Earphone

• US 20090304220A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: FUJIKURA, Takashi, ISHIZAKA, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 8,891,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/380
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083

Abstract

An earphone includes a cylindrical portion having an opening in one end and an audio output unit which outputs sound from one face. The audio output unit is fixed to the cylindrical portion such that another face is in contact with an end face of the one end of the cylindrical portion. The audio output unit and the cylindrical portion are insertable at least partially in the external auditory canal of a human being. The earphone further includes a thin-wall part provided in the cylindrical portion and a ring, made of a material of a greater specific gravity than the cylindrical portion, which is fixed to the inner surface. The ring is fixed in a position such that the ring overlaps in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion with respect to the thin-wall part.

Claims

1. An earphone, comprising:

a cylindrical portion having an opening in one end thereof; and

an audio output unit which outputs sound from one face thereof, the audio output unit being fixed to the cylindrical portion such that another face thereof is in contact with an end face of the one end of the cylindrical portion, wherein at least part of the audio output unit and the cylindrical portion is insertable in an external auditory canal.

2. The earphone of claim 1, further comprising:

a thin-wall part provided in the cylindrical portion; and

a ring, made of a material of a greater specific gravity than the cylindrical portion, which is fixed to an inner surface of the cylindrical portion, wherein the ring is fixed in such a position that the ring overlaps in an axial direction of the cylindrical portion with respect to the thin-wall part.

3. The earphone of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion is provided with a bottom face opposite to the another face of the audio output unit, and wherein a sound absorbing material is placed in a space between the another face of the audio output unit and the bottom face.

4. The earphone of claim 2, further comprising a unit holder which houses the audio output unit, wherein the thin-wall part is a ring-like groove provided on an external surface of the cylindrical portion, and wherein a part of the unit holder is inserted into the groove.

5. The earphone of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical portion is formed of a resin and the material of a greater specific gravity than the cylindrical portion is a metal.

6. The earphone of claim 4, wherein the unit holder is formed of a metal.

7. An earphone, comprising:

an insertion part at least part of which is inserted in an external auditory canal; and

an audio output unit which outputs sound corresponding to electric signals supplied wherein the whole of the insertion part is held within the external auditory canal when the at least part of the insertion part is inserted in the external auditory canal to a supposed insertion position, wherein the insertion part has a space in contact with a rear face of an audio output face from which the sound is output, the audio output face constituting a part of external surface of the audio output unit.

8. The earphone of claim 7, wherein the space is provided in such a manner that at least part of the space is held within the external auditory canal when the at least part of the insertion part is inserted in the external auditory canal to a supposed insertion position.

9. The earphone of claim 7, wherein the audio output unit is provided in such a manner that with the at least part of the insertion part inserted in the external auditory canal to a supposed insertion position, the audio output unit outputs vibration sound of a diaphragm driven as electrical signals are supplied to a voice coil, into the external auditory canal, and the audio output unit is mounted to the insertion part in such a manner that a distance, along the external auditory canal, from an eardrum to the diaphragm is a distance such that the sound, output from the audio output unit, under a maximum possible sound pressure, is transmitted to the eardrum at a sound pressure which is greater than or equal to an appropriate sound pressure suitably perceivable by a user.

10. The earphone of claim 9, wherein the audio output unit is mounted to the insertion part in such a manner that a distance from an opening of the external auditory canal to the diaphragm is at least 3 mm when the at least part of the insertion part is inserted in the external auditory canal to a supposed insertion position.

11. The earphone of claim 7, further comprising an insertion restricting part which restricts insertion of the insertion part beyond a supposed insertion depth by coming into contact with a part of auricle of ear, wherein the insertion restricting part extends at an angle from a plane perpendicular to an insertion direction as the at least part of the insertion part is inserted in the external auditory canal.

12. The earphone of claim 11, wherein the insertion restricting part is formed such that a width in a direction perpendicular to both a direction of extension of the insertion restricting part and the insertion direction of the insertion part inserted in the external auditory canal is substantially the same as a width in the same direction of the insertion part.

13. The earphone of claim 7, further comprising a unit holder, mounted to the insertion part, which houses the audio output unit, wherein the unit holder is formed of a metal.

14. The earphone of claim 7, wherein the insertion part includes a cylinder formed cylindrically, wherein the space is demarcated by an opening end of the cylinder abutted against the rear face of the audio output unit.