Woven transducer apparatus

• US 9,743,194 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: MacLean, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US15/018,785
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 381404, 381423, 381426, 381428
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/043 Inner suspension or damper, e.g. spider outer suspension or surround H04R7/16

Abstract

Embodiments of a speaker spider for a loudspeaker or transducer are provided. The speaker spider may include a textile material formed of a woven pattern with a plurality of concentric corrugations. The weaving pattern and/or dimensions of the speaker spider may substantially homogenize and/or reduce stress on the speaker spiders during operation of the speaker. The weaving pattern of the textile material of the speaker spider may include a pattern formed of a plurality of substantially concentric circular shapes, and/or a pattern including threads tangential to the central opening.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an outer edge defining an outer perimeter; and

a textile material formed of a woven pattern and comprising a plurality of concentric corrugations configured to allow movement of a loudspeaker component coupled to the textile material, the woven pattern comprising interwoven threads, each interwoven thread extending between an inner point and a distributed point along the outer edge, the interwoven threads comprising pairs of weft threads, each pair of weft threads having outer ends positioned within an outer common area along the outer edge, and each weft thread extending along a radius of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a central opening defining an inner perimeter, wherein each pair of weft threads has inner ends positioned within an inner common area along the inner perimeter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the interwoven threads comprise one or more warp threads, wherein the inner perimeter is defined by an innermost warp thread, and wherein the outer edge is defined by an outermost warp thread.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interwoven threads comprise one or more warp threads.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more warp threads is woven through the pairs of weft threads substantially concentrically.

6. A transducer apparatus, comprising:

a loudspeaker component; and

a speaker spider comprising;

an outer edge defining an outer perimeter; and

a textile material formed of a woven pattern and comprising a plurality of concentric corrugations configured to allow movement of a loudspeaker component coupled to the textile material, the woven pattern comprising interwoven threads, each interwoven thread extending from an inner point to a distributed point along the outer edge, the interwoven threads comprising pairs of weft threads, each pair of weft threads having outer ends positioned within an outer common area along the outer edge, and each weft thread extending along a radius of the transducer apparatus.

7. The transducer apparatus of claim 6, wherein the speaker spider further comprises:

a central opening defining an inner perimeter, wherein each pair of weft threads has inner ends positioned within an inner common area along the inner perimeter.

8. The transducer apparatus of claim 7, wherein the loudspeaker component comprises:

a voice coil, wherein the voice coil is disposed within the central opening and coupled to the inner perimeter of the speaker spider.

9. The transducer apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interwoven threads comprise one or more warp threads, wherein the inner perimeter is defined by an innermost warp thread, and wherein the outer edge is defined by an outermost warp thread.

10. The transducer apparatus of claim 6, wherein the loudspeaker component comprises:

a voice coil, wherein the voice coil is coupled to the outer edge of the speaker spider.

11. The transducer apparatus of claim 6, wherein the loudspeaker component comprises:

a spacer, wherein the spacer is attached to a center of the speaker spider on one side of the speaker spider.

12. The transducer apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a frame coupled to the outer perimeter of the speaker spider.

13. A method, comprising:

providing a textile material formed of a woven pattern, the woven pattern comprising interwoven threads extending between an inner point and a distributed point along an outer perimeter, the interwoven threads comprising pairs of weft threads, each pair of weft threads having outer ends positioned within an outer common area along the outer perimeter, and each weft thread extending along a radius of a transducer apparatus;

processing the textile material to form a plurality of concentric corrugations configured to allow movement of a loudspeaker component coupled to the textile material; and

coupling the textile material to a voice coil.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

applying a stiffening agent to the textile material while the textile material is attached to an outer frame.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein coupling the textile material comprises:

coupling an inner perimeter of the textile material to the voice coil, wherein a central opening of the textile material defines the inner perimeter; and

coupling the outer perimeter of the textile material to a frame.