Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6831989
-
Patent Number
6,831,989
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, October 2, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 14, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Kuntz; Curtis
- Ensey; Brian
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 381 150
- 381 162
- 381 386
- 381 394
- 381 395
- 381 396
- 381 398
- 381 400
- 381 407
- 381 409
- 381 410
- 381 FOR 160
- 381 FOR 165
- 439 492
- 439 86
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An electroacoustic transducer (1) having an oscillator coil (15) which has two connecting leads (27, 28) is equipped with at least one retaining element (33, 34) for each connecting lead (27, 28), each retaining element (33, 34) being connected to a stationary component (2) of the transducer (1) and being held movable in relation to said stationary component (2), while said stationary component (2) borders a holding space (39, 40) through which a connecting lead (27, 28) being passed through.
Description
The invention relates to an electroacoustic transducer having stationary components, of which one component is formed by a membrane holder for holding a membrane, and having a magnet system, and having a membrane which has a membrane area connected to the membrane holder, and having an oscillator coil for interaction with the magnet system, said oscillator coil having a hollow cylindrical coil body and two connecting leads which each have a free end connected electrically and mechanically to a stationary connection contact of the transducer, wherein at least one retaining element assigned to the relevant connecting lead is provided for each connecting lead.
An electroacoustic transducer of this type is known from the patent WO 01/56329 A2. In the known transducer, each retaining element preferably comprises two plastic films held together by means of an adhesive layer comprising a non-curing adhesive, so that a retaining element is realized which is elastically deformable parallel to the direction of the membrane's membrane axis. In the known transducer, each retaining element is designed in sheet or strip form and here attached at one end to a stationary component of the known transducer, namely to a membrane holder, with the connecting lead in question being attached in the area of the other end of each retaining element, namely by means of a bonded joint. Satisfactory results may be achieved with the above-described embodiment of the known transducer, but nevertheless this known embodiment is still capable of improvement, because the realization of this known embodiment requires relatively high production costs; this is because the realization of the bonded joint between a connecting lead and a retaining element requires a separate production stage. In addition, it was found that in many applications of the known transducer every bonded joint between a connecting lead and a retaining element may represent a restriction of the mobility of the connecting lead. In addition, the problem may occur that with a particularly long working life the bonded joint between a connecting lead and a retaining element is subject to excessive aging, which could result in damage to or the elimination of the bonded joint.
It is an object of the invention to avoid the problems described above and to create a further improved electroacoustic transducer in which the above-mentioned object is achieved at little expense and by simple means.
To achieve the object described above, an electroacoustic transducer according to the invention is provided with features according to the invention, so that an electroacoustic transducer according to the invention may be characterized as follows:
An electroacoustic transducer having stationary components, of which one component is formed by a membrane holder for holding a membrane, and having a magnet system, and having a membrane designed to be oscillated in parallel to a membrane axis and having a membrane area which is connected to the membrane holder, and having an oscillator coil which is designed for interaction with the magnet system and which has a hollow cylindrical body and two connecting leads, each free end of the connecting leads being electrically and mechanically connected to a stationary connection contact of the transducer, and having at least one retaining element for each connecting lead of the oscillator coil, wherein each retaining element being connected to a stationary component of the transducer and being held movable in relation to said stationary component and wherein each retaining element together with said stationary component bordering a holding space through which a connecting lead is being passed through.
The provision of the features according to the invention enables the realization in a structurally simple and space-saving way and for an only very low additional expenditure an electroacoustic transducer, in which, even with relatively long oscillator coil connecting leads, a good compromise is achieved between the best possible holding of the connecting leads on the one hand and a connecting lead mobility which is as unrestricted as possible on the other hand. In the transducer according to the invention, every retaining element and the stationary component of the transducer bearing the retaining element defines and borders a holding space for a connecting lead, with it advantageously being possible to select the dimensions of the holding space such that the connecting lead in question is securely held in a positive connection on the one hand and the connecting lead in question is given enough freedom of movement on the other so that no detrimental restriction of the mobility of the connecting lead occurs. Another advantage is provided with the transducer according to the invention in that the creation of the holding joint between a connecting piece and a retaining element during manufacture of the transducer may be performed automatically by introducing the connecting lead in question into the holding space between the stationary component and the retaining element and without the need to produce a bonded joint.
In an electroacoustic transducer according to the invention, each retaining element may be formed by a slide which may be moved between two positions on said stationary component of the transducer, with it being possible to set the two positions of the slide by means of snap-in joints or with it being possible for the slide to be loaded with a spring which loads the slide in the direction towards an operating position in which the slide is used to hold a connecting lead. However, it has been found to be advantageous if each retaining element is formed by a pivotable mounted lever. This is very advantageous with regard to achieving the simplest possible embodiment.
In the context described above, it has been found to be particularly advantageous if each lever provided as a retaining element is hook-shaped. This ensures the particularly reliable retention of a connecting lead with a hook-shaped retaining element.
In a transducer according to the invention with a retaining element designed as a lever, it has been found to be particularly advantageous if each lever provided as a retaining element is realized in one piece with the said stationary component. This object has been found to be particularly advantageous with regard to a particularly simple structural embodiment and with regard to ease of manufacture.
The aspects described above and other aspects of the invention may be derived from the embodiment described below and are described with reference to this embodiment.
The invention will be further described with reference to embodiments shown the drawings to which, however, the invention is not restricted.
FIG. 1
is a plan view on an enlarged scale of an electroacoustic transducer according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2
shows the transducer of
FIG. 1
in a cross-a section taken on the line II—II in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
shows a detail of the transducer of
FIGS. 1 and 2
taken on the circular line III in
FIG. 2
on a larger scale than in FIG.
2
.
FIG. 4
shows in an oblique view from above the detail of the transducer of
FIGS. 1 and 2
shown in FIG.
3
.
FIGS. 1
to
4
show all or part of an electroacoustic transducer
1
, which will be referred to hereinafter as the transducer
1
for short. The transducer
1
has an essentially pot-shaped housing
2
comprising an essentially hollow-cylindrical housing interior
3
and a similarly essentially hollow-cylindrical housing exterior
4
, said housing exterior being provided with a limiting surface
5
on its end facing away from the housing interior
3
. A circular cylindrical passage
6
is provided in the housing interior
3
. The housing interior
3
and the housing exterior
4
are connected to each other via several bars
7
.
The transducer
1
is provided with a magnet system
8
. The magnet system
8
comprises a magnet
9
and a pole plate
10
and a pot
11
, which is frequently also described as an external pot and which comprises a pot bottom
12
and a hollow cylindrical pot part
13
. The hollow-cylindrical pot part
13
is held in the passage
6
in the housing interior
3
.
An air gap
14
is formed in the magnet system
8
between the circumferential limiting surface of the pole plate
10
and the end area of the hollow cylindrical pot part
13
facing the pole plate
10
. The air gap
14
accommodates part of an oscillator coil
15
of the transducer
1
. The oscillator coil
15
is oscillated by means of the magnet system
8
essentially parallel to a direction of oscillation indicated in
FIG. 1
by a double arrow
16
. The oscillator coil
15
is connected to a membrane
17
in the transducer
1
. The membrane
17
is not shown in
FIGS. 1 and 4
in order to enable the components of the transducer
1
behind and under the membrane
17
to be visible.
To connect the oscillator coil
15
to the membrane
17
, the membrane
17
is provided with a ring-shaped connecting area
18
. The oscillator coil
15
is connected to the connecting area
18
by means of a bonded joint
19
. In addition to the ring-shaped connecting area
18
, the membrane
17
also has an internal area
20
lying within the connecting area
18
and running convexly in relation to the acoustic clearance
20
and an external area
21
lying outside the connecting area
18
. Here, the external area
21
comprises a first external area section
22
running convexly in relation to the acoustic clearance and emerging from the connecting area
18
and a second external area section
23
emerging from the first external area
22
and also running convexly in relation to the acoustic clearance. The second external area
23
passes into a ring-shaped flat membrane area
24
, which forms an edge area
24
of the membrane
17
.
The edge area
24
connects the membrane
17
in the area of the limiting surface
5
of the housing exterior
4
to the housing
2
of the transducer
1
, i.e. by means of a bonded joint not shown in the diagrams. On the transducer
1
, the membrane
17
is therefore retained by means of the housing
2
, so that the housing
2
also forms a membrane holder.
The membrane
17
is designed to be oscillatory parallel to a membrane axis
25
, which also forms a transducer axis of the transducer
1
. In order to be able to oscillate the membrane
17
—as already mentioned—the oscillator coil
15
is connected to the membrane
17
.
The oscillator coil
15
, which is designed to interact with the magnet system
8
and is partially located in the air gap
14
of the magnet system
8
for this purpose, has a hollow cylindrical coil body
26
which is wound from a magnetic wire. In addition, the oscillator coil
15
has two connecting leads
27
and
28
. The two connecting leads
27
and
28
are formed by the end sections of the magnet wire, from which the oscillator coil
15
is formed., The free ends
29
and
30
of the two connecting leads
27
and
28
are connected to respective stationary connection contacts
31
and
32
. The two connection contacts
31
and
32
are each formed from a bent contact spring. The two contact springs are held on the housing
2
. The connection of each free end
29
and
30
to the stationary connection contact
31
and
32
in question is both of an electrical and a mechanical nature, i.e. these connections are formed by soldered connections.
In the transducer
1
, a retaining element
33
or
34
is advantageously provided for each connecting lead
27
and
28
of the oscillator coil
15
. Here, both retaining elements
33
and
34
are connected to the housing
2
of the transducer
1
, i.e. to a stationary component of the transducer
1
. In this case, this connection is realized by each retaining element
33
or
34
being formed in one piece with said stationary component of the transducer
1
, i.e. with the housing
2
of the transducer
1
.
Each retaining element
33
or
34
is held adjustably in relation to the housing
2
of the transducer
1
, which in this case achieves the object that each retaining element
33
or
34
is formed by a swivel-mounted lever, with each lever provided as a retaining element
33
or
34
having a hooked shape. For the swivel-mounting of each lever provided as a retaining element
33
or
34
, two bearing studs
35
and
36
or
37
and
38
protrude from the side of each lever
33
or
34
, as is clearly shown for the retaining element
34
in FIG.
4
. The two bearing studs
35
,
36
or
37
,
38
define the swivel axis for the retaining element
33
or
34
in question.
As may be seen particularly clearly in
FIG. 3
, every retaining element
33
or
34
together with said stationary component of the transducer
1
, i.e. with the housing
2
of the transducer
1
, delimits a holding space
39
or
40
, through which a connecting lead
27
or
28
is passed. As may be seen for the holding space
40
in
FIG. 3
, each of the two holding spaces
39
and
40
lies between the housing exterior
4
of the housing
2
and the retaining element
33
or
34
in question.
In the transducer
1
, it is advantageously ensured that each connecting lead
27
or
28
in the holding space
39
or
40
formed by a retaining element
33
or
34
, and the housing exterior
4
is on the one hand securely held in a positive connection and but on the other has sufficient freedom of motion parallel to the direction of the membrane axis
25
to ensure there is no detrimental restriction of the mobility of the connecting lead
27
or
28
in question.
Another advantage of the transducer
1
consists in the fact that each connecting lead
27
or
28
may be introduced in a simple and above all mechanized way into the holding space
39
or
40
in question, i.e. in that each of the two connecting leads
27
and
28
is pushed along an inlet bevel
41
or
42
provided on the retaining element
33
or
34
in question outwards between the housing exterior
4
and the retaining element
33
or
34
in question, during which an adjusting device (not shown) effects a pivoting (swiveling) of the retaining element
33
or
34
in question with its hook-shaped end away from the housing exterior
4
until the connecting lead in question
27
or
28
reaches the holding space
39
or
40
provided for it, after which each retaining element
33
or
34
is released by the adjusting device and then returns automatically to its original position in which it rests with its hook-shaped end snugly on the housing exterior
4
and in this way ensures that the connecting lead
27
or
28
contained in the holding space
39
or
40
in question is held secure. In the transducer
1
described above, the two retaining elements
33
and
34
are connected to the housing
2
of the transducer
1
. It is also possible to connect retaining elements to other stationary components of a transducer, for example to a stationary component of the magnet system, for example an external pot in the magnet system, such as the one also provided with the transducer
1
described above.
In the transducer
1
described above, the two retaining elements
33
and
34
are connected to the housing
2
of the transducer
1
in one piece. However, such retaining elements
33
and
34
may alternatively be formed by separate components in relation to the housing
2
, which are connected to the housing
2
in that the bearing studs
35
and
36
or
37
and
38
of these retaining elements
33
and
34
formed from separate components are used in accommodation chambers provided for them in the housing
2
and held secure therein by interference fit.
It is also possible to provide two or three or more retaining elements for each connecting lead
27
or
28
, if this is necessary and useful.
However, lever-type retaining elements do not necessarily have to be of a hook-shaped design, but may also run straight with no hook-shaped bending and with a stationary component of the transducer delimiting a holding space which tapers in a wedge shape.
Instead of having a pivot-lever design, retaining elements may also have a sliding carriage design.
Claims
- 1. An electroacoustic transducer (1) having stationary components (2, 8, 31, 32, 33, 34), of which one component (2) is formed by a membrane holder (2) for holding a membrane (17), and having a magnet system (8), and having a membrane (17) designed to be oscillated in parallel to a membrane axis (25) and having a membrane area (24) which is connected to the membrane holder (2), and having an oscillator coil (15) which is designed for interaction with the magnet system (8) and which has a hollow cylindrical coil body (26) and two connecting leads (27, 28), each free end (29, 30), of the connecting leads (27, 28) being connected electrically and mechanically to a stationary connection contact (31, 32) of the transducer (1), and having at least one retaining element (36, 37) for each connecting lead (27, 28) of the oscillator coil (15), wherein each retaining element (33, 34) being connected to a stationary component (2) of the transducer (1) and being held movable in relation to the said stationary component (2) and wherein each retaining element (33, 34) together with said stationary component (2) bordering a holding space (39, 40), are located underneath the membrane (17) near the membrane area (24) through which a connecting lead (27,28) being passed through.
- 2. An electroacoustic transducer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each retaining element (33, 34) is formed by a pivotable mounted lever.
- 3. An electroacoustic transducer (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein each lever provided as a retaining element (33, 34) has a book-shaped design.
- 4. An electroacoustic transducer (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein each lever provided as a retaining element (33, 34) is realized in one piece with said stationary component.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
01890285 |
Oct 2001 |
EP |
|
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Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
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Carbonneau |
Sep 1959 |
A |
5091958 |
Sakamoto et al. |
Feb 1992 |
A |
5583944 |
Morohoshi et al. |
Dec 1996 |
A |
5838809 |
Sato et al. |
Nov 1998 |
A |
6526152 |
Frasl |
Feb 2003 |
B2 |
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0156329 |
Aug 2001 |
WO |
0156329 |
Aug 2001 |
WO |