Vehicular Microphone Hole Layout for Water and Dust Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular microphones are susceptible to dirt, dust, and water ingress, leading to impaired acoustic performance and difficulty in miniaturization due to the need for additional components like heaters.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular microphone design with holes that open towards the bottom and side surfaces of the vehicle body, allowing natural removal of water and foreign objects, and incorporating a waterproof film to protect the microphone sensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective film is provided under a protective cap to prevent water and foreign objects from entering the microphone, then protection against water and foreign objects is improved, but water and foreign objects accumulate between the protective cap and protective film, changing the vibration characteristic of the protective film and significantly impairing acoustic performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the protective cap entirely and replaces it with a protective film that has sound holes. This extracts the problematic element (protective cap) that caused water and foreign objects to accumulate, while maintaining protection through the film's selective permeability - allowing sound to pass through while blocking water and foreign objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film is designed with sound holes (porous structure) that allow acoustic waves to pass through while preventing water and foreign objects from entering the microphone. This porous design resolves the contradiction by enabling both protection and acoustic performance simultaneously - the holes are sized and positioned to permit sound transmission while blocking harmful substances.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a heater is provided to remove water from the inside of the microphone using water boiling and gas expansion, then water removal capability is improved, but the microphone cannot be miniaturized due to the additional heater component
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the heater component entirely from the microphone design. Instead of using active thermal processing to remove water, the design relies on passive protection through the protective film with sound holes, which prevents water ingress in the first place and allows natural evaporation, eliminating the need for heating components and enabling miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone design employs self-service water management through the protective film structure. The sound holes allow sound to enter while preventing water accumulation, and any moisture that enters can naturally evaporate and escape through the same holes without requiring external energy input or active removal mechanisms, thus eliminating the need for heaters.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the protective film vibration characteristic is changed due to water and foreign object accumulation, then protection is maintained, but acoustic performance is significantly impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film is designed with optimized sound holes that maintain its vibration characteristics while providing protection. The porous structure with appropriately sized and positioned holes allows the film to vibrate freely in response to acoustic waves, preserving acoustic performance, while simultaneously blocking water and foreign objects from entering and accumulating on the film surface.
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
Effectively prevents water and foreign object ingress, maintains acoustic performance, and enables miniaturization without the need for additional components like heaters.
Implementation Method 1
the cover is provided with at least one first hole that opens toward the bottom surface of the cover to collect the sound to be detected by the microphone sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular microphone includes: at least one microphone sensor that detects sound; a board that includes a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being a surface where the microphone sensor is provided, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; a cover that includes a bottom surface and a side surface; and a connector that is electrically connectable to a cable of a vehicle, wherein, the cover is provided with at least one first hole that opens toward the bottom surface of the cover to collect the sound to be detected by the microphone sensor.