Bilateral Sound Intake MIC Assembly With Molded Fixture Channels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microphone designs for bilateral sound intake face challenges in achieving aesthetic design requirements while ensuring performance and cost-effective mass production due to complex molding and high costs associated with CNC machining, and issues with drill bit breakage and sharp edges.
Innovation Solution
A directional bilateral sound intake-based MIC assembly with a separate fixture and soft elastic member, allowing independent machining of the front shell and fixture, and using molds for low-cost, high-yield production, with features like soft elastic members and sealing ribs for stable mounting and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If single-sided sound intake mounting structure is used for directional bilateral sound intake, then existing mounting structure can be utilized, but complex molding and high CNC machining costs result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mounting structure into separate components: a fixture with through holes and a shell with sound inlet holes. The fixture is a standalone component that can be independently manufactured and assembled to the shell, eliminating the need for complex integrated molding. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized separately for manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture acts as an intermediary component between the microphone and the shell. It provides the mounting interface for the microphone while the shell provides the aesthetic outer surface with sound inlet holes. This intermediary structure decouples the functional requirements from the aesthetic requirements, allowing independent optimization.
2Manufacturing precision
If CNC machining is used for creating sound inlet holes, then precise size control is achieved, but high machining costs and drill bit breakage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses mold inserts with predetermined hole patterns that can be replicated multiple times. Instead of machining each hole individually with expensive CNC operations, the mold insert creates precise holes through a copying process that can be repeated for mass production, significantly reducing per-unit cost while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold inserts are prepared in advance with pre-defined hole patterns and geometries. This preliminary preparation allows the actual production process to simply replicate these pre-designed features, avoiding the need for expensive and time-consuming CNC machining operations during mass production.
3Adaptability or versatility
If small holes are drilled for sound inlet, then bilateral sound intake is achieved, but drill bit breakage and sharp edges result
Solution Approach 1:
The mold inserts create the small sound inlet holes through a copying process rather than drilling. This eliminates the mechanical stress and breakage risks associated with drilling small holes, while still achieving the required hole geometries for bilateral sound intake.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of drill bit breakage and sharp edges into a benefit by using a molding process that inherently produces smooth-edged holes without the risks of drilling. The molding process transforms what was a problematic operation into a reliable, repeatable process.
4Shape
If separate fixture is used for mounting microphone, then aesthetic design requirements are met, but additional component is added
Solution Approach 1:
The fixture serves as an intermediary component that separates the aesthetic shell from the functional microphone mounting. The shell can be designed purely for aesthetics with proper sound inlet holes, while the fixture handles all mounting functionality. This allows each component to be optimized for its primary function.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixture performs multiple functions: it mounts the microphone, provides structural support, enables bilateral sound intake through its through holes, and interfaces with the shell. By consolidating these functions into a single component, the overall system complexity is managed effectively despite the additional part.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a directional bilateral sound intake-based MIC assembly and an electronic device. The electronic device includes the directional bilateral sound intake-based MIC assembly. The MIC assembly includes a front shell with paired sound inlet holes and a microphone arranged on an inner side of the front shell. The microphone has two receiving holes. The MIC assembly further includes a fixture assembled within the inner side of the front shell. An assembling chamber and two sound inlet channels in communication with the assembling chamber are defined in the fixture. The microphone is mounted within the assembling chamber. The two receiving holes of the microphone are in communication with the two sound inlet channels respectively. The two sound inlet channels are in communication with a same pair of two sound inlet holes respectively.