Linear interleaved magnetic motor and loudspeaker transducer using same

• US 8,774,430 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2012
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Paul Heed
• Original Assignee: Thomas Paul Heed
• Inventors: Heed, Thomas Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sean H
• Application Number:
  US13/691,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 583 Days
• Field of Search: 381/182, 381/184, 381/396, 381/412, 381/421, 381/423, 381/408, 381/419, 381/420, 381/422, 381/431, 335/222, 335/297, 335/306
• US Class Current: 381/182
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/26 consisting of printed conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/02 Linear motors; Sectional motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/0356 moving along a straight path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 Magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 Loudspeakers

Abstract

A linear interleaved magnetic motor in which the B-field flows between a plurality of motor cell elements, creating a long, serpentine gap. The motor is used with at least one flex circuit as a drive coil. The motor can be used as a drive motor for a loudspeaker transducer. Multiple loudspeaker transducers can be connected together to make a loudspeaker frame or system.

Claims

1. A linearly interleaved magnetic circuit, comprised of at least two motor cells, each motor cell being comprised of a magnet, a North Arm, and a South Arm, said North Arm and South Arm each being a planar ferrous metal element with a plurality of fingers or fins in which a B-Field is routed back-and-forth between the motor cells through said plurality of fins on said North Arm and South Arm, creating at least two long, serpentine, air gaps, said air-gaps allowing for reciprocal motion, both above and below the air gaps.

2. The invention in 1, in which there are two motor cells, with interleaved fins or finders, defining a top gap and a bottom gap.

3. A linearly interleaved magnetic motor, comprised of the invention in 1 along with at least one flexible printed circuit drive coil, which is bent or folded to fit into the long, serpentine, air gap.

4. A linear interleaved magnetic motor, comprised of the invention in 2, along with a flexible printed circuit drive coil, which is bent or folded to fit, simultaneously, into the long, serpentine, top and bottom air-gaps.

5. The invention in 3, in which the flex circuit dielectric is PET, PEN, polyimide, or LCP.

6. The invention in 3, in which series and parallel connections in the flex circuit are used to achieve the designer'"'"'s targeted direct current resistance target.

7. The invention in 3, in which the flex circuit has two or more layers.

8. The invention in 3, in which an inductance of the flex circuit drive circuit is minimized by using ground planes, ground loops, or the geometry of the folded flex circuit, itself.

9. The invention in 3, in which the flex circuit drive coil is centered in the gap by having a plurality of trace segments, which run parallel with the direction of motion, or a Lorentzian Force, F.

10. A loudspeaker transducer, using a linear interleaved magnetic motor as described in 4.

11. A loudspeaker system made up of a plurality of transducers as described in 10.

12. The invention in 11, in which the loudspeaker wiring for multiple channels is included in an integral housing with each loudspeaker transducer.

13. The invention in 12, in which the loudspeaker transducers are mounted on a common frame, with corner pieces that dictate which channel of amplifier information is fed to a particular grouping of loudspeaker transducers.

14. The invention in 11, in which the loudspeaker transducers has a direct current resistance that is high enough that several transducers may be connected in parallel, achieving a direct current resistance on a single amplifier channel of no more than 10 ohms.

15. The invention in 10, in which the flex circuit conductor is made out of copper.

16. The invention in 10, in which the flex circuit conductor is made out of aluminum.

17. The invention in 10, in which the flex circuit conductor is made out of etched copper.