Speaker with flex circuit acoustic radiator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10194248-B2
Application number	US-201615048784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A speaker assembly including a frame and a magnet assembly positioned within the frame. The magnet assembly may include a magnet and a top plate. The assembly further including a sound radiating surface suspended over the magnet assembly. The sound radiating surface includes a flexible circuit. A suspension suspending the sound radiating surface over the magnet assembly is further provided. The suspension may be over molded to the sound radiating surface and the frame. A voice coil extends from a bottom side of the sound radiating surface and electrically connects to the flexible circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A speaker assembly comprising:
a frame;
a magnet assembly positioned within the frame;
a sound radiating surface suspended over the magnet assembly, the sound radiating surface comprising a flexible circuit that is electrically connected to an external wire that is external to the flexible circuit;
a suspension suspending the sound radiating surface over the magnet assembly; and
a voice coil extending from a bottom side of the sound radiating surface and having a voice coil lead wire that is electrically connected to the external wire by the flexible circuit, and wherein the voice coil lead wire and the external wire comprise a different material.

2. The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the sound radiating surface is formed from the flexible circuit, and the flexible circuit is thermoformed to have an out-of-plane region dimensioned to geometrically stiffen the sound radiating surface.

3. The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the voice coil lead wire comprises a lower tensile-strength material having less mass than the external wire.

4. The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the flexible circuit comprises a metal layer and at least two polymer layers, and wherein at least one of the at least two polymer layers comprise a polyester.

5. The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the magnet assembly further comprises a top plate having an open center and a cut-out region formed within at least one corner of the top plate.

6. The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the suspension comprises silicone.

7. The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the suspension is over molded to the sound radiating surface and the frame to form a seal between the sound radiating surface and the frame, and wherein the seal prevents water ingress past the sound radiating surface.

8. The speaker assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a capacitive displacement sensor, the capacitive displacement sensor comprising a first electrode coupled to a portion of the frame positioned over the sound radiating surface and a second electrode formed within the flexible circuit of the sound radiating surface.

9. A speaker assembly comprising:
a frame having a top frame member and a bottom frame member;
a magnet assembly coupled to the bottom frame member, the magnet assembly having a magnet and a top plate, the top plate having an open center region;
a sound radiating surface positioned over the magnet assembly, the sound radiating surface is formed by a flexible circuit having an out-of-plane region integrally formed therein, and wherein the out-of-plane region extends out of a plane of the sound radiating surface in a direction of the magnet assembly and is aligned with the open center region of the top plate;
a suspension suspending the sound radiating surface from the bottom frame member and over the magnet assembly;
a voice coil extending from a bottom face of the sound radiating surface and electrically connected to the flexible circuit; and
a capacitive displacement sensor comprising a first electrode coupled to the top frame member and positioned over the sound radiating surface, and a second electrode coupled to the sound radiating surface.

10. The speaker assembly of claim 9 wherein the out-of-plane region comprises a dome shape.

11. The speaker assembly of claim 9 wherein the suspension is over molded to the bottom frame member and the sound radiating surface.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 9 wherein the suspension fluidly seals the sound radiating surface to the bottom frame member.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 9 wherein the voice coil comprises a first wire electrically connecting the voice coil to the flexible circuit and the flexible circuit electrically connects the first wire to a second wire electrically connected to the flexible circuit, wherein the first wire comprises a lower tensile-strength material than the second wire.

14. A speaker assembly comprising:
a frame;
a magnet assembly positioned within the frame;
a sound radiating surface suspended over the magnet assembly, the sound radiating surface is formed by a flexible circuit comprising a flexible material layer and a conductive trace formed on the flexible material layer;
a suspension suspending the sound radiating surface over the magnet assembly, the suspension is over molded to the sound radiating surface or the frame and seals the sound radiating surface to the frame; and
a voice coil extending from a bottom side of the sound radiating surface and electrically connected to the flexible circuit.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 14 wherein the suspension is impervious to air such that it prevents the passage of air between the sound radiating surface and the frame.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 14 wherein the suspension is impervious to water such that it prevents the passage of water between the sound radiating surface and the frame.

17. The speaker assembly of claim 14 wherein the suspension is over molded to an outer edge of the sound radiating surface.

18. The speaker assembly of claim 14 wherein the flexible circuit is thermoformed to have an out-of-plane region that bows out in a direction of the magnet assembly.

19. The speaker assembly of claim 14 wherein the voice coil is electrically connected to an external wire coupled to a fixed speaker component by the flexible circuit.

20. The speaker assembly of claim 14 further comprising:
a capacitive displacement sensor, the capacitive displacement sensor comprising a first electrode coupled to a fixed portion of the frame positioned over the sound radiating surface and a second electrode formed within the flexible circuit of the sound radiating surface.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Grazian Anthony P
• Wilk Christopher
• Tao Hongdan
• Porter Scott P
• Asfaw Michael

Classifications

• H04R29/001

  for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R7/18

  at the periphery · CPC title

• H04R31/003

  for diaphragms or their outer suspension · CPC title

• H04R9/06 Primary

  Loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R7/125

  comprising a plurality of superposed layers in contact · CPC title