Elastomeric shield for miniature microphones

• US 20070189568A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epcos Pte Limited (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Liusvaara, Tapio, Bovbjerg, Bjarke, Wilk, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/355
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

An elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, and a hollow portion being adapted to at least partly surround a miniature microphone, or alternatively, arranged to follow an outer contour of a miniature microphone. The present invention further relates to a miniature microphone assembly comprising a miniature microphone having a sound inlet, and an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion housing at least part of the miniature microphone in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone.

Claims

1. An elastic microphone shield comprising:

an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, and

a hollow portion adapted to at least partly surround an associated miniature microphone casing, wherein the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is alignable with a sound inlet of the associated miniature microphone casing.

2. An elastic shield according to claim 1, wherein the elastic shield comprises an electrically conductive material.

3. An elastic shield according to claim 1, further comprising a mesh arranged within the acoustic channel.

4. An elastic shield according to claim 3, wherein the mesh comprises Nickel, and wherein a thickness of the mesh, in a longitudinal direction of the acoustic channel, is less than 0.5 mm.

5. An elastic shield according to claim 3, wherein the mesh engages with one or more tracks in the elastic shield so as to ensure a fixed relationship between the mesh and the acoustic channel.

6. A miniature microphone assembly comprising:

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing.

7. A miniature microphone assembly according to claim 6, wherein the miniature microphone is adapted for surface mounting.

8. A miniature microphone assembly according to claim 6, wherein the elastic shield comprises an electrically conductive material.

9. A miniature microphone assembly according to claim 6, wherein the elastic properties of the elastic shield secure at least part of the miniature microphone in the hollow portion of the elastic shield.

10. A miniature microphone assembly according to claim 6, wherein the elastic shield further comprises a mesh arranged within the acoustic channel.

11. A miniature microphone assembly according to claim 10, wherein the mesh comprises Nickel, and wherein a thickness of the mesh, in a longitudinal direction of the acoustic channel, is less than 0.5 mm.

12. A miniature microphone assembly according to claim 10, wherein the mesh engages with one or more tracks in the elastic shield so as to ensure a fixed relationship between the mesh and the acoustic channel.

13. A portable communication device comprising a housing with a sound inlet arranged therein, the portable communication device further comprising a miniature microphone assembly according to claim 6.

14. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein the sound inlet arranged in the housing of the portable communication device is aligned with the sound inlet of the acoustic channel.

15. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein an inner surface part of the housing of the communication device contacts and compresses an exterior surface part of the elastic microphone shield so as to form an acoustically sealed channel between the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing and the sound inlet of the portable communication device.

16. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein the miniature microphone comprises a substantially plane surface having disposed thereon a number of electrical contact pads adapted to contact corresponding contacts of a carrier substrate.

17. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein the elastic shield comprises an electrically conductive material.

18. A portable communication device according to claim 13, wherein the interior of the housing of the portable communication device comprises a carrier substrate with an exposed electrically conducting pattern arranged thereon.

19. A portable communication device according to claim 18, wherein a peripheral end contour of the elastic shield forms an electrical connection to the exposed electrically conducting pattern so as to form an electrical connection between the elastic shield and the exposed electrically conducting pattern on the carrier substrate.

20. A portable communication device comprising:

a housing having a sound inlet arranged therein,

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, the miniature microphone being arranged within an interior volume of the housing, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel arranged so as to guide audible signals from the sound inlet in the housing to the sound inlet in miniature microphone casing, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing.

21. A portable communication device comprising:

a housing having a sound inlet arranged therein,

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, the miniature microphone being arranged within an interior volume of the housing, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel, the elastic shield being arranged so as to provide an acoustical seal between the acoustic channel and the interior volume of the housing, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing.

22. An elastic microphone shield comprising

an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, and

a hollow portion having an inner surface adapted to fit at least part of a casing of an associated miniature microphone, wherein the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is alignable with a sound inlet of the associated miniature microphone.

23. An elastic shield according to claim 22, wherein the elastic shield comprises an electrically conductive material.

24. An elastic shield according to claim 22, further comprising a mesh arranged within the acoustic channel.

25. An elastic shield according to claim 24, wherein the mesh comprises Nickel, and wherein a thickness of the mesh, in a longitudinal direction of the acoustic channel, is less than 0.5 mm.

26. An elastic shield according to claim 24, wherein the mesh engages with one or mores tracks in the elastic shield so as to ensure a fixed relationship between the mesh and the acoustic channel.