Earphone Speaker Unit with Same-Direction Dual-Tone Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional earphones with integrated low-tone and high-tone speakers suffer from sound attenuation due to opposite sound directions, and incorporating active noise cancellation (ANC) technology complicates miniaturization and assembly, degrading sound quality.
Innovation Solution
A speaker unit design where the low-tone and high-tone speakers are aligned in the same direction, with a high-tone speaker positioned above the low-tone speaker, and a microphone mounted on the lateral side, using a plate-shaped coil and flexible substrate to minimize size and maintain sound quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If low-tone speaker and high-tone speaker are configured in opposite directions on the same axis, then both speakers can be integrated in a compact structure, but sound attenuation occurs in certain frequency bands where sound phases are reversed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional opposite-direction configuration by aligning both low-tone and high-tone speakers in the same direction (upward), thereby resolving the sound phase reversal issue while maintaining compact integration through vertical stacking
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional space and separate mounting components are provided for microphone installation to implement ANC function, then active noise cancellation can be achieved, but earphone miniaturization and assembly ease are hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the microphone mounting structure with the speaker frame, integrating the microphone into the existing speaker unit structure rather than adding separate mounting components, thereby enabling ANC functionality while maintaining miniaturization and assembly simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker frame serves multiple functions: it houses both the low-tone and high-tone speakers, provides structural support, and simultaneously serves as the mounting structure for the microphone, eliminating the need for separate mounting components
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional components and mounting structures are added for microphone installation, then ANC function is enabled, but sound quality is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the microphone mounting into the speaker frame structure, the patent minimizes the number of additional components and mounting structures, thereby reducing potential sound quality degradation while enabling ANC functionality
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
Ensures in-phase sound output, reduces speaker size, and accommodates a microphone without degrading sound quality, enabling effective active noise cancellation.
Implementation Method 1
When current is applied to the coil, the coil becomes magnetic, and through the electrical interaction between the coil and the plate, the coil moves, causing the diaphragm to move
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a speaker unit for an earphone, comprising: a speaker frame accommodated within an earphone housing and having an internal space formed therein; a low-tone speaker arranged within the speaker frame and configured to output low-tone; and a high-tone speaker positioned above the low-tone speaker in the speaker frame and configured to output high-tone, wherein the low-tone speaker is arranged to have the same sound output direction as that of the high-tone speaker, and the high-tone speaker has a relatively smaller size compared to the low-tone speaker.