Vibrating device comprising embedded mechanical reflectors for defining an active plate mode propagation area and mobile apparatus comprising the device

• US 10,503,259 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), Institut Polytechnique De Grenoble, Stmicroelectronics Crolles 2 SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Chappaz, Cedrick, Casset, Fabrice, Basrour, Skandar, Gorisse, Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawley, Keith L
• Application Number:
  US15/532,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20180267607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0644 using a single piezoelectric element B06B1/0688 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0648 of rectangular shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/20 Reflecting arrangements G10K11/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/36 Devices for manipulating acoustic surface waves electro-acoustic amplifiers H03F13/00; networks comprising electro-acoustic elements H03H9/00

Abstract

A vibrating device comprises: a first support configured to be deformed having a surface defined in a plane in directions X and Y; at least one actuator configured to generate plate modes propagated in the first support; the first support comprising: at least one defect with respect to the propagation of the plate modes; the defect being of geometrical nature or corresponding to a structural heterogeneity; comprising: a second support; at least one embedded mechanical reflector secured to the first support and in contact with the first support, configured to immobilize the first support in at least one direction Z at right angles to the directions X and Y, the mechanical reflector being secured to the second support and; the embedded mechanical reflector being configured to isolate a so-called active zone belonging to the surface defined in a plane in directions X and Y in which the plate modes are propagated, the active zone excluding the defect; the actuator being situated in the active region.

Claims

1. A vibrating device comprising:

a first support configured to be deformed having a surface defined in a plane in directions X and Y, said first support comprising at least one defect with respect to the propagation of the plate modes, said defect being of geometrical nature or corresponding to a structural heterogeneity;

at least one actuator configured to generate plate modes being propagated in said first support;

a second support;

at least one embedded mechanical reflector in contact with said first support, the at least one embedded mechanical reflector is secured to said first support such that the first support is immobilized in at least one direction Z at right angles to said directions X and Y, said mechanical reflector being secured to said second support, wherein

said embedded mechanical reflector being configured to isolate an active zone belonging to said surface defined in a plane in directions X and Y in which the plate modes are propagated, said active zone excluding said defect,

said actuator being situated in said active zone,

said embedded mechanical reflector is in contact on at least a first surface with the first support and on at least a second surface with the second support, the first and second surfaces of the embedded mechanical reflector are elongated, and

the first support including a bottom surface defined in a plane in directions X and Y and the second support including a top surface defined in a plane in directions X and Y that faces the bottom surface of the first support, the embedded mechanical reflector being secured to each of the bottom surface of the first support and the top surface of the second support.

2. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first support comprises defects, the device comprising a set of embedded mechanical reflectors configured to define said active zone, excluding said defects.

3. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first support comprises defects, the device comprising a set of embedded mechanical reflectors configured to define several active zones, excluding said defects.

4. The vibrating device as claimed in one of claim 1, wherein said first support comprises, at the periphery, roundings, said device comprising at least one pair of embedded mechanical reflectors configured to define said active zone, excluding said roundings.

5. The vibrating device as claimed in one of claim 1, comprising a set of actuators.

6. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuators are distributed linearly in the directions X and/or Y.

7. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one or more actuators positioned on the surface of said first support, opposite that facing said second support.

8. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one or more actuators positioned on the surface of said first support, facing said second support.

9. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the embedded mechanical reflector comprises elementary discrete elements separated from one another by a distance such that it makes it possible to isolate said defect from said active zone.

10. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first support is a plate.

11. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second support is a casing in which the first support is positioned.

12. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first support comprises at least one embedment region;

the second support comprises at least one protuberance capable of cooperating with said embedment region to immobilize it in the direction Z and render the protuberance secured to the first support, the protuberance and the embedment region defining said embedded mechanical reflector.

13. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one glue element, locally gluing the first support to the second support and defining said embedded mechanical reflector.

14. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a haptic face plate with at least one defect.

15. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the haptic face plate has a rectangular geometry with rounded corners.

16. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the haptic face plate has a diagonal of between 10 cm and 12 cm and embedded mechanical reflectors having a width of between 2 mm and 10 mm.

17. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 15, comprising two columns of mechanical reflectors, of which one is positioned at an end of the face plate, at a rounding limit.

18. The vibrating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the haptic face plate has at least one transparent part.

19. A mobile unit comprising a device as claimed in claim 1.

20. The mobile unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein it is a cell phone.