Granted Patent B2

US 12,647,735 · App. 18/626,372 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Fabian Stoppel (Itzehoe, DE); Malte Florian Niekiel (Itzehoe, DE); Bernhard Wagner (Itzehoe, DE); Fabian Lofink (Itzehoe, DE)

Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

H04R17/02B81B3/0021B81B2203/0118H04R2201/003

Abstract

Claims (24)

1 . A Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, MEMS, sound transducer comprising:

a deflectable bending transducer element which is clamped on at least one side relative to a surrounding structure, the bending transducer element comprising a free end on at least one side, which is separated from the surrounding structure by a gap,

wherein the deflectable bending transducer element is configured to be subjected to bending along a bending line and/or torsion along a torsion axis as a result of a force in order to be deflected as a result of the bending,

wherein the deflectable bending transducer element comprises at least one screen structure which projects vertically from one of the main directions of extension of the bending transducer element and is implemented to be flexible at least along the bending line and/or along the torsion axis.

2 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the deflectable bending transducer element extends in a first direction, and wherein the bending line or torsion axis extends along the first direction.

3 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the surrounding structure and the deflectable bending transducer element are located in the same plane; and/or

wherein the deflectable bending transducer element extends in a plane along which the bending line and/or torsion axis runs in a rest state.

4 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the flexibly implemented screen structure comprises one or more decoupling slots.

5 . The sound transducer according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more decoupling slots extend perpendicularly relative to the screen structure and/or are introduced into the screen structure such that the screen structure comprises a comb shape.

6 . The sound transducer according to claim 4 , wherein the one or more decoupling slots comprise a constant thickness and/or a constant spacing.

7 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the deflectable bending transducer structure comprises screen structures on a first and/or a second main surface; and/or

wherein the screen structure is curved and/or comprises a stop.

8 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the gap comprises a thickness of <20 μm, <10 μm or <5 μm or generally comprises a thickness in the range of 0.1 μm to 20 μm.

9 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the screen element comprises a height of at least 1 μm, at least 5 μm, at least 50 μm, at least 200 μm, at least 400 μm or at least 800 μm.

10 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the deflectable bending transducer element comprises one or two flexible screens arranged adjacent to the clamped end; and/or

wherein the deflectable bending transducer element comprises one or more screen elements which are arranged on one side opposite the clamped side and are formed not to be flexible.

11 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the deflectable bending transducer comprises a piezo layer, a piezo layer and a passivation layer or two piezo layers with an intervening passivation layer, which are configured to provide the force.

12 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the sound transducer comprises a further deflectable bending transducer element; or

wherein the sound transducer comprises a further deflectable bending transducer element which is arranged opposite the deflectable bending transducer element so that the free ends of the deflectable bending transducer element and of the further deflectable bending transducer element form a gap; or

wherein the sound transducer comprises a further deflectable bending transducer element which forms the surrounding structure.

13 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the deflectable bending transducer element is only clamped in a single axis.

14 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the sound transducer is configured to emit a sound signal upon excitation by an electrical signal.

15 . The sound transducer according to claim 1 , wherein the sound transducer is configured to provide an electrical signal as a function of a sound signal,

starting from a sound signal incident on the deflectable bending transducer element.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)