RIE Earpiece with Angled Nested Receiver for Noise Cancellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing devices and earpieces often struggle with providing a comfortable fit and clear sound, especially for users with smaller ear canals, and may not effectively switch between external and internal sound types.
Innovation Solution
The earpiece features a compact design with an earpiece housing that fits snugly into the ear canal, incorporating a receiver with a moving coil and a first microphone to pick up ear canal sound, allowing for improved active noise cancellation and sound clarity across various frequency ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the earpiece is designed to be compact for small ear canals, then the fit and comfort for users with small ear canals is improved, but the space for accommodating active noise cancellation components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver is positioned such that its housing is at least partially received within the earpiece housing, creating a nested configuration. This allows the compact earpiece to accommodate the receiver and active noise cancellation components without excessive size, resolving the contradiction between compact form factor and functional performance.
2Reliability
If the earpiece extends further outwards from the ear to accommodate noise cancellation components, then the active noise cancellation performance is improved, but the wearing comfort and aesthetic appeal is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the receiver housing within the earpiece housing, the design maintains a compact external profile that does not extend excessively from the ear, while still providing sufficient internal space for active noise cancellation components to function effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiver axis is oriented at an angle between 10-80 degrees relative to the earpiece axis, creating a three-dimensional configuration that optimizes component placement within the constrained space, allowing noise cancellation functionality without increasing external dimensions.
3Manufacturing precision
If the receiver is positioned closer to the ear canal entrance for better sound delivery, then the sound clarity is improved, but the ability to pick up ear canal sound for active noise cancellation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver is positioned and oriented at an angle relative to the earpiece axis, creating optimal acoustic coupling with the ear canal while maintaining the microphone's ability to detect ear canal sounds for active noise cancellation algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The angled positioning of the receiver acts as an intermediary configuration that enables both sound delivery to the user and sound pickup by the microphone, allowing the system to achieve both functions simultaneously through optimized spatial arrangement.
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
This design enhances the fit and sound quality for users with smaller ear canals, providing improved active noise cancellation and the ability to switch between external and internal sound types effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the receiver comprises a moving coil
Data Source
AI summary
An earpiece for a hearing device and a hearing device is disclosed, the earpiece comprising an earpiece housing for insertion into an ear canal of a user and having a distal end and a proximal end with an earpiece axis therebetween, the earpiece housing having an outer surface connecting the distal end to the proximal end; a receiver comprising a receiver housing, the receiver located within the earpiece housing; and a first microphone configured to pick up ear canal sound, wherein the receiver comprises a moving coil.