WO2009008570A1

WO2009008570A1 - Small sized body-sonic vibration receiver

Info

Publication number: WO2009008570A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/004185
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sung-Moon Han; Hyeong-Yong Hwang
Original assignee: IFEELU Inc
Current assignee: IFEELU Inc
Priority date: 2007-07-12
Filing date: 2007-08-30
Publication date: 2009-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 2010-01-12
Also published as: KR20090006526A

Abstract

Disclosed is a small sized body-sonic vibration receiver, and more particularly to a small sized body-sonic vibration receiver, which has a structure for linear vibration so that the receiver can implement sound signals into not only an auditory sense but also a tactile sense.

Description

SMALL SIZED BODY-SONIC VIBRATION RECEIVER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a small sized body-sonic vibration receiver, and more particularly to a small sized body-sonic vibration receiver, which has a structure for linear vibration so that the receiver can implement sound signals into not only an auditory sense but also a tactile sense. Background Art

[2] A small-sized sound receiver refers to an earphone or a headphone, which has a small-sized built-in speaker and has a size and a shape suitable for wearing within an ear or attachment to an external ear, and directly outputs sound signals received from a main body of a sound playing device, such as an MP3 player, to the external ear. The small-sized sound receiver is of high utility value as a portable device due to its compactness and convenience of use.

[3] However, in a conventional small-sized receiver, a vibration plate (diaphragm) made of light and soft material is vibrated, so that not only one cannot feel the vibration through a tactile sense, but also the receiver cannot transfer a vibration of a solid body, such as a bone-conduction.

[4] In this respect, a vibration earphone and a vibration headphone capable of supplying vibration has been developed. However, the conventional vibration earphone and vibration headphone cannot optimize a vibrating structure, so that they fail to supply high performance through output itself of the main body, such as an MP3 player, or the like. Therefore, the conventional vibration earphone and vibration headphone require an amplifier for high output, so that an additional battery is necessary for supplying corresponding additional output.

[5] The subject applicant filed a Korean patent application not only regarding a vibration unit having a structure optimized for vibration, but also regarding combination of an optimized vibration unit and general micro speaker unit. However, a market has required a very simple and cheap sound receiver which employs only the vibration unit.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[6] The present invention has been made in order to overcome the problems that the conventional body- sensible vibration earphone or headphone is limited in utilization due to weak vibration, or additional cost for an amplifier and a battery, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized body-sonic vibration receiver, which can not only provide an auditory effect and produce body-sensible vibration, but also can be economically implemented. Technical Solution

[7] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a small- sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration, including: a vibration generating unit having a shape which can be inserted into or attached to an external ear or a peripheral part of the external ear and vibrating a magnet based on a sound signal received from a main body of a sound playing device so as to generate a general sound, a bone-conduction sound, and a body-sensible vibration; an external housing encasing the vibration generating unit inside of the external housing and protecting the vibration generating unit; a connector unit connected with the main body of a sound playing device; and a code unit for connecting the connector unit and the vibration generating unit, wherein the vibration generating unit includes: a sound vibration coil shaped like a ring and positioned in a location where the magnetic force of a magnet is applied centering on the magnet; an inner housing fixing and supporting the sound vibration coil; a support member assembled with the magnet so as to support the magnet; and a leaf spring assembled with centers of the support member and the magnet, the leaf spring having both ends assembled with the inner housing, so as to have a liner vibr ation structure for linearly vibrating the magnet based on a sound signal input to the sound vibration coil.

[8] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration, wherein in the vibration generating unit, the sound vibration coil shaped like a ring is positioned between an outer magnet and a central magnet, and the outer magnet shaped like a ring is fixed by an extending support member on an upper surface of the support member, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating a vibration, or the support member extends and is bent toward the magnet, and the sound vibration coil is positioned between the magnet and the support member, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating a vibration.

[9] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration, which further includes an intermediate control unit positioned between a connector unit and the vibration generating unit and controlling a size of a sound signal input from the main body.

Advantageous Effects

[10] According to the present invention, the small sized body-sonic vibration receiver having a structure suitable for putting on or attachment to an external ear or a peripheral part of the external ear and optimized for vibration, overcomes a limitation of the conventional body-sensible vibration receiver requiring an amplifier and the battery and provides bone-conduction sound together with general sound so that a user can economically and conveniently enjoy the effects of a high-quality body-sonic vibration receiver. Brief Description of the Drawings

[11] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[12] FIG. 1 illustrates a small-sized body-sonic vibration receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[13] FIG. 2 illustrates a small-sized body-sonic vibration receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[14] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a small-sized body-sonic vibration receiver connected with a main body of a sound playing device, and a volume controller of a sound signal according to the present invention; and

[15] FIG. 4 illustrates a structure of small-sized body-sonic vibration receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Mode for the Invention

[16] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[17] A core technical idea of the present invention is to provide a structure of an earphone or a headphone, by which a user can enjoy, even with low power, an effect of a body-sensible vibration as powerful as the power output from a conventional amplifier through a small sized body-sonic vibration receiver, and general sound and bone-conduction sound can be implemented through a single vibration structure.

[18] More specifically, a micro-speaker employed in a conventional small sized sound receiver is replaced with a linear vibration generating unit optimized for sound vibration, in such a manner that body-sensible vibration, bone-conduction sound, and general sound can be implemented while maintaining compatibility with a conventional device.

[19] Hereinafter, the detailed description will be explained with reference to FIGs. 1 to

4.

[20] FIG. 1 illustrates a small-sized body-sonic vibration receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A vibration generating unit 5 is mounted in a location of a conventional micro-speaker.

[21] In the present embodiment, a bone-conduction structure employs a magnet, serving as a vibrating weight, and has a duplex magnet structure, including a central magnet 41 shaped like an integral cylinder, and an outer magnet 42 shaped like a ring, which surrounds and is spaced apart from the central magnet 41.

[22] A sound vibration coil 43 is positioned between the central magnet 41 and the outer magnet 42 so as to generate the vibration of the magnet. Further, a leaf spring 44 fixing the central magnet 41 and the outer magnet 42 is assembled with a central yoke part serving as a support member 58 attached to the central magnet 41, so as to maximize a width of the vibration.

[23] That is, the vibration generating unit 5 has a structure in which the sound vibration coil shaped like a ring is positioned between the outer magnet 42 and the central magnet, and the outer magnet 42 shaped like a ring is fixed by an extending support member on an upper surface of the support member 58, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating the vibration.

[24] The structure of the vibration generating unit 5 has superior vibration reactivity so as to generate sufficient vibration force, even in a weak sound signal, so that it can provide effects of the bone-conduction and the body-sensible vibration. Further, the power consumption is low, so that it is greatly effective on making the device compact and decreasing production cost.

[25] In order to transfer the vibration of the vibration generating unit to the external ear part, the vibration generating unit inserted or attached to the external ear part should be fixed to an external housing 1 of the vibration generating unit.

[26] Next, it will be described the way how the sound signal is implemented into body- sensible vibration, bone-conduction sound, and general sound.

[27] The sound signal input from a main body 105 is input to a connector unit 51, such as a connection jack, or the like, so as to be transferred to the sound vibration coil through a code unit 52. The sound vibration coil emits a magnetic field based on the sound signal.

[28] The connector unit 51 and the code unit 52 are applied in general embodiments where the sound signal is transferred through a wire. However, if a wireless signal transfer unit (not shown), such as Bluetooth, is adopted, it is apparent that the code unit can be replaced.

[29] The magnetic field of the sound vibration coil is changed based on the sound signal, and influences the magnetic field of an adjacent magnet. In this respect, the sound vibration coil is fixed in an inner housing 9, so that the magnet centrically assembled with the leaf spring vibrates based on the sound signal.

[30] If the magnet vibrates, the centrically assembled leaf spring 44 vibrates upward and downward based on the sound signal. At this time, the sound vibration is transferred from a center to an outside of the leaf spring, so as to generate a bone-conduction sound signal along a part connected to the external housing 1. The external housing 1 is attached to the external ear part so as to transfer the bone-conduction sound. Therefore, the external ear part feels the weight due to the weight of the magnet, and a user can feel the sound through a tactile sense due to the weight, so that the body- sensible sound is simultaneously transferred.

[31] The present invention has the vibration structure having superior reactivity so that it has the body-sensible vibration and the effect of bone-conduction sound effect. The reactivity is transferred to the housing and generates the vibration of air contacted the housing so that the general sound employing an air conduction scheme is implemented. In the general micro-speaker, not a diaphragm made of a film material is vibrated, but the leaf spring and magnet made of a metal having the elastic force are vibrated. Therefore, the receiver according to the present invention has a weaker sound at high compass than a conventional general speaker. However, if the leaf spring and the housing are made of a material reacting to the vibration of high frequency, the compass of the receiver can be improved up to a certain degree of high compass.

[32] FIG. 2 illustrates a modification of FIG. 1. The supporting member extends up to reference number 2a of FIG. 2 and is bent toward the magnet, and the sound vibration coil shaped like a ring is positioned between the magnet 41 and the bent support member, so as to increase the magnetic force for generating the vibration.

[33] Referring to FIG. 3, an intermediate control unit 6 is further provided between the main body 105 and the vibration generating unit 5 (i.e., between the connector unit 51 and the vibration generating unit 5) so as to improve user's convenience, and the intermediate controlling unit 6 includes a signal resistor, serving as a conventional sound controlling lever capable of controlling a size of an output signal.

[34] If the intermediate controlling unit 6 is appropriately controlled in a direction of increasing the sound volume, the volume of a current of the sound signal input to the sound generating unit 5 is controlled, so that a user can enjoy the sound together with the body-sensible vibration.

[35] FIG. 4 illustrates the receiver in which the vibration generating unit 5 is mounted in the external housing 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[36] Although several exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

[1] A small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration, comprising: a vibration generating unit having a shape which can be inserted into or attached to an external ear or a peripheral part of the external ear and vibrating a magnet based on a sound signal received from a main body of a sound playing device so as to generate a general sound, a bone-conduction sound, and a body-sensible vibration; an external housing encasing the vibration generating unit inside of the external housing and protecting the vibration generating unit; a connector unit connected with the main body of a sound playing device; and a code unit for connecting the connector unit and the vibration generating unit, wherein the vibration generating unit comprises: a sound vibration coil shaped like a ring and positioned in a location where the magnetic force of a magnet is applied centering on the magnet; an inner housing fixing and supporting the sound vibration coil; a support member assembled with the magnet so as to support the magnet; and a leaf spring assembled with centers of the support member and the magnet, the leaf spring having both ends assembled with the inner housing, so as to have a liner vibration structure for linearly vibrating the magnet based on a sound signal input to the sound vibration coil.

[2] The small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration according to claim

1, wherein in the vibration generating unit, the sound vibration coil shaped like a ring is positioned between an outer magnet and a central magnet, and the outer magnet shaped like a ring is fixed by an extending support member on an upper surface of the support member, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating a vibration.

[3] The small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration according to claim

1, wherein in the vibration generating unit, the support member extends and is bent toward the magnet, and the sound vibration coil is positioned between the magnet and the support member, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating a vibration.

[4] The small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration according to claim

1, further comprising an intermediate control unit positioned between a connector unit and the vibration generating unit, the intermediate control unit controlling a size of a sound signal input from the main body.

[5] A small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration, comprising: a vibration generating unit having a shape which can be inserted into or attached to an external ear or a peripheral part of the external ear and vibrating a magnet based on a sound signal received from a main body of a sound playing device so as to generate a general sound, a bone-conduction sound, and a body-sensible vibration; an external housing encasing the vibration generating unit inside of the external housing and protecting the vibration generating unit; and a wireless signal transfer unit wirelessly connected with a main body, wherein the vibration generating unit comprises: a sound vibration coil shaped like a ring and positioned in a location where magnetic force of a magnet is applied centering on the magnet; an inner housing fixing and supporting the sound vibration coil; a support member assembled with the magnet so as to support the magnet; and a leaf spring assembled with centers of the support member and the magnet, the leaf spring having both ends assembled with the inner housing, so as to have a liner vibration structure for linearly vibrating the magnet based on a sound signal input to the sound vibration coil.

[6] The small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration according to claim

5, wherein in the vibration generating unit, the sound vibration coil shaped like a ring is positioned between an outer magnet and a central magnet, and the outer magnet shaped like a ring is fixed by an extending support member on an upper surface of the support member, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating a vibration.

[7] The small-sized receiver for producing body-sonic vibration according to claim

5, wherein in the vibration generating unit, the support member extends and is bent toward the magnet, and the sound vibration coil is positioned between the magnet and the support member, so as to maximize magnetic force for generating a vibration.