a hardness equivalent to that of a baby bottle nipple, taking into consideration factors such as hardness and thickness. Examples of suitable materials include thermoplastic elastomers such as silicone rubber, isoprene rubber, natural rubber, and polypropylene. This configuration prevents danger even when the infant lies face down.

[0026] The relationship between the chin contact portion 125 and the relaxing internal body sound generating unit 108 will be explained using Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the chin contact portion 125 is an integrated unit consisting of an L-shaped portion that fits under the chin and a T-shaped protrusion that fits toward the relaxing internal body sound generating unit 108. A piezoelectric element portion 130 is attached to the surface of this T-shaped protrusion. Therefore, since no transducer (metal diaphragm), coil, or magnet is used, it is small and lightweight.

[0027] The chin rest 125 preferably has a vertical length of 15 mm to 30 mm and a horizontal width of approximately 10 mm to 25 mm (for S, M, and L sizes). Meanwhile, the relaxing internal body sound generator 108 has a computer section 108a provided inside. This computer section 108a and the T-shaped protrusion are covered by a housing (plastic) 105. Furthermore, the housing 105 is provided with a switch button 115 for starting or stopping the computer section 108a, a USB connector 136a for attaching a USB cable, and the like. It is advisable to provide suitable air holes in the housing 105.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the computer section 108a. The computer section 108a is provided in the relaxing internal body sound generating section 108. As shown in Fig. 3, the computer section 108a is made up of an MPU (microprocessor unit) 131, a memory section 132 that stores relaxing internal body sounds, etc., a charging section 134, a vibration information converting section 133 that converts sound into vibration information, an acquiring section 135 that acquires internal body sounds such as heart sounds and fetal movement sounds, etc., and these are connected to a USB connector 136a.

[0029] The storage unit 132 stores multiple types of maternal heart sounds, fetal movement sounds, etc. For example, heart sounds for morning (6:00 to 7:00 or 8:00), midday (12:00 to 13:00), evening (17:00 to 18:00), night (10:00 to 11:00), etc. are stored. Alternatively, instead of heart sounds, fetal movement sounds when the fetus is in the womb may be collected using a stethoscope or the like and stored as multiple sounds as described above. Alternatively, multiple relaxing internal sounds may be stored. These sounds are collectively referred to as relaxing internal sounds in this embodiment.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a charging unit 134 is provided, and power from a USB connector 136 a is charged to a rechargeable battery. Meanwhile, when the switch button 115 is turned on, the program of the MPU 131 generates any of the relaxing internal body sounds stored in the storage unit 132, converts this generated signal, and outputs it to a vibration generating unit (piezoelectric element, etc.) 137.

[0031] The vibration generating unit (piezoelectric element, etc.) 137 vibrates with the power of this generated signal. As a result, this vibration is transmitted through the T-shaped protrusion (plastic) to the chin contact portion 125 in FIG. 2. This transmission is then transmitted to the chin of the infant, etc. Note that the selection and setting of the relaxing internal sounds described above is preferably performed using a smartphone, which will be described later.

[0032] <Embodiment 3> Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a pacifier system 199a according to embodiment 3. The aforementioned relaxing body sound selection function is preferably provided as an application for a smartphone 200 (mobile terminal) as shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, this application comprises a relaxing body sound generation button 201, a relaxing body sound storage button 202, a relaxing body sound selection button 203, a relaxing body sound on button 204, a relaxing body sound off button 205, etc.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6 , the sound collection microphone 300 is attached near the heart of the mother 400 and connected to the smartphone 200 via the USB cable 301 and USB terminal 302. The USB 120 is also connected to the relaxing internal body sound generation unit 108 of the pacifier device 100 via the USB terminal 152 and the USB cable 121. When the relaxing internal body sound generation button 201 is pressed, the app displays options (not shown) on the screen, such as morning (6:00 AM to 7:00 AM or 8:00 AM), afternoon (12:00 PM to 1:00 PM), evening (5:00 PM to 6:00 PM), and night (10:00 AM to 11:00 AM). The mother selects one of the options, the relaxing internal body sound selection button 203. The collected heart sounds, fetal movement sounds, etc., are associated with the date and time, and the associated options are stored in the storage unit 132 by pressing the relaxing internal body sound storage button 202 of the pacifier device 100.

[0034] The relaxing body sounds may be stored in the smartphone 200 without being connected to the relaxing body sound generating unit 108 of the pacifier device 100, and may be stored again after a few hours or at a later date by connecting the smartphone 200 to the relaxing body sound generating unit 108 of the pacifier device 100. Meanwhile, the mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, sibling or other person may connect to the relaxing body sound generating unit 108 of the pacifier device 100 with a USB cable 121 and select a suitable relaxing body sound from the screen of the smartphone 200.

[0035] With this selection, the app displays options (not shown) on the screen, such as morning (6:00-7:00 or 8:00), afternoon (12:00-13:00), evening (17:00-18:00), or night (10:00-11:00). The selector (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, sibling, or other person) observes the infant's condition and selects the relaxing internal body music item that they deem appropriate. The selected relaxing internal body sound (data) is transmitted via USB cable 121 and stored in memory unit 132 by MPU 131.

[0036] When the selector presses the switch button 115 on the pacifier 100, the MPU 131 plays back the relaxing body sounds stored in the memory unit 132 and outputs this playback signal to the vibration generating unit 110 or the piezoelectric element 137. The vibration generating unit 110 or the piezoelectric element 137 vibrates in response to this playback signal. This vibration is then transmitted to the infant's ear via the jaw vibration transmitting unit 111 or the T-shaped protrusion (plastic). This allows the mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, sibling, or even someone else to calm the infant down and put them to sleep. While the above embodiment describes turning the pacifier 100 on and off with a switch, a relaxing body sound on button 204 and a relaxing body sound off button 205 are displayed on the smartphone screen as shown in FIG. 4 , and these buttons may also be used to turn the pacifier on and off.

[0037] <Fourth Embodiment> Figure 7 is a configuration diagram of a computer unit 108b of a pacifier system 199b according to a fourth embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the computer unit 108b includes a posture sensor 138 and a Wi-Fi unit 136b (hereinafter referred to as a short-range wireless communication unit). The posture sensor 138 defines an orthogonal coordinate system of X, Y, and Z, and outputs data indicating the directions of the coordinate axes to the MPU 131. The MPU 131 communicates with the smartphone 200 via the short-range wireless communication unit 136b, and sets a mutual identification code and protocol. When a posture data request is received from the smartphone 200 via the short-range wireless communication unit 136b, the MPU 131 transmits the X, Y, and Z values, along with the date and time, to the smartphone 200 as posture data.

[0038] The smartphone 200 app displays a posture confirmation button (not shown) on the screen. When this posture confirmation button is pressed, the app transmits a posture request signal (smartphone identification code, short-range wireless communication unit identification code) and receives posture data from the pacifier 100. The smartphone app has a standard three-axis coordinate system for the infant and defines the XYZ of the posture data in this coordinate system. It then analyzes whether the infant is in a sideways position 206, a prone position 207, or a supine (normal) position 208, and displays the analysis result on the screen (see FIG. 6 ). Therefore, even from a distance, it is possible to confirm whether the infant is lying on their back, side, or prone, ensuring safety.

[0039] Furthermore, it is also possible to appropriately combine embodiments 1 to 4. In this way, since the baby can continue to hold the pacifier in its mouth, it is possible to calm the baby mentally, suppress crying, and reduce physical strain, and it is also possible to maintain or promote the sucking reflex and oral stimulation necessary for oral feeding.

[0040] 100 Pacifier 101 Main body 102 Nipple 108 Relaxation internal sound generating unit 110 Vibration transducer (vibration generating unit) 111 Jaw vibration transmitting unit

Claims

1. A pacifier having a nipple portion as a main body portion, comprising: a jaw vibration transmission portion arranged inside the nipple portion; a relaxing internal body sound generation portion that generates relaxing internal body sounds; and a vibration generation portion that generates vibrations based on the relaxing internal body sounds and transmits them to the jaw vibration transmission portion, wherein the relaxing internal body sound generation portion has an acquisition portion that acquires internal body sounds generated by the mother as the relaxing internal body sounds, and a relaxing internal body sound conversion portion that converts these into vibration information.

2. A pacifier as described in claim 1, wherein the relaxing internal body sound generating unit has a memory unit for storing the relaxing internal body sounds, and multiple types of relaxing internal body sounds are stored, and a selected one of the relaxing internal body sounds is generated to execute the relaxing internal body sound converting unit.

3. The pacifier according to claim 2, wherein the relaxing internal body sounds are the mother's heart sounds or the sounds of fetal movement.

4. The pacifier according to claim 1, wherein the pacifier has a posture sensor and a three-axis coordinate system that defines the posture of the infant holding the pacifier in the mouth, and notifies the infant of the posture of the infant.

5. A pacifier system having a pacifier having a nipple portion as its main body portion and a mobile terminal, comprising: a jaw vibration transmission portion arranged inside the nipple portion; a relaxing internal body sound generation portion that generates relaxing internal body sounds; and a vibration generation portion that generates vibrations based on the relaxing internal body sounds and transmits them to the jaw vibration transmission portion, wherein the relaxing internal body sound generation portion has an acquisition portion that acquires internal body sounds generated by the mother as the relaxing internal body sounds and a relaxing internal body sound conversion portion that converts these into vibration information, and the mobile terminal has an acquisition portion that acquires the internal body sounds of the mother from a sound pickup microphone as relaxing internal body sounds, a communication portion that communicates with the pacifier and stores the relaxing internal body sounds in the memory portion, and a playback portion that communicates with the pacifier and plays back the relaxing internal body sounds in the memory portion.

6. The pacifier system of claim 5, wherein the relaxing internal body sound generation unit has a memory unit for storing the relaxing internal body sounds, and multiple types of relaxing internal body sounds are stored, and a selected one of the relaxing internal body sounds is generated to execute the relaxing internal body sound conversion unit.

7. The pacifier system according to claim 5, wherein the relaxing internal body sound is the mother's heart sound or the sound of fetal movement.

8. A pacifier system as described in claim 5, wherein the pacifier has a posture sensor, a transmitter that transmits data from the posture sensor to the mobile terminal, and a three-axis coordinate system that defines the posture of the infant holding the pacifier in a three-axis coordinate system, and displays the posture of the infant on a screen.

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