Highly compliant miniature transducer
AssigneeBose Corporation
InventorsLei Cheng, Andrew D. Munro, Mark A. Hayner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various implementations include miniature loudspeaker drivers. In some aspects, an electro-acoustic driver includes: a cone having a surface area configured to radiate acoustic energy; a suspension coupled to the cone; and a support structure coupled to the suspension and having an outer linear dimension in a plane of the cone of approximately 6.0 millimeters (mm) or less, wherein the surface area of the cone is at least 49% of an overall cross-sectional area of the electro-acoustic driver in the plane of the cone.
Claims21
An electro-acoustic driver, comprising:
- a cone having a surface area configured to radiate acoustic energy;
- a suspension coupled to the cone, wherein the suspension is non-planar in a resting position;
- and
- a support structure coupled to the suspension and having an outer linear dimension in a plane of the support structure of approximately 6.0 millimeters (mm) or less,
- wherein the surface area of the cone is at least 49% of an overall cross-sectional area of the electro-acoustic driver in the plane of the support structure,
- wherein a diameter of the cone is greater than approximately 70 percent of the outer linear dimension of the support structure, wherein the suspension provides a stiffness of approximately 35 Newton/meter (N/m) or less, and wherein the stiffness enhances a spectral output of the electro-acoustic driver.
A diaphragm assembly for an electro-acoustic driver, the diaphragm assembly comprising:
- a cone having a surface area configured to radiate acoustic energy;
- and
- a suspension coupled to the cone,
- wherein the suspension is non-planar in a resting position, wherein the suspension comprises an elastomer, and wherein the suspension provides a stiffness of approximately 10 N/m or less, wherein the stiffness enhances a spectral output of the electro-acoustic driver, and
- wherein the electro-acoustic driver has an outer dimension of approximately 8 millimeters (mm) or less.
An in-ear audio device, comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- an electro-acoustic driver coupled with the controller, the electro-acoustic driver comprising:
- a cone having a surface area configured to radiate acoustic energy;
- a suspension coupled to the cone, wherein the suspension is non-planar in a resting position;
- and
- a support structure coupled to the suspension and having an outer linear dimension in a plane of the support structure of approximately 6.0 millimeters (mm) or less,
- wherein the surface area of the cone is at least 49% of an overall cross-sectional area of the electro-acoustic driver in the plane of the support structure,
- wherein a diameter of the cone is greater than approximately 70 percent of the outer linear dimension of the support structure, wherein the suspension provides a stiffness of approximately 8 Newton/meter (N/m) or less, and wherein the stiffness enhances a spectral output of the electro-acoustic driver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.