Waterproof sound-permeable membrane and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9877094-B2
Application number	US-201415027965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

Provides is a waterproof sound-permeable membrane ( 10 ) adapted to permit passage of sound and prevent entry of water. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane ( 10 ) includes a sound-permeation region ( 11 ) having a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane ( 20 ). The polytetrafluoroethylene membrane ( 20 ) has an average pore diameter of 0.02 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less as measured according to ASTM F316-86 and has a porosity of 5% or more and 25% or less. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane ( 10 ) is suitable for application to an electronic device containing an acoustic device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A waterproof sound-permeable membrane adapted to permit passage of sound and prevent entry of water,
the waterproof sound-permeable membrane comprising a sound-permeation region comprising a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, wherein
the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane has an average pore diameter of 0.02 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less as measured according to ASTM F316-86 and has a porosity of 5% or more and 25% or less, and
the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane is a membrane having pores formed therein, the pores being separate from each other by a non-porous base material of the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane.

2. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane has a thickness of 5 μm or more and 15 μm or less.

3. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane according to claim 1 , further comprising an edge region surrounding the sound-permeation region, the waterproof sound-permeable membrane further comprising an adhesive layer secured to the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane in the edge region.

4. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane according to claim 1 , further comprising an edge region surrounding the sound-permeation region, the waterproof sound-permeable membrane further comprising a reinforcing member secured to the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane in the edge region.

5. The waterproof sound-permeable membrane according to claim 1 , further comprising an edge region surrounding the sound-permeation region, the waterproof sound-permeable membrane further comprising, in the edge region, a reinforcing member secured to one side of the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane and an adhesive layer secured to the other side of the polytetrafluoroethylene membrane remote from the reinforcing member.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a sound emitting part or a sound receiving part;
a housing containing the sound emitting part or the sound receiving part and provided with an opening for directing sound to the sound emitting part or the sound receiving part; and
the waterproof sound-permeable membrane according to claim 1 , the waterproof sound-permeable membrane being joined to the housing so as to cover the opening.

Assignees

• Nitto Denko Corp

Inventors

• Mori Masaaki
• Tachibana Toshimitsu

Classifications

• H04R1/023 Primary

  Screens for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• B29K2105/04

  cellular or porous · CPC title

• B29D99/005

  Producing membranes · CPC title

• B29C41/14

  Dipping a core {(B29C41/10 takes precedence)} · CPC title