Acceleration vibration detector

• US 4,516,428 A
• Filed: 03/31/1983
• Issued: 05/14/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pan Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pan Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Konomi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Kreitman, Stephen A.
• Application Number:
  US06/480,723
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 73/654, 73/585, 73/652, 73/658, 73/632, 179/111 R, 179/111 E, 179/107 R, 381/113
• US Class Current: 381/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence

Abstract

An ear microphone for an external auditory canal insertion type two-way communication earpiece. Within the casing of the earpiece a fixed electrode and a vibrating electrode are positioned in capacitive relation with each other, the vibrating electrode for detecting acceleration vibration from outside the casing in the form of bone-conducted voice sound vibration within the external auditory canal. Electrical signals transduced from picked-up voice sounds pass through an impedance conversion circuit mounted in the ear microphone.

Claims

1. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector mounted within a bone conduction ear microphone adapted to be inserted in the external auditory canal of an ear comprising:

a metal casing having a closed end and an open end, said metal casing vibrating in response to physical vibrations conducted from the surface of the external auditory canal via said ear microphone;

a grounded vibrating electrode in physical contact with said metal casing and near said closed end for vibrating in response to the vibrations of said metal casing;

a transistor positioned between said fixed electrode and said open end;

means for supporting said fixed electrode and said transistor in said metal casing; and

a printed circuit board transverse said metal casing between said transistor and said open end, said circuit board having conductive patterns on its outer surface, the source and drain terminals of said transistor being connected to individual ones of said conductive patterns, the edge portions of said open end of said metal casing being bent inwardly to contact said outer surface of said circuit board and thereby to apply pressure against said supporting means for mechanically clamping the gate electrode of said transistor in electrical connection with said fixed electrode, the conductive pattern connected with said source electrode being under pressure electrical contact with said edge portions.

2. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector mounted within a bone conduction ear microphone adapted to be inserted in the external auditory canal of an ear comprising:

a metal casing having a closed end an an open end, said casing vibrating in response to physical vibrations conducted from the surface of the external auditory canal via said ear microphone;

a grounded vibrating electrode mounted in said casing and near said closed end for vibrating in response to the vibrations of said metal casing;

a fixed electrode located between said vibrating electrode and said open end, said fixed electrode being positioned in capacitive relation with said vibrating electrode and insulated from said metal casing;

an electret secured to said fixed electrode on a surface thereof facing said vibrating electrode;

a transistor positioned between said fixed electrode and said open end;

means for supporting said fixed electrode and said transistor in said metal casing; and

a printed circuit board transverse said metal casing between said transistor and said open end, said circuit board having conductive patterns on its outer surface, the source and drain terminals of said transistor being connected to individual ones of said conductive patterns, the edge portions of said open end of said metal casing being bent inwardly to contact said outer surface of said circuit board and thereby to apply pressure against said supporting means for mechanically clamping the gate electrode of said transistor in electrical connection with said fixed electrode, the conductive pattern connected with said source electrode being under pressure electrical contact with said edge portions.

3. The electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector of claim 2 also including a resilient insulative member attached to said vibrating electrode for preventing contact between said vibrating electrode and said fixed electrode.

4. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector mounted within a bone conduction ear microphone adapted to be inserted in the external auditory canal of an ear comprising:

a metal casing having a closed end and an open end, said casing vibrating in response to physical vibrations conducted from the surface of the external auditory canal via said ear microphone;

a grounded vibrating electrode mounted in said casing and near said closed end for vibrating in response to the vibrations of said metal casing, said vibrating electrode including a membrane diaphragm having its periphery fixed to, and in physical and electrical contact with, said metal casing, said diaphragm being weighted to provide sufficient mass for detecting said transmitted vibrations;

a fixed electrode located between said diaphragm and said open end, said fixed electrode being positioned in capacitive relation with said diaphragm and insulated from said metal casing;

a transistor positioned between said fixed electrode and said open end;

means for supporting said fixed electrode and said transistor in said metal casing; and

a printed circuit board transverse said metal casing between said transistor and said open end, said circuit board having conductive patterns on its outer surface, the source and drain terminals of said transistor being connected to individual ones of said conductive patterns, the edge portions of said open end of said metal casing being bent inwardly to contact said outer surface of said circuit board and thereby to apply pressure against said supporting means for mechanically clamping the gate electrode of said transistor in electrical connection with said fixed electrode, the conductive pattern connected with said source terminal being under pressure electrical contact with said edge portions.

5. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 4 wherein said diaphragm is weighted by a metal coating on at least a portion of one side of the membrane.

6. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 4 wherein said diaphragm is weighted by at least one piece of solid material attached to the diaphragm.

7. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 4 wherein said diaphragm is weighted by a metal coating on at least one side thereof and by at least one piece of solid material attached to a side of the diaphragm.

8. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 4 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

9. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 5 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

10. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 6 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

11. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 7 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

12. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 4 also including a resistance body attached to said membrane for reducing the Q resonance at the inherent resonance frequency of the diaphragm.

13. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 5 also including a resistance body attached to said membrane for reducing the Q resonance at the inherent resonance frequency of the diaphragm.

14. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 12 wherein the resistance body is composed of butyl rubber.

15. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 13 wherein the resistance body is composed of butyl rubber.

16. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 12 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

17. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 13 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

18. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 14 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.

19. An electrostatic type acceleration vibration detector as in claim 15 wherein said diaphragm is perforated.