Rotatable Earphone Units with Detent Hinges for Headphones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing headphones do not allow for the rotation or swiveling of earphones away from the user's ear while the headphone is worn, limiting artistic freedom and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A compact foldable headphone design featuring rotatable earphone units with a U-shaped resilient band and pivot joints, including detent and friction hinges, enabling the earphones to swivel away from the ear and lock into various positions for storage and use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the earphones are fixed in position on the headband, then the headphone structure is simple and stable, but the user cannot uncover ears without removing the headphone
Solution Approach 1:
The earphone units are made dynamically adjustable through pivot joints that allow rotation between a first position (covering the ear) and a second position (away from the ear). This dynamic capability enables users to uncover ears without removing the headphone, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The headphone is segmented into modular components: headband, arm members, and earphone units connected by pivot joints. This segmentation allows independent rotation of earphone units relative to the headband, providing flexibility while maintaining overall structural integrity through standardized connection mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the earphones are made rotatable to allow ear uncovering, then the user flexibility is improved, but the headphone cannot be folded into a compact form for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The earphone units are designed to nest within the headband structure when rotated to the first position. The compact folding capability allows the earphones to be stored inside the headband, achieving a space-efficient storage form factor while maintaining the rotation capability for ear uncovering.
3Ease of operation
If the earphones are positioned far from the headband for comfort, then the wearing comfort is improved, but the headphone cannot be folded compactly
Solution Approach 1:
The arm members connecting the earphones to the headband are designed with pivot joints that allow dynamic adjustment of earphone position. Users can rotate earphones to an optimal wearing position for comfort, and then fold them back to a compact storage position, resolving the contradiction between comfort and compactness.
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
Enables the user to freely uncover one or both ears without removing the headphone, providing greater flexibility and comfort with adjustable fitting and superior sound isolation.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the pivot joints includes a detent hinge for locking into a plurality of rotational positions an arm member relatively to the corresponding end part of the band
Implementation Method 2
A second pivot joint includes a friction hinge for enabling smooth rotation of the arm member relative to the corresponding end part of the band
Implementation Method 3
a resilient band formed substantially into a U shape to be mounted on a human head
Data Source
AI summary
A headphone includes a pair of right and left headphone units, a resilient band formed substantially into a U shape to be mounted on a human head, and a pair of arm members. Each of the arm members is rotatably coupled via a pivot joint to an end part of the band and supporting one the headphone units. Each of the pivot joints includes a detent hinge for locking into a plurality of rotational positions an arm member relatively to the corresponding end part of the band.