Patent ID: 7557471
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: H04R

Abstract:
1. An apparatus adapted to transmit low frequency tactile waves into a structure and/or to a person's body, said apparatus comprising: a) a mounting section comprising at least a housing defining a chamber, said housing having a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis and a vertical axis; b) an inertial section comprising at least a generally longitudinally aligned magnet section mounted in said chamber for movement upwardly and downwardly from a neutral location, said magnet section having upper and lower pole portions, with each pole portion comprising oppositely positioned, generally longitudinally aligned pole side surface portions; c) a coil section comprising two laterally spaced coils mounted to said housing and located in said chamber on opposite sides of said magnet section, each coil having upper and lower generally longitudinally aligned coil portions and first and second end connecting coil portions connected between first and second end portions, respectively, of the generally longitudinally aligned coil portions, each generally longitudinally aligned coil portion being located next to a related one of said pole side surface portions when the magnet section is at its neutral position; d) said coil section further comprising two generally vertically aligned return path members which are located on opposite sides of the magnet section, each return path member being adjacent to, and extending between, the upper and lower generally longitudinally aligned coil portions of an adjacent one of the coils to form a flux path between the upper and lower generally longitudinally extending coil portions; e) an interconnecting section comprising upper and lower interconnecting subsections, each of said interconnecting subsections comprising two oppositely located longitudinally extending housing connecting portions, a central longitudinally aligned connecting portion, and two interconnecting portions connecting to and extending between the central connecting portion and the housing connecting portions, said apparatus being arranged so that with the magnet section in its neutral position, the two housing connecting portions and the central connecting portion are located in substantially the same horizontal plane, said interconnecting section being constructed and arranged to permit vertical up and down movement of said magnet section as part of the inertial section and to restrict rotational movement of said magnet section about any of said longitudinal, transverse and vertical axes and restrict movement of said magnet section in a direction having either or both of a transverse or a longitudinal alignment component so as to restrict movement of said magnet section to vertically aligned up and down movement, said interconnecting section being resiliently connected to said inertial section to locate said magnet section in the neutral position and to resiliently urge said magnet section toward the neutral position; whereby, when the coils are simultaneously energized, substantially uniform and equal electromagnetic forces are created along the length of the magnet section on opposite sides thereof to cause up and down cyclical movement of the magnet section as at least part of the inertial section, with the upper and lower interconnecting subsections applying resilient forces to move the magnet section back toward its neutral position while maintaining consistent orientation of the magnet section and minimizing any deviation from vertically aligned up and down movement.