Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Electro-acoustic audio transducer – Electromagnetic
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-02
2002-04-09
Le, Huyen (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Electro-acoustic audio transducer
Electromagnetic
C381S410000, C381S412000, C381S396000, C439S039000, C439S040000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06370257
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Apparatus including an electroacoustic transducer having terminal contacts which extend in the direction of the transducer axis and including a printed circuit board having mating contacts.
The invention relates to an apparatus having a housing and an electroacoustic transducer accommodated in the housing, the transducer having a diaphragm, a moving coil connected to the diaphragm, and a magnet system adapted to cooperate with the moving coil, the magnet system being coaxial with a transducer axis of the transducer, and surrounding an inner space which is coaxial with the transducer axis, and the transducer having two terminal contact elements each serving for the electrically conductive connection to a moving coil lead of the moving coil, and being disposed at least partly inside the inner space in the magnet system, and extending at least partly parallel to the transducer axis, and the apparatus further including a printed circuit board accommodated in the housing and provided with two mating contacts which are each in mechanical contact with and have an electrically conductive connection to a terminal contact element.
The invention also relates to an electroacoustic transducer for use in such an apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus and an electroacoustic transducer, as described above are commercially available and are consequently known. For the known constructions reference can be made to International Patent Application WO 98/38832 A1, corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/033,200, filed Mar. 2, 1999. In the known constructions, the electroacoustic transducer, is secured to the housing of the known apparatus with the aid of fixing means. Furthermore, the printed circuit board is also secured to the housing, or to stationary parts connected to the housing, with the aid of further fixing means. The terminal contact elements are formed by contact springs having one bend. The mating contacts are formed by conductor track areas on the printed circuit board. As long as the electroacoustic transducer is comparatively large, its outer diameter being of a magnitude larger than 10 mm, for example, between 13 mm and 40 mm, the known constructions yield satisfactory results. However, further miniaturization of an apparatus, such as the known one and an electroacoustic transducer as the known one, gives rise to problems because terminal contact elements formed by contact springs having one bend and mating contacts formed by conductor track areas on the printed circuit board establish a proper electrically conductive connection only if the construction of the housing and the construction of the printed circuit board are within comparatively narrow tolerance limits, because the terminal contact elements having one bend only enable a limited compensation for tolerances of the aforementioned type. Moreover, it is to be noted that the terminal contact elements in the form of contact springs having one bend which, as stated, have been provided in the International Patent Application WO 98/38832 A1, can be miniaturized only to a limited extent and can, therefore, no longer be used in transducers which are further miniaturized in comparison with the known transducer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to preclude the aforementioned problems and to provide an improved apparatus and an improved electroacoustic transducer in which, also in the case of further miniaturization, always a trouble-free and substantially tolerance-independent electrical connection is obtained between two terminal contact elements of the transducer and two mating contact elements on a printed circuit board.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the invention, the apparatus as described above is characterized in that two mating contact elements are provided as mating contacts which are separate from the printed circuit board, the two separate mating contact elements being mechanically connected to the printed circuit board, and each having a mating contact portion which extends substantially parallel to the transducer axis, and a terminal contact portion which extends also substantially parallel to the transducer axis and is in contact with a mating contact portion which extends parallel to the transducer axis, the terminal contact portions and the mating contact portions being held pairwise against each other in a direction transverse to the transducer axis and thus forming at least parts of retaining means for securing the transducer to the printed circuit board.
Further in order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the invention, the transducer as described above is characterized in that the two terminal contact elements each have a terminal contact portion which extends also substantially parallel to the transducer axis and which forms a part of retaining means for securing the transducer to a printed circuit board, this part acting in a direction which is oriented transversely to the transducer axis.
By means of the measures in accordance with the invention, it is achieved, in a simple manner and at only low cost, that between the two terminal contact elements of a transducer in accordance with the invention, and the two mating contact elements on the printed circuit board in an apparatus in accordance with the invention, always a trouble-free electrical connection which is substantially independent of component tolerances is guaranteed, also in the case that the apparatus and the transducer are comparatively small and the transducer has an outer diameter of a magnitude smaller that 10 mm, for example, of a magnitude between 5 mm and 10 mm. Moreover, it is thus achieved that an electroacoustic transducer in accordance with the invention is secured directly to the printed circuit board of an apparatus in accordance with the invention by simple means, and that the transducer in accordance with the invention can be mounted on and secured to the printed circuit board before the housing of the apparatus is closed, which has the advantage of a simple mounting and of a simple testing of the formation of the electrically conductive connections between the terminal contact elements and the mating contact elements.
In an apparatus in accordance with the invention, a terminal contact portion and a mating contact portion may cooperate with each other, for example, only under the influence of friction, and may thus be held against each other in a direction transverse to the transducer axis and thereby perform a retaining function with the aid of which the transducer in accordance with the invention is secured to the printed circuit board. However, it has very advantageous that, in addition, at least one contact portion of a contact portion pair, consisting of a terminal contact portion and a mating contact portion, is resilient in a direction which is oriented transversely to the transducer axis, because in this way, a particularly reliable electrical contact is established, and also a proper mechanical fastening of the transducer in accordance with the invention to the printed circuit board is achieved. Likewise, it has proven to be advantageous that, in the terminal contact portions are resilient in a direction which is oriented transversely to the transducer axis.
In an apparatus in accordance with the invention, it has proven to be very advantageous that the two mating contact elements consist of a material which is resistant to temperatures prevalent during soldering processes. because it is thus guaranteed that the mating contact elements can be connected to the printed circuit board both electrically and mechanically by an arbitrary solder process without any damage as a result of high-temperature effects.
In an apparatus in accordance with the invention, two mating contact elements may be provided, which are each mechanically connected to the printed circuit board without any further means. However, it has proven to be particularly advantageous that, in an apparatus in ac
Bleim Peter
Frasl Ewald
Klein Erich
Ruberl Ernst
Harvey Dionne N.
Le Huyen
U.S. Philips Corporation
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