a. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to a speaker and a method for manufacturing the same. In particular, the instant disclosure relates to a speaker with a coil stabilizer.
b. Background Art
This background description is set forth below for the purpose of providing context only. Therefore, any aspects of this background description, to the extent that it does not otherwise qualify as prior art, is neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the instant disclosure.
Microspeakers (i.e., electroacoustic transducers) are loudspeakers used to reproduce sound in microelectronic equipment such as mobile phones, cellular phones, camcorders, mp3 players, navigation systems, PDAs, digital cameras, notebook computers, LCD TVs, DVD players, etc. Microspeakers are used when space is at a premium. In such applications, it is desired that the speaker (including the back volume) should be as compact as possible. However, it is also desired that the speaker should be able to output in the broadest range of frequencies possible. These are conflicting requirements.
The microspeaker may comprise a membrane attached to a voice coil, which may be positioned within a magnetic field defined by a permanent magnet and yoke or pot arrangement. Some applications require the coil to have a length greater than its width (for example, 3:1 or 2:1). It may also be desirable for the coil (disposed about an axis) to only move along that axis. As such, it may be undesirable for the coil to move in other directions along/about other axes. With a length-width proportion of 3:1, for example, the coil may be more inclined to move in such undesirable directions. Therefore, there is a need for a speaker and a method for manufacturing a speaker that will minimize and/or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies.
The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate the present field and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.
A speaker in accordance with one embodiment of the present teachings comprises a permanent magnet and a coil disposed about a first axis and around the permanent magnet. The coil is configured to move along the first axis. The speaker further includes a membrane coupled to a top surface of the coil and a stabilizer contacting at least one of an internal surface, an external surface, and a bottom surface of the coil, and configured to limit movement of the coil relative to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
A method for manufacturing a speaker in accordance with another embodiment of the present teachings comprises providing a permanent magnet. The method further comprises providing a coil with an internal surface, an external surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface. The method further includes attaching a stabilizer to at least one of the internal surface, external surface, and bottom surface of the coil. The method further includes coupling the top surface of the coil to a membrane. The method further includes assembling the speaker by suspending the membrane, such that the coil is disposed about a first axis and around the permanent magnet. The stabilizer is configured to limit movement of the coil relative to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
The foregoing and other aspects, features, details, utilities, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from reading the following description and claims, and from reviewing the accompanying drawings.
Various embodiments are described herein to various apparatuses, systems, and/or methods. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in the specification. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment,” or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments without limitation given that such combination is not illogical or non-functional.
It will be appreciated that for conciseness and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “up,” and “down” may be used herein with respect to the illustrated embodiments. However, speakers may be used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting or absolute.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to identify identical or similar components in the various views,
Referring particularly to
Stabilizer 42 may be configured to stabilize coil 38 as coil 38 moves along axis 44. In some embodiments, stabilizer 42 may limit movement of coil 38 in directions other than along axis 44. For example and without limitation, stabilizer 42 may be configured to limit movement of coil 38 relative to an axis 62 and/or an axis 64, which are each perpendicular to axis 44 and (together with axis 44) define a three-dimensional coordinate system. Moreover, in some embodiments, stabilizer 42 may be configured to limit rotation of coil 38 about axis 44, axis 62, and/or axis 64 (i.e., yaw, pitch, and roll).
Referring particularly to
Referring to
Although stabilizer 42 is shown as being disposed along a majority of internal surface 54 and external surface 56 of coil 38, stabilizer 42 may be disposed only internally or only externally of coil 38. For example and without limitation, stabilizer 42 can be constructed with no intermediate section 106 and/or “float” about coil 38. In one embodiment, stabilizer 42 may be in the form of a sleeve that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of external surface 56 of coil 38. Furthermore, although stabilizer 42 is illustrated as being coupled to coil 38, stabilizer 42 may instead be stationary and disposed near coil 38 (for example and without limitation, acting as a guide). In such an embodiment, stabilizer 42 may only contact coil 38 if coil 38 moves in an undesirable direction (i.e., in a direction other than along axis 44) to maintain movement of coil 38 along axis 44. In such an embodiment, at least a portion of stabilizer 42 may be attached to frame 22, pot 26, and/or upper plate 28 of magnet 24. In another embodiment, stabilizer 42 may be in the form of one or more support members disposed along frame 22, pot 26 and/or upper plate 28 and protruding therefrom to contact at least one of internal surface 54, external surface 56, and bottom surface 52 of coil 38 as coil 38 moves along axis 44. In yet another embodiment, stabilizer 42 is not coupled to coil 38 but, instead, is coupled to membrane 40 and, thus, moves with membrane 40 (and coil 38 would float within slots 82, 84 of stabilizer 42). In yet a further embodiment, stabilizer 42 may contact top surface 50 of coil 38 and be at least partially disposed between top surface 50 of coil 38 and membrane 40 with stabilizer 42 being coupled to membrane 40. In such a configuration, U-shaped ends 78, 80 of stabilizer 42 may be inverted such that openings 96, 98 are proximate to bottom surface 52 of coil 38.
In yet another embodiment, stabilizer 42 may consist of several portions coupled to coil 38 at various locations around coil 38, with one or more portions coupled to one another via bridges disposed along internal surface 54 and/or external surface 56 of coil 38. With such a configuration, each portion (disposed at different locations around coil 38) are interconnected with some or all of the other portions and, together, serve as support for coil 38.
Although the instant disclosure discusses ends 78, 80 of stabilizer 42 being generally U-shaped, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that ends 78, 80 do not have to be U-shaped, but instead could extend along one of internal surface 54 and external surface 56 of coil 38. Furthermore, stabilizer 42 may consist of one or more bridges that extend within coil 38 and are coupled at least to internal surface 54 of coil 38.
The foregoing numerous embodiment solve one or more problems known in the art.
Although only certain embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. All directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of embodiments. Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected/coupled and in fixed relation to each other. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materials does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference.
While one or more particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present teachings.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170127186 A1 | May 2017 | US |