Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Electro-acoustic audio transducer – Driven diverse static structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-16
2003-02-11
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Electro-acoustic audio transducer
Driven diverse static structure
C381S431000, C381S398000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06519346
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a speaker apparatus having a panel-shaped diaphragm and an electronic apparatus employing this speaker apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a speaker apparatus in which flexural oscillations (bending wave vibrations) are produced in the panel-shaped diaphragm by the oscillations applied from a driver unit to reproduce the acoustic sound.
BACKGROUND ART
Up to now, a conically-shaped dynamic speaker or a horn-shaped dynamic speaker is used extensively as a speaker apparatus.
The conically-shaped dynamic speaker is made up of a conically-shaped diaphragm, a driver unit driving this diaphragm and a cabinet for housing these components. The driver unit is made up of a voice coil placed on the proximal end of a voice coil bobbin mounted as-one on a mid portion on the proximal end of the diaphragm and an external magnet type magnetic circuit unit. The magnetic circuit unit is made up of a yoke having a center pole, a magnet arranged on the yoke for surrounding the center pole, and a top plate arranged on the magnet and adapted for defining a magnetic gap between it and the center pole. The diaphragm is supported, via a washer, by a frame secured at an external end on the proximal end on the magnetic circuit unit by inserting a voice coil placed around the voice coil bobbin into the magnetic gap of the magnetic circuit unit. The diaphragm is supported by a damper mounted across the voice coil bobbin and the frame. The damper supports the diaphragm so that, when the diaphragm is set into vibrations, it will be oscillated uniformly parallel to the center axis of the diaphragm. On the inner periphery of the diaphragm is mounted a center cap for closing an opening end of the tubular voice coil bobbin. The center cap constitutes a portion of the diaphragm.
If, with the conical dynamic speaker, as described above, an acoustic playback input signal is supplied to a voice coil, the diaphragm is set into vibrations by the force generated by the interaction between the driving current flowing in the voice coil and the magnetic flux radiated from the magnetic circuit unit to radiate the acoustic sound.
The diaphragm used for a conical dynamic speaker is formed in a conical shape from a lightweight material which undergoes significant internal losses. The frame supporting the diaphragm is provided with a hole for releasing the sound radiated from the back side of the diaphragm. The function of this hole is to prevent adverse effects otherwise caused by the oscillations of the diaphragm by the sound radiated from the back side of the diaphragm being reflected by the frame to get to the diaphragm. The function of the washer is to support the diaphragm with respect to the frame and to prevent the diaphragm from directly contacting with a cabinet mounting section when the diaphragm is set into oscillations.
On the other hand, a horn-shaped dynamic speaker has a horn on the front side of the diaphragm for enhancing the acoustic sound from the diaphragm for radiating the enhanced sound.
The horn-shaped dynamic speaker includes a dome-shaped diaphragm and a driving unit for driving this diaphragm. This driver unit includes an internal magnet type magnetic circuit unit made up of a voice coil placed around a voice coil bobbin mounted as-one on the diaphragm, a pot-shaped yoke, a magnet arranged centrally of the yoke, a pole arranged on the magnet, and a top plate arranged on the yoke for facing the pole and which defines a magnetic gap between it and the pole.
The diaphragm of the speaker is arranged by inserting the voice coil placed around the voice coil bobbin into a magnetic gap of the magnetic circuit unit and by having its rim supported on a top plate constituting the magnetic circuit unit.
With the hone-shaped dynamic speaker, as in the cone-shaped dynamic speaker, the diaphragm is set into oscillations to radiate acoustic sound when the driving current corresponding to the acoustic signals is fed to the voice coil, by the force produced by the interaction between the driving current flowing in the voice coil and the magnetic flux radiated from the magnetic circuit unit.
The dome-shaped diaphragm, used in the hone-shaped dynamic speaker, is formed of light metal, such as aluminum, or synthetic resin, higher in toughness than the conical diaphragm, and hence can be set uniformly into oscillations, in a direction parallel to the center axis, when the diaphragm is supported only at the rim portion.
With the above-described cone-shaped dynamic speaker or hone-shaped dynamic speaker, in which the diaphragm is conically-shaped or dome-shaped, the speaker apparatus in its entirety is increased in thickness.
For reducing the thickness of the apparatus, there is used a speaker apparatus employing a flat-plate-shaped diaphragm. Among the speaker apparatus of this type, there is a capacitor type speaker, in which a diaphragm made up of a flat-plate-shaped substrate and an electrically conductive thin metal film deposited thereon is arranged facing a fixed pole with a small gap in-between. In this speaker, a dc bias voltage of hundreds of volt is applied across the diaphragm and the fixed pole. When acoustic signals are inputted to the fixed pole, the diaphragm is set into oscillations as a result of change in the electrostatic force of attraction between the diaphragm and the fixed pole.
With the capacitor type speaker, in which hundreds volt needs to be applied across the diaphragm and the fixed plate, not only limitations are imposed on the floor space, but also stable driving is rendered difficult due to changes in temperature or humidity. Also, in the capacitor type speaker, in which the input voltage is prescribed by the dc bias voltage, the maximum distortionless output sound pressure level, obtained for a given input voltage, is small in comparison with that of the above-mentioned dynamic speaker apparatus, such that a large sound cannot be produced. Moreover, in the capacitor type speaker, the diaphragm needs to be increased in size to acquire a stable frequency response in the audible frequency range. However, it is difficult to drive the large-sized diaphragm in stability.
In the above-described conventional speaker apparatus, acoustic reproduction is achieved by uniformly oscillating the diaphragm by a driver unit. In such speaker apparatus, it is necessary for the diaphragm to be oscillated uniformly, without generating resonant modes, when the diaphragm is oscillated by the driver unit.
In order for the diaphragm to be oscillated uniformly without inducing its resonant mode, the diaphragm needs to be formed of a sufficiently tough material. Moreover, for suppressing the resonant mode of the diaphragm, it is necessary to select the shape of the diaphragm or the supporting structure for the frame in many ways to render designing or manufacture difficult. In the speaker apparatus employing a flat-plate-shaped diaphragm, the driving point by the driving unit needs to be adjusted to the material or size of the diaphragm, again to render designing or manufacture difficult.
Also, a speaker configured to cause uniform oscillations of the diaphragm by the driver unit is termed a dipole sound source, and generates the oppositely phased sounds on the front and back sides of the diaphragm. These oppositely phased sounds, in particular the sounds of the mid to low frequency ranges with low directivity, interfere with each other to degrade the frequency response characteristics. Thus, in this type of the speaker apparatus, a speaker unit is mounted on a baffle plate, and the back side of the speaker unit is covered by an enclosure, which is a hermetically sealed cabinet, in order to prevent the sound waves emanating from the front and back sides of the diaphragm from interfering with each other.
Thus, with the conventional speaker apparatus, employing a baffle plate or an enclosure, is placed under limitations as to the mounting position or site.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel speaker apparatus different
Asada Kohei
Kimura Akira
Mizuuchi Takayuki
Sasaki Tooru
Kuntz Curtis
Maioli Jay H.
Ni Suhan
Sony Corporation
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