Loudspeakers and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12335684-B2
Application number	US-202318319113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2023
Priority date	May 17, 2023
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Electroacoustic drivers that can be utilized in loudspeaker systems that utilize drivers having a magnetic negative spring (MNS). The magnets of the MNS can be arranged for radial stability and/or to provide for linear magnetic forces. A variable reluctance device can be used to vary the resonant frequency of electroacoustic driver in response to a feedback signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loudspeaker comprising:
(a) an enclosure;
(b) a sound panel mechanically connected to the enclosure;
(c) a moveable armature mechanically connected to the sound panel comprising a voice coil, wherein the moveable armature is operable for moving the sound panel toward the enclosure to create a first air pressure force and away from the enclosure to create a second air pressure force; and
(d) a magnetic negative spring that has a first magnetic negative spring portion that is mechanically connected to the moveable armature and a second magnetic negative spring portion that is stationary relative to the enclosure, wherein
(i) the magnetic negative spring is operable to provide a first magnetic negative spring force when the sound panel is moving toward the enclosure and a second magnetic negative spring force when the sound panel is moving away from the enclosure,
(ii) the first magnetic negative spring force is oppositely directed to the first air pressure force,
(iii) the second magnetic negative spring force is oppositely directed to the second air pressure force,
(iv) the first magnetic negative spring portion is comprised of a first armature magnet and a second armature magnet, wherein the first armature magnet and the second armature magnet are oppositely polarized,
(v) the second magnetic negative spring portion is comprised of a closed magnetic circuit that includes a first ring magnet, a second ring magnet and a ferromagnetic element, and
(vi) the ferromagnetic element includes a moveable ferromagnetic plunger that is operable to change the reluctance of the closed magnetic circuit in response to a feedback signal.

2. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a sealed enclosure.

3. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal is derived from a pressure sensor.

4. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal is derived from a voice coil resonant frequency algorithm.

5. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal is derived from a song file.

6. The loudspeaker of claim 5 , wherein an algorithm scans the song file to determine the primary low frequency note and instructs the ferromagnetic plunger to move to a position that causes the voice coil resonant frequency to be near the frequency of the primary low frequency note.

7. The loudspeaker of claim 6 , wherein the moveable ferromagnetic plunger is moved only when music is being played.

8. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the moveable ferromagnetic plunger is moved by an electric motor.

9. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the moveable ferromagnetic plunger comprises a moveable sound panel landing pad.

10. The loudspeaker of claim 9 , wherein the moveable ferromagnetic plunger is near a maximum reluctance position when the sound panel is resting on the sound panel landing pad.

11. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the voice coil and the magnetic negative spring share the same magnetic circuit.

12. The loudspeaker of claim 1 further comprising a position sensor that senses the position of the sound panel.

13. The loudspeaker of claim 12 , wherein the feedback signal is derived from the position sensor.

14. The loudspeaker of claim 12 , wherein the position sensor is an infrared position sensor.

15. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein
(a) the first ring magnet is comprised of an inner first ring magnet and an outer first ring magnet; and
(b) the inner first ring magnet has a smaller radius than the outer first ring magnet.

16. The loudspeaker of claim 15 , wherein
(a) the second ring magnet is comprised of an inner second ring magnet and an outer second ring magnet; and
(b) the second inner ring magnet has a smaller radius than the second outer second ring magnet.

17. The loudspeaker of claim 16 , wherein the inner first ring magnet and the inner second ring magnet are connected to a ferromagnetic element.

18. The loudspeaker of claim 17 , wherein the inner first ring magnet and the inner second ring magnet are comprised of arc segments.

19. The loudspeaker of claim 18 , wherein
(a) the inner first ring magnet and the inner second ring magnet each have an inner radius portion and an outer radius portion;
(b) the inner radius portion has a first axial length;
(c) the outer radius portion has a second axial length; and
(d) the first axial length is greater than the second axial length.

20. The loudspeaker of claim 19 further comprising at least one mechanical locking element that secures the inner first ring magnet and the inner second ring magnet to the ferromagnetic element.

21. The loudspeaker of claim 16 , wherein the outer first ring magnet and the outer second ring magnet are connected to a ferromagnetic element.

22. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein
(a) the first armature permanent magnet comprises a first array of arc-shaped elements; and
(b) the second armature permanent magnet comprises a second array of arc-shaped elements.

23. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein
(a) the first armature permanent magnet is repelled by the first radially polarized ring magnet and attracted to the second radially polarized ring magnet; and
(b) the second armature permanent magnet is attracted to the first radially polarized ring magnet and repelled by the second radially polarized ring magnet.

24. The loudspeaker of claim 1 further comprising an armature centering mechanism.

25. The loudspeaker of claim 24 , wherein the centering mechanism includes a pump and a valve.

26. The loudspeaker of claim 1 further comprising a ring of ferromagnetic material, wherein the first ring magnet and the second ring magnet are mechanically attached to the ring of ferromagnetic material.

27. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic negative spring produces a peak force of over 100 Newtons.

28. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein
(a) the first armature magnet has a first force-displacement curve having a first correlation coefficient;
(b) the second armature magnet has a second force-displacement curve having a second correlation coefficient;
(c) sum of the first force-displacement curve and the second force-displacement curve has a third correlation coefficient;
(d) absolute value of the third correlation coefficient is greater than absolute value of the first correlation coefficient; and
(e) the absolute value of the third correlation coefficient is greater than absolute value of the second correlation coefficient.

29. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein
(a) the first armature magnet creates a first force when the sound panel is moving away from the enclosure;
(b) the second armature magnet creates a second force when the sound panel is moving away from the enclosure; and
(c) absolute value of the first force is greater than absolute value of the second force.

30. The loudspeaker of claim 29 , wherein the absolute value first force is on average greater than twice the absolute value of the second force when the sound panel moves away from the enclosure from its centered position to its maximum outward excursion.

31. The loudspeaker of claim 1 , wherein
(a) the first armature magnet creates a first force when the sound panel is moving toward the enclosure;
(b) the second armature magnet creates a second force when the sou

Assignees

• Clean Energy Labs Llc
• Brane Audio Llc

Inventors

• Pinkerton Joseph F
• Andrews James A
• Badger David A

Classifications

• H04R11/02

  Loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/2811

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R29/001

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

• H04R3/002

  Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits · CPC title

• H04R2209/026

  Transducers having separately controllable opposing diaphragms, e.g. for ring-tone and voice (H04R2400/03 takes precedence) · CPC title