Bone Conduction Speaker Unit with Elastic Adapter for Ear Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone conduction speakers face issues with improper fitting due to varying ear sizes and shapes, leading to discomfort and reduced air-conducted sound generation efficiency, especially for normal-hearing individuals who prefer ambient sounds.
Innovation Solution
A bone conduction speaker unit with a support means featuring a ring and elastic adapter, allowing for easy mounting in the concha cavity, and optionally integrated with glasses, ensuring the ear canal remains open for ambient sound and enhancing air-conducted sound generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a bone conduction speaker is placed to contact the periphery of an auricle without blocking the earhole, then ambient sound can be heard, but air-conducted sound generation efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support means is divided into multiple functional components: a ring for housing in the concha cavity, an elastic adapter for adapting to ear variations, and a column for positioning the speaker. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function - the ring provides structural support while the elastic adapter ensures proper contact with the tragus for efficient air-conducted sound generation without blocking the earhole.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic adapter is designed with localized elasticity at the contact point with the tragus, providing precise local adaptation to individual ear anatomy. This localized quality enhancement ensures optimal coupling for air-conducted sound generation only where needed, while maintaining earhole openness for ambient sound perception.
2Device complexity
If holding means with predetermined size and shape are used to house in concha cavity, then device structure is simplified, but adaptability to various ear sizes and shapes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic adapter introduces dynamic adaptability to the otherwise static ring structure. The adapter can elastically deform to accommodate variations in concha cavity size and shape across different users, while the ring itself maintains a simple predetermined geometry. This combination achieves both structural simplicity and high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic adapter changes its physical parameters (shape, size) in response to the specific ear anatomy it contacts. This parameter adaptation allows the same standardized ring structure to fit various ear sizes and shapes effectively, resolving the contradiction between device standardization and user customization.
3Force
If ring-shaped holding means is pressed and deformed to insert into concha cavity, then mounting force is applied, but mounting comfort is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic adapter acts as a flexible element that deforms during insertion and then rebounds to provide secure contact. This flexibility allows the device to be inserted with minimal force while still achieving firm contact with the tragus for effective sound transmission, greatly improving mounting comfort compared to rigid holding means.
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 unit provides comfortable fitting and improved sound quality by efficiently transmitting vibrations to the ear canal, maintaining ambient sound accessibility and enhancing both bone-conducted and air-conducted sound efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic adapter fitted into a circumferential groove formed on an outer circumferential surface of the ring
Implementation Method 2
a bone conduction speaker transmits a sound to a user by vibrating the skull of the user
Data Source
AI summary
A bone conduction speaker unit is provided that can be easily mounted on an ear in a fitted manner does not prevent a normal-hearing person from hearing an external sound, improves sound quality, and does not cause a problem of sound leakage. The bone conduction speaker unit includes a bone conduction speaker and support means that supports the bone conduction speaker and is configured to be housed in a concha cavity. The support means includes a ring having, on its top surface, a column fixed to the bottom surface of the bone conduction speaker and an elastic adapter fitted into a circumferential groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of the ring. The elastic adapter includes an annular portion fitted to the circumferential groove and a convex portion 8 that protrudes horizontally from the annular portion and contacts the inner surface of the concha cavity.