Ear Tip Sealing Structure with Multi-Durometer Legs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-ear earpieces face challenges in providing a comfortable fit and effective seal within the ear canal while maintaining structural support for earbuds, often resulting in poor noise reduction and discomfort due to inadequate positioning and sealing structures.
Innovation Solution
The in-ear ear tip is designed with a body shaped to fit the lower concha, an angled nozzle for sound conduction, a frusto-conical sealing structure with constant thickness for improved sealing, and a retaining structure with tapered legs for stability, using materials of varying hardness to balance comfort and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the sealing structure is made softer to improve comfort, then comfort is improved, but structural support capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ear tip employs multi-durometer materials where different regions have different hardness levels. The sealing structure uses a softer durometer (e.g., 20-30 Shore A) for comfort against the ear canal, while the body and retaining structure use harder materials (e.g., 40-60 Shore A) for structural support. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its properties independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The ear tip is constructed as a composite structure combining materials with different durometers in a single molded piece or assembled configuration. The inner body and outer body layers have different hardness characteristics, creating a composite material system that simultaneously provides soft sealing surfaces and rigid structural framework.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the retaining structure is made stiffer to improve positioning stability, then positioning stability is improved, but comfort deteriorates due to excessive pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining structure uses a intermediate durometer (e.g., 30-50 Shore A) that is stiffer than the sealing structure but softer than the core body. This creates a gradient of stiffness where the retaining structure provides adequate positioning force without transmitting excessive pressure to the ear canal, maintaining both stability and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining structure is designed with tapered legs that can flex and adapt to different ear geometries. The structure transitions from a rigid attachment at the body to a more compliant tip, allowing dynamic adjustment to the wearer's ear shape while maintaining stable positioning.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the sealing structure is made larger to improve seal effectiveness, then noise reduction is improved, but comfort deteriorates due to excessive pressure on the ear canal
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing structure uses a soft durometer material (e.g., 20-30 Shore A) that is significantly softer than the body material. This allows the sealing surface to conform to the ear canal walls and create an effective seal through material compliance rather than through size or pressure, reducing the seal diameter while maintaining sealing effectiveness and comfort.
4Strength
If the body material is made harder to improve structural support, then structural support is improved, but comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The body uses a harder durometer (e.g., 40-60 Shore A) optimized for structural support and maintaining the ear tip's geometric integrity. However, this harder material is only used in regions not直接接触 the ear canal, while softer materials are used for sealing and retaining structures that contact the ear, localizing the hardness benefit to structural areas only.
Solution Approach 2:
The ear tip employs a composite construction with multiple material layers of different durometers. The inner body and outer body have different hardness characteristics, creating a composite structure where the harder outer layer provides structural support while softer inner layers or adjacent components provide comfort interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects describe an earpiece with structure for positioning and retaining the earpiece and with structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal. According to aspects, the retaining structure has at least one substantially elliptical leg configured to follow the curve of the anti-helix and/or the cymba concha at the rear of the concha. The leg increases in thickness from a tip of the earpiece towards the body of the earpiece. The sealing structure is substantially frusto-conical and extends from a nozzle. The nozzle is angled to align with ear geometry. In an example, he sealing structure has a slight radius on an outer surface of the sealing structure. In another example, the sealing structure has a substantially constant thickness from the nozzle to the wide end of the sealing structure.