EP1077014A1

EP1077014A1 - Driver for a flat acoustic panel

Info

Publication number: EP1077014A1
Application number: EP99923592A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wolfgang Bachmann; Gerhard Krump; Hans-Jürgen Regl
Original assignee: Harman Audio Electronic Systems GmbH
Current assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
Priority date: 1998-05-15
Filing date: 1999-05-14
Publication date: 2001-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-14
Also published as: US6347149B1; EP1077014B1; DE59914445D1; DE19821860A1; WO1999060820A1

Abstract

The invention concerns the embodiment of drivers for panel loudspeakers. Panel loudspeakers working according to the principle of bending waves are already known in prior art. Said loudspeakers generally consist of an acoustic panel (11) and at least one driver (12). As a general rule, the driver (12) is arranged on an auxiliary frame at a distance from the acoustic panel (11). Said embodiment makes it possible to use conventional drivers (12) that can also be utilized in cone loudspeakers. A series of problem arise when the drivers (12) are to be integrated on or into the acoustic panel (11) itself. Said embodiment requires inter alia that the different components of the driver (12) be directly mounted on the acoustic panel (12). Hence, the invention aims at providing a driver for panel loudspeakers that can be connected with little complications to the acoustic panel (11) as a pre-fabricated component. This is achieved by connecting the oscillation coil support (17) in the air gap (18) to the permanent magnet (15) and/or to magnetic return path device using an elastic membrane (23).

Description

description

Flat sound panel driver

Technical field

The invention is concerned with the formation of drivers for flat sound panels, in particular with the formation of drivers which can be used as a prefabricated component in a large number of sound panels.

State of the art

According to the prior art, sound panels are known which operate according to the multi-resonance principle and are also known as multi-resonance plate loudspeakers _. Further details of these arrangements can be found in the applications DE-A-197 57 097 to 197 57 099 and further applications by the applicant, which were filed under the filing date of this application. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions, these applications are made the subject of this application.

In order to generate the _j eweiligen acoustic panel bending waves, this is excited by one or by two or more electro-dynamic drivers (shakers). Sound panels are also known which are driven exclusively or also in combination with the electrodynamic drivers just mentioned by piezoelectric bending vibration disks. The subject of this application, however, is only the electrodynamic drivers.

These drivers are essentially formed by a voice coil carrier provided with a voice coil, at least one permanent magnet and a yoke arrangement, the voice coil m immersing an existing air gap due to the mutual arrangement of the various components. Already at this point it should be pointed out that the inference arrangement also includes arrangements which only guide or guide the magnetic field lines. For the purposes of this application, the air gap is not merely to be understood as a gap between components into which the voice coil former or the voice coil is immersed. Rather, in connection with this application, everything is viewed as an air gap, ie all the areas in which the voice coil is exposed to the magnetic field lines of the permanent magnet or magnets. The combination of sound panel and electrodynamic drivers is solved so that the drivers are placed on one side of the sound panel or integrated into it _. If the drivers are placed on one side of the sound panel, you can use driver principles that are also used to drive cone speakers. In detail, this is realized in such a way that the unit formed from the yoke arrangement and the respective permanent magnets is connected to the sound panel by means of brackets. The voice coil, which acts on the sound panel and is also connected to it for this purpose, can be centered in this embodiment via the centering membranes known from the cone speakers. For this purpose, the centering membrane, which is connected to the voice coil former, is attached to the holding nng _. Even if such units can be inexpensively manufactured in large quantities using the skills known from cone loudspeaker technology, the use of these drivers with flat sound panels has a number of disadvantages. In addition to the fact that attached drivers lead to an increase in the overall depth, the use of the holding elements necessary for this drive technology results in a stiffening of the sound panel, which hinders the imprinting and propagation of bending waves in the sound panel.

For these reasons, it has been decided to forego holding positions altogether and to integrate the drivers in the sound panel. Such arrangements can be found in DE-A-197 57 097. It is essential in these arrangements that the voice coil support or the voice coil is not connected to the other components of the driver (inference arrangement, permanent magnet) _. This means that the construction of such arrangements is extremely complex to avoid grazing contact between the voice coil bobbin or _. the voice coil and the other components of the driver during operation. The use of a centering membrane known from cone loudspeaker technology between the voice coil former and the sound panel in FIG. 1 according to DE-A-197 57 097 could certainly solve this problem. However, this still does not solve the further problem that with the drivers arranged in the sound panel there is still a precisely fitting assignment between the other components of the driver (= part 17.4 in FIG. 1 according to DE-A-197 57097) and the voice coil in Sound panel itself must be brought about.

The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a driver for a sound panel which is pre-produced for a large number of applications and can be integrated in the sound panel without further centering work. Presentation of the invention

This object is achieved with the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous developments and further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

If the voice coil former is connected in the air gap to the Daueπnagneten and / or the yoke arrangement by means of an elastic membrane, a driver is created that can be integrated in a sound panel without further centering.

If, according to claim 2, the voice coil support is pot-shaped and its base is connected to the sound panel in accordance with claim 3, a relatively large-area excitation of the sound panel is produced, in contrast to the otherwise conventional ring-shaped voice coil support.

The latter applies in particular if, according to claim 4, the floor itself or a plate arranged between the floor and the sound panel has a Durcli knife which is less than / equal to the Durcli knife of the voice coil bobbin.

It is particularly advantageous if the base itself or the plate is designed as a piezoelectric flexible shaft oscillator, because in this case the close spatial connection of two drivers simplifies their contacting. In this case, however, in order to avoid mutual interference between the driver and the piezoelectric bending wave oscillator, the piezoelectric bending wave oscillator should be decoupled from the voice coil carrier of the driver.

If the edge of the voice coil bobbin has an area with a reduced wall thickness and the voice coil is connected to the voice coil bobbin in this area, large forces can be transmitted thanks to the more solid design of the voice coil without winding devices that are designed for the winding of voice coils on thin-walled voice coil bobbins , must be modified. If the transition from the area of reduced wall thickness to the remaining edge of the voice coil bobbin is designed as a step, there must be no fear of the voice coil becoming detached from the voice coil bobbin even with large transmission forces because of the additional toothing of the voice coil on the voice coil bobbin. Already at this point it should be pointed out that a voice coil former designed according to claims 2, 3, 4 and 6 can be used independently.

Brief presentation of the figures

Show it:

1 shows a section through a sound panel,

F _i g 2 e _i ne further representation according to FIG. 1,

3 shows a section through a voice coil former,

4 shows a further illustration according to FIG. 3, and

F _i g e _i ne 5 further illustration of Fig. 3

Ways to practice the invention

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures

D _i e _i n F _ig arrangement shown Figure 1 shows a sound panel 1 1, ^'i CHT and two with the Kernsch ^11' from a formed of hard foam core layer 1 1 associated cover layers 1 1 is "FEMER Figure 1 e ⁱ NEN electromagnetic Driver 12, which is m milled in the sound panel 11.

The driver 13 is essentially formed by a topfformig formed short-circuit arrangement 14, a permanent magnet 15 and an m th ⁱ ⁱ _i ner Schw ngspule voice coil bobbin 16 provided 17th The Daueπnagnet _i st in d _i e topffόrmige formed short-circuit arrangement inserted and connected Since the Durclimesser of the permanent magnet 15 is smaller ⁱ st than the inner diameter of the yoke assembly 14 topfformig formed is zw _i exploiting that parts (14, 15), a mutual radial distance, which in connection is beze with this application as an air gap 18 ⁱ chnet

The Schwmgspulenträger 17, st which likewise formed topfformig ⁱ ⁱ 18 e st to _i se nem with the voice coil 16 provided edge 17 'in the air gap ngesetzt _{_i.} The bottom 17 "of the voice coil bobbin 17 is below Intermediate arrangement of a plate 19 connected to the bottom 20 of the cutout 13. Already at this point it should be pointed out that a separate plate 19 is not necessary if the plate 19 is replaced by a corresponding design of the bottom 17 "of the voice coil bobbin 17 and / or the bottom 20 of the cutout 13.

1 that the plate 19 has a smaller Durcli knife compared to the voice coil bobbin 17. This reduction in diameter brings about an improved impression of bending waves in the sound panel 11 because, on the one hand, the force impression concentrates on a small area and, on the other hand, the radial distance A, which is essential for the generation of bending waves, between the area at which the force is applied, and the area in which the part of the driver 12 which does not vibrate under operating conditions is connected to the sound panel 11 is enlarged.

The bottom of the yoke arrangement facing away from the Daueπnagneten 15 is provided with an anchor plate 21 and connected via this to the sound panel 11.

In order to pre-produce the driver 12 for a large number of applications or to cut complex centering work when assembling the driver 12 and the sound panel 11, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the edge 14 'of the inference arrangement 14 is provided with a ring 22 which forms the ring Edge 14 'extended in the direction of the plate 19. There is also a central membrane 23 which extends in the air gap 18 between the ring 22 and the edge 17 'of the voice coil bobbin 17. If the driver 12 according to FIG _. 1 trained, the connection between driver 12 and sound panel 1 1 can be realized very simply in that the pre-produced and already provided with the anchor plate 21 driver 12 is only inserted and connected in the cutout 13 in the sound panel 11. Whether the voice coil bobbin 17 is already at the factory connected to the panel 19 or whether this connection is realized later, is of no significance if ⁱ d e plate 19 only with respect to the voice coil bobbin 17, a Durclimesser to ensure reduction. However, if the plate 19 - as in connection with Fig _. 4 will be explained wird- formed as piezoelectric bending wave washer, resulting in beziig to e d ⁱ Kontaktiemng advantages when formed as a bending wave washer plate 19 already at the factory, _d. h _. prior to their connection to the base 20 already m t ⁱ the voice coil bobbin 17 was connected. For the sake of completeness, it should be pointed out that for setting the desired radial distances between the Daueπnagneten 15 and the voice coil support 17 or between the voice coil 16 and the edge 14 'of the yoke arrangement 17, the central membrane 23 and / or the bottom 17 "of the voice coil support 17 openings 1, by means of which spacers (not shown) can be pushed in when the driver 12 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted also be carried out by means of a pin (not shown) which is guided centrally through the permanent magnet 15 and the yoke arrangement 17 and which, depending on the configuration, can also only end in the core layer 11.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the ring 22 is replaced by a corresponding extension of the edge 14 'of the yoke arrangement 14 and in that the central membranes 23 are designed as flat disks. In addition, in FIG. 2 the central membrane 23 is connected to the end faces 24 of the edge 14 'and the bottom 17 "of the voice coil bobbin 17, which results in further manufacturing advantages.

In this exemplary embodiment too, the centering membrane 23 and / or the bottom 17 ″ of the voice coil bobbin 17 can be provided with corresponding openings (not shown) in order to produce the centricity of the voice coil 16 with respect to the down magnet 15.

FIG. 3 shows a voice coil support 17 for a drive for a sound panel 11 according to FIG. 1 or 2. 3 that the edge 17 'of the voice coil bobbin 17 has an area 25 with reduced wall thickness and that the voice coil 16 is arranged in this area 25. The relatively thick-walled design of the voice coil bobbin 17 ensures that the forces required for driving the sound panel 11 are transmitted to the sound panel 11 largely free of deformation losses. The thin-walled area 25 ensures that despite the relatively thick-walled voice coil former 18 i.ü. the air gap 18 (FIG. 1) can be made very narrow and at the same time very low-loss. In addition, the step 26 between the thin-walled area 25 and the rest of the voice coil former acts as an additional anchorage of the voice coil 16 on the voice coil former 17. Also shown in FIG. 3 is a central membrane 23, which is curved and is connected to the voice coil former 17. In contrast to the voice coil bobbin 17 according to FIG. 3, the voice coil bobbin 17 is formed as shown in FIG. 4 in two parts and bestel ^l t _i v of a thick-walled pot relat 27 and a thin-walled tube 27 ^'. The pipe _'which is provided with the voice coil 16 27, is connected to the pot 27 D _i ese bipartite the voice coil bobbin 17 has the Vorte ⁱ l that d can be prepared _i e Int _i eit of voice coil 16 and tube 27 to devices which are also used in the manufacture of such units for cone speakers.

As already explained in connection with FIG. 2, FIG ^. 4 Sw _i ngspulenträger 17 by means of a flat Zentrieπnembrane 23 m ⁱ t the end faces 24 of the edge 14 'of the yoke assembly 14 is ^connected.

Deviating from that in Fig _. Shown and merely serves as a spacer plate 19 2 is designed in F 4 this plate as a piezoelectric Biegewellensche ⁱ be 19 and let the Schwingspulenträgem 17 in the ground 17 "and m _i t the Schw _i ngspulenträger 17 uncoupled (not ^shown). D ⁱ ese combination of piezoelectric bending wave washer 19 ^'and the electromagnetic driver 12 has the advantage that in a confined space f ^o r different frequency ranges optimized designed driver (12, 19) are available.

In Figure 5 e _i ne more Ausfiϊhmngsfoπn of a voice coil bobbin 17 according to Figure 3 ^ is D _i eser one-piece voice coil bobbin 17 is designed so that its bottom has 17 "opposite the Durclimesser the edge 17'eιnen reduced _{Durclimesser.} If the voice coil bobbin 17 according ^ä ß F ⁱ ^g. 5 formed plate 19 shown 1 can due to this shaping on the use of the Ex _i elswe _i se in _Fig. are omitted, since on the Durcl _i diameter of the bottom 17 "of a voice coil bobbin 17 according ^ä ß F ⁱ g ^. 5 e d ⁱ desired distances A (Fig. 1) can be easily adjusted ^ö ^k.

Claims

Expectations

1. Driver for a flat sound panel 11

with a voice coil bobbin 17 on which a voice coil 16 is attached, and

with at least one Daueπnagneten 15, a yoke arrangement 14 and an air gap 18, in which the voice coil bobbin 17 with the voice coil 16 is immersed,

characterized,

that the voice coil bobbin 17 is connected in the air gap 18 to the permanent magnet 15 and / or the yoke arrangement 14 by means of an elastic membrane 23.

2. Driver according to claim 1,

characterized,

that the voice coil bobbin 17 is pot-shaped and has a bottom 17 "and an edge 17 '.

3. Driver according to Anspmch 2,

characterized,

that the bottom 17 "of the voice coil bobbin 17 is connected to the sound panel 1 1.

4. Driver according to Anspmch 3,

characterized,

that the bottom 17 "or a plate 19 arranged between the bottom 17" and the sound panel 11 has a Durcli knife which is less than / equal to the Durcli knife of the edge 17 'of the voice coil bobbin 17.

5. Driver according to Anspmch 2 or Anspmch 3,

characterized,

that the bottom 17 "itself or the plate 19 is designed as a piezoelectric flexible shaft disk 19 '.

6. Driver according to one of claims 2 to 5,

characterized

that the edge 17 'of the voice coil bobbin 17 has a region 25 of reduced wall thickness and

that the voice coil 16 is connected to the voice coil support 17 in the region 25 of the reduced wall thickness.