Patent ID: 8494209

Claim:
An armature apparatus for use in an acoustic device, the apparatus comprising: a first tine member having a first length, a first width, and a first thickness, the first length being greater than the first width, the first width being greater than the first thickness, the first width and first length defining a first surface; a second tine member having a second length, a second width, and a second thickness, the second length being greater than the second width, the second width being greater than the second thickness, the second length and the second width defining a second surface; such that the first surface of the first tine member generally faces the second surface of the second tine member and such the first surface is disposed in generally parallel relation to the second surface; a center tine member having a third length, the third length being generally parallel to the first length and the second length; a connecting portion coupling the center tine member to the first surface along the first length and to the second surface along the second length, the coupling being effective to substantially eliminate vibrations along the third length of the center tine member; such that the center tine member is generally disposed in a plane extending between the first tine member and the second tine member and such that the plane divides the first surface of the first tine member and the second surface of the second tine member to create two areas in each of the first tine member and the second tine member; wherein the connecting portion is coupled to a first underside of the first tine member via a first folded section and to a second underside of the second tine member via a second folded section, the first underside being defined by the first thickness and the first length and the second underside being defined by the second thickness and the second length; wherein the first folded section extends generally in the direction of the first width and the second folded section extends generally in the direction of the second width.