Patent Publication Number: US-2007104340-A1

Title: System and Method for Manufacturing a Transducer Module

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This patent claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/721,251, filed Sep. 28, 2005 and entitled Improved System and Method for Manufacturing a Transducer Module, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND  
      Transducers such as receivers and speakers are particularly useful in many devices such as earphones, headphones, Bluetooth wireless headsets, cellular phones, web-enabled cellular telephones, Personal Handy-phone System (PHS), Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), hand-held computers, notebooks, laptops, tablet computers, digital cameras, other types of portable computing and Internet access appliances and devices, capable of communication over one or more public or private communication networks, hearing aids, in-ear monitors, electronic hearing protection devices, and the like. The receiver may be used to convert electrical energy into acoustic energy and subsequently to transmit the acoustic energy to the user&#39;s ear.  
      A typical receiver may include such components as a top housing, a bottom housing, an acoustic assembly (e.g. a diaphragm, a ring member, flexible layer), a drive rod, and a motor assembly (e.g. an armature, a pair of drive magnet, a yoke, and a coil). Manufacture and assembly of the typical receiver may require extensive adhesive bonding and/or laser welding operations to mass produce. Moreover, the components within the housing may be adversely affected by these manufacturing and assembly processes. Also, manufacture and assembly of the receiver may require complex, labor intensive operations particularly as the size of the receiver is reduced.  
      The popularity of sound producing electronic devices has progressed rapidly in recent years. In particular, the use of mobile communication and entertainment devices in conjunction with headsets appeal to a growing percentage of the population. This is particularly true as consumers spend an increasing amount of time on the telephone or enjoying audio entertainment.  
      General speaking, conventional earphones are designed with a purpose to isolate the sound from the outside environment. This may result in hearing discomfort and eardrum injury if used improperly. Furthermore, conventional earphones tend to substantially prohibit the user&#39;s ability to simultaneously hear the electronically produced audio while at the same time hearing externally generated sound, such as a conversation. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      For a more complete understanding of the disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a receiver utilized in various types of devices;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a described embodiment of a receiver shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a second embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 4  of the second embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of a receiver shown in  FIG. 6 ;  
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the fourth embodiment of a receiver shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
       FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the fifth embodiment of a receiver shown in  FIG. 10 ;  
       FIG. 12  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the sixth embodiment of a receiver shown in  FIG. 12 ;  
       FIG. 14  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of the seventh embodiment of a receiver shown in  FIG. 14 ;  
       FIG. 16  is an exploded view of a described embodiment of a receiver;  
       FIG. 17  is a perspective of an earphone that incorporate a receiver in accordance any of the described embodiments;  
       FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view of the earphone of  FIG. 17 ;  
       FIG. 19  is an exploded view of the earphone of  FIG. 17 ; and  
       FIG. 20  is a perspective of a mobile device incorporating a receiver in accordance with the described embodiments. 
    
    
      Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, certain embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and these embodiments will be described in detail herein. It will be understood, however, that this disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms described, but to the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications, alternatives, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.  
      It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S. C. § 112, sixth paragraph.  
      A receiver and a method of controlling a receiver in accordance with the herein described embodiments provide a comfortable, stabile, high sound quality receiver that allows the user to hear both electronically generated audio and external sounds. External sounds, such as voices in a conversation, pass through the earphone and combine with the electronically generated sound emitted by the receiver before being transmitted into the user&#39;s ear canal.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates the flexibility and usefulness of a receiver in accordance with one or more of the herein described embodiments. As shown, a receiver  100  may be employed in various type of devices, such as computers (e.g. desktops, laptops, notebooks, tablet computers, hand-held computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), etc), communication devices (e.g. cellular phones, web-enabled cellular telephones, cordless phones, pagers, etc), computer-related peripherals (e.g. printers, scanners, monitors, etc), entertainment devices (e.g. televisions, radios, stereos, tape and compact disc players, digital cameras, cameras, video cassette recorders, Motion Picture Expert Group, Audio Layer 3 (MP3) players, etc), listening devices (e.g. hearing aids, earphones, headphones, Bluetooth wireless headsets, insert earphone, etc) and the like, capable of communication over one or more public or private communication networks, and other such devices such as hearing aids, in-ear monitors, electronic hearing protection devices.  
      With reference to  FIGS. 2-3 , a receiver  100  may include an acoustic assembly  104 , a spacer  105 , a support structure  106 , a motor assembly  108 , a coupling assembly  110 , and a circuit assembly  112  disposed within a receiver housing  102 . The housing  102  may have a cup-shape including a first portion  114 , a side wall portion  116 , and a second portion  118 . The housing  102  may be formed in different sizes and shapes corresponding to the assemblies  104 ,  105 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , or  112 . An opening  120  (see  FIG. 3 ) is formed in the second portion  118  to receive the assemblies  104 ,  105 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110 . The side wall portion  116  terminates at a connecting surface  122  (see  FIG. 3 ) and may provide a connection to the circuit assembly  112 , which will be described in greater detail below. At least one aperture or acoustic port  124  may be formed in the first portion  114  of the housing  102  to allow sound waves to be transmitted to the user. A covering member (not shown) may be provided on the first portion  114  of the housing  102  for preventing damage to the acoustic assembly  104 . The housing  102  may be manufactured from a variety of materials, such as, for example, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, or combination thereof.  
      The acoustic assembly  104  may include a diaphragm supporting member  126 , a diaphragm  128 , and a flexible layer  130 . However, the acoustic assembly  104  may utilize multiple diaphragm layers as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 60/665,700, 10/719,809, and 09/755,664, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The diaphragm supporting member  126  in the form of an annular ring shape may be made of electrically conductive material such as stainless steel; however, any material including tin, conductive plastic or conductive rubber may be utilized. The diaphragm  128  may have a conical shape and be made from a variety of materials having a high stiffness to mass ratio such as aluminum, stainless steel, beryllium copper, titanium, tungsten, platinum, copper, brass, or alloys thereof, non-metals such as plastic, plastic matrix, fiber reinforced plastic, etc. and combination thereof. Alternatively, the diaphragm  128  may be a planar diaphragm, a planar diaphragm with one or more ribs (See  FIG. 21 ), or any suitable rigid shape. The flexible layer  130  may have a circular shape and be made of Mylar, urethane, or of any other similar materials. The diaphragm  128 , the flexible layer  130 , and the diaphragm support member  126  are attached together, for example by bonding with adhesive, welding, compression, or mechanical attachment, which then may be operably attached to the coupling assembly  110 . The acoustic assembly  104  is held in contact with the inner surface of the housing  102 . Generally speaking, the arrangement of the acoustic assembly  104  permits the transfer of electrical signal energy to vibrational energy in the acoustic assembly  104  or to transfer of vibrational energy in the acoustic assembly  104  into electrical signal energy.  
      The spacer  105  may have an annular ring shape and be made of any suitable rigid material such as molded polyethylene plastic or metal. The spacer  105  has a first surface  105   a  and a second surface  105   b . The spacer  105  also has a thickness and is disposed between the acoustic assembly  104  and the support structure  106 , its thickness enabling deflection of the acoustic assembly  104 . The first surface  105   a  of the spacer  105  is held in place with the acoustic assembly  104  by any suitable means.  
      The support structure  106  may have an almost rectangular shape and may be formed with an opening  106   c.  The support structure  106  further includes a first surface  106   a,  a second surface  106   b,  and side walls  106   d.  The corners of the side walls  106   d  of the support structure  106  may correspond to the inner round surface of the housing  102  and may be held in contact with the housing  102  at its inner surface. The support structure  106  forms part of the motor assembly  108  to carry the electromagnetic flux, which will be described in greater detail below, and may be made of a Nickel-Iron alloy, an Iron-Cobalt-Vanadium alloy or of any other similar materials. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the support structure  106  may be connected at the comers of its first surface  106   a  to the second surface  105   b  of the spacer  105  by any suitable means. The opening  106   c  permits the coupling assembly  110  to pass through, which then may be operably attached the motor assembly  108  to the acoustic assembly  104 .  
      The motor assembly  108  may include a pair of drive magnets  138 , a magnetic yoke  140 , an armature  142 , and a field coil  144 . The magnetic yoke  140  may have a U-shape and may be made of a Nickel-Iron alloy, an Iron-Cobalt-Vanadium alloy or of any other similar materials. The U-shape magnetic yoke  140  has a base portion  140   a  and side walls  140   b  connecting to the base portion  140   a . The side walls  140   b  terminate at outward flares  140   c  that may receive the support structure  106 . Alternatively, the magnetic yoke  140  having ends at the side walls  140   b  enabling to receive the support structure  106  directly without any introduction of the outward flares  140   c  as depicted earlier. The drive magnet  138  may have a rectangular shape and may be made of a magnetic material such as Ferrite, AlNiCo, a Samarium-Cobalt alloy, a Neodymium-Iron-Boron alloy, or of any other similar materials. First and second drive magnets  138   a ,  138   b  may be fixedly attached to the magnetic yoke  140  such that the first drive magnet  138   a  is aligned with the outward flares  140   b  and is mounted within the magnetic yoke  140 . The second drive magnet  138   b  may be mounted to the inner base surface of the magnetic yoke  140 . A first air gap  138   c  may be formed between the first and second drive magnet  138   a ,  138   b  to receive the armature  142  (see  FIG. 3 ). The coil  144  may be formed by winding a conductive wire around a disposable bobbin (not shown). Alternatively, the bobbin may form part of the coil  144  and is disposed within the receiver housing  102 . The coil  144  defines a second air gap (not shown) adjacent to the first air gap  138   c  to receive the armature  142 . Coil terminals  144   b  are extended from the outmost for electrical connection to an electrical interface (not shown). The armature  142  may have a generally U-shaped strap with a fixed end  142   a  and a movable end  142   b.  The movable end  142   b  of the armature  142  extends through the first air gap  138   c  and the second air gap (not shown). One skilled in the art will appreciate the principles and advantages of the embodiments described herein may be useful with all types of receivers, such as those using an E-shaped armature or of a different configuration such as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/769,528 and 10/758,441, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. As depicted, the motor assembly  108  is fitted underneath the support structure  106  wherein the first drive magnet  138   a  and the outward flares  140   c  of the magnetic yoke  140  are fixedly attached to the inner surface of the support structure  106  to complete the magnetic circuit and at least a portion of the coil  144  is disposed within the opening  106   c  of the support structure  106  leaving the side walls  106   d  covering at least a portion of the motor assembly  108 .  
      The coupling assembly  110  may be a drive rod, a linkage assembly, a plurality of linkage assemblies, or the like and may be made of electrically conductive material. One end of the coupling assembly  110  is coupled to the acoustic assembly  104  via the openings  106   c ,  105   a  of the support structure  106  and the spacer  105 , respectively, and the other end of the coupling assembly  110  may be coupled to the movable end  142   b  of the armature  142  to drive the acoustic assembly  104 .  
      The circuit assembly  112  may have a circular shape with a first surface  112   a  and a second surface  112   b.  The first surface  112   a  of the circuit assembly  112  may be held in contact with the connecting surface  122  of the housing  102  by suitable means. The housing  102  and the circuit assembly  112  collectively form a cylindrical housing of the receiver  100 . Manufacture and assembly of the receiver  100  may require less adhesive bonding and/or laser welding operations as the working components are looked in position once the circuit assembly  112  are held in place with the connecting surface  122  of the housing  102  in the final closure.  
      In operation, the effect of the receiver  100  is described below. A current representing an input audio signal from the coil terminals  144   b  are applied to the coil  144 , a corresponding alternating current (a.c.) magnetic flux (not depicted) is produced from the coil  144  through the armature  142 , drive magnets  138 , the magnetic yoke  140 , and the support structure  106 . Further, a corresponding direct current (d.c.) magnetic flux path (not shown) is produced by the drive magnet  138  within the magnetic yoke  140  and across the first air gap  138   c.  The movable end  142   b  of the armature  142  vibrates in response to the electromagnetic forces generated by the magnetic flux produced by the drive magnet  138 , the magnetic yoke  140 , the support structured  106 , and the coil  144 , which in turn, leads to the movement of the coupling assembly  110 . The acoustic assembly  104  moves in response to the vertical motion of the armature movable end  142   b  driven by the coil  144 . The receiver  100  utilizes the corresponding motion of the armature movable end  142   b  and the acoustic assembly  104  to generate an output sound signal towards the user&#39;s eardrum.  
       FIGS. 4-5  illustrate another of the herein described embodiments of a receiver, and particularly, the receiver  200 . The receiver  200  may be similar in construction and function as the receiver  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 2-3 , and similar elements are referred to with like reference numerals wherein, for example,  202  and  204  correspond to  102  and  104 , respectively. In contrast to the receiver  100 , for the receiver  200 , the spacer  105  as illustrated in  FIG. 2-3  is omitted. A support structure  206  is provided within the housing  202  to hold the motor assembly  208  in place. The support structure  206  reduces manual assembly labor and provides a less complex assembly that is easily reproduced. The support structure  206  may have a circular shape that corresponds to the shape of the housing  202 , secures the working components within the housing  202 , and forms part of the motor assembly  108  to carry the electromagnetic flux of the drive magnet  238  and the magnetic yoke  240 . During assembly the support structure  206  facilitates the attachment of the acoustic assembly  204  to the housing  202 .  
      A plurality of outward flares  234  may be formed in a circumferential direction to receive the acoustic assembly  204 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , three outward flares  234  are bent or formed at an angle parallel to the side walls  216  and further may be arranged at intervals of 120 degree, however, the number of outward flares and their arrangement may be configured for particular applications. The support structure  206  may be formed, for example by molding, in various shapes and size to suit the needs of the application. The support structure  206  may further be the same material as the magnetic yoke  240 . Three end portions  234   a  of the outward flares  234  are held in contact with the outer rim of the acoustic assembly  204  to enable deflection of the acoustic assembly  204  at a preadjusted distance. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the outward flare  240   b  of the magnetic yoke  240  and the first drive magnet  238   a  are held in contact with the second surface  206   b  of the support structure  206  to complete the magnetic circuit and a portion of the coil  244  is disposed within the opening  206   c  of the support structure  206 .  
       FIGS. 6-7  illustrate another of the herein described embodiments of a receiver, and in particularly, a receiver  300 . The receiver  300  is similar in construction and function as the receiver  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-5 , and similar elements are referred to with like reference numerals wherein, for example,  302  and  304  correspond to  202  and  204 , respectively. In this embodiment, a plurality of downward flares  336  may be formed having end portions  336   a.  The three downward flares  336  may be bent or formed at an angle parallel to the side walls  316  of the housing  302  and may be arranged at intervals of 120 degree between the outward flares  334 ; however, the number of outward flares and their arrangement may be configured to different applications. The length of the downward flares  336  may be longer than the length of the outward flares  334  to accommodate the motor assembly  308 . The outward flare  340   b  of the magnetic yoke  340  and the first drive magnet  338   a  may be held in contact with the second surface  306   b  of the support structure  306 . At least a portion of the coil  344  may be disposed within the opening  306   c  of the support structure  306 . The first surface  312   a  of the circuit assembly  312  is held in contact with the connecting surface  322  of the housing  302  by suitable means. The housing  302  and the circuit assembly  312  collectively form a cylindrical housing of the receiver  300 . The arrangement of the support structure  306  permits centering of the motor assembly  308  within the housing  302  and further forms part of the motor assembly  308  to carry the electromagnetic flux of the drive magnet  338  and the magnetic yoke  340 .  
       FIGS. 8-9  illustrate another of the herein described embodiments of a receiver, and in particular a receiver  400 . The receiver  400  is similar in construction and function as the receiver  300  illustrated in  FIGS. 6-7 , and similar elements are referred to with like reference numerals wherein, for example,  402  and  404  correspond to  302  and  304 , respectively. In order to provide a space for inserting the drive magnet  438 , a plurality of openings  406   d,    406   e,  and  406   f  may be formed to retain the motor assembly  408  in place instead. Furthermore, instead of forming the downward flares at the outer rim of the support structure  306  as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 , two downward flares  436  may be formed from a cut out corresponding to a portion of the openings  406   d,    406   e  where one end of the downward flares  436  remains attached to the openings  406   d,    406   e.  The opening  406   f  may be formed adjacent to the opening  406   c  and may further provide additional accommodation to the motor assembly  408 . A third downward flare  436  may be formed from a cut out corresponding to a portion of the opening  406   f  where one end of the downward flare  436  remains attached at the opening  406   f.  The length of the downward flares  436  are longer than the length of the outward flares  434  and the width of the downward flares  436  are narrower than the width of the outward flares  434 . Outward flares  440   c  and the first drive magnet  438   a  are held in contact with the second surface  406   b  of the support structure  406  to complete the magnetic circuit of the drive magnet  438  and the magnetic yoke  440 . At least a portion of the coil  444  is disposed within the combined opening  406   c ,  406   f  and the openings  406   d ,  406   e  of the support structure  406 . The first surface  412   a  of the circuit assembly  412  is held in contact with the connecting surface  422  of the housing  402  by suitable means. The housing  402  and the circuit assembly  412  collectively form a cylindrical housing of the receiver  400 .  
       FIGS. 10-11  illustrate another herein described embodiment of a receiver, and in particular the receiver  500 . The receiver  500  is similar in construction and function as the receiver  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-5 , and similar elements are referred to with like reference numerals wherein, for example  502  and  504  correspond to  202  and  204 , respectively. In the receiver  500 , instead of bending outward flares upward, as shown in connection with the outward flares  234  in  FIGS. 4-5 , outward flares  524  are bent downward in the same direction of the plurality of downward flares  536 . A circular, which hollow section  532  may be formed in the central portion of the support structure  506  may be made of any rigid material such as molded polyethylene plastic or metal, to allow deflection of the acoustic assembly  504 . An almost V-shape spacer  505 , which may be the same material as the magnetic yoke  540 , substantially corresponds to the shape of the support structure  506  but may take the form of various shapes and has a number of different of sizes in different embodiments is provided below the support structure  506  instead of above the support structure  105  as depicted in  FIGS. 2-3 . The spacer  505  has a first surface  505   a,  a second surface  505   b,  and is formed with a U-shaped cut out portion  505   c.  As shown in  FIG. 11 , the second surface  505   b  of the spacer  505  is held in contact with the outward flares  540   c  of the magnetic yoke  540  to carry the electromagnetic flux of the drive magnet  538  and the magnetic yoke  540  and a portion of the coil  544  is disposed with the U-shaped cut out portion  505   c  of the spacer  505 . The acoustic assembly  504  may be held in contact with the outer rim of the support structure  506  for providing a support means to the acoustic assembly  504  and the end portion  534   a  of the downward flare  534  may be held in contact with the with first surface  505   a  of the spacer  505  to provide a proximity relationship between the acoustic assembly  504  and the spacer  505  and to permit further deflection of the acoustic assembly  504 . An outward flare (not shown) may be located at the opening  520  where it is bent or formed radially toward the center of the opening  520  to define a connecting surface  522 . This forming operation mechanically captures the circuit assembly  512  by the connecting surface  522 , locking all the working components in position. In this manner, the press-fit of the support structure  506  restrains the assemblies  504 ,  505 ,  508 , and  510  to reduce shifting and deformation that may occur during manufacturing.  
       FIGS. 12-13  illustrate another of the herein described embodiments of a receiver, and in particular a receiver  600 . The receiver  600  is similar in construction and function as the receiver  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-5 , and similar elements are referred to with like reference numerals wherein, for example  602  and  604  correspond to  202  and  204 , respectively. In this embodiment, a support structure  606  may be made of any rigid material such as molded polyethylene plastic or metal has a hollow section  606   c  formed in the center of the support structure  606  to receive the coupling assembly  610 . The magnetic yoke  640  in the form of a frame having a central tunnel defining an enclosure into which the drive magnet  638  mounts is formed. As depicted in  FIG. 13 , an outward flare  603  is located at the opening  618  where it is bent or reformed radially toward the center of the opening  620 , defining a connecting surface  622 . This forming operation mechanically captures the circuit assembly  612  by the connecting surface  622 , locking all the working components in position. The first surface  606   a  of the support structure  606  is held in contact with the acoustic assembly  604  by the mechanical pressure of the connecting surface  622  and the second surface  606   b  of the support structure  606  is held in contact with motor assembly  608 . In this manner, the press-fit of the support structure  606  restrains the assemblies  604 ,  608 , and  610  to reduce shifting and deformation that may occur during manufacturing.  
       FIGS. 14-15  illustrate another of the herein described embodiments of a receiver, and in particular a receiver  700 . The receiver  700  is similar in construction and function as the receiver  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-5 , and similar elements are referred to with like reference numerals wherein, for example  702  and  704  correspond to  202  and  204 , respectively. In this embodiment, a support structure  706  may be made of any suitably rigid material such as molded polyethylene plastic or metal to have a body section  707  that is pressed or molded in the form of a C-shaped cylindrical structure. The body section  707  may have a hollow section  732  and first and second surfaces  706   a  and  706   b , respectively. Two mounting slots  750   a  and  750   b  may be formed within the inner surface of the body section  707  to receive two protrusions  741   a ,  741   b  of the magnetic yoke  140 . The support structure  706  restrains the motor assembly  708  to reduce shifting and damage that may occur during the manufacturing process. Further, the support structure  706  makes it possible to connect the acoustic assembly  704  and the coupling assembly  710  without deformation therein. Alternatively, the support structure  706  may be a cylindrical holder with a top opening to receive the acoustic assembly  704  and a bottom opening to receive the motor assembly  708 . As depicted in  FIG. 15 , an outward flare  703  may be located at the opening  720  where it is bent or formed radially toward the center of the opening  720 , defining a connecting surface  722 . This forming operation mechanically captures the circuit assembly  712  by the connecting surface  722  locking all the working components in position. A first surface  706   a  of the support structure  710  may be held in contact with the acoustic assembly  704  by the mechanical pressure of the connecting surface  722  and the second surface  706   b  of the support structure  710  may be held in contact with the circuit assembly  712 . In this manner, the press-fit of the support structure  710  restrains the assemblies  704 ,  706 ,  108 , and  710  to reduce shifting and deformation that may occur during manufacturing.  
      As the size of the transducer is further reduced, the length of the armature is reduced and therefore raises the rigidity of the armature. In order to drive the acoustic assembly fixedly coupled to the armature via the coupling assembly, the needed properties of the magnetic yoke, drive magnet, and the coil increase proportionally to accommodate the rigid armature.  
       FIG. 16  illustrates an exploded view of an improved motor assembly  808  for use with any one or more of the herein described embodiments. To reduce the susceptibility to shocks, a snubber  841   a  is provided to prevent potentially damaging deflections that may occur on the armature  842 . The snubber  841  a may be formed on the frame and have a shape that corresponds to the shape of the magnetic yoke  840 . The snubber  841   a  further may be made of stainless steel attached to the rear end of the magnetic yoke  840 , although other materials including elastomeric material may be used. The motor assembly  808  further comprises a C-shape positioning member  841   b  for retaining a coupling assembly  810  and may be made from the same material as the snubber  841   a.  The positioning member  841   b  is sandwiched between the coil  844  and the snubber  841   a.  The armature  842  may extend through the air gap formed within the coil  844 , the positioning member  841   b,  snubber  841   a,  and the drive magnet  838  disposed within the magnetic yoke  840 . Alternatively, the snubber  841   a,  the positioning member  841   b,  and the coil  844  may be molded into one piece to simplify the assembly during mass production.  
      With reference to  FIGS. 17-19 , an earphone is shown and is designated generally  10 . For purposes of describing the earphone  10 , it is referred to as incorporating a transducer, for example a receiver  100 . However, the earphone may incorporate a transducer in accordance with any one or more of the herein described embodiments. Furthermore, while described separately, the features and advantages of any of the herein described embodiments of a transducer may be utilized in any other of the herein described embodiments and in other embodiments of a transducer. The earphone  10  includes a main body  12  having a housing within which at least one transducer, e.g., a receiver  100  is mounted. A sound passage tube  17  and a cord supporting member  18  are integrally formed with the main body  12 . In one embodiment, the main body  12  includes a top cover  14  and a bottom cover  16  securely attached to the top cover  14  for accommodating the receiver  100 . An optional sound passage tube  17  is integrally formed with the bottom cover  16  to facilitate communication of sound waves from the receiver  100  directly to the ear canal for preventing sound leakage. The front end of the sound passage tube  17  may be covered with a screen element (not shown), which may further incorporate acoustic properties, such as damping, for preventing the entry of debris and the like. A complaint sleeve, such as a rubber sleeve, (not shown) may be fitted to the sound passage tube  17  for providing comfort in wearing the earphone  10  in the ear canal. The cord supporting member  18  is integrally formed with the top cover  14  to guide the wire (not shown) from the receiver  100  to a device that has an audio output port. The main body  12  can be manufactured in a variety of configurations, including a roughly circular shape, a cup shape or any other desired geometry. The main body  12  may be made from a variety of materials, such as plastic. The interior recess of the sound passage tube  18  is configured to be large enough to overlap with an acoustic port of the transducer, for example, the acoustic port  124  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the receiver  100 , to direct the acoustic sound waves emitted from the acoustic port to the ear canal via the sound passage tube  17  of the earphone  10 .  
       FIG. 20  illustrates a perspective view of a hand-held wireless communication device  60 , such as a cellular phone. A transducer in accordance with any of the herein described embodiments or any other embodiments of a transducer, for example, a receiver  100 , is mounted within the device  60 . More specifically, the transducer is electrically connected to a printed circuit board (not shown) residing in the device  60 . Alternately, the transducer may be joined to the device  60  to form a portion of the device housing.  
      At least one transducer may be coupled to a circuit assembly residing in the receiver housing. The transducer may be a microphone  1050  (see  FIGS. 2-3 ), a second receiver as disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. ______, or combination thereof.  
      At least one microphone  1050  (see  FIGS. 2-3 ) may be coupled to a circuit assembly residing in the receiver housing to sense sound from outside the ear canal, the sound in the ear canal, and/or the sound from the audio devices. Alternatively, a via  1052  may be formed to couple the microphone  1050  mounted on a rear surface, i.e. second surface of the circuit assembly to the receiver, for example. A microphone, such as the microphone  1050  may be incorporated into any one or more of the herein described embodiments of a transducer/receiver. Furthermore, while described separately, the features and advantages of any of the herein described embodiments of a receiver  100  may be utilized in any other of the herein described embodiments and in other embodiments of a transducer. The microphone and the receiver have furthermore shown a common housing feature. That is, the microphone and receiver may be conjoined. The combined sound from the outside and the audio device are realized and transmitted to the user&#39;s ear. A control means may couple the microphone  1050  to the receiver, the conjoined microphone and receiver module, or any communication devices to perform multiple functions, such as but are not limited to, the sound level control, noise reduction, talk through, equalization, signal mixing, and/or data storage/memory. Such means may be provided as an internal control interface and/or external control interface.  
      All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extend as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.  
      The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.  
      Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.