Abstract:
A vibration motor is disclosed. The vibration motor includes a housing, a substrate engaging with the housing, a vibration unit received in the housing, an elastic member suspending the vibration unit, and a coil assembly interacting with the vibration unit. The vibration motor further includes a number of dampers located between the vibration unit and the elastic members for being constantly pressed and released.

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to vibration motors, and more particularly to a vibration motor used in a portable consumer electronic device. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Consumer products, such as mobile phones and portable multi-media players, generally include vibrators for generating tactile feedback. For example, a mobile phone has a vibrator for generating vibration while a call is called in, and a portable multi-media player has a touch screen having vibrators for getting tactile feedback. 
         [0003]    A related vibration motor generally includes a magnet assembly and a stator assembly. The magnet assembly is generally elastically suspended in a housing of the vibration motor. Elastic members, such as springs, are used for suspending the magnet assembly. During the vibration, the magnet assembly vibrates within predetermined amplitude. In actual application, user needs the magnet assembly to come back to the balanced position for realizing fast vibration. 
         [0004]    Therefore, it is desired to provide a new vibration motor which can satisfy the demand mentioned above. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the embodiment can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a vibration motor in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an isometric and exploded view of the vibration motor of the exemplary embodiment. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3 a    is an isometric view of a first weight of the vibration motor. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3 b    is a top view of the first weight in  FIG. 3   a.    
           [0010]      FIG. 4 a    is an isometric view of a second weight of the vibration motor. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4 b    is a front view of the second weight in  FIG. 4   a.    
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view of an assembly of the second weight, a housing, and elastic members of the vibration motor. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the vibration motor taken along a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the housing thereof has been removed. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of an assembly of the weight and a coil support of the vibration motor. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the vibration motor taken along a transverse axis thereof, wherein the housing thereof has been removed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and an exemplary embodiment thereof. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a vibration motor  10  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing  11  and a substrate  12  forming an enclosure of the motor. The housing  11  provides protection to other components of the motor, and the substrate  12  provides a mounting surface mountable to an external device. Both of the housing  11  and the substrate  12  are elongated and have a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis. 
         [0018]    Further, the vibration motor  10  includes a first magnet assembly  13 , a second magnet assembly  14 , a plurality of elastic members  15 , a coil assembly  16 , and a flexible printed circuit (FPC)  17 . The first magnet assembly  13  and the second magnet assembly  14  form cooperatively a vibration unit suspended by the elastic members  15  in the housing  11 . In fact, the first magnet assembly  13  and the second magnet assembly  14  are assembled together as a whole for generating vibration by virtue of the elastic support provided by the elastic members  15 . The first magnet assembly  13  includes a first weight  131  and a first magnet  132  carried by the first weight  131 . The second magnet assembly  14  includes a second weight  141  and a second magnet  142  carried by the second weight  141 . The coil assembly  16  is used for interacting with the first and second magnet assemblies  13 ,  14  for producing Ampere Force to drive the vibration unit to vibrate. The coil assembly  16  includes a coil  161  and a coil support  162  for carrying the coil  161 . The FPC  17  is electrically connected with the coil  161  of the coil assembly  16  for providing electrical signals to the coil  161 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 a -3 b   , together with  FIG. 2 , the first weight  131  of the first magnet assembly  13  is elongated, corresponding to the shapes of the housing and the substrate. The first weight  131  includes a pair of engagement parts  131   a  and a pair of sidewalls  131   c . The engagement parts  131   a  respectively connect two ends of the sidewalls  131   c  for forming a first through hole  131   b . A width of the engagement part  131   a  along the transverse axis is smaller than a distance between the two sidewalls  131   c  along the same direction, thus a plurality of avoidances  131   d  is accordingly formed. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 a -4 b   , together with  FIG. 2 , the second weight  141  is also elongated. The second weight  141  includes a body  141   a  and a second through hole  141   b . The body  141   a  forms a first recess  141   d  recessed from a lower surface thereof to a first bottom  141   d , and a second recess  141   e  recessed from the first bottom  141   d  to a second bottom  141   f . The second through hole  141   b  is form in the second bottom  141   f . In addition, the second bottom  141   f  further forms a pair of slots  141   g  for engaging with the elastic members  15 . And, the slot  141   g  includes a volume  30 . As an improvement, the second weight  141  further includes a pair of pits  141   h  each provided at an edge of the second weight  141 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , the housing  11  forms a plurality of sides  11   a  for forming a receiving space for accommodating necessary components therein. The second weight  141  is suspended in the receiving space by the elastic members  15 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the elastic member  15  includes a first fixing part  151  fixed on one of the sides  11   a  of the housing  11 , a second fixing part  152  received in the slot  141   g  and fixed to the second weight  141 , and an elastic arm  153  connecting the first fixing part  151  to the second fixing part  152 . By virtue of the elastic members  15 , the second weight  141  is capable of vibrating in the housing along a deforming direction of the elastic arm  153 . In this embodiment, the second weight  141  is capable of vibrating along the transverse axis X-X. In addition, the volume  30  is recessed toward a direction far away from the second fixing part  152  of the elastic member  15  for forming an extra space for a tool to fix the second fixing part to the second weight  141 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , together with  FIGS. 3 a , 3 b , 4 a , and 4 b   , while assembled, the engagement parts  131   a  of the first weight  131  fixed on the first bottom  141   d  of the second weight  141 , the first magnet  132  is received in the first through hole  131   b , and the second magnet  142  is received in the second through hole  141   b , which cooperatively forms the vibration unit. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , the coil support  162  includes a lower part  162   a  mounted on the substrate  12 , a middle part  162   b  extending vertically from the lower part  162  and an upper part  162   c  extending from the middle part  162   b . The upper part  162   c  is substantially parallel to the lower part  162   a . The upper part  162   c  further includes a carrying part  162   d  for carrying the coil  161  thereon. The upper part  162   c  is spaced apart from the lower part  162   a  by the middle part  162   b  for forming an accommodation space  162   e . While assembled, the first weight  131  is accommodated in the accommodation space  162   e  with the engagement parts  131  out of the accommodation space  162   e.    
         [0024]    Referring  FIG. 8 , together with  FIG. 6 , since the first weight  131  is accommodated in the accommodation space  162   e , the first magnet assembly  13  is also received in the accommodation space  162   e  with the engagement parts  131  engaged with the first bottom  141   d  of the second weight  141 . Thus, when the vibration unit, i.e., the combination of the first magnet assembly and the second magnet assembly vibrates, the vibration unit could vibrate along the transverse direction X-X with the first magnet assembly  13  moving in the accommodation space  162   e . Referring back to  FIG. 6 , while assembled, the upper part  162   c  and the coil  161  is located in the second recess  141   e , and the coil  161  will interact with the first magnet  132  and the second magnet  142  for producing Ampere Force to drive the vibration unit to vibrate. Another word, the coil  161  is located between the first magnet  132  and the second magnet  142 . 
         [0025]    Referring back to  FIG. 7 , the avoidance  131   d  of the first weight  131  is arranged corresponding to the middle part  162   b  of the coil support  162 . While the vibration unit vibrates along the transverse direction X-X, the avoidance  131   d  provides an extra space for preventing the first weight  131  interfering with the middle part  162   b.    
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 2, 4   a , and  5 , the vibration motor  10  further includes a plurality of dampers  80  located between the elastic arm  153  and the second weight  141 . During the vibration of the vibration unit, the elastic arm  153  constantly presses and releases the damper  80  for increasing the damping and avoiding noises during vibration. Optionally, the dampers are also arranged between the second weight  141  and the housing  11  for avoiding the vibration unit contacting the housing directly. It is optional that the second weight further includes a plurality of notches  149  corresponding to the dampers  80 . The dampers  80  are positioned and fixed by the notches  149 . 
         [0027]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiment have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiment, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.