JP7347943B2 - cartilage conduction hearing aid - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cartilage conduction hearing aid device that transmits vibrations based on electrical signals to ear cartilage to transmit sound to the auditory senses.

Conventionally, in addition to hearing aids such as air conduction hearing aids and sound collectors that transmit sound from speakers to the auditory senses as air-conducted sound, hearing aid devices that transmit sound using vibrators that vibrate based on electrical signals have been developed. . Examples of hearing aid devices using such a vibrator include bone conduction hearing aids, which take the form of glasses or a headband, and transmit sound by vibrating the skull. Recently, development has also progressed of cartilage conduction hearing aids that transmit sound by transmitting vibrations generated by a vibrator to the ear cartilage, as shown in Patent Document 1. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a cartilage conduction hearing aid that can be worn with the ear canal open and can reduce the feeling of being stuffy during use.

JP2016-63276A Patent No. 6427701

By the way, howling occurs when the output sound or vibration is fed back to the microphone, so howling also occurs when fitting hearing aid devices such as this, which involves making various adjustments to make it easier for each user to hear the sound. Adjusted to make it less difficult. For example, fitting is performed to operate a howling canceller function, such as applying a frequency shift to components in a frequency band where howling is likely to occur.

However, this type of fitting is generally adjusted to prevent howling from occurring when worn in daily life.For example, when you put your hand over your ear or wear a hat, the acoustic reflection system around the hearing aid is affected. Howling may occur if the value changes significantly. Furthermore, when the user moves his or her jaw during conversation or eating, there is a concern that the way the hearing aid is worn changes significantly, such as sound leakage around the ear canal, resulting in howling.

The cartilage conduction hearing aid described above allows sound to be perceived by transmitting vibrations based on electrical signals to the ear cartilage and transmitting them to the auditory senses, but by vibrating the vibrator, the sound is also radiated to the outside. The vibrations of the vibrator are also transmitted to the main body of the hearing aid via the skull and auricle. Therefore, if large amounts of air-conducted sound or vibrations are fed back to the microphone of a hearing aid, it will cause howling. In particular, since cartilage conduction hearing aids are worn with the ear canal open, the feedback amount of air conduction sound is greater than that of air conduction hearing aids, so howling is more likely to occur when the gain is increased. For this reason, a cartilage conduction hearing aid with an open external auditory canal as in Patent Document 2 has the advantage of reducing muffled sounds, but it also has the problem of causing howling as air conduction sounds are more likely to be fed back to the microphone. be. Although the standard of the howling canceller function has become particularly high in recent years, the reality is that it has not yet reached the point where howling can be completely suppressed.

The present invention aims to solve these problems, and aims to provide a cartilage conduction hearing aid device that is excellent in suppressing howling.

A cartilage conduction hearing aid device according to the present invention includes a cartilage conduction hearing aid main body and a vibrator that vibrates based on an electrical signal from the cartilage conduction hearing aid main body, and at least one of the cartilage conduction hearing aid main body and the vibrator. One is characterized in that it includes a damper, the damper is a vibration damper, and the vibration damper is a weight.

Here, it is preferable that the weight is provided on the outside of the vibrator.

According to the cartilage conduction hearing aid device of the present invention having such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the feedback of sounds and vibrations in the frequency range that causes howling among the sounds and vibrations emitted from the vibrator, and therefore the damper is not provided. Howling can be suppressed compared to conventional cartilage conduction hearing aid devices.

1 is a diagram illustrating a cartilage conduction hearing aid, which is an embodiment of the cartilage conduction hearing aid device equipped with an acoustic damper according to the present invention. FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view showing the cartilage conduction hearing aid shown in FIG. 1 in more detail, with the earmold omitted, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view showing the earmold alone. It is. FIG. 3(a) is a diagram illustrating the auricle, and FIG. 3(b) is a diagram illustrating a state in which the cartilage conduction hearing aid of FIG. 1 is worn on the auricle. Regarding the cartilage conduction hearing aid equipped with a vibration damper according to the present invention, FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view showing in more detail how the damping material is attached. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a cartilage conduction hearing aid that uses a weight as a vibration damper, regarding a cartilage conduction hearing aid equipped with a vibration damper according to the present invention. 6(a) is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the cartilage conduction hearing aid according to the present invention, in which FIG. 6(a) is a diagram in which a single vibrator is used, and FIG. FIG. 6(c) is a diagram showing a case where a vibrator embedded in an earmold is used.

Hereinafter, a cartilage conduction hearing aid, which is an embodiment of a cartilage conduction hearing aid device including a damper embodying the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, an embodiment of a cartilage conduction hearing aid including an acoustic damper as a damper will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cartilage conduction hearing aid of this embodiment includes a cartilage conduction hearing aid body 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "hearing aid body 1"), a cord 2, a vibrator 3, and an earmold 4. It is in the form of a so-called behind-the-ear hearing aid. Further, the hearing aid main body 1 and the vibrator 3 are provided with an acoustic damper (sound absorbing material) 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the hearing aid main body 1 includes a housing 10 that is gently curved as a whole and has a shape that can be worn at the rear of the auricle. Inside the housing 10, there are a microphone that converts sound into an electrical signal, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that executes hearing aid processing that processes the electrical signal output from the microphone to match the hearing ability of the wearer, and other devices. Contains batteries, etc. that supply power to each part of the cartilage conduction hearing aid. The DSP also has a howling canceller function to suppress howling. A sound port 11 is provided on the dorsal side of the housing 10 (the side that does not come in contact with the auricle when worn so as to hang over the auricle), which penetrates the housing 10 and leads to the above-mentioned microphone. , the microphone collects sound from the outside through the sound port 11.

The cord 2 connects the hearing aid main body 1 and the vibrator 3. The cord 2 includes a relatively small diameter electric wire that transmits an electrical signal from the hearing aid body 1 to the vibrator 3. Further, this electric wire is coated with a flexible synthetic resin or the like.

The vibrator 3 vibrates based on an electrical signal transmitted from the hearing aid body 1 via the cord 2. In this embodiment, an electromechanical transducer is provided inside a casing having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an electrical signal input to the electromechanical converter is converted into mechanical vibration, which causes the casing to vibrate. ing. Note that the casing of the vibrator 3 has no openings except for the hole through which the cord 2 is introduced, and this hole is also sealed with a sealant. Various types of electromechanical transducers can be used, such as electromagnetic, electrodynamic, and piezoelectric types. ) electromechanical transducers are used.

The earmold 4 is formed using synthetic resin (for example, acrylic resin). Since the earmold 4 is formed to fit the wearer's auricle 100 (see FIG. 3(a)), there are individual differences, but an example of the shape is as shown in FIG. 2(b). Here, FIG. 2(b) is a front view of the earmold 4 alone (a view viewed from the front with respect to the wearer's auricle when worn). The earmold 4 is formed to be held on the concha 103 when worn, and in this embodiment includes a first holding part 40, a second holding part 41, and a third holding part 42. There is. Further, an opening 46 that penetrates the earmold 4 in the thickness direction is provided on the side of the earmold 4 near the first holding portion 40 and the upper edge 44 .

The vibrator 3 is then fixed to the earmold 4. As illustrated, the vibrator 3 in this embodiment is fixed to the front side (external side) of the earmold 4 at a position close to the lower edge 45 and not overlapping the opening 46. Furthermore, in fixing the vibrator 3 to the earmold 4, a UV adhesive that is cured by ultraviolet irradiation is used. Note that various adhesives can be used, and for example, a two-component adhesive that is cured by mixing two solvents may be used.

The acoustic damper 5 is made of a material that absorbs or attenuates sound energy. In other words, it is made of a porous material that has the effect of repeatedly reflecting sound vibration waves in continuous voids that extend from the front to the back and converting them into thermal energy.Such materials include sponges and non-woven materials. , glass wool, etc. As will be described later, the acoustic damper 5 is preferably one that can absorb the sound emitted from the vibrator 3, especially the sound in the frequency range where howling occurs when fed back to the microphone. using a sponge.

Further, the acoustic damper 5 in this embodiment is provided on both the hearing aid body 1 and the vibrator 3 as shown in the figure, and is attached to the front side of the housing 10 of the hearing aid body 1 using adhesive, double-sided tape, etc. It is attached to the side surface of the vibrator 3 (external side) and the front side (external side) of the vibrator 3. The acoustic damper 5 provided on the hearing aid main body 1 is formed in a size that is attached to the range from the opposite end connected to the cord 2 to the vicinity of the sound port 11, and the acoustic damper 5 provided on the vibrator 3 is 5 is formed to be one size smaller than the vibrator 3. Furthermore, the acoustic damper 5 provided on the vibrator 3 does not affect the vibration of the vibrator 3 in order to prevent the vibration of the vibrator 3 from being suppressed by the mass of the acoustic damper 5 itself and lowering the output of the hearing aid. The weight is approximately 100%.

The cartilage conduction hearing aid having such a configuration is worn on the auricle 100 as shown in FIG. 3(b). Specifically, as shown in the figure, the earmold 4 is worn on the concha 103 while the cord 2 is hung on the auricle 100. Further, the hearing aid main body 1 (not shown in FIG. 3(b)) is held at the rear of the auricle 100.

Since the earmold 4 of this embodiment is held with the external auditory canal 106 open, it is possible to easily hear surrounding sounds, eliminate discomfort such as feeling muffled sounds, and further prevent otorrhea and in the ear. It has the advantage of not hindering the drainage of moisture.

By the way, when the vibrator 3 is vibrated, the vibration is transmitted to the outside air and radiated as sound, so that howling occurs when the sound is fed back to the microphone. In particular, in a cartilage conduction hearing aid that is worn with the ear canal open as in this embodiment, there is a risk that air-conducted sound may be fed back to the microphone. In addition, even in conventional cartilage conduction hearing aids, adjustments are made to prevent howling from occurring by fitting the wearer according to the wearer, such as using a howling canceller function. If the acoustic reflection system of the device changes significantly, howling may occur. On the other hand, in the cartilage conduction hearing aid of this embodiment, the acoustic damper 5 provided on the hearing aid body 1 and the vibrator 3 can absorb sound in the frequency range that causes howling when fed back to the microphone, so that Howling can be suppressed compared to conductive hearing aids. In particular, in this embodiment, since the acoustic damper 5 of the hearing aid main body 1 is provided near the sound port 11, howling can be effectively suppressed.

Next, a cartilage conduction hearing aid including a vibration damper as a damper will be described.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a cartilage conduction hearing aid using a damping material as a vibration damper. The cartilage conduction hearing aid of this embodiment includes the hearing aid main body 1, the cord 2, the vibrator 3, and the earmold 4 described above, as well as a damping material 6.

The damping material 6 is made of a material that absorbs or attenuates vibration energy, such as a soft material (rubber, urethane, etc.) or a porous material (sponge, nonwoven fabric, glass wool, etc.). In this embodiment, a damping material 6 made of sponge is used, and the damping material 6 is attached to the ventral side of the housing 10 of the hearing aid body 1 (over the pinna of the ear) using adhesive or double-sided tape. It is attached to the side that comes into contact with the auricle when

According to the cartilage conduction hearing aid including such a damping material 6, even if the auricle vibrates due to the vibration caused by the vibrator 3, the vibration is difficult to be transmitted to the hearing aid main body 1. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress howling caused by feedback of vibrations from the vibrator 3 to a microphone (not shown) inside the hearing aid main body 1.

The cartilage conduction hearing aid equipped with a vibration damper may be a cartilage conduction hearing aid provided with a weight 7 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a metal thin plate-shaped weight 7 is used and is attached to the front side (outside side) of the vibrator 3. The weight 7 only needs to be able to slightly change the vibration transfer function, and there is no need for a weight that would affect hearing.

According to such a cartilage conduction hearing aid, by changing the size and thickness of the weight 7, for example, it is possible to change the frequency characteristics when the vibrations of the vibrator 3 are transmitted to the hearing aid main body 1 via the auricle. That is, by appropriately selecting the weight 7, the frequency characteristics of the vibrations transmitted to the microphone (not shown) inside the hearing aid main body 1 can be set to one that makes it difficult for howling to occur, so howling can be suppressed.

Although the cartilage conduction hearing aid device according to the present invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes may be made within the scope of the claims. Including things. For example, the acoustic damper 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is provided on both the hearing aid main body 1 and the vibrator 3 in the embodiment described above, but it may be provided on only one of them. Alternatively, it may be provided on the earmold 4. Furthermore, the means for installing the acoustic damper 5 on the hearing aid main body 1 and the vibrator 3 is not limited to the above-mentioned attachment method. For example, two ribs may be provided on the housing 10, and the acoustic damper 5 may be sandwiched between the ribs. Good too. Alternatively, a cover may be prepared to be attached to the casing 10, and the acoustic damper 5 may be placed between the cover and the casing 10. For example, a cover that is formed in a shape that retains the acoustic damper with widely spaced mesh portions and does not block the action of the acoustic damper may be considered.

Further, the damping material 6 shown in FIG. 4 is long and is provided over the entire area where the housing 10 contacts the pinna when the hearing aid body 1 is worn. The length may be shortened and provided in a part of the area that contacts the auricle.

The weight 7 shown in FIG. 5 is also not limited to the one described above, and may be made of a material other than metal (synthetic resin, etc.), or may be fixed with screws during installation. . Further, the weight 7 may be provided on the hearing aid body 1.

Furthermore, the illustrated earmold 4 may not be used, and a single vibrator 3 as shown in FIG. 6(a) may be brought into direct contact with the concha 103. Further, earmolds of various shapes can be used, and for example, an earmold 8 as shown in FIG. 6(b) may be used. In addition, the earmold 4 in FIG. 1 and the earmold 8 in FIG. 6(b) are attached to the front side of the vibrator 3, but the earmold 9 in FIG. Child 3 may also be embedded.

1: Hearing aid device body (cartilage conduction hearing aid body)
2: Cord 3: Vibrator 4: Earmold 5: Acoustic damper (sound absorbing material)
6: Vibration damping material 7: Weight

Claims (2)

A cartilage conduction hearing aid body,
a vibrator that vibrates based on an electrical signal from the cartilage conduction hearing aid main body,
At least one of the cartilage conduction hearing aid main body and the vibrator includes a damper,
The damper is a vibration damper,
The cartilage conduction hearing aid device, wherein the vibration damper is a weight. The cartilage conduction hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the weight is provided on an external side of the vibrator.

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