In-Ear Headphone Cushion with Shifted Center of Mass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional headphones often fail to provide long-lasting comfort and a secure fit during extended wear, leading to potential dislodging and compromised audio quality due to inadequate ergonomic design and center of mass distribution.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a housing with a nozzle portion and a cushion featuring an inner cavity and tip portion that aligns with the ear canal and concha, shifting the center of mass towards the nozzle to secure the headphone and maintain comfort, while ensuring the diaphragm-vibrating axis is parallel to the sound exit axis for improved audio delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional headphones are worn in or around a user's ear, then basic audio delivery is achieved, but comfort and security during extended wear deteriorate leading to dislodging
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion is designed with non-uniform density distribution, featuring a denser region positioned to engage the concha and a less dense region for comfort. This local variation in material properties optimizes both the security of fit through concha engagement and comfort during extended wear, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention shifts the center of mass forward toward the nozzle portion, changing the dimensional distribution of mass along the headphone's longitudinal axis. This repositioning creates a more favorable weight distribution that improves both fit security and comfort, addressing the contradiction by optimizing mass distribution in a previously underutilized dimension.
2Ease of operation
If headphones are designed for extended wear comfort, then comfort is improved, but fit security and resistance to dislodging deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion incorporates a denser region strategically positioned to engage the concha, providing localized enhanced support and grip. This local quality enhancement ensures that comfort-oriented design does not compromise fit security, as the denser region specifically targets the dislodging resistance function while the overall cushion maintains comfort properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion exhibits asymmetric density distribution rather than uniform symmetry, with a denser region concentrated at the concha-engaging portion. This asymmetric design allows different regions of the cushion to perform different functions - the denser region provides secure anchoring while other regions maintain comfort, resolving the contradiction between comfort and dislodging resistance.
3Shape
If center of mass is positioned for compact profile, then device compactness is improved, but fit security and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the longitudinal dimension by shifting the center of mass forward toward the nozzle, creating a more favorable weight distribution along the length of the headphone. This dimensional reorganization improves fit security and comfort without significantly increasing overall device size, resolving the contradiction between compact profile and fit security.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of center of mass position from a conventional rearward or centered location to a forward position near the nozzle. This parameter change fundamentally alters the weight distribution characteristics, improving fit security and comfort while maintaining compact overall dimensions, thus resolving the contradiction between compactness and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a headphone or an earpiece that includes a cushion that advantageously allows for improved comfort, sound quality, and stability in the ear. The cushion includes an inner cavity, an ear-canal aperture and a tip portion, wherein the inner cavity of the cushion accommodates a nozzle portion of a housing within the cavity, and the axis of the inner cavity is substantially parallel to the first axis, and wherein the ear-canal aperture opens toward the ear canal of the user's ear when the headphone or the earpiece is worn by the user. A speaker element is positioned inside the nozzle portion of the housing, and the center of mass of the headphone is shifted close to a center plane of the cushion.