OPTICALLY CLEAR DIAPHRAGM FOR AN ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME

• US 20120186903A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emo Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Emo Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: BOKAEMPER, Stefan, BOOTH, Jeffrey Davis, WHITE, Robert H. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/166
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/06 Hearing aids construction of hearing aids H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2819 for loudspeaker transducers
• 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: H04R 2207/00 Details of diaphragms or cones for electromechanical transducers or their suspension covered by H04R7/00 but not provided for in H04R7/00 or in H04R2307/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/002 using electrothermic-effect transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2307/025 Diaphragms comprising polymeric materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/003 for diaphragms or their outer suspension
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/00 Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers in general F16J3/00; Cones for musical instruments G10 cones, diaphragms or the like, for emitting or receiving sound in general G10K13/00; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/02 characterised by the construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/04 Plane diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/045 using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/10 comprising superposed layers in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/125 comprising a plurality of superposed layers in contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/26 Damping by means acting directly on free portion of diaphragm or cone air damping H04R1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 Loudspeakers

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a diaphragm that may be used with a mechanical-to-acoustical transducer. The diaphragm may include a layer of optically clear film, a damping layer and another layer of optically clear film. The damping layer may be an adhesive. The diaphragm may also comprise two optically clear films, optionally including a damping layer, wherein the films indicate a desired coefficient of linear thermal expansion in one or both of the machine and transverse directions.

Claims

1-70. -70. (canceled)

71. An acoustic transducer that converts a mechanical motion in to acoustic energy, the acoustic transducer comprising:

a diaphragm comprising a damping layer;

at least one support on at least a portion of the diaphragm; and

at least one actuator operatively coupled to the diaphragm, wherein movement of the actuator causes movement of the diaphragm in a direction that is generally transverse to the direction of the movement of the actuator.

72. The transducer according to claim 71, wherein the diaphragm is an optically clear diaphragm.

73. The transducer according to claim 72, wherein the diaphragm comprises first and second optically clear layers.

74. The transducer according to claim 73, wherein diaphragm is configured such that the damping layer is between the first and second optically clear layers.

75. The transducer according to claim 71, wherein the diaphragm and the support comprise substantially the same coefficient of linear thermal expansion.

76. The diaphragm of claim 71, wherein said diaphragm has a damping value of tan delta equal to or greater than 0.06 in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 2000 Hz at 30°

C.

77. The diaphragm of claim 71, wherein said diaphragm has a damping value of tan delta equal to or greater than 0.08 in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 2000 Hz at 30°

C.

78. The diaphragm of claim 71, where the thickness of the damping layer is in the range of 1 μ

m to 200 μ

m.

79. The diaphragm of claim 71, wherein said damping layer is an adhesive and one of the optical films is adhered to the damping layer with a peel strength of greater than or equal to 0.005 N/inch.

80. The diaphragm of claim 71, wherein the diaphragm has a composite modulus of equal to or greater than 2.0 GPa.

81. An acoustic transducer that converts a mechanical motion in to acoustic energy, the acoustic transducer comprising:

an optically clear diaphragm comprising a damping layer;

at least one support on at least a portion of the diaphragm; and

at least one actuator operatively coupled to the diaphragm, wherein movement of the actuator causes movement of the diaphragm in a direction that is generally transverse to the direction of the movement of the actuator.

82. The transducer according to claim 81, wherein the diaphragm comprises first and second optically clear layers.

83. The transducer according to claim 82, wherein diaphragm is configured such that the damping layer is between the first and second optically clear layers.

84. The transducer according to claim 81, wherein the diaphragm and the support comprise substantially the same coefficient of linear thermal expansion.

85. The diaphragm of claim 81, wherein said diaphragm has a damping value of tan delta equal to or greater than 0.06 in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 2000 Hz at 30°

C.

86. The diaphragm of claim 81, wherein said diaphragm has a damping value of tan delta equal to or greater than 0.08 in the frequency range of 500 Hz to 2000 Hz at 30°

C.

87. The diaphragm of claim 81, where the thickness of the damping layer is in the range of 1 μ

m to 200 μ

m.

88. The diaphragm of claim 81, wherein said damping layer is an adhesive and one of the optical films is adhered to the damping layer with a peel strength of greater than or equal to 0.005 N/inch.

89. The diaphragm of claim 81, wherein the diaphragm has a composite modulus of equal to or greater than 2.0 GPa.