EARPHONE

• US 20180160209A1
• Filed: 06/08/2016
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dai-Ichi Seiko Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dai-Ichi Seiko Company Limited
• Inventors: Ogata, Kenji, Hosaka, Akihiko, Watanabe, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,397,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/288 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/10 Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/11 Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers

Abstract

An earphone (1) is provided that includes a first vibration plate (31) for vibration by a first piezoelectric element (32) and a cylindrically-shaped casing (2) for transmission of the vibration of the first vibration plate (31) to ear canal cartilage. The first vibration plate (31) is disposed inside the casing (2). The earphone (1) has a structure whereby an amount of sound leakage, which is due to transmission of the vibration of the first vibration plate (31) to the air, is low. The ear canal cartilage transmits sound to the eardrum of only one ear, thereby enabling localization of sound. The woofer (3) maintains sound pressure at low frequencies.

Claims

1. An earphone comprising:

a first vibration plate for vibration by a first piezoelectric element; and

a casing disposed with the first vibration plate, for transmitting to an ear canal cartilage the vibration of the first vibration plate, wherein

the casing has a cylindrical shape, and

the first vibration plate is disposed within the casing.

2. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein

the casing comprises a supporting member arranged radially as viewed in a cross section of the cylindrical shape of the casing, and

one end of the first vibration plate connects to the supporting member, and the first vibration plate is disposed along an axis of the cylindrical shape of the casing.

3. The earphone according to claim 2, wherein

the first vibration plate includes a weight disposed at another end of the first vibration plate opposite to the end of the first vibration plate connecting to the supporting member.

4. The earphone according to claim 2, wherein

the supporting member is disposed at an ear canal side of the casing.

5. The earphone according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least two of the first vibration plates, wherein

among the at least two first vibration plates, two of the first vibration plates oscillate in mutually orthogonal directions.

6. The earphone according to claim 1, comprising:

the casing and an earphone main body, wherein the earphone further comprises;

vibration transmission damping mechanism disposed between the casing and the earphone main body.

7. The earphone according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second vibration plate for vibration by a second piezoelectric element; and

a hole, disposed in the casing, for transmitting to the ear canal an air vibration generated by the second vibration plate.