IP Library Granted Patent US 11,606,633
Granted Patent B2
US 11,606,633 · App. 17/021,879 · Granted Mar 14, 2023

Speaker assembly

Inventors: Paul X. Wang (Cupertino, CA); Chanjuan Feng (San Francisco, CA); Christopher Wilk (Los Gatos, CA); Dinesh C. Mathew (San Francisco, CA); Keith J. Hendren (San Francisco, CA); Stuart M. Nevill (Los Gatos, CA); Daniel K. Boothe (San Francisco, CA); Nicholas A. Rundle (San Jose, CA); Simon S. Lee (San Jose, CA); Xiang Zhang (Sunnyvale, CA); Thomas H. Tsang (Sunnyvale, CA); Rebecca J. Mikolajczyk (Cupertino, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04R1/028G06F1/1688H04R3/12H04R2499/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,606,633
App. No.
17/021,879
Granted
Mar 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display positioned in the aperture. The display and the housing can define an internal volume in which a speaker assembly is positioned. The speaker assembly can include a speaker module and a speaker enclosure in fluid communication, with the speaker enclosure at least partially defining a speaker volume.

Claims (51)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing defining an aperture;

a display positioned in the aperture, the display and the housing defining an internal volume;

a speaker enclosure positioned in the internal volume, the speaker enclosure sealed to the housing to define a speaker volume; and

a speaker module positioned in the internal volume and in fluid communication with the speaker volume.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the speaker module comprises a first side, and a second side opposite the first side;

the first side is in fluid communication with an ambient environment; and

the second side is in fluid communication with the speaker volume.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the speaker module comprises a diaphragm defining the first side and the second side.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker volume is between 50 cubic centimeters (cm 3 ) and 100 cm 3 .

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker volume has a length of between 100 and 300 mm, a width of between 150 mm and 200 mm, and a thickness of between 1.5 mm and 3 mm.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker module comprises:

a first woofer having a first diaphragm;

a second woofer having a second diaphragm;

the first woofer being adjacent to the second woofer; and

the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm configured to move in opposite directions while being acoustically in phase.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second speaker enclosure positioned in the internal volume and at least partially defining a second speaker volume; and

a second speaker module positioned in the internal volume in fluid communication with the second speaker volume.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker module further comprises a tweeter positioned adjacent to a woofer of the speaker module.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the display at least partially defines a first exterior surface of the electronic device;

the housing at least partially defines a second exterior surface of the electronic device positioned opposite the first exterior surface; and

a distance from the first exterior surface to the second exterior surface is between 9 mm and 13 mm.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker enclosure comprises a five-sided box configured to be sealed to the housing.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker enclosure further comprises a support rib disposed within the speaker volume.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:

the support rib at least partially divides the speaker volume into a first volume,

and a second volume in fluid communication with the first volume; and

the first volume is in fluid communication with the speaker module, and the second volume is in fluid communication with a port at least partially defined by the speaker enclosure.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein a wall of the speaker enclosure comprises:

a flexible portion configured to oscillate; and

a rigid portion at least partially surrounding the flexible portion, the support rib being in contact with the rigid portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the speaker enclosure is positioned between the display and a surface of the housing at least partially defining the internal volume.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing at least partially defining an internal volume;

a speaker enclosure disposed in the internal volume, the speaker enclosure at least partially defining a speaker volume, the speaker volume having:

a thickness of between 1.7 and 2.3 mm;

a length of between 100 and 300 mm; and

a width of between 150 mm and 200 mm;

a speaker module disposed in the internal volume and in fluid communication with the speaker volume; and

a processor and memory disposed in the internal volume.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the speaker volume is isolated from the ambient environment.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the speaker enclosure comprises a six-sided box.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the speaker enclosure defines an aperture, and the electronic device further comprises a sealing film occluding the aperture, the sealing film disposed between the speaker enclosure and the housing.

19. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the speaker module directs a negative acoustic wave into the speaker volume; and

the negative acoustic wave generates a desired acoustic output.

20. A speaker system, comprising:

an enclosure defining an internal volume having a thickness of between 1.7 mm and 2.3 mm and a volume of between 50 cm 3 and 100 cm 3 ; and

a speaker module in fluid communication with the internal volume.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2025
From: KALOTY, NAVPREET S
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 069805/0996 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2020
From: MIKOLAJCZYK, REBECCA J
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 054017/0093 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2020
From: WANG, PAUL X.; FENG, CHANJUAN; WILK, CHRISTOPHER; MATHEW, DINESH C.; HENDREN, KEITH J.; NEVILL, STUART M.; BOOTHE, DANIEL K.; RUNDLE, NICHOLAS A.; LEE, SIMON S.; ZHANG, XIANG; TSANG, THOMAS H.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 053779/0513 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62946288 · Dec 10, 2019
Related Publication 20210176547A1 · Jun 10, 2021