Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Electro-acoustic audio transducer – Electromagnetic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2001-05-08
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Electro-acoustic audio transducer
Electromagnetic
C381S361000, C381S409000, C381S417000, C381S431000, C367S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229903
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a structure for mounting an electromagnetic sound generator which generates sound by vibrating a vibration plate using an electromagnet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, surface-mounted electromagnetic sound generators of the kinds shown in
FIGS. 10
to
13
and
FIGS. 14
to
17
are the thinnest and smallest available and are capable of high-density mounting. As shown in the diagrams mentioned, an electromagnetic sound generator of this type includes a case
2
in which are housed an electromagnet
10
comprising a yoke
4
, a magnet
6
and a coil
8
, and a vibrating plate
14
supported facing the electromagnet
10
by a ring-shaped vibration-plate supporting ring
12
. The case
2
is insert-molded to have a pair of electrodes
20
,
22
for connecting the coil
8
, which is contained within the case
2
, to substrate electrodes
18
on a substrate
16
, and a dummy electrode
24
for providing greater fixing force.
The electromagnetic sound generators having the structure described above are mounted on the substrate
16
by fixing connecting portions
20
a
,
22
a
,
24
a
,
24
b
of the electrodes
20
,
22
and dummy electrode
24
exposed at the exterior of the case
2
to respective ones of the substrate electrodes
18
on the substrate
16
by solder
26
, as illustrated in
FIGS. 11
,
12
and
FIGS. 15
,
16
.
In the conventional electromagnetic sound generators described above, the connecting portions
20
a
,
22
a
,
24
a
,
24
b
of the electrodes
20
,
22
and dummy electrode
24
are formed by causing these electrodes to protrude from the bottom of the case
2
or by bending the electrodes toward the side face of the case
2
. The electromagnetic sound generator is mounted on the substrate
16
with the connecting portions
20
a
,
22
a
,
24
a
,
24
b
being superimposed on the substrate electrodes
18
. In order to deal with a further reduction in device thickness and size and an increase in mounting density, therefore, it is necessary that the electromagnetic sound generator itself be reduced in thickness and size. In particular, since the thickness of the electromagnetic sound generator is decided by the internal structure and mounting method of the sound generator, it is necessary to modify the internal structure and change the mounting method. However, the state of the art is such that achieving a further decrease in thickness is extremely difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for an electromagnetic sound generator, the structure making it possible to reduce thickness without altering the internal structure of the electromagnetic sound generator or the method of mounting the same.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a structure for mounting an electromagnetic sound generator, comprising: an electromagnetic sound generator having a case, an electromagnet housed inside the case and formed by attaching a magnet and a coil to a yoke, a vibrating plate housed inside said case and disposed so as to face the electromagnet, and electrodes, to which terminals of the coil are connected, projecting outwardly of the case; and a substrate having an accommodating portion conforming to the case of the electromagnetic sound generator, and substrate electrodes provided on the surface of the substrate at the circumference of the accommodating portion, the electromagnetic sound generator being mounted on the substrate by accommodating the case of the electromagnetic sound generator in the accommodating portion of the substrate and joining the electrodes of the electromagnetic sound generator to the substrate electrodes of the substrate.
In the present invention, the accommodating portion is a through-hole, a recess or cut-out.
In the present invention, the electromagnetic sound generator has a dummy electrode projecting outwardly of the case, and the dummy electrode also is joined to a substrate electrode on the substrate.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, portions of the electrodes of the electromagnetic sound generator projecting outwardly of the case are joined to the substrate electrodes of the substrate in such a manner that an upper surface or lower surface of each projecting portion is superimposed on a respective one of the substrate electrodes.
The present invention further provides an electromagnetic- sound generator comprising a case; an electromagnet housed inside the case and formed by attaching a magnet and a coil having terminals to a yoke; a vibrating plate housed inside the case and disposed so as to face the electromagnet; and electrodes, to which terminals of the coils are connected, joined to substrate electrodes on the substrate; each of the electrodes having a plate-shaped configuration and projecting outwardly so as to be coplanar with a bottom surface of the case, the electrodes being joined to the substrate electrodes on the substrate in such a manner that an upper surface or lower surface of each electrode is superimposed on a respective one of the substrate electrodes.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4506117 (1985-03-01), Fresard
patent: 4608463 (1986-08-01), Burgess et al.
patent: 4691363 (1987-09-01), Khanna
patent: 4837836 (1989-06-01), Barcus
patent: 5394479 (1995-02-01), Ishigaya et al.
patent: 5619585 (1997-04-01), Grasso
patent: 5719549 (1998-02-01), Lai
patent: 5721785 (1998-02-01), Imahori
patent: 5960096 (1999-09-01), Imahori et al.
patent: 6097828 (2000-08-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 6108432 (2000-08-01), Watanabe
patent: 2542549 (1984-09-01), None
Citizen Electronics Co. Ltd.
Koda & Androlia
Kuntz Curtis
Ni Suhan
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