Compliant tube based headphone pad idea I had while riding a bicycle two days ago. I got the thickness and dimensions dialed for printing and bending, but I either need to setup my old KP3 kingroon with a longer 2040 Z extrusion or print this in 2 pieces. Either way, the joint connection needs more than just the overlap and glue. TPE would probably be better too, although I have no idea what shore hardness this $10 clearance spool of TPU has. The sound quality seems a little tinny and I have no way to tell how loud it is externally, but it is just my first iteration that I can put around my ear and test. TPU is so slow to print and the moisture levels impact the qualities drastically. I actually like the texture and properties of wet TPU more than dry, but it is hard to get it just right. With the design’s compliant bend, consistency is kinda important. Anyways, just another boring project. On the bright side, this seems cooler temperature wise when the TPU pad is against my ear.
I spent all day chasing custom logarithmic infill patterns that might incorporate a compliant bend but only learned about how not to do a thing like that in CAD.
This is a major curiosity of mine too. Just the shell seems to be pushing the amount of flexibility of this material in my present design. I’m not using any infill. I can alter the shape a lot. I have a cheap pair of thermal cycling bib shorts that were way too small and I never sent back. Those may become a covered print experiment. That material is thick, dense, and still conforms a lot.
I’m most interested in exploring wave shaping. It would be trivial to add more complex shaping in the center cavity. I can imagine making a print support that sits inside the tube and enables me to create some more complex voids in places.
My main goal right now is to com up with an integrated clip that allows one end to open and close easily while looking pretty. Then I can move on to more audio quality tuning.