Integrated speaker assembly for personal media device

• US 8,649,506 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Tan, Tang Yew, Barrentine, Derek Boyd
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US13/364,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/433.01, 379/433.02, 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/556.1, 381332-334, 381/386, 381349-352
• US Class Current: 379/433.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• 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 1/2842 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for media devices including a housing, a frame disposed adjacent to the housing, and an acoustic source that is integrated with the frame for emitting sound from the media device.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing with a first side;

an acoustic source within the housing that emits sound from a sound emitting surface of the acoustic source;

a front volume positioned on a first side of the acoustic source and acoustically coupled to the sound emitting surface; and

a back volume positioned on a second side of the acoustic source;

wherein;

the front volume and the back volume are connected by a sound transfer aperture;

a plane of the sound emitting surface is orthogonal to a plane of the first side; and

the sound emitted from the sound emitting surface exits the housing through the first side in a direction that is orthogonal to the plane of the first side.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first side comprises a bottom side of the device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sound emitting surface comprises a diaphragm.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an aperture through the first side, and wherein the emitted sound exits the housing through the aperture.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising a frame that is coupled to the acoustic source and that supports the acoustic source.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a plane of the frame is orthogonal to the plane of the first side.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a casing that at least partially encloses the acoustic source, wherein at least a portion of the casing at least partially guides the emitted sound to exit the housing in the direction that is orthogonal to the plane of the first side.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the back volume is positioned behind the casing.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the front volume and the back volume are determined at least in part by a predetermined leak rate defined by the amount of sound emitted from the sound emitting surface that exits the housing without passing through the first side.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the front volume and back volume are determined at least in part to tune the sound emitted from the sound emitting surface that exits the housing by passing through the first side.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the front volume and the back volume are connected by a plurality sound transfer apertures.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the sound transfer aperture guides sound emitted from the sound emitting surface into the front volume.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the back volume is larger than the front volume.

14. A device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a first side including a plurality of apertures; and

a retaining wall oriented parallel to the first side and defining first and second apertures therethrough;

a front volume at least partially defined by the retaining wall and the first side;

a back volume at least partially defined by the retaining wall and an interior sidewall of the housing, the back volume directly connected to the front volume by the first aperture of the retaining wall; and

an acoustic source subassembly positioned along the retaining wall within the back volume and oriented to direct sound through the second aperture into the front volume.