Acoustic systems for electronic devices

• US 8,055,003 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Seguin, Chad, Howarth, Richard P., Mittleman, Adam D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MINH LOAN
• Application Number:
  US12/119,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20090245565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 381/386
• US Class Current: 381/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• 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 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• 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 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/28 Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means combinations of transducers with horns, i.e. front-loaded horns H04R1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2807 Enclosures comprising vibrating or resonating arrangements for the reduction of undesired resonances or vibrations H04R1/2869
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

A portable electronic device may have acoustic ports such as microphone and speaker ports. Acoustic devices such as microphones and speakers may be associated with the acoustic ports. An acoustic port may have an opening between an interior and exterior of the portable electronic device. The opening may be covered by a metal mesh. An acoustic fabric may be interposed between the metal mesh and the opening. The opening may be formed from a hole in a glass member having outer and inner chamfers. A microphone boot may be provided that forms front and rear radial seals with a housing of the device and a microphone unit respectively. The microphone boot may also form multiple face seals with the microphone unit. A speaker for the speaker port may be enclosed in a sealed speaker enclosure. The speaker enclosure may have a pressure-equalizing vent slit covered with an acoustic mesh.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device acoustic structure, comprising:

a substantially sealed speaker enclosure having an interior and an exterior; and

a speaker within the speaker enclosure, wherein the speaker has a diaphragm with one side exposed to the exterior of the sealed speaker enclosure and another side exposed to the interior of the sealed speaker enclosure so that acoustically the sealed speaker enclosure serves as a closed speaker box for the speaker and wherein the substantially sealed speaker enclosure has a vent between the interior and exterior of the speaker enclosure that allows air pressure to equalize between the exterior and interior.

2. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 1 wherein the speaker enclosure is formed from two halves and wherein the vent is formed at a seam between the two plastic halves.

3. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 1 wherein the speaker enclosure comprises a housing wall in which the vent forms a slit.

4. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 1 further comprising speaker fabric mounted over the vent.

5. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 1 wherein the speaker enclosure comprises a housing wall and wherein the vent is formed from multiple holes passing through the housing wall.

6. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 1 wherein the speaker enclosure has a metal portion mounted to a plastic housing wall and wherein the vent is formed from at least one opening in the metal portion.

7. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 1 wherein the speaker enclosure is formed from two halves, wherein the vent is formed at a seam between the two plastic halves, and wherein the speaker enclosure comprises a housing wall structure in which the vent forms a slit.

8. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 7 further comprising a nonmetallic fabric mounted over the vent.

9. The portable electronic device acoustic structure defined in claim 8 further comprising a microphone boot mounted to the speaker enclosure.