Earphone Pressure Equalization Ports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Isolating earphones cause the occlusion effect, distorting the user's perception of their own voice and reducing situational awareness due to pressure buildup in the ear canal, while PEQ ports that alleviate pressure often compromise low-frequency output and isolation.
Innovation Solution
The earphone design includes a housing with specific port configurations: a first port for the ear canal, a second port with high reactive and low resistive acoustic impedance for pressure equalization, and a third port for the rear cavity with high impedance, along with an ear tip that seals the canal and includes a void to protect the PEQ port, maintaining consistent acoustic response across the audible spectrum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the earphone seals the ear canal to improve isolation and low-frequency output, then isolation and sensitivity are improved, but pressure buildup causes the occlusion effect and reduces situational awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the acoustic system into multiple ports with different impedance characteristics. The first port provides a low-impedance pathway for pressure equalization to relieve the occlusion effect, while the second port provides a high-impedance pathway to maintain isolation and low-frequency output. This segmentation allows both conflicting requirements to be satisfied simultaneously through parallel acoustic pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
Different ports are designed with locally optimized acoustic impedance characteristics. The first port has low acoustic impedance specifically for pressure equalization function, while the second port has high acoustic impedance for maintaining isolation. Each port's local acoustic property is tailored to its specific function, resolving the contradiction between isolation and pressure relief.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a PEQ port is added to relieve pressure, then situational awareness is improved, but low-frequency output and isolation are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pressure equalization function from the isolation function by creating two separate ports. The first port handles pressure equalization with low impedance, while the second port maintains isolation and low-frequency output with high impedance. This prevents the PEQ port from compromising low-frequency performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the acoustic impedance parameter of different ports to achieve different functions. The first port has low acoustic impedance for pressure equalization, while the second port has high acoustic impedance for maintaining isolation and low-frequency output. This parameter differentiation resolves the contradiction between pressure relief and low-frequency performance.
3Reliability
If the second port has high reactive impedance to maintain isolation, then low-frequency output is preserved, but pressure equalization effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the acoustic system into two parallel ports with different impedance characteristics. The first port provides low-impedance pressure equalization, while the second port provides high-impedance isolation. Both functions operate simultaneously without interfering with each other, resolving the contradiction between isolation effectiveness and pressure equalization effectiveness.
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 configuration minimizes the occlusion effect and enhances situational awareness without sacrificing sensitivity or low-frequency output, providing a balanced acoustic response.
Implementation Method 1
The second port has a diameter and a length that provide an acoustic mass with an acoustic impedance with a high reactive component and a low resistive component
Implementation Method 2
an electro-acoustic transducer dividing the enclosed volume into a front volume and a rear volume
Implementation Method 3
an ear tip configured to surround the first port and including a flap to seal the ear canal from space outside the ear
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A headphone includes an electro-acoustic transducer dividing an enclosed volume into a front volume and a rear volume, a first port in the housing coupling the front volume to an ear canal of a user, a second port in the housing coupling the front volume to space outside the ear, a third port in the housing coupling the rear volume to space outside the ear, and an ear tip configured to surround the first port and including a flap to seal the ear canal from space outside the ear. The second port has a diameter and a length that provide an acoustic mass with an acoustic impedance with a high reactive component and a low resistive component, reducing the occlusion effect that otherwise results from sealing the ear.