Adjustable Cheekbone-to-Ear Wearable in Three Linked Parts
A head-worn device bridging ear canal to cheekbone, made adjustable across face sizes with a headphone-style detent slide and a hinged contact pad.
A device that connects the ear canal to the cheekbone: a stethoscope-style ear piece at one end, a small pad resting on the cheekbone at the other, and the problem that no two faces are the same.
The problem
Anything worn on the head runs into human variation immediately:
- Ear-to-cheekbone distance varies by more than a fixed part can absorb, so adjustment is not a convenience feature — it is required for the device to function at all.
- The cheek pad must maintain contact at a consistent angle across that range, or the connection it is making is inconsistent.
- Pressure has to be gentle but positive. Too little and it slips; too much and it is unwearable within minutes.
- The client’s own concept was three pieces: an ear piece looping to mid-cheek, a middle section, and the cheek pad on a small hinge.
The approach
- Detented slide adjustment, using the same principle as a headphone headband: discrete positions that hold under load and can be set without looking.
- The hinge at the pad, so the contact surface self-aligns to the cheek regardless of where the slide is set — adjustment for length, articulation for angle.
- Three-part architecture kept, since it lets one moulded family cover the size range instead of needing multiple part sizes.
- Iterated on fit. The design went through four versions, each refining the adjustment range and pad geometry.
The result
A complete four-iteration design with production drawings, covering the ear piece, middle section and hinged cheek pad.
Where this applies
Head-worn and body-worn devices — medical wearables, audio, monitoring — where anthropometric variation is the main constraint. Adjustment mechanisms are where these products succeed or get returned.
I design wearables around human variation, with the mechanisms and drawings to produce them. Request a quote or see all services.