Vibration motor

A vibration motor is provided in the present disclosure. The vibration motor includes a housing providing an accommodating space, a magnet assembly accommodated within the accommodating space, and a coil assembly for driving the magnet assembly. The magnet assembly includes a first magnet module and a second magnet opposite to each other, the coil assembly includes a coil and a coil support for supporting the coil. The coil support includes a support body and a plurality of supporting legs. The supporting legs extend from the support body and are fixed to the housing. The coil is supported by the support body between the first magnet module and the second magnet module.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to vibration motor technologies, and more particularly, to a vibration motor applicable to a mobile device.

BACKGROUND

With development of mobile electronic technology, mobile devices, such as mobile phones, handheld game players, navigation devices, handheld multimedia entertainment apparatuses, or the like, become more and more popular. Generally, the mobile devices use vibration motors to provide system feedback, such as incoming call or message prompting in a mobile phone, or vibration feedback in a potable game player.

In a related vibration motor, a magnet is provided at one side of a coil, and a magnet circuit is provided at the other side of the coil. With this configuration, however, a magnetic field generated by the coil in the vibration motor is incapable of provide sufficient driving force to drive the vibration motor to perform necessary vibration.

Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a new vibration motor to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and the embodiment thereof.

Referring toFIG. 1andFIG. 2, a vibration motor100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a stationary part and a vibration part.

The stationary part includes a housing1, a coil assembly2and a circuit board3. The housing1provides an accommodating space for receiving the coil assembly2and a supporting platform1131for supporting the circuit board3. The coil assembly2may be connected with an external circuit via the circuit board3to receive an electrical signal.

Specifically, the housing1includes a main casing11and a cover plate13covering the main casing11for forming the accommodating space. The main casing11includes a bottom plate111and four sidewalls113extending perpendicularly from the bottom plate111. One of the sidewalls113, which is next to the coil assembly2, includes an extending board extending outward perpendicularly at a middle top region thereof to form the supporting platform1131, and the supporting platform1131is configured for supporting the circuit board3.

The coil assembly2includes a coil21and a coil support23for supporting the coil21. The coil21may include a pair of lead wires211, the lead wires211extend from an end of the coil21facing the supporting platform1131. Moreover, the lead wires211are attached on the sidewall113corresponding to the supporting platform1131, and are spot welded to a surface of the circuit board3.

Referring also toFIG. 3, the coil support23includes a support body231and a plurality of supporting legs233bent and extending downwards from four corners of the support body231. The support body231includes two supporting portions2311that are disposed opposite to each other, and two connecting ribs2313for connecting the two supporting portions2311end to end. Each of the supporting portions2311is L-shaped and includes a supporting plate and a block plate extending perpendicularly from an outer edge of the supporting plate. The supporting plates of the two supporting portions2311are level with each other to support the coil21. The block plates of the two supporting portions2311cooperate with the two connecting ribs2313for forming an accommodating structure235for accommodating the coil21. The coil21is surrounded by the accommodating structure235and thus movement of the coil21is restricted. The accommodating structure235can reduce loss of the magnetic field, which is caused by the coil support23.

The supporting legs233extend from ends of the supporting portions2311. Each of the supporting legs233includes a first extending portion2331that extends downwards from the supporting portion2311, and a second extending portion2333extending perpendicularly from the first extending portion2331. The supporting legs233can be fixed to the bottom plate111of the main casing11by the second extending portion2333, for example, by welding.

In this embodiment, the coil support23includes four supporting legs233which are respectively formed at four corners of the support body231. In other alternative embodiments, the number of the supporting legs233is not limited to four, and the coil support23may also have other suitable number of supporting legs233.

The circuit board3may be a regular printed circuit board, and is disposed on the surface of the supporting platform1131. The circuit board3may be shaped as the supporting platform1131, for example, to be a rectangular board, and a size of the circuit board3is smaller than that of the supporting platform1131. In other alternative embodiments, the circuit board3may also be provided in other suitable manners, and no limitation is made thereto by the present disclosure.

The vibration part is accommodated within the accommodating space of the housing1, and the vibration part includes a magnet assembly4, a pair of pole plates5and an elastic connector6. The pair of pole plates5is respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the magnet assembly4, and the magnet steel assembly4is suspended within the accommodating space by the elastic connector6.

The magnet assembly4includes a first magnet module41and a second magnet module43that are disposed opposite to each other. The first magnet module41includes a first mass block411and a first magnet413accommodated within the first mass block411. The first mass block411has a bottom and a pair of side portions extending from two opposite ends of the bottom, and the bottom includes a first receiving hole4111for receiving the first magnet413.

The second magnet assembly43includes a second mass block431and a second magnet433accommodated within the second mass block431. The second mass block431may be a mass plate, and includes a second receiving hole4311for receiving the second magnet433.

In the magnet assembly4, the second mass block431, accompany with the second magnet433, can be received between the two side portions of the first mass block411, and is separated from the bottom of the first mass block411at a certain distance. In other words, the two side portions and the bottom of the first mass block411cooperatively form a groove for receiving the second mass block431and the second magnet433. The above-mentioned distance between the bottom and the second mass block431can ensure the first magnet413and the second magnet433to be opposite to and spaced apart from each other.

In this embodiment, the coil21is supported between the first magnet module41and the second magnet module43by the coil support23; more specifically, the coil21is suspended within a gap between the bottom of the first mass block411and the second mass block431by the coil support23. A length of each of the two connecting ribs2313of the support body231should be greater than that of the bottom of the first mass block411, so that the support body231is capable of extending across the bottom of the first mass block411; and a height of the first extending portion2331of the supporting leg233should be greater than a thickness of the bottom of the first mass block411so that the coil21can be suspended between the first magnet module41and the second magnet module43.

The pole plates5may be made of magnetic material. The pole plates5are configured for shielding the magnetic field in the vibration motor100so as to reduce magnetic leakage of the vibration motor100.

The elastic connector6includes a pair of U-shaped elastic connecting members, each of which includes a first connecting portion61, a second connecting portion63and a third connecting portion65for connecting the first connecting portion61and the second connecting portion63. Each of the U-shaped elastic connecting members is connected to the housing1and a corresponding end of the first mass block411respectively via the first connecting portion61and the second connecting portion63. The third connecting portion65is disposed spaced apart from the housing1. To enhance a connecting strength of the elastic connector6, a pad67is disposed on at least one of the first connecting portion61and the second connecting portion63.

Furthermore, the vibration motor100may further include a pair of dampers7and a pair of blocking members8. Each of the dampers7is disposed between the third connecting portion65of a corresponding U-shaped elastic connecting member and the magnet assembly4. Each of the blocking members8is disposed between a corresponding U-shaped elastic connecting member and the main casing11, and is fixed to the bottom plate111. The dampers7can be deformed elastically to decrease relative motion between the magnet assembly4and the elastic connector6, thereby protecting the vibration motor100from suffering collision failure. The blocking members8can restrict collision between the elastic connector6and the main casing11.

When the vibration motor100operates, the coil assembly2generates a magnetic field in response to an electrical signal received by the circuit board3, the magnetic field drives the magnet assembly4to motion and thus the vibration motor100vibrates. In this embodiment, the coil21is suspended between the first magnet module41and the second magnet module43by the coil support23, the first magnet module41and the second magnet module43provides two magnetic circuits at two opposite sides of the coil21. This can improve a utilization efficiency of the magnetic field generated by the coil21, thereby providing sufficient driving force to drive the vibration motor100to perform necessary vibration. As such, a performance of the vibration motor100can be improved with a simple structure, and the vibration motor100can be applicable to the mobile device in practice.

In other alternative embodiments, roles of the coil assembly2and the magnet assembly4may be exchanged. For example, the coil assembly2may be a part of the vibration part, and the magnet assembly4may be a part of the stationary part.