Microphone Protection Screen with Slit-Formed Opening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microphone protection solutions fail to effectively mitigate wind noise and protect against water and dust while maintaining sound transparency, as mesh screens clog easily and prior art covers are not fully sound transparent or are expensive.
Innovation Solution
A protection screen with slit-formed openings and a smooth transition between surfaces, featuring a sharp edge between the second surface and the opening, which minimizes wind noise and prevents water entry while allowing large opening areas for sound passage, and an intermediate plate element to prevent direct access to the microphone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If mesh screens are used to protect the microphone, then protection against wind noise is improved, but the screen clogs easily with dirt and does not keep water out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a porous windscreen material with controlled pore structure that allows sound transmission while blocking wind noise and preventing water penetration. The porous structure is designed to maintain open pores that resist clogging by dirt particles while still providing effective protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The windscreen is constructed as a composite structure combining different materials with complementary properties - a hydrophobic outer layer for water repellency, a porous filtering layer for wind noise reduction, and sound-transmissive properties throughout. This multi-layer composite approach resolves the contradictions between protection and sound transmission.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If prior art windscreen covers are used, then wind noise is reduced, but sound transparency is compromised and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous windscreen materials with optimized pore size and distribution that maintain high sound transparency while effectively reducing wind noise. The porous structure allows acoustic energy transmission while the pore walls scatter and dampen turbulent wind flows.
Solution Approach 2:
The windscreen parameters such as pore diameter, porosity percentage, and material density are carefully optimized to achieve the optimal balance between wind noise reduction and sound transparency. By adjusting these parameters, the patent achieves effective wind protection without compromising audio quality or requiring expensive materials.
3Loss of information
If larger opening areas are provided in the protection screen, then sound transparency is improved, but protection against pollution and water entry is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses porous windscreen material where the entire surface area acts as a filtering medium. The porous structure provides numerous narrow pathways for sound transmission while the pore walls block larger particles and water droplets. This resolves the contradiction by making the whole surface functional rather than requiring separate openings.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite windscreen structure combines hydrophobic coating with porous filtering layers, creating a surface that is both highly transmissive to sound waves and highly effective at blocking water and pollution. The composite nature allows the material to simultaneously provide large effective opening area for sound while maintaining robust protection capabilities.
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 solution reduces wind noise and protects microphones from water and dust effectively, ensuring good sound transparency and easy cleaning, while maintaining directional audio characteristics and preventing clogging.
Implementation Method 1
a sharp edge forms the transition between the second surface and the slit-formed opening whereby water will have a tendency to form droplets on the first even surface
Implementation Method 2
the transition between the first surface and the slit-formed opening is smooth and gradual whereby air moving about over the protection screen will not find any sharp edges and less turbulence will be generated
Data Source
AI summary
An audio device includes a microphone, a sound canal allowing sound to pass from the surroundings to the microphone, a signal path from the microphone to a receiver, and a current source, such that sounds received at the microphone may be enhanced and presented at the ear level of the user. A protection screen is provided at the sound canal, and includes a first surface which faces the surroundings and a second surface which faces the sound canal, and defines a slit-formed opening between the first surface and the second surface. The curvature between the first surface and the slit-formed opening is smooth and gradual, and a sharp edge is located at the transition between the second surface and the slit-formed opening.