Acoustic element, acoustic device, and method of manufacturing an acoustic element

Abstract

The application relates to an acoustic element, an acoustic device and a preparation method of the acoustic element. The acoustic element comprises a shell, a porous structure which at least partially fills the inside of the shell, an acoustic hole in the porous structure and a first audio device; the acoustic hole is arranged at a position close to the inner side of the ear, and the first audio device is arranged between the acoustic hole and the outer side of the ear; the acoustic hole and the first audio device are used for transmitting audio signals on both sides of the acoustic element; and the acoustic element has at least one form which is fitted to the ear canal. The acoustic element can improve the ear-plugging effect and improve the howling generated by acoustic feedback.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and in particular to an acoustic element, an acoustic device, and a method for preparing the acoustic element. Background Technology

[0002] Earmolds are a crucial acoustic component in acoustic devices. They secure a speaker (also known as a receiver) within the user's ear canal, while also providing some degree of sound isolation and enhancing the acoustic characteristics received by the user. However, because wearing an earmold seals off the user's ear canal from the outside world, low-frequency sounds in the cavity formed between the ear canal and the earmold are amplified. The resulting sound is like speaking into a bucket of water, with increased internal sound pressure, creating an "ear-blocking effect" that negatively impacts the user experience.

[0003] To address the occlusion effect, current technologies involve incorporating a vent in the earmold to allow airflow between the ear canal and the outside environment, thus reducing the occlusion effect. Typically, the occlusion effect decreases as the vent's diameter increases; however, excessively large vent diameters can cause acoustic feedback and howling. Therefore, a very precise vent diameter needs to be designed, a process that is quite challenging to achieve.

[0004] Therefore, designing an earmold that can both improve the occlusion effect and reduce the howling caused by acoustic feedback has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an acoustic element, acoustic device, and method for preparing the acoustic element that can improve both the occlusion effect and the howling generated by acoustic feedback, in order to address the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an acoustic element, which includes a housing, a porous structure that at least partially fills the interior of the housing, a sound hole located in the porous structure, and a first audio device.

[0007] The aforementioned sound hole is located near the inner side of the ear, and the aforementioned first audio device is located between the aforementioned sound hole and the outer side of the ear;

[0008] The aforementioned sound hole and the aforementioned first audio device are used to transmit audio signals from both sides of the aforementioned acoustic element.

[0009] The aforementioned acoustic element has at least one shape that fits into the ear canal.

[0010] In one embodiment, the porous structure is a lattice structure, which is composed of a cell array, and the cell array includes multiple cells.

[0011] In one embodiment, the unit cell is composed of a polyhedron and at least one pillar, one end of which is connected to a surface of the polyhedron and the other end of which is connected to a surface of the polyhedron of an adjacent unit cell.

[0012] In one embodiment, the unit cell is composed of spheres and at least one pillar, one end of the pillar being connected to the spheres and the other end being connected to the spheres of an adjacent unit cell.

[0013] In one embodiment, the pore sizes of the multiple pores in the porous structure are not exactly the same.

[0014] In one embodiment, the size of the plurality of pores gradually decreases from the inner side of the ear to the outer side of the ear.

[0015] In one embodiment, the porous structure is composed of multiple hierarchical structures.

[0016] In one embodiment, the overall porosity of the porous structure is no more than 99%.

[0017] In one embodiment, the acoustic element is a deformable acoustic element.

[0018] In one embodiment, the acoustic element further includes a solid inner wall; the solid inner wall is disposed inside the porous structure or on the outermost side of the porous structure.

[0019] In one embodiment, the material of the porous structure is a polymer material.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first audio device is an audio input element.

[0021] Secondly, this application provides an acoustic device, which includes the acoustic element described in the first aspect and a second audio device, wherein the second audio device is communicatively connected to the first audio device.

[0022] In one embodiment, the second audio device is a hearing aid, and the acoustic element is an in-ear earmold.

[0023] Thirdly, this application provides a method for preparing an acoustic element, applied to the acoustic element described in the first aspect above, the method comprising:

[0024] Obtain the fitting data of the aforementioned users; the fitting data includes relevant information about the user's body parts and / or information about the selected acoustic equipment;

[0025] Based on the above fitting data, acoustic components corresponding to the above users were prepared.

[0026] In one embodiment, the fitting data includes at least one of the user's key body part dimensions, the user's audio impairment data, and the power of the acoustic device selected by the user; the preparation of the acoustic element corresponding to the user based on the fitting data includes:

[0027] Based on the key dimensional data of the above-mentioned parts, standard acoustic components with matching dimensions are determined from a pre-set mold library;

[0028] Based on the aforementioned audio impairment data and / or the acoustic equipment and power selected by the user, a target standard acoustic element with matching power is determined from the aforementioned size-matched standard acoustic elements, thereby obtaining the acoustic element corresponding to the user.

[0029] In one embodiment, the fitting data includes the user's body part model data, the user's audio impairment data, and the power of the acoustic device selected by the user; the preparation of the acoustic element corresponding to the user based on the fitting data includes:

[0030] Based on the above-mentioned part model data, design the shape contour of the acoustic components corresponding to the above-mentioned users;

[0031] Based on the aforementioned external shape, the aforementioned audio impairment data, and the aforementioned acoustic equipment and its power selected by the user, the corresponding acoustic element for the user is prepared.

[0032] The aforementioned acoustic element, acoustic device, and method for manufacturing the acoustic element, wherein the acoustic element includes a shell, a porous structure at least partially filling the interior of the shell, a sound hole located within the porous structure, and a first audio device. The sound hole is positioned near the inner ear, and the first audio device is positioned between the sound hole and the outer ear. The sound hole and the first audio device are used to transmit audio signals from both sides of the acoustic element. The acoustic element has at least one shape that conforms to the ear canal. The porous structure of the acoustic element has multiple pores, allowing airflow from the outside to improve the occlusion effect. Simultaneously, it eliminates the need for additional venting channels. The pores can also absorb some sound, preventing leakage to external devices and causing feedback. Furthermore, the pores can balance the sound pressure on both sides of the ear canal, thus reducing feedback and improving the user's wearing experience. Additionally, because the acoustic element's shape conforms to the ear canal, its flexible structure allows for elastic deformation within a certain range, thus improving user comfort and fit, ensuring a secure fit. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the acoustic element in one embodiment;

[0034] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the porous structure in another embodiment;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a porous structure with different pore sizes in another embodiment;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hierarchical porous structure in another embodiment;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of acoustic elements with porous structures of different sizes in another embodiment;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the acoustic element in another embodiment;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of several acoustic elements including a fixed structure in another embodiment;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the fabrication method of an acoustic element in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0042] Acoustic components are crucial for users to receive external sound. Taking earmolds as an example, they are a vital acoustic component in hearing aids, fixing speakers (such as receivers) within the user's ear canal while moderately isolating external sound and improving acoustic characteristics. Earmolds are typically custom-made to fit the wearer's concha and external auditory canal shape. Based on the materials used, they can be categorized into hard earmolds (represented by acrylic) and soft earmolds (represented by silicone). Because wearing an earmold seals the user's external auditory canal from the outside world, the cavity formed by the earmold and the ear canal amplifies low-frequency sounds and lowers the bone conduction hearing threshold, resulting in a muffled, hollow sound, like speaking into a bucket of water, causing discomfort—a phenomenon known as the "occlusion effect." Currently, this is addressed by adding vents to the earmold or reducing low-frequency gain. The occlusion effect decreases as the vent diameter increases, but excessively large vents can cause acoustic feedback, resulting in howling and reducing the user experience. To address this problem, this application provides an acoustic element, an acoustic device, and a method for preparing the acoustic element, which can solve the aforementioned technical problem.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an acoustic element provided in one embodiment. Figure 1As shown, the acoustic element includes a housing, a porous structure that at least partially fills the interior of the housing, a sound hole located in the porous structure, and a first audio device; the sound hole is located near the inner side of the ear, and the first audio device is located between the sound hole and the outer side of the ear; the sound hole and the first audio device are used to transmit audio signals from both sides of the acoustic element; the acoustic element has at least one shape that fits the ear canal.

[0044] The acoustic element's outer shell can be made of plastic, polymer materials, etc., and can be composed of separate solid shells and skins, or directly from a single solid shell and skin. In this embodiment, the acoustic element can be an earmold, with different shapes to match the user's left and right ear canals. Correspondingly, the shape of the shell can be either matching or mismatched with the ear canal; for example, it can be a cylindrical shell with a cross-sectional area gradually increasing from the inside to the outside of the ear, etc., without specific limitations. Furthermore, the shell can be an open shell at both ends, facilitating the insertion of the signal communication line into the acoustic element through the opening away from the inside of the ear when using wired signal transmission. The sizes of the openings at both ends of the shell can be equal or unequal, without specific limitations. Alternatively, the shell can have an opening only at the end closest to the inside of the ear; this type of shell is suitable for scenarios using wireless signal transmission.

[0045] The outer shell is filled with a porous material, the composition of which can be customized to meet specific needs. This porous structure can fill the entire interior space or only a portion of it. The porous structure resembles a honeycomb structure, primarily composed of materials forming a honeycomb-like pattern. From the inside to the outside of the ear canal, multiple layers of interconnected porous structures fill the interior, creating numerous interconnected pores. Audio signals from both sides of the acoustic element can propagate through these pores, achieving balanced audio signal transmission. Each pore can be any polygonal shape, such as a square, pentagon, or hexagon. The size of each pore can be the same or different. Because each or most pores are connected to other pores and the outside, there is no occlusion effect. Furthermore, the tortuous channels of the porous structure attenuate the audio signal propagating through the acoustic element to the outside of the ear canal, significantly reducing the likelihood of feedback. In addition, the porous structure design here also gives the acoustic element a soft elasticity that the original substrate cannot match (like a sponge), allowing it to undergo elastic deformation within a certain range, which is beneficial to the user's wearing comfort and fit.

[0046] The sound hole is located inside the outer shell and near the inner side of the ear canal, for example, it can be located at the opening of the outer shell near the inner side of the ear canal. It should be noted that the sound hole is not actually located inside the outer shell, but rather it is a sound hole formed by a channel in a porous structure, and the outer shell encloses the porous structure.

[0047] The first audio device is also located inside the housing, specifically between the sound hole and the outer side of the ear canal, for example, it can be positioned close to the sound hole. Optionally, this first audio device is an audio input element, such as a receiver. Here, the sound hole and the first audio device are mainly used to transmit audio signals from both sides of the acoustic element, for example, from the outer side of the ear to the inner side. The externally transmitted audio signal can be transmitted to the user of the acoustic element via the first audio device and then through the sound hole. Furthermore, the transmission of audio signals between the acoustic element and external devices can be wired or wireless. External devices can be RIC-type hearing aids, BTE-type hearing aids, music players, or mobile phones, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, the aforementioned acoustic element can have various forms, at least one of which can conform to the ear canal. This form can be similar to the shape of the ear canal, or it can be a deformable form such as a cylinder or prism, which can conform to the ear canal after deformation. Correspondingly, the outer shell is a deformable outer shell, and the porous structure can also be a deformable porous structure. This allows the acoustic element to be adapted to users with different ear canal sizes, improving the universality and applicability of the acoustic element. Furthermore, acoustic elements of corresponding size and / or shape can be designed according to the user's ear canal parameters.

[0049] Furthermore, the aforementioned acoustic element includes a porous structure with multiple pores that are completely interconnected, i.e., completely transparent. In contrast, existing random pores are not interconnected, requiring optimization of the pore design based on acoustic performance, which increases design complexity. The technical solution of this application can avoid this problem, thereby simplifying the design complexity of acoustic elements and making them easier to design.

[0050] The aforementioned acoustic element includes a housing, a porous structure at least partially filling the interior of the housing, a sound hole located within the porous structure, and a first audio device. The sound hole is positioned near the inner ear, and the first audio device is positioned between the sound hole and the outer ear. The sound hole and the first audio device transmit audio signals from both sides of the acoustic element. The acoustic element has at least one shape that conforms to the ear canal. The porous structure of the acoustic element contains multiple pores, allowing airflow from the outside to improve the occlusion effect. Simultaneously, it eliminates the need for additional venting channels. The pores can also absorb some sound, preventing leakage to external devices and causing feedback. Furthermore, the pores can balance the sound pressure on both sides of the ear canal, thus reducing feedback and improving the user's wearing experience. Additionally, because the acoustic element's shape conforms to the ear canal, its flexible structure allows for elastic deformation within a certain range, thus improving user comfort and fit, ensuring a secure fit.

[0051] The above embodiments mentioned porous structures. The following embodiments will describe the specific morphology and composition of porous structures.

[0052] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a porous structure provided in another embodiment. Figure 2 As shown, the porous structure is a lattice structure, which is composed of a cell array, and the cell array includes multiple cells.

[0053] The porous structure is made of a polymer material that exhibits good biocompatibility and elasticity, allowing the porous structure to withstand certain deformations and improving its applicability. This polymer material may include, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), elastic polyurethane (EPU), silicone, or aerogel precursor materials.

[0054] Furthermore, the aforementioned unit cell is the smallest structural unit in a porous structure, and multiple unit cells in a unit cell array can form multiple pores through interconnection. Several possible implementation methods are given below regarding the specific structure of the unit cells and the connection methods between multiple unit cells.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the unit cell is optionally composed of a polyhedron and at least one prism. One end of the prism is connected to a surface of the polyhedron, and the other end is connected to a surface of a polyhedron in an adjacent unit cell. Taking a unit cell as an example, the number of faces of the polyhedron constituting the unit cell can be set according to actual conditions, such as hexahedrons, octahedrons, etc., without specific limitations. The shape of the prism can be a prism, cylinder, etc. Each unit cell includes one polyhedron and at least one prism. The specific number of prisms included can be determined according to the number of faces of the polyhedron. In short, it can be ensured that each face of the polyhedron in each unit cell is connected to the polyhedra of adjacent unit cells through prisms.

[0056] In another possible implementation, the unit cell may optionally consist of spheres and at least one pillar, with one end of the pillar connected to the sphere and the other end connected to the sphere of an adjacent unit cell. The size of the sphere in each unit cell can be determined comprehensively based on the actual size of the shell and the required porosity. The number of pillars in each unit cell can be arbitrary, specifically determined by the height and width of the porous structure, as long as it ensures that the spheres of each unit cell are connected to the spheres of adjacent unit cells via pillars.

[0057] In another possible implementation, the aforementioned unit cell can be a hollow unit cell, forming a unit cell array through the hollow pores, thereby creating a crystal lattice structure. This embodiment employs a crystal lattice structure, ensuring that each hollow unit cell, i.e., the pore, is connected to at least one adjacent unit cell, thus minimizing the clogging effect.

[0058] In another possible implementation, the above-mentioned lattice structure can also be a porous lattice structure without rods (pillars) constructed by the implicit surface method.

[0059] In this embodiment, the porous structure is a lattice structure composed of a cell array comprising multiple unit cells. This results in a completely transparent acoustic element, which balances the sound pressure inside and outside the ear canal, avoiding annoying occlusion and feedback, and improving the user experience. Simultaneously, the transparent lattice structure helps maintain ear dryness, preventing ear canal inflammation caused by prolonged ear canal moisture from wearing the acoustic element. This is more beneficial for those with moist ear canals and can also prevent recurrence of otitis media after wearing the acoustic element, thus consolidating the condition. Furthermore, the cell structure facilitates the interconnection of multiple unit cells to form multiple pores, making it easier to construct the lattice structure and thus balance the sound pressure of audio signals inside and outside the ear canal.

[0060] The above embodiments mentioned that the pore size of the porous structure can be different. The following will explain this situation in detail.

[0061] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the specific structure of a porous structure with different pore sizes provided in another embodiment. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the pore sizes of the multiple pores in the above porous structure are not exactly the same.

[0062] The size of each pore in the porous structure can be different for all pores, or it can be that some pores are the same size while others are different sizes. Of course, there are other possibilities as well, which are not specifically limited here.

[0063] Optionally, the size of the multiple pores here gradually decreases from the inner side of the ear to the outer side. This pore size can also be called porosity. That is, from the inner side of the ear to the outer side, the pore size in the porous structure gradually decreases, with the largest pore size on the inner side and the smallest pore size on the outer side, forming a gradient lattice structure. This design of the acoustic element increases the damping of the fluid without affecting the overall porosity of the lattice structure, which is more conducive to the attenuation of sound emitted from the first audio device (receiver) towards the outer side of the ear canal. At the same time, since the porosity is lower near the outer side of the ear canal, it also facilitates the entry of external ambient sound into the ear canal.

[0064] Alternatively, the overall porosity of the aforementioned porous structure may not exceed 99%. Porosity here includes both the number and size of pores. Different porosities result in different levels of transparency in the crystal lattice structure. Different porosities can be selected based on factors such as the user's hearing loss, the power of the acoustic equipment, and wearing habits. Generally, the porosity is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 99%.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the porous structure itself has multiple pores, it is not necessary to design ventilation channels based on the user's hearing curve or other data, thus saving the time required for designing such channels and improving the manufacturing efficiency of acoustic components. Furthermore, the pore sizes of the multiple pores in the porous structure are not identical, which reduces the design difficulty of the porous structure, thereby improving its manufacturing efficiency and further enhancing the manufacturing efficiency of the acoustic components. Moreover, the pore sizes of the multiple pores in the porous structure gradually decrease from the inner ear to the outer ear, which helps to attenuate the sound emitted from the first audio device towards the outer ear canal and helps to prevent external ambient sounds from entering the ear canal.

[0066] The acoustic elements in the above embodiments can improve the occlusion effect and reduce feedback. Here, in order to further optimize the sound attenuation performance and better improve the feedback problem of the acoustic elements, a hierarchical porous acoustic element is provided.

[0067] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a hierarchical porous structure provided in another embodiment. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, the porous structure is composed of multiple hierarchical structures, including at least one of macroscopic lattice structure, mesoscopic lattice structure and microscopic aerosol microporous structure.

[0068] To obtain a multi-layered porous structure, a precursor material for printing aerogel can be processed and then dried using techniques such as supercritical drying to obtain an aerogel material with a macroscopic lattice structure. This results in multiple layers of lattice structures: a macroscopic lattice structure, a mesoscopic lattice structure, and a microscopic aerosol microporous structure. Furthermore, the pore sizes of the macroscopic lattice structure, mesoscopic lattice structure, and microscopic aerosol microporous structure decrease sequentially.

[0069] Specifically, the pore sizes of the aforementioned macroscopic and mesoscopic lattice structures can range from 100 to 5000 μm, while the pore sizes of the microscopic aerosol microporous structures are below 50 μm. The specific pore size can be dynamically adjusted according to acoustic requirements. Here, a multi-layered porous structure is used to fabricate the acoustic elements, which has better sound attenuation and can further attenuate the sound transmitted from the primary audio device to the ear canal, resulting in stronger anti-feedback performance. Furthermore, the different pore sizes of the various layers of the multi-layered porous structure correspond to different power levels in the acoustic elements and devices used.

[0070] In this embodiment, the porous structure is composed of multiple hierarchical structures such as macroscopic lattice structure, mesoscopic lattice structure and microscopic aerosol microporous structure, which can further attenuate the sound transmitted from the first audio device to the outside of the ear canal, so that the acoustic element has a stronger anti-feedback effect.

[0071] In another embodiment, the acoustic element described above is a deformable acoustic element. Here, "deformable" refers to the acoustic element and its internal porous structure having a certain deformation range. For example, this deformation range could be -10 to 0 mm. The negative deformation range refers to the difference between the size of the acoustic element after deformation and its size before deformation. For example, -10 mm means that the size of the acoustic element after deformation is 10 mm smaller than its size before deformation.

[0072] This deformation range allows the overall structure of the acoustic element to be soft and elastic, similar to a sponge that can deform within a certain range when subjected to force, thus enhancing wearing comfort and fit.

[0073] Furthermore, the aforementioned deformable acoustic elements not only enhance user comfort when wearing them, but also improve adaptability, meaning that the same model of standard acoustic element can fit users with different ear canals within a certain range; it also prevents structural damage to the acoustic element when compressed, thus extending the lifespan of the acoustic element.

[0074] Furthermore, the deformability of the aforementioned acoustic element is primarily ensured through a special design of the porous structure's materials and structure. Specifically, the use of high-molecular polymer materials and a honeycomb-like structure as the materials and structural form of this porous structure makes the aforementioned audio module a deformable acoustic element. This honeycomb-like structure and material design allows the acoustic element to be compressed within a considerable range of deformation, enabling a single model of acoustic element to fit the ear canal structure of most people. This ensures a snug, seamless fit between the ear canal skin and the outer layer of the acoustic element, transforming the currently custom-made acoustic elements into several standardized models, significantly reducing the customization cost. Moreover, the deformability of this porous acoustic element can also adapt to the constantly changing ear canals of children, providing high adaptability. This avoids the need for frequent acoustic element replacements for children, improving the user experience.

[0075] It should be noted that because this acoustic element is deformable and flexible, it can undergo elastic deformation within a certain range compared to existing acoustic elements made of hard materials. This can reduce the discomfort experienced by the wearer when wearing the acoustic element for a long time or when chewing, thereby improving the wearer's comfort.

[0076] Furthermore, as mentioned above, several models of standardized acoustic components can be produced. These components can be customized not only according to the individual structure of the user's ear canal but also standardized according to ergonomics. Based on the statistical characteristics of different ear canal sizes, and also combined with characteristics such as age and gender of different groups, standardized porous acoustic components of different specifications can be obtained, such as... Figure 5 As shown below, schematic diagrams of three preferred models of standardized porous acoustic elements are presented. From left to right, the size of the acoustic elements increases sequentially (e.g., small, medium, and large in the diagram), but the shape of each acoustic element is consistent. In actual acoustic element production and design, the three specifications shown in the diagram can be further subdivided according to the different needs of different users.

[0077] In this embodiment, by designing standardized porous acoustic elements, mass production of acoustic elements is possible without requiring customized designs for all, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of acoustic elements. Simultaneously, the ear canal size of the standardized cellular acoustic elements can cover more than 90% of people of different ages and genders, thus improving the universality of the standardized cellular acoustic elements.

[0078] In another embodiment, see Figure 6 As shown, this is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an acoustic element. Based on the above embodiment, the acoustic element further includes a solid inner wall; the solid inner wall is disposed inside the porous structure or on the outermost side of the porous structure.

[0079] When the inner wall of the solid is located inside the porous structure, it can include an inner solid channel and an outer solid skin. The outer solid skin can cover the inner solid channel to prevent earwax from entering the ear canal. Furthermore, the aforementioned sound hole, first audio device, and sound tube can all be located inside the inner solid channel. The cross-sectional size and length of the solid channel can be set according to actual conditions, as long as it can accommodate the sound hole and the first audio device. This facilitates the installation of the sound hole and the first audio device, and avoids deformation caused by compression, which could lead to acoustic component failure and extend the lifespan of the acoustic components. Taking the example shown in the figure, the sound hole can be located at the end of the solid channel near the inner ear, and the first audio device can be located in the solid channel near the sound hole. Additionally, an earwax baffle can generally be installed in the sound hole area to prevent earwax from entering the acoustic components and affecting their normal operation.

[0080] In addition, when the inner wall of the entity is located on the outermost side of the porous structure, the inner wall of the entity can be a shell entity skin with a certain thickness. The thickness can be set according to the actual situation, as long as it can prevent earwax from entering the ear canal.

[0081] In this embodiment, by providing a solid inner wall inside or on the outermost side of the porous structure of the acoustic element, it is possible to prevent earwax from entering the ear canal and causing acoustic element failure, thereby extending the service life of the acoustic element.

[0082] In another embodiment, acoustic components are typically manufactured using 3D printing (additive manufacturing). Examples of 3D printing methods include photopolymerization (DLP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), direct-write freeform molding (DIW), and inkjet 3D printing (3DP). In this embodiment, based on current manufacturing capabilities, DLP is preferred for fabricating porous acoustic components, thus balancing manufacturing cost and precision.

[0083] In another embodiment, see Figure 7 The diagram shows several possible variations of an acoustic element including a fixing structure. The acoustic element further includes a fixing structure for securing the acoustic element to a body part of the user.

[0084] The mounting structure and the acoustic element's housing can be integrally molded, or they can be separately manufactured and then connected to the acoustic element. The mounting structure can be made of the same material as the acoustic element's housing, or it can be made of another material, as long as it allows the acoustic element to be securely fixed to the user's ear and is comfortable for the user. The shape of the mounting structure can be customized according to actual user needs. Figure 7 The examples of a few possible fixed structures are given, but they do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0085] In this embodiment, the acoustic element may further include a fixing structure for fixing the acoustic element to a part of the user's body. This can improve the stability of the user wearing the acoustic element, prevent the acoustic element from being lost and affecting the user's normal use, and at the same time make it easier for the user to put on and take off the acoustic element, thus improving the user experience.

[0086] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides an acoustic device, which includes the aforementioned acoustic element and a second audio device, wherein the second audio device is communicatively connected to the aforementioned first audio device. Optionally, the second audio device may be a hearing aid, and the aforementioned acoustic element may be an in-ear mold.

[0087] The hearing aids discussed here are exemplified by RIC (Receiver In The Canal) hearing aids. An RIC hearing aid consists of a main unit, a receiver, and an earmold. The earmold secures the receiver (or speaker) in the ear canal. The main unit and receiver are connected via a wire, which transmits the electrical signals generated by the main unit to the receiver, which then converts these signals into sound signals. Similarly, a BTE hearing aid consists of a main unit, a sound tube, and an earmold. The earmold secures the sound tube in the ear canal, and the sound tube transmits the sound signals generated by the main unit into the ear canal. In another embodiment, the hearing aid may also be an ITC (In the canal) hearing aid, a CIC (Complete in the canal) hearing aid, an ITE (In the ear) hearing aid, or other different types of hearing aids such as an ITE-full shell hearing aid, an ITE-half shell hearing aid located in part of the concha, or an ITE-low shell hearing aid.

[0088] The communication connection here can be wired or wireless. If it is a wired connection, the second audio device can pass through the solid inner wall of the acoustic element via a cable and a sound tube, and be electrically connected to the first audio device therein to achieve wired data communication, that is, to transmit audio signals such as sound.

[0089] In this embodiment, the acoustic device includes the aforementioned acoustic element and a second audio device communicatively connected to the first audio device. Because the acoustic element comprises a porous structure with multiple pores, external airflow can be allowed, improving the occlusion effect. Simultaneously, there is no need to design and add additional ventilation channels. The pores can also absorb some sound, preventing leakage to external devices and causing feedback. Furthermore, the pores can balance the sound pressure on both sides of the ear canal, thus reducing feedback and improving the user's wearing experience. Additionally, because the acoustic element's shape conforms to the ear canal, it also improves user comfort and fit, ensuring a secure fit. Moreover, the inclusion of a second audio device communicatively connected to the first audio device facilitates data communication between the acoustic element and external devices.

[0090] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a method for preparing an acoustic element, which can be applied to the aforementioned acoustic element, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0091] S102, Obtain the user's fitting data; the fitting data includes relevant information about the user's body part and / or the selected acoustic equipment information.

[0092] Among them, the user part refers to the user's ear. The relevant information of the user part can include the user's key size data of the part, the user's audio impairment data, the user's part model data, the user's audiogram, wearing habits, and the model of the hearing device selected by the user.

[0093] The key dimensions of the ear canal include the length and width of the second bend, the distance from the second bend to the first bend, the length and width of the first bend, the length and width of the ear canal opening, and the distance from the first bend to the ear canal opening. These can be obtained in advance by measuring the user's ear canal. The user's audio impairment data can include low-frequency and high-frequency hearing loss, which can be obtained by testing the user's hearing with a detection device. The user's ear canal model data can be an ear canal model built using the key dimensions of the user's ear canal, or it can be personalized ear canal structure model data.

[0094] S104. Based on the above fitting data, prepare the acoustic components corresponding to the above users.

[0095] Before fabricating the acoustic components in this step, user-defined data can be obtained. This data indicates whether the user requires customized acoustic components. For example, if the user requires customized acoustic components, a fabrication method for customized acoustic components will be used; if the user does not require customized acoustic components, a fabrication method for not requiring customized acoustic components will be used. The fabrication methods used for customized acoustic components and non-customized acoustic components will differ, thus meeting the customization needs of different users.

[0096] After obtaining the user's customized data and fitting data, the user's acoustic components can be fabricated. Depending on the user's customized data—whether customization is required or not—different fabrication methods can be used. The following will explain these two scenarios separately.

[0097] If the user's customized data indicates that no customized acoustic components are required, then step S104 above may include: determining a standard acoustic component with matching dimensions from a preset mold library based on the key dimension data of the aforementioned parts; determining a target standard acoustic component with matching power from the standard acoustic components with matching dimensions based on the aforementioned audio damage data and / or the acoustic equipment and its power selected by the user, thereby obtaining the acoustic component corresponding to the user.

[0098] The mold library includes multiple standard acoustic elements of different sizes. These standard acoustic elements of different sizes are the standardized porous acoustic elements mentioned above. One or more standard acoustic elements that match the user's ear canal size can be selected from these. Then, based on the user's audio impairment data and / or the power of the acoustic device selected by the user, a power-matching acoustic element can be determined from these one or more standard acoustic elements. The first audio device is then installed into the acoustic element. After that, the acoustic element is assembled into the housing. The resulting acoustic element model is manufactured by 3D printing and then undergoes post-processing processes such as polishing, polishing, and coating (for hierarchical lattice structures, drying operations such as supercritical drying are also required) to obtain an acoustic element suitable for the user.

[0099] If the user's customized data requires customized acoustic components, then step S104 above may include: designing the outline of the acoustic component corresponding to the user based on the above-mentioned part model data; and preparing the acoustic component corresponding to the user based on the above-mentioned outline, the above-mentioned audio impairment data, and the acoustic equipment and power selected by the user.

[0100] If a user requires customized acoustic components, the outline of the corresponding acoustic component is first prepared based on the user's ear canal model. Then, based on the audio damage data and the power of the acoustic device selected by the user, the porosity of the porous structure (including the size of each pore in the selected porous structure), the material of the porous structure, and other data, a corresponding porous structure is designed. The first audio device is then installed into the acoustic component. After that, the acoustic component is assembled into the prepared solid shell. After the obtained acoustic component model is manufactured by 3D printing, it still needs to undergo post-processing processes such as polishing, polishing, and coating (for hierarchical lattice structures, drying operations such as supercritical drying are also required) to obtain an acoustic component suitable for the user.

[0101] In this embodiment, acoustic components corresponding to the user are prepared by acquiring the user's customized data and fitting data, which allows for a relatively quick and accurate acquisition of user-specific acoustic components. Furthermore, power-matched acoustic components can be obtained by using the user's audio impairment data and the power of the selected acoustic equipment. The resulting acoustic components are more accurate and better meet the user's personalized needs, thereby further enhancing the user experience.

[0102] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the embodiments described above are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the embodiments described above may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages of other steps.

[0103] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0104] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An acoustic element, characterized in that, The acoustic element includes: a housing, a porous structure that at least partially fills the interior of the housing, a sound hole located in the porous structure, and a first audio device; the porous structure is used to balance the sound pressure on both sides of the ear canal. The porous structure is provided with a solid channel, one end of which forms the sound hole. The sound hole is located near the inner ear. The first audio device is disposed in the solid channel between the sound hole and the outer ear. A signal communication line is inserted into the first audio device from the other end of the solid channel. The first audio device is used to receive audio signals input from outside the acoustic element through the sound tube and the signal communication line. The sound hole and the first audio device are used to transmit audio signals from both sides of the acoustic element. The acoustic element has at least one shape that conforms to the ear canal.

2. The acoustic element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The porous structure is a lattice structure, which is composed of a unit cell array, and the unit cell array includes multiple unit cells.

3. The acoustic element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The size of the multiple pores in the porous structure gradually decreases from the inner side of the ear to the outer side of the ear.

4. The acoustic element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The porous structure is composed of multiple hierarchical structures.

5. The acoustic element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The overall porosity of the porous structure is no more than 99%.

6. The acoustic element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acoustic element is a deformable acoustic element.

7. The acoustic element according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer shell includes a solid inner wall; The inner wall of the solid is located inside the porous structure or on the outermost side of the porous structure.

8. An acoustic device, characterized in that, The acoustic device includes the acoustic element as described in any one of claims 1-7 and a second audio device, wherein the second audio device is communicatively connected to the first audio device.

9. The acoustic device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second audio device is a hearing aid, and the acoustic element is an in-ear earmold.

10. A method for preparing an acoustic element, characterized in that, The method, applied to the acoustic element according to any one of claims 1-7, comprises: Obtain the user's fitting data; the fitting data includes relevant information about the user's body parts and / or information about the selected acoustic equipment; Based on the fitting data, acoustic components corresponding to the user are prepared.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The fitting data includes at least one of the following: key body part dimensions of the user, audio impairment data of the user, and power of the acoustic device selected by the user. The step of preparing the acoustic element corresponding to the user based on the fitting data includes: Based on the key dimensional data of the aforementioned parts, standard acoustic elements with matching dimensions are determined from a pre-set mold library; Based on the audio impairment data and / or the acoustic device and its power selected by the user, a target standard acoustic element with matching power is determined from the standard acoustic elements with matching size, and the acoustic element corresponding to the user is obtained.

12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The fitting data includes the user's body part model data, the user's audio impairment data, and the power of the acoustic equipment selected by the user; The step of preparing the acoustic element corresponding to the user based on the fitting data includes: The shape and contour of the acoustic element corresponding to the user are designed based on the part model data; The acoustic element corresponding to the user is prepared based on the external shape, the audio impairment data, and the acoustic device selected by the user and its power.

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