Audio device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9622000-B2
Application number	US-201414895970-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 12, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an audio device, including: a vibrator 10 that includes a piezoelectric element 101 configured to undergo flexure and a panel 102 configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element 101 to vibrate; and a holder 60 that includes a behind-the-ear portion 602 to be hooked over a helix of a user's ear and that holds the vibrator 10 in a position that allows the vibrator 10 to abut against the user's ear, wherein sound is heard by a user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An audio device, comprising:
a vibrator that includes a piezoelectric element configured to undergo flexure and a panel configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element to vibrate; and
a holder that includes a behind-the-ear portion to be hooked over a helix of a user's ear and that holds the vibrator in a position that allows the vibrator to abut against the user's ear, wherein
sound is heard by a user,
the vibrator is configured to abut against a tragus of the user's ear from an outer side of the ear to transfer the vibration to the tragus to enable the user to hear sound,
the vibration of the panel has a loop located in a middle of the panel and nodes located on both sides of the loop, and
the middle of the panel and a periphery thereof abut against the tragus.

2. An audio device, comprising:
a vibrator that includes a piezoelectric element configured to undergo flexure and a panel configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element to vibrate; and
a holder that includes a behind-the-ear portion to be hooked over a helix of a user's ear and that holds the vibrator in a position that allows the vibrator to abut against the user's ear, wherein
sound is heard by a user,
the vibrator is configured to abut against an antitragus of the user's ear from an outer side of the ear to transfer the vibration to the antitragus to enable the user to hear sound,
the vibration of the panel has a loop located in a middle of the panel and nodes located on both sides of the loop, and
the middle of the panel and a periphery thereof abut against the antitragus.

3. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein
the holder has elasticity and presses the vibrator in the position that allows the vibrator to abut against the user's ear.

4. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein
the vibrator is disposed on both ends of the holder in correspondence with user's left and right ears.

5. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein
the audio device does not seal an external auditory canal of the user's ear.

6. An audio device, comprising:
a vibrator that includes a piezoelectric element configured to undergo flexure and a panel configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element to vibrate; and
a holder that includes a behind-the-ear portion to be hooked over a helix of a user's ear and that holds the vibrator in a position that allows the vibrator to abut against the user's ear, wherein
sound is heard by a user,
the vibrator is configured to abut against a tragus of the user's ear from an inner side of the ear to transfer the vibration to the tragus to enable the user to hear sound,
the vibration of the panel has a loop located in a middle of the panel and nodes located on both sides of the loop, and
the middle of the panel and a periphery thereof abut against the tragus.

7. An audio device, comprising:
a vibrator that includes a piezoelectric element configured to undergo flexure and a panel configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element to vibrate; and
a holder that includes a behind-the-ear portion to be hooked over a helix of a user's ear and that holds the vibrator in a position that allows the vibrator to abut against the user's ear, wherein
sound is heard by a user,
the vibrator is configured to abut against an antitragus of the user's ear from an inner side of the ear to transfer the vibration to the antitragus to enable the user to hear sound,
the vibration of the panel has a loop located in a middle of the panel and nodes located on both sides of the loop, and
the middle of the panel and a periphery thereof abut against the antitragus.

8. The audio device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a microphone.

9. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein
the vibrator generates sound radiated into an external auditory canal of the user's ear through air conduction.

10. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein
the vibrator is pressed against the user's ear with force ranging from 0.1 N to 3 N.

11. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein
the piezoelectric element has a plate shape, and
the panel has an area that is from 0.8 to 10 times an area of a main surface of the piezoelectric element.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Horii Seiji

Classifications

• H04R25/606

  acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window · CPC title

• H04R17/00

  Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers (piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners {H10N30/00}) · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04R2225/021

  Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/02

  adapted to be supported entirely by ear · CPC title