Skeleton Housing for Custom Ear Canal Impressions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concha worn devices such as smart earphones and hearing aids face challenges in achieving acoustic sealing, retention, comfort, and aesthetics due to the one-size-fits-all nature and high variation in ear morphologies.
Innovation Solution
A skeleton housing is used to take an ear impression, allowing for the production of customized extensions like ear tips that are specifically designed to fit the user's ear, ensuring optimal positioning and retention of the concha worn device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a dome made of soft material is used for concha worn devices, then the device can be manufactured with one-size-fits-all approach, but the sealing, retention, comfort and aesthetics cannot be optimized for individual ear morphologies
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the ear interface into two functional parts: a standardized concha-facing dome for manufacturing simplicity, and a custom-made ear canal extension for precise fit. The custom extension is created by taking an impression of the ear canal and molding a soft material to match the individual anatomy, thereby achieving precise fit without complicating the main device manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - a custom ear canal extension made of soft material - that mediates between the standardized device housing and the unique ear anatomy. This intermediary component adapts to individual ear morphologies while allowing the main device to remain standardized, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and fit precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional impression taking is used to create custom ear molds, then a well-shaped custom mold can be generated, but the relative location between device and custom ear mold relies on guessing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the custom ear canal extension with the device housing into a single integrated unit. The extension is molded directly onto the housing, ensuring precise relative positioning. This integration eliminates the need for guessing about positioning, as the custom extension and housing work together as one assembled component that fits the ear canal accurately.
3Reliability
If concha worn devices are made heavier to improve retention, then the device is more securely retained in the ear, but comfort deteriorates during prolonged wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the retention function in the ear canal extension rather than relying on the entire device weight. The soft material of the extension conforms to the ear canal shape, creating localized retention through friction and anatomical matching, while the main housing can remain lightweight and comfortable for prolonged wear.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a skeleton housing for taking an ear impression of a part of an ear canal of a human ear, the skeleton housing having a shape fitting into a concha of the ear, the skeleton housing comprising a hollow permeable shell permitting a viscous impression material to flow through, the skeleton housing comprising a medial opening positioned to face toward or into the ear canal when the skeleton housing is inserted in the concha. Also described herein is a method of producing an ear impression using the skeleton housing and a method of producing a customized extension such as an ear tip.