Earphone Wingtip Flex Arm Anchoring Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Earphone assemblies often become dislodged during active use, such as exercise, leading to poor sound quality or complete removal from the ear.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a housing with a flex arm and a wing structure, where the flex arm is more rigid than the wing, allowing the wing to maintain contact with the ear while preventing it from bending out of plane, thus anchoring the earphone securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the wing is made flexible to maintain contact with the ear, then comfort and adaptability improve, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wing assembly is divided into two distinct components: a flexible wing portion for comfort and a rigid flex arm for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromise - the wing maintains ear contact through flexibility while the flex arm prevents out-of-plane bending through rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing assembly combines materials with different mechanical properties - a flexible material for the wing portion and a more rigid material for the flex arm. This composite construction enables the assembly to simultaneously exhibit both flexibility for comfort and rigidity for structural stability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the flex arm is made more rigid to prevent out-of-plane bending, then structural stability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flex arm and wing are combined into a single integrated assembly where the flex arm extends along the wing structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting mechanisms and complex joints, achieving structural stability through a unified design that reduces overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flex arm provides structural support in the out-of-plane dimension while the wing operates primarily in the plane. By addressing stability in the perpendicular dimension through the flex arm, the design achieves comprehensive stability without adding complexity to the planar wing structure.
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 enhances the stability and comfort of earphones during use, preventing dislodgment and ensuring consistent sound quality.
Implementation Method 1
a material of the flex arm is more rigid than a material of the wing... the flex arm is configured to prevent at least the portion of the wing from moving out of a wing plane, and wherein the flex arm is configured to enable at least the portion of the wing to move within the wing plane
Data Source
AI summary
Earphone assemblies with wingtips are provided for anchoring to a user during use. A wing may extend from and between two different ends coupled to a housing of an earphone, while each of the at least one flex arm may extend along the wing. At least one flex arm may be rigid enough to prevent at least a portion of the wing from bending out of a plane of the wing such that a portion of the wing may maintain a functional position under and/or behind at least a portion of a crus of an anti-helix of a user's ear to anchor the earphone to the user's ear during use, while at least a portion of the wing may be flexible enough to provide comfort to the user's ear.