Hearing Aid Guide Unit Between Tragus and Antitragus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless hearing devices face challenges in maintaining the microphone unit's optimal position relative to the user's mouth, leading to discomfort and reduced sound quality due to movement of the head and inadequate noise reduction.
Innovation Solution
A wireless hearing device with a guide unit positioned between the Tragus and Antitragus parts of the ear, allowing the elongated part with the microphone to be directed towards the mouth while maintaining earpiece stability, and incorporating a flexible guide unit and multiple microphones for improved sound capture and noise reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the microphone unit is positioned on an elongated part extending from the ear part, then the microphone can be directed towards the user's mouth for improved voice capture, but the position of the ear part in the ear may change due to head movement, causing the microphone to lose optimal alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide unit acts as an intermediary element that couples the elongated part to anatomical landmarks (tragus and antitragus). This mediator provides a stable reference frame from the ear structure itself, allowing the microphone to maintain directional alignment toward the mouth while the ear part remains stabilized during head movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a single-point attachment (ear part in ear canal) to a distributed anchoring system using the guide unit that engages with two separate anatomical landmarks (tragus and antitragus). This dimensional expansion from one attachment point to multiple reference points provides rotational and translational stability while maintaining microphone orientation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the guide unit is positioned between Tragus and Antitragus to stabilize the ear part, then the microphone maintains proper orientation towards the mouth, but the guide unit may be visible to surrounding people
Solution Approach 1:
The guide unit is designed with differentiated local qualities: the portion engaging with the tragus and antitragus provides functional stability, while the visible portion minimizes aesthetic impact. This local differentiation allows the device to satisfy both functional requirements (stability) and aesthetic requirements (discreteness) in different spatial zones.
3Volume of moving object
If the elongated part housing contains the microphone unit, then the battery unit can be located in the elongated part reducing ear part size, but the overall device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing device is segmented into functionally independent modules: the ear part housing containing the speaker and processing unit, the elongated part housing containing the microphone and battery, and the guide unit for positioning. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently and simplifies manufacturing and assembly while reducing ear part size.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a wireless hearing device that comprises an ear part, an elongated part and a guide unit. The ear part is configured to be worn in an ear of the user of the hearing device and comprises a speaker unit that is arranged in an ear part housing of the ear part. The elongated part is attached to the ear part such that a distal end of the elongated part faces away from the ear part. Furthermore, the elongated part has an elongated part housing that is arranged to encompass a microphone unit with at least one microphone of the hearing device. The guide unit is arranged at the ear part such that the guide unit can be located between Tragus part and Antitragus part of the ear, while the ear part is in an operating position in the ear of the user, and wherein the guide unit allows a maintaining of a position of the ear part with respect to the ear such that the distal end of the elongated part points toward a user's mouth.