1. Technical Field
The exemplary and non-limiting embodiments relate generally to protecting a sound transducer and, more particularly, to protecting the sound transducer from particulates.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
Devices, such as mobile phones for example, use a dynamic speaker and/or receiver (microphone) to receive and reproduce audio signal such as speech, music and alerting tones to a user. Such speakers/receivers are widely used in telecommunications, but also in automobile, military, medical and consumer electronics. A dynamic speaker/receiver has an internal membrane and magnet system that are vulnerable to external particles such as dust, metal particles, sand, etc.; generally identified as dust herein. The magnet system attracts metal particles which can penetrate the speaker/receiver. Metal particles are very common in many work places; especially in developing countries. It is also common to have metal particles in a pocket of trousers where keys have rubbed against each other producing metal dust.
External particle(s) entering the membrane and/or the magnet system of the speaker/receiver will deteriorate the performance of the speaker/receiver and reduce the sound quality by lowering loudness and introducing distortion until the speaker/receiver unit will totally fail.
External particle(s) at the membrane increase the force needed to move the membrane through added mass (like sand, cotton, metals, etc.) and through magnet field attraction force (ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic instances like iron, nickel, manganese and compounds of those). This can lower the acoustic output of the speaker/receiver and introduce distortion as the EMF-motor of the speaker/receiver does not have resources to move the added mass properly; because they are designed to work only with their own mass. Especially, ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic instances are very harmful.
External particle(s) at the membrane can cause distortion as the membrane moves due to the membrane movement; the particles bouncing back and forth inside the speaker/earpiece and hitting the membrane and other structures next to the membrane. This extra sound from impacts can be perceived as unwanted additional sound i.e. distortion. External particle(s) at the magnet system can cause rub and buzz type of distortion as the particles are hitting and scratching the moving voice coil and magnet of the speaker/receiver. This extra sound from hitting and scratching can be perceived as unwanted additional sound i.e. distortion.
The following summary is merely intended to be exemplary. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a housing having a sound hole; a sound transducer in the housing; and a dust barrier in the housing between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier comprises a deck located in a path between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The deck comprises a dust collection pocket configured to accumulate dust therein and prevent dust from passing through the deck at the dust collection pocket. A sound aperture is provided between the sound hole and the sound transducer such that sound passes by the dust collection pocket between the sound hole and the sound transducer.
In accordance with another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a housing having a sound hole; a sound transducer in the housing, where the sound transducer comprises a permanent magnet; and a magnetic dust collection system for collecting dust which enters the sound hole and preventing the dust from reaching the sound transducer. The magnetic duct collection system comprises a dust barrier between the sound hole and the permanent magnet and a magnetic field of the permanent magnet being orientated across a sound aperture, formed by the housing and the dust barrier, to magnetically pull dust against the dust barrier.
In accordance with another example, a method comprises connecting a dust barrier to a housing of an apparatus, where the housing comprises a sound hole through the housing, where the dust barrier comprises a dust collection pocket to capture dust entering the housing through the sound hole; and locating a sound transducer inside the housing, where the dust barrier is located in a path between the sound hole and the sound transducer, where the dust barrier is configured to accumulate dust therein and prevent dust from passing through the deck at the dust collection pocket, where a sound aperture is formed between the sound hole and the sound transducer such that sound passes by the dust collection pocket between the sound hole and the sound transducer
The foregoing aspects and other features are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to
The apparatus 10 in this example is a hand-held portable electronic device comprising a telephone application, Internet browser application, camera application, video recorder application, music player and recorder application, email application, navigation application, gaming application, and/or any other suitable electronic device application. The apparatus 10, in this example embodiment, comprises a housing 12, a touch screen 14 which functions as both a display and a user input, a receiver 16, a transmitter 18, a controller 20 which can include (referring also to
The apparatus 10 also includes a speaker 28 and a microphone 30 which each comprise a sound transducer. The housing 12 comprises at least one sound hole 32 for sound to travel from the speaker 28 and at least one sound hole 34 for sound to travel to the microphone. The description which follows will be in regard to the area at the speaker 28. However, the features described are equally applicable to the area at the microphone 30. Features of the invention could be used at the speaker 28 and/or at the microphone 30.
Referring also to
In the example embodiment shown, the dust barrier 46 is a substantially solid member which is located between the speaker 28 and the inner side of the housing 12. Because the dust barrier is solid, it is non-porous for dust particles or air to travel through its walls. The dust barrier may comprise substantially rigid metal or plastic material, for example, and comprises an outer portion 48, an inner portion 50 and at least one sound opening 52. The outer portion 48 is sandwiched between a portion of the speaker 28 and the inner side surface of the housing 12 around the sound hole 32. As seen in
The dust barrier 46 comprises a deck 58 at the inner portion 50 which comprises a recessed dust collection pocket or dust pool 60. The pocket 60 is located behind the sound hole 32, directly in a path between the sound hole 32 and the sound transducer 36. As seen best in
Referring also to
As noted above, the protection system also comprises a second feature; namely, a magnetic dust collection system. The magnetic dust collection system uses the dust barrier 46 in conjunction with the magnetic pull 64 generated by the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 42 to magnetically pull the dust 62, after it enters the sound hole 32, against the front side of dust barrier 46 such that the dust does not reach the sound transducer 36. As noted above the mechanical dust pool feature could be used without a magnetic dust collection system. Likewise, a magnetic dust collection system could be used with a dust barrier which does not have a recessed pocket. The harmful dust particles having been pulled to the pool 60, the barrier 46 and the magnetic pull 64 prevent them from slipping off from the pool to the membrane 38 during impact forces caused by dropping the phone, etc.
With an example embodiment a dust barrier is formed by introducing a metal or plastic (or other material) deck right after the sound hole. If this barrier is also formed as a pool shape having edge walls 61 surrounding the pool, then a ‘Dust Pool’ is formed.
An example embodiment can prevent external particles from entering the vulnerable areas of the speaker/receiver:
An example embodiment can enable virtually total protection against external ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic particles and, thus, the lifetime of the component will be significantly longer. An example embodiment will not affect the acoustic output and, thus, it:
An example embodiment can allow getting rid of one part such as mesh/cloth/membrane, thus reducing the cost and thickness. Earlier solutions are mainly based on the dust protection mesh, cloth or membrane. These solutions are widely visible for example in any mobile phone or headphone at the market. Some more advanced combine mesh/cloth/membrane with a long or sideways leading sound channel. However, woven dust protection mesh will have finite open area. It means there are lots of small threads crossing each other and there will be apertures between the threads. These apertures are also needed to let air flow through the member. Without adequate air flow there will be attenuation of sound level (because of high acoustic resistance) and also distortion caused by turbulence at very extreme. These apertures make it possible that external particles of smaller size than the aperture size will penetrate through the member. Also, meshes will eventually clog with dust. This will block air flow.
Cloths are similar to woven meshes, but threads are smaller and irregular in size and also the apertures have irregular shape. Threads and apertures form a tight network of tubes and cavities that are open in both ends. However, the problem with such cloths is that they will be blocked very easily with dust. They also have limited protection efficiency versus acoustic resistance characteristic like meshes.
Membranes are able to be manufactured totally hermetic (i.e. no air flow through the membrane with pressures relevant to system). Membranes can block all dust entering the speaker/receiver. However, a membrane will act as passive radiator. A passive radiator will transfer the acoustic energy at one side of the radiator to mechanical movement, and again mechanical movement is transferred back to acoustic energy at the other side of radiator. A membrane as a passive radiator will move with the moving air in a non-linear fashion and, if not controlled, can move in a totally unpredictable manner. It will introduce losses and, thus, reduction of acoustic output and loudness. It has non-linearities, especially high non-linearities at high volume velocity and, thus, it will alter the sound and cause distortion.
Long or sideways leading sound channel make the path for the external particle to reach the vulnerable areas of the speaker/receiver longer. In some cases it also reduces the effect of internal magnet attraction forces.
Mechanical impacts tend to shake the dust inside to enable it more efficiently penetrate to the above mentioned vulnerable areas. An example embodiment with at least some of the features described above can prevent the dust from entering the membrane and/or magnet system, perhaps up to 100 percent under several stress conditions, including excess dust and mechanical impacts.
An example embodiment with at least some of the features described above can introduce a conscious design and shaping of the sound channel in a way that it prevents the external particles from reaching the speaker/receiver and, thus, makes it impossible for the particles to harm the performance and quality of the sound transducer. Additionally, an example embodiment can have a ‘Dust Barrier’ that stops dust and a ‘Dust Pool’ that stores the dust.
An example embodiment with at least some of the features described above can provide protection against harmful ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic instances by shaping the channel, so that the path from the outer world all the way to the speaker/receiver vulnerable areas will pass through the magnet field caused by the internal magnet. Together with the internal magnet, particles can be blocked and their movement restricted to a safe area, such as the ‘Dust Pool’.
An example embodiment with at least some of the features described above can be provided without having to have any significant effect on sound level or sound quality.
Referring also to
An example embodiment may comprise an apparatus comprising a housing 12 comprising a sound hole 32, 34; a sound transducer 36 in the housing; and a dust barrier 46 in the housing between the sound hole and the sound transducer, where the dust barrier comprises a substantially solid deck 58 located in a path directly between the sound hole and the sound transducer, where the deck comprises a recessed dust collection pocket 60 behind the sound hole, and where the deck comprises a sound opening 52 therethrough which is offset from the path to form a tortuous sound aperture between the sound hole and the sound transducer.
The recessed dust collection pocket 60 may be in the path and directly behind the sound hole. The sound opening may be the sole sound opening through the deck. A portion of the deck, which forms a portion of the pocket, may be located in a recess 80 into an inner side of the housing. The deck may comprises an outer portion 48 connected to an inner side of the housing and an inner portion 50, where the inner portion forms a portion of the pocket and extends towards the housing past the outer portion. The housing may comprise multiple ones of the sound hole 32, where the sound opening 252 in the deck is in an area generally between the sound holes. The sound opening 52 may be in a middle area of the deck. The pocket may comprise at least one pocket 260 on opposite sides of the sound opening. The deck may comprise an outer portion connected to an inner side of the housing and an inner portion which extends towards the housing past the outer portion, where the inner portion of the deck is located in a recess into an inner side of the housing. The apparatus may further comprise means for magnetically attracting dust into the pocket.
An example embodiment may comprise an apparatus 10 comprising a housing comprising a sound hole 32; a sound transducer 36 in the housing, where the sound transducer comprises a permanent magnet 42; and a magnetic dust collection system for collecting dust which enters the sound hole and preventing the dust from reaching the sound transducer, where the magnetic dust collection system comprises a dust barrier 46 between the sound hole and the permanent magnet and a magnetic field of the permanent magnet being orientated across a sound channel, formed by the housing and the dust barrier, to magnetically pull dust against the dust barrier.
The dust barrier may comprise a substantially solid deck located in a path directly between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier may comprise a recessed dust collection pocket directly behind the sound hole. The deck may comprise a sound opening therethrough which is offset from the path to form a tortuous sound channel between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The sound opening may be the sole sound opening through the deck. A portion of the dust barrier may be located in a recess into an inner side of the housing. The dust barrier may comprise an outer portion connected to an inner side of the housing and an inner portion which extends towards the inner side of the housing past the outer portion. The housing may comprise multiple ones of the sound holes, where at least one sound opening in the dust barrier is in an area generally between the sound holes. The dust barrier may have a sound opening therethrough which is in a middle area of the dust barrier.
Referring also to
Features described above can be provided for all type of sound transmitting or receiving transducers such as, for example, earpieces, multi-function-device (effectively a multi-function-device is a speaker component that is acting as a hands-free speaker, earpiece and vibra in low end products) as well as microphones, and hand-free speakers. For all these examples, the features described above can be provided without having to have any significant effect on sound level or sound quality.
The deck could be designed as part of an A-cover (display window) or bezel or mesh or grill wherein at least one sound aperture is designed. In this embodiment, the sound hole and the dust barrier could be a single component where the user (or service point) can possibly remove it and clean the dust.
The deck may be designed under the sound hole or anywhere within the internal cavity in such a way that the internal cavity acoustically (and/or mechanically) couples with the sound hole. It may be that deck itself does not comprise any sound openings, but the deck forms such opening(s) as part of the sound aperture/channel between the sound hole and the sound transducer around or at an outer portion of the deck. In technical terms, the deck may be formed in a way so that such aperture around the deck is classified as a cavity (air volume). Inside the cavity, there may not be any sound channel/aperture. Such air volume/cavity may be coupled with the sound hole to form a Helmholtz resonator.
Past dust protection solutions such as mesh, cloth, grill, etc. were not effective for dust collection because such dust particles still passed through. They are acoustically transparent, and do not have any recessed deck structure. They act as a resistive load to sound waves, therefore, such dust is never being collected at a local point. Past dust protection solutions will have less chance to stop water, whereas features described herein can locate water more successfully and prevent the water from access to the sound transducer. Features of an example embodiment design can have a mesh, cloth, etc. in addition to a deck structure as described herein.
The recessed dust collection pocket may be substantially acoustically not transparent which would indicate that the sound waves will not pass through because the deck assists in guiding the sound waves through the sound opening, but nonetheless traps dust. Such deck structure could be designed in such a way that there is no tortuous sound channel, but such channel could be rather classified as an aperture or leakage conduit.
An example embodiment may be provided as an apparatus comprising a housing having a sound hole; a sound transducer in the housing; and a dust barrier in the housing between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier comprises a deck located in a path between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The deck comprises a recessed dust collection pocket configured to accumulate dust therein and prevent dust from passing through the deck at the recessed dust collection pocket. A sound aperture is provided between the sound hole and the sound transducer such that sound passes by the dust collection pocket between the sound hole and the sound transducer.
The deck may form a sound opening between the sound hole and the sound transducer which is offset from the path to form a tortuous sound aperture between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The deck may form a sound opening between the sound hole and the sound transducer, where the deck is substantially solid such that sound does not substantially pass through the deck except at the sound opening. The dust collection pocket may be substantially acoustically not transparent.
A method may be provided comprising connecting a dust barrier to a housing of an apparatus, where the housing comprises a sound hole through the housing, where the dust barrier comprises a recessed depression to capture dust entering the housing through the sound hole; and locating a sound transducer inside the housing, where the dust barrier is located in a path between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier may be configured to accumulate dust therein and prevent dust from passing through the deck at the recessed dust collection pocket. A sound aperture may be formed between the sound hole and the sound transducer such that sound passes by the dust collection pocket between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier may form a sound opening between the sound hole and the sound transducer which is offset from the path between the sound hole and the sound transducer to form sound aperture as a tortuous channel between the sound hole and the sound transducer. In one type of embodiment the sound aperture might not be tortuous.
It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art. For example, features recited in the various dependent claims could be combined with each other in any suitable combination(s). In addition, features from different embodiments described above could be selectively combined into a new embodiment. Accordingly, the description is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.
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