Compact Housing for Portable Electronic Device with Internal Speaker

• US 20100061584A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Rosenblatt, Michael, Barrentine, Derek B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/386
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0037 Housings with compartments containing a PCB, e.g. partitioning walls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

Improved approaches for providing a speaker within a housing of a portable electronic device are disclosed. The housing of the portable electronic device can be compact, such as a low profile housing. In one embodiment, an acoustic chamber for a speaker can be formed internal to a housing for a portable electronic device using non-dedicated space. In another embodiment, irregular surfaces can be sealed so that an acoustic chamber for a speaker can be formed internal to a housing for a portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a speaker provided in said housing;

a back volume for said speaker, said back volume being formed from an area within said housing that is not dedicated to said back volume; and

a front volume for said speaker, said front volume being formed from an area within said housing that is not dedicated to said front volume.

2. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said back volume is greater than the front volume.

3. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device further comprises:

a curable sealant that is used to at least partially isolate said back volume from said front volume.

4. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 3, wherein said curable sealant has a low viscosity when placed at certain regions within said housing and is thereafter cured.

5. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker is a flat speaker.

6. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker is a piezoelectric speaker.

7. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said portable electronic device is a handheld electronic device.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising

a printed circuit board;

electrical components mounted on said printed circuit board;

an EMI shielding structure attached to said printed circuit board, said EMI shielding structure be provided over one of more of said electrical components;

a speaker attached to said EMI shielding structure; and

a form-in-place seal used to at least in part form an acoustic chamber for said speaker.

9. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the acoustic chamber includes a substantially isolated volume of air.

10. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein one or more of said electrical components are provided within the acoustic chamber.

11. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8,

wherein said portable electronic device further comprises a housing, and

wherein said printed circuit board, said electrical components, said EMI shielding structure, said speaker and said form-in-place seal.

12. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein said speaker is configured within said housing of said portable electronic device to have a front volume and a back volume, with the back volume being isolated from the front volume.

13. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 11, wherein said form-in-place seal is arranged to isolate at least a part of the back volume from the front volume.

14. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein said EMI shielding structure comprises a EMI shielding can, and wherein said EMI shielding can includes one or more first openings in a top surface, and includes one or more second openings in at least one side surface.

15. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein said speaker is attached on the top surface of said EMI shielding can such that the one or more first openings are covered by said speaker.

16. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more second openings is substantially sealed with said form-in-place seal.

17. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein an interface between the front volume and the back volume is provided in part by said EMI shielding can.

18. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein said portable electronic device further comprises at least one gasket to assist with forming the acoustic chamber for said speaker.

19. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein said speaker is configured within said portable electronic device to have a front volume and a back volume, with the back volume being isolated from the front volume.

20. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 19, wherein an interface between the front volume and the back volume is provided by said EMI shielding structure, said at least one gasket and said form-in-place seal.

21. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein said speaker is a piezoelectric speaker.

22. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein said portable electronic device is a handheld electronic device.

23. A method for assembling a portable electronic device having an internal acoustic back volume, said method comprising:

obtaining a printed circuit board;

attaching electrical components to the printed circuit board;

attaching an EMI shielding can to the printed circuit board such that the EMI shielding can is placed over one or more of the attached electrical components;

attaching a speaker to the EMI shielding can;

applying a form-in-place sealant to one or more particular locations of the assembled printed circuit board;

curing the form-in-place sealant; and

thereafter assembling the portable electronic device such that the assembled printed circuit board is provided within a housing of the portable electronic device and such that the internal acoustic back volume is formed within the portable electronic device housing and coupled to the speaker.

24. A method as recited in claim 23,

wherein the EMI shielding can attached to the printed circuit board includes one or more openings in at least one side of the EMI shielding can, and

wherein at least one of the one or more particular locations for the form-in-place sealant is at the one or more openings in the at least one side of the EMI shielding can.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the form-in-place sealant participates in forming the internal acoustic back volume.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein said applying the form-in-place sealant to the one or more particular locations of the assembled printed circuit board comprises:

extruding the form-in-place sealant onto the one or more particular locations.

27. A method as recited in claim 23,

wherein the form-in-place sealant is applied as a liquid sealant, and

wherein said curing the form-in-place sealant causes the liquid sealant to harden to a solid sealant.

28. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein said attaching of the speaker to the EMI shielding can comprises:

adhering the speaker to a top surface of the EMI shielding can.

29. A method as recited in claim 28, wherein said adhering provides an adhesive around a perimeter of the speaker so as to secure and substantially seal the speaker to the top surface of the EMI shielding can.

30. A method as recited in claim 29, wherein said adhering uses an adhesive tape.

31. A method as recited in claim 29,

wherein the top surface of the EMI shielding can includes at least one top opening, and

wherein the speaker is secured and substantially sealed over the at least one top opening.

32. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the speaker is a flat, piezoelectric speaker.

33. A portable electronic device, comprising

a housing;

electrical components provided within said housing;

an internal structure provided within said housing;

a speaker provided within said housing and attached to said internal structure; and

a form-in-place seal provided within said housing, said form-in-place seal being used to at least in part form an acoustic chamber for said speaker.