Wireless Earbud Cushion with Dynamic Actuation for Fit and Acoustic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing earbud devices often fall out of the ear due to poor fastening, and they struggle with controlling the fit to manage external air entry, which can affect sound quality and potentially damage the ear with loud noises.
Innovation Solution
The earbud device features a ring-shaped earbud cushion with at least two independent actuators that can extend or reduce the diagonal lengths of the cushion's cross section, allowing for adjustable fitting and control over air entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the earbud cushion is tightly fitted to seal the ear canal, then sound quality is improved by preventing ambient noise, but the earbud may fall out due to insufficient fastening and the closed space creates box-like sound
Solution Approach 1:
The earbud cushion incorporates expandable elements that can dynamically adjust between expanded and retracted states. When expanded, they provide strong fastening to prevent the earbud from falling out. When retracted, they allow for proper acoustic sealing without creating excessive pressure. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between retention and sound quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion is divided into multiple functional segments including the main cushion body and separate expandable fastening elements. These segmented components can independently perform their functions - the main body provides acoustic sealing while the expandable elements provide retention, resolving the conflict between these two requirements.
2Reliability
If the earbud cushion is expanded to improve fastening, then the earbud stays in place better, but the fit becomes too tight creating a closed space that degrades sound quality
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable elements can be controlled to expand only to the necessary degree for retention without over-expanding and creating excessive pressure. This dynamic control allows optimization of both retention and acoustic performance by adjusting the expansion level.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable elements are designed to provide partial expansion - enough to achieve reliable retention but not so much as to create excessive pressure and degrade sound quality. This controlled partial action resolves the contradiction.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the ear canal is left open to allow ambient sound passage, then the ear is protected from acoustic damage, but sound quality deteriorates due to ambient noise interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system can dynamically change the sealing parameter by adjusting the expansion level of the cushion elements. Different expansion levels create different degrees of sealing, allowing the system to adapt between open and closed states to balance ear protection and sound quality requirements.
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
This solution provides improved fastening and release of the earbud, allows for a controllable degree of fitting to manage sound quality, and protects the ear from loud noises by regulating air entry.
Implementation Method 1
at least two actuator bodies spanning at least two different directions of a cross section of a ring-shaped part of an earbud cushion
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an earbud cushion system attachable to an earbud body insertable into a human ear, wherein the earbud cushion system can expand or retract in diameter via control of adapted actuator bodies dependent on commands issued wirelessly to configured electronics inside the earbud body thereby facilitating a controlled fastening and release of the earbud cushion positioned inside an ear canal. An indent in a side surface of the earbud body functions as an air vent.