Transducer assembly

• US 10,560,793 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Little, Richard Warren, Liu, Daniel, Pierce, Derrick, Latham-Brown, Ernie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US15/949,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 381404
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/06 Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 Loudspeakers

Abstract

A diaphragm for a loudspeaker may include a conductive coupler, a voice coil having a voice coil lead, where the voice coil lead is positioned in conductive contact with the conductive coupler, and a terminal lead, where the terminal lead is positioned in conductive contact with the conductive coupler, and where the voice coil lead and the terminal lead are attached to the conductive coupler.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker comprising:

a voice coil;

a voice coil lead extending from the voice coil;

a diaphragm coupled to the voice coil, wherein the diaphragm comprises an inner portion coupled to the voice coil, an outer edge, an intermediate portion between the inner portion and the outer edge, and a lower surface;

a suspension element comprising an inner diameter, wherein the inner diameter of the suspension element is attached circumferentially to the intermediate portion of the diaphragm at a lowest point on the lower surface of the diaphragm;

a conductive coupler attached to the suspension element at the inner diameter of the suspension element; and

a terminal lead, wherein the terminal lead and the voice coil lead are conductively attached to the conductive coupler.

2. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the conductive coupler comprises a mechanical clip, and wherein the voice coil lead and the terminal lead are conductively attached to the conductive coupler via engagement of the mechanical clip against the voice coil lead and the terminal lead.

3. The loudspeaker of claim 2 wherein the mechanical clip is bendable to engage the voice coil lead and the terminal lead.

4. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the conductive coupler comprises a solder pad, and wherein the voice coil lead and the terminal lead are attached to the solder pad via a solder joint.

5. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the inner portion, the outer edge, and the intermediate portion of the diaphragm are non-coplanar.

6. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the voice coil comprises a top end, wherein the inner portion of the diaphragm is coupled to the top end of the voice coil, and wherein the intermediate portion of the diaphragm extends below the top end of the voice coil.

7. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the terminal lead is further attached to a lower surface of the suspension element at a connection point, wherein a length of the terminal lead extending between the connection point and the conductive coupler is greater than a distance between the connection point and the conductive coupler.

8. The loudspeaker of claim 7, wherein the connection point is a first connection point, and wherein the terminal lead is further attached to the lower surface of the suspension element at a second connection point.

9. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the suspension element comprises a gap at an outer diameter of the suspension element, wherein the conductive coupler is attached to the suspension element in radial alignment with the gap, and wherein the terminal lead is positioned in the gap.

10. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the conductive coupler is attached to the suspension element via an adhesive.

11. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the loudspeaker comprises two conductive couplers, each conductive coupler attached to the suspension element at a point on the inner diameter of the suspension element.

12. The loudspeaker of claim 10, wherein the two conductive couplers are positioned on opposite sides of the voice coil from each other.

13. The loudspeaker of claim 1, wherein the suspension element is a second suspension element, the loudspeaker further comprising:

a frame; and

a first suspension element attached between the outer edge of the diaphragm and the frame.

14. The loudspeaker of claim 1, further comprising:

a magnetic structure, wherein the voice coil is at least partially suspended within a gap of the magnetic structure.