Earphone Housing Assembly That Repositions Seams Away From the Face

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing earphone housings have engagement seams that pinch the user's face and allow sweat to penetrate into the interior, affecting electronic components.

Innovation Solution

The earphone design features a housing assembly with a third housing that contacts the user's face, while the engagement seam between the second and third housings is positioned away from the face, minimizing pinching and sweat ingress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the housing is formed by assembling multiple components, then the manufacturing flexibility and component integration are improved, but engagement seams are created that contact the user's face causing pinching and sweat penetration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing assembly flexibilityVSAvoidface pinching and sweat penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the engagement seam from the face-contacting region by repositioning it to the non-contacting region. The third housing is designed to cover the engagement seam between the first and second housings, effectively removing the harmful seam from the user's face contact area while preserving the multi-component assembly benefits for manufacturing flexibility and component integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Device complexity

If the engagement seam is positioned in the face-contacting region, then the housing structure is simplified, but the user experiences pinching discomfort and sweat ingress

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing structureVSAvoidwearing comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the contradiction by transitioning from a two-dimensional placement problem to a three-dimensional solution. The third housing is designed with specific geometric features (protrusions, recesses, curvature) that allow it to cover the engagement seam in the non-contacting region while maintaining proper fit and comfort in the face-contacting region, effectively using spatial dimensionality to separate the seam from user contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the third housing covers the engagement seam, then sweat penetration is prevented, but the structural complexity of the housing assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidhousing assembly structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the sealing function with the structural housing design. The third housing is not just an additional component but is integrated to perform both structural support and sealing functions simultaneously. The engagement features (protrusions fitting into recesses) of the third housing create sealed joints that prevent sweat penetration while maintaining overall structural integrity, thus combining multiple functions into a single component rather than adding separate sealing elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design enhances wearing comfort by reducing the risk of engagement seam pinching and sweat penetration, improving the reliability and sealing of the earphone, and enhancing bone-conduction sound transmission.

Implementation Method 1

a bone-conduction speaker disposed within the second accommodation cavity, wherein the third housing is provided to contact the user's face in a wearing state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBone conduction:

Data Source

PatentEP4694188A1earphone
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO LTD
  • EP4694188A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4694188A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4694188A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The disclosure provides an earphone comprising: a housing assembly, a bone-conduction speaker, and an air-conduction speaker, the housing assembly including a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing, wherein the second housing is engaged with the first housing, the second housing and the first housing cooperate with each other to form a first accommodation cavity, the third housing is engaged with the first housing and the second housing, respectively, the third housing and the first housing cooperate with each other to form a second accommodation cavity; an air-conduction speaker disposed within the first accommodation cavity; and a bone-conduction speaker disposed within the second accommodation cavity, wherein the third housing is provided to contact a user's face in a wearing state, and an engagement seam between the third housing and the second housing does not contact the user's face. By controlling the engagement seam of the housing assembly not to contact the user's face, the risk of the engagement seam of the housing assembly pinching the user's face can be minimized. In addition, the risk of perspiration from the user's face penetrating into the interior of the earphone through the engagement seam can also be minimized.