Multi-diameter speaker vent ports

• US 8,750,552 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Barinaga, Louis, Manzanedo, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Norman
• Application Number:
  US13/343,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20130170691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/312, 381/328, 381/380, 381/370, 381/371, 381/373, 381/374, 381/381, 181/135
• US Class Current: 381/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2823 Vents, i.e. ports, e.g. shape thereof or tuning thereof with damping material number or position of ports H04R1/2815; vents in bandpass type enclosures H04R1/2846
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4957 Sound device making

Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed that relate to controlling frequency response in speaker assemblies. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a speaker assembly including a speaker, a body supporting the speaker in such a manner as to define a back chamber between the speaker and the body, and a vent port formed in the body and extending through the body, the vent port comprising a first stage having a first diameter, a second stage having a second diameter different than the first diameter, and a step between the first stage and the second stage.

Claims

1. A speaker assembly, comprising:

a speaker;

a body supporting the speaker in such a manner as to define a back chamber positioned behind the speaker and between the speaker and the body; and

a vent port formed in the body, the vent port extending through the body from the back chamber to an exterior of the speaker assembly, the vent port comprising a first stage having a first diameter, a second stage having a second diameter different than the first diameter, and a step between the first stage and the second stage, wherein the step defines a sharper rate of diameter change than both the first stage and the second stage.

2. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the step comprises a surface having a plane orthogonal to an axis extending through one or more of the first stage and the second stage.

3. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the step comprises a sloped cross-sectional shape along a direction of an axis extending through one or more of the first stage and the second stage.

4. The speaker assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vent ports.

5. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first stage and the second stage has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape along an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage.

6. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first stage and the second stage has a sloped cross-sectional shape along an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage.

7. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent port is arranged such that an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage is orthogonal to a surface of the body through which the vent port extends.

8. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the vent port is arranged such that a surface of the body through which the vent port extends is sloped relative to an axis extending through one or more of the first stage and the second stage.

9. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the first stage has a diameter of 1.0-1.5 mm, and wherein the second stage has a diameter of 0.5-0.8 mm.

10. A speaker assembly, comprising:

a speaker;

a body supporting the speaker in such a manner as to define a back chamber positioned behind the speaker and between the speaker and the body; and

a plurality of vent ports formed in the body, the plurality of vent ports extending through the body from the back chamber to an exterior of the speaker assembly, each vent port of the plurality of vent ports comprising a first stage having a first diameter, a second stage located farther from the speaker than the first stage and having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and a step between the first stage and the second stage, wherein the step defines a sharper rate of diameter change than both the first stage and the second stage.

11. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein the step comprises a surface having a plane orthogonal to an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein the step comprises a sloped cross-sectional shape.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein one or more of the first stage and the second stage has a cylindrical cross-sectional shape along an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage.

14. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein one or more of the first stage and the second stage has a sloped cross-sectional shape along an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein the vent port is arranged such that an axis extending through the first stage and the second stage is sloped relative to a surface of the body through which the vent port extends.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein the speaker assembly is incorporated into a headset.

17. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein the speaker assembly is configured to rest within an outer ear canal of a user.

18. A method of manufacturing a speaker assembly, the speaker assembly comprising a body and a speaker, the body supporting the speaker in such a manner as to define a back chamber positioned behind the speaker and between the speaker and the body, the method comprising:

forming one or more vent ports that extend through the body from the back chamber to an exterior of the speaker assembly, wherein each vent port of the one or more vent ports comprises a first stage having a first diameter, a second stage located farther from the speaker than the first stage and having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and a step between the first stage and the second stage, wherein the step defines a sharper rate of diameter change than both the first stage and the second stage.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the one or more vent ports through the body comprises forming the one or more vent ports after forming the body.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising coupling a speaker with the body.