JP7755782B2 - ear fittings - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to earwear.

Patent Document 1 describes a technology for ear-worn devices such as earplugs, earphones, and hearing aids, in which the insertion section inserted into the ear canal is composed of a soundproofing member and an elastic member covering it, and the elastic member is inflated by injecting air into the inside of it, causing it to adhere closely to the inner wall of the ear canal, thereby improving wearing comfort.

JP 2014-057164 A

An ear wearing device generally has an insertion portion that is inserted into the ear canal and a main body portion that is housed in the cavity of the concha of the auricle.
The ear-worn device described in Patent Document 1 improves the wearing comfort of the insertion part inserted into the ear canal, but does not improve the wearing comfort of the main body part that is placed in the cavity of the concha. Therefore, there is a need for technology to improve the wearing comfort of the main body part, particularly technology to improve the feeling when the main body part is pressed against the head.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an ear-worn device that improves the fit of the main body that fits into the cavity of the concha.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
1) A main body portion having a protruding portion and a tubular portion extending from the protruding portion, the main body portion being attached to the cavity of the concha in use;
an insertion portion attached to the tubular portion and inserted into the ear canal in the use state;
Equipped with
the main body portion includes an inner housing in which the protrusion is formed, and a cover that covers the inner housing,
the cover has a first end sealed and fixed to the inner housing side, an intermediate portion separated from the inner housing to form an air chamber between the first end and the intermediate portion, and tightly covers the protruding portion, and has an opening at a second end opposite the first end across the intermediate portion, through which the cylindrical portion is inserted with a gap;
The protruding portion has a groove portion at one end thereof which communicates with the gap and extends toward the other end in a direction away from the opening, and the ear wearing device is capable of communicating with the air chamber and the outside space via the groove portion.

One aspect of the present invention has the effect of improving the fit of the main body that fits into the cavity of the concha.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which an earplug 91 of Example 1 of an ear wearing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on the right auricle E. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the earplug 91. FIG. FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram of the main body 911 of the earplug 91. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the main body 911 taken along the line S4-S4 in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line S5-S5 in FIG. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the earplug 91 of Example 1, taken along the line S6-S6 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the earplug 91 in the normal state attached to the auricle E, and Fig. 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the earplug 91 during one step of attaching the earplug 91 to the auricle E. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of the earplug 91B of Example 2, where FIG. 7A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the earplug 91B in the normal state when worn on the auricle E, FIG. 7B is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of one process of wearing the earplug 91B on the auricle E. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of an earplug 91C according to a third embodiment, with FIG. 8A being a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the earplug 91C in the auricle E in a normal state, and FIG. 8B being a plan view of the filter member 5 used in the valve structure BK3. FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing the inner housing 2D of the valve structure BK4 of the earplug 91D of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an earplug 91D according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of an earplug 91E according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an earplug 91E according to a fifth embodiment.

Ear wearing devices according to embodiments of the present invention will be described using earplugs 91, 91B, 91C, 91D, and 91E of Examples 1 to 5.

Example 1
An outline of the earplug 91 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
The earplug 91 described below is for the right ear, and the left ear version is symmetrical in front and rear. For ease of explanation, the front, back, up, down, left, and right directions are defined as the directions of the arrows shown in Figures 1 and 2.
The up-down direction is the top-to-bottom direction when the wearer of the earplugs 91 is in an upright position, the front-to-back direction corresponds to the front-to-back direction of the head, and the left-to-right direction corresponds to the left-to-right direction of the head.

The earplug 91 has a main body 911 that is housed in the cavity of the concha Eb when attached to the auricle E, and an insertion part 912 that protrudes from the main body 911 and is inserted into the ear canal.
The inserting portion 912 is made of a material such as silicone rubber and has elasticity. The inserting portion 912 is detachably attached to the main body portion 911.
The state in which the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E is also referred to as the use state.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 911 has a base 911a, a protruding portion 911b, and a locking protruding portion 911c.
The base portion 911a has an ellipsoid shape obtained by flattening an oval into a three-dimensional shape.
The protruding portion 911b is formed at a position biased toward the rear side of the surface facing the cavity of the concha Eb when attached to the auricle E, and protrudes diagonally downward and rearward to the left.
The locking protrusion 911c has a small diameter and protrudes from the end of the protrusion 911b in the protruding direction along the axial direction of the protrusion 911b.
The insertion portion 912 is elastically locked to the locking protrusion 911c.

When attached to the auricle E as shown in Figure 1, the insertion portion 912 (not shown) is inserted into the ear canal, and the base 911a of the main body 911 is housed in the cavity of the concha Eb. The front side of the base 911a enters so as to be sandwiched between the cavity of the concha Eb and the tragus Ec, and the rear side enters inside the antihelical part Ea, which protrudes to cover the cavity of the concha Eb. This allows the earplug 91 to be stably attached to the auricle E unless excessive external force is applied in the direction of removal.

The main body 911 is configured to include the components shown in Fig. 3. That is, the main body 911 is configured to include an outer housing 1, an inner housing 2, and a cover 3.
The outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are made of hard resin, such as PC (polycarbonate).
The cover 3 is made of a flexible material, such as elastomer or silicone rubber.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the main body 911 taken along the S4-S4 line in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the outer housing 1 has a substantially flat bottom wall 1a and an outer peripheral wall 1e that curves upward from the entire outer edge of the bottom wall 1a.
The outer peripheral wall 1e has a peripheral step 1d that is carved out to the right along the entire periphery at the inner edge of the left tip surface.
An inner rib 1b is formed around the entire periphery of the bottom wall 1a at a position spaced inward from the outer peripheral wall portion 1e and protruding leftward at a height lower than the outer peripheral wall portion 1e.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inner housing 2 has a base 21d facing the bottom wall 1a of the outer housing 1, and an engaging protrusion 21b protruding rightward around the entire periphery near the periphery of the base 21d.
The peripheral edge of the base portion 21d forms an outer flange portion 21a that protrudes outward beyond the engaging protrusion 21b.
A cylindrical protrusion 22 is formed at a position offset rearward from the base 21d, protruding diagonally downward to the left rear. A cylindrical portion 23 having a smaller diameter than the protrusion 22 extends from the tip surface of the protrusion 22 along the axis of the protrusion 22. The aforementioned locking protrusion 911c that can be seen externally is this cylindrical portion 23.

As shown in Figure 4, the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 can be combined by the engaging protrusion 21b of the inner housing 2 entering and engaging with the peripheral recess 1c, which is a recess between the outer peripheral wall portion 1e and the inner rib 1b of the outer housing 1.
When the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are combined, the peripheral step 1d of the outer housing 1 and the peripheral step 21c of the inner housing 2 face each other with a gap in the left-right direction.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cover 3 has a cover base 31 as a left-right intermediate portion having the same external shape as the outer housing 1, and a cylindrical protrusion 32 that protrudes diagonally downward and rearward to the left at a position biased toward the rear of the cover base 31 and has a bottomed cylindrical shape.
An opening 34 is formed in a shoulder portion 32b, which serves as a wall closing the end of the cylinder of the cylindrical protrusion 32. The inner diameter of the opening 34 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cover base 31 has an inner flange 31a that protrudes inward along the entire periphery of the periphery, and a circumferential rib 31b that protrudes rightward from the inner edge of the inner flange 31a along the entire periphery. The circumferential rib 31b is a first end on the right side in the left-right direction. Meanwhile, the cylindrical protrusion 32 is a second end on the opposite side of the first end across the middle portion (cover base 31).
The circumferential rib 31b is adapted to be sandwiched and accommodated in the gap between the circumferential step 1d and the circumferential step 21c that is formed when the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 are assembled together. The outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 can be assembled in close contact with each other with the cover base 31 sandwiched therebetween.

The main body 911 of the earplug 91 is formed by combining the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 with the circumferential rib 31b of the cover base 31 sandwiched therebetween and integrating them by welding or adhesive. In other words, the circumferential rib 31b is sandwiched and sealed in the gap between the circumferential step 1d and the circumferential step 21c on the inner housing 2 side.
The main body 911, which is integrated between the outer housing 1 and the inner housing 2 with the cover 3 sandwiched therebetween, has the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2 inserted into the opening 34 of the cover 3 in its natural state when no external force is applied.
In a natural state, the cover base 31 of the cover 3 is spaced to the left from the base 21d of the inner housing 2. That is, in a natural state, an air chamber V is formed as a space between the cover base 31 and the base 21d.

The range in which the air chamber V is formed is shown in FIG. 5, for example.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line S5-S5 in FIG. 4, as viewed from the left side at a position slightly to the left of the base 21d of the inner housing 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the air chamber V is formed over a wide area corresponding to the external shape of the base 911a.
The cover 3 is made of a material that has some degree of stiffness, and the shape of the air chamber V is well maintained in its natural state.

4, the air chamber V extends leftward along the protruding portion 22 of the inner housing 2. In the natural state, the cover 3 is in close contact with the protruding portion 22 at a position close to the tip of the protruding portion 22. In other words, the position of the left end of the air chamber V in the natural state is the boundary position where the cover 3 is in close contact with the protruding portion 22 at a position close to the tip of the protruding portion 22.
The cover 3 has an inner flange 31 a side of a cover base 31 on the right end side, which is sandwiched and sealed between the inner housing 2 and the outer housing 1 .

The tip end portion of the cylindrical protrusion 32, including the opening 34 in the cover 3, cooperates with the inner housing 2 to form a valve structure BK that controls the flow of air inside the air chamber V to the outside space. In other words, the earplug 91 has an air chamber V and a valve structure BK that controls the flow of air inside the air chamber V.

This valve structure BK will be described with reference to FIG.
6A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the protruding portion 911b of the main body portion 911, specifically, a cross-sectional view taken along the line S6-S6 in FIG.

The protrusion 22 of the inner housing 2 has a cylindrical portion 22a that extends cylindrically around the axis CL22, a top wall portion 22t that is generally perpendicular to the axis CL22 and generally closes the cylinder, and a shoulder portion 22b that curves and smoothly connects the tip of the cylindrical portion 22a and the edge of the top wall portion 22t.
When the earplug 91 is in its natural state, the cover 3 is attached to the protrusion 22 of the inner housing 2 so as to fit closely to the outer surface 22t1 of the top wall 22t and the tip-side portion of the outer surface 22b1 of the shoulder 22b (the portion closer to the tip than the contact boundary line LN1 in Figure 6).
The contact boundary line LN1 is a line indicating the position where the cover 3 begins to contact the protrusion 22.

Specifically, the inner surface of the cylindrical protrusion 32 of the cover 3 is formed in the same shape as the outer surface of the protrusion 22 of the inner housing 2 further towards the tip than the adhesion boundary line LN1, and the side 32a of the cylindrical protrusion 32 is in close contact with the cylindrical portion of the protrusion 22 at the adhesion boundary line LN1 as a boundary, and the shoulder 32b of the cylindrical protrusion 32 is in close contact with the shoulder 22b of the protrusion 22.
As a result, in the earplug 91, the valve structure BK is in a closed state in its natural state, and the air chamber V is sealed so that the air inside does not leak out to the outside.

The opening 34 of the cover 3 is concentric with the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2 and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 23. As a result, a radial gap F1 of distance D1 is formed between the base of the cylindrical portion 23 and the end face of the opening 34.

When fitting the earplug 91 having this valve structure BK into the auricle E, the user grasps the main body portion 911 with their fingers and, while inserting the insertion portion 912 into the ear canal, presses the main body portion 911 into the cavity of the concha Eb.
When the main body 911 is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb, the cover base 31 of the cover 3 is pressed against the surface of the cavity of the concha Eb and elastically deforms to reduce the distance between the cover base 31 and the base 21d of the inner housing 2. This compresses the air chamber V.
When the compression of the air chamber V progresses and the pressure of the air inside the air chamber V increases and exceeds a certain pressure, the valve structure BK opens and the air inside the air chamber V is discharged to the outside.
This state is shown in FIG.

6(b), when the internal pressure of the air chamber V increases and reaches a predetermined value, the cylindrical protrusion 32 of the cover 3 is pushed out against the elastic repulsive force of that portion, forming an air passage fa between the cylindrical protrusion 32 and the inner housing 2. In other words, the cylindrical protrusion 32 is expanded and deformed, forming the air passage fa.
The air passage fa connects the air chamber V and the external space Vg through the opening 34 .
As a result, the air inside the air chamber V is discharged to the outside through the air passage fa, and the pressure in the air chamber V drops.

The earplug 91 has a valve structure BK, which reduces the burden on the head when the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E or when the main body 911 of the earplug 91 is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb while attached.
Specifically, when the main body 911 is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb, the air chamber V is compressed but is sealed, and there is no path for the air to escape, so it shrinks elastically. As a result, an elastic repulsive force is applied to the cavity of the concha Eb between the air chamber V and the cover 3, so the main body 911 feels soft and pleasant to the touch.

When the main body 911 is pressed more firmly against the cavity of the concha Eb, the pressure inside the air chamber V reaches a predetermined value, the valve structure BK opens, and the air inside the air chamber V is gradually released to the outside, reducing the pressure inside the air chamber V. As a result, the repulsive force exerted on the cavity of the concha Eb gradually decreases without becoming excessive, despite the strong pressure, and the tactile feel of the main body 911 is maintained in a good condition.

When the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E, the cover 3 does not adhere uniformly to the inner wall of the auricle E over the entire circumference of the valve structure BK. Therefore, the air vent fa is not formed over the entire circumference, but is first formed in the area where there is a gap between the cover 3 and the inner wall of the auricle E. To exhaust pressurized air from the air chamber V, it is sufficient for the air vent fa to be formed over only part of the circumference.

When the earplug 91 is removed from the auricle over time, or when the air passage fa is still formed, the air chamber V expands from its collapsed state due to the restoring force of the cover 3 as it tries to return to its original shape. During this process, as long as the shoulder 32b remains deformed, the air passage fa is maintained and air flows into the air chamber V through the opening 34. When the cover 3 returns to its original shape, the air passage fa is closed and the air chamber V is once again sealed.

In one use mode in which the main body 911 is pressed firmly against the cavity of the concha Eb when the earplug 91 is attached to the auricle E, the user lies on their side with the head resting on a pillow while wearing the earplug 91. In this mode, the earplug 91 is pressed against the head by the pillow.
In this embodiment, the earplug 91 has the air chamber V and the valve structure BK, so that the main body 911 comes into soft contact with the cavity of the concha Eb, providing a comfortable fit for the user.

Example 2
Next, we will explain earplugs 91B of Example 2. Earplugs 91B are the same as earplugs 91 of Example 1 except that they are equipped with a valve structure BK2 instead of the valve structure BK. Therefore, we will explain the valve structure BK2 with reference to Figures 7(a) to 7(c).
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the shoulder portion 22b of the inner housing 2 to explain the valve structure BK2, Figure 7(a) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the earplug 91B in the normal state attached to the auricle E, Figure 7(b) is an enlarged partial view of Figure 7(a), and Figure 7(c) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view during one process of attaching the earplug 91B to the auricle E.

7(a) and 7(b), the valvular structure BK2 has a cover 3B instead of the cover 3 of the valvular structure BK. The side portion 32a and shoulder portion 32b of the cover 3B are formed so as to be spaced apart from the protruding portion 22 of the inner housing 2 in a natural state, thereby forming a gap F2 around the entire periphery.
As a result, the valve structure BK2 has an air passage fb that communicates with the air chamber V between the cover 3B and the protruding portion 22.

An opening 34B with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 23 of the inner housing 2 is formed in the shoulder portion 32b of the cover 3B. The periphery of the opening 34B is a ring-shaped flap portion 35 that is thin and easily bends and deforms. In this example, there are two flaps: a thin inner flap 35a and an outer flap 35b that are spaced apart in the thickness direction. The number of flaps is not limited.

The inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b have peripheral edges of the opening 34 that are in close contact with the outer wall of the cylindrical portion 23 in their natural state, separating the space on the air passage fb side from the outer space Vg.
When a predetermined pressure difference occurs between the space on the ventilation path fb side of the opening 34B and the external space Vg, the inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b bend to allow ventilation in a direction that reduces the pressure difference, forming a gap between them and the outer wall of the cylindrical portion 23. This gap does not necessarily extend over the entire circumference of the outer wall of the cylindrical portion 23, but may also be formed in part of the circumferential direction.

When the earplug 91 is fitted to the auricle E, the cover 3B is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb, collapsing the air chamber V, and the air chamber V becomes pressurized. As a result, the inner flap 35a and outer flap 35b deform so as to expel the pressurized air in the air chamber V to the external space Vg as an airflow ARb, as shown in Figure 7(c), for example.

When the earplug 91 is removed from the auricle E with the cover 3B pressed and the air chamber V deformed, the air chamber V of the cover 3B expands from its collapsed state due to a restoring force that tries to return it to its original shape, reducing its pressure. As a result, the inner flap 35a and the outer flap 35b deform to allow air to flow from the external space Vg into the air chamber V.
When the cover 3B returns to its original shape, the pressure difference between the air chamber V and the external space Vg becomes small, the internal flap 35a and the external flap 35b again adhere to the cylindrical portion 23, and the air chamber V becomes airtight again.

The earplug 91B has a valve structure BK2, which reduces the burden on the head when the earplug 91B is attached to the auricle E or when the main body 911 of the earplug 91B is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb while the earplug 91B is attached.
Specifically, when the main body 911 is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb, the air chamber V is compressed, but until a predetermined pressure difference is created between the main body 911 and the external space Vg, the air chamber V remains sealed, there is no path for air to escape, and the air chamber V elastically shrinks. As a result, an elastic repulsive force is applied to the cavity of the concha Eb from the cover 3, making the contact feel soft and comfortable.

When the main body 911 is pressed even more firmly against the cavity of the concha Eb, the pressure inside the air chamber V rises further, creating a predetermined pressure difference between it and the external space Vg, and the inner flap 35a and outer flap 35b of the valve structure BK2 open, allowing the air inside the air chamber V to be discharged to the outside, thereby reducing the pressure inside the air chamber V. As a result, the repulsive force exerted on the cavity of the concha Eb decreases without becoming excessive, despite the strong pressing of the main body 911, and a good tactile sensation is maintained.

An example of a usage mode in which the main body 911 is pressed firmly against the cavity of the concha Eb when the earplug 91B is attached to the auricle E is the usage mode (lateral position) described as an example in the description of the first embodiment.
In this case, the earplug 91B also has the air chamber V and the valve structure BK2, so that the main body 911 comes into soft contact with the cavity of the concha Eb, improving the wearing comfort.

Example 3
Next, we will explain earplugs 91C of Example 3. The earplugs 91C are different from the earplugs 91 of Example 1 in that they are equipped with a valve structure BK3 instead of the valve structure BK. Since the other parts are the same, their explanations will be omitted.
The valve structure BK3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b).
8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the vicinity of the shoulder portion 22b of the inner housing 2 to explain the valve structure BK3 of the third embodiment, in which FIG. 8A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view in a normal mounted state, and FIG. 8B is a plan view of the filter member 5 used in the valve structure BK3.

As shown in Figure 8(a), the valve structure BK3 has a cover 3C instead of the cover 3 of the valve structure BK, and also has a filter member 5. The side portion 32a and shoulder portion 32b of the cover 3C are formed so as to be spaced apart from the protrusion 22 of the inner housing 2 in its natural state. This forms a gap F3 between the cover 3B and the protrusion 22, and the filter member 5 is inserted into this gap F3.

8(b), the filter member 5 is formed in a generally bowl shape in the gap F3 between the cover 3C and the protruding portion 22 so as to be in close contact with both the cover 3C and the protruding portion 22. An opening 5a is formed in the center of the bottom of the bowl shape of the filter member 5, through which the cylindrical portion 23 can be inserted.
The filter member 5 is made of a material that allows air to pass through while experiencing resistance. That is, the filter member 5 is a ventilation resistor. An example of the material is a porous material such as urethane foam.

In this way, the valve structure BK3 includes the filter member 5 between the air chamber V and the external space Vg. This filter member 5 functions as an air passage fc that allows air to pass between the air chamber V and the external space Vg with resistance.
Therefore, when the earplug 91C is inserted into the cavity of the concha Eb, even if the cover 3C is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb and the air chamber V is compressed and deformed, the air in the air chamber V is slowly exhausted to the outside space Vg due to the resistance of the filter member 5, so the air chamber V elastically shrinks slowly.
As a result, an elastic repulsive force corresponding to the compressive deformation of the air chamber V is applied from the cover 3 to the cavity of the concha Eb, resulting in a soft and pleasant contact feel.

When the earplug 91C is removed from the auricle E while the cover 3C is pressed and deformed, the valve structure BK3 of the earplug 91C expands the air chamber V from its collapsed state due to the restoring force of the cover 3C as it tries to return to its original shape, reducing the pressure in the air chamber V. This allows outside air to flow into the air chamber V through the filter member 5, and the cover 3C returns to its original state.

Example 4
Next, we will explain earplugs 91D of Example 4. The earplugs 91D are different from the earplugs 91 of Example 1 in that they are equipped with a valve structure BK4 instead of the valve structure BK, and other parts are the same, so explanations will be omitted.
The valve structure BK4 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing an inner housing 2D of a valve structure BK4 of the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a shoulder portion 22b of the inner housing 2D for explaining the valve structure BK4.

The valve structure BK4 has an inner housing 2D instead of the inner housing 2 in the valve structure BK. The cover 3 is commonly used.
9, the inner housing 2D differs from the inner housing 2 in that it has a groove 25. The groove 25 is formed on the outer surface of the protruding portion 22, and is a narrow groove recessed inward from the outer surface of the protruding portion 22, extending from the base of the cylindrical portion 23, through the shoulder portion 22b of the protruding portion 22, to the cylindrical portion 22a, in a direction away from the opening 34 in the radial direction. The cross-sectional shape of the groove 25 is not limited, but may be, for example, rectangular.

10 , the valvular structure BK4 uses the same cover 3 as the valvular structure BK. That is, in a natural state, the cover 3 and the protruding portion 22 are in close contact with each other except for the groove portion 25. The end of the groove portion 25, which is on the cylindrical portion 22 a side and farther from the opening 34, is in communication with the air chamber V in a natural state, or can be made to communicate by expanding and deforming the cover 3.
On the other hand, the end of the groove 25 on the cylindrical portion 23 side extends to a position visible from the outside through the opening 34 of the cover 3 and communicates with the external space Vg. That is, the air chamber V and the external space Vg communicate with each other through the groove 25. The cross-sectional area of the groove 25 as the air passage fd is small, and a large resistance occurs to the ventilation between the air chamber V and the external space Vg.

In this way, the valve structure BK4 has the groove portion 25, and the groove portion 25 serves as an air passage fd that allows ventilation between the air chamber V and the external space Vg by providing a large resistance.
Therefore, when the earplug 91D is placed in the cavity of the concha Eb, even if the cover 3 is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb and the air chamber V is compressed and deformed, the air in the air chamber V is not immediately exhausted to the outside space Vg due to the large resistance when passing through the groove portion 25, and the air chamber V maintains its pressurized state for a certain period of time and gradually shrinks elastically.
This provides an elastic repulsive force to the cavity of the concha Eb, making the contact feel soft and comfortable.

When the earplug 91D is removed from the auricle E while the cover 3 is pressed and deformed, the valve structure BK4 of the earplug 91D causes the air chamber V to expand from its collapsed state due to the restoring force of the cover 3 as it tries to return to its original shape, reducing the pressure in the air chamber V. This allows outside air to gradually flow into the air chamber V through the groove 25, returning the cover 3 to its original state.

Example 5
Next, we will explain earplugs 91E of Example 5. The earplugs 91E are equipped with a valve structure BK5 instead of the valve structure BK of the earplugs 91 of Example 1, and other parts are the same, so explanations will be omitted.
The valve structure BK5 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view showing the inner housing 2E of the valve structure BK5 for explaining the valve structure BK5, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the shoulder portion 22b of the inner housing 2E for explaining the valve structure BK5.

The valve structure BK5 has an inner housing 2E instead of the inner housing 2 in the valve structure BK.
As shown in Fig. 11 , the inner housing 2E is the same as the inner housing 2 except that it has a groove group 26. The groove group 26 includes a plurality of grooves (two in this example) with different extension lengths: long groove portions 261 and short groove portions 262. In the example shown in Fig. 11 , the groove group 26 includes four long groove portions 261 and four short groove portions 262 that are alternately formed at a 45° pitch around the axis CL22 on the outer surface of the protruding portion 22 of the inner housing 2E.

The long groove portion 261 is a narrow groove that extends from the base of the cylindrical portion 23, through the shoulder portion 22b of the protrusion 22, to the cylindrical portion 22a, and away from the radial opening 34, and is recessed inward from the outer surface of the protrusion 22.
On the other hand, the short groove 262 is a groove that extends from the base of the cylindrical portion 23 to the shoulder 22b of the protrusion, and is a narrow groove that extends in a direction away from the opening 34 in the radial direction and is recessed inward from the outer surface of the protrusion 22. The short groove 262 is shorter than the long groove 261 and does not reach the cylindrical portion 22a.

12 , the valvular structure BK5 uses the same cover 3 as the valvular structure BK. That is, in a natural state, the cover 3 and the protrusion 22 are in close contact with each other except for the long groove 261 and the short groove 262. The long groove 261 and the short groove 262 are spaced from the opening 34 at different distances from the opening 34 at the ends of the cover 3 farthest from the opening 34.
In a natural state, the end of the long groove 261 far from the cylindrical portion 23 is covered by the cover 3 and does not communicate with the air chamber V. Similarly, the end of the short groove 262 far from the cylindrical portion 23 does not communicate with the air chamber V. In other words, communication between the groove group 26 and the air chamber V is restricted.

When the earplug 91E is inserted into the cavity of the concha Eb, the cover 3 is pressed against the cavity of the concha Eb, compressing and deforming the air chamber V. If the degree of deformation is small, the air chamber V first communicates with the long groove 261. The long groove 261 functions as an air passage fe that connects the air chamber V to the external space Vg, and the compressed air in the air chamber V is discharged to the outside through the long groove 261, which serves as the air passage fe. Because the cross-sectional area of the long groove 261 is small, a large resistance is generated in the air flow between the air chamber V and the external space Vg.
Therefore, even if the cover 3 is deformed and the air passage fe is first established, the pressurized air in the air chamber V is not discharged all at once from the long groove portion 261 to the external space Vg, but is discharged over time, so that the air chamber V elastically contracts slowly.

On the other hand, when the cover 3 is significantly deformed, the air chamber V communicates not only with the long groove portion 261 but also with the short groove portion 262. The short groove portion 262 functions as an air passage ff that communicates the air chamber V with the external space Vg, so that the air that has been significantly compressed in the air chamber V due to the large crushing deformation of the cover 3 passes through the air passages fe and ff of the long groove portion 261 and the short groove portion 262, respectively, and is exhausted to the external space Vg.
Therefore, when the crushing deformation of the cover 3 is large, the pressurized air in the air chamber V can be appropriately discharged in an amount commensurate with the crushing deformation, and the elastic repulsive force of the air chamber V applied to the cavity of the concha Eb by the cover 3 is not applied to the head with excessive force.
In other words, the earplug 91E provides a more comfortable fit because the elastic repulsive force of the cover 3 is stably applied to the cavity of the concha Eb regardless of the amount of deformation of the cover 3 that is crushed when it hits the cavity of the concha Eb when worn on the auricle E.

The embodiment described above in detail is not limited to the configuration, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
The ear-worn device is not limited to earplugs, but may be a so-called earplug-type earphone or hearing aid that houses a speaker unit inside the main body 911 and emits sound into the ear canal through the tubular portion 23.

1 Outer housing 1a Bottom wall 1b Inner rib 1c Circumferential recess 1d Circumferential step 1e Outer peripheral wall 2, 2D, 2E Inner housing 21a Outer flange 21b Engagement protrusion 21c Circumferential step 21d Base 22 Projection 22a Cylindrical portion 22b Shoulder 22b1 Outer surface 22t Top wall 22t1 Outer surface 23 Cylindrical portion 25 Groove 26 Groove group 261 Long groove 262 Short groove 3, 3B, 3C Cover 31 Cover base (middle portion)
31a: Inner flange 31b: Circumferential rib (first end)
32 Cylindrical protrusion (second end)
32a Side portion 32b Shoulder portion 34 Opening 35 Flap portion 35a Inner flap 35b Outer flap 5 Filter member (ventilation resistor)
5a Openings 91, 91B, 91C, 91D, 91E Ear plugs (ear fittings)
911 Main body 911a Base 911b Protrusion 911c Locking protrusion 912 Insertion section ARb Air flow BK, BK2, BK3, BK4, BK5 Valve structure CL22 Axis D1 Distance E Pinna Ea Antihelix Eb Concha cavity Ec Tragus F1, F2, F3 Gap fa, fb, fc, fd, fe, ff Air passage LN1 Adhesion boundary line V Air chamber Vg External space

Claims (2)

a main body portion having a protruding portion and a tubular portion extending from the protruding portion, the main body portion being attached to the cavity of the concha in use;
an insertion portion attached to the tubular portion and inserted into the ear canal in the use state;
Equipped with
the main body portion includes an inner housing in which the protrusion is formed, and a cover that covers the inner housing,
the cover is formed of a flexible material, and has a first end sealed and fixed to the inner housing side, a middle portion separated from the inner housing to form an air chamber between the middle portion and the inner housing, and tightly covers the protruding portion, and has an opening at a second end opposite the first end with the middle portion sandwiched therebetween, through which the cylindrical portion is inserted with a gap;
The protruding portion has a groove portion at one end thereof communicating with the gap and extending toward the other end in a direction away from the opening, and the ear wearing device is capable of communicating with the air chamber and the outside space via the groove portion. The ear wearing device according to claim 1, wherein the groove includes multiple grooves spaced at different distances from the opening at the other end.