Earplug Cushion Buffer Part Twist Deformation for Ear Canal Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional earphone earplug cushions often cause oppression and sound leakage due to poor fit in ear canals of varying sizes, leading to clearance issues that degrade sound quality and stability of the earphone in use.
Innovation Solution
An earplug cushion design featuring a central tube part with a sound outlet and inlet, an outer shield part with a curved umbrella-shaped profile, and a buffer part that twists and deforms to snugly fit ear canals of different sizes, reducing oppression and enhancing sound quality by eliminating clearances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the earplug cushion is made with a fixed size and shape, then the manufacturing is simple, but it cannot adapt to different ear canal sizes, causing either oppression or clearances
Solution Approach 1:
The earplug cushion incorporates a buffer part with a groove that enables the cushion to twist and deform dynamically. This dynamic structure allows the earplug cushion to adapt to different ear canal sizes and shapes, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity by introducing a controlled degree of freedom through the groove design.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer part with groove design changes the physical parameters of the earplug cushion by allowing it to twist and deform. This parameter change enables the cushion to adjust its shape and size to match different ear canal dimensions, achieving adaptability without requiring multiple fixed-size cushions.
2Area of stationary object
If the earplug cushion is made larger to fit bigger ear canals, then it fits larger ears, but it causes oppression in smaller ear canals
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer part with groove allows the earplug cushion to deform and twist, enabling a single size of cushion to adapt to both larger and smaller ear canals. This eliminates the need to choose between larger sizes that fit big ears and smaller sizes that avoid oppression, as the cushion dynamically adjusts to the actual ear canal dimensions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the earplug cushion is made smaller to fit smaller ear canals, then it avoids oppression, but it creates clearances in larger ear canals degrading sound quality
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer part with groove enables the earplug cushion to twist and deform, allowing it to fill clearances in larger ear canals while avoiding oppression in smaller ones. This dynamic adaptation ensures reliable sound quality and stability across different ear canal sizes without creating the harmful effects of either excessive tightness or clearances.
4Ease of manufacture
If the earplug cushion uses a conventional jellyfish shape, then the manufacturing is easy, but it cannot provide angular adjustment, causing misalignment with the ear canal
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer part with groove design maintains the relative simplicity of manufacturing while adding angular adjustment capability. The groove structure allows the cushion to twist and deform, providing the necessary angular adaptation to align with different ear canal orientations without requiring complex multi-component assemblies.
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
The buffer part's deformation allows for a secure fit in ear canals of varying sizes, minimizing oppression and improving sound transmission quality by ensuring a tight seal without clearances, thus enhancing the overall listening experience.
Implementation Method 1
the buffer part becomes twisted and deformed to be snugly adapted to the ear canal in different sizes without clearances
Data Source
AI summary
An earplug cushion for an earphone comprises a central tube part with a sound outlet and a sound inlet fitting with the sound guide tube of the earphone, an outer shield part extending from the sound outlet to the sound inlet for being inserted into the canal, and a buffer part disposed at the tube part next to the sound outlet; according to special and effective design for the buffer part, when the earphone is worn with the earplug cushion, the buffer part becomes twisted and deformed to be adapted to the canal in different sizes snugly without clearances for decreasing oppression to the canal and enhancing quality of the listened sound.