Open-Ear Headphone Bridge Assembly for Wiring Breakage Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of open-ear headphones is hindered by frequent breakage of wiring due to difficulty in controlling the form during injection molding, leading to high scrap rates and costs.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a wiring channel in the connecting bridge allows the electric connector to pass through, enabling a hidden assembly without multiple injection moldings, and providing a movable electric connector that adapts to bending, reducing the risk of damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If in-mold injection molding is used to wrap the connecting bridge on the wiring, then the wiring is fully wrapped and fixed, but the wiring form is difficult to control and breakage is prone to occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewiring form controlVSAvoidwiring breakage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the connecting bridge into two separate parts: an outer cover and an inner bridge body. The wiring channel is formed in the outer cover, and the inner bridge body is inserted into the outer cover. This segmentation allows the wiring channel to be pre-formed with precise geometry in the outer cover, eliminating the difficulty of controlling wiring form during injection molding while reducing breakage risk through the protective structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple injection molding operations are performed to complete full wrapping of the connecting bridge on the wiring, then full wrapping is achieved, but production complexity and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefull wrapping coverageVSAvoidproduction process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wiring channel is pre-formed in the outer cover during a single injection molding operation, before the inner bridge body is inserted. This preliminary formation of the wiring channel eliminates the need for multiple injection molding operations to achieve full wrapping, thereby reducing production process complexity while maintaining complete coverage of the wiring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If the electric connector is fixed in the injection molding process, then the connector is assembled to the connecting bridge, but high temperatures may damage the connector

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnector assemblyVSAvoidconnector damage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wiring channel is pre-formed in the outer cover during injection molding before the inner bridge body and electric connector are assembled. This allows the connector to be installed at room temperature after molding, avoiding exposure to high temperatures during the injection molding process while still achieving secure assembly through the pre-formed channel structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4686219A1Open-ear headphone
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 ANKER INNOVATIONS TECH CO LTD
  • EP4686219A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4686219A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4686219A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is an open-ear headphone (10) including a sound producing component (110), a fixing component (120), a connecting bridge (130) and an electric connector (140). The sound producing component (110) includes a first housing (111) and a first electrical device, the first electrical device being disposed in the first housing (111); the fixing component (120) includes a second housing (121) and a second electrical device, the second electrical device being disposed in the second housing (121); two ends of the connecting bridge (130) are connected to the first housing (111) and the second housing (121) respectively, and the connecting bridge (130) is provided with a wiring channel (134); and the electric connector (140) movably passes through the wiring channel (134), one end of the electric connector (140) extends into the first housing (111) and is electrically connected to the first electrical device, and the other end thereof extends into the second housing (121) and is electrically connected to the second electrical device. The technical solution of the disclosure can improve product yield in a production process of the open-ear headphone (10) to reduce production costs thereof.