Patent Publication Number: US-9900702-B2

Title: Speaker

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention relates to the field of electro-acoustic transducers, and in particular, relates to a speaker. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With the rapid development of science and technology, the popularity rate of the audio devices has become higher and higher. The users not only require the audio devices to play videos and audios, but also put more and more demands on the reliability of the audio devices. Especially with the advent of 3G/4G times, the mobile multimedia technology has also flourished. Some audio devices have a variety of entertainment functions, such as video play, digital photographing, game, GPS navigation and the like. All of these functions require the electronic components in the audio device to be more and more precise and compact. 
     In the audio device, a speaker is a commonly used electronic component, which is mainly used to play audio signals. The related speaker in general comprises a dome for generating sound by vibrating, an edge for suspending the dome above the magnetic circuit system, and a voice coil secured beneath the junction between the dome and the edge. In the speaker with traditional structure, the space under the dome and the space under the edge are separated by the voice coil. When the dome is vibrating, the air in the space under the dome is difficult to be discharged quickly, so that the dome is damped excessively, which can reduce the vibration sensitivity of the dome, and thus increase the sound distortion. Besides, when the voice coil is driven at high power by an intelligent amplifier, it is disadvantageous to the heat dissipation of the voice coil. 
     Therefore, it is desired to provide a new speaker which can overcome the aforesaid problems. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments 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. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a speaker in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the speaker shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the portion A shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an orthographic projection of a drive mechanism in the speaker shown in  FIG. 1  onto a horizontal former; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a communication space in the horizontal former in the speaker shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a communication space in the horizontal former in the speaker shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of a communication space in the horizontal former in the speaker shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with a third embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a communication space in the horizontal former in the speaker shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with a fourth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and the embodiments thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a speaker  1  comprises a frame  10 ; a front cover  11  covering and connected with the frame  10 ; a magnetic circuit system  12  and vibration system  13  received in the frame  10 ; and conductive terminals  14  secured in the frame  10  for realizing the electrical connection between the speaker  1  and the outside. The speaker  1  can receive electrical signal through the conductive terminals  14 . The vibration system  13  can interact with the magnetic circuit system  13  after receiving the electrical signal, so as to generate sound by vibrating. 
     The magnetic circuit system  12  is used to generate magnetic field, which comprises a yoke  120  assembled at the bottom end of the frame  10 ; a main magnet block  121  assembled at the center of the yoke  120 ; auxiliary magnet blocks  122  assembled to the yoke  120  and disposed around the main magnet block  121 ; and a main pole plate  123  and an auxiliary pole plate  124  attached onto the upper surfaces of the main magnet block  121  and the auxiliary magnet blocks  122  respectively. The auxiliary magnet blocks  122  and the main magnet block  121  are spaced apart from each other to form a magnetic gap. The auxiliary magnet blocks  122  are made up by four magnet blocks not connected with each other. The auxiliary pole plate  124  is in the shape of rectangular ring. 
     The vibration system  13  comprises a diaphragm  130  for generating sound by vibrating; a suspension  131 ; a drive mechanism  132 ; and a horizontal former  133 . 
     The suspension  131  can be used to suspend the diaphragm  130  above the magnetic circuit system  12 . The inner perimeter of the suspension  131  is connected with the diaphragm  130 . The outer perimeter of the suspension  131  is secured onto the frame  10 . A distance between the diaphragm  130  and the magnetic circuit system  12  is larger than the maximum amplitude of the diaphragm  130 , so that the diaphragm  130  can be prevented from impacting the magnetic circuit system  12 . The Young&#39;s modulus of the suspension  131  should be smaller than the Young&#39;s modulus of the diaphragm  130 . The suspension  131  has certain elastic deformation capability, so as to provide elastic force for the vibration of the diaphragm  130 . 
     The drive mechanism  132  is disposed under the diaphragm  130  and can interact with the magnetic circuit system  12  so as to vibrate the diaphragm  130  to generate sound. The drive mechanism  132  comprises coil windings (which are equivalent to voice coil) suspended in the magnetic circuit system  125 . When the drive mechanism  132  receives electrical signal, the coil windings can interact with the magnetic field in the magnetic gap  125  to make reciprocating vibration along the vibrating direction of the vibration system  13 , thereby enhancing the vibration of the diaphragm  130 . 
     The horizontal former  133  is retained on the surface of the diaphragm  130  directly facing the magnetic circuit system  12  and forms a dome together with the horizontal former  133 . The Young&#39;s modulus of the horizontal former  133  is larger than the Young&#39;s modulus of the diaphragm  130 . The drive mechanism  132  is coupled to the horizontal former  133  in a way that the area spanned by the drive mechanism  132  is no more than the area of the diaphragm  130 . In this way, the orthographic projection of the drive mechanism  132  onto the diaphragm  130  is within the extent of the diaphragm  130 . Comparing with the situation in which the drive mechanism  132  is coupled to the horizontal former  133  in a way that the area spanned by the drive mechanism  132  is larger than the area of the diaphragm  130 , the coupling way provided by the present invention can enable the diaphragm  130  to have larger vibration stroke, which can effectively extend the low frequency response of the speaker  1 . 
     Also referring to  FIG. 3 , the horizontal former  133  is provided with a communication space  1330  which is used to communicate the space under the diaphragm  130  and the space  16  under the suspension  131 . In this way, when the diaphragm  130  is vibrating, the air under it can communicate with the outside through the communication space  1330  smoothly, so as to effectively decrease the sound pressure exerted on the diaphragm  130 , enhance the sensitivity of the diaphragm  130  greatly, and further improve the sound quality of the sound emitted by the diaphragm  130 . 
     The frame  10  comprises frame side walls  100 . The frame side walls  100  are provided with through holes  1000  extending through the frame side walls  100  and communicating the space  16  under the suspension  131  and the outside. The air pressure balance between the space  16  under the suspension  131  and the outside space can be achieved through the through holes  1000 . 
     The front cover  11  comprises a plastic cover body  110  assembled on the frame  10  and a metal frame  11  injection molded onto the cover body  110  integrally. 
     The horizontal former  133  comprises an upper surface  1331  engaged with the diaphragm  130 ; a lower surface  1332  opposite to the upper surface  1331  and for retaining the drive mechanism  132 ; and a connecting surface  1335  connecting the upper surface  1331  and the lower surface  1332 . 
     Also referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the lower surface  1332  of the horizontal former  133  comprises an inside surface  1333  surrounded by the orthographic projection  1320  of the drive mechanism  132  onto the horizontal former  133 . In fact, when the drive mechanism  132  is coupled to the horizontal former  133  in a way that the area spanned by the drive mechanism  132  is smaller than the area of the diaphragm  130 , the lower surface  1332  also can comprise an outside surface  133  located at the outside of the orthographic projection  1320 . 
     In a first embodiment of the communication space  1330 , the communication space  1330  comprises a first opening  1336  in the inside surface  1333 ; a second opening  1337  in the connecting surface  1335 ; and a first through groove  1338  communicating the first opening  1336  and the second opening  1337 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 , in a second embodiment of the communication space  1330 , the communication space  1330  comprises a first opening  1336  in the inside surface  1333 ; a third opening  1339  in the outside surface  1334 ; and a second through groove  1340  communicating the first opening  1336  and the third opening  1339 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 7 , in a third embodiment of the communication space  1330 , the communication space  1330  comprises a first opening  1336  in the inside surface  1333 ; a second opening  1337  in the connecting surface  1335 ; a third opening  1339  in the outside surface  1334 ; and a third through groove  1341  communicating the first opening  1336 , the second opening  1337  and the third opening  1339 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 8 , in a fourth embodiment of the communication space  1330 , the fourth embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that the second opening  1337  and the third opening  1339  are communicating with each other. 
     Comparing with the prior art, in the speaker according to the present invention, there is a horizontal former under a sound radiating plane, and there is a communication space in the horizontal former which can communicate the space under the sound radiating plane and the space under the suspension, so that the discharge rate of the air in the space under the sound radiating plane can be increased effectively, and thus the damping to the sound radiating plane can be decreased, thereby increasing the vibration sensitivity, reducing the sound distortion, at the same time facilitating the heat dissipation of the drive mechanism. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, 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.