Condenser microphone, microphone unit, and blood pressure gauge

• US 8,483,399 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Precision Instruments Inc. (Ishida Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Japan Precision Instruments Inc. (Ishida Company Limited)
• Inventors: Shou, Tokurin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta, Raj R
• Application Number:
  US11/907,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20080089527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 381/67, 381/71.1, 381/71.7
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a condenser microphone capable of detecting small sounds (e.g., Korotkoff sounds) with high sensitivity even in environments with variations in pressure, such as cuff pressure. A condenser microphone (10) is disposed as an acoustic sensor for detecting Korotkoff sounds in a communication space reachable by the internal pressure of the cuff of a blood pressure gauge. In the condenser microphone, a diaphragm (13) and a backplate 14) are disposed in the interior of a housing (11), an aeration hole (30) is formed in a wall (11B) that blocks off the housing back surface, and a sound-absorbing element (20) having sound absorption characteristics with respect to a frequency band targeted for detection is disposed on the front surface of a housing (11).

Claims

1. A condenser microphone in which a diaphragm and a backplate are disposed as two opposing electrodes inside a housing having an opening for admitting sound waves in a front surface, wherein

an aeration hole is formed in a wall portion that blocks off a back surface of said housing;

and

a sound-absorbing filter having sound absorption characteristics with respect to a frequency band targeted for detection is disposed so as to entirely cover said opening or aeration hole in one of the front surface or back surface of said housing

when the sound waves are admitted on a front surface and back surface of the housing, air vibrations of the frequency band targeted for detection are being cut on a surface of the diaphragm on a side that the sound-absorbing filter is disposed, while the air vibrations of the frequency band targeted for detection are not being cut on a surface of the diaphragm on a side that the sound-absorbing filter is not disposed; and

air vibrations on the surfaces of the diaphragm other than air vibrations of the frequency band targeted for detection are canceled out, to thereby detect the air vibrations of the frequency band targeted for detection.

2. A blood pressure gauge comprising:

a cuff that is wound around a blood pressure measurement area;

a pressurizing device for pressurizing said cuff;

a depressurizing device for depressurizing said cuff; and

an acoustic sensor for detecting the Korotkoff sounds transmitted through the air in said cuff, wherein the condenser microphone according to claim 1 is used as said acoustic sensor; and

said condenser microphone is disposed inside a communication space reachable by the internal pressure of said cuff.

3. The condenser microphone according to claim 1, wherein a sound-absorbing element is affixed as said sound-absorbing filter to the front surface of said housing in a state in which an adhesive is placed on a periphery of the opening in the front surface of said housing.

4. A microphone unit comprising the condenser microphone according to claim 3 as a main component thereof, wherein

said condenser microphone is accommodated inside a unit case having a connection opening at a front end and an assembly opening on a back end in a state in which a front surface thereof faces said connection opening and a gap is maintained along a periphery of said housing;

the opening in a back surface of said unit case is blocked off with a lid plate in a state in which a gap is maintained relative to said condenser microphone;

two terminals of said condenser microphone are each allowed to extend to the outside from a through-hole formed in said lid plate; and

a sealant is packed on an external surface of the lid plate to seal the gap between the lid plate and the unit case, as well as the gap between the lid plate and the terminals.

5. The microphone unit according to claim 4, wherein a nontransparent sealant having a color different from that of said unit case and lid plate is used as said sealant.

6. The condenser microphone according to claim 1, wherein a breathable fabric element is affixed to the front surface of said housing in a state in which an adhesive is placed on a periphery of the opening in the front surface of said housing;

and

a sound-absorbing element is affixed as said sound-absorbing filter to an upper surface thereof via an adhesive.

7. A microphone unit comprising the condenser microphone according to claim 6 as a main component thereof, wherein

said condenser microphone is accommodated inside a unit case having a connection opening at a front end and an assembly opening on a back end in a state in which a front surface thereof faces said connection opening and a gap is maintained along a periphery of said housing;

the opening in a back surface of said unit case is blocked off with a lid plate in a state in which a gap is maintained relative to said condenser microphone;

two terminals of said condenser microphone are each allowed to extend to the outside from a through-hole formed in said lid plate; and

a sealant is packed on an external surface of the lid plate to seal the gap between the lid plate and the unit case, as well as the gap between the lid plate and the terminals.

8. The microphone unit according to claim 7, wherein a nontransparent sealant having a color different from that of said unit case and lid plate is used as said sealant.

9. A microphone unit comprising the condenser microphone according to claim 1 as a main component thereof, wherein

said condenser microphone is accommodated inside a unit case having a connection opening at a front end and an assembly opening on a back end in a state in which a front surface thereof faces said connection opening and a gap is maintained along a periphery of said housing;

the opening in a back surface of said unit case is blocked off with a lid plate in a state in which a gap is maintained relative to said condenser microphone;

two terminals of said condenser microphone are each allowed to extend to the outside from a through-hole formed in said lid plate; and

a sealant is packed on an external surface of the lid plate to seal the gap between the lid plate and the unit case, as well as the gap between the lid plate and the terminals.

10. The microphone unit according to claim 9, wherein a nontransparent sealant having a color different from that of said unit case and lid plate is used as said sealant.

11. A blood pressure gauge comprising:

a cuff that is wound around a blood pressure measure area;

a pressurizing device for depressurizing said cuff;

a conduit for communicating with said cuff; and

an acoustic sensor for detecting the Korotkoff sounds transmitted through the air in said conduit,

wherein the microphone unit according to claim 9 is used as said acoustic sensor; and

the connection opening of said microphone unit is connected to an end portion of said conduit.

12. The microphone unit according to claim 9, wherein a single notch is created on a peripheral edge of the opening in the back surface of said unit case;

a single projection is created on a peripheral edge of said lid plate;

said notch and projection are aligned in a position to fit the lid plate into the opening in the back surface of the unit case, thereby establishing a positional relationship between the two terminals of said condenser microphone and the unit case; and

a configurational marking for distinguishing said two terminals is provided to an external surface of said unit case.

13. The microphone unit according to claim 12, wherein a nontransparent sealant having a color different from that of said unit case and lid plate is used as said sealant.