Transducer with a bent armature

• US 9,432,774 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonion Nederland BV
• Original Assignee: Sonion Nederland BV
• Inventors: Bolsman, Caspar Titus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/675,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/045 using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 11/02 Loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/07 Suspension between moving magnetic core and housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003

Abstract

A transducer having a housing defining a chamber, a bent armature with a first leg and a second leg, a magnet assembly for providing a magnetic field in an air gap, and a coil comprising a coil tunnel. The coil tunnel and the air gap extend substantially parallel or perpendicular to each other. Furthermore, the first leg extends in a first direction through the coil tunnel and the second leg extends in a second direction through the air gap.

Claims

1. A transducer comprising:

a housing defining a chamber,

a U-shaped armature having at least a first leg and a second leg, the first leg having a first length, and a bent portion interconnecting the first and second legs,

a magnet assembly configured to provide a magnetic field in an air gap, and

a coil comprising a coil tunnel,

wherein the armature extends through the air gap and the coil tunnel and is fixed to the housing at an end portion of the first leg, so that the second leg and at least a portion of the first leg, the portion extending from the bent portion and comprising at least 50% of the first length, are movable in relation to the housing,

wherein the armature has a U-shaped portion where the first leg and the second leg are substantially parallel, and

wherein the coil tunnel and the air gap extend substantially parallel to each other, and wherein one of the second leg and the portion of the first leg extends through the coil tunnel and the other of the second leg and the portion of the first leg extends through the air gap.

2. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the second leg extends through the air gap.

3. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the second leg and the portion of the first leg are movable in a direction transverse to longitudinal directions of the first and second legs.

4. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the magnet assembly and the coil are arranged substantially above each other in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the first and second legs.

5. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the armature is fixed to an attachment point of the housing at an end portion of the first leg.

6. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the magnet assembly comprises a first magnet portion and a second magnet portion, and wherein a first part of the coil and the first magnet portion are positioned in an area between the first and second legs, and a second part of the coil and the second magnet portion are positioned outside the area.

7. A transducer according to claim 1, further comprising a membrane operationally attached to the second leg.

8. A transducer according to claim 7, further comprising a suspension attached to a fixation point at the housing, the suspension extending in the housing and being attached to the coil and the magnet assembly.

9. A transducer according to claim 1, further comprising a suspension attached to a fixation point at the housing, the suspension extending in the housing and being attached to the coil and the magnet assembly.

10. A transducer according to claim 9, wherein the suspension is positioned between the membrane and the attachment point.

11. A transducer according to claim 9, wherein the suspension is positioned between the membrane and the attachment point.

12. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a top wall, a bottom wall, and one or more side walls extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, a distance between the top wall and the bottom wall being in the range of 0.5-5.0 mm.

13. A transducer according to claim 12, wherein a distance between two opposing side wall portions is in the range of 2.0-5.0 mm.

14. A transducer according to claim 1, wherein the chamber has a volume in the range of 10-20 mm³.

15. A transducer comprising:

a housing defining a chamber,

an L-shaped armature having at least a first leg and a second leg, the first leg having a first length, and a bent portion interconnecting the first and second legs,

a magnet assembly configured to provide a magnetic field in an air gap, and

a coil comprising a coil tunnel,

wherein the armature extends through the air gap and the coil tunnel and is fixed to the housing at an end portion of the first leg, so that the second leg and at least a portion of the first leg, the portion extending from the bent portion and comprising at least 50% of the first length, are movable in relation to the housing, and

wherein the first leg extends in a first direction through the coil tunnel and the second leg extends in a second direction through the air gap, wherein the coil tunnel and the air gap extend transverse to each other.