Granted Patent B2

US 12,659,636 · App. 18/481,000 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Inventors: Jamie Chilles (Bristol, GB); Rachael McPhillips (Bristol, GB); Vijay Dontu (Bristol, GB); Dan Sweeney (Cardiff, GB)

Assignee: SIM IP HXR LLC

H04R1/02G08B6/00

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . A device comprising:

a flexible transducer mount, comprising:

an acoustic transducer having an outer surface and a top;

a flexible circuit, the flexible circuit having at least one flexible arm, wherein the at least one flexible arm makes an electrical connection with the acoustic transducer;

a support having a first stiffness, the support providing support for the acoustic transducer;

a material having a second stiffness lower than the first stiffness, the material adhered to the acoustic transducer and the support such that, when the outer surface of the acoustic transducer oscillates, vibrations of the acoustic transducer are decoupled from the support; and

wherein at least one of the at least one flexible arm comprises a conductive trace.

2 . The device as in claim 1 , wherein the flexible transducer mount comprises cut-out regions.

3 . The device as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one flexible arm comprises an exposed conductive connection point at the end of the at least one flexible arm.

4 . The device as in claim 1 , further comprising:

a flexible printed circuit board that supports the acoustic transducer.

5 . The device as in claim 1 , further comprising:

a protective grille overlaid over the top of the acoustic transducer.

6 . The device as in claim 1 , wherein when the outer surface of the acoustic transducer oscillates, amplitude of vibrations of the acoustic transducer is substantially minimized at substantially a nodal ring of the acoustic transducer.

7 . The device as in claim 6 , wherein the material is positioned to substantially sit along the nodal ring.

8 . The device as in claim 6 , wherein at least one of the at least one flexible arms substantially sits along the nodal ring.

9 . The device as in claim 1 , wherein the flexible transducer mount is fabricated in a panelized form.

10 . The device as in claim 1 , wherein the flexible transducer mount comprises piezoelectric material.

11 . A device comprising:

an acoustic transducer system, comprising:

a first transducer plate having a first transducer plate top, a first transducer plate bottom and a first stiffness;

a second transducer plate having a second transducer plate top, a second transducer plate bottom, and a second stiffness;

an internal acoustic cavity within at least one of the first transducer plate and the second transducer plate;

a first piezoelectric layer having a first piezoelectric layer top;

wherein the second transducer plate top is bonded to the first transducer plate bottom;

wherein the first piezoelectric layer top is bonded to the second transducer plate bottom;

wherein a difference between the first stiffness and the second stiffness is less than a threshold amount; and

wherein the internal acoustic cavity has an internal acoustic resonance coinciding with a system acoustic resonance of the acoustic transducer system.

12 . The device as in claim 11 , further comprising:

a second piezoelectric layer having a second piezoelectric layer bottom; and

wherein the second piezoelectric layer bottom is bonded to the first transducer plate top.

13 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the internal acoustic cavity is within the first transducer plate.

14 . The device as in claim 13 , wherein the first transducer plate includes at least one cutout region.

15 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the internal acoustic cavity is within the first transducer plate and the second transducer plate.

16 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the first transducer plate and the second transducer plate are substantially rectangular.

17 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the first transducer plate and the second transducer plate are substantially circular.

18 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the internal acoustic resonance coinciding with the system acoustic resonance of the acoustic transducer system satisfies:

| u 1 |>0.05 m/s;

where u 1 is a maximum amplitude of velocity of the first transducer plate top when the acoustic transducer system is driven with a 10-Volt sine wave electrical signal.

19 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the internal acoustic resonance coinciding with the system acoustic resonance of the acoustic transducer system satisfies:

❘

"\[LeftBracketingBar]"

u

1

u

2

❘

"\[RightBracketingBar]"

>

0.1

where u 1 is a maximum amplitude of velocity of the first transducer plate top when the acoustic transducer system is driven with a 10-Volt sine wave electrical signal; and u 2 is a maximum amplitude of velocity of the second transducer plate bottom when the acoustic transducer system is driven with a 10-Volt sine wave electrical signal.

20 . The device as in claim 11 , wherein the first transducer plate top has a first transducer plate top central region;

wherein the second transducer plate bottom has a second transducer plate bottom central region; and

wherein the first transducer plate top central region and the second transducer plate bottom central region oscillate in anti-phase.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (400)