Speaker driver
View Patent ↗A speaker driver with a high degree of symmetry for use in a loudspeaker is disclosed. The disclosed motor assembly may be symmetrical about its long and radial axes. A voice coil disclosed may be supported by opposing upper and lower suspension members on the voice coil upper and lower ends. The upper and lower voice coil suspension members disclosed may be adhered to a frame above and below the motor assembly, respectively in a mirror like fashion being symmetrical about their long and radial axes. An open voice coil frame disclosed may use elongate structural members having a shape similar to the letter “j” (j-beams) defining large interconnected air gaps to promote cooling of the voice coil.
1. A speaker driver comprising:
(a) a frame;
(b) a motor assembly disposed within said frame, said motor assembly having a first magnet system polarized along the radial axis of the speaker driver, the first magnet system comprising permanent magnetic material and non-ferromagnetic material and a second magnet system polarized along the radial axis of the speaker driver, the second magnet system comprising permanent magnetic material and non-ferromagnetic material, the first and second magnet systems being concentrically arranged to form a magnetic gap wherein the length of the first and second magnet systems are substantially equal to the length of the magnetic gap;
(c) a voice coil, said voice coil comprising a winding and a former, disposed moveably within a magnetic gap formed within said motor assembly;
(d) an upper suspension member adhered to said frame and said former above said motor assembly for supporting said voice coil and a cone;
(e) a lower suspension member adhered to said frame and said former below said motor assembly for supporting said voice coil and said cone; and wherein said cone is adhered to said upper suspension.
2. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein said winding is exposed excepting the length of said magnetic gap.
3. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein said upper suspension and said lower suspension are disposed substantially equidistant from said first and second magnetic systems along said long axis of said speaker driver and wherein said upper and lower suspension members have opposing mirrored shapes.
4. The speaker driver of claim 1 having a single voice coil which is not characterized as a split gap voice coil.
5. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein said motor assembly is magnetically symmetrical about a long axis and radial axis of said speaker driver.
6. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein the first and second magnet systems comprise a plurality of arc magnets having shoulder portions magnetically joined forming a first and second annular ring.
7. The speaker driver of claim 6 wherein said shoulder portions have at least one protruding area and at least one recessed area mated for magnetically interlocking said plurality of arc magnets.
8. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein said frame comprises a plurality spaced apart j-beams disposed for providing air gaps between said j-beams substantially from an upper end of said frame to a lower end of said frame exterior to said voice coil and between said j-beams interior to said voice coil.
9. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein the frame is characterized by an open structure exposing said voice coil.
10. A speaker driver of claim 1 wherein said speaker driver is characterized by an open coil frame design having an absence of material proximate said voice coil such that over about 50% of a winding area of said voice-coil is exposed for cooling.
11. A speaker driver of claim 1 , said speaker driver having over from about 50% to about 95% of a winding area of said voice-coil is exposed.
12. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein the upper suspension member and the lower suspension member have opposing mirrored shapes disposed substantially equidistant from the first and second magnetic systems.
13. The speaker driver of claim 1 wherein said frame is characterized by an open structure configured to expose an inner surface of said voice coil and an outer surface of said voice coil used in operation within said magnetic gap of said speaker driver.