# US 2019/0246192 A1 · Assembly for protecting acoustic device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2019/0246192 A1
- Document ID: US20190246192A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/329,872
- Filed: 2016-09-14
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-14
- Assignees: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.; W. L. Gore & Associates (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH; W. L. Gore & Associates (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Anton Killer; Joona Markus Riihimaeki; Xishou A. Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190246192A1

## CPC

- H04R 1/086: {Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens}
- B29C 65/1635: {at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding}
- B29C 65/1661: {scanning repeatedly, e.g. quasi-simultaneous laser welding}
- B29C 65/1677: {making use of an absorber or impact modifier}
- B29C 65/1683: {coated on the article}
- B29C 66/1122: {Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints (B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence)}
- B29C 66/24221: {being circular (B29C66/51 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/305: {Decorative or coloured joints (optical properties of the material of the parts to be joined B29C66/733)}
- B29C 66/472: {said single elements being substantially flat}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29C 66/712: {the composition of one of the parts to be joined being different from the composition of the other part}
- B29C 66/727: {being porous, e.g. foam}
- B29C 66/73521: {of different thickness, i.e. the thickness of one of the parts to be joined being different from the thickness of the other part}
- B29C 66/73921: {characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics}
- B29C 66/81267: {Transparent to electromagnetic radiation, e.g. to visible light}
- B29C 66/8322: {Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis}
- B29C 66/843: {Machines for making separate joints at the same time in different planes; Machines for making separate joints at the same time mounted in parallel or in series}
- H04R 1/023: {Screens for loudspeakers}
- B29C 65/1616: {Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers}
- B29C 65/168: {placed at the interface}
- B29C 65/4825: {Pressure sensitive adhesives}
- B29C 65/5057: {positioned between the surfaces to be joined (B29C65/5035 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/30326: {in the form of porosity}
- B29C 66/8122: {characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps}
- B29C 66/919: {characterised by specific temperature, heat or thermal flux values or ranges (specific electrical resistance values B29C66/81262)}
- B29C 66/939: {characterised by specific speed values or ranges}
- B29L 2031/3418: {Loud speakers}
- H04R 2201/029: Manufacturing aspects of enclosures transducers
- H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

An assembly (1) for protecting an acoustic device comprises an expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) membrane (3) and first and second polymeric substrates (2, 4) disposed on opposing sides (5, 6) of the membrane (3). The first substrate (2) is transmissive for laser light of a predetermined wavelength, and the membrane (3) is joined to the first and second substrates (2, 4) by first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) on the first side (5) of the membrane (3) and the second side (6) of the membrane (3), respectively, that are created in a single laser transmission welding step through the first polymeric substrate (2) towards the second polymeric substrate (4). The first side (5) of the membrane (3) may be at least partially absorbent for the laser light and the second side (6) may be at least partially transmissive for the laser light. This may be achieved by a color gradient from black to white from the first side (5) to the second side (6).

## Claims

### Claim 1

An assembly (1) for protecting an acoustic device, comprising:
an expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) membrane (3) having a first side (5) and a second side (6) opposite the first side (5), a first polymeric substrate (2) disposed on only a portion of the first side (5) of the membrane (3), and a second polymeric substrate (4) disposed on only a portion of the second side (6) of the membrane (3) opposite the first polymeric substrate (4), wherein the first substrate (2) is at least partially transmissive for laser light of a predetermined wavelength, wherein the membrane (3) is joined to the first and second substrates (2, 4) by first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) on the first side (5) of the membrane (3) and the second side (6) of the membrane (3), respectively.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) are congruent to each other.

### Claim 3

An assembly (1) for protecting an acoustic device, comprising: an expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) membrane (3) having a first side (5) and a second side (6) opposite the first side (5), a first polymeric substrate (2) disposed on only a portion of the first side (5) of the membrane (3), and a second polymeric substrate (4) disposed on only a portion of the second side (6) of the membrane (3) opposite the first polymeric substrate (2), wherein the first substrate (2) is at least partially transmissive for laser light of a predetermined wavelength, wherein the membrane (3) is joined to the first and second substrates (2, 4) by first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) on the first side (5) of the membrane (3) and the second side (6) of the membrane (3), respectively, wherein either the first side (5) or the second side (6) of the membrane (3) is at least partially absorbent for the laser light and the respective other one of the first and second sides (5, 6) is at least partially transmissive for the laser light.

### Claim 4

(canceled)

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein either the first side (5) or the second side (6) of the membrane (3) is at least partially absorbent for the laser light and the respective other one of the first and second sides (5, 6) is at least partially transmissive for the laser light.

### Claim 6

(canceled)

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first side (5) of the membrane (3) has a first color and the second side (6) of the membrane (5) has a second color that is different from the first color.

### Claim 8

(canceled)

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The assembly of claim 7, wherein a color gradient exists between the first side (5) of the membrane (3) and the second side (6) of the membrane (3).

### Claim 10

(canceled)

### Claim 11

(canceled)

### Claim 12

(canceled)

### Claim 13

(canceled)

### Claim 14

(canceled)

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the membrane (3) has a thickness configured to allow a sufficient amount of heat caused by the laser welding process and necessary for creating the first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) to pass through the membrane (3) during the laser welding process.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second polymeric substrate (4) is absorbent for the laser light of the predetermined wavelength.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first polymeric substrate (2) or the second polymeric substrate (4) has a thickness of about 100 μm.

### Claim 18

(canceled)

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the membrane (3) is transparent and comprises transparent laser absorbent additives.

### Claim 20

(canceled)

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly (1) is an acoustic configured to protect an opening for passing sound.

### Claim 22

A method of manufacturing an assembly (1) for protecting an acoustic device, the method comprising the steps of: providing an expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE) membrane (3) having a first side (5) and a second side (6) opposite the first side (5), providing a first polymeric substrate (2) on only a portion of the first side (5) of the membrane (3), the first polymeric substrate (2) being at least partially transmissive for laser light of a predetermined wavelength, and providing a second polymeric substrate (4) on only a portion of the second side (6) of the membrane (3) opposite the first polymeric substrate (2), joining the membrane (3) to the first and second polymeric substrates (2, 4) by laser transmission welding by applying a laser beam of the predetermined wavelength through the first polymeric substrate (2) towards the second polymeric substrate (4), thereby creating first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) on the first side (5) of the membrane (3) with the first polymeric substrate (2) and on the second side (6) of the membrane (3) with the second polymeric substrate (4), respectively.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein either the first side (5) or the second side (6) of the membrane (3) at least partially absorbs the laser light and the respective other one of the first and second sides (5, 6) at least partially transmits the laser light.

### Claim 24

(canceled)

### Claim 25

(canceled)

### Claim 26

(canceled)

### Claim 27 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein a color gradient exists between the first side (5) of the membrane (3) and the second side (6) of the membrane (3).

### Claim 28

(canceled)

### Claim 29 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the membrane (3) comprises a coating (8) applied to at least one of the first side (5) or the second side (6) of the membrane (3).

### Claim 30

(canceled)

### Claim 31 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the first side (5) of the membrane (3) and the second side (6) of the membrane (3) have substantially the same transmission characteristics with respect to the laser light.

### Claim 32

(canceled)

### Claim 33 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the membrane (3) has a thickness that allows a sufficient amount of heat caused by the laser transmission welding process and necessary for creating the first and second laser weld joints (9, 10) to pass through the membrane (3) during the laser transmission welding process.

### Claim 34 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the second polymeric substrate (4) absorbs the laser light of the predetermined wavelength.

### Claim 35

(canceled)

### Claim 36 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of applying a vacuum from the second side (6) of the membrane (3) during the joining step.