Surround for speaker system and manufacturing method thereof

• US 20030188919A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Sato, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2231/003 Manufacturing aspects of the outer suspension of loudspeaker or microphone diaphragms or of their connecting aspects to said diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2307/204 Material aspects of the outer suspension of loudspeaker diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/20 Securing diaphragm or cone resiliently to support by flexible material, springs, cords, or strands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A speaker'"'"'s surround to be attached to an edge of a diaphragm in a speaker system is provided, which is capable of keeping its predetermined shape while repeating elastic deformation for accommodating large amplitude vibration of the diaphragm. Further, the surround is highly durable to withstand the repeated large amplitude vibration, and which can achieve high sound pressure levels. The surround for a speaker system includes a surround piece made of a rubber mold and a base member embedded in the surround piece. The base member is obtained by soaking a cloth material made of cotton or aramid fiber with a thermosetting resin such as phenol resin, and press-formed with heat into a predetermined shape. The surround thus has enhanced its shape maintaining capability.

Claims

1. A surround to be attached to an edge of a diaphragm in a speaker system, comprising a surround piece and a base member formed in a predetermined surround shape and embedded in the surround piece.

2. The surround according to claim 1, wherein said base member is made of a cloth material soaked with a thermosetting resin and formed into the predetermined surround shape by a heat and pressure treatment.

3. The surround according to claim 2, wherein said cloth material has a regular hexagonal weaving pattern.

4. The surround according to claim 1, wherein said surround piece is formed by molding a rubber material containing as its main component at least one member selected from the group consisting of isobutylene isoprene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polynorbornene rubber, silicone rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, and natural rubber.

5. A method of forming a surround to be attached to an edge of a diaphragm in a speaker system, comprising the steps of:

setting a base member to be embedded in the surround in a mold-set for molding the surround;

loading a surround piece raw material in said mold-set before or after said step of setting the base member; and

applying heat and pressure to said base member and said surround piece raw material inside said mold-set, whereby said surround piece raw material is molded into a surround piece of a predetermined shape, and said base member is insertion-molded in said surround piece.

6. The method of forming a surround according to claim 5, wherein said base member is formed into a predetermined surround shape before being set in said mold-set.

7. The method of forming a surround according to claim 5, wherein said base member is set in said mold-set before being formed into a predetermined surround shape and then molded into the predetermined surround shape by said mold-set.

11. The method of forming a surround according to claim 5, 8 or 9, wherein said surround piece raw material is formed by a rubber material containing as its main component at least one member selected from the group consisting of isobutylene isoprene rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, chloroprene rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, polynorbornene rubber, silicone rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, and natural rubber.

8. A method of forming a surround for a speaker system, comprising the steps of:

forming a base member having a predetermined surround shape by heat press molding a cloth material soaked with a thermosetting resin;

setting said base member in a mold-set for molding the surround;

loading a surround piece raw material in said mold-set before or after said step of setting the base member; and

applying heat and pressure for molding said base member and said surround piece raw material inside said mold-set.

10. The method of forming a surround according to claim 8 or 9, wherein said cloth material has a regular hexagonal weaving pattern.

9. A method of forming a surround for a speaker system, comprising the steps of:

loading a surround piece raw material in a mold-set for molding the surround;

setting a cloth material soaked with a thermosetting resin in said mold-set; and

applying heat and pressure for molding said cloth material and said surround piece raw material inside said mold-set.