IP Library Granted Patent US 7,203,332
Granted Patent B2
US 7,203,332 · App. 10/429,163 · Granted Apr 10, 2007

Magnet arrangement for loudspeaker

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,203,332
App. No.
10/429,163
Granted
Apr 10, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electro-dynamic loudspeaker includes a frame, a plurality of magnets and a diaphragm. The frame includes a molded plastic body. The magnets may be molded into the frame in a determined configuration. The frame is mechanically coupled to the diaphragm such that the magnets are a determined distance from the diaphragm. The diaphragm may include a conductor applied to a surface of the diaphragm. The diaphragm may be driven by a motive force created when current passes through the conductor within a magnetic field formed by the magnets. The electrical current may be varied to create an acoustical output from the electro-dynamic loudspeaker.

Claims (52)

1. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a diaphragm having an electrical conductor coupled thereto;

a molded frame having a body defining a mounting plane;

a plurality of magnets at least partially molded into the body of the frame, where the diaphragm is coupled to the mounting plane, and where each of the magnets is offset from the mounting plane; and

an electrical terminal at least partially embedded within a portion of the frame where the electrical terminal includes a male prong portion extending from the body of the frame, and where the electrical terminal includes an intermediate portion positioned between the end portion and the male prong portion, the intermediate portion being embedded within the frame, and an end portion extending beyond the surface of the frame to the interior thereof, and wherein the end portion is electrically coupled to an electrical conductor of the diaphragm.

2. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 1 where each of the magnets has an upper surface, and where the upper surface of each of the magnets is positioned to be substantially coplanar with the upper surface of each of the other magnets.

3. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 1 where each of the magnets includes an upper surface coplanar with an upper surface of the body of the frame.

4. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 3 where at least two of the magnets have different thickness.

5. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 1 where the frame includes a box-like wall partially enclosing the male prong portion of the electrical terminal.

6. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a molded plastic frame;

a first magnet and a second magnet integrally molded into the frame;

the first and second magnets each having a first surface and a second surface, where the first surface of each of the first and second magnets is aligned in substantially a single plane; and

where each of the first and second magnets includes a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the first and second magnets are molded into the frame.

7. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first magnet is positioned in a first row and the second magnet is positioned in a second row to form a magnetic field between the first and second magnets.

8. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first magnet is positioned in the frame with opposite polarity with respect to the polarity of the second magnet.

9. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first magnet comprises a plurality of magnets in a first row and the second magnet comprises a plurality of magnets in a second row.

10. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first and second magnets comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending members positioned end-to-end in a first row and a second row, respectively in the frame.

11. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 where the first surface of the first and second magnets is coplanar with a surface of the frame, and the second surface of the first and second magnets is embedded in the molded plastic frame.

12. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 6 , further comprising a diaphragm, where the diaphragm is mounted to the frame in a state of tension and is spaced apart from the first and second magnets by a determined distance.

13. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 12 , where the diaphragm comprises a thin film coupled with the frame that is a movable membrane capable of producing sound.

14. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 13 , where the thin film is of only one-piece construction.

15. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a plurality of longitudinally extending magnets; and

a frame having a first surface and a second surface,

where the magnets are molded into the first surface of the frame in a plurality of spaced apart rows to extend longitudinally along the first surface,

where the magnets also extend partially through the frame towards the second surface;

where the magnets include a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the magnet is molded into the frame.

16. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the first surface is an inner surface of the frame that is positionable adjacent to a diaphragm and the second is an outer surface of the frame.

17. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the frame is a bowed frame.

18. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the frame is elastically deformable to tension a diaphragm.

19. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the frame includes a plurality of apertures extending from the first surface to the second surface, where the rows of magnets are positioned between rows of the apertures.

20. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the magnets are embedded in the frame to be substantially coplanar with the first surface of the frame.

21. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 19 where the magnets non-uniformly extend toward the second surface to remain coplanar with the first surface.

22. The electro-dynamic loudspeaker of claim 15 where the magnets are generally rectangular and are positioned end-to-end in the rows.

23. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a molded plastic frame;

a first magnet and a second magnet integrally molded into the frame;

the first and second magnets each having a first surface and a second surface, where the first surface of each of the first and second magnets is aligned in substantially a single plane; and

where the first surface of the first and second magnets is coplanar with a surface of the frame, and the second surface of the first and second magnets is embedded in the molded plastic frame, and where each of the first and second magnets includes a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the first and second magnets are molded into the frame.

24. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a diaphragm having an electrical conductor coupled thereto;

a molded frame having a body defining a mounting plane;

a plurality of magnets at least partially molded into the body of the frame, where the diaphragm is coupled to the mounting plane, and where each of the magnets is offset from the mounting plane;

an electrical terminal at least partially embedded within a portion of the frame where the electrical terminal includes a portion extending from the body of the frame, and where the electrical terminal includes an intermediate portion positioned between the end portion and the portion, the intermediate portion being embedded within the frame, and an end portion extending beyond the surface of the frame to the interior thereof, and wherein the end portion is electrically coupled to an electrical conductor of the diaphragm; and

where the frame includes a box-like wall partially enclosing the portion of the electrical terminal.

25. An electro-dynamic loudspeaker comprising:

a diaphragm having an electrical conductor coupled thereto;

a molded frame having a body defining a mounting plane;

a plurality of magnets at least partially molded into the body of the frame, where the diaphragm is coupled to the mounting plane,

where each of the magnets is offset from the mounting plane; and

where each of the magnets include a slot therein, where the slot is filled with plastic of the frame when the magnets are molded into the frame.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE Recorded Nov 14, 2012
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED; HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
Reel/Frame 029294/0254 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 17, 2011
From: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED; HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 025823/0354 →
RELEASE Recorded Feb 15, 2011
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED; HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
Reel/Frame 025795/0143 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 8, 2009
From: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED; BECKER SERVICE-UND VERWALTUNG GMBH; CROWN AUDIO, INC.; HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS (MICHIGAN), INC.; HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS HOLDING GMBH; HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, INC.; HARMAN CONSUMER GROUP, INC.; HARMAN DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; HARMAN FINANCIAL GROUP LLC; HARMAN HOLDING GMBH & CO. KG; HARMAN MUSIC GROUP, INCORPORATED; HARMAN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL BETEILIGUNGS GMBH; HARMAN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT GMBH; HBAS INTERNATIONAL GMBH; HBAS MANUFACTURING, INC.; INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS GMBH NAVIGATION-MULTIMEDIA; JBL INCORPORATED; LEXICON, INCORPORATED; MARGI SYSTEMS, INC.; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS (WAVEMAKERS), INC.; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS CANADA CORPORATION; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS CO.; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS GMBH; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KG; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION; QNX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS, INC.; XS EMBEDDED GMBH (F/K/A HARMAN BECKER MEDIA DRIVE TECHNOLOGY GMBH)
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 022659/0743 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 015490 FRAME 0110. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE FROM HUMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED TO HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED.. Recorded Feb 27, 2007
From: HUTT, STEVEN W.; STEERE, JOHN F.; GARNER, DAVID B.; MANGO, LOUIS A.
To: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 018938/0882 →
REQUESTING CORRECTION OF NAME OF ASSIGNEE AND SECOND INVENTOR'S NAME, PER ATTACHED REQUEST FOR CORRECTED NOTICE OF RECORDATION OF ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT Recorded May 27, 2004
From: HUTT, STEVEN W.; STEERE, JOHN F.; GARNER, DAVID B.; MANGO, LOUIS A.
To: HUMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 015490/0110 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2003
From: HUTT, STEVEN W.; STEERE, STEVEN W.; GARNER, DAVID B.; MANGO, LOUIS A.
To: HARMON INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 014498/0756 →