ACOUSTIC MEMBRANE WITH ASYMMETRIC LAYER ARRANGEMENT

• US 20150312660A1
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sound Solutions International Company, Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Knowles IPC Sendirian Berhad (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Lembacher, Christian, Timmerer, Armin
• Application Number:
  US14/699,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312660A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2231/001 Moulding aspects of diaphragm or surround
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/003 for diaphragms or their outer suspension
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/10 comprising superposed layers in contact

Abstract

A membrane for an acoustic transducer may comprise a first layer comprising a first material, a second layer disposed on the first layer, the second layer comprising a second material that is different from the first material, and a third layer disposed on the second layer, the third layer comprising a third material that is different from the first material and the second material, the third layer configured to be coupled with a moveable coil. The first material may be a polyaryletherketone (PAEK), the second material may be acrylate, and the third material may be polyetherimide (PEI), polycarbonate (PC), or another similar material.

Claims

1. A membrane for an acoustic transducer, the membrane comprising:

a first layer, the first layer comprising a first material;

a second layer, disposed on the first layer, the second layer comprising a second material that is different from the first material; and

a third layer configured to be coupled with a moveable coil, the third layer disposed on the second layer, the third layer comprising a third material that is different from the first material and the second material;

wherein the first material comprises a polyaryletherketone, the second material comprises adhesive, and the third material is selected from the list consisting of polyetherimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, and polyarylate.

2. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises polyetheretherketone.

3. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the third material comprises polyetherimide.

4. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the third material has a higher glass transition temperature than the first material.

5. The membrane of claim 1, wherein respective radial cross-sections of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer have substantially the same dimensions.

6. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises acrylate adhesive or silicon adhesive.

7. The membrane of claim 1, wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are the only layers of the membrane.

8. A method of manufacturing an acoustic transducer, the method comprising:

providing a first membrane layer, the first membrane layer comprising a polyaryletherketone material;

disposing a second membrane layer on the first membrane layer, the second membrane layer comprising adhesive; and

disposing a third membrane layer on the second membrane layer, the third membrane layer comprising a second thermoplastic material that is different from the first thermoplastic material, the second thermoplastic material comprising at least one of polyetherimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, and polyarylate.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising coupling the third membrane layer with a coil.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein coupling the third membrane layer with a coil comprises gluing the third membrane layer to the coil.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising thermoforming the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer into a membrane.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermoforming comprises stamping.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the thermoforming comprises drawing.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the second thermoplastic material is polyetherimide.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first thermoplastic material is a polyaryletherketone.

16. An acoustic transducer, comprising:

a moveable electromagnetic coil; and

a membrane, the membrane comprising;

a first layer comprising a first material;

a second layer, disposed on the first layer, the second layer comprising a second material that is different from the first material; and

a third layer, disposed on the second layer and coupled with the coil, the third layer comprising a third material that is different from the first material and the second material;

wherein the first material comprises a polyaryletherketone, the second material comprises adhesive, and the third material is selected from the list consisting of polyetherimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate, and polyarylate.

17. The transducer of claim 16, wherein the second material comprises acrylate adhesive or silicon adhesive.

18. The transducer of claim 16, wherein the first layer comprises polyetheretherketone.

19. The transducer of claim 16, wherein the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer are the only layers of the membrane.

20. The transducer of claim 16, wherein respective radial cross-sections of the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer have substantially the same dimensions.