Patent Application
20240388850
The present invention relates to an electro-acoustic transducer that converts an electrical signal into sound.
Conventionally, an electrostatic electro-acoustic transducer having a flat plate-shaped fixed electrode (hereinafter referred to as a fixed electrode) and a vibrating membrane provided to face the fixed electrode is known. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-183851 discloses a condenser type of earphone in which an outer peripheral part of a thin-film vibrating membrane is fixed to a housing.
In the electro-acoustic transducer such as the condenser type of earphone or headphone, pressure inside the electro-acoustic transducer changes as pressure inside an ear canal changes depending on a wearing state of the electro-acoustic transducer. If the pressure inside the electro-acoustic transducer changes while the vibrating membrane is fixed to a housing only at the outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane, stress is concentrated on the outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane due to displacement of the vibrating membrane. In the electro-acoustic transducer, it is desirable that the structure is such that the vibration membrane is less likely to be damaged due to stress applied to the outer peripheral part of the vibration membrane and that sensitivity (sound pressure) of the electro-acoustic transducer can be improved even when the electro-acoustic transducer is small.
The present invention focuses on this point, and its object is to provide an electro-acoustic transducer in which a vibrating membrane is difficult to be damaged and a decrease in sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer is less likely to be caused even when the electro-acoustic transducer is small.
An electro-acoustic transducer according to the present invention including: a housing that includes an acoustic outlet for emitting a sound to the outside; a partition member disposed inside the housing; a first electro-acoustic conversion unit disposed inside the housing; and a second electro-acoustic conversion unit disposed inside the housing, wherein the first electro-acoustic conversion unit and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit each include: a fixed electrode; a vibrating membrane which is disposed opposite to the fixed electrode and vibrates in accordance with a potential difference generated between the fixed electrode and the vibrating membrane, on the basis of an electrical signal; and a support member that supports a partial region of the vibrating membrane and brings a part of the vibrating membrane into contact with the fixed electrode, wherein a distance between the vibrating membrane and the fixed electrode in a thickness direction of the fixed electrode becomes longer as the distance from the partial region to an outer side increases, wherein the first electro-acoustic conversion unit and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit are disposed facing each other across the partition member so that a sound emitting part of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit and a sound emitting part of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit communicate with the acoustic outlet, and the partition member supports the support member of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit and the support member of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit.
Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described through exemplary embodiments, but the following exemplary embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the exemplary embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution means of the invention.
An electro-acoustic transducer according to an embodiment of the present invention and an electro-acoustic conversion device including the electro-acoustic transducer will be described with reference to the drawings.
Although the present invention can be applied to both the so-called canal type of earphone and inner ear type of earphone, the canal type of earphone will be exemplified below. The outer shape of the earphone 1 of
In the following description, terms that indicate directions such as “up”, “down”, “right” and “left” are used in accordance with the orientation of an object drawn in the drawings, but these terms are not intended to limit the present invention. The “up” and “down” direction corresponds to a thickness direction of the electro-acoustic transducer, and the “right” and “left” direction corresponds to a direction traversing the electro-acoustic transducer.
As shown in
The electro-acoustic transducer 2 is a driver unit that converts an electrical signal into a sound. An internal structure of the electro-acoustic transducer 2 will be described in detail later. The earpiece 3 is a member to be inserted into the ear canal of a user, and is made of an elastic material.
The conduit forming member 4 forms a part of the outer shape of the earphone 1. The conduit forming member 4 includes a conduit part 4a and a cable connecting part 4b. The conduit part 4a is a cylindrical structural portion for emitting the sound generated by the electro-acoustic transducer 2 to the outside. A conduit line 4c is formed inside the conduit part 4a. The earpiece 3 is attached at a tip of the conduit part 4a.
The cable connecting part 4b is a portion to which the cable 5 is connected. The cable 5 transmits the electrical signal to the electro-acoustic transducer 2.
In the present embodiment, the conduit forming member 4 and the electro-acoustic transducer 2 are described as separate components, but this does not mean that the conduit forming member 4 and the electro-acoustic transducer 2 must be separately provided. The conduit forming member 4 and the electro-acoustic transducer 2 may be integrally provided by a single member.
As shown in
One of the features of the electro-acoustic transducer 2 is that, as shown in
As an example, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 have the same configuration. The first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are disposed symmetrically with respect to a reference plane A transverse to the center part in the thickness direction of the electro-acoustic transducer 2. The components of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 are numbered in the “100” series, while the components of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are numbered in the “200” series, corresponding to the components of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100. Hereinafter, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 will be described, and redundant description of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 will be omitted. The electro-acoustic conversion units 100 and 200 may be simply referred to as “electro-acoustic conversion units” without particular distinction.
Before describing the detailed configuration of the electro-acoustic conversion unit, first, the housing 20 will be described. As shown in
The housing member 21 is a cylindrical member. An upper end portion, which is one end portion of the housing member 21, and a lower end portion, which is the other end portion of the housing member 21, are open. The housing member 21 forms the side surface of the housing 20. The housing member 21 is formed of a resin material, for example. A first cover member 25 is attached to the upper end portion of the housing member 21, and a second cover member 26 is attached to the lower end portion of the housing member 21. The acoustic outlet 2a for emitting the sound to the outside is formed in the housing member 21.
The first cover member 25 closes the opening of the upper end portion of the housing member 21. As shown in
The second cover member 26 closes the opening of the lower end portion of the housing member 21. The second cover member 26 also includes a disc-shaped flat surface 26a and a side surface 26b extending from a peripheral portion of the flat surface 26a in a direction perpendicular to the flat surface 26a. The second cover member 26 is formed of a resin material, for example.
A sealed internal space is formed by attaching the first cover member 25 and the second cover member 26 to the housing member 21. In this example, the outer shape of the housing 20 is a slightly flat cylindrical shape whose height dimension is shorter than the diameter. As can be understood from a perspective view of
Referring to
As shown in
Specifically, the partition member 30 includes a circular thick part 30-1 and an annular part 30-2 formed outside the thick part 30-1. The thick part 30-1 is formed in a circular region of a predetermined radius centered on the central axis CL. The annular part 30-2 has an annular flat surface. As described later, a conductive member 113 and the like are disposed in the annular part 30-2.
The partition member 30 includes a concave part 33 which is a first concave part formed in the first surface 31a. Further, the partition member 30 includes the concave part 33 formed in the second surface 31b (see
According to the configuration where the concave part 33 that receives the support member 107 is formed in this manner, the support member 107 is disposed in the concave part 33, which is a predetermined fixed position, during product assembly. Therefore, the position of the support member 107 hardly varies. Therefore, it is possible to reduce variation in acoustic characteristics of the electro-acoustic transducer 2 caused by displacement of the support member 107. It should be noted that the partition member 30 supports a support member 207 of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 in the concave part 33, which is a second concave part formed in the second surface 31b.
As shown in
Although the configuration in which the partition member 30 divides the internal space of the housing 20 has been described above, the partition member 30 need not necessarily have a function of dividing the internal space of the housing 20.
The through-hole 35 is a hole extending straight along the thickness direction of the partition member 30, for example. When the through-hole 35 has such a shape, there is an advantage that the through-hole 35 can be easily formed with a mold. The outer shape of the through-hole 35 may be any shape, however, and as an example shown in
Next, the electro-acoustic conversion unit will be described. As described above, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 have the same configuration and are disposed symmetrically with the reference plane A in between. Therefore, among two electro-acoustic conversion units, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 will be described below.
As shown in
The fixed electrode 101 is formed of a plate-shaped conductive member. The shape and size of the fixed electrode 101 are arbitrary, and the fixed electrode 101 has, for example, a disc shape. The fixed electrode 101 has a plurality of holes through which air passes.
An electret layer (not shown) is formed on a surface of the fixed electrode 101 facing the vibrating membrane 105. The electret layer includes a dielectric that semi-permanently retains the charge, and applies a bias voltage to the conductive member of the fixed electrode 101. Since the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 has the fixed electrode 101 formed with the electret layer, there is no need to apply a bias voltage to the fixed electrode 101 from the outside. If an electret layer is not formed on the fixed electrode 101, a bias voltage may be applied to the fixed electrode 101 through a terminal (not shown).
As schematically shown in
The fixed electrode cover 103 is a member for fixing the fixed electrode 101, and is disposed between the fixed electrode 101 and the first cover member 25. The fixed electrode cover 103 is a substantially disc-shaped member having a plurality of holes formed therein, and is formed of an insulating member. The plurality of holes formed in the fixed electrode cover 103 are holes for allowing air to pass through. An acoustic chamber is formed by the housing 20 and the like on the back side of the fixed electrode cover 103 (that is, on the opposite side of the surface facing the vibrating membrane 105). In such a configuration, the plurality of holes formed in the fixed electrode cover 103 are one element for determining acoustic impedance, and the shape and size of the holes are used for acoustic design of the electro-acoustic conversion unit 100.
The vibrating membrane 105 is a thin film having conductivity and faces the fixed electrode 101. The vibrating membrane 105 is formed of, for example, a metal foil or a polymer film on which gold is vapor-deposited. The vibrating membrane 105 is circular, for example. An annular region of an outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane 105 is supported by the insulating member 111 and the conductive member 113, for example.
A partial region of the vibrating membrane 105 is pressed against the fixed electrode 101 by the support member 107. Specifically, a region of the center part of the circular vibrating membrane 105 is pressed against the fixed electrode 101, and is in contact with the center part of the fixed electrode 101. Due to such a configuration, the vibrating membrane 105 is configured such that a distance between the vibrating membrane 105 and the fixed electrode 101 in the thickness direction of the fixed electrode 101 gradually becomes longer, as the distance from the partial region, where the vibrating membrane 105 is in contact with the fixed electrode 101, to the outer side (radially outer side of the circular vibrating membrane 105) increases. The outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane 105 is most distant from the fixed electrode 101. Specifically, the vibrating membrane 105 and the fixed electrode 101 are separated from each other by the thickness of the insulating member 111, for example.
It should be noted that although the center part of the vibrating membrane 105 physically contacts the fixed electrode 101, the vibrating membrane 105 and the fixed electrode 101 are not electrically connected. The structure in which the vibrating membrane 105 and the fixed electrode 101 are not electrically connected may be the one described below. Specifically, the vibrating membrane 105 may be formed of a film material having insulation properties, and a metal film need not be formed on its surface facing the fixed electrode 101 but may be formed only on its surface on the opposite side of the surface facing the fixed electrode 101. With such a configuration, even when the center part of the vibrating membrane 105 contacts the fixed electrode 101, the vibrating membrane 105 and the fixed electrode 101 will not be electrically connected.
The support member 107 is formed of a spring, a porous body, or an elastic material such as rubber. The shape of the support member 107 may be any shape, and it has, for example, a columnar shape. As an example, the support member 107 has a flat upper surface and a flat lower surface. The support member 107 may be a cube. The support member 107 is disposed in the concave part 33 of the partition member 30, and protrudes from the concave part 33 by a predetermined height. The support member 107 is displaced in a direction in which the vibrating membrane 105 is displaced in response to a change in pressure in an acoustic space of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100. The change in pressure in the acoustic space occurs when the earphone 1 is worn in the ear or when the earphone 1 is removed from the ear, for example.
The insulating member 111 prevents the vibrating membrane 105 from conducting to the fixed electrode 101. The insulating member 111 is an annular member having a predetermined thickness, and is formed of a resin, for example. The insulating member 111 is disposed between the vibrating membrane 105 and the fixed electrode 101.
The conductive member 113 is a conductive member for applying an electrical signal to the vibrating membrane 105. The conductive member 113 has an annular shape, for example, and is formed of a conductive sheet. The conductive member 113 is disposed on a surface of the vibrating membrane 105 opposite to the surface that contacts the insulating member 111, and contacts the outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane 105. In other words, the conductive member 113 and the insulating member 111 sandwich the outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane 105. As shown in
The first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 has been described above. The second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 is configured similarly to the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100. As shown in
As shown in
In the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 configured as described above, the vibrating membrane 105 vibrates in the acoustic space of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 in accordance with a potential difference generated between the fixed electrode 101 and the vibrating membrane 105, on the basis of the electrical signal input from the sound source 6. Similarly, in the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200, the vibrating membrane 205 vibrates in an acoustic space of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 in accordance with a potential difference generated between the fixed electrode 201 and the vibrating membrane 205. The sound generated by the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the sound generated by the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are emitted from the sound emitting units 100a and 200a, respectively. The sound generated by the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the sound generated by the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are emitted to the outside of the housing 20 from the acoustic outlet 2a in the side surface of the housing 20, and are emitted to the outside of the earphone 1, via the conduit part 4a and the earpiece 3.
As described above, in the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, a pair of electro-acoustic conversion units, consisting of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200, are disposed in the housing 20. Therefore, compared to an electro-acoustic transducer provided with only one electro-acoustic conversion unit, the effective area of the vibrating membrane is doubled, resulting in the improved sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer 2. According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer 2 can be improved, even when the electro-acoustic transducer 2 is small and it is difficult to ensure sufficient sensitivity with one electro-acoustic conversion unit.
In particular, in the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, a part of the vibrating membrane 105 of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 is pressed against the fixed electrode 101, and a part of the vibrating membrane 205 of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 is pressed against the fixed electrode 201. In such a configuration, a gap between the fixed electrode 101 and the vibrating membrane 105 and a gap between the fixed electrode 201 and the vibrating membrane 205 are reduced in the condenser type driver unit, and this improves the sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer 2.
In the case of the configuration in which the vibrating membrane is fixed to the housing only at the outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane, when the inside of the electro-acoustic transducer changes, stress is concentrated on the outer peripheral part of the vibrating membrane due to displacement of the vibrating membrane. On the other hand, in the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 of the present embodiment, displacement of the vibrating membrane 105 and the vibrating membrane 205 is suppressed by the support member 107. Therefore, the concentration of stress in the outer peripheral parts of the vibrating membrane 105 and the vibrating membrane 205 is alleviated. Therefore, the possibility that the vibrating membranes 105 and 205 will be damaged is reduced. Further, in the configuration of the present embodiment, a degree of displacement of the vibrating membrane is smaller compared to the configuration where the fixed electrode and the vibrating membrane are disposed in parallel, and therefore it is possible to reduce the thickness of each of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200, which is advantageous for downsizing the overall earphone 1.
The first space S100 in which the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 is disposed and the second space S200 in which the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 is disposed do not need to be independent from each other and may be formed as a common air chamber. However, when the first space S100 and the second space S200 are independent from each other as in the present embodiment, there is an advantage in that acoustic design of each acoustic electro-acoustic conversion unit is easy.
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, the fixed electrode 101 and the fixed electrode 201 preferably have an electret layer. In the case of a configuration in which two so-called dynamic driver units that use magnets, are facing each other, the influence of repulsion due to magnetism occurs. However, in the configuration where the electro-acoustic transducers 2, having the electret condenser type electro-acoustic conversion units, face each other, as in the present embodiment, the elements that affect sound quality, such as repulsion, are reduced.
Further, in the push-pull electro-acoustic transducer 300, there is a case where it is difficult to improve sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer 300 in which each fixed electrode 301 forms an acoustic impedance. In order to prevent the vibrating membrane 305 from sticking to the fixed electrode 301, a gap between the vibrating membrane 305 and the fixed electrode 301 needs to be relatively large. Such a configuration is disadvantageous for improving the sensitivity and downsizing the electro-acoustic transducer 300. In contrast, the configuration of the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment is advantageous for improving the sensitivity and downsizing the electro-acoustic transducer 2.
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, the partition member 30 has the first surface 31a defining a part of the acoustic space of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second surface 31b defining a part of the acoustic space of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200. With such a configuration, the partition member 30 that partitions the interior of the housing 20 into two spaces also serves as a member that forms the acoustic space of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the acoustic space of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200. Therefore, the number of components is reduced and the structure is simplified as compared with a configuration in which the acoustic space of each of the electro-acoustic conversion units 100 and 200 is formed by a member different from the partition member 30. In addition, according to the configuration of the present embodiment in which the partition member 30 defines a part of the acoustic space, there is an advantage in that acoustic resistance can be easily adjusted. Further, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, it is easy to change parameters such as an acoustic mass, acoustic capacity, and acoustic resistance for controlling vibrations of the vibrating membrane 105.
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, the concave part 33 for receiving and supporting the support member 107 is formed in each of the first surface 31a and the second surface 31b of the partition member 30. According to this configuration, the support member 107 is disposed in the concave part 33, and the position of the support member 107 is less likely to be displaced. Therefore, variation in acoustic characteristics caused by displacement of the support member 107 is reduced.
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, the partition member 30 is a plate-shaped member, and the partition member 30 is formed with the through-hole 35 in which one opening is exposed in the first space S100 and the other opening is exposed in the second space S200. With such a configuration, the acoustic space of the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the acoustic space of the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 can communicate with each other by a simple structure in which the through-hole 35 is formed in the plate-shaped partition member 30.
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, the acoustic outlet 2a for emitting the sound from the housing 20 to the outside is formed on the side surface of the housing 20, instead of the first cover member 25 and the second cover member 26 of the housing 20. With such a configuration, the design of the earphone 1 can be tailored to fit the shape of the user's ear and its surroundings, as compared to the configuration where an acoustic outlet is provided on the first cover member 25 and the second cover member 26. Therefore, the earphone 1 becomes user-friendly.
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2 of the present embodiment, the housing 20 includes the cylindrical housing member 21. The first cover member 25 is attached to one end portion of the housing member 21, and the second cover member 26 is attached to the other end portion of the housing member 21. With such a configuration, during product assembly, an operator places the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 inside the housing 20 from the one end portion of the housing 20 and attaches the first cover member 25. Subsequently, the operator places the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 inside the housing 20 from the other end portion of the housing 20, and attaches the second cover member 26. With such steps, the operator can easily assemble the electro-acoustic transducer 2.
In the first embodiment, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are arranged in parallel. In one aspect of the present invention, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 may be arranged as shown in
An electro-acoustic transducer 2A shown in
The partition member 30A is formed in a shape such that its plate thickness gradually decreases from an end portion, which is close to the earpiece 3 where the acoustic outlet 2a is located, of the housing 20A (end portion on the left side in
As an example, similarly to the first embodiment, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are provided in a symmetrical arrangement facing each other across the reference plane A. The first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are disposed with an inclination such that a distance between them gradually decreases from the end portion where the acoustic outlet 2a is located toward the opposite end portion. Since other configurations of the electro-acoustic transducer 2A are similar to those of the first embodiment, redundant description thereof will be omitted.
According to the configuration of the second embodiment, compared to the configuration where the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are disposed in parallel, the housing 20A is formed to be thin particularly in a region that opposes the side where the acoustic outlet 2a is located. This region is closer to the helix 7 (see
In the electro-acoustic transducer 2A of the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the first electro-acoustic conversion unit 100 and the second electro-acoustic conversion unit 200 are disposed facing each other in the housing 20A. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effect of improving sensitivity of the electro-acoustic transducer 2A.
The present disclosure is explained based on the exemplary embodiments. The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope explained in the above embodiments and it is possible to make various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured with any unit which is functionally or physically dispersed or integrated. Further, new exemplary embodiments generated by arbitrary combinations of them are included in the exemplary embodiments. Further, effects of the new exemplary embodiments brought by the combinations also have the effects of the original exemplary embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-199185 | Dec 2021 | JP | national |
The present application is a continuation application of International Application number PCT/JP2022/33774, filed on Sep. 8, 2022, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C § 119 (a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-199185, filed on Dec. 8, 2021. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2022/033774 | Sep 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18672707 | US |
