Ergonomic Anechoic Anti-Noise Chamber for Speech Privacy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional communication devices and sound muffling apparatuses fail to effectively cancel all frequency fields of human speech, leading to leakage of private communications and musical sounds, especially due to inadequate absorption materials and non-airtight seals, which compromise privacy and clarity.
Innovation Solution
The development of active noise control devices with antiphase/anti-noise speakers and ergonomic design featuring anechoic chambers and channels that create a substantially air-tight seal around the mouth and ear, using specialized materials like modeling clay and metal for enhanced sound absorption and directional airflow to maintain privacy and clarity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional sound muffling apparatuses are used, then some sound absorption is achieved, but sound energy across all frequency fields is not effectively canceled leading to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by generating antiphase sound waves that destructively interfere with the original sound waves before they can leak outside the chamber. The anti-noise speakers produce sound waves that are 180 degrees out of phase with the incoming sound, canceling them out proactively rather than merely absorbing them passively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials including specialized foam materials with specific density ranges (0.5-2.0 pounds per cubic foot) combined with anti-noise speaker systems. This composite approach combines passive acoustic absorption with active noise cancellation to achieve comprehensive sound energy management across all frequency fields.
2Ease of manufacture
If non-airtight seals are used in the chamber, then ease of manufacture is improved, but sound leakage occurs compromising privacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible sealing materials that can conform to the contours of the user's face, creating an air-tight seal between the chamber and the user's skin. This flexible seal approach maintains ease of manufacture while ensuring sound-tight closure, as the flexible material adapts to irregular surface geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies particular density parameters for the foam sealing materials (0.5-2.0 pounds per cubic foot) to optimize both sealing effectiveness and manufacturability. By controlling the density parameter within this range, the seal achieves sufficient flexibility for easy assembly while maintaining air-tight properties to prevent sound leakage.
3Device complexity
If inadequate absorption materials are used, then device complexity is reduced, but sound energy is not effectively absorbed leading to leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for absorption materials, particularly foam density between 0.5-2.0 pounds per cubic foot. This parameter control ensures optimal sound absorption across all frequency fields without requiring overly complex material compositions, balancing effectiveness with manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple material types including foam absorbers with specific density ranges and anti-noise speaker systems. This composite material strategy achieves comprehensive sound energy absorption and cancellation without requiring any single material to be overly complex, distributing the functional requirements across different material components.
4Ease of operation
If ambient noise is not blocked, then ease of operation is improved, but communication clarity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the user's voice and ambient sounds into a separate enclosed chamber environment, isolating them from the external public space. This extraction allows the communication to occur in an acoustically controlled zone while the user remains in public view, maintaining convenience while ensuring clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by generating antiphase sound waves that cancel both the user's voice and ambient noises within the chamber before they can leak outside. This proactive cancellation ensures that neither private communications nor ambient disturbances are transmitted to the external environment, maintaining both privacy and communication clarity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively cancels sound energy across all frequency fields, ensuring privacy and clarity of communications and musical sounds by creating a disruptive interference with antiphase sound waves, maintaining an air-tight seal, and directing airflow to absorb sound energy efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
The solution effectively cancels sound energy across all frequency fields, ensuring privacy and clarity of communications and musical sounds by creating a disruptive interference with antiphase sound waves
Implementation Method 2
using specialized materials like modeling clay and metal for enhanced sound absorption
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed, in general, are devices that provide a substantially active noise canceling area over a sound source by causing disruptive interference to all frequency fields of speech sounds from the sound source. In some embodiments, active noise control or active noise cancellation means (“ANC means”) are provided to the device. Said means include one or more active noise canceling speakers for the addition of sound specifically designed to cancel noise from the speech sound source without interfering with the sound source going to the microphone, so the listener can clearly hear what the user is saying.