Piezoelectric speaker

• US 6,064,746 A
• Filed: 06/02/1997
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Takeshi, Heinouchi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US08/867,288
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 381/190, 381/191, 381/173, 381/353, 381/354, 310/324, 310/800
• US Class Current: 381/351
• 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

Abstract

A piezoelectric speaker has a substantially reduced size and reproduces sound in the low sound range. The piezoelectric speaker includes a cylindrical main body. First and second sounding members are secured to apertures of both sides of the main body in an air tight arrangement via ringed dampers made of rubber. An external opening is created at the middle of a side surface of the main body. The opening is created so as to have an area which is less than area of a vibrating portion of the sounding members. Sound absorbing members are provided within the main body, on the outside of the first sounding member and on the outside of the second sounding member. Caps having a plurality of holes are secured to the apertures of the both sides of the main body so as to cover the sound absorbers. The main body is supported on concave portions of leg members.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric speaker, comprising:

an outer case including an external surface having a first external opening at a first end of the outer case and a second external opening at a second end of the outer case and a main body disposed between the first end and the second end, the main body including a first aperture and a second aperture;

a first sounding member located at the first aperture of said main body, the first sounding member including at least one first piezoelectric body which is arranged to be vibrated in response to receiving electrical signals; and

a second sounding member located at the second aperture of said main body, the second sounding member including at least one second piezoelectric body and which is arranged to be vibrated in response to receiving electrical signals;

wherein

said first and second piezoelectric bodies are arranged to be vibrated in a direction in which internal pressure of said main body increases or decreases at said first and second sounding members;

the outer case has a third external opening located at the main body and having an area smaller than an area of a vibrating portion of each of said first and second sounding members.

2. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 1, wherein sound absorbers for absorbing and attenuating components of sound waves in a high sound range are provided at least one of within said main body, on an outside of said first sounding member and on an outside of said second sounding member.

3. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 1, wherein a first input terminal for inputting a first channel signal of a stereo signal is connected with said first sounding member and a second input terminal for inputting a second channel signal of said stereo signal is connected to said second sounding member.

4. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 1, wherein said first external opening is located at a side portion of said outer case.

5. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 1, wherein a first cover member is provided outside of the first sounding member so that the first cover member covers the first sounding member, and a second cover member is provided outside of the second sounding member so that the second cover member covers the sounding member, wherein the main body and the first and second cover members define the outer case.

6. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 5, wherein a first resonant frequency inside the first cover member is different from a third resonant frequency inside the main body, and a second resonant frequency inside the second cover member is different from the third resonant frequency inside the main body.

7. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 6, wherein the first resonant frequency is the same as the second resonant frequency.

8. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 5, wherein the first and second cover members have sound openings at an outer surface thereof, respectively.

9. The piezoelectric speaker according to claim 8, wherein a first group of middle-high sound waves emitted from the external opening of the main body and a second group of middle-high sound waves emitted from the sound openings in the first and second cover members have a phase difference of about 180 degrees and a sound wave guide is defined by the main body, the external opening in the main body, the first and second cover members and the sound openings in the first and second cover members such that a first group of low sound waves and a second group of low sound waves do not cancel each other but are superimposed on each other to thereby increase sound pressure.

10. A speaker according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sounding members include first and second dampers, respectively, for connecting the first and second sounding members to the main body in an air-tight arrangement.

11. A speaker according to claim 10, wherein the vibrating portion of each of said first and second sounding members is a portion of the first and second sounding members which does not contact a respective one of the first and second dampers.

12. A speaker according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second sounding members includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements.

13. A speaker according to claim 12, further comprising a first and second diaphragm, the plurality of piezoelectric elements of each of the first and second sounding members being secured to a respective one of the first and second diaphragms.

14. A piezoelectric speaker, comprising:

an outer case including a first sound producing chamber and a first external opening for emitting sound waves therefrom to outside of the speaker, the outer case including a main body;

a first cap provided at a first end of the outer case and defining a second sound producing chamber, the first cap including second external openings for emitting sound waves therefrom to outside of the speaker;

a second cap provided at a second end of the outer case and defining a third sound producing chamber, the second cap including third external openings for emitting sound waves therefrom to outside of the speaker;

a first sounding member located between the first sound producing chamber and the second sound producing chamber and adapted to be vibrated to emit sound waves; and

a second sounding member located between the first sound producing chamber and the third sound producing chamber and adapted to be vibrated to emit sound waves, wherein

the first external opening of the outer case has an area smaller than an area of a vibrating portion of each of the first and second sounding members, and the first, second and third external openings being arranged such that sound waves generated by the first sounding member are emitted from the second external openings to outside of the speaker and are transmitted to the first sound producing chamber, the sound waves generated by the second sounding member are emitted from the third external openings to outside of the speaker and are transmitted to the first sound producing chamber, and the sound waves from the first sounding member and the second sounding member are combined in the first sound producing chamber and are emitted from the first external opening to outside of the speaker.

15. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein the first and second sounding members each comprise at least one piezoelectric member.

16. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein the first sounding member separates the first sound producing chamber and the second sound producing chamber and the second sounding member separates the first sound producing chamber and the third sound producing chamber.

17. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein the first external opening in the main body extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a direction in which second and third external openings of the first and second caps extend.

18. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein the first and second sounding members respectively include first and second piezoelectric bodies arranged to be vibrated in a direction in which internal pressure of said main body increases or decreases at the first and second sounding members.

19. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein sound absorbers for absorbing and attenuating components of sound waves in a high sound range are provided at least one of within the first sound producing chamber, the second sound producing chamber and the third sound producing chamber.

20. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein the first and second sounding members include first and second dampers, respectively, for connecting the first and second sounding members to the main body in an air-tight arrangement.

21. A speaker according to claim 20, wherein the vibrating portion of each of said first and second sounding members is a portion of the first and second sounding members which is not in contact with a respective one of the first and second dampers.

22. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein each of the first and second sounding members includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements, the speaker further comprising a first and second diaphragm, the plurality of piezoelectric elements of each of the first and second sounding members being secured to a respective one of the first and second diaphragms.

23. A speaker according to claim 14, wherein a first group of middle-high sound waves emitted from the first external opening of the outer case and a second group of middle-high sound waves emitted from the second and third external openings have a phase difference of about 180 degrees and a sound wave guide is defined by the main body, the first external opening in the outer case, and the first and second caps and the second and third external openings such that a first group of low sound waves and a second group of low sound waves do not cancel each other but are superimposed on each other to thereby increase sound pressure.