Insert earphones for audiometry

• US 4,677,679 A
• Filed: 07/05/1984
• Issued: 06/30/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Etymotic Research Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mead C. Killion
• Inventors: Killion, Mead C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rubinson, Gene Z.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/628,009
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 381/74, 381/87, 381/103, 179/179, 179/107 R, 179/180, 181/129, 181/130, 73/585, 455/73, 455/89, 455/90
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/225 for telephonic receivers

Abstract

Insert earphones, which are especially useful for audiometry applications include a transducer which is coupled to a resonance cancellation tube as well as to a main tube which is coupled to the ear, with series acoustic dampers in the tubes, operating in a known manner to obtain a smoothly varying frequency response characteristic. An electrical equalization network is coupled to the transducer, cooperating with the acoustic components to obtain a frequency response characteristic which is either flat or which matches that of the human ear. The dampers in series with the main and cancellation tubes have acoustic resistances which are respectively about 20% lower and 20% higher than the characteristic impedances of such tubes, operating to obtain a broadband increase in output.

Claims

1. An insert earphone apparatus including transducer means positionable away from the entrance of the human ear, and sound transmission means for transmitting sound from said transducer means to a point at the eardrum, said sound transmission means including a main sound transmission tube, first coupling means between said transducer means and one end of said tube, second coupling means at the opposite end of said tube and arranged for transmission of sound from said tube through an earpiece to said point at the eardrum, said earpiece substantially preventing exterior sounds from reaching the eardrum, and acoustic response-modifying means including damping means operative to negate the effect of resonances in said tube and to otherwise modify the acoustic response characteristic from that which would be produced by said tube and coupling means alone and thus producing a smoothly varying acoustic response characteristic, an electrical response-equalization network having an input for coupling to a signal source and an output coupled to said transducer means and having an electrical response characteristic, wherein said electrical response characteristic and said smoothly varying acoustic frequency response characteristic produce a sound pressure level at the eardrum which is a function of frequency according to one of first and second frequency response characteristics depending only upon component values in said electrical equalization network, said first frequency response characteristic being a substantially flat response characteristic, and said second frequency response characteristic being such as to closely match the diffuse-sound-field response of the normal human external ear.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said acoustic response-modifying means includes resonance cancellation means comprising means defining a narrow elongated cancellation channel having an open entrance end and an opposite closed end, said first coupling means being arranged to define a coupling chamber coupled to said transducer means and in closely coupled relation to said open entrance end of said cancellation channel and said one end of said main sound transmission tube, and acoustic damper means for damping transmission in said cancellation channel and said main sound transmission tube, said main sound transmission tube and said cancellation channel having substantially the same lengths.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said acoustic damper means includes a first acoustic damper in series with said main sound transmission tube and a second acoustic damper in series with said cancellation channel, said first damper having an acoustic resistance which is approximately 20% less than the characteristic acoustic impedance of said main sound transmission tube, and said second damper having an acoustic resistance which is approximately 20% greater than the characteristic acoustic impedance of said cancellation channel, in order to effect a smooth frequency response with a broadband increase in output over that obtainable with dampers whose resistances are equal to the characteristic impedances of said tube and said cancellation channel.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, said network means including impedance means having a value changing with frequency to compensate for variations with frequency in the effective impedance and effective efficiency of said transducer means and to compensate for losses in transmission of energy in said main channel which increase with frequency.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, signal generating means for supplying an electrical signal for drive of said transducer means, said network means including capacitor means connected in series relation between said signal means and said transducer means for reducing the series impedance therebetween and increasing the drive of said transducer means as a function of increasing frequency.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, said transducer means including diaphragm means and coil means energizeable to effect vibration of said diaphragm means, said network further including resistance means connected in series between said signal means and said coil means of said transducer means and in parallel relation to said capacitor means.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, said transducer means having a certain nominal electrical impedance, said resistance means having a resistance several times larger than said nominal impedance of said transducer means, and said capacitor means having an impedance at 1000 Hz of about the same order of magnitude as the resistance of said resistance means.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, said one of said frequency response characteristics being said first frequency response characteristic which is substantially flat over said range, said capacitance means comprising a pair of capacitors connected in series with each other and in series between one terminal of said signal means and one terminal of said coil means, said signal and coil means having interconnected second terminals, said network further including an additional resistance means connected between the junction between said capacitors and said interconnected second terminals of said signal and coil means.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, said network further including another resistance means connected in series with the parallel combination of the first-mentioned resistance means and said pair of series-connected capacitors.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, said one of said first and second frequency response characteristics being said second frequency response characteristic which closely matches the characteristic of the normal human ear, said network further including second capacitance means and second resistance means connected in series with each other to form a series circuit connected in parallel relation to said coil means.

11. An earphone apparatus including transducer means positionable away from the entrance of the human ear and sound transmission means for transmitting sound from said transducer means to a point at the eardrum, said apparatus being arranged to operate over a frequency range extending from less than 50 Hz to more than 10,000 Hz and to produce a sound pressure level at the eardrum which is a predetermined function of frequency, said sound transmission means comprising:

main channel means defining a narrow elongated main channel having an open entrance end and having an open exit end for positioning within the ear canal, resonance cancellation means including means defining a narrow elongated cancellation channel having an open entrance end and an opposite closed end, means defining a coupling chamber coupled to said transducer means and in closely coupled relation to said open entrance ends of said main and cancellation channels, and acoustic damper means for damping transmission in said channels, said acoustic damper means including a first acoustic damper in series with said main channel and a second acoustic damper in series with said cancellation channel, said first damper having an acoustic resistance which is approximately 20% less than the characteristic acoustic impedance of said main channel, and said second damper having an acoustic resistance which is approximately 20% greater than the characteristic acoustic impedance of said cancellation channel, in order to effect a smooth frequency response with a broadband increase in output over that obtainable with dampers whose resistances are equal to the characteristic impedances of the two said channels.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said main and cancellation channels have inside diameters of about 1.35 mm to provide characteristic impedances or both channels of about 2900 acoustic ohms and wherein the acoustic resistance of said first damper is about 2200 ohms and the acoustic resistance of said second damper is about 3300 ohms.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, said main channel means comprising ear plug means arranged for positioning said exit end of said main channel within the entrance opening of the ear canal and arranged for providing a seal with respect to external sounds.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, said main channel means further including an elongated flexible tube, a support tube of short length carrying said ear plug means, and connector means between one end of said flexible tube and said support tube.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, said connector comprising a nipple having one end portion within said one end of said flexible tube and having an opposite end portion within one end of said support tube.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, said resonance cancellation channel means comprising an elongated tupe coiled within said housing means.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, said main channel means further including an elongated flexible tube connected at one end to said ear plug means, housing means enclosing said electrical response-equalization network, said transducer means, said coupling chamber means and said resonance cancellation channel means, and means for coupling an opposite end of said flexible tube to said coupling chamber means within said housing means.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, said transducer means comprising a vibratory diaphragm in closely coupled relation to said coupling chamber.