Offset-soft mount for speaker induced force reduction

Inventors: Bao Liu (San Jose, CA); Junyi Yang (Fremont, CA); Yin Yuan (Santa Clara, CA); Zhiwei Liu (Shanghai, CN); Scott P. Porter (San Jose, CA); Jordi Antoni Garcia Selva (San Jose, CA); Kieran Poulain (San Francisco, CA); Yanchu Xu (San Jose, CA); Kang Hou (Milpitas, CA); Stuart M. Nevill (Los Gatos, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

H04R1/2896 H04R1/025 H04R7/04 H04R9/025 H04R9/045 H04R9/063

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12666200
App. No.: 18/481,672
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

A speaker assembly including a first speaker comprising a first diaphragm and a first voice coil movably coupled to a first magnet assembly, wherein the first diaphragm faces a first direction, the first voice coil moves along a first axis in the first direction when driven by an audio signal and the first magnet assembly is coupled to a fixed structure by a first compliant mounting member; and a second speaker laterally offset from the first speaker and including a second diaphragm and a second voice coil movably coupled to a second magnet assembly, wherein the second diaphragm faces a second direction different from the first direction, the second voice coil moves along a second axis in the second direction when driven by an audio signal and the second magnet assembly is coupled to the fixed structure by a second compliant mounting member.

Claims (24)

1 . A speaker assembly comprising:

a first speaker comprising a first diaphragm and a first voice coil movably coupled to a first yoke of a first magnet assembly, wherein the first diaphragm faces a first direction, the first voice coil moves along a first axis in the first direction when driven by an audio signal and the first magnet assembly is coupled to a fixed structure by a pair of first compliant mounting members, the pair of first compliant mounting members having a top compliant mounting member having a first end coupled to a top portion of the first yoke and a second end coupled to a top portion of the fixed structure, and a bottom compliant mounting member having a first end coupled to a bottom portion of the first yoke and a second end coupled to a bottom portion of the fixed structure; and

a second speaker laterally offset from, and fixedly coupled to, the first speaker, and the second speaker including a second diaphragm and a second voice coil movably coupled to a second yoke of a second magnet assembly, wherein the second diaphragm faces a second direction different from the first direction, the second voice coil moves along a second axis in the second direction when driven by an audio signal and the second magnet assembly is coupled to the fixed structure by a pair of second compliant mounting members, the pair of second compliant mounting members having a top compliant mounting member having a first end coupled to a top portion of the second yoke and a second end coupled to a top portion of the fixed structure, and a bottom compliant mounting member having a first end coupled to a bottom portion of the second yoke and a second end coupled to a bottom portion of the fixed structure.

2 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the first speaker and the second speaker are coupled as a single unit to the fixed structure by the pair of first compliant mounting members and the pair of second compliant mounting members, respectively.

3 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the first end of the top compliant mounting member of the pair of first compliant mounting members is directly coupled to the top portion of the fixed structure, and the second end of the top compliant mounting member of the pair of first compliant mounting members is directly coupled to the bottom portion of the fixed structure, and wherein the first end of the top compliant mounting member of the pair of second compliant mounting members is directly coupled to the top portion of the fixed structure, and the second end of the top compliant mounting member of the pair of second compliant mounting members is directly coupled to the bottom portion of the fixed structure.

4 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the first magnet assembly of the first speaker is fixedly coupled to the second magnet assembly of the second speaker.

5 . The speaker assembly of claim 4 wherein the first yoke of the first magnet assembly is mounted to the second yoke of the second magnet assembly to fixedly couple the first speaker to the second speaker.

6 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one compliant mounting member of the pair of first compliant mounting members or the pair of second compliant mounting member comprises a leaf spring.

7 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the pair of first compliant mounting members and the pair of second compliant mounting members are operable to dampen a transmission of a force generated by the first speaker and the second speaker to the fixed structure.

8 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 further comprising a third speaker laterally offset from the first speaker and the second speaker, and including a third diaphragm and a third voice coil movably coupled to a third magnet assembly, wherein the third diaphragm faces the first direction, the third voice coil moves along the first axis in the first direction when driven by an audio signal.

9 . The speaker assembly of claim 8 wherein the third speaker is fixedly coupled to the first speaker and the second speaker.

10 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 wherein the fixed structure comprises a speaker module or an electronic device housing.

11 . An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a first wall and a second wall;

a first transducer including a first voice coil movably coupled to a first magnet assembly, wherein the first voice coil is operable to move along a first axis in a first direction and the first magnet assembly is coupled to the first wall by a pair of first compliant mounting members, and wherein the pair of first compliant mounting members comprises a top compliant mounting member and a bottom compliant mounting member that directly couple a top portion of a yoke and a bottom portion of the yoke, respectively, of the first magnet assembly to a top portion and a bottom portion, respectively, of a fixed structure; and

a second transducer fixedly coupled to the first transducer and including a second voice coil and a second magnet assembly, wherein the second voice coil is operable to move along a second axis that is laterally offset from the first axis and in a second direction opposite to the first direction and the second magnet assembly is coupled to the second wall by a pair of second compliant mounting members, and wherein the pair of second compliant mounting members comprises a top compliant mounting member and a bottom compliant mounting member that directly couple a top portion of a yoke and a bottom portion of the yoke, respectively, of the second magnet assembly to a top portion and a bottom portion, respectively, of the fixed structure.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the first magnet assembly and the second magnet assembly are coupled as a single unit to the first wall and the second wall, respectively.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the first magnet assembly of the first transducer is fixedly coupled to the second magnet assembly of the second transducer.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the yoke of the first magnet assembly is mounted to the yoke of the second magnet assembly to rigidly couple the first transducer to the second transducer.

15 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein at least one compliant mounting member of the pair of first compliant mounting members or the pair of second compliant mounting members comprises a leaf spring.

16 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the pair of first compliant mounting members and the pair of the second compliant mounting members are operable to dampen a transmission of a force generated by the first transducer and the second transducer to a fixed structure.

17 . The electronic device of claim 11 further comprising a third transducer laterally offset from the first transducer and the second transducer, and including a third diaphragm and a third voice coil movably coupled to a third magnet assembly, wherein the third diaphragm faces the first direction, the third voice coil moves along the first axis in the first direction when driven by an audio signal.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 wherein the third transducer is fixedly coupled to the first transducer and the second transducer.

19 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the first transducer or the second transducer is a speaker and the first voice coil or the second voice coil is driven to move along the first axis or the second axis by an audio signal.