C-Shaped Earphone Support with Angled Mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing behind-the-ear earphones often cause irritation and fail to accommodate varying ear sizes, with some designs being uncomfortable and insecure due to inadequate fit.
Innovation Solution
A C-shaped ear support with a telescopingly mounted earphone and an optional sound enhancer, featuring a layered structure with varying plastic hardness for secure fit and angled components to align with ear anatomy, ensuring stability and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single-material C-shaped support is used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but it cannot accommodate varying ear sizes and causes irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The C-shaped support is constructed from multiple layers of materials with different hardness levels (softer inner layer, harder outer layer) to provide both comfort for sensitive ear areas and structural support, enabling adaptation to various ear sizes and shapes while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The C-shaped support is divided into multiple functional sections: a first section with the layered structure for engaging the crease between head and ear, and a second section for supporting the earphone, allowing each section to be optimized for its specific function and accommodating different ear anatomies
2Ease of operation
If the earphone is fixed perpendicular to the support, then the structure is simple, but it does not align with the natural angle of the ear canal
Solution Approach 1:
The earphone is configured at a specific angle (approximately 30 degrees) relative to the C-shaped support to align with the natural curvature and angle of the ear canal, improving comfort and sound delivery by matching the anatomical geometry of the user's ear
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wire guide allows rotation, then adjustment flexibility is improved, but stable positioning is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide incorporates a telescoping mechanism that allows linear movement (sliding) of the earphone along the guide for adjustment, while the guide's structure prevents rotational movement, providing dynamic adjustability in one degree of freedom while maintaining stable positioning without rotation
Data Source
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AI summary
A behind-the-ear mountable earphone includes a generally C-shaped ear support. The support has a first section extending between a first end and the top of the "C", adapted to fit behind the user's ear, and a second section extending from the top of the "C" to a second end. The second section is in a plane different from the first section, so that when the first section is behind the user's ear, the second section extends over the front of the user's ear. An earphone is telescopingly mounted on the second end of the C-shaped support. The earphone comprising a generally circular face adapted to be received in the concha of the user's ear, the generally circular face disposed at an angle with respect to the first section of the generally C-shaped support.