Universal Ear-Worn Sound Device with Rotatable Joint
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sound output devices worn on one ear require separate left and right ear-specific designs, leading to increased manufacturing costs and user inconvenience in selecting the correct ear for use, especially in cases of ear injury or hearing impairment.
Innovation Solution
A sound output device with a main device portion behind the auricle, a sound output portion in front, and a joint that connects these, allowing for adjustment and mounting on either ear, with a rotatable joint to adjust the sound emitting direction and a support portion that can be elastically deformed to fit various ear shapes, eliminating the need for separate left and right ear designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate left and right ear-specific sound output devices are manufactured, then the device can be properly fitted to the specific ear anatomy, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sound output device is designed with universal applicability to both left and right ears through symmetric design elements. The housing, speaker assembly, and control components are configured to function identically on either ear, eliminating the need for separate left and right ear-specific manufacturing while maintaining proper fit and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates asymmetric elements specifically in the joint portion that contacts the ear. The joint is designed with asymmetric geometry that adapts to the natural asymmetry of human ear anatomy, allowing the same device to fit comfortably and effectively on either the left or right ear despite the ears' different orientations and shapes.
2Reliability
If the joint is made rigid to maintain sound direction, then the sound output direction is stable, but the device cannot adapt to different ear shapes and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The joint connecting the housing to the ear is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing rotational movement and angular adjustment. This enables the joint to adapt to different ear shapes and positions while maintaining stable sound output direction through controlled flexibility, resolving the contradiction between rigidity for sound stability and flexibility for anatomical adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint's physical parameters such as flexibility, rotation range, and angular position are designed to be variable within specific limits. This allows the joint to change its configuration to match different ear anatomies while maintaining the sound emitting opening's proper orientation, achieving both adaptability and sound direction stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A sound output device includes a main device portion that incorporates at least a battery and that is positioned behind an auricle, a sound output portion that incorporates at least a speaker and that is positioned in front of the auricle, a connection portion that connects the main device portion and the sound output portion to each other and that is positioned to run up along an ear lobe, and a joint that is removably attached to the sound output portion, that has a sound emitting opening, and that guides sound output from the speaker to an external acoustic opening, in which the joint for one of a left ear or a right ear is mounted on the sound output portion.