Speaker with multiple resonators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11490190-B1
Application number	US-202117315228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 7, 2021
Priority date	May 7, 2021
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having speakers with resonators, such as Helmholtz resonators, acoustically coupled to the front volume of the speaker. A speaker module for an electronic device may include multiple resonators, including a first resonator that is acoustically separate from, and at least partially disposed within a second resonator. An acoustic barrier between the first resonator and the second resonator may have a liquid resistance that is different from a liquid resistance that is provided between the first resonator and a back volume of the speaker module and/or between an external environment of the speaker. In one or more implementations, a third resonator may be provided, that is spatially separated from first and second nested and/or adjacent resonators.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A speaker, comprising:
a front volume bounded in part by a top wall of a housing for the speaker, and in part by an interior wall that at least partially separates the front volume from a back volume within the housing;
a first port in the interior wall;
a second port in the interior wall;
a first resonator chamber that is acoustically coupled to the front volume via the first port and that is at least partially bounded by a structure that separates the first resonator chamber from the back volume;
a second resonator chamber that is acoustically coupled to the front volume via the second port and disposed within the first resonator chamber;
a first channel extending between the first port and the first resonator chamber; and
a second channel, acoustically separate from the first channel, extending between the second port and the second resonator chamber; and
a cover structure that acoustically separates i) the first resonant chamber from the second resonant chamber and ii) the first channel from the second channel, the cover structure comprising a first side that defines a portion of the first channel and a second side that defines a portion of the second channel.

2. The speaker of claim 1 , wherein the second channel extends parallel to the first channel and through a portion of the first resonator chamber.

3. The speaker of claim 1 , wherein the cover structure is attached to a first ledge within a recess in a frame of the speaker.

4. The speaker of claim 3 , wherein the structure that separates the first resonator chamber from the back volume acoustically and fluidly separates the first resonant chamber from the back volume.

5. The speaker of claim 4 , wherein:
the cover structure defines a first cover structure,
the structure that separates the first resonator chamber from the back volume comprises a second cover structure for the first resonant chamber, and
the second cover structure is attached by a liquid-resistant seal to a second ledge within the recess in the frame.

6. The speaker of claim 5 , wherein the second ledge has a width that is wider than a width of the first ledge.

7. The speaker of claim 1 , wherein the cover structure further comprises an extension structure, wherein the first side of the cover structure defines the portion of the first channel on the first side of the first channel, and wherein the extension structure defines the second side of the portion of the first channel.

8. The speaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first acoustic mesh over the first port; and
a second acoustic mesh, spatially and acoustically separated from the first acoustic mesh, over the second port.

9. The speaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third port in the interior wall; and
a third resonant chamber coupled to the front volume by the third port.

10. The speaker of claim 9 , wherein the first and second ports are spaced apart by a first distance that is substantially less than a width of the first port, and wherein the third port and the second port are spaced apart by a second distance that is substantially larger than the width of the first port.

11. The speaker of claim 10 , wherein the first resonant chamber and the second resonant chamber are formed within a common recess in a frame of the speaker, and the third resonant chamber is formed within a separate recess in the frame of the speaker.

12. The speaker of claim 9 , wherein the third resonant chamber is acoustically separate from and disposed within the first resonant chamber.

13. A speaker, comprising:
a frame;
a housing;
a front volume bounded in part by a top wall of the housing, and in part by a portion of the frame that at least partially separates the front volume from a back volume within the housing;
a first resonator chamber that is formed in part by a recess in the frame, that is acoustically coupled to the front volume, and that is fluidly separate from the back volume;
a second resonator chamber that is acoustically coupled to the front volume, and that is acoustically separate from and disposed within the recess; and
a first cover for the first resonator chamber, the first cover attached to the frame within the recess using a liquid resistant seal.

14. The speaker of claim 13 , further comprising a second cover for the second resonator chamber, the second cover disposed within the recess in the frame and having a first side that defines a first channel between the front volume and the first resonator chamber, and a second side that defines a second channel between the front volume and the second resonator chamber.

15. The speaker of claim 14 , wherein the second cover is attached to the frame within the recess using an acoustic seal having a liquid resistance that is less than a liquid resistance of the liquid resistant seal for the first cover.

16. An electronic device, comprising:
control circuitry; and
a speaker communicatively coupled to the control circuitry, the speaker comprising:
a front volume bounded in part by a top wall of a housing for the speaker, and in part by an interior wall that at least partially separates the front volume from a back volume within the housing;
a first port in the interior wall;
a second port in the interior wall;
a first resonator chamber that is acoustically coupled to the front volume via the first port and that is at least partially bounded by a structure that separates the first resonator chamber from the back volume;
a second resonator chamber that is acoustically coupled to the front volume via the second port, and that is acoustically separate from and disposed within the first resonator chamber;
a first acoustic mesh over the first port; and
a second acoustic mesh, spatially and acoustically separated from the first acoustic mesh, over the second port.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising a device housing having an opening, wherein the speaker further comprises an output port from the front volume, and wherein the output port of the speaker is aligned with the opening in the device housing.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a first channel extending between the first port and the first resonator chamber; and
a second channel, acoustically separate from the first channel, extending between the second port and the second resonator chamber.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , further comprising a cover structure that acoustically separates i) the first resonant chamber from the second resonant chamber and ii) the first channel from the second channel, the cover structure comprising a first side that defines a portion of the first channel and a second side that defines a portion of the second channel.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the cover structure is attached to a first ledge within a recess in a frame of the speaker.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Leonhardt Oliver
• Grazian Anthony P
• Notarangelo Claudio

Classifications

• G06F1/1688

  the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• H04R9/06

  Loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/2873 Primary

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/2811 Primary

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title