Conformable Eartip Tapered Sealing Surface and Core Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing eartips, such as compressible foam, elastomer, and custom earmolds, face issues like discomfort due to high friction and pressure, inability to conform to non-circular ear canals, and difficulty in sealing at varying depths and bends, leading to ineffective noise exclusion and increased occlusion effects.
Innovation Solution
A conformable eartip design featuring a round flange with a tapered sealing surface and a core that allows for significant distortion and elongation, providing a low friction coefficient and minimal pressure, enabling direct insertion and sealing at varying depths and conforming to non-circular shapes, including bends in the ear canal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compressible foam eartips are used, then the eartip can seal to the ear canal through foam compressibility, but the user must manually pre-compress the foam before insertion which is inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The eartip is pre-compressed during manufacturing to a predetermined compression level, so that when the user pulls the tab, the eartip is already in a compressed state ready for insertion without requiring manual pre-compression by the user
2Reliability
If compressible foam eartips expand in the ear canal to seal, then the seal is formed, but significant pressure is exerted against the ear canal wall causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The foam compression is controlled to maintain a predetermined compression level that balances sealing effectiveness with comfort, preventing excessive pressure while maintaining the acoustic seal
3Ease of operation
If existing eartips are inserted directly without pre-compression, then insertion is simpler, but they cannot conform to non-circular ear canal shapes effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The eartip transitions from a compressed state (easy insertion) to a partially recovered state (conformability) dynamically during and after insertion, allowing simple insertion while achieving shape conformance
4Strength
If eartips are designed with thicker core sections for structural integrity, then strength is improved, but the ability to conform to bends in the ear canal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The eartip has varying foam density and thickness in different regions, with the distal portion having sufficient thickness for strength while the sealing surface area is optimized for conformability to bends and non-circular shapes
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 conformable eartip reduces discomfort, enhances sealing efficiency, and allows for versatile fitting without the need for pre-compression or deep insertion, providing a more comfortable and effective acoustic seal across different ear canal shapes and sizes.
Implementation Method 1
compressible foam tips are nominally round foam cylinders that seal to the ear canal through compressibility of the foam
Implementation Method 2
Elastomer eartips are nominally round forms that are generally directly inserted into the ear canal
Data Source
AI summary
Certain embodiments provide a conformable eartip. The conformable eartip includes a round flange and a core. The round flange includes a sealing surface for mating with walls of an ear canal. The round flange extends from an insertion end to an opposite end of the conformable eartip. The sealing surface is tapered from the opposite end toward the insertion end of the conformable eartip. The core is joined to the round flange at the insertion end of the conformable eartip. The core extends from the insertion end to a base of the core toward the opposite end of the conformable eartip. The core includes a channel extending through the core from the insertion end of the conformable eartip to the base of the core. In various embodiments, the conformable eartip provides an elongation ratio of at least 1.4 and/or a compression ratio of at least 2.0.