EAR STIMULATING APPARATUS

• US 20140316456A1
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: ANDO, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US14/256,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316456A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/204
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2007/009 having massage elements rotating on parallel output axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0176 By stopping operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/018 By limiting the applied torque or force
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1463 Special speed variation means, i.e. speed reducer
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/149 rotation-linear or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1664 linear
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1671 rotational
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5002 Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5048 Audio interfaces, e.g. voice or music controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/027 Ears
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/065 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/305 used as a control parameter for the apparatus A61H2230/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/505 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/04 Devices for pressing such points, e.g. Shiatsu or AcupressureMassage or pressure on general areas A61H9/00 - A61H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/004 power-driven, e.g. electrical

Abstract

An ear stimulating apparatus includes first and second units capable of clipping on an auricle and gripping an ear, a plurality of contacts arranged in the first unit at least at positions where the contacts are capable of being brought into contact with a front side of the auricle, and an actuator that moves the contacts in the longitudinal direction of the first unit.

Claims

1. An ear stimulating apparatus comprising:

first and second units arranged to clip on an auricle;

a plurality of contacts arranged in the first unit at least at positions where the contacts are configured to be brought into contact with a front side of the auricle; and

an actuator that moves the contacts in a longitudinal direction of the first unit.

2. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

contacts arranged in the second unit at least at positions where the contacts are configured to be brought into contact with a back side of the auricle.

3. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a longitudinal size L of the first unit is 10 mm≦

L≦

20 mm.

4. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the longitudinal direction of the first unit is an up and down direction of the auricle.

5. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the actuator also moves the contacts in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction in addition to the longitudinal direction of the first unit.

6. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the contacts in the first unit are arranged at least at three vertices of a triangle so as to be brought into contact with the front side of the auricle,

the contacts in the second unit are arranged at least at three vertices of a triangle so as to be brought into contact with the back side of the auricle in such a manner that at least one of the latter three vertices is placed between the two vertices among the vertices of the triangle of the first unit or in vicinity of a part between the two vertices, and

the actuator respectively moves the two contacts arranged at the two vertices of the first unit and the contact arranged at the one vertex of the second unit to a side of the auricle in synchronization, so as to deform the auricle into a V shape between the first unit and the second unit.

7. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the contacts include four contacts arranged at four vertices of an isosceles trapezoid.

8. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the contacts are arranged in the first unit and the second unit at positions where the contacts are configured to be brought into contact with the front side and the back side of the auricle, and

the actuator rotates the contacts of the first unit and the second unit in same phase.

9. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the contacts are arranged in the first unit and the second unit at positions where the contacts are configured to be brought into contact with the front side and the back side of the auricle, and

the actuator rotates the contacts of the first unit and the second unit in phases opposite to each other.

10. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

at least three contacts are arranged in each of the first unit and the second unit at positions where the contacts are configured to be brought into contact with the front side or the back side of the auricle, and

in a state where the actuator moves one of the upper and lower contacts in each of the first unit and the second unit to the side of the auricle so as to clip on and hold the auricle, the actuator moves remaining contacts in the longitudinal direction of the first unit.

11. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the contacts are arranged in the first unit and the second unit at positions where the contacts are configured to be brought into contact with the front side and the back side of the auricle, and

a frictional coefficient of leading ends of the contacts of the first unit is smaller than a frictional coefficient of a leading end of the contact of the second unit.

12. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a playing unit that plays music; and

a second control unit that controls drive of the actuator based on a volume level or a tempo of the music played by the playing unit.

13. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the second control unit strengthens the drive of the actuator in a case where the volume level of the music is high, and weakens the drive of the actuator in a case where the volume level of the music is low.

14. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the second control unit changes torque of the actuator in accordance with the volume level or the tempo of the music.

15. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first detection unit that detects the volume level or the tempo of the music, wherein

the second control unit controls torque or rotation speed of the actuator in accordance with the volume level or the tempo of the music detected in the first detection unit.

16. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the first unit further comprises a first transfer member that transfers a force from the actuator to the contacts, and

the second control unit calculates a delay time until a signal is transferred from the actuator to the first transfer member, delays the music for the delay time, and causes the playing unit to play the music.

17. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a filter that cuts a signal at a frequency of 3 Hz or more sent from the first detection unit to the second control unit.

18. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising:

a filter that cuts a signal at a cut-off frequency of fω

or more in a Bode plot graphing gain or phase lag and a frequency among signals sent from the first detection unit to the second control unit.

19. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the second control unit stores a plurality of different ear stimulation modes, and

the playing unit selects and plays the music in accordance with the selected mode.

20. The ear stimulating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the ear stimulating apparatus is of a headphone type including two housings and a headband as a whole, and

the contacts, the actuator, the playing unit, and the second control unit are arranged in the housings.