Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an acoustic vibration apparatus, and more particularly to a speaker using electromagnetic force to generate a mechanical vibration for generating a sound and a method thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Arts 
         [0004]    As known by most of the people, the speaker is an electronic sound device for converting an electrical energy to sound energy. There are variety types of speakers. Though the principles of each of the speakers may be different, the speakers generally produce a mechanical vibration to vibrate the surrounding air, so that the air medium is being vibrated to form an electric-force-sound conversion system. Most of the current speakers are electric type loudspeaker. The conventional manufacturing process for making traditional speaker comprises the steps of glue the T iron or U iron, glue a basin frame with a magnetic element, and integrating upper plate, vibration sheet, coil, and the suspension edge etc. Firstly, all the materials are prepared for manually integrating the speaker from lower to upper, and from outside to inside of the speaker. During each of the steps of the manufacturing process, the precise glue for adhesive two or more parts of the materials together to form the speaker. For those relatively high quality speakers, the amount of the glue and the procedure of gluing have strictly requirements and standards. In the chemical view, the bonding via the glue is mostly formed via a Van der War force or Hydrogen bonding force. It is seldom that the bonding via the glue is formed via chemical bonding force, which has stronger bonding force than Van der War force or Hydrogen bonding force, so that the bonding of the parts of speaker via the glue is unstable. After a certain period, the glue tends to be oxidized, so that the parts of the speaker will be easily peeled apart. A variety of manual glue processes are required in lots of the steps of manufacturing speaker. Therefore, the manufacturing method for producing the speaker is complicated and unable to ensure the quality and stability of the products, so as to limit its applications. Traditionally, the glue process has very strict requirements for the viscosity of the glue. For example, the vibration sheet is adhesively mounted at the suspension edge via glue, wherein when a viscosity of the glue is too high, the glue can not be squeezed out of the gluing machine; when the viscosity of the glue is too low, the glue may overflow to decrease the performance of the vibration sheet. The amount and the uniformity also directly affect the quality of the speaker. The stander and procedure of glue process must be strictly followed to ensure the quality. Each of the working procedures may require plurality of specific fixtures for each of the steps. For instances, sound regulatory is adapted for adhesive the coil; magnetic regulation is provided for placing the magnetic element. Therefore, the manufacturing procedures are complicated and needs a considerable amount of workers to manually operate the process. If one of the steps or procedures is failed, the quality of the speaker may be decreased. Therefore, the manufactory may have to write of the entirely speaker. The materials and variety of different glue used for producing the speaker are not able to be recycled to cause the unnecessary waste thereof. The complicated procedures are basically operated manually, so that the production rate is low. Therefore, each batches of the speaker production are not uniformed, the qualities of speakers are not stable, and the passing rate of the quality certificate or quality control of the speakers is low. 
         [0005]    According to a China patent of electromagnetic vibrator having a patent number CN201064771Y, which is filed by the same inventor of the present invention, though the electromagnetic vibrator overcame the existing problems of complication procedures of making the speaker, and decreased the manually operation procedures to enhance the production rate and quality passing rate, the speakers manufactured via the method of this China patent is mainly focusing on the extra thin plat type vibrator. The shapes of the speaker are uniformed. The speaker can hardly change the shapes of the outer appearances in order to meet the different applications or requirements. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic vibrator, such as a speaker, which comprises an upper basin frame, an induction coil, and a lower basin frame, wherein the upper basin frame comprises a supporting frame, a vibration sheet, and a suspension edge element. The vibration sheet and the supporting frame are placed in a molding tool of the suspension edge element for integrally forming the upper basin frame in a one piece integrated structure by mold injection. In other words, during the operation of the mold injection, the suspension edge element is integrally bonded with the vibration sheet and is integrally coupled at the supporting frame. The mold injecting method of integrally the suspension edge element with the vibration sheet and the supporting frame is used by injecting the injection material via a single center feeding point or multiple feeding points to the molding tool. Therefore, the gaps of the vibration sheet are fed with the suspension edge element to selectively form a plurality of shapes, so as to achieve variety of styles and colors of the appearance of the speakers. 
         [0007]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic vibrator, wherein the special bonding structure of the upper basin frame can replace the traditional complicated glue process, so that the method for making the speaker is simplified, so as to minimize the manufacturing cost thereof. 
         [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic vibrator, wherein the production rate is enhanced by using machinery equipments for making the speaker to reduce the manual manufacturing process, so that the electromagnetic vibrator can be mass-produced. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for making an electromagnetic vibrator, wherein the unstable manual manufacturing process is minimized by conducting the machinery equipments for producing the electromagnetic vibrator. The stable parameters of the machinery equipments increase the product qualification rate. 
         [0010]    Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides an electromagnetic vibrator comprising an upper basin frame, an induction coil, and a lower basin frame. 
         [0011]    The upper basin frame comprises a supporting frame, a suspension edge element, and a vibration sheet, wherein the supporting frame has a through opening and two conductive terminals. The through opening is located at a center portion of the supporting frame. The conductive terminals are provided at a bottom side of the supporting frame. The suspension edge element and the vibration sheet are fixedly embedded within the through opening of the supporting frame. In particularly, the vibration sheet is integrally affixed to the supporting frame via the suspension edge element by mold injection of the suspension edge element. 
         [0012]    The vibration sheet is preferably a bowl shape, wherein the vibration sheet can be formed in a flat shape, cone shaped, or any other desired shapes. 
         [0013]    Furthermore, during the mold injection of the suspension edge element to integrally bond with the vibration sheet, the single center feeding point injecting method is adapted, so that the fluid of the injection material of the suspension edge element is able to be evenly distributed to integrally bond with the supporting frame and the vibration sheet. Therefore, the gaps of the vibration sheet being fed with the suspension edge can form a plurality of petal, plum, or any other streamlined shapes. The mold injecting method also allows adding variety of colors into the fluid material, such as red, yellow, blue, white, and black colorants, to form a plurality of colors of the present invention. The multiple feeding points may also be provided, so that the hollow portion between the vibration sheet and the suspension edge has no other plastic or injecting material. Therefore, the speaker appearance looks like transitional speaker. 
         [0014]    The induction coil is fixedly mounted at the upper basin frame, wherein one side of the induction coil is fixedly mounted at the rear side of the vibration sheet. The induction coil further comprises two connection wires electrically connecting to the two conductive terminals at the supporting frame respectively. 
         [0015]    The lower basin frame, which is fixedly coupled with the upper basin frame, comprises an electromagnetic unit and a connecting holder, wherein the electromagnetic unit comprises a U-shaped electromagnetic element, a permanent magnet, and a pole panel. The electromagnetic element has an inner surface, wherein the inner surface is configured to form a receiving cavity therewithin. The permanent magnet and the pole panel are received within the receiving cavity orderly. When the permanent magnet and the pole panel are disposed in the receiving cavity of the electromagnetic element, a coil moving cavity is formed between the inner side of the inner surface of the electromagnetic element. One side of the induction coil is received in the coil moving cavity. One side of the connecting holder is affixedly coupled with the electromagnetic element. In particularly, the connecting holder is integrally formed with the electromagnetic element to form a one piece integrated structure by plastic mold injection. The other side of the connecting holder comprises at least one protruding element. A plurality of heat dissipating apertures are provided between the protruding elements, such that when the electromagnetic vibrator is operated, the heat generated therefrom is able to be dissipated via the air flow through the heat dissipating apertures. 
         [0016]    Accordingly, the present invention also provides a method for making the electromagnetic vibrator, which comprises the steps of: 
         [0017]    (a) placing the conductive terminals in a molding tool of the supporting frame for integrally forming the conductive terminals with the supporting frame via mold to injecting to inject the molding fluid material into the molding tool of the supporting frame; 
         [0018]    (b) placing the vibration sheet and the supporting frame in the molding tool of the suspension edge element for integrally forming the upper basin frame by mold injection to inject the fluid material of mold injection of the suspension edge element into the molding tool of the suspension edge element; 
         [0019]    (c) placing the permanent magnet and the pole panel into the U-shaped electromagnetic element orderly to form the electromagnetic unit, and then placing the electromagnetic unit into a molding tool of the connecting holder for integrally forming the lower basin frame via mold injection; 
         [0020]    (d) affixing one side of the induction coil at the rear side of the vibration sheet, and placing the other side of the induction coil within the receiving cavity of the lower basin frame; and 
         [0021]    (e) fixedly coupling the upper basin frame with the lower basin frame. 
         [0022]    Therefore, the present invention provides an electromagnetic vibrator, which comprises an upper basin frame, an induction coil, and a lower basin frame, wherein the upper basin frame comprises the supporting frame, vibration sheet, and the suspension edge element. The vibration sheet and the supporting frame are placed in a molding tool of the suspension edge for integrally forming therewith to form the upper basin frame by mold injection, so that the speakers are able to form a plurality of shapes and colors. Meanwhile, the method for making the electromagnetic vibrator changes the traditional producing method, wherein the production quality and rate are enhanced by using machinery equipments for making the speaker to reduce the manual process. 
         [0023]    These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a 3-dimentional view of an electromagnetic vibrator for a speaker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is an exploded sectional view of a lower basin frame of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the lower basin frame of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a 3-dimentional view of a connecting holder of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  is a 3-dimentional view of an electromagnetic vibrator according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of another shape of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 9  is still another perspective view of still another shape of the electromagnetic vibrator according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3  of the drawings, an electromagnetic vibrator specifically for a speaker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the electromagnetic vibrator comprises an upper basin frame  10 , an induction coil  20 , and a lower basin frame  30 . 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 to 6 , the upper basin frame  10  comprises a supporting frame  11 , a suspension edge element  12 , and a vibration sheet  13  supported within the suspension edge element  12 , wherein the supporting frame  11 , having a ring shaped, has a through opening  111 , two conductive terminals  112 , a plurality of slots  113  and a plurality of first protruding elements  114 . The through opening  111  is located at a center portion of the supporting frame  11 . The conductive terminals  112  are affixedly provided at a bottom side of the supporting frame  11  in an integrated structure. The slots  113  are spacedly located at the supporting frame  11  at a position that the slots  113  are spacedly formed at a peripheral edge of the through opening  111 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the first protruding elements  114  are spacedly provided at the bottom peripheral edge of the supporting frame  11  at a position that the first protruding elements  114  are spacedly formed at the peripheral edge of the through opening  111  at the bottom side of the supporting frame  11 . Accordingly, the first protruding elements  114  are spacedly formed at the supporting frame  11  that every two of the neighboring first protruding elements  114  are preferably separated at a distance A. The suspension edge element  12  and the vibration sheet  13  are mounted at the through opening  111  of the supporting frame  11  at a position that the suspension edge element  12  and the vibration sheet  13  are integrally embedded at the peripheral edge of the through opening  111 . Accordingly, the suspension edge element  12  comprises at least a slot element  121  and a feeding hole  122 . The slot element  121  of the suspension edge element  12  is interlocked with one of the slots  113  of the supporting frame  11  to retain the suspension edge element  12  within the supporting frame  11 . The feeding hole  122  is located at the center portion of the suspension edge element  12  for a fluid material of mold injection flowing therethrough. The vibration sheet  13  is integrally formed with the supporting frame  11  via the mold injection of the suspension edge element  12 . The mold injecting method of the vibration sheet  13  and the suspension edge element  12  injects the injection material via a single central feeding point, so that the fluid of the material of the suspension edge element  12  is able to be evenly distributed. Therefore, the gaps between the suspension edge element  12  and the vibration sheet  13  are able to form a plurality of petal, plum, or any other streamlined shapes. The mold injecting method also allows adding variety of colors into the fluid material to form a plurality of colors of the present invention, such that the speaker is able to form variety of styles and colors according to the shape of the molding tool and the added colorants. Thus, the appearances of speaker having the electromagnetic vibrator of the present invention are varied. 
         [0035]    Accordingly, the vibration sheet  13  is preferably formed a bowl shape to have a curved surface. 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  of the drawings, the vibration sheet  13  is able to be a flat shape, cone shaped, or any other shapes. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the vibration sheet  13  is preferably made by metal. It is appreciated that the vibration sheet  13  can be made a plastic material or other materials. A positioning hole  131  is preferably provided at a central portion of the vibration sheet  13  at a position correspondingly aligned with the feeding hole  122 , so that the fluid material of mold injection is able to infiltrate thereinto for mounting the vibration sheet  13  with the suspension edge element  12 . 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  of the drawings, the induction coil  20  is preferred to fixedly mount at the upper basin frame  10 . Furthermore, one side of the induction coil  20  is affixed at a rear side of the vibration sheet  13 , wherein two connecting wires  21  of the induction coil  20  are electrically connected to the conductive terminals  112  of the supporting frame  11 . 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 to 5  of the drawings, the lower basin frame  30  is fixedly mounted at the upper basin frame  10 . In particularly, one side of the lower basin frame  30  is fixedly connected to the supporting frame  11  of the upper basin frame  10 , wherein an electromagnetic unit  31  and a connecting holder  32  for holding and positioning the electromagnetic unit  31  at the lower basin frame  30  are further provided. The electromagnetic unit  31  further comprises an electromagnetic element  311 , having a U-shaped cross section and preferably made of iron, a permanent magnet  312  and a pole panel  313 . The electromagnetic element  311  has an inner surface  314  configured to form a receiving cavity  315  and a first through hole  316 . Accordingly, the first through hole  316  indentedly formed at the bottom side of the electromagnetic element  311  such that when the fluid material of the mold injection is injected, the fluid material is able to penetrate through the first through hole  316  for affixing the electromagnetic unit  31  with the connecting holder  32 . The pole panel  313  has a second through hole  317  indentedly formed at one of the top and bottom sides of the pole panel  313 , wherein the second through hole  317  is coaxially aligned with the first through hole  316  of the electromagnetic element  311 , such that during the mold injecting, the fluid material is able to penetrate through the first and second through holes  316 ,  317  to integrally affix the electromagnetic element  311 , the permanent magnet  312 , and the pole panel  313  together. When the permanent magnet  312  and the pole panel  313  are disposed in the receiving cavity  315  of the electromagnetic element  311 , a coil moving cavity  318  is formed between the inner side of the inner surface  314  of the electromagnetic element  311  and the outer sides of the permanent magnet  312  and the pole panel  313 . Accordingly, the induction coil  20  is movably disposed at the coil moving cavity  318 . 
         [0040]    One side of the connecting holder  32  is integrally connected to the electromagnetic unit  31  preferably via mold injection method, and the other side of the connecting holder  32  is preferably connected to the corresponding side of the supporting frame  11  of the upper basin frame  10  preferably via ultrasonic connection, rotational interlocking connection, hot-melt connection, rivet connection, or screw connection etc. A plurality of second protruding elements  321  are provided at a peripheral edge of the corresponding side of the connecting holder  32 , wherein every two of the neighboring second protruding elements  321  at the upper peripheral edge of the connecting holder  32  are separated at the distance A corresponding to the distance between two first protruding elements  114  such that the second protruding elements  321  are fittingly interlocked with the first protruding elements  114  respectively. Therefore, when the upper basin frame  10  and the lower basin frame  30  are connecting therewith via the ultrasonic, hot melt, or other methods, the connecting between the upper and lower basin frames  10 ,  30  are not dislocated due to the mechanically vibration. A plurality of heat dissipating apertures  322  are provided at the peripheral edge of the lower basin frame  30  at a position that each of the heat dissipating apertures  322  is located between any two neighboring second protruding elements  321 , such that when the electromagnetic vibrator of the speaker is working, the heat generated from the lower basin frame  30  within the receiving cavity is able to be dissipated via the air flow through the heat dissipating apertures  322 . 
         [0041]    Accordingly, the present invention further provides a method of manufacturing the electromagnetic vibrator, which comprises the steps of: 
         [0042]    (a) placing the conductive terminals  112  in a molding tool of the supporting frame  11  for integrally forming the conductive terminals  112  with the supporting frame  11  via mold injecting to inject the molding fluid material, preferably plastic, into the molding tool of the supporting frame  11 ; 
         [0043]    (b) placing the vibration sheet  13  and the supporting frame  11  in the molding tool of the suspension edge element  12  for integrally forming the upper basin frame  10  in a glue-less manner by mold injection to inject the fluid material of mold injection of the suspension edge element  12  into the molding tool of the suspension edge element  12 ; 
         [0044]    (c) placing the permanent magnet  312  and the pole panel  313  into the electromagnetic element  311  orderly to form the electromagnetic unit  31  that the permanent magnet  312  is firstly disposed in the electromagnetic element  311  and the pole panel  313  is disposed on the permanent magnet  312 , and then placing the electromagnetic unit  31  into a molding tool of the connecting holder  32  for integrally forming therewith via molding injection to form the integrated lower basin frame  30 ; 
         [0045]    (d) affixing one side of the induction coil  20  at the rear side of the vibration sheet  13 , and placing the other side of the induction coil  20  within the coil moving cavity  318  of the lower basin frame  30  such that when the electromagnetic unit  31  is electromagnetically inducted with the induction coil  20 , a vibration force is generated to the vibration sheet; and 
         [0046]    (e) fixedly coupling the upper basin frame  10  with the lower basin frame  30 . 
         [0047]    More specifically, the upper basin frame  10  and the lower basin frame  30  are preferably coupled with each other via the ultrasonic method. 
         [0048]    More specifically, the upper basin frame  10  and the lower basin frame  30  are preferably coupled with each other via rotational interlocking connection. 
         [0049]    More specifically, the upper basin frame  10  and the lower basin frame  30  are preferably coupled with each other via the hot-melt connection. 
         [0050]    More specifically, the upper basin frame  10  and the lower basin frame  30  are preferably coupled with each other via the rivet connection. 
         [0051]    More specifically, the upper basin frame  10  and the lower basin frame  30  are preferably coupled with each other via screw connection. 
         [0052]    More specifically, the lower basin frame  30  can be coupled with the upper basin frame  10  via the traditional method. 
         [0053]    Referring to  FIG. 7  of the drawings, another preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrates an alternative mode of the above preferred embodiment. 
         [0054]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , a supporting frame  11 ′ of the upper basin frame  10 ′ of an electromagnetic vibrator of a speaker has at least one affixing hole  115 ′ provided at a peripheral edge of the supporting frame  11 ′, so as to conveniently affixing and positioning the speaker. 
         [0055]    One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting. 
         [0056]    It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 5