Miniature speaker and speaker cabinet and hearing aid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301067-B2
Application number	US-201314043598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2013
Priority date	Oct 12, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A miniature speaker and speaker cabinet are provided, wherein the speaker is enclosed in an oblong capsule with a sound output opening at one end and leads passing from a speaker coil inside the capsule to connection points externally on the capsule, and where the cabinet encloses the capsule and at one end thereof comprise a lead input opening with leads passing there through to the connection points on the capsule, and where the cabinet further comprise a sound exit opening opposite the lead input opening, which is in fluid communication with the sound output opening of the capsule, wherein the cabinet has an internal space surpassing external measures of the capsule in all directions defining a gap between the capsule and cabinet wherein the thus defined gap is filled out with a hardening silicone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A miniature speaker and speaker cabinet assembly, comprising:
a speaker enclosed in a capsule of oblong shape with a sound output opening at one end of the capsule and leads passing from a speaker coil inside the capsule to connection points externally on the capsule;
a cabinet enclosing the capsule, the cabinet including
at one end thereof a lead input opening with leads passing through the lead opening to the connection points on the capsule, and
a sound exit opening opposite the lead input opening, which is in fluid communication with the sound output opening of the capsule, wherein

the cabinet has an internal space surpassing external measures of the capsule in all directions defining a gap between an exterior surface of the capsule and an inner surface of the cabinet,
the exterior surface of the capsule includes soft pads fastened to the capsule,
the soft pads center the capsule within the cabinet at least in a plane defined by a normal parallel to a center axis along the length of the capsule when the capsule is positioned inside the internal space of the cabinet,
the sound output opening of the capsule is surrounded by a gasket forming a seal between the inner surface of the cabinet and the sound opening, and
the gap between the exterior surface of the capsule and the inner surface of the cabinet is filled with a hardening silicone.

2. A hearing aid, comprising:
a casing part including
an audio signal input device,
a battery,
a signal processor, and
output contact points for serving an enhanced audio output signal,
leads with a contact attachable to the output contact points at one end and at the other end thereof a miniature speaker and a speaker cabinet, wherein

the speaker is enclosed in a capsule of oblong shape with a sound output opening at one end of the capsule and leads passing from a speaker coil inside the capsule to connection points externally on the capsule,
the cabinet encloses the capsule, the cabinet including
at one end thereof a lead input opening with leads passing through the lead opening to the connection points on the capsule, and
a sound exit opening opposite the lead input opening, which is in fluid communication with the sound output opening of the capsule, wherein

the cabinet has an internal space surpassing external measures of the capsule in all directions, defining a gap between an inner surface of the cabinet and an exterior surface of the capsule,
the exterior surface of the capsule includes soft pads fastened to the capsule,
the soft pads center the capsule within the cabinet at least in a plane defined by a normal parallel to a center axis along the length of the capsule when the capsule is positioned inside the internal space of the cabinet,
the sound output opening of the capsule is surrounded by a gasket forming a seal between the inner surface of the cabinet and the sound opening, and
the gap between the exterior surface of the capsule and the inner surface of the cabinet is filled with a hardening silicone.

3. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cabinet enclosing the speaker capsule comprises a snout defining the sound exit opening at a first end thereof with a flange surrounding the sound exit opening, and where the lead input opening at an opposed end thereof comprise an internal recess.

4. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the cabinet is an assembly of a front part comprising the snout and sound exit opening and a rear part comprising the lead input opening, whereby the front part and rear part are glued to each other to form the casing.

5. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a further opening is provided in the rear part wherethrough the hardening silicone may be dispensed to fill out the gap between the speaker capsule and the inner walls of the cabinet.

6. Hearing aid as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the soft pads include soft flexible foam enabling an equal distance to any internal wall of the cabinet.

7. A method for producing a hearing aid speaker unit, comprising:
providing a speaker capsule of oblong shape holding a speaker coil, the capsule including a sound output opening at one end of the capsule and leads passing from the speaker coil inside the capsule to connection points externally on the capsule;
enclosing the capsule in a cabinet, the enclosing including
inserting the capsule into a first cabinet part;
placing a second cabinet part onto a portion of the capsule protruding from the first cabinet part;
assembling the first and second cabinet parts to form an enclosure with the speaker capsule inside it, wherein the speaker capsule at least in a plane having a normal along the oblong axis of the capsule is seated in the cabinet with opposed gaps of equal size; and

following said assembling, injecting a fluid silicone dampening medium through a hole in the cabinet to fill out the gap between the capsule and the cabinet.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein
the speaker capsule has a square or rectangular shape in said plane, and
flexible distance cushions are attached to four sides of the rectangular capsule prior to said inserting.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
attaching one square cushion on each side to the speaker capsule.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
applying flexible bumps to surface parts of each of the four sides of the rectangular capsule.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
attaching a flexible mesh to at least all four sides of the speaker capsule.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
attaching o-rings either externally to the speaker capsule or internally to the two parts of the cabinet.

13. The miniature speaker and speaker cabinet assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
elongate ribs formed on the inner surface of the cabinet and extending parallel to the center axis.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 2 , wherein
the audio signal input device is one of a microphone and an antenna.

15. The hearing aid according to claim 2 , wherein
the cabinet includes elongate ribs formed on the inner surface of the cabinet and extending parallel to the center axis.

16. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
centering the capsule within the first cabinet part at least in a plane defined by a normal parallel to a center axis along the length of the capsule during said inserting.

Assignees

• Oticon
• Oticon As

Inventors

• Møller Kenneth Rueskov
• Christensen Lars Steen

Classifications

• H04R25/658 Primary

  Manufacture of housing parts · CPC title

• H04R1/2803

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/2876

  by means of damping material, e.g. as cladding (damping material for tuning desired resonances H04R1/2807, e.g. in vents H04R1/2823, H04R1/2846) · CPC title

• H04R1/025

  Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture · CPC title

• H04R1/28

  Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means {(combinations of transducers with horns, i.e. front-loaded horns H04R1/30)} · CPC title