Liquid resistant acoustic device

• US 9,363,589 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lippert, Jesse A., Montevirgen, Anthony S., Boozer, Brad G., Vitt, Nikolas T., Ehman, Rex T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAUFMAN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US14/448,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/029 Manufacturing aspects of enclosures 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

An acoustic port of acoustic device is covered with a mesh and/or other structure that resists entry of liquid and/or other materials into the acoustic device. Apertures of a housing that are separated by an umbrella section are coupled to the acoustic port such that the umbrella section may cover the acoustic port. In this way, when liquid enters one or more of the apertures, the umbrella section may direct the liquid away from the mesh such that pressure from the liquid upon the mesh may be reduced. As such, potential damage to the mesh and/or internal acoustic device components may be mitigated. In some implementations, the apertures may be covered with an additional mesh. Such additional mesh may further reduce the pressure of entering liquid on the mesh covering the acoustic port of the acoustic device.

Claims

1. A system for a liquid resistant acoustic device, comprising:

an acoustic device comprising;

an acoustic port; and

a structure covering the acoustic port that resists entry of liquid or other materials into the acoustic device; and

a housing comprising;

an umbrella housing section;

a hydrophilic coating on a portion of the umbrella housing section facing the structure; and

at least two apertures separated by the umbrella housing section that couple to the acoustic port of the acoustic device, the at least two apertures being coated with a hydrophobic coating; and

an additional structure that resists entry of liquid or other materials into the acoustic device, that covers the at least two apertures, and is positioned on at least one of an external surface of the housing or an internal surface of the housing;

wherein the umbrella housing section covers the acoustic port.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when liquid enters one or more of the at least two apertures the umbrella housing section directs flow of the liquid away from the acoustic port.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the direction of the flow of the liquid away from the acoustic port reduces pressure on the structure.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the umbrella housing section is wider than the acoustic port.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional structure is composed of a different material than the structure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a surface of the structure facing the umbrella housing section includes a hydrophobic coating.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the umbrella housing section is an internal area of the housing between the at least two apertures and the acoustic port.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the internal area comprises at least one of an internal surface of the umbrella housing section or an internal surface of the at least two apertures.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the at least two apertures is sufficient that liquid positioned between the at least two apertures and the structure is allowed to exit through one or more of the at least two apertures.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the at least two apertures is sufficient that surface tension of liquid positioned between the at least two apertures and the structure does not prevent the liquid from exiting through one or more of the at least two apertures.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure allows liquid to pass under pressure.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the acoustic device is configured such that an acoustic membrane of the acoustic device is oriented toward the acoustic port.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the acoustic device is configured to drive liquid positioned between the structure and the at least two apertures out one or more of the at least two apertures.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a single sheet of material with multiple perforations that extend through the single sheet of material and are oriented in a number of directions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the perforations are formed by laser perforation.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the acoustic device comprises at least one of a microphone, a speaker, a microelectromechanical systems microphone, or a microelectromechanical systems speaker.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a mesh.

18. An electronic device, comprising:

an acoustic device comprising;

an acoustic port; and

a structure positioned over the acoustic port that resists entry of liquid or other materials into the acoustic device, the structure comprising a single sheet of material with multiple perforations extending through the single sheet of material that are oriented in a number of directions; and

a housing comprising;

an umbrella section; and

at least two openings separated by the umbrella section that couple to the acoustic port of the acoustic device; and

an additional structure that resists entry of liquid or other materials into the acoustic device, that covers the at least two openings, and is positioned on at least one of an external surface of the housing or an internal surface of the housing;

wherein the umbrella section covers the acoustic port.

19. A method for assembling a liquid resistant acoustic device, comprising:

positioning a structure over an acoustic port of an acoustic device that resists entry of liquid or other materials into the acoustic device, the structure comprising a single sheet of material with multiple perforations extending through the single sheet of material that are oriented in a number of directions;

coupling the acoustic port to at least two apertures of a housing that are separated by an umbrella section;

covering the acoustic port with the umbrella section; and

positioning an additional structure to cover the at least two apertures on at least one of an external surface of the housing or an internal surface of the housing, the additional structure resists entry of liquid or other materials into the acoustic device.