Cartilage-Conduction Vibrator With Through-Hole Damper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibrators and hearing devices for sound perception, such as bone conduction devices, have limitations that hinder further improvements.
Innovation Solution
A vibrator design comprising a yoke, coil bobbin, coil, magnet, damper, frame, and case, with specific configurations to enhance vibration transmission and sealing, allowing for cartilage conduction, which includes a damper with through holes for air movement and use of soft magnetic materials to concentrate magnetic flux.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional bone conduction devices are used, then sound perception is enabled, but air-conducted noise and limited durability remain issues
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrator is segmented into distinct functional components: a vibration generation unit (coil, magnet, yoke) and a transmission unit (damper, frame). This segmentation allows the vibration unit to be hermetically sealed for durability while the damper with through-holes manages acoustic properties, resolving the contradiction between reliability and noise control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the device have specialized properties: the yoke and frame use soft magnetic materials for magnetic flux concentration, the damper has through-holes for acoustic management, and the coil bobbin provides structural support. This local optimization of material and structural properties enables simultaneous achievement of durability and noise reduction.
2Power
If soft magnetic materials are used for frame and yoke, then magnetic flux concentration improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame and yoke are merged into an integrated assembly where the frame swages the damper to the yoke. This merging simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of separate components while maintaining the magnetic flux concentration benefits of soft magnetic materials throughout the magnetic circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil bobbin is arranged inside the yoke, and the magnet is arranged inside the coil bobbin, creating a nested configuration. This nesting optimizes the magnetic flux path through soft magnetic materials while minimizing the overall device volume and simplifying assembly.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the damper is fixed to the case, then structural stability improves, but vibration transmission efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The frame acts as an intermediary component that connects the damper to the yoke through swaging. This intermediary connection provides structural stability while maintaining vibration transmission efficiency by creating a rigid mechanical bond that couples the vibration path from the yoke through the damper to the case.
4Manufacturing precision
If the coil bobbin contacts the case, then positioning accuracy improves, but vibration isolation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The coil bobbin is extracted from direct contact with the case by positioning it inside the yoke structure. This extraction maintains positioning accuracy through the yoke's geometric constraints while preventing direct vibration transmission to the case, thereby preserving vibration isolation for the cartilage conduction path.
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 design enables efficient vibration transmission to the ear cartilage, providing stable and natural sound perception with reduced air-conducted noise and improved durability, suitable for various environments and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a coil that is wound around the coil bobbin
Implementation Method 2
the frame and the yoke may be formed of a soft magnetic material or soft magnetic materials. At least parts of the frame and the circumferential wall portion of the yoke may face the coil.
Data Source
AI summary
A vibrator includes a yoke, a coil bobbin, a coil wound around the coil bobbin, a magnet, a damper, a frame, and a case housing the yoke, the coil bobbin, the coil, the magnet, the damper, and the frame. An outer edge portion of the damper is fixed to the case. The bottom face of an inner edge portion of the damper makes contact with the top end of the circumferential wall portion of the yoke. The frame is swaged to be fixed to the damper and the yoke so as to make contact with the top face of the inner edge portion of the damper and the inner surface of the circumferential wall portion of the yoke.