Rotatable Ear Cup Attachment for Charging and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing head-worn hearing devices face challenges in achieving optimal ear cup adjustment and acoustic sealing while accommodating a protruding charge element, which affects the device's fit and robustness.
Innovation Solution
The ear cup features a rotatable attachment unit with a connection section that allows the ear cup to pivot, ensuring optimal fit and sealing, while the charge element is positioned to protrude and connect to a charge station without interfering with the rotation, and is electrically connected to the ear cup circuitry to operate the speaker unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the charge element protrudes from the ear cup, then charging functionality is enabled, but the fit and acoustic sealing between the ear cup and user's head is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The ear cup is designed to be rotatable relative to the attachment unit, allowing dynamic adjustment of the ear cup's position and orientation. This rotation capability enables the charge element to clear the attachment unit during charging while maintaining proper acoustic sealing when worn, as the ear cup can be positioned optimally for both functions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the ear cup is rotatable for optimal fit, then adaptability to user's head shape is improved, but the charge element may interfere with the attachment unit during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The charge element is positioned to extend in a direction that allows it to clear the attachment unit during rotation. By orienting the charge element appropriately and utilizing the rotational degree of freedom, the system resolves the interference issue without adding complex mechanisms, effectively using spatial dimensionality to separate the charge element's path from the attachment unit.
3Volume of moving object
If a slim industrial design is implemented, then the space required for transport is reduced, but accommodating the protruding charge element becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable ear cup design allows the device to maintain a compact, slim form factor for transport while enabling the charge element to protrude when needed for charging. The rotation mechanism allows the ear cup to be positioned such that the charge element clears the attachment unit, providing charging functionality without requiring additional space in the compact design.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
The invention relates to an ear cup with an attachment unit, which is configured to be used within a head-worn hearing device. The attachment unit comprises at least one connection section, which is arranged and configured to rotatable connect the attachment unit with the ear cup and thereby define an axis of rotation of the ear cup. The attachment unit further comprises an opening, which is arranged to allow a charge interface of the ear cup, which extends out of an ear cup casing of the ear cup, to pivot through the attachment unit while the ear cup is being rotated with respect to the attachment unit along the axis of rotation, wherein the charge interface is directed to the attachment unit and is placed at a side portion of the ear cup between a hearing portion of the ear cup, facing to an ear of a user, and a back portion of the ear cup, facing away from the user.