Vibration apparatus capable of generating and externally...

Details Vibration apparatus capable of generating and externally... Vibration apparatus capable of generating and externally...

1999-04-22

2001-04-03

Swarthout, Brent A. (Department: 2736)

Communications: electrical

Tactual indication

C340S311200, C340S870030, C381S396000, C381S400000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06211775

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibration apparatus capable of generating and externally transmitting a sound wave of audible frequency and transmitting a vibration for notification, which is provided in a communication device such as a portable phone, a beeper or the like to selectively perform a sounding function and a vibrating function relying upon a frequency of a current inputted therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the notification of the reception of an incoming call in a portable communication device can be performed by a sounding function and a vibrating function. Between these two functions, the sounding function by which bell or speaker sound can be discharged is mainly used, and the sounding function can be converted into the vibrating function to be used in such a situation where a silent atmosphere must be inevitably maintained.
In order to perform the sounding function and the vibrating function, a micro-speaker and a vibrating motor are provided in a communication device to be selectively operated in compliance with an instruction inputted by a user.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, there is shown a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating a construction of a conventional micro-speaker. The micro-speaker includes a case
1
. A magnet
2
, a voice coil
3
and a vibrating coil
4
are arranged in the case
1
. In other words, the magnet
2
is secured at a center portion in the case
1
. A cylindrically formed voice coil
3
is arranged around the magnet
2
such that it surrounds the magnet
2
, and an upper end of the voice coil
3
which extends upward through the case
1
is attached to a vibrating coil
4
. The magnet
2
has N and S poles which are stacked one up the other, and a portion adjacent to an edge of the vibrating coil
4
to which the voice coil
3
is attached, is securely fastened to a fastening member.
Accordingly, if a high frequency alternate current is inputted into the voice coil
3
through a lead wire, the alternate current flows at a lower end of the voice coil
3
which is inserted into the case
1
, to form a magnetic field while interacting with the magnet
2
.
At this time, when the magnetic field is formed in the same direction as a magnetic filed formed by the magnet
2
, attractive force is generated between the magnet
2
and the voice coil
3
to lower the voice coil
3
. If a polarity of a current which flows through the voice coil
3
is converted into a reverse polarity, repulsive force is generated between the magnet
2
and the voice coil
3
to raise the voice coil
3
.
By repeatedly lowering and raising the voice coil
3
using the high frequency current inputted into the voice coil
3
, the vibrating plate
4
to which the voice coil
3
is attached moves up and down. By this upward and downward movement of the vibrating plate
4
, a sound wave is generated.
In a speaker manufactured using a principle that the vibrating plate
4
is moved up and down by the inputted high frequency current to generate a sound wave, a high frequency signal such as a melody, a bell or a sound signal of a sender, which is inputted in advance into the voice coil
3
, is discharged by the upward and downward movement of the vibrating plate
4
to perform the sounding function.
However, because the speaker can simply produce a sound, to afford not only the sounding function but also the vibrating function, a separate vibrating motor must be provided.
On the other hand, as demands toward miniaturization and thinning of a communication device are increased, while it is necessary for several components to be omitted and a size of the communication device to be reduced, a speaker and a vibrating motor are still used together for notifying the reception of an incoming call in a communication device.
Recently, various vibration generating apparatuses for simultaneously performing a speaker function and a vibration function are disclosed in the art. A typical example of these vibration generating apparatuses is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Heisei 10-14195 (published on Jan. 16, 1998) as shown in FIG.
2
.
The vibration generating apparatus includes largely a permanent magnet
300
fastened to a fastening member
400
, upper and lower yokes
310
and
320
attached to upper and lower surfaces of the permanent magnet
300
for preventing magnetic flux from being leaked and forming a magnetic flux path, a coil
121
arranged such that it is crossed with the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet
300
, a first vibrating body
120
supported to the fastening member
400
by a first elastic member
110
, a second vibrating body
220
supported to the first vibrating body
120
by a second elastic member
210
, and a current supplying section
500
connected to the coil
121
for supplying a current of a predetermined frequency to the coil
121
.
In the vibration generating apparatus constructed as mentioned above, if a current is inputted into the coil
121
from the current supplying section
500
, electromagnetic force is generated due to interaction between the permanent magnet
300
and the coil
121
. Accordingly, by periodically changing the current flowing through the coil
121
to have a high frequency and a low frequency, electromagnetic force is periodically generated as external force to a magnetic circuit section having the permanent magnet
300
and the upper and lower yokes
310
and
320
and to the first vibrating body
120
, and by this, a forced vibration occurs in a first vibration system
100
including the first vibrating body
120
.
By this vibration, a second vibration system
200
is also vibrated, and as a result, vibrations are occurred in the first and second vibration systems
100
and
200
by the permanent magnet
300
and the coil
121
.
That is to say, if a current having a frequency which corresponds to a natural vibration frequency of the first vibrating body
120
is inputted into the coil
121
, vibrating function which is similar to conventional vibrating function is accomplished by the first vibrating body
120
. Also, if a current having a frequency which corresponds to a natural vibration frequency of the second vibrating body
220
is inputted into the coil
121
, a sound is generated by the second vibrating body
220
.
However, in the vibration generating apparatus of the related art, since the vibrating function is performed by the fact that the first vibrating body
120
is vibrated to be collided with the case
400
to generate a vibration which is to be sensed by a user through the case
400
, although a shock-absorbing material is attached to the case
400
at a place where the first vibrating body
120
is collided with the case
400
, noise is generated by the collision, and since the vibration is transmitted through the first and second elastic members
110
and
210
to the case
400
, lower vibration level is obtained.
Also, durability of the vibration generating apparatus is deteriorated due to the repeated collision between a bobbin
122
of the first vibrating body
120
and the case
400
. Moreover, it is difficult to properly design material and shape for the first elastic member
110
, the second vibrating body
220
and the second elastic member
210
and to determine elastic modulus for the first and second elastic members
110
and
210
, whereby the vibration generating apparatus cannot be easily manufactured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and a primary object of the present invention is to provide a vibration apparatus capable of generating and externally transmitting a sound wave of audible frequency and transmitting a vibration for notification, which performs both a sounding function and a vibrating function with a simple structure, thereby to promote miniaturization of a communication device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the vibration apparatus capable of genera

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