IP Library Granted Patent US 11,178,493
Granted Patent B2
US 11,178,493 · App. 16/831,245 · Granted Nov 16, 2021

Electroacoustic transducer

Inventors: Hidetoshi Hiraoka (Kyoto, JP); Yoshinobu Tsujii (Kyoto, JP); Keita Sakakibara (Kyoto, JP); Ken Nakano (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignees: Panasonic Corporation; KYOTO UNIVERSITY; National University Corporation YOKOHAMA National University
H04R9/046H04R7/12H04R7/18H04R9/025H04R9/06H04R2400/11
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 11,178,493
App. No.
16/831,245
Granted
Nov 16, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electroacoustic transducer includes: a diaphragm; a magnetic circuit having a magnetic gap; a frame that holds the diaphragm and the magnetic circuit; a voice coil having one end portion positioned within the magnetic gap and the other end portion coupled to the diaphragm; and a low friction material that is disposed in a sliding portion formed by the voice coil and the magnetic circuit, and includes polymer compounds swollen with liquid.

Claims (59)

1. An electroacoustic transducer, comprising:

a sliding portion; and

a low friction material in the sliding portion,

wherein

the low friction material includes polymer compounds swollen with liquid,

the polymer compounds have a stress concentration relief structure which is a polymer brush,

a plurality of polymer chains of the polymer brush are chemically or physically fixed to a surface of a voice coil or a magnetic gap of the electroacoustic transducer, and the polymer compounds are swollen with liquid, and

the plurality of polymer chains are vertically elongated from the surface of the voice coil or the magnetic gap.

2. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 1 , wherein

the stress concentration relief structure is a sea-island structure including a first three-dimensional crosslinked polymer and a second three-dimensional crosslinked polymer which is more flexible than the first three-dimensional crosslinked polymer, and an amount of the second three-dimensional crosslinked polymer is at least 20 times as great as an amount of the first three-dimensional crosslinked polymer.

3. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 1 , wherein

the liquid has a high liquidity ranging from 1 mPa·s to 2000 mPa·s inclusive at room temperature, and a boiling point of at least 180 degrees Celsius.

4. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a diaphragm that produces sound by vibration or vibrates by sound; and

a guide system that guides vibration for the diaphragm along one axis, wherein

the guide system includes:

a first component coupled to the diaphragm; and

a second component that guides the first component along the one axis, and forms the sliding portion along with the first component.

5. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a magnetic circuit having a magnetic gap opposite the diaphragm;

a frame that holds the diaphragm and the magnetic circuit; and

a voice coil having one end portion positioned within the magnetic gap and the other end portion coupled to the diaphragm, wherein

the voice coil is used as the first component, and the magnetic circuit is used as the second component, and

the low friction material is applied to at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the voice coil, an inner peripheral surface of the voice coil, an outer peripheral surface of the magnetic gap, or an inner peripheral surface of the magnetic gap.

6. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 4 , wherein

the first component is a bar-shaped component extending from the diaphragm or a center cap toward a magnetic circuit,

the magnetic circuit also serving as the second component includes a guide that guides the first component along one axis, and

the low friction material is applied to at least one of the first component or the guide.

7. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 5 , wherein

a gap length of the magnetic gap is longer than and at most three times as long as a thickness of the voice coil.

8. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 5 , wherein

a clearance between the magnetic gap and a part of the voice coil inserted into the magnetic gap is at least 0.01 μm and less than 80 μm.

9. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 1 , wherein

a surface treatment is applied to the sliding portion.

10. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 9 , wherein

the surface treatment is silica coating.

11. The electroacoustic transducer according to claim 1 , wherein

a voice coil and a frame are supported by a damper.

12. An electroacoustic transducer, comprising:

a magnetic circuit having a magnetic gap opposite a diaphragm;

a frame that holds the diaphragm and the magnetic circuit; and

a voice coil having one end portion positioned within the magnetic gap and the other end portion coupled to the diaphragm, and wherein

the low friction material is applied to at least one of an outer peripheral surface of the voice coil, an inner peripheral surface of the voice coil, an outer peripheral surface of the magnetic gap, or an inner peripheral surface of the magnetic gap, and includes polymer compounds swollen with liquid,

the polymer compounds have a stress concentration relief structure which is a polymer brush

a plurality of polymer chains of the polymer brush are chemically or physically fixed to a surface of the voice coil or a magnetic gap of the electroacoustic transducer, and the polymer compounds are swollen with liquid, and

the plurality of polymer chains are vertically elongated from the surface of the voice coil or the magnetic gap.

13. The loudspeaker according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a first component that is bar-shaped and extends from the diaphragm or a center cap toward the magnetic circuit, wherein

the magnetic circuit includes a guide that guides the first component along one axis, and

the low friction material is applied to at least one of the first component or the guide.

14. A loudspeaker, comprising: a sliding portion; and a low friction material in the sliding portion, wherein

the low friction material includes polymer compounds swollen with liquid,

the loudspeaker further comprises:

a magnetic circuit having a magnetic gap opposite a diaphragm;

a frame that holds the diaphragm and the magnetic circuit;

a voice coil having one end portion positioned within the magnetic gap and the other end portion coupled to the diaphragm; and

a first component that is bar-shaped and extends from the diaphragm or a center cap toward the magnetic circuit,

the magnetic circuit includes a guide that guides the first component along one axis, and

the low friction material is applied to at least one of the first component or the guide.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Nov 12, 2024
From: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069223/0121 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 5, 2024
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069302/0894 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2020
From: HIRAOKA, HIDETOSHI; TSUJII, YOSHINOBU; SAKAKIBARA, KEITA; NAKANO, KEN
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION; KYOTO UNIVERSITY; NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION YOKOHAMA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 053006/0683 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-189165 · Sep 28, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2018034345 · Sep 18, 2018
Related Publication 20200228900A1 · Jul 16, 2020