Speaker apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11889251-B2
Application number	US-202117402763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2021
Priority date	Jan 7, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus is described, the apparatus including a case, a display assembly, a chassis connected to the display assembly, a suspension component between the display assembly and the case, wherein the suspension component is configured to allow the display assembly to move relative to the case, at least one vibrating element configured to actuate the chassis to move the display assembly relative to the case to generate at least one of acoustic waves or haptic/tactile effect, and an internal cavity below the display, wherein electronic components of the apparatus are located at the internal cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a case;
a display assembly;
a flexible element positioned between the display assembly and the case and configured allow the display assembly to move relative to the case;
at least one vibrating element configured to move the display assembly relative to the case to generate at least one of acoustic waves or at least one of a haptic effect or a tactile effect; and
an internal cavity below the display, wherein electronic components of the apparatus are located at the internal cavity;
wherein driving the at least one vibrating element allows the flexible element to control the movement of the display assembly;
wherein an interaction of the case, the display assembly, the flexible element, and the at least one vibrating element at least partially form a speaker; and
wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a transceiver or a receiver.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible element comprises at least one of:
a flexible gasket;
a floating gasket;
a flexible membrane;
a resilient folded surface;
a bellows; or
a pleated material suspension.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a display frame within which the display assembly is located, wherein the display frame couples the display assembly to the flexible element.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the internal cavity comprises a controlled acoustic cavity.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one hole which is coupled to the internal cavity for permitting equalization of internal and external pressure of the speaker.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one vibrating element comprises at least one piezo actuator.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible element is at least one of: coupled at one end to the case and at another end to the display assembly, wherein the flexible element is configured to suspend the display assembly relative to the case by a bending force of the flexible element; and a resilient folded surface configured to suspend the display assembly relative to the case by the bending force of the resilient folded surface.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible element is a flexible gasket comprising at least one of:
a first support part configured to lock the flexible gasket position within the apparatus so as to provide a fixed suspension in the direction of movement of the display assembly; or
a second support part configured to form a part of a display support.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a display support of the apparatus is configured to allow motion of the display assembly in at least one direction and configured to mechanically limit the motion of the display assembly in the at least one direction.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising
a cellular engine.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display assembly comprises at least one of:
a display component; or
a display window.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one vibrating element is configured to actuate the display assembly by at least one of:
a direct coupling between the vibrating element and the display assembly; or
an indirect coupling between the vibrating element and the display assembly.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible element is configured to at least one of:
provide a functionality of suspension similar to a surround of a conventional loudspeaker;
substantially surround the periphery of the display assembly; or
provide a tuned performance for at least one of: an acoustic output or a haptic feedback response.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the tuned performance is based on at least one of:
a shape of the flexible element;
a material of the flexible element; or
dimensions of the flexible element.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second support is configured to form a display frame within which the display assembly is located.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the case comprises at least one of a unibody case or a multiple part case.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a chassis connected to the display assembly and being configured to be actuated by the at least one vibrating element to move the display assembly.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the apparatus further comprises an airgap provided between the display assembly and the chassis, wherein at least one vibrating element is configured to move the display assembly relative to the case to generate a haptic feedback.

19. An apparatus, comprising:
a case;
a display assembly;
a gasket positioned between the display assembly and the case and configured to control the movement of the display assembly;
at least one vibrating element configured to actuate the display assembly to generate at least one of acoustic waves or at least one of a haptic effect or a tactile effect; and
an internal cavity below the display assembly, wherein electronic components of the apparatus are located at the internal cavity;
wherein driving the at least one vibrating element allows the gasket to control the movement of the display assembly;
wherein an interaction of the case, the display assembly, the gasket, and the at least one vibrating element at least partially form a speaker; and
wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a transceiver or a receiver.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the gasket comprises a first gasket portion formed of a first material and a second gasket portion positioned on an outer surface of the first gasket portion and formed of a second material that is softer than the first material.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Behles Thorsten
• Kemppinen Pasi
• Jyrkinen Mikko

Classifications

• H04R1/028 Primary

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• G02F1/1333 Primary

  Constructional arrangements; {Manufacturing methods}(G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

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

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title