Earbud Cushion With Variable Noise Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional earbud earphones provide excessive noise isolation, which can compromise user safety during outdoor activities like jogging or cycling by reducing awareness of ambient conditions, and introduce microphonic noise due to cable conduction and jaw movement.
Innovation Solution
An earbud earphone design with a serpentine channel and adjustable cushion openings that allow ambient noise to enter the ear canal, using variable-sized openings achieved through adjustable mounting or multi-stepped shutters/plugs, made from materials like high-density foam or silicone, to control noise isolation levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the earphone uses a sealed cushion design to isolate external noise, then noise isolation performance is improved, but user safety awareness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion incorporates adjustable openings that allow users to dynamically change the noise isolation level according to their needs. The openings can be adjusted to different positions or sizes, enabling the cushion to transition between providing strong noise isolation and allowing ambient noise passage, thus resolving the contradiction between noise isolation and safety awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion design includes variable parameters such as opening size, opening position, and material density that can be changed to control the degree of noise isolation. By adjusting these parameters, users can optimize the balance between noise isolation performance and ambient noise awareness for different usage scenarios.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the earphone uses a tight-sealing cushion to maximize noise isolation, then external noise blocking is improved, but microphonic noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable openings in the cushion allow users to dynamically adjust the sealing tightness. When the openings are larger or positioned to create gaps, the cushion provides less sealing, thereby reducing microphonic noise while still providing adequate noise isolation. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between maximizing noise isolation and minimizing microphonic noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion features localized openings at specific positions rather than uniform sealing across the entire cushion surface. This local quality variation allows certain areas to provide strong sealing for noise isolation while other areas with openings reduce microphonic effects, thus resolving the contradiction between external noise blocking and microphonic noise reduction.
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
Enhances user safety by allowing controlled ambient noise entry, reducing microphonic noise, and providing adjustable noise isolation for different usage scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
The cushion may be made from a material such as, for example, high density foam, silicone, rubber and the like
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an insert ear bud earphone with variable noise isolation. The earphone includes a housing with a serpentine channel which is able to contain at least one transducer in a main body of the housing; and a cushion which contacts a user's ear canal wall, the cushion being mounted on the serpentine channel. There is preferably at least one opening in either the housing or the cushion which causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal. There is also provided a cushion for an insert ear bud earphone. Finally, there is provided a method to enable variable noise isolation in an insert ear bud earphone comprising an inclusion of at least one opening in either a housing of the earphone or a cushion mounted on the earphone which causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter a user's ear canal.