Speaker Grille Fluid Channels for Water Drainage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable communication devices face challenges with water intrusion through acoustic transducer ports, leading to trapped water that blocks audio transmission and output due to small apertures and high surface energy materials, which are difficult to drain.
Innovation Solution
The design features a speaker grille with tapered apertures connected by fluid channels that utilize capillary pressure to draw water in and gravitational pressure to expel it, ensuring effective water management and audio passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If aperture size is reduced to prevent water intrusion, then water resistance is improved, but water can become trapped and block audio transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture is segmented into two distinct zones: an external aperture portion and an internal aperture portion, separated by an intermediate region. This segmentation allows each zone to serve different functions - the external portion repels water while the internal portion facilitates drainage, resolving the contradiction between water resistance and preventing audio blockage.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the aperture are given different surface properties. The external aperture portion has high surface energy to repel water, while the internal aperture portion has low surface energy to allow water to pass through. This local differentiation enables the aperture to simultaneously prevent water intrusion and facilitate water drainage.
2Reliability
If aperture size is reduced to prevent water intrusion, then water resistance is improved, but audio transmission is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture is divided into external and internal portions with different dimensions. The external aperture portion has smaller dimensions to repel water, while the internal aperture portion has larger dimensions to facilitate audio transmission. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between water resistance and audio transmission efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the aperture are given different surface energies and dimensional characteristics. The external region prioritizes water repellency with high surface energy and smaller size, while the internal region prioritizes audio transmission with low surface energy and larger size, allowing both requirements to be met simultaneously.
3Reliability
If high surface energy materials are used to prevent water intrusion, then water resistance is improved, but water accumulation occurs and is difficult to drain
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture structure incorporates regions with different surface energies: the external aperture portion uses high surface energy materials to prevent water intrusion, while the internal aperture portion uses low surface energy materials to facilitate water drainage. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between water resistance and water drainage capability.
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 solution effectively clears water from the speaker grille, preventing audio blockages and ensuring reliable communication performance in adverse environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The fluid channel has a predetermined minimum length which facilitates a gravitational head pressure needed to overcome a capillary force associated with at least one drain aperture
Implementation Method 2
The fluid channel has a predetermined minimum length which facilitates a gravitational head pressure needed to overcome a capillary force associated with at least one drain aperture
Data Source
AI summary
Communication device includes a housing with a two or more apertures defined therein to form a speaker grille. The apertures are arranged to form one or more aperture sets, each comprised of at least two apertures connected by a fluid channel defined on an internal face of the panel. The fluid channel is comprised of one or more channel segments. Each of the channels segments and the acoustic apertures has a predetermined size and shape which draws fluid through the apertures from an exterior side of the panel, to an interior side of the panel, and then into one of the channel segments. The dimensions and geometry of the channels and apertures are selected to cause the fluid in the channels to exit from the housing at a lowermost one of the acoustic apertures.