PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-12126950-B2
Application Number: US-202217984112-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Combined seal and damper for vertically orientated woofer module

Abstract:
A unitary elastomeric structure comprising: an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; and a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Speaker components comprising:
 a unitary elastomeric structure comprising:
 an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure has a c-shaped cross-section and is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; and 
 a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces; and 
 
 a low frequency driver having a diaphragm coupled to an annular flange having an outer perimeter disposed within the annular channel. 
 
     
     
       2. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein the c-shaped cross-section of the annular sealing structure faces outward in a direction opposite that of the annular channel. 
     
     
       3. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein each grommet includes a first plurality of teeth distributed radially about its upper surface. 
     
     
       4. The speaker components set forth in  claim 3  wherein each grommet further includes a second plurality of teeth distributed radially about its lower surface. 
     
     
       5. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein each grommet has a height, extending between its upper and lower surfaces, that is greater than a thickness of the annular body. 
     
     
       6. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein each grommet has a collar indentation aligned with the annular channel and extending around at least three sides of the grommet. 
     
     
       7. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein the annular channel has a rear surface opposite an annular opening of the channel that is interrupted at each grommet such that the annular channel has open regions extending a set distance to left and right sides of each grommet. 
     
     
       8. A unitary elastomeric structure comprising:
 an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure has a c-shaped cross-section and is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; 
 a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces; and 
 an annular speaker surround extending inward from the annular body and defining a central opening, the annular speaker surround having an annular arched portion disposed between the central opening and the annular body. 
 
     
     
       9. A speaker comprising:
 a speaker housing defining an interior cavity, the speaker housing having at least first and second housing portions coupled together to define at least a portion of the interior cavity; 
 a unitary elastomeric structure comprising an annular body and a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein the annular body has an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body that has a c-shaped cross-section and is concentric with and radially within the annular channel, and wherein each grommet in the plurality of grommets has a bore extending between opposing upper and lower surfaces; 
 a low frequency driver having a diaphragm coupled to an annular flange having an outer perimeter disposed within the annular channel, wherein the low frequency driver is oriented vertically within the interior cavity such that the diaphragm and annular flange are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the speaker; and 
 a plurality of fasteners that couple the first housing portion to the second housing portion, wherein each fastener in the plurality of fasteners extends through the bore of one of the grommets in the plurality of grommets and compresses its respective grommet between the first and second housing portions. 
 
     
     
       10. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein the speaker housing further includes a third housing portion with the first housing portion being an upper housing portion, the second housing portion being a middle housing portion and the third housing portion being a lower housing portion. 
     
     
       11. The speaker set forth in  claim 10  wherein the annular sealing structure is compressed between a lower surface of the annular flange and a shelf of the middle housing portion. 
     
     
       12. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein the second housing portion includes a plurality of mounting structures extending upward towards the first housing portion and located in an annular arrangement, wherein each mounting structure is aligned with one of the grommets in the plurality of grommets and sized and shaped to fit within the bore of its respective grommet. 
     
     
       13. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  further comprising an array of audio drivers arranged radially around a central longitudinal axis of the speaker. 
     
     
       14. The speaker set forth in  claim 13  wherein each audio driver in the array of audio drivers is a mid or high frequency driver. 
     
     
       15. The speaker set forth in  claim 13  wherein the low frequency driver is disposed above the array of audio drivers. 
     
     
       16. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein further comprising an annular foam ring disposed between first and second opposing surfaces of the annular c-shaped sealing structure. 
     
     
       17. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein each grommet has a height, extending between its upper and lower surfaces, that is greater than a thickness of the annular body. 
     
     
       18. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein each grommet has a collar indentation aligned with the annular channel and extending around at least three sides of the grommet.

Description:
This present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/368,024, filed Jul. 8, 2022, entitled “Combined Seal And Damper For Vertically Orientated Woofer Module,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Speakers, such as compact voice-activated/smart speakers, are becoming a common household item where many households have at least one or more such devices. Such compact, voice-activated speakers allow a user to listen to and control music playback, access the internet and control various home automation devices in response to voice commands that follow an initial command phrase. While there are a number of different compact smart speakers on the market, new and improve speaker designs are continuously being sought. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     This disclosure describes various embodiments of a compact electronic speaker. Embodiments of the disclosed speaker can have a small footprint while also accurately reproducing music and other audio streams. In some embodiments, the speaker can include a vertically mounted low frequency driver, for example, a woofer or subwoofer, and an annular, elastomeric damper coupled between the low frequency driver and a housing of the speaker. The damper isolates vibrations generated by the low frequency driver helping to ensure the speaker does not generate rattling or other undesirable noises and/or does not shift or hop across the supporting surface due to such vibrations. 
     In some embodiments, a unitary elastomeric structure is provided that includes: an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; and a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces. 
     According to some embodiments, a speaker includes: a speaker housing, a unitary elastomeric structure, a low frequency driver and a plurality of fasteners. The speaker housing can define an interior cavity and include at least first and second housing portions coupled together to define at least a portion of the interior cavity. The unitary elastomeric structure can include an annular body and a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body. The annular body can have an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body that is concentric with and radially within the annular channel. Each grommet in the plurality of grommets can have a bore extending between opposing upper and lower surfaces. The low frequency driver can include a diaphragm coupled to an annular flange having an outer perimeter disposed within the annular channel and the low frequency driver can be oriented vertically within the interior cavity such that the diaphragm and annular flange are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the speaker. The plurality of fasteners can couple the first housing portion to the second housing portion with each fastener in the plurality of fasteners extending through the bore of one of the grommets in the plurality of grommets compressing its respective grommet between the first and second housing portions. 
     In various implementations, the unitary elastomeric structure can include one or more of the following features. The Each grommet can include a first plurality of teeth distributed radially about its upper surface. Each grommet can further include a second plurality of teeth distributed radially about its lower surface. Each grommet can have a height, extending between its upper and lower surfaces, that is greater than a thickness of the annular body. Each grommet can have a collar indentation aligned with the annular channel and extending around at least three sides of the grommet. The annular channel can have a rear surface opposite an annular opening of the channel that is interrupted at each grommet such that the annular channel has open regions extending a set distance to left and right sides of each grommet. The unitary elastomeric structure can further include an annular speaker surround extending inward from the annular body and defining a central opening. The annular speaker surround can have an annular arched portion disposed between the central opening and the annular body. 
     To better understand the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present invention. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evident to the contrary from the description, where elements in different figures use the same reference numbers, the elements are generally either identical or at least similar in function or purpose. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements and in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a simplified perspective view of a smart speaker according to some embodiments; 
         FIG.  2    is a simplified exploded view of various components housed inside a smart speaker according to some embodiments; 
         FIG.  3 A  is a simplified top perspective view of a damper according to some embodiments; 
         FIG.  3 B  is a simplified perspective view of a portion of the damper shown in  FIG.  3 A ; 
         FIG.  3 C  is a simplified bottom perspective view of the damper shown in  FIG.  3 A ; 
         FIG.  3 D  is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of the damper shown in  FIG.  3 A ; 
         FIG.  4    is a simplified perspective view illustration depicting a damper according to some embodiments disclosed herein attached to a low frequency driver; 
         FIG.  5    is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of the damper and low frequency driver shown in  FIG.  4   ; 
         FIG.  6    is simplified cross-sectional illustration of a portion of a damper and low frequency driver within a speaker according to some embodiments; 
         FIG.  7    is a simplified cross-sectional perspective illustration of a portion of the damper and low frequency driver within the speaker shown in  FIGS.  6 A and  6 B  according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  8    is a simplified top perspective view of a combined low frequency surround, damper and seal according to some embodiments; and 
         FIG.  9    is a simplified perspective view illustration depicting a combined low frequency surround, damper and seal according to some embodiments disclosed herein attached to additional components of the low frequency driver. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Representative applications of methods and apparatus according to the present application are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessary obscuring the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. 
     In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is understood that these examples are not limiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. 
     Speaker configurations tend to be overly large when high quality audio playback is desired and the audio output can be very directional in nature. This can require a user to be positioned in one particular location to get a desired quality level of audio content generated by the speakers. For example, a multi-channel speaker setup could require speakers to be mounted in multiple different corners of a room to achieve a substantially uniform distribution of sound within the room. 
     One way to reduce the size of a speaker configuration and simplify speaker setup while maintaining an even distribution of sound within a room, is to package multiple mid to high frequency drivers into a single housing along with a single low frequency driver. The mid to high frequency drivers can be arranged in an array and distributed radially about the speaker device so that audio exit channels associated with the drivers are distributed at a regular radial interval along a periphery of the speaker device while the low frequency driver can be positioned above or below the array and oriented vertically. The vertical orientation of the low frequency driver and compact size of the speaker can present some challenges related to the direction in which the mass of the low frequency driver oscillates, however, that are solved by embodiments disclosed herein. 
     Example Speaker 
       FIG.  1    shows a simplified perspective view of an speaker  100  according to some embodiments. Speaker  100  can include a body  110  having an unbroken, aesthetically pleasing exterior surface with a symmetrical and generally spherical shape. For example, body  110  can have an outer surface in which the points along given horizontal cross-sections through body  110  are equidistance from a central longitudinal axis extending through the body perpindicular to the cross-sections. The shape of body  110  can be primarily defined by a housing (not visible in  FIG.  1   ) that, in the depicted embodiment, has a symmetric substantially cylindrical geometry. As used herein, the term “substantially cylindrical geometry” refers to both a geometry that is completely cylindrical (i.e., a geometry that includes straight parallel sides and has a circular or oval cross-section) as well as a geometry in which the sides of the top and/or bottom edges are tapered and rounded more than an actual cylinder. Embodiments are not limited to any particular shape of speaker  100 , however, and speakers in accordance with other embodiments can have any appropriate shape, including as non-limiting examples, a spherical geometry or a cubical geometry among others. 
     In some embodiments, speaker  100  can include an array of mid to high frequency drivers (not visible in  FIG.  1   ) arranged around a central, longitudinal axis that can be, for example, disposed within a lower portion of body  110 . The audio drivers in the array can be disposed within body  110  at regular radial intervals and each of the audio drivers can be configured to generate audio waves that exit the housing through acoustic vents defined by a downward facing end of the housing. In such a configuration, beamforming techniques can be applied to improve audio performance by, adjusting audio exiting from adjacent audio exit openings in order to generate constructively interference. In one particular embodiment, the mid to high frequency drivers can be positioned in a circular arrangement within a cylindrical housing to achieve an even radial distribution of sound. Destructive interference caused by reflections from the support surface on which the device is positioned can be prevented by orienting the audio exit openings next to the support surface. 
     In some embodiments, the acoustic vents (not visible in  FIG.  1   ), along with a majority of speaker  100  can be concealed by an acoustic fabric  112  that provides a consistent exterior surface for speaker  100  for a pleasant aesthetic appearance. Acoustic fabric  112 , which can be attached to the housing that defines the shape of body  110 , can be made from a woven mesh or similar structure that has minimal impact on the volume and/or quality of audio exiting speaker  100 . For example, audio waves exiting speaker  100  can pass through acoustic fabric  112  without any interference. In some embodiments, acoustic fabric  112  can have a pattern specifically chosen and designed to conceal components or features position beneath the acoustic fabric. 
     Speaker  100  can also include a low frequency audio driver (e.g., a woofer or subwoofer, also not visible in  FIG.  1   ) for improved audio quality. The low frequency audio driver can be disposed in an upper portion of body  110  and arranged in a plane generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of speaker  100  such that the low frequency driver can be said to be vertically-oriented. That is, the low frequency audio driver can include a diaphragm that oscillates in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of speaker  100 . In such an arrangement, the low frequency audio driver can generate vibrations that could potentially cause undesirable buzzing within or motion of speaker  100 . To reduce or prevent such undesirable effects, embodiments disclosed herein can attach the low frequency driver to housing components of speaker  100  using a damper that includes multiple elastomeric grommets. The damper, which is described in detail below, can reduce the amount of vibrations imparted to the rest of speaker  100  by the low frequency audio driver. 
     An upper portion of array speaker  100  can include a user interface  120 . User interface  120  can allow a user to adjust settings for speaker  100 . For example, track selection and changes in volume can be handled by interacting with user interface  120 . In some embodiments, user interface  120  can take the form of a touch sensitive surface. User interface  120  can include one or more light sources that illuminate various regions of user interface  120  to help a user interact with user interface  120 . 
       FIG.  2    is a simplified partially exploded view of speaker  200  and various components of the speaker according to some embodiments. Speaker  200 , which is shown in  FIG.  2    without an acoustic fabric covering the outer surface of a housing  210 , can be representative of speaker  100  discussed above with respect to  FIG.  1   . As depicted, housing  210  can include three separate portions: a lower housing  212 , a middle housing  214  and an upper housing  216  that essentially define the shape of speaker  200 . In  FIG.  2   , lower housing  212  and middle housing  214  are shown coupled together while upper housing  216  is in a spaced apart relationship with the middle housing prior to a final assembly stage. The housing enclosure portions  212 ,  214 ,  216  can be coupled together using any suitable attachment technique or mechanism. For example, in some embodiments the housing components can be joined together by one or more of the following: mechanical fasteners, such as screws, bolts, wire fasteners or the like, an adhesive glue or an adhesive tape, or by laser or ultrasonic welding or the like. In some embodiments, each housing portion is configured to fit over, around, and/or under one another while giving the appearance of a smooth and seamless junction between the connection points of each housing portion to one another. An acoustic fabric (e.g., acoustic fabric  112  discussed above with respect to  FIG.  1   ) can be wrapped around housing  210  to provide a consistent and aesthetically pleasing exterior finish and surface while concealing potential seams in the housing, various audio ports and other components of speaker  200 . While housing  210  is depicted as including three separate housing portions, in other embodiments housing  210  can include fewer than or more than three separate portions. 
     Speaker  200  can also include, among other components, a touch module  220 , a low frequency driver  230  and an array of mid to high frequency drivers disposed within the middle and lower housing portions  214 ,  216  and thus not visible in  FIG.  2   . Touch module  220  can be coupled to upper housing portion  216 . The touch module  220  allows a user to interact with and control various features of speaker  200  according to some embodiments. Touch module  220  can be, for example, a touch sensitive input device and can include a display that presents information and/or controls (e.g., volume controls) to a user. 
     Low frequency driver  230 , which in various embodiments can be considered a woofer or a subwoofer, lies in plane perpendicular to and is centered within housing  210  on a central longitudinal axis  205  of speaker  200 . The low frequency driver includes a diaphragm  232  and an annular flange  234  that extends around an outer periphery of the low frequency driver. The driver  230  also includes a magnet and other components, which are not readily visible in  FIG.  2   . The annular flange  234  is used to secure low frequency driver  230  to portions of housing  210  and, towards that end, includes multiple c-shaped notches  236  arranged around its outer periphery that are sized and shaped to receive fasteners as described below. 
     When in use, the inertia of the moving mass of low frequency driver  230  creates forces in the Z axis and moments about the X and Y axes, which can lead to visible shaking and potentially to hopping of speaker  200 . This could result in speaker  200  moving laterally while playing music and become a drop hazard. The motion generated by low frequency driver  230  can also create vibrations throughout speaker  200 , which can cause audible rattling or buzzing noises and potentially result in premature component failure or disconnection. Vertical motion of array speaker in the Z axis can also make it difficult to accurately interface with touch interface  220  positioned on the top of speaker  200 . For example, vertical motion of speaker  200  could cause a user to touch the wrong portion of the touch interface or to make an input earlier than otherwise desired. 
     Damper  240  has been engineered and designed to minimize or completely prevent such potential problems. Damper  240  is a singular, unitary piece of elastomeric material that both dampens oscillations generated by low frequency driver  230  and creates an acoustic seal between the front and back volumes of the low frequency driver. Damper  240  includes multiple grommets  242  arranged around an annular body  244  that can be coupled between middle and upper housing portions  214 ,  216  by fasteners  250  that extend through grommets  242  into mounting structures/bosses  218 . Each grommet  242  can be made from the same elastic material and have a specific geometry to achieve optimal stiffness properties to dampen oscillations generated by low frequency driver  230  as discussed in more detail below. In the depicted embodiment, each fastener  242 , which can be a screw or any other appropriate mechanical fastener, can extend through a hole (not visible in  FIG.  2   ) in upper housing  216  and into a corresponding mounting structure/boss  218  that can be, for example, part of the middle housing portion  214 . 
     Damper  240  also includes an annular channel  246  formed along an inner perimeter of an upper portion of the damper. In some embodiments damper  240  is too small to fit over annular flange  234  except for the fact that the damper is made from an elastomeric material that can be stretched. Once stretched, annular channel  246  fits over the outer perimeter of annular flange  234  tightly securing the damper to the flange and each grommet  242  sits within one of the c-shaped notches  236  disposed around an outer perimeter of annular flange  234 . In some embodiments, grommets  242  include a collar  248  formed along at least three of its sides that align with and act as extensions of annular channel  246  to better secure each grommet within its respective notch  236 . The grommets can then be slide over their respective bosses  218  and the middle and upper housing portions  214 ,  216  can be attached together by fasteners  250  with damper  240  positioned between the two housing portions. Further details of damper  240  and its associated features are described below in conjunction with  FIGS.  3 A to  7   . 
     Example Damper 
     Referring first to  FIGS.  3 A- 3 D  where  FIG.  3 A  is a simplified top perspective view of a damper  300  according to some embodiments,  FIG.  3 B  is a simplified perspective view of a portion of damper  300 ,  FIG.  3 C  is a simplified is a simplified bottom perspective view of damper  300 , and  FIG.  3 D  is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of damper  300 . Damper  300  can be representative of damper  200  depicted in  FIG.  2   . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 D , damper  300  is an integrated, unitary structure includes an annular body  310  (e.g., body  244 ) with multiple grommets  320  distributed radially around its outer perimeter. In the depicted embodiments damper  300  includes eight grommets  320  but embodiments are not limited to any particular number of grommets and some embodiments can include fewer than eight grommets while other embodiments can include more than eight grommets. Also, while the grommets  320  are spaced apart from each other at equal radial distances in the depicted embodiment, in other embodiments the grommets can be spaced apart from each other in a different arrangement. 
     Body  310  defines an annular channel  312  along an upper portion of its inner perimeter (e.g., annular channel  246 ) and each grommet  320  includes a collar  318  (e.g., grove  248 ) around its inner and side surfaces that is aligned in the same plane as annular grove  312 . As depicted, the annular channel  312  has a rear surface, opposite the inward facing opening of the channel, that is partially interrupted at each grommet  320  by an open section  314  on each side of each grommet. Open sections  314  allow a hard stop (shown in and discussed with respect to  FIG.  7   ) to directly contact the annular flange of the low frequency driver (e.g., annular flange  234 ) in situations where higher than normal forces act upon the low frequency driver (e.g., in a drop event) that might cause the driver to otherwise damage damper  300 . 
     As described above, damper  300  can be a single, integrally formed component that can be both structurally stronger than a similar structure made out of multiple, separate components and less expensive to manufacture. Damper  300  can be made from an elastomeric or similar material, such as silicone or rubber and, in some embodiments, has a durometer between 30 to 70 and in other embodiments has a durometer between about 35 to 50. In some embodiments, damper  300  is fabricated with a single shot compression molding process but damper  300  can be formed using any suitable method including various double shot processes where one or more portions of damper  300  have a different durometer than other portions of the damper. 
     As shown more clearly in  FIG.  3 B , each grommet  320  includes a central bore or hole  322  that extends through the entire height (length) of the grommet. Each bore  322  is sized to fit around one of the boss  218  structures discussed above with respect to  FIG.  2   . Thus, in an embodiment with eight grommets  320 , middle housing  214  can include eight bosses  218 . Each grommet  320  can optionally include one or more teeth  324  protruding from its upper surface as well as one or more teeth  326  ( FIG.  3 C ) protruding from its lower surface. The teeth  324 ,  326  can designed and fabricated to compress more easily when the upper and middle housing sections are coupled together as described below. The height and/or width of teeth  324 ,  326  can be tuned to adjust the overall stiffness provided by the grommets. 
     In addition to dampening movement and vibrations from the low frequency driver, damper  300  serves a dual purpose of isolating the back volume of the low frequency driver from its front volume. Towards this end, and as shown more clearly in  FIG.  3 D , body  310  also includes a sealing section  330  that in the depicted embodiment is in the form of an annular c-shaped section that extends around an inner perimeter of damper  300  below channel  312 . Sealing section  330  is concentric with and radially within annular channel  312 . As discussed in more detail below, when damper  300  is properly positioned between the upper and middle housing portions, an upper face of sealing section  300  contacts a lower surface of annular flange  234  and a lower face of sealing section  300  contacts a portion of the middle housing  214  providing an acoustic seal that acoustically separates the back volume of low frequency driver  230  from the front volume of the driver. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  4  and  5    in which  FIG.  4    is a simplified perspective view illustration depicting damper  300  attached to a low frequency driver  400  and  FIG.  5    is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of the damper  300  and low frequency driver  400  shown in  FIG.  4   . Low frequency driver  400  can be representative of low frequency driver  230  shown in  FIG.  2   . Visible in  FIG.  4    are the diaphragm  410 , annular flange  420 , and other components of the low frequency driver  400  as well as portions of damper  300 . As mentioned above, in some embodiments damper  300  is smaller than the annular flange  420  of low frequency driver  400 . Thus, as shown in  FIGS.  4  and  5   , damper  300  is in a stretched state where sections of the damper that define annular channel  312  are stretched and fitted over an outer edge of annular flange  420 . 
     Each grommet  320  also includes a c-shaped collar (e.g., collar  318  shown in  FIGS.  3 C and  3 D ) that allows the grommet to be positioned within one c-shaped notches (e.g., notches  236 ) of the annular flange such that the collar  318 , which extends around the opposing sides of the grommet, accepts the opposing arms  422  of annular flange that define c-shaped notches. When the annular flange  420  is engaged within the c-shaped collar of the grommets  320 , the shape of the c-shaped collar acts as an anti-rotation feature that prevents the grommet twisting within its respective notch. Since damper  300  is made from an elastomeric material, this can be helpful when driving screws (e.g., fasteners  250 ) into their respective mounting features. 
     Damper  300  also includes a sealing section  330  that contributes to the suspension force provided by grommets  320  but has a primary purpose of providing an acoustic seal between annular flange  420  and part of a speaker housing. In the depicted embodiment, sealing section  330  is a annular c-shaped portion formed in a lower portion of body  310 . In some embodiments, an annular low-compression foam ring  510  is positioned the upper and lower legs of sealing section  330  as depicted in  FIG.  5   . Annular foam ring  510  biases c-shaped sealing section with an outward force and the durometer and size and shape of foam ring  510  can be selected to provide the desired amount of biasing force. Annular foam ring  510  is optional as some embodiments do not require any biasing of sealing structure and still other embodiments can include one or more ribs or other structures along an inner surface of the c-shaped sealing structure  330  to increase the stiffness of structure  330  instead of annular foam ring  510 . 
       FIG.  6    is simplified cross-sectional diagram of a portion of damper  300  and low frequency driver  400  mounted within a housing  610  of a speaker  600  according to some embodiments. Speaker housing  610 , which can be representative of housing  210 , includes a middle housing portion  614  and an upper housing portion  616 . As shown, a screw  620  (e.g., one of fasteners  250 ) is threaded into a mounting structure  630 . Mounting structure  630  serves a dual purpose of locating grommet  320  and is thus sometimes referred to herein as “boss  630 ”. 
     When screw  620  is tightened, a shoulder of the screw contacts a shelf of upper housing portion  616  and forces the upper housing portion towards the middle housing portion clamping the middle and upper housing portions  614 ,  616  together. Grommet  320  extends between opposing faces  624 ,  626  on the two housing portions  614 ,  616 , respectively, such that when screw  620  is tightened, the faces  624 ,  626  are moved closer together compressing grommet  320  (as shown by the dotted patterned sections at the edges of grommet  300  contacting faces  624 ,  626  as well as face  628 ). In this manner, screw  620  can be set to a predetermined depth within mounting structure  630  to provide a desired amount of pre-compression at face locations  624 ,  626 . 
     As discussed above, in some embodiments grommet  320  can have one or more teeth  324 ,  326  protruding away from its upper and lower surfaces, respectively. In such embodiments, it is the teeth  324 ,  326  that contact faces  624 ,  626 . The size, shape and number of teeth  324 ,  326  in each grommet  320  can be selected to provide a desired amount of stiffness in the grommets  320  when compressed. Note that while only a single grommet  320  is shown in  FIG.  6   , damper  300  can include multiple grommets spaced along its outer radius apart and speaker  600  can include a mounting structure  622  for each grommet. 
     As discussed above, damper  300  also includes a c-shaped sealing section  330  with an annular low-compression foam ring  510  positioned between the upper and lower halves of sealing section  330 . C-shaped sealing structure  330  extends between annular flange  410  and middle housing portion  614 . The front volume of low frequency driver  400  is above sealing section  330  within an area enclosed by upper housing portion  616  while the back volume of the low frequency driver is below annular flange  410  within an area enclosed by middle housing portion  614  and a lower housing portion (not shown). Sealing structure  330  provides an acoustic seal between the two speaker volumes for improved audio performance. In the depicted embodiment, middle housing portion  614  includes a shelf with an annular indentation that accepts a lower surface of sealing structure  330  to provide an improved acoustic seal. 
       FIG.  7    is a simplified cross-sectional perspective illustration of a portion of a speaker  700  that includes damper  300  and low frequency driver  400  according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG.  7   , a stopper  720  is positioned directly beneath, and in a spaced apart relationship with, annular flange  420  in the area in which one of the open sections  314  is formed in damper  300 . Thus, stopper  720  is formed on and protrudes away from a shelf  710  of middle housing portion  614 . Stopper  720  is positioned directly below a surface of annular flange  420  without any portion of damper  300  between the two components. If the speaker shown in  FIG.  7    is subject to a drop or similar event in which low frequency driver  400  is subject to strong forces that would move the driver vertically, in a downward direction, within the speaker housing, the annular flange  420  will contact stopper  720  limiting the forces under which damper  300  and grommet  320  are subjected to. A similar stopper (not shown in  FIG.  7   ) can be positioned above damper  300  in a strategic location that allows the stopper to limit the vertical movement of the low frequency driver in an upward direction. In this manner the lower and upper stoppers can prevent damage to damper  300  that might otherwise occur during a drop or similar event. 
     Combination Low Frequency Surround, Seal and Damper 
     To further reduce the complexity and cost of vertically oriented low frequency drivers (e.g., woofers), some embodiments combine the innovative damper discussed above (e.g., damper  300  that combines a low frequency driver suspension and seal as discussed with respect to  FIGS.  3 A- 3 D ) into the surround of the low frequency driver. To illustrate, reference is made to  FIGS.  8  and  9    where  FIG.  8    is a simplified top perspective cross-sectional view of a combined low frequency surround, damper and seal  800  according to some embodiments, and  FIG.  9    is a simplified perspective view illustration depicting the low frequency surround, damper and seal shown in  FIG.  8    attached to additional components of the low frequency driver  900 . 
     Low frequency surround, damper and seal  800  can be a single, integrally formed component that can be both structurally stronger than a similar structure made out of multiple, separate components and less expensive to manufacture. Low frequency surround, damper and seal  800  can be made from an elastomeric or similar material, such as silicone or rubber. 
     As shown in  FIG.  8   , low frequency surround, seal and damper  800  is an integrated, unitary structure includes all the same elements as damper  300  discussed above (including an annular body  810  having multiple grommets  820  distributed around its outer perimeter) combined with a surround portion  840  of a low frequency driver. Annular body  810  and grommets  820  can be similar to annular body  310  and grommets  320 , respectively. The annular body  810  can define an annular channel  812  that can be wrapped around a flange portion  920  of low frequency driver  900  as discussed below with respect to  FIG.  9   . Low frequency surround, seal and damper  800  also includes a sealing section  830  that is similar to sealing section  330  described above and that provides an acoustic seal between annular flange  920  and part of a speaker housing. 
     Surround  840  can be attached (e.g., with an appropriate adhesive) at its inner periphery  842  to speaker cone  850 . At its outer periphery  844 , surround  840  can extend into and be integrated with annular body  810 . Between the inner periphery  842  and outer periphery  844 , surround  840  can include an annular arched portion  846  that extends outward, away from the voice coil of low frequency driver  900 . During operation of the low frequency driver, surround  840  can flex, allowing the cone  850  to move in response to movement of the speaker voice coil. Surround  840  is important to the proper function of low frequency driver  900 . By combining the elastomer surround with the grommet and seal features, embodiments are able to have a stand-alone low frequency driver module with both sealing and suspension. 
     Referring to  FIG.  9   , low frequency driver  900  includes low frequency surround, seal and damper  800  coupled between speaker cone  850  (i.e., a diaphragm) and an annular flange  920 , as well as various other components. Similar to damper  300 , low frequency surround, seal and damper  800  has a slightly smaller diameter than the annular flange  920 . Thus, as shown in  FIG.  9   , low frequency surround, seal and damper  800  is in a stretched state where sections of the device that define annular channel  812  are stretched and fitted over an outer edge of annular flange  920 . 
     The embodiment shown in  FIGS.  8  and  9    is illustrative only. Thus, while in the depicted embodiment, low frequency surround, seal and damper  800  includes eight grommets  820 , it is to be understood that embodiments are not limited to any particular number of grommets and some embodiments can include fewer than eight grommets while other embodiments can include more than eight grommets. Also, while the grommets  820  are spaced apart from each other at equal radial distances in the depicted embodiment, in other embodiments the grommets can be spaced apart from each other in a different arrangement. 
     Additional Embodiments 
     The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium for controlling operation of the disclosed speaker. In some embodiments, the computer readable medium can include code for interacting with other connected devices within a user&#39;s home. For example, speaker  100  could be configured to use its ambient light sensor to identify human activity and to learn when to activate and deactivate certain devices within the user&#39;s home. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, HDDs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. For example, while embodiments described above indicated the grommets can have a variety of different configurations, in number, shape and size of teeth extending from upper and/or lower surfaces of the grommets to adjust the overall stiffness provided by the damper and thus optimize its dampening capabilities, in some embodiments the grommets can have generally planar upper and lower surfaces without any protruding teeth. As another example, sealing structure  330  is depicted above as being an annular, outwardly facing c-shaped portion of damper  300 . The sealing structure is not limited to this particular shape, however, and in other embodiments can take any appropriate shape providing the sealing structure creates an acoustic seal between the front and back volumes of the low frequency driver. Non-limiting examples of other suitable cross-sectional shapes for sealing structure  300  include an inward facing c-shaped structure, an s-shaped structure and a z-shaped structure along with any other suitable annular structure that has an appropriately low stiffness. 
     Additionally, it is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20221109
Publication Date: 20241022
Grant Date: 20241022
Priority Date: 20220708
Inventors: KOLE, JARED M.
THOMPSON, PAUL J.
STANLEY, CRAIG M.
WU, Meiting
DELLA ROSA, Jason C.
Gould, Alexander R.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R1/026", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/2896", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/2888", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/2896", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/288", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/2896", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/2888", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/026", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 89431000