Magnet arrangement for loudspeaker

• US 7,203,332 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Steere, John F., Hutt, Steven W., Mango, Louis A., Garner, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ensey; Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/429,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20040022406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 381/396, 381/399, 381/408, 381/421, 381/423, 381/431, 381/176, 381/178, 381/386, 381/394, 381/395, 381/412, 264/272.11
• US Class Current: 381/399
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0205 for radio sets B60R11/0211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0211 for record carriers apparatus, e.g. video recorders, tape players or CD players
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0223 of flat type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0003 inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0082 collapsible, e.g. for storing after use
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0094 characterised by means for covering after user, e.g. boxes, shutters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0288 Apparatus made of several modules independently mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/06 Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/34 Directing or guiding sound by means of a phase plug
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/11 Aspects regarding the frame of loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/003 for diaphragms or their outer suspension
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/04 Plane diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/18 : at the periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 : Magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/047 : in which the windings of the moving coil lay in the same plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 : Loudspeakers

Abstract

An electro-dynamic loudspeaker includes a frame, a plurality of magnets and a diaphragm. The frame includes a molded plastic body. The magnets may be molded into the frame in a determined configuration. The frame is mechanically coupled to the diaphragm such that the magnets are a determined distance from the diaphragm. The diaphragm may include a conductor applied to a surface of the diaphragm. The diaphragm may be driven by a motive force created when current passes through the conductor within a magnetic field formed by the magnets. The electrical current may be varied to create an acoustical output from the electro-dynamic loudspeaker.

Claims

1. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a diaphragm having an electrical conductor coupled thereto;

a molded frame having a body defining a mounting plane;

a plurality of magnets at least partially molded into the body of the frame, where the diaphragm is coupled to the mounting plane, and where each of the magnets is offset from the mounting plane; and

an electrical terminal at least partially embedded within a portion of the frame where the electrical terminal includes a male prong portion extending from the body of the frame, and where the electrical terminal includes an intermediate portion positioned between the end portion and the male prong portion, the intermediate portion being embedded within the frame, and an end portion extending beyond the surface of the frame to the interior thereof, and wherein the end portion is electrically coupled to an electrical conductor of the diaphragm.

2. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 1 where each of the magnets has an upper surface, and where the upper surface of each of the magnets is positioned to be substantially coplanar with the upper surface of each of the other magnets.

3. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 1 where each of the magnets includes an upper surface coplanar with an upper surface of the body of the frame.

4. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 3 where at least two of the magnets have different thickness.

5. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 1 where the frame includes a box-like wall partially enclosing the male prong portion of the electrical terminal.

6. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a molded plastic frame;

a first magnet and a second magnet integrally molded into the frame;

the first and second magnets each having a first surface and a second surface, where the first surface of each of the first and second magnets is aligned in substantially a single plane; and

where each of the first and second magnets includes a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the first and second magnets are molded into the frame.

7. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first magnet is positioned in a first row and the second magnet is positioned in a second row to form a magnetic field between the first and second magnets.

8. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first magnet is positioned in the frame with opposite polarity with respect to the polarity of the second magnet.

9. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first magnet comprises a plurality of magnets in a first row and the second magnet comprises a plurality of magnets in a second row.

10. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first and second magnets comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending members positioned end-to-end in a first row and a second row, respectively in the frame.

11. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first surface of the first and second magnets is coplanar with a surface of the frame, and the second surface of the first and second magnets is embedded in the molded plastic frame.

12. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6, further comprising a diaphragm, where the diaphragm is mounted to the frame in a state of tension and is spaced apart from the first and second magnets by a determined distance.

13. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 12, where the diaphragm comprises a thin film coupled with the frame that is a movable membrane capable of producing sound.

14. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 13, where the thin film is of only one-piece construction.

15. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a plurality of longitudinally extending magnets; and

a frame having a first surface and a second surface,

where the magnets are molded into the first surface of the frame in a plurality of spaced apart rows to extend longitudinally along the first surface,

where the magnets also extend partially through the frame towards the second surface;

where the magnets include a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the magnet is molded into the frame.

16. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the first surface is an inner surface of the frame that is positionable adjacent to a diaphragm and the second is an outer surface of the frame.

17. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the frame is a bowed frame.

18. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the frame is elastically deformable to tension a diaphragm.

19. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the frame includes a plurality of apertures extending from the first surface to the second surface, where the rows of magnets are positioned between rows of the apertures.

20. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the magnets are embedded in the frame to be substantially coplanar with the first surface of the frame.

21. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 19 where the magnets non-uniformly extend toward the second surface to remain coplanar with the first surface.

22. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the magnets are generally rectangular and are positioned end-to-end in the rows.

23. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a molded plastic frame;

a first magnet and a second magnet integrally molded into the frame;

the first and second magnets each having a first surface and a second surface, where the first surface of each of the first and second magnets is aligned in substantially a single plane; and

where the first surface of the first and second magnets is coplanar with a surface of the frame, and the second surface of the first and second magnets is embedded in the molded plastic frame, and where each of the first and second magnets includes a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the first and second magnets are molded into the frame.

24. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a diaphragm having an electrical conductor coupled thereto;

a molded frame having a body defining a mounting plane;

a plurality of magnets at least partially molded into the body of the frame, where the diaphragm is coupled to the mounting plane, and where each of the magnets is offset from the mounting plane;

an electrical terminal at least partially embedded within a portion of the frame where the electrical terminal includes a portion extending from the body of the frame, and where the electrical terminal includes an intermediate portion positioned between the end portion and the portion, the intermediate portion being embedded within the frame, and an end portion extending beyond the surface of the frame to the interior thereof, and wherein the end portion is electrically coupled to an electrical conductor of the diaphragm; and

where the frame includes a box-like wall partially enclosing the portion of the electrical terminal.

25. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a diaphragm having an electrical conductor coupled thereto;

a molded frame having a body defining a mounting plane;

a plurality of magnets at least partially molded into the body of the frame, where the diaphragm is coupled to the mounting plane,

where each of the magnets is offset from the mounting plane; and

where each of the magnets include a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the magnets are molded into the frame.