EP0847677B1 - Inertial vibration transducers - Google Patents

Inertial vibration transducers Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0847677B1
EP0847677B1 EP96929401A EP96929401A EP0847677B1 EP 0847677 B1 EP0847677 B1 EP 0847677B1 EP 96929401 A EP96929401 A EP 96929401A EP 96929401 A EP96929401 A EP 96929401A EP 0847677 B1 EP0847677 B1 EP 0847677B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
transducer
bender
panel
area
sites
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP96929401A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0847677A1 (en
Inventor
Henry Azima
Martin Colloms
Neil Harris
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NVF Tech Ltd
Original Assignee
New Transducers Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GBGB9517918.0A external-priority patent/GB9517918D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9522281.6A external-priority patent/GB9522281D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9606836.6A external-priority patent/GB9606836D0/en
Application filed by New Transducers Ltd filed Critical New Transducers Ltd
Publication of EP0847677A1 publication Critical patent/EP0847677A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0847677B1 publication Critical patent/EP0847677B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R7/00—Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers; Cones
    • H04R7/02—Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers; Cones characterised by the construction
    • H04R7/04—Plane diaphragms
    • H04R7/045—Plane diaphragms using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R17/00—Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to transducers and more particularly to vibration transducers for loudspeakers comprising panel-form acoustic radiating elements.
  • FR-A-2,569,931 of SAWAFUJI discloses a piezo-electric vibrator and loudspeaker comprising a piezo plate loaded with a mass located near to its centre of gravity and coupled to a loudspeaker diaphragm to be vibrated via the periphery of the piezo plate.
  • Embodiments of the present invention use members of nature, structure and configuration achievable generally and/or specifically, by implementing teachings of our copending PCT publication No. WO97/09842 of even date herewith.
  • Such members thus have capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in operative area(s) extending transversely of thickness often but not necessarily to edges of the member(s); are configured with or without anisotropy of bending stiffness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said area(s) beneficially for acoustic coupling with ambient air; and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means, particularly operationally active or moving part(s) thereof effective in relation to acoustic vibrational activity in said area(s) and signals, usually electrical, corresponding to acoustic content of such vibrational activity.
  • This invention is particularly concerned with active acoustic devices in the form of loudspeakers.
  • the invention is an inertial vibration transducer for exciting a member having capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in at least one operative area extending transversely of thickness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said at least one area and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means and having the transducer mounted on said member at one of said locations or sites to vibrate the member to cause it to resonate forming an acoustic radiator which provides an acoustic output when resonating, wherein the transducer has a plate-like piezo-electric bender, means disposed centrally of the plate-like bender adapted to mount the bender on the member to be vibrated, the arrangement being such that a substantial part of the bender is spaced from the member for movement relative thereto, and a mass secured to the periphery of the bender.
  • the mounting means may be a lightweight rigid member.
  • the piezo-electric bender may be of crystalline form.
  • the invention is a loudspeaker characterised by a member having capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in at least one operative area extending transversely of thickness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said at least one area and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means and having a transducer as described above mounted on said member at one of said locations or sites to vibrate the member to cause it to resonate forming an acoustic radiator which provides an acoustic output when resonating.
  • a panel-form loudspeaker (81) of the kind described and claimed in cur co-pending International publication No. WO97/09842 of even date herewith comprising a rectangular frame (1) carrying a resilient suspension (3) round its inner periphery which supports a distributed mode sound radiating panel (2).
  • a transducer (9) e.g as described in detail with reference to our co-pending International publication Nos. WO97/09859, WO97/09861, WO97/09858 of even date herewith, is mounted wholly and exclusively on or in the panel (2) at a predetermined location defined by dimensions x and y , the position of which location is calculated as described in our co-pending International publication No. WO97/09842 of even date herewith, to launch bending waves into the panel to cause the panel to resonate to radiate an acoustic output.
  • the transducer (9) is driven by a signal amplifier (10), e.g. an audio amplifier, connected to the transducer by conductors (28).
  • a signal amplifier (10) e.g. an audio amplifier
  • Amplifier loading and power requirements can be entirely normal, similar to conventional cone type speakers, sensitivity being of the order of 86 - 88dB/watt under room loaded conditions.
  • Amplifier load impedance is largely resistive at 6 ohms, power handling 20-80 watts. Where the panel core and/or skins are of metal, they may be made to act as a heat sink for the transducer to remove heat from the motor coil of the transducer and thus improve power handling.
  • Figures 2 a and 2 b are partial typical cross-sections through the loudspeaker (81) of Figure 1.
  • Figure 2 a shows that the frame (1), surround (3) and panel (2) are connected together by respective adhesive-bonded joints (20).
  • Suitable materials for the frame include lightweight framing, e.g. picture framing of extruded metal e.g. aluminium alloy or plastics.
  • Suitable surround materials include resilient materials such as foam rubber and foam plastics.
  • Suitable adhesives for the joints (20) include epoxy, acrylic and cyano-acrylate etc. adhesives.
  • Figure 2 b illustrates, to an enlarged scale, that the panel (2) is a rigid lightweight panel having a core (22) e.g. of a rigid plastics foam (97) e.g. cross linked polyvinylchloride or a cellular matrix (98) i.e. a honeycomb matrix of metal foil, plastics or the like, with the cells extending transversely to the plane of the panel, and enclosed by opposed skins (21) e.g. of paper, card, plastics or metal foil or sheet.
  • the skins are of plastics, they may be reinforced with fibres e.g. of carbon, glass, Kevlar (RTM) or the like in a manner known per se to increase their modulus.
  • RTM Kevlar
  • Envisaged skin layer materials and reinforcements thus include carbon, glass, Kevlar (RTM), Nomex (RTM) i.e. aramid etc. fibres in various lays and weaves, as well as paper, bonded paper laminates, melamine, and various synthetic plastics films of high modulus, such as Mylar (RTM), Kaptan (RTM), polycarbonate, phenolic, polyester or related plastics, and fibre reinforced plastics, etc. and metal sheet or foil.
  • Investigation of the Vectra grade of liquid crystal polymer thermoplastics shows that they may be useful for the injection moulding of ultra thin skins or shells of smaller size, say up to around 30cm diameter. This material self forms an orientated crystal structure in the direction of injection, a preferred orientation for the good propagation of treble energy from the driving point to the panel perimeter.
  • thermoplastics allow for the mould tooling to carry location and registration features such as grooves or rings for the accurate location of transducer parts e.g. the motor coil, and the magnet suspension. Additional with some weaker core materials it is calculated that it would be advantageous to increase the skin thickness locally e.g. in an area or annulus up to 150% of the transducer diameter, to reinforce that area and beneficially couple vibration energy into the panel. High frequency response will be improved with the softer foam materials by this means.
  • Envisaged core layer materials include fabricated honeycombs or corrugations of aluminium alloy sheet or foil, or Kevlar (RTM), Nomex (RTM), plain or bonded papers, and various synthetic plastics films, as well as expanded or foamed plastics or pulp materials, even aerogel metals if of suitably low density.
  • Some suitable core layer materials effectively exhibit usable self-skinning in their manufacture and/or otherwise have enough inherent stiffness for use without lamination between skin layers.
  • a high performance cellular core material is known under the trade name 'Rohacell' which may be suitable as a radiator panel and which is without skins. In practical terms, the aim is for an overall lightness and stiffness suited to a particular purpose, specifically including optimising contributions from core and skin layers and transitions between them.
  • piezo and electro dynamic transducers have negligible electromagnetic radiation or stray magnet fields.
  • Conventional speakers have a large magnetic field, up to 1 metre distant unless specific compensation counter measures are taken.
  • electrical connection can be made to the conductive parts of an appropriate DML panel or an electrically conductive foam or similar interface may be used for the edge mounting.
  • the suspension (3) may damp the edges of the panel (2) to prevent excessive edge movement of the panel. Additionally or alternatively, further damping may be applied, e.g. as patches, bonded to the panel in selected positions to damp excessive movement to distribute resonance equally over the panel.
  • the patches may be of bitumen-based material, as commonly used in conventional loudspeaker enclosures or may be of a resilient or rigid polymeric sheet material. Some materials, notably paper and card, and some cores may be self-damping. Where desired, the damping may be increased in the construction of the panels by employing resiliently setting, rather than rigid setting adhesives.
  • Effective said selective damping includes specific application to the panel including its sheet material of means permanently associated therewith. Edges and corners can be particularly significant for dominant and less dispersed low frequency vibration modes of panels hereof. Edge-wise fixing of damping means can usefully lead to a panel with its said sheet material fully framed, though their corners can often be relatively free, say for desired extension to lower frequency operation. Attachment can be by adhesive or self-adhesive materials. Other forms of useful damping, particularly in terms of more subtle effects and/or mid- and higher frequencies can be by way of suitable mass or masses affixed to the sheet material at predetermined effective medial localised positions of said area.
  • An acoustic panel as described above is bidirectional.
  • the sound energy from the back is not strongly phase related to that from the front. Consequently there is the benefit of overall summation of acoustic power in the room, sound energy of uniform frequency distribution, reduced reflective and standing wave effects and with the advantage of superior reproduction of the natural space and ambience in the reproduced sound recordings.
  • Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of piezo-electric transducer (9) in which a crystalline disc-like piezo bender (27) is mounted at its centre on one end of a lightweight rigid cylindrical block (93) of rigid foam plastics which is rigidly fixed in an aperture (20) in a distributed mode radiator panel (2) e.g. by means of an adhesive, the said one end of the block (28) projecting from the face of the panel (2) so that the periphery (31) of the bender (27) is freely suspended adjacent to a face of the panel (2).
  • An annular ring (25) of plastics, e.g. mineral loaded polyvinylchloride is rigidly fixed to the periphery of the piezo bender (27) to add mass to the free periphery of the piezo bender.
  • the piezo bender (27) vibrates and due to its mass launches bending waves into the panel (2) to cause the panel to resonate and produce and radiate an acoustic output.
  • the transducer (9) may be covered by a domed housing (26) which is fixed to the panel (2) to protect the transducer.
  • the piezo-electric transducer (9) of Figure 4 comprises a disc-like piezo bender (27) fixedly mounted by its periphery (31) on the surface of a panel (2) e.g. with the aid of an adhesive, with the central portion of the bender (27) freely suspended over a cavity (29) in the panel (2) such that only the periphery (31) of the bender (27) is in contact with the panel.
  • a mass (25) e.g. of plastics material is attached to the centre of the bender (27) with the interposition of a damping pad (30) of resilient material, e.g. of an elastic polymer.
  • an acoustic signal applied to the piezo bender will cause the bender to vibrate and thus to launch bending waves into the panel.
  • the drive effect of the transducer is enhanced by loading the driver (27) with the mass (25) to increase its inertia.
  • the transducer arrangement (9) of Figure 5 is similar to that of Figure 4 except that in this embodiment a pair of piezo benders (27) are attached on opposite sides of a cavity (29) through a panel (2) to operate in push/pull mode.
  • the centres of both benders (27) are connected together by a common mass (25) with resilient damping pads (30) positioned between each bender (27) and the mass (25).
  • the transducers of the invention are relatively simply in construction and are effective in use.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Surgical Instruments (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Mechanical Vibrations Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Diaphragms For Electromechanical Transducers (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Transducers For Audible Bands (AREA)
  • Apparatuses For Generation Of Mechanical Vibrations (AREA)
  • Measuring Pulse, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure Or Blood Flow (AREA)
  • Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
  • Thermistors And Varistors (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Or Mechanical Vibrators, Or Delay Or Filter Circuits (AREA)
  • Transducers For Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Force Measurement Appropriate To Specific Purposes (AREA)
EP96929401A 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 Inertial vibration transducers Expired - Lifetime EP0847677B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9517918 1995-09-02
GBGB9517918.0A GB9517918D0 (en) 1995-09-02 1995-09-02 Acoustic device
GBGB9522281.6A GB9522281D0 (en) 1995-10-31 1995-10-31 Acoustic device
GB9522281 1995-10-31
GB9606836 1996-03-30
GBGB9606836.6A GB9606836D0 (en) 1996-03-30 1996-03-30 Acoustic device
PCT/GB1996/002160 WO1997009861A1 (en) 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 Inertial vibration transducers

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0847677A1 EP0847677A1 (en) 1998-06-17
EP0847677B1 true EP0847677B1 (en) 1999-04-14

Family

ID=34865247

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96929401A Expired - Lifetime EP0847677B1 (en) 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 Inertial vibration transducers

Country Status (20)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0847677B1 (es)
JP (1) JPH11512256A (es)
AT (1) ATE179045T1 (es)
AU (1) AU703198B2 (es)
BR (1) BR9610428A (es)
CA (1) CA2229857A1 (es)
CZ (1) CZ57498A3 (es)
DE (1) DE69602102T2 (es)
DK (1) DK0847677T3 (es)
EA (1) EA000858B1 (es)
ES (1) ES2131958T3 (es)
HK (1) HK1008638A1 (es)
HU (1) HUP9901393A3 (es)
IL (1) IL123374A (es)
NZ (1) NZ316558A (es)
PL (1) PL325246A1 (es)
RO (1) RO119056B1 (es)
SK (1) SK25598A3 (es)
TR (1) TR199800365T1 (es)
WO (1) WO1997009861A1 (es)

Families Citing this family (38)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9807316D0 (en) * 1998-04-07 1998-06-03 New Transducers Ltd Loudspeaker
US6324294B1 (en) 1996-09-03 2001-11-27 New Transducers Limited Passenger vehicles incorporating loudspeakers comprising panel-form acoustic radiating elements
GB9705979D0 (en) * 1997-03-22 1997-05-07 New Transducers Ltd Passenger vehicles
GB9709438D0 (en) * 1997-05-10 1997-07-02 New Transducers Ltd Loudspeaker transducer
GB9714050D0 (en) 1997-07-03 1997-09-10 New Transducers Ltd Panel-form loudspeakers
DE19757097B4 (de) * 1997-12-20 2004-04-15 Harman Audio Electronic Systems Gmbh Schallwiedergabeanordnung
DE19821862A1 (de) * 1998-05-15 1999-11-18 Nokia Deutschland Gmbh Schallwiedergabeanordnung
DE19821860A1 (de) 1998-05-15 1999-11-18 Nokia Deutschland Gmbh Treiber für flaches Klangpaneel
CA2336072A1 (en) 1998-06-22 1999-12-29 Slab Technology Limited Loudspeakers
DE19843079A1 (de) * 1998-09-19 2000-03-23 Nokia Deutschland Gmbh Multiresonanzplatte
US6304435B1 (en) 1998-11-12 2001-10-16 Acer Incorporated Laptop computer with flat panel speakers
GB0211508D0 (en) * 2002-05-20 2002-06-26 New Transducers Ltd Transducer
US11431312B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2022-08-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10848118B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2020-11-24 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10158337B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2018-12-18 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US8284955B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2012-10-09 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10701505B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2020-06-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc. System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
US10848867B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2020-11-24 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US11202161B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2021-12-14 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
US9615189B2 (en) 2014-08-08 2017-04-04 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Artificial ear apparatus and associated methods for generating a head related audio transfer function
US10069471B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2018-09-04 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
GB0710378D0 (en) 2007-05-31 2007-07-11 New Transducers Ltd Audio apparatus
DE102009048866A1 (de) 2009-08-27 2011-03-03 Bösnecker, Robert, Dr. Akustisches Antriebselement mit Mittenloch
US9883318B2 (en) 2013-06-12 2018-01-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for stereo field enhancement in two-channel audio systems
US9264004B2 (en) 2013-06-12 2016-02-16 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for narrow bandwidth digital signal processing
US9906858B2 (en) 2013-10-22 2018-02-27 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US9615813B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2017-04-11 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc. Device for wide-band auscultation
US10820883B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2020-11-03 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Noise reduction assembly for auscultation of a body
US10639000B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2020-05-05 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Device for wide-band auscultation
US9564146B2 (en) 2014-08-01 2017-02-07 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing in deep diving environment
US9638672B2 (en) 2015-03-06 2017-05-02 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for acquiring acoustic information from a resonating body
DE102015104478B4 (de) * 2015-03-25 2021-05-27 Bruno Winter Flachlautsprecher
EP3142385B1 (en) * 2015-09-14 2020-01-08 Vestel Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. Sound reproducing display
US9621994B1 (en) 2015-11-16 2017-04-11 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Surface acoustic transducer
US9906867B2 (en) 2015-11-16 2018-02-27 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Surface acoustic transducer
CA3096877A1 (en) 2018-04-11 2019-10-17 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Audio enhanced hearing protection system
WO2020028833A1 (en) 2018-08-02 2020-02-06 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
DE102021133329A1 (de) 2021-12-03 2023-06-07 USound GmbH MEMS-Schallwandler mit einer Dämpfungsschicht aus Klebstoff

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DE1132593B (de) * 1965-04-05 1962-07-05 Bolt Beranek & Newman Akustisch wirksame Platte, insbesondere zur Ankopplung an einen elektroakustischen Wandler
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WO1992003024A1 (en) * 1990-08-04 1992-02-20 The Secretary Of State For Defence In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Panel-form loudspeaker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
HUP9901393A3 (en) 2001-08-28
RO119056B1 (ro) 2004-02-27
HUP9901393A2 (hu) 1999-08-30
NZ316558A (en) 1998-10-28
EA000858B1 (ru) 2000-06-26
CZ57498A3 (cs) 1998-07-15
ATE179045T1 (de) 1999-04-15
ES2131958T3 (es) 1999-08-01
AU703198B2 (en) 1999-03-18
DE69602102D1 (de) 1999-05-20
JPH11512256A (ja) 1999-10-19
DE69602102T2 (de) 1999-09-16
IL123374A0 (en) 1998-09-24
IL123374A (en) 2000-10-31
HK1008638A1 (en) 1999-05-14
WO1997009861A1 (en) 1997-03-13
EP0847677A1 (en) 1998-06-17
CA2229857A1 (en) 1997-03-13
DK0847677T3 (da) 1999-10-25
AU6881696A (en) 1997-03-27
PL325246A1 (en) 1998-07-06
BR9610428A (pt) 1999-12-21
TR199800365T1 (xx) 1998-05-21
EA199800254A1 (ru) 1998-10-29
SK25598A3 (en) 1998-10-07

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