Acoustic assembly for an electronic device

• US 10,015,573 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mittleman, Adam, Howarth, Richard P., Seguin, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MINH LOAN
• Application Number:
  US15/343,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/28 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 Class Codes: H04R 1/2807 Enclosures comprising vibrating or resonating arrangements for the reduction of undesired resonances or vibrations H04R1/2869
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

A portable electronic device may have acoustic ports such as microphone and speaker ports. Acoustic devices such as microphones and speakers may be associated with the acoustic ports. An acoustic port may have an opening between an interior and exterior of the portable electronic device. The opening may be covered by a metal mesh. An acoustic fabric may be interposed between the metal mesh and the opening. The opening may be formed from a hole in a glass member having outer and inner chamfers. A microphone boot may be provided that forms front and rear radial seals with a housing of the device and a microphone unit respectively. The microphone boot may also form multiple face seals with the microphone unit. A speaker for the speaker port may be enclosed in a sealed speaker enclosure. The speaker enclosure may have a pressure-equalizing vent slit covered with an acoustic mesh.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

a cover glass over the display, wherein the cover glass has an opening with outer and inner chamfers; and

an acoustic component mounted adjacent to the opening.

2. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a metal mesh between the opening and the acoustic component.

3. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a layer of nonmetallic fabric located between the acoustic component and the metal mesh.

4. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 2, further comprising adhesive that connects the acoustic component to the cover glass and that forms a space between the metal mesh and the cover glass.

5. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein the cover glass comprises a layer of ink to which the adhesive is attached.

6. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the acoustic component comprises a speaker.

7. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a microphone port having a metal mesh and a layer of speaker fabric.

8. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a speakerphone port having;

a metal mesh; and

a layer of speaker fabric.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer and inner chamfers of the opening help guide air into and out of the portable electronic device.

10. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing defining a front opening;

a cover glass disposed within the front opening, the cover glass having sidewalls that define a port extending therethrough, the sidewalls being shaped so that a central region of the port is narrower than opposing end regions of the port;

an acoustic component mounted to an interior facing surface of the cover glass proximate the port; and

a display mounted to the interior facing surface of the cover glass.

11. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the acoustic component comprises a speaker.

12. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein the speaker comprises a fully sealed speaker box.

13. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the opposing end regions of the port have a chamfered geometry that change a width of the port.

14. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the acoustic component comprises a microphone.

15. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10, further comprising a metal mesh and a layer of speaker fabric disposed between the acoustic component and the cover glass.

16. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 15, wherein the metal mesh and the layer of speaker fabric are adhesively coupled to the cover glass.

17. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 15, wherein openings in the metal mesh are substantially larger than openings in the layer of speaker fabric.

18. A display assembly, comprising:

a cover glass having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the cover glass having sidewalls that define a port extending therethrough, the sidewalls being shaped so that a central region of the port is narrower than opposing end regions of the port;

an electronic display affixed to the first side of the cover glass; and

an acoustic component mounted to the first side of the cover glass.

19. The display assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the acoustic component is configured to detect audio waves passing through the port.

20. The display assembly as recited in claim 18, wherein the acoustic component is configured to generate audio waves and transmit the audio waves through the port.