IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,538,293
Granted Patent B2
US 9,538,293 · App. 14/448,942 · Granted Jan 3, 2017

Apparatus having varying geometry

Inventor: Benny Danovi (Ventura, CA)
Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
H04R9/043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,538,293
App. No.
14/448,942
Granted
Jan 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments for a speaker spider of a loudspeaker are provided. The speaker spider may include a central opening and a plurality of concentric corrugations. Dimensions of the speaker spider may substantially homogenize stress on the speaker spiders during operation of the loud speaker. Dimensions of such a speaker spider that substantially homogenizes stress on the speaker spider during operation may involve one or more of (i) corrugations having azimuthally varying depths, (ii) corrugations having azimuthally varying crest and/or trough curvature radii, and (iii) corrugations having angularly varying distances from the central opening of the speaker spider, among other possibilities.

Claims (32)

1. A speaker assembly comprising:

a voice coil; and

a flexible speaker spider coupled to the voice coil to allow movement of the voice coil relative to a speaker frame while maintaining position of the voice coil relative to a magnetic assembly when the voice coil is driven, the speaker spider comprising:

a central opening; and

a cloth material that is more flexible along a first set of angular positions relative to the central opening than along a second set of angular positions relative to the central opening, wherein the cloth material comprising a plurality of corrugations, and wherein a depth of each corrugation azimuthally varies based on an angular position relative to the central opening such that a minimal depth of each corrugation is at the first set of angular positions relative to the central opening, and a maximal depth of each corrugation is at the second set of angular positions relative to the central opening.

2. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the depth of each corrugation azimuthally varies between the minimum depth and the maximum depth, and wherein the maximum depth is greater than the minimum depth by a factor within a range of 1.1 to 1.5.

3. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the depth of each corrugation azimuthally varies linearly between the minimum depth and the maximum depth at a period of n/2 radians about the central opening.

4. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the depth of each corrugation azimuthally varies sinusoidally between the minimum depth and the maximum depth at a period of n/2radians about the central opening.

5. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cloth material comprises two sets of fabric interwoven at right angles, and wherein the depth of each corrugation is at the minimum depth where an angle between the azimuthal position of each corrugation relative to the central opening and a direction of one of the sets of fabric is 90 degrees.

6. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cloth material comprises two sets of fabric interwoven at right angles, and wherein the depth of each corrugation is at the maximum where an angle between the azimuthal position of each corrugation relative to the central opening and a direction of one of the sets of fabric is 45 degrees.

7. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cloth material comprises one or more of cotton, poly cotton, and nomex.

8. The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the azimuthally varying depth of each corrugation substantially homogenizes a stress on the cloth material when a driving force is applied to the speaker spider.

9. A speaker assembly comprising:

a voice coil; and

a flexible speaker spider coupled to the voice coil to allow movement of the voice coil relative to a speaker frame while maintaining position of the voice coil relative to a magnetic assembly when the voice coil is driven, the speaker spider comprising:

a central opening; and

a cloth material that is more flexible along a first set of angular positions relative to the central opening than along a second set of angular positions relative to the central opening, wherein the cloth material comprising a plurality of corrugations, and wherein a crest curvature radius of the corrugation azimuthally varies based on an angular position relative to the central opening such that a minimal crest curvature radius of each corrugation is at the first set of angular positions relative to the central opening, and a maximal crest curvature radius of each corrugation is at the second set of angular positions relative to the central opening.

10. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the crest curvature radius of each corrugation azimuthally varies between the minimum crest curvature and the maximum crest curvature, and wherein the maximum crest curvature radius is greater than the minimum crest curvature radius by a factor within a range of 1.1 to 1.5.

11. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the crest curvature radius of each corrugation azimuthally varies linearly between the minimum crest curvature radius and the maximum crest curvature radius at a period of n/2 radians about the central opening.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the crest curvature radius of the corrugation azimuthally varies sinusoidally between the minimum crest curvature radius and the maximum crest curvature radius at a period of n/2 radians about the central opening.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cloth material comprises two sets of fabric interwoven at right angles, and wherein the crest curvature radius of each corrugation is at the minimum crest curvature radius where an angle between the azimuthal position of each corrugation relative to the central opening and a direction of one of the sets of fabric is 90 degrees.

14. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cloth material comprises two sets of fabric interwoven at right angles, and wherein the crest curvature radius of each corrugation is at the maximum depth where an angle between the azimuthal position of the corrugation relative to the central opening and a direction of one of the sets of fabric is 45 degrees.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cloth material comprises one or more of cotton, poly cotton, and nomex.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 9 , wherein the azimuthally varying crest curvature of each corrugation substantially homogenizes a stress on the cloth material when a driving force is applied to the speaker spider.

17. A speaker assembly comprising:

a voice coil; and

a flexible speaker spider coupled to the voice coil to allow movement of the voice coil relative to a speaker frame while maintaining position of the voice coil relative to a magnetic assembly when the voice coil is driven, the speaker spider comprising:

a central opening; and

a cloth material that is more flexible along a first set of angular positions relative to the central opening than along a second set of angular positions relative to the central opening, wherein the cloth material comprising a plurality of corrugations, and wherein a distance of the corrugation from the central opening varies based on an angular position relative to the central opening such that a minimal distance of each corrugation from the central opening is at the first set of angular positions relative to the central opening, and a maximal distance of each corrugation from the central opening is at the second set of angular positions relative to the central opening.

18. The speaker assembly of claim 17 , wherein the distance of each corrugation from the central opening varies between the minimum distance and the maximum distance, and wherein the maximum distance is greater than the minimum distance by a factor within a range of 1.1 to 1.5.

19. The speaker assembly of claim 17 , wherein the distance of each corrugation from the central opening varies between the minimum distance and the maximum distance at a period of n/2 radians about the central opening.

20. The speaker assembly of claim 17 , wherein the cloth material comprises two sets of fabric interwoven at right angles, and wherein the distance of each corrugation from the central opening is at the maximum where an angle between the angular position of the corrugation relative to the central opening and a direction of one of the sets of fabric is 45 degrees.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 058213/0597 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 15, 2021
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058123/0206 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2018
From: SONOS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 046991/0433 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2018
From: GORDON BROTHERS FINANCE COMPANY
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 046625/0882 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2016
From: SONOS, INC.
To: GORDON BROTHERS FINANCE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 038329/0253 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2014
From: DANOVI, BENNY
To: SONOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 033480/0796 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160037264A1 · Feb 4, 2016