Headphone Speaker Diaphragm Orientation for Sound Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional headphones face challenges in producing high-quality sound due to the fixed positions of speaker casings relative to the user's ears, which limits the adjustment of speaker angles to improve sound quality.

Innovation Solution

The headphone design adjusts the angle of the diaphragms within the speaker casings based on experimental findings to simulate the effect of changing speaker locations, allowing for improved sound quality without physically moving the speaker casings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the speaker casings are fixed relative to the user's ears, then the headphone structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the sound quality cannot be optimized through angle adjustment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound qualityVSAvoidspeaker casing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The speaker system is divided into independent speaker units, each with adjustable orientation. The diaphragms are positioned at different angles (60-80 degrees from the horizontal plane) to create distinct sound sources, allowing independent optimization of each speaker's acoustic contribution while maintaining overall structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces vertical dimension to speaker placement by positioning diaphragms at different angles relative to the horizontal plane. This three-dimensional arrangement of sound sources (different heights and angles) creates a more realistic sound field without complicating the basic headphone structure

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

2Measurement precision

If the speaker angles are adjusted to reduce location errors, then the sound clarity and presence improve, but the headphone structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation accuracyVSAvoidspeaker unit configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes specific geometric parameters - positioning diaphragms at angles of 60-80 degrees from the horizontal plane and spacing them 10-30mm apart vertically. These parameter optimizations reduce average location errors and improve sound clarity while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that doesn't require complex adjustment mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 reduces average location errors, enhancing the clarity and presence of sound perceived by the user, resulting in improved stereo sound quality.

Implementation Method 1

The main speaker unit includes a diaphragm, a voice coil, and the like

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3232680B1headphone
Publication Date: 2020.05.13 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP3232680B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3232680B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3232680B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a headphone that enables a user to hear high-quality sound. A headphone includes a speaker casing and a headband. The speaker casing has a main speaker unit and a support member that supports the main speaker unit. The headband is connected to the speaker casing and is to be placed on a head of a user. The support member supports the main speaker unit with a main plane of the main speaker unit being positioned at an angle ranging from 10° to 30° inclusive with respect to a main plane of the support member, so that the main plane of the main speaker unit faces an ear lobe of the user.