Loudspeaker having an interlocking magnet structure

• US 20070223777A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mihelich, Ryan, Steere, John, Semmler, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,894,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 Magnetic circuit

Abstract

A magnet structure for use with a loudspeaker may have an interlocking mechanism. The magnet structure may include a magnet, a shell pot and a core cap. The shell pot may contain the magnet in its hollow interior. The magnet may be a single magnet or double magnets. The core cap has two surfaces. For a single magnet, one surface of the core cap may face a magnet. For double magnets, the core cap may be vertically disposed between the two magnets. The magnet, the core cap and the shell pot may interlock with one another such that a position of the magnet relative to the core cap and the shell pot may be rigidly preserved. The magnet may be configured to be, for example, overlapped, inserted, staked and/or engaged with at least one of the shell pot or the core cap.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker having a magnet structure, comprising:

a magnet having a first surface and a second surface;

a core cap mounted on the first surface of the magnet; and

a shell pot configured to receive the magnet and the core cap in a hollow interior, where the second surface of the magnet contacts a base surface of the shell pot; and

where the magnet, the core cap and the shell pot are configured to interlock to fixedly position the magnet with respect to the core cap and the shell pot.

2. The magnet structure of claim 1, where the core cap comprises a first protrusion and the shell pot comprises a second protrusion and at least a part of the magnet interlocks with the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

3. The magnet structure of claim 2, where the magnet is formed with an aperture to accommodate and provide engagement of the first protrusion and the second protrusion with the magnet.

4. The magnet structure of claim 3, where the first protrusion is spaced apart from the second protrusion in the center aperture to avoid a magnetic short circuit.

5. The magnet structure of claim 3, further comprising a vent passageway configured to penetrate the core cap and the shell pot and extend through the aperture of the magnet.

8. The magnet structure of claim 1, where the core cap comprises a flange that surrounds a peripheral edge of the magnet and extends toward the shell pot.

9. The magnet structure of claim 1, where the shell pot comprises a recess on a base surface of the shell pot, where the recess is configured to receive the second surface of the magnet.

10. The magnet structure of claim 1, further comprising a fastener configured to engage with the magnet, the core cap and the shell pot through aligned apertures formed in each of the magnet the core cap and the shell pot.

6. The motor of magnet structure 3, where the aperture is a center aperture that comprises a diameter (d) and the first protrusion comprises a first width (w₁) and the second protrusion comprises a second width (w₂), the first width (w₁) and the second width (w₂) being substantially identical to, or smaller than the diameter (d).

7. The magnet structure of claim 6, where the first protrusion is spaced apart from the second protrusion by a determined gap (g).

11. A loudspeaker having a magnet structure, comprising:

a first magnet;

a second magnet positioned in parallel with the first magnet;

a core cap disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet; and

a shell pot containing at least the first magnet and the core cap;

where at least a part of the first magnet interlocks with the shell pot and the core cap, and at least a part of the second magnet interlocks with the core cap.

12. The magnet structure of claim 11, where the core cap comprises a first nub and a second nub and the first nub extends in an opposite direction to the second nub.

13. The magnet structure of claim 12, where the first magnet comprises a first aperture and the first nub is insertable in the first aperture to engage with the first magnet.

14. The magnet structure of claim 13, where the second magnet comprises a second aperture and the second nub is insertable in the second aperture to engage with the second magnet.

15. The magnet structure of claim 13, where the shell pot comprises a protrusion, and the first aperture is configured to accommodate the protrusion so that the protrusion is engaged with the first magnet.

16. The magnet structure of claim 11, where the core cap comprises a flange at an edge of the core cap that is formed to surround a peripheral edge of at least one of the first magnet or the second magnet.

17. The magnet structure of claim 11, where the core cap comprises a first flange and a second flange, the first flange surrounding a peripheral edge of the first magnet and extending toward the shell pot and the second flanges surrounding a peripheral edge of the second magnet and extending opposite to the first flange.

18. The magnet structure of claim 11, where the shell pot comprises a recess that is formed to receive the first magnet.

19. The magnet structure of claim 11, where the core cap comprises a first extension member and a second extension member and where the first extension member extends through a first center aperture of the first magnet, and the second extension member extends through a second center aperture of the second magnet.

20. The magnet structure of claim 19, where the core cap comprises a third extension member and a fourth extension member and where the third and fourth extension members extend perpendicular to the first and second extension members.

21. The magnet structure of claim 20, where the first and second extension members are configured to be smaller in diameters than the third and fourth extension members.

22. The magnet structure of claim 20, where the shell pot comprises an opening that is formed to receive the first extension member.

23. The magnet structure of claim 22, where the first extension member is securable to the shell pot with an extension member.

24. The magnet structure of claim 20, where the second extension member is securable to the second magnet with a restraining head, the restraining head formed at one end of the second extension member and expanding over the top surface of the second magnet.

25. The magnet structure of claim 20, where the core cap engages with the first and the second magnets vertically and horizontally.

26. A loudspeaker having a magnet structure, comprising:

a first magnet;

a second magnet positioned in parallel to the first magnet;

a core cap vertically disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet; and

a shell pot containing at least the first magnet and the core cap;

where the first magnet, the second magnet, the core cap, and the shell pot interlock with a fastener that extends through aligned apertures included in each of the first magnet, the second magnet, the core cap and the shell pot.

27. The loudspeaker of claim 26, where the fastener comprises a head member and a body member.

28. The loudspeaker of claim 27, where the fastener further comprises a shop-head member formed against a surface of the second magnet and the head member is engaged with the shell pot.

29. The loudspeaker of claim 28, where the body member is engaged at least with the first magnet, the core cap and the second magnet.

30. The loudspeaker of claim 27, where the shop-head member is larger in a diameter than the aligned apertures and the head member has a frusto-conical shape.

31. A method for manufacturing a magnet structure for use with a loudspeaker, comprising:

forming an opening on a base surface of a shell pot;

forming an aperture at a center of a magnet;

forming a core cap having an extension; and

inserting the extension into the opening and the aperture to interlock the magnet, the shell pot and the core cap.

32. The method of claim 31, where forming the aperture comprises:

producing a first aperture at a center of a first magnet;

producing a second aperture at a center of a second magnet; and

positioning the core cap between the first magnet and the second magnet.

33. The method of claim 32, where forming the core cap comprises forming the core cap having a first extension and a second extension, the first and second extensions extending in opposite directions to each other.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising forming the core cap to have an extension that extends between the first magnet and the second magnet.

35. A method for manufacturing a magnet structure for use with a loudspeaker, comprising:

forming an opening on a base surface of a shell pot;

forming a first aperture at a magnet;

forming a second aperture at core cap;

aligning the opening and the first and second apertures; and

extending a fastener through the aligned opening and the first and second apertures.

36. The method of claim 35, where extending the fastener comprises inserting a body member of the fastener through the opening and then through the aligned apertures.

37. The method of claim 36, where extending the fastener comprises applying pressure on a pre-form to form a shop-head member, the pre-form configured to be formed at one end of the body member.

38. The method of claim 35, where extending the fastener comprises injecting a nonmagnetic material into the aligned opening and apertures to form the fastener.