JPH09327098A - Hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve sound quality and to reduce power consumption by providing the conductor of a magnet or a closed loop provided in a drum, which is driven by a magnetic field generated by an amplified electric signal. SOLUTION: A hearing aid is constituted of a microphone 2 for collecting sound and converting it into the electric signal, an amplifier 3 for amplifying the electric signal which is outputted from the microphone 2, a coil 14 on which the amplified electric signal is impressed and a small magnet 11 adhered on the drum 9 and a converter is formed by arranging the coil 14 so as to be adjacent to the small magnet 11. Then, when sound is collected by the microphone 2, the electric signal is outputted from the microphone 2. When the electric signal is amplified by the amplifier 3 so as to be impressed on the coil 14, the magnetic field corresponding to sound is generated. The small magnet 11 is vibrated by the magnetic field generated by the coil 14 so that the drum 9 is directly vibrated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hearing aid used by a hearing-impaired person, and in particular, when transmitting acoustic vibrations to the eardrum, the electric signal obtained by a microphone is directly transmitted to the eardrum without being converted into air vibrations. It is configured to do.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional hearing aid used by a hearing-impaired person uses a microphone to convert air vibrations of collected weak sound into an electric signal, which is amplified by an amplifier, and which has a larger amplitude than a small earphone. It is converted to vibration and transmitted to the eardrum. Then, the vibration of the eardrum increases the sound pressure by the ossicles of the middle ear, is transmitted to the cochlea of the inner ear, and is transmitted to the auditory nerve.

In a conventional hearing aid, the sound generated by a small earphone is transmitted to the eardrum via air.

[0004]

However, the performance of the small earphone is limited, and the sound quality cannot be transmitted to the eardrum with good sound quality.

Also, in order to vibrate the eardrum, it has to be converted into air vibrations and transmitted to the eardrum by a small earphone, resulting in energy loss in the conversion.

Therefore, the present invention was conceived in order to solve the problems of such deterioration of sound quality and energy loss.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A hearing aid of the present invention comprises a microphone for collecting sound and converting it into an electric signal, an amplifier for amplifying the electric signal output from the microphone, and a magnetic field generated by the amplified electric signal. It is composed of a generating means and a magnet or a closed loop electric conductor which is driven by the generated magnetic field and is provided on the eardrum.

Further, a microphone that collects sound and converts it into an electric signal, an amplifier that amplifies the electric signal output from the microphone by voltage, an electrode to which the amplified electric signal is applied, and an electrode that generates the electric signal are generated. Moved by an electric field,
You may comprise with the electret provided in the eardrum.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The hearing aid of the present invention is configured such that, when acoustic vibration is transmitted to the eardrum, the electrical signal obtained by the microphone is directly transmitted to the eardrum without being converted into air vibration. .

(First Embodiment) As shown in FIG.
Microphone 2 that collects sound and converts it into electrical signals
And an amplifier 3 for amplifying the electric signal output from the microphone 2, a coil 14 to which the amplified electric signal is applied, and a small magnet 11 attached to the eardrum 9. The small magnet 11 The transducer is formed by placing the coil 14 close to the.

When sound is collected by the microphone 2, an electric signal is output from the microphone 2. Therefore, when the electric signal is amplified by the amplifier 3 and applied to the coil 14,
Generates a magnetic field corresponding to sound. The small magnet 11 is vibrated by the magnetic field generated by the coil 14, and the eardrum 9 can be directly vibrated.

When the eardrum 9 is vibrated in this way, a vibration corresponding to the sound collected by the microphone 2 is generated.
Can be given to.

(Second Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 2A, a microphone 2, an amplifier 3, a coil 14 to which an amplified electric signal is applied, and a coil 14 are arranged in the coil 14. A vibrating foil 12 consisting of a magnetic core 15 and a one-turn or multi-turn closed-loop conductor attached to the eardrum 9.
The transducer is formed by arranging the vibrating foil 12 close to the magnetic core 15.

As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the vibrating foil 12 is a closed loop coil formed by vacuum-depositing an aluminum foil on a synthetic resin film 12a conforming to the shape of the eardrum 9 and subjecting the foil to etching. By forming 12b, a lightweight vibration foil 12 can be obtained.

When the acoustic electric signal collected by the microphone 2 and amplified by the amplifier 3 is applied to the coil 11, the magnetic core
A magnetic field corresponding to sound is generated from 15. The magnetic field causes the vibrating foil 12 to vibrate together with the closed-loop coil 12b to directly vibrate the eardrum 9 to transmit sound.

(Third Embodiment) As shown in FIG.
It is composed of a microphone 2, an amplifier 3, an electrode 16 to which a voltage-amplified electric signal is applied, and an electret 13 formed on the eardrum 9, and the electrode 16 is placed close to the electret 13 to convert it. Forming a vessel.

When the electret 13 is formed by adhering the electret to a synthetic resin film that matches the shape of the eardrum, a lightweight vibrating body can be obtained.

When a sound electric signal collected by the microphone 2 and voltage-amplified by the amplifier 3 is applied to the electrode 16, an electric field corresponding to the sound is generated from the electrode 16. The electric field causes the electret 13 to vibrate, and the eardrum can be directly vibrated.

(Other Embodiments) The hearing aid of the present invention is configured like an earplug by accommodating the transducer 1, the microphone 2, the amplifier 3, the battery and the like in a single shell, like a conventional hearing aid. Alternatively, only the converter may be formed like an earplug, and the other microphone 2, amplifier 3, battery, etc. may be housed in another housing and connected to the converter by an electric wire.

[0020]

As is clear from the description based on the above-described embodiments, according to the hearing aid of the present invention, the electric signal obtained by the microphone is directly transmitted to the eardrum without being converted into air vibration, so that the sound quality is improved. Well, the power consumption can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a hearing aid according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram (a) showing a second embodiment of a hearing aid of the present invention, a plan view (b) of a vibrating foil,

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the hearing aid of the invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 microphone 3 amplifier 9 eardrum 11 small magnet 12 vibrating foil 13 electret 14 coil 15 magnetic core

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A microphone that collects sound and converts it into an electric signal, an amplifier that amplifies an electric signal output from the microphone, a unit that generates a magnetic field by the amplified electric signal, and a unit that is driven by the magnetic field. And a vibrator provided on the eardrum. 2. A microphone for collecting sound and converting it into an electric signal, an amplifier for amplifying a voltage of the electric signal output from the microphone, an electrode to which the amplified electric signal is applied, and an electrode generated by the electrode. A hearing aid, comprising: an electret that is driven by an electric field and that is provided on the eardrum.