Outer Ear Audio Device with Spherical Setting Part
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices attachable to the outer ear for audio equipment face challenges in stable attachment due to variations in ear anatomy, leading to potential howling issues and discomfort, as they either require custom fitting with high costs and long creation times or use ready-made designs that may not fit securely.
Innovation Solution
A device with a tubular inserting part and a setting part arranged on an imaginary spherical surface, allowing for rotation and axial movement within the external auditory canal, and featuring a round or elliptical shape, adjustable diameter, and a zonally convexed portion to enhance stability and acoustic performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a ready-made device with a fixed setting part is used, then the creation cost is low and no creation period is needed, but the setting part may interfere with the cavity of concha wall, preventing rotation or movement of the inserting part
Solution Approach 1:
The setting part is designed with a spherical outer surface that matches the curvature of the cavity of concha wall. This spherical design allows the setting part to rotate freely within the cavity without being constrained by the wall structure, enabling the inserting part to achieve proper positioning through rotation while maintaining a ready-made, low-cost design
2Reliability
If the inserting part is made rotatable to fit better in the external auditory canal, then the attachment stability improves, but the setting part may interfere with the cavity of concha peripheral wall
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical outer surface of the setting part is specifically designed to conform to the natural curvature of the cavity of concha. This geometric match eliminates interference with the peripheral wall during rotation, allowing the inserting part to rotate freely to achieve optimal fit and attachment stability without causing harmful contact with the ear canal structure
3Ease of operation
If a tubular inserting part is used, then rotation around the longitudinal axis is enabled, but the device position in the external auditory canal becomes easily changed
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical setting part acts as a positioning mechanism that, when rotated to the correct orientation, engages with the cavity of concha to lock the inserting part in a stable position. The rotation capability allows the user to adjust the device to the proper orientation, while the spherical geometry ensures that once positioned correctly, the device remains stable and does not easily change position within the external auditory canal
Data Source
AI summary
A ready-made device attachable to an outer ear achieving excellent feeling of attachment and high stability is provided. The device attachable to an outer ear according to this invention includes an inserting part of a tubular shape to be inserted into an external auditory canal and a setting part to be set in a cavity of concha, and the inserting part and the setting part are disposed on an imaginary spherical surface, and the inserting part is rotatable around a longitudinal axis thereof inside the external auditory canal. Since the setting part is arranged on the same imaginary spherical surface as the inserting part, the setting part is disposed along an inner wall of a cavity of concha in a state where the inserting part is inside the external auditory canal.