Liquid expulsion from an orifice

• US 10,063,977 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zadesky, Stephen P., Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Fletcher, Ashley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US15/268,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/00 Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/12 Sanitary or hygienic devices for mouthpieces or earpieces, e.g. for protecting against infection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/003 of the moving-coil type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/02 Details

Abstract

A device having one or more an acoustic modules. The acoustic module includes an acoustic element and a cavity that is acoustically coupled to the acoustic element. The module also includes a first conductive element that is configured to generate a first surface charge on a first region of an interior surface of the cavity. A second conductive element is configured to generate a second surface charge on a second region of the interior surface of the cavity. The first and second charge on the first and second regions of the interior surfaces of the cavity may be selectively applied to facilitate movement of a liquid held within the cavity.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display in the housing;

an acoustic module in the housing, wherein the acoustic module includes an acoustic element, a voice coil, and a cavity that is acoustically coupled to the acoustic element, and wherein the acoustic element is configured to generate an acoustic pulse that facilitates movement of liquid within the cavity; and

a screen covering the cavity, wherein the screen is configured to prevent liquid ingress into the cavity and wherein the screen is configured to facilitate the expulsion of liquid out of the cavity.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a wearable device.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the acoustic element is configured to generate an additional acoustic pulse that facilitates movement of liquid within the cavity.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3, wherein the cavity has an opening and wherein the acoustic pulse and the additional acoustic pulse expel at least a portion of the liquid from the cavity through the opening.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the acoustic element is a speaker element.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the acoustic pulse is at a frequency that is less than 20 Hz or greater than 20,000 Hz.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the cavity has an opening and wherein the acoustic pulse expels at least a portion of the liquid from the cavity through the opening.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display in the housing;

an acoustic module in the housing, wherein the acoustic module comprises a speaker, a cavity that is acoustically coupled to the speaker, and an opening in the cavity, and wherein the speaker is configured to generate at least one pulse of acoustic energy that moves liquid in the cavity towards the opening; and

a screen in the opening, wherein the screen is configured to resist passage of liquids into the cavity and to aid passage of liquids out of the cavity.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the at least one pulse of acoustic energy that moves liquid in the cavity towards the opening comprises a plurality of pulses of acoustic energy that move liquid in the cavity towards the opening.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9, wherein the plurality of pulses of acoustic energy include a pulse of acoustic energy at a frequency that is less than 20 Hz or greater than 20,000 Hz.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the speaker comprises a diaphragm.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11, wherein the speaker comprises a voice coil.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the electronic device is a wearable device.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing has an opening; and

a speaker element in the housing, wherein the speaker element is configured to generate at least one pulse of acoustic energy that moves liquid in the electronic device towards the opening in the housing;

a screen in the opening, wherein the screen is configured to resist passage of liquid into the opening and wherein the screen is configured to aid passage of liquid out of the opening.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the electronic device is a wearable device.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the at least one pulse of acoustic energy comprises a plurality of pulses of acoustic energy and wherein the plurality of pulses of acoustic energy include a pulse of acoustic energy at a frequency that is less than 20 Hz or greater than 20,000 Hz.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 14, wherein the speaker element is formed in an acoustic module and wherein the acoustic module includes a cavity.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, further comprising:

a processing unit; and

an acoustic sensor, wherein the speaker element is configured to generate a tone, wherein the acoustic sensor is configured to measure an acoustic response to the tone, and wherein the processing unit is configured to determine an amount of liquid in the cavity based on the measured acoustic response.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 14, further comprising:

a processing unit; and

a sensor, wherein the processing unit is configured to use the sensor to detect a presence of the liquid in the opening.