Integrated Microphone Electrical Connector for Slim Handheld Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design of handheld electronic devices is challenged by the need for a sound input aperture for microphones in increasingly compact and slim form factors, making it difficult to integrate a microphone effectively while maintaining a lightweight and aesthetically pleasing design.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector is integrated with a microphone, utilizing the original plug aperture and/or additional through holes to form an acoustic path, allowing for simplified spatial arrangement and reduced component count, eliminating the need for an independent sound input aperture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an independent sound input aperture is provided for the microphone, then the microphone can function properly, but the device structure becomes complex and the design becomes difficult in compact form factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the microphone and electrical connector into a single integrated component. The microphone is disposed inside the body of the electrical connector, sharing the same housing structure. This merging eliminates the need for a separate sound input aperture in the device housing, thereby reducing structural complexity while maintaining microphone functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connector body serves multiple functions: it provides electrical connection through contacts and simultaneously serves as the housing for the microphone with an integrated acoustic path. This multi-functionality allows the same structure to fulfill both electrical and acoustic requirements, simplifying the overall device design.
2Volume of moving object
If the device is made lighter and slimmer, then the device becomes more compact and aesthetically pleasing, but it becomes hard and complicated to form an independent sound input aperture
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the microphone into the electrical connector, the patent eliminates the need for a separate sound input aperture. The acoustic path is formed within the connector body itself, which can be manufactured as a single piece or pre-assembled unit, greatly simplifying the manufacturing process for compact devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The acoustic path is segmented into multiple sections within the connector body, including sound holes in the partition and the plug aperture. This segmentation allows the acoustic functionality to be distributed across different parts of the connector structure, enabling compact integration without requiring a large external aperture.
3Reliability
If multiple separate components (microphone and electrical connector) are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the number of components increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the microphone and electrical connector into a single integrated assembly. The microphone is disposed inside the body of the electrical connector, and they are manufactured or assembled together as one unit. This reduces the total number of components from two separate items to one integrated component, thereby reducing assembly complexity and manufacturing cost.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector including a body, an electrical contact and a microphone is provided. The body has a front part and a plug aperture on the front part. The electrical contact is disposed in the plug aperture. The microphone is disposed inside the body and connected to the outside of the body through an acoustic path provided by the body. The electrical connector is adapted to a handheld electronic device, such as a mobile phone, wherein a housing of the handheld electronic device can be provided without an independent sound input aperture for the microphone, to simplify the structural design of the housing. Furthermore, at least a through hole may be formed outside the plug aperture to form multiple acoustic paths.