Bone Conduction Audio Device with Piezoelectric Vibrator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional open fit hearing aids experience a decrease in sound pressure due to leakage of low-pitched sounds through the vent, compromising loudness sensation, and reducing the vent diameter to prevent this leads to discomfort.
Innovation Solution
An audio device incorporating a piezoelectric element that causes a panel to vibrate, allowing sound to be perceived through human-body vibration, eliminating the need for a vent and maintaining comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a vent is provided to let the external auditory canal communicate with the outside, then comfort is improved, but low-pitched sound leaks out leading to decreased sound pressure and compromised loudness sensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional acoustic field-based earphone with a vibrator that directly transmits sound vibrations through the user's body (bone conduction). This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for a vent structure while maintaining both comfort and sound pressure, as the sound transmission path is changed from air conduction through the ear canal to direct vibration transmission through the skull bones to the inner ear.
2Quantity of substance
If the diameter of the vent is reduced to prevent leakage of low-pitched sounds, then sound pressure is improved, but the sense of muffling increases and comfort is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the vent structure entirely by substituting the acoustic field-based sound transmission with direct vibration transmission through the body. Since the sound is transmitted through bone conduction rather than air conduction, no vent is needed to prevent sound leakage, and thus the contradiction between sound pressure and comfort is resolved without requiring vent diameter adjustment.
3Quantity of substance
If a conventional earphone is used to transmit sound through the ear canal, then sound transmission is achieved, but low-pitched sound leaks through the vent causing loss of loudness sensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the acoustic field-based earphone with a vibrator that uses bone conduction to transmit sound directly through the skull bones to the inner ear. This mechanical substitution prevents low-pitched sound leakage entirely, as the sound transmission path bypasses the ear canal and vent, thereby maintaining full loudness sensation including low frequencies.
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 audio device maintains loudness sensation and comfort by transferring sound through human-body vibration, reducing the need for a vent and minimizing sound leakage.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element configured to undergo flexure and a panel configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element to vibrate
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an audio device, including: a vibrator 10 that includes a piezoelectric element 101 configured to undergo flexure and a panel 102 configured to be bent directly by the piezoelectric element 101 to vibrate; and a holder 60 that includes a behind-the-ear portion 602 to be hooked over a helix of a user's ear and that holds the vibrator 10 in a position that allows the vibrator 10 to abut against the user's ear, wherein sound is heard by a user.