Light guide body for microphone, and microphone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972843-B2
Application number	US-201916411560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present invention provides a light guide body for a microphone that radiates light from a small number of light sources toward a surrounding of a microphone with a uniform quantity of light. The light guide body for the microphone that guides light from one or more light sources which emit light in accordance with operating a state of a microphone unit of the microphone. The light guide body has a plate shape and comprises one or more incident surfaces on which light from the light source is incident, and one or more grooves, each of which includes a reflecting surface that reflects light incident on the incident surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light guide body for a microphone which indicates an operating state of the microphone to a surrounding of the microphone, wherein the light guide body guides light from one or more light sources which emit light in accordance with an operating state of a microphone unit of the microphone, wherein the light guide body has a plate shape, and wherein the light guide body comprises:
one or more incident surfaces on which light from the light source is incident; and
one or more grooves, each of which includes a reflecting surface that reflects light incident on the incident surface,
wherein at least one groove of the one or more grooves has a first side surface and a second side surface facing each other, wherein the first side surface at least partially functions as the reflecting surface.

2. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 1 , wherein
the reflecting surface partially transmits light, and
the light guide body further comprises:
a radiation surface that radiates light transmitted through the reflecting surface;
an inner peripheral surface that at least partially functions as a re-reflecting surface that reflects light reflected by the reflecting surface; and
a hole that forms the inner peripheral surface, wherein

the at least one groove is disposed between the radiation surface and the hole, and
the reflecting surface reflects light incident on the incident surface toward the hole.

3. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one groove is disposed along the inner peripheral surface.

4. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 2 , wherein a distance between the at least one groove and the radiation surface is a maximum between a part in the at least one groove that is closest to the light source and the radiation surface.

5. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 4 , wherein the distance is gradually shortened from a part closest to the light source toward a part farthest to the light source in the at least one groove.

6. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one groove has a maximum depth in a part in the at least one groove that is closest to the light source.

7. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one groove has a maximum width in a part in the at least one groove that is closest to the light source.

8. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 7 , wherein the width is gradually narrowed from a part closest to the light source toward a part farthest to the light source in the at least one groove.

9. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 2 , wherein
the light guide body has a disc shape, and
the radiation surface is an outer peripheral surface of the light guide body.

10. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 9 , wherein
the hole is disposed at a center in a plan view, and
the incident surface is disposed between the at least one groove and the hole.

11. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 9 , wherein
the one or more light sources comprise a plurality of the light sources,
the one or more incident surfaces comprise a plurality of the incident surfaces,
the one or more grooves include a plurality of the grooves,
each of the incident surfaces corresponds to the respective light sources and is positioned to receive light from the corresponding light source, and
each of the grooves corresponds to the respective light sources and is positioned to reflect light incident on the corresponding incident surface.

12. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 11 , wherein the incident surfaces are disposed at equal intervals on a concentric circle of the outer peripheral surface.

13. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 11 , wherein among the grooves for each of the incident surfaces, adjacent grooves communicate with each other.

14. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 10 , wherein
the at least one groove comprises:
a first groove part that is disposed along a first direction;
a second groove part that is disposed along a second direction different from the first direction; and
a coupling part that couples the first groove part and the second groove part, and wherein
light incident on the incident surface is guided to the first groove part and the second groove part through the coupling part.

15. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 14 , wherein a shape of the first groove part is symmetrical to a shape of the second groove part, with respect to a radial line of the outer peripheral surface.

16. The light guide body for the microphone according to claim 2 , further comprising
a diffusion path that diffuses light transmitted through the reflecting surface, wherein
the diffusion path is in a substantially fan shape in a bottom view, and
the diffusion path is disposed between the radiation surface and the at least one groove.

17. A microphone, comprising:
a microphone unit;
a light source that emits light in accordance with an operating state of the microphone unit; and
a light guide body on which light from the light source is incident to be guided to a radiation surface, wherein
the light guide body has a plate shape, which comprises:
one or more incident surfaces on which light from the light source is incident; and
one or more grooves, each of which includes a reflecting surface that reflects light incident on the incident surface,
wherein at least one groove of the one or more grooves has a first side surface and a second side surface facing each other, wherein the first side surface at least partially functions as the reflecting surface.

18. The microphone according to claim 17 , comprising a case that accommodates the microphone unit, wherein
the radiation surface is exposed to an exterior of the case.

Assignees

• Audio Technica Kk

Inventors

• Yoshino Satoshi

Classifications

• F21V33/0056 Primary

  Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers · CPC title

• H05B45/00

  Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• H04R19/04 Primary

  Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R1/04

  Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor (in electric hearing aids H04R25/00) · CPC title

• H04R1/08

  Mouthpieces; {Microphones;} Attachments therefor · CPC title