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US-12621594-B2 - Microphone device

US12621594B2US 12621594 B2US12621594 B2US 12621594B2US-12621594-B2

Abstract

Provided is a microphone device with a reduced impact on a windscreen (a windscreen part) caused by an installed environment. The microphone device includes a microphone that outputs an electrical signal in response to a sound wave, a housing portion that accommodates the microphone, and a windscreen part that reduces a pressure of wind caused by the wind entering into the housing portion. The housing portion includes a hollow cylindrical housing body and a cap attached to one end of the housing body in the axial direction of the housing body. The windscreen part is accommodated in the housing body and disposed between the cap and the microphone. The cap is solid. The cap includes a sound guide hole that guides the sound wave to the microphone. The sound guide hole is disposed along the axial direction.

Inventors

  • Satoshi Yoshino

Assignees

  • AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240312
Priority Date
20230413

Claims (13)

  1. 1 . A microphone device comprising: a microphone configured to output an electrical signal in response to a sound wave; a housing portion that accommodates the microphone; and a windscreen part configured to reduce a pressure of wind entering into the housing portion, wherein the housing portion includes: a hollow cylindrical-shaped housing body; and a cap attached to one end of the housing body in an axial direction of the housing body, the windscreen part is accommodated in the housing body and disposed between the cap and the microphone, the cap is solid and includes a sound guide hole configured to guide the sound wave to the microphone, wherein the sound guide hole is disposed along the axial direction, the windscreen part comprises a first windscreen part; and a second windscreen part, wherein a density of the first windscreen part is different from a density of the second windscreen part, the density of the first windscreen part is higher than the density of the second windscreen part, the first windscreen part is disposed adjacent to the sound guide hole, and the second windscreen part is disposed between the first windscreen part and the microphone.
  2. 2 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the windscreen part is filled between the cap and the microphone.
  3. 3 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing body includes one or more openings through which the sound wave is introduced into the housing body, the opening is disposed on a peripheral surface of the housing body, and the second windscreen part is disposed in such a way as to oppose the opening.
  4. 4 . The microphone device according to claim 3 , wherein the opening is a slit opening opened in a slit-shaped manner in the axial direction of the housing body.
  5. 5 . The microphone device according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of openings is disposed along the axial direction of the housing body.
  6. 6 . The microphone device according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of openings is disposed along a virtual line in the axial direction of the housing body.
  7. 7 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the second windscreen part is longer than a length of the first windscreen part in the axial direction.
  8. 8 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the second windscreen part is accommodated in a compressed state between the first windscreen part and the microphone.
  9. 9 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guide hole includes a sound wave outlet through which the sound wave introduced into the sound guide hole is led out, and the first windscreen part closes the sound wave outlet.
  10. 10 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guide hole includes: a first sound guide hole; and a second sound guide hole, and an inner diameter of the first sound guide hole is the same as an inner diameter of the second sound guide hole.
  11. 11 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guide hole includes: a first sound guide hole; and a second sound guide hole, and an inner diameter of the first sound guide hole is different from an inner diameter of the second sound guide hole.
  12. 12 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guide hole includes a sound wave inlet through which the sound wave is introduced into the sound guide hole, and the cap has a hemispherical convex shape toward the sound wave inlet side in the axial direction.
  13. 13 . The microphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the microphone includes: a microphone unit configured to output the electrical signal in response to the sound wave; and a unit case that accommodates the microphone unit, the unit case includes a unit sound guide hole configured to guide the sound wave into the microphone unit, and the unit sound guide hole faces the windscreen part.

Description

FIELD The present invention relates to a microphone device. BACKGROUND Microphone devices include a microphone device for security purpose that is installed outside a building (e.g., near an entrance of the building) and is used for picking up sounds (sound waves) emitted by people entering and leaving the building. Such a microphone device is to pick up sounds reliably for security reasons. However, wind noise may occur as wind hits the microphone device in an environment where the microphone device is exposed to wind and rain outside the building. In some cases, electric noise may also occur as wind hits a diaphragm of the microphone unit. Such wind noise may be picked up by the microphone. When the wind noise is picked up by the microphone, electrical signals (audio signals) output from the microphone device include an electrical signal corresponding to the wind noise. Consequently, a frequency characteristic of the microphone device in a low frequency band deteriorates. In this way, the wind noise adversely affects the frequency characteristic of the microphone device. In order to reduce adverse impact on the frequency characteristic due to the wind noise, the microphone device is provided with a windscreen (a windscreen part) for inhibiting the occurrence of the wind noise on an outer portion of the housing to cover the microphone (for example, see JP2012-175379 A). However, the microphone device continues to be used under the environment where the microphone device is exposed to wind and rain outside the building, and thus the windscreen deteriorates due to hydrolysis with rain and moisture contained in the air. The deterioration hinders the windscreen from inhibiting the occurrence of the wind noise sufficiently and the wind noise may be picked up by the microphone. Therefore, the frequency characteristic of the microphone device in the lower frequency band deteriorates. As the windscreen deteriorates, the windscreen becomes clogged and is unable to pick up desired sound waves (sounds). A microphone device with the deteriorated windscreen may be unable to pick up desired sounds. Thus, the impact on the windscreen caused by the installed environment is an issue in the environment where the microphone device is exposed to wind and rain outside the building. SUMMARY The present invention is directed to providing the microphone device with a reduced impact on the windscreen (the windscreen part) caused by the installed environment. A microphone device according to the present invention includes a microphone that outputs an electrical signal in response to a sound wave, a housing portion that accommodates the microphone, and a windscreen part that reduces a pressure of wind entering into the housing portion, in which the housing portion includes a hollow cylindrical-shaped housing body and a cap attached to one end of the housing body in an axial direction of the housing body, in which the windscreen part is accommodated in the housing body and disposed between the cap and the microphone, the cap is solid and includes a sound guide hole that guides the sound wave to the microphone, in which the sound guide hole is disposed along the axial direction. The present invention is able to provide the microphone device with a reduced impact on the windscreen (the windscreen part) caused by the installed environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an appearance view of a microphone device illustrating an embodiment of the microphone device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged longitudinal section of the microphone device taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a view of the microphone device viewed from the direction illustrated with the arrow B in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the microphone device taken along the line C-C in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the microphone device in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a frequency characteristic of the microphone device in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Embodiments of a microphone device according to the present invention will be described. In the following description, the drawings are referred to as appropriate. Microphone Device Configuration of Microphone Device The embodiments of the microphone device according to the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as the “present microphone device”) will now be described. FIG. 1 is an appearance view of the present microphone device 1 illustrating the embodiment of the present microphone device 1. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged longitudinal section of the present microphone device 1 taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1. The present microphone device 1 picks up a sound wave from a sound source (not illustrated), generates an electrical signal in response to the sound wave, and outputs the generated sound wave. The present microphone device 1 is a narrow directional gooseneck microphone device. The present microphone d