Waterproof Microphone Wind Noise Filter Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waterproof microphone assemblies struggle to maintain sound quality when exposed to water, as wind noise filters become occluded by liquid, degrading the sound signal and making it unintelligible in windy environments.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof microphone assembly featuring a wind noise filter with a through-going channel that allows water to drain, combined with a pressure-relief mechanism that facilitates the removal of water from the sound propagation path, ensuring clear sound transmission even after submersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a wind noise filter is provided before the microphone to reduce wind-caused ambient noise, then the sound quality is improved in windy environments, but the wind noise filter becomes occluded by water when the microphone is exposed to water, degrading the sound signal and making it unintelligible
Solution Approach 1:
The wind noise filter is made from an open cell foam material that is inherently water-repellent and allows water to pass through without occlusion. The porous structure enables the filter to maintain its acoustic properties while preventing water from blocking the sound path, thus resolving the contradiction between wind noise reduction and water exposure reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the wind noise filter by selecting open cell foam with specific porosity and hydrophobic properties. This parameter change allows the filter to simultaneously reject wind-caused noise while remaining permeable to water and sound waves, eliminating the occlusion problem that occurs with traditional materials.
2Loss of information
If a covering or wind noise filter is placed before the microphone to suppress ambient noise, then the microphone signal quality is improved in windy conditions, but water retention in the filter occludes the sound transmission path, degrading sound quality
Solution Approach 1:
The open cell foam material provides a porous structure that does not retain water. The interconnected pores allow water to drain through the filter quickly while maintaining the filter's ability to suppress wind noise. This eliminates water retention issues that would otherwise block sound transmission and degrade signal intelligibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of water exposure into a beneficial feature by using a water-repellent porous material. The same porous structure that might seem to trap water actually facilitates rapid water drainage while maintaining acoustic performance, turning the water exposure scenario from harmful to beneficial.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a wind noise filter is used to reduce ambient noise from wind turbulence, then the microphone can pick up sound signals better in windy environments, but the filter cannot be effectively used after contact with liquid as the liquid occludes the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The open cell foam material provides inherent water repellency while maintaining acoustic permeability. This allows the wind noise filter to function effectively both in windy conditions and after water exposure, giving the microphone assembly adaptability to multiple environmental conditions without performance degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wind noise filter is designed with universal functionality to handle both wind noise reduction and water exposure scenarios. The open cell foam material provides multi-functionality by simultaneously filtering wind-caused turbulence and repelling water, allowing the microphone to maintain performance across different environmental conditions.
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 effectively reduces wind-caused ambient noise and allows for clear sound propagation even when submerged in water, enhancing acoustic environmental awareness and speech intelligibility without requiring user intervention.
Implementation Method 1
The wind noise filter is configured to absorb a liquid (at least when the wind noise filter is not completely full of the liquid) from at least the through-going channel
Implementation Method 2
a waterproof acoustic transducer, configured to convert impinging sound energy into an electrical microphone signal
Data Source
AI summary
A waterproof microphone assembly, which includes a waterproof acoustic transducer converting impinging sound energy into an electrical microphone signal. The assembly includes a wind noise filter suppresses ambient noise and has a first side and a second side. The wind noise filter includes a channel located between and connecting the first side and the second side. The assembly includes a housing having a cavity with a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end is acoustically connected with the acoustic transducer, and the proximal end is adjacent to and/or includes a part of the first side. The wind noise filter absorbs a liquid from at least the channel.