CN214070149U

CN214070149U - Balanced armature receiver housing cover

Info

Publication number: CN214070149U
Application number: CN202023248970.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张亚辉
Original assignee: Knowles Electronics LLC
Current assignee: Knowles Electronics LLC
Priority date: 2020-12-29
Filing date: 2020-12-29
Publication date: 2021-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-29

Abstract

The utility model relates to a balanced armature receiver casing lid. A balanced armature receiver and a housing cover for such a receiver are disclosed. The housing cover is a non-assembled unitary member comprising the sound tube and the housing wall portion. The sound tube protrudes from a surface of the housing wall portion and includes a sound port extending through the housing wall portion. The housing cover may be assembled with a housing portion having an open end to form a balanced armature receiver housing.

Description

Balanced armature receiver housing cover

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to balanced armature receivers and, more particularly, to balanced armature receiver housing covers and balanced armature receivers including such housing covers.

Background

Balanced armature receivers (also referred to herein as "acoustic receivers" and "receivers") are used in hearing instruments such as hearing aids, earphones, and earplugs, among other devices. An acoustic receiver typically includes a housing containing a diaphragm separating it into a front volume and a back volume. The motor disposed in the back volume includes a reed (also referred to as an armature) having a portion that extends through the coil and between the magnets held by the yoke. An electrical signal applied to the coil creates a magnetic field within the motor, causing the reed to move between the magnets. The movement of the reed in turn causes the diaphragm to move within the receiver housing, sound originating therefrom being emitted from a sound port coupled to the front volume.

The known acoustic receiver housing comprises a cup-shaped body with an open end, in which the motor and the diaphragm are placed during manufacture, after which the open end is covered with a plate. The sound port is typically located on an end wall of the housing where the size of the sound port is limited to the slot due to the short distance between the diaphragm and the cover plate of the housing. However, in some applications it is desirable for the sound port to be located on a surface of the housing other than the end wall. For example, the sound port may be located on the cover plate to accommodate a larger size sound port. In other cases, constraints imposed by the host device may prevent the positioning of the sound port on the end wall of the housing. As such, there is a need for acoustic receivers having acoustic ports that are positioned to accommodate these and other use cases.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present disclosure overcomes or at least partially alleviates the technical limitations present in the art and pertains to a balanced armature receiver housing cover with sound ports and a balanced armature receiver (also referred to herein as a "receiver") comprising such a cover. The receiver described herein may be integrated with a hearing aid or other hearing device such as a behind-the-ear (BTE) device having a portion that extends into or onto the ear, an in-the-ear-canal (ITC) or partially in-the-ear-canal device, an in-the-ear-canal Receiver (RIC) device, a headset, a wired or wireless ear plug or in-the-ear (ITE) earpiece, or some other device that generates an acoustic output signal in response to an electrical input signal and is intended to be on, in, or in close proximity to the user's ear.

In one implementation, the housing cover includes a sound tube and a housing wall portion, the sound tube including a sound port. The sound tube protrudes from a surface of the housing wall portion, the sound port extends through the housing wall portion, and the sound tube and the housing wall portion are integral members that do not require assembly. The housing cover at least partially defines the balanced armature receiver housing when assembled with the balanced armature receiver housing sidewall.

In some embodiments of the housing cover according to the above implementations, the housing wall portion extends from a bottom portion of the sound tube. According to an aspect of the disclosure, the contour portion extends between the sound tube and the housing wall portion. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the housing wall portion includes a skirt about a periphery thereof. According to a further aspect, at least a portion of the housing wall portion extends substantially perpendicularly from the bottom portion of the sound tube.

In some embodiments, the housing cover has a major length and a minor length. In some embodiments, the housing wall portion is substantially planar adjacent the sound tube. In some embodiments, the acoustic tube comprises a substantially cylindrical tube or some other shape.

In one implementation, the housing cover is implemented in combination with a balanced armature receiver housing sidewall having an open end such that the housing cover is secured to the open end of the sidewall to form the balanced armature receiver housing.

In another implementation, the combination of the housing cover and the housing sidewall is combined with the diaphragm and the motor to form a balanced armature receiver. A diaphragm is positioned in the housing and divides an interior volume of the housing into a back volume and a front volume acoustically coupled to the sound port of the housing cover. A motor is disposed in the back volume and includes a coil and a spring having a movable portion coupled to the diaphragm and extending between magnets held by a yoke. In one embodiment of the above-mentioned implementation, the balanced armature receiver is a tweeter.

Drawings

The objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates an assembly view of a balanced armature receiver having a housing cover with an acoustic tube therein, according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a balanced armature receiver housing cover with an acoustic tube according to one embodiment;

fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a balanced armature receiver including a housing cover with an acoustic tube, according to some embodiments;

FIG. 4 illustrates a partial side cross-sectional view of a balanced armature receiver including a housing cover with an acoustic tube according to one embodiment; and

fig. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a balanced armature receiver housing cover having a skirt around its perimeter, according to one embodiment.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that for simplicity and clarity, elements in the figures are illustrated. It will also be appreciated that certain actions or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required unless a particular order is specifically indicated. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

Detailed Description

While the balanced armature receiver housing cover described herein may be embodied in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and described herein selected embodiments with the understanding that these embodiments are to be considered as examples of the principles of the scope of the present disclosure or of any particular form of implementation and not intended to be limiting thereof.

Fig. 1-3 illustrate a housing cover 100 for the balanced armature receiver 101 shown in fig. 1, 3 and 4. Fig. 1 illustrates a balanced armature receiver 101 prior to assembly of a housing cover to an open-ended housing portion of the receiver as further described herein. The housing cover 100 has a sound tube 102 with a sound port 104 from which acoustic signals propagate from the interior of the receiver housing, in particular from its front volume. The housing cover has a housing wall portion 106. The sound tube 102 protrudes from a surface 108 of the housing wall portion, wherein the sound port 104 extends through the housing wall portion 106 and the sound tube 102.

The sound tube 102 and the housing wall portion 106 of the housing cover 100 are formed as an assembly-free, unitary member that is a unitary or single member that does not require assembly of separate components. As such, the integral member that does not need to be assembled constitutes a single unit without any joints or seams between the sound tube 102 of the housing cover 100 and the housing wall portion 106.

The housing cover 100 at least partially defines the receiver housing 110 when assembled with the open-ended housing sidewall 112 of the balanced armature receiver. In fig. 3 and 4, the housing cover 100 covers a top portion of the receiver housing 110 such that the sound port 104 is formed in the top portion of the housing.

Referring to fig. 1, the housing cover 100 has a major length 116 and a minor length 118 that is shorter than the major length 116. In this embodiment, the housing cover 100 has a generally rectangular perimeter. In other embodiments, the housing cover 110 has any suitable perimeter depending on the shape and configuration of the receiver housing 110 (such as the shape and configuration of the open end 120 of the housing sidewall 112).

The housing wall portion 106 extends from a bottom portion 114 of the sound tube 102. The bottom portion 114 is the portion of the sound tube 102 that is close to the housing wall portion 106 or the surface 108 thereof. In one implementation, the sound tube comprises a bottom portion and a body portion having a narrowed cross-section protruding from the housing wall portion. In other implementations, the sound tube has a uniform cross-section along at least a portion thereof. The housing wall portion 106 may extend substantially perpendicularly from the bottom portion 114 of the sound tube 102. Alternatively, an angle may be formed between the housing wall portion 106 and the sound tube 102. The angle may be less than 75 °, less than 60 °, or less than 45 °, depending on the requirements of the application.

In fig. 1, 2 and 5, the housing wall portion 106 is generally flat adjacent to the sound tube 102, with the surface 108 forming a flat or planar surface. In fig. 5, the housing wall portion 106 includes a lip around its periphery, forming a side wall portion or peripheral skirt 107 that is connectable to the housing having an open end. Further, the acoustic pipe 102 is a substantially cylindrical pipe to guide the acoustic signal to propagate in a predetermined direction. The sound tube 102 may have any suitable diameter that is less than the minor length 118 of the housing cover 100.

Fig. 2 and 5 show the housing cover 100 with a contour portion 200 between the sound tube 102 and the housing wall portion 106. The contoured portion 200 is at least partially curved and smoothly connects the sound tube 102 with the housing wall portion 106. The contoured portion 200 has any suitable radius of curvature. In some embodiments, the contoured portion 200 has a radius of curvature large enough such that the contour extends from the bottom portion 114 to the distal end of the sound tube 102, forming a configuration substantially similar to a truncated cone. In other implementations, the sound hole of the sound tube has a substantially uniform diameter outside the contoured portion.

Fig. 3 and 4 show a balanced armature receiver 101 in which a housing cover 100 is assembled with a housing sidewall 112 having an open end and other components. The housing cover 100 is secured to the open end 120 of the housing sidewall 112 to form the receiver housing 110. The diaphragm 122 is disposed or located in the housing 110 and divides the interior volume of the receiver housing into a back volume 302 and a front volume 304 acoustically coupled to the sound port 104. The motor 300 is disposed in the rear volume 302.

The acoustic tube 102 may provide a larger opening for the acoustic port 104 than a gap formed in the side wall of the housing to enable acoustic signals to propagate from the front volume of the housing. The larger opening facilitates the receiver to operate at higher frequencies. Thus, in some implementations, the receiver is implemented as a tweeter. The motor and diaphragm may also be configured to optimize the performance of the receiver at higher frequencies. Such configurations may include reduced mass and other structural changes to improve high frequency response. Tweeters typically produce sound at high audio frequencies greater than about 2kHz to 20 kHz.

As shown in fig. 4, the motor 300 includes a coil 400 and a reed 402 having a movable portion 404, the movable portion 404 being coupled to the diaphragm 122 and extending between

magnets

406 and 408 held by a yoke 410. The movable portion 404 of the reed 402 and the diaphragm 122 are connected by a linkage 416 extending therebetween. The coil 400 as shown in fig. 4 is wound on a bobbin 412, the bobbin 412 including at least one terminal 414, such as a pin. The bobbin 412 has a channel 418 (shown in phantom) through which the reed 402 can extend. Each terminal 414 is electrically coupled with the coil 400 and extends between the bobbin 412 and an external terminal device 124 (also referred to as a "terminal block") attached or affixed to an outer surface of the housing sidewall 112. The external terminal arrangement 124 is configured to send an electrical signal to the coil 400 to actuate an armature coupled to the diaphragm to cause an acoustic signal to propagate from the sound port. The bobbin 412 may be formed of a non-conductive material such as plastic.

In some implementations, the coil 400 is attached or affixed to the yoke 410 without the use of a bobbin 412 (e.g., via a non-conductive adhesive material). In such an embodiment, the coil end of the coil 400 is electrically coupled with a wire that is thicker than the coil end. For example, each coil end may be wound on a wire, and the wire electrically coupled with the terminal device 124.

As disclosed herein, the housing cover 100 may be made using any suitable process. The integrated assembly-free housing cover and sound tube may be made of a metallic material in a drawing process (among other manufacturing processes). The housing cover may be a ferromagnetic or non-ferromagnetic metal or other material. A housing sidewall 112 having a closed end is circumferentially disposed around at least a portion of the motor 300 and diaphragm 122 prior to securing the housing cover 100 to the open end 120. In one embodiment, the open-ended housing portion comprises a folded sheet of material, the end portion of which is secured at a joint, for example, a butt joint or a press-fit joint or some other joint. Alternatively, the housing with open ends is a cup-shaped body formed in a drawing or other operation.

After the motor 300 is disposed in the back volume 302, the diaphragm 122 may be disposed in the housing 110 over the motor 300. Subsequently, a housing cover 100 is attached to the open end 120 and over the diaphragm to form a substantially sealed housing, wherein the sound port acoustically couples the front volume to the external environment.

While the present disclosure and what are considered presently to be the best modes thereof have been described in a manner that establishes possession thereof by the inventors and that enables those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the disclosure, it will be understood and appreciated that there are many equivalents to the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein and that myriad modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure, which are to be limited not by the exemplary embodiments but by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A balanced armature receiver housing cover, comprising:

an acoustic tube comprising an acoustic port; and

the wall part of the housing is formed,

the sound tube protrudes from a surface of the housing wall portion, the sound port extends through the housing wall portion, and the sound tube and the housing wall portion are a unitary member that does not require assembly,

wherein the balanced armature receiver housing cover is assemblable with a housing portion having an open end to form a balanced armature receiver housing.

2. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to claim 1 wherein the housing wall portion extends from a bottom portion of the acoustic tube.

3. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to claim 2 further comprising a contoured portion extending between the sound tube and the housing wall portion.

4. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall portion comprises a skirt around its periphery.

5. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to claim 2 wherein the housing wall portion extends perpendicularly from the bottom portion of the acoustic tube.

6. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to claim 1 wherein the sound tube comprises a bottom portion and a body portion of narrowed cross section protruding from the housing wall portion.

7. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to claim 1 wherein the acoustic tube comprises a cylindrical tube.

8. The balanced armature receiver housing cover according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the balanced armature receiver housing cover is combined with a balanced armature receiver housing side wall having an open end, wherein the balanced armature receiver housing cover is fastened to the open end of the balanced armature receiver housing side wall to constitute a balanced armature receiver housing.

9. The balanced armature receiver housing cover of claim 8, wherein the balanced armature receiver housing is combined with a diaphragm and a motor to form a balanced armature receiver,

the diaphragm positioned in the balanced armature receiver housing, the diaphragm dividing an interior volume of the balanced armature receiver housing into a back volume and a front volume acoustically coupled with the sound port,

the motor is disposed in the back volume, the motor including a coil and a reed having a movable portion coupled to the diaphragm and extending between magnets held by a yoke.

10. The balanced armature receiver housing cover of claim 9, wherein the balanced armature receiver is a tweeter.