Patent Publication Number: US-2016226361-A1

Title: Flat Linear Vibration Motor

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a type of vibration motor, especially a type of flat linear vibration motor which is used for those portable consumption electronic products. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     With the development of electronic technology, portable consumption electronic products become more and more popular, such as cellphones, handheld game player, navigation device, or handheld multimedia recreation equipment, etc., vibration motor is usually used on these electronic products to make system feedback, such as cellphones call reminders, SMS tips, navigation tips, and vibration feedback of game players, etc. Such wide application requires that the vibration motor must be of high performance and long service life. 
     The vibration motor of relevant technology includes a housing, a vibrator unit that is received in the housing, and a spring part for suspending the vibrator unit within the housing. The spring part is also used to provide restoring force and provide localization guidance for the vibrator unit. 
     However, the vibrator unit of this vibration motor of such structure is easy to shake, moreover, the spring part is also easy to fail or wear in case of long time of service, all of which will affect badly the performance and service life of the motor. 
     Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new vibration motor to solve the problems mentioned above. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings 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. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric and exploded view of a flat linear vibration motor in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the flat linear vibration motor in  FIG. 1  along a longer axis thereof 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric of the flat linear vibration motor, only showing core components thereof. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the flat linear vibration motor along a shorter axis. 
         FIG. 5  an engaging assembly cross-sectional view of a flat linear vibration motor in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disco sure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments. It should be understood the specific embodiments described hereby is only to explain this disclosure, not intended to limit this disclosure. 
       FIGS. 1-3  show a type of flat linear vibration motor  1  in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The flat linear vibration motor  1  includes a long-strip housing  10  forming an accommodation space  100 , a first magnet  11  received in the housing  10 , a vibrator unit  12  suspended within the housing  10 , and a second magnet  13  fixed on the housing  10 . The first magnet  11 , the vibrator unit  12 , and the second magnet  13  are arranged in sequence along a vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12 . The flat linear vibration motor  1  further includes a driving coil  16  intervally set on an upper part of the vibrator unit  12  for driving the vibrator unit  12  to make reciprocating movement along the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12 . The vibrator unit  12  further includes a pair of engaging assembly  17 , and  18  arranged between the vibrator unit  12  and the housing and enabling the vibrator unit  12  being suspended within the housing  10 , and enabling making the vibrator unit  12  moving along the vibration direction X-X. 
     The housing  10  includes an upper shell  101  and a lower shell  102  engaging with the upper shell  101  for forming the accommodation space  100 . The lower shell  102  includes a bottom wall  1020  and a side wall  1021  extending from the bottom wall  1020 . The first magnet  11  and the second magnet  13  are respectively fixed on the side wall  1021  of the lower shell  102 , and are arranged on the inner side of the side wall  1021 . The upper shell can be a plate shape, and also can be of the same shape with the lower shell  102 , which can be designed into different shapes according to specific needs. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the vibrator unit  12  includes a long-strip clump weight  120 , a third magnet  121  set along the vibration direction X-X, a driving magnet  122  and a fourth magnet  123  fixed on the clump weight  120 . The third magnet  121  and the first magnet  11  are such configured that adjacent ends of the two magnets are spaced apart and have the same magnetic poles. The fourth magnet  123  and the second magnet  13  are such configured that adjacent ends of the two magnets are spaced apart and have the same magnetic poles. By virtue of the repulsive force generated by the first magnet  11 , and the third magnet  121 , and by the second magnet  13  and the fourth magnet  123 , restoring force is generated for restricting the displacement of the vibrator unit  12  in the vibration direction X-X and for providing restoring force for the vibrator unit  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 , the clump weight  120  includes a first outer side face  1201  and a second outer side face  1202  extending along the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12  and are set oppositely and intervally, during this exploitation case, preferably, the first outer side face  1201  is parallel to the second outer side face  1202 . The side wall  1021  includes a first inner side face  103  and a second inner side face  104  which extend along the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12  and are respectively set oppositely and intervally with the above first outer side face  1201  and the second outer side face  1202 , similarly, the first inner side face  103  and the second inner side face  104  are preferably set in parallel. The engaging assembly includes the first engaging assembly  17  which is set between the first outer side face  1201  and the first inner side face  103 , and the second engaging assembly  18  which is set between the second outer side face  1202  and the second inner side face  104 . 
     Referring also to  FIG. 4 , the first engaging assembly  17  includes a first guide rail part  171  fixed on the first outer side face  1201 , and a first guide groove part  172  fixed on the first inner side face  103  and corresponding to the first guide rail  171 . The second engaging assembly  18  includes a second guide rail part  181  fixed on the second outer side face  1202 , and a second guide groove part  182  fixed on the second inner side face  104  and corresponding to the second guide rail part  181 . The suspension of the vibrator unit  12  within the housing  10  can be realized through the sliding cooperation of the first guide rail part  171  and the first guide groove part  172  as well as the second guide rail part  181  and the second guide groove part  182 , and the movement of the vibrator unit  12  along the vibration direction X-X can also be achieved. 
     The structures of the first engaging assembly  17  and the second engaging assembly  18  are not limited to the above-mentioned structures. As shown in  FIG. 5 , in a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a first groove  1203  is set along the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12 , the first engaging assembly  17  includes a first guide groove part  172  which is set on the first inner side face  103  which is matched with the first groove  1203 , and a first roll ball  170  which is set between the first groove  1203  and the first guide groove  172 . A second groove  1204  is set on the second outer side face along the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12 , the first engaging assembly  18  includes A second guide groove part  182  which is set on the second inner side face  104  which is matched with the second groove  1204  where the guide groove is set, and a second roll ball  180  which is set between the second groove  1204  and the second guide groove  182 . Through the rolling of the first roll ball  170  between the first groove  1203  and the first guide groove  172  as well as the second roll ball  180  between the second groove  1204  and the second guide groove part  182 , the suspension of the vibrator unit  12  within the housing  10  can be realized, and the movement of the vibrator unit  12  along the vibration direction X-X can also be achieved. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1-2 , the driving magnet  122  is magnetized along the thickness direction of the vibration motor  1 , the driving coil  16  comes in a flat-ring shape, and is received in the receiving space  100 , and is intervally set with the driving magnet  122 . After being powered on, the driving coil  16  will receive Ampere force in the magnetic field generated by the driving magnet  122 , receiving the reactive force of this Ampere force, the driving magnet  122  will further push the vibrator unit  12  to make reciprocating movement along the vibration direction of the vibrator unit  12  X-X. 
     The driving magnet  122  includes a fifth magnet  1220 , a sixth magnet  1221 , and a seventh magnet  1222  which are set intervally in sequence along the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12 . The fifth magnet  1220  and the seventh magnet  1222  are of the same magnetizing direction, and the sixth magnet  1221  and the seventh magnet  1222  are of the opposite magnetizing directions. The driving coil  16  includes a first driving coil  161  which is assembled on the upper parts of the fifth magnet  1220  and the sixth magnet  1221 , and a second driving coil  162  which is assembled on the upper parts of the sixth magnet  1221  and the seventh magnet  1222 , therefore, after  2   5  powered on, the first driving coil  161  will receive Ampere force in the magnetic field generated by the fifth driving magnet  1220  and the sixth magnet  1221 , and after being powered on, the second driving coil  162  will receive Ampere force in the magnetic field generated by the sixth driving magnet  1221  and the seventh magnet  1222 . 
     Slots  1205  are respectively set on the clump weight  120  on both ends of the vibration direction X-X of the vibrator unit  12 , the third magnet  121  and the fourth magnet  123  are respectively fixed within the slots  1205 . A first through-hole  1206 , a second through-hole  1207 , and a third through-hole  1208  are respectively set on the positions of the clump weight  12  which corresponds to the fifth magnet  1220 , the sixth magnet  1221 , and the seventh magnet  1222  which are used to receive the above three magnets  1220 ,  1221 , and  1222 , and go through the clump weight  12 . 
     By utilizing the repulsive force generated by opposite magnetic poles between the magnets to provide restoring force, and utilizing the engaging assembly to provide localization guidance for the vibrator unit  12 , the flat linear vibration motor  1  provided by this invention can effectively avoid the influence on the performance and service life of the vibration motor due to the failure and wear of the spring part of the traditional vibration motor, in the meantime, using the engaging assembly to provide localization guidance can effectively avoid the polarization of the vibrator unit  12  during the vibration, and effectively improve the performance of the vibration motor  1 . 
     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.