Elastomeric shield for miniature microphones

• US 8,284,966 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sonion Mems A/S
• Inventors: Wilk, Christopher, Bovbjerg, Bjarke Pihl, Liusvaara, Tapio Juhani
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/657,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,084 Days
• Field of Search: 381355-369, 381170-181
• US Class Current: 381/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

An elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, and a hollow portion being adapted to at least partly surround a miniature microphone, or alternatively, arranged to follow an outer contour of a miniature microphone. The present invention further relates to a miniature microphone assembly comprising a miniature microphone having a sound inlet, and an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion housing at least part of the miniature microphone in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone.

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising a housing with a sound inlet arranged therein, the portable communication device further comprising a miniature microphone assembly including:

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing, the elastic shield being composed of an electrically conductive material including carbon that is homogenously distributed in the entire elastic shield,

wherein the interior of the housing of the portable communication device comprises a carrier substrate with an exposed electrically conducting pattern arranged thereon,

wherein a peripheral end contour of the elastic shield forms an electrical connection to the exposed electrically conducting pattern so as to form an electrical connection between the elastic shield and the exposed electrically conducting pattern on the carrier substrate, and

wherein the miniature microphone includes a mounting surface with contact pads that are adapted to be surface mounted to a printed circuit board.

2. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic shield surrounds exterior surfaces of the miniature microphone casing except a mounting surface opposite the sound inlet.

3. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic properties of the elastic shield secure at least part of the miniature microphone in the hollow portion of the elastic shield.

4. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic shield further comprises a mesh arranged within the acoustic channel.

5. A portable communication device according to claim 4, wherein the mesh comprises Nickel, and wherein a thickness of the mesh, in a longitudinal direction of the acoustic channel, is less than 0.5 mm.

6. A portable communication device according to claim 4, wherein the mesh engages with one or more tracks in the elastic shield so as to ensure a fixed relationship between the mesh and the acoustic channel.

7. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the sound inlet arranged in the housing of the portable communication device is aligned with the sound inlet of the acoustic channel.

8. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface part of the housing of the communication device contacts and compresses an exterior surface part of the elastic microphone shield so as to form an acoustically sealed channel between the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing and the sound inlet of the portable communication device.

9. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the miniature microphone comprises a substantially plane surface having disposed thereon a number of electrical contact pads adapted to contact corresponding contacts of a carrier substrate.

10. A portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic shield comprises an electrically conductive material.

11. A portable communication device comprising:

a housing having a sound inlet arranged therein,

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing, the elastic shield being composed of an electrically conductive material homogenously distributed in the entire elastic shield,

wherein the miniature microphone includes a mounting surface with contact pads that are adapted to be surface mounted to a printed circuit board,

wherein the interior of the housing of the portable communication device comprises a carrier substrate with an exposed electrically conducting pattern arranged thereon, and

wherein a peripheral end contour of the elastic shield forms an electrical connection to the exposed electrically conducting pattern so as to form an electrical connection between the elastic shield and the exposed electrically conducting pattern on the carrier substrate.

12. A portable communication device comprising a housing with a sound inlet arranged therein, the portable communication device further comprising a miniature microphone assembly including:

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing, the elastic shield being composed of an electrically conductive material including carbon that is homogenously distributed in the entire elastic shield,

wherein the interior of the housing of the portable communication device comprises a carrier substrate with an exposed electrically conducting pattern arranged thereon,

wherein a peripheral end contour of the elastic shield forms an electrical connection to the exposed electrically conducting pattern so as to form an electrical connection between the elastic shield and the exposed electrically conducting pattern on the carrier substrate, and

wherein the elastic shield surrounds exterior surfaces of the miniature microphone casing except a mounting surface opposite the sound inlet.

13. A portable communication device comprising a housing with a sound inlet arranged therein, the portable communication device further comprising a miniature microphone assembly including:

a miniature microphone comprising a casing having a sound inlet arranged therein, and

an elastic shield comprising an acoustic channel having a sound inlet and a sound outlet, the elastic shield further comprising a hollow portion surrounding at least part of the miniature microphone casing in a manner so that the sound outlet of the acoustic channel is aligned with the sound inlet of the miniature microphone casing, the elastic shield being composed of an electrically conductive material including carbon that is homogenously distributed in the entire elastic shield,

wherein the interior of the housing of the portable communication device comprises a carrier substrate with an exposed electrically conducting pattern arranged thereon,

wherein a peripheral end contour of the elastic shield forms an electrical connection to the exposed electrically conducting pattern so as to form an electrical connection between the elastic shield and the exposed electrically conducting pattern on the carrier substrate, and

wherein the miniature microphone comprises a substantially plane surface having disposed thereon a number of electrical contact pads adapted to contact corresponding contacts of a carrier substrate.