Multilayer plate actuator with planar magnet and voice coil

Abstract

The invention relates to a multilayer plate actuator with planar magnets and voice coils. An actuator assembly includes a multi-layer plate including a first side and a second side defining an actuation region, the actuation region having a reduced thickness relative to a remainder of the multi-layer plate; a planar voice coil formed by traces on at least one of the first side or the second side defining the actuation region; and an array of polarized magnets having a magnetic field aligned with the planar voice coil to actuate the actuation region when a voltage is applied to the planar voice coil.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application generally relates to an actuator that uses traces in an existing multilayer board (MLB) and surface mounted magnets to actuate the MLB, and more particularly to a planar magnet loudspeaker actuator that uses traces in an existing MLB and surface mounted magnets to actuate. Other aspects are also described and claimed. Background Art

[0002] In modern consumer electronics, with the continuous improvement of digital audio signal processing and audio content delivery, audio capabilities and tactile output are playing an increasingly important role. In this regard, a wide range of consumer electronic devices can benefit from the improvement of acoustic output. For example, smart phones include electroacoustic transducers that can benefit from performance improvements, such as speaker speakers, earphone receivers and other actuators. However, smart phones do not have sufficient space to accommodate larger acoustic output devices. This is true for some portable personal computers such as laptops, notebook computers and tablet computers, and to a lesser extent, for desktop personal computers with built-in transducers. Many of these devices use devices commonly referred to as micro speakers, micro actuators or micro motor systems. Micro speakers and / or actuators are miniaturized versions of transducers that use moving coil motors to drive sound or other acoustic outputs. Moving coil motors can include diaphragms, voice coils and magnet assemblies positioned in a frame. Electronic signals (such as audio signals) are input to the moving coil motor so that the diaphragm vibrates and outputs sound. The electrical connection to the voice coil (or any other associated moving parts) for transmitting electrical signals is typically made by wires extending from the voice coil to other stationary parts. As the diaphragm vibrates, the wires may flex, which in turn may lead to wire breakage and reliability issues in the field without careful design and / or additional mitigation measures to reduce fatigue. Summary of the invention

[0003] In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to an electrodynamic speaker or actuator that utilizes traces in an existing printed circuit board (PCB) of a multi-layer board (MLB) to form a planar spiral voice coil immersed in a magnetic field generated by a single axially polarized magnet adhered to the MLB to allow relative motion. If current is applied to the coil, the Lorentz force actuates the MLB, which in turn radiates sound. In yet other aspects, traces on several PCB layers in the MLB can be used to form more voice coil length and therefore more force. In other aspects, the axial magnet can be replaced by a Halbach (e.g., a permanent magnet arrangement that enhances the magnetic field on one side of the array while canceling the field to near zero on the other side) or a similar magnet array to form a more focused radial field on the coil. The MLB can be locally thinned or drilled to reduce mass and / or the flexible circuit board "flex" can be similarly reused. The magnet can be adaptively mounted to the MLB or a fixed surface (such as a wall of a housing in which the MLB is integrated) using a soft adhesive or rubber to allow relative movement. In yet another aspect, a local MLB bending mode can be identified and utilized to enhance output. For example, a local bending mode of the MLB can be identified, and a coil can be formed at this local mode location so that the application of a voltage excites this MLB mode so that the MLB forms an acoustic radiation surface with enhanced output. Additionally or alternatively, the coil can be formed in a flexible circuit board that is excited and used as an acoustic radiation surface. In yet another aspect, the MLB may be located in a housing having a button or other feature that can be actuated by excitation of the MLB.

[0004] More specifically, one aspect relates to an actuator assembly, the actuator assembly comprising: a multilayer board including a first side and a second side defining an actuation zone, the actuation zone having a reduced thickness relative to the rest of the multilayer board; a planar voice coil formed by traces on at least one of the first side or the second side defining the actuation zone; and a polarized magnet array having a magnetic field aligned with the planar voice coil to actuate the actuation zone when a voltage is applied to the planar voice coil. In some aspects, the actuation zone includes a local bending mode having a bending mode different from that of the rest of the multilayer board. In yet another aspect, the reduced thickness at the actuation zone is between one-half and one-third of the thickness of the rest of the multilayer board. In some aspects, the planar voice coil includes a first planar voice coil formed by traces on the first side and a second planar voice coil formed by traces on the second side. In some aspects, a third planar voice coil is formed by traces on a layer of the multilayer board between the first side and the second side. In other aspects, the planar voice coil is a spiral voice coil confined to an actuation zone. The polarized magnet array can be axially polarized and include a center magnet surrounded by a number of side magnets. The polarized magnet array can include a permanent magnet arrangement having a spatially rotating magnetization pattern. In some aspects, the polarized magnet array can be coupled to a first side or a second side of a multilayer board. Still further, the polarized magnet array can be coupled to a fixed structure arranged along a first side of the multilayer board, and the second side faces a recessed area formed in the multilayer board by the remainder of the multilayer board. In some aspects, the multilayer board can include a flexible circuit board.

[0005] Another aspect relates to an electronic device, the electronic device comprising: a device housing; a multilayer printed circuit board coupled to the device housing, the multilayer printed circuit board comprising a number of material layers and an actuation region formed in a manner less than all of the number of material layers; a planar voice coil formed in an actuation region by conductive traces of at least one of the number of material layers; a magnet array having a magnetic field aligned with the planar voice coil to actuate the actuation region when a voltage is applied to the planar voice coil; and a circuit coupled to the planar voice coil to apply a voltage to the planar voice coil. In some aspects, the actuation region has a local bending mode, the local bending mode having a bending mode different from that of the rest of the multilayer printed circuit board. The multilayer printed circuit board may include alternating conductive layers and non-conductive layers, and the actuation region is formed in a manner less than all of the non-conductive layers. In some aspects, the planar voice coil comprises a first planar voice coil formed by a first conductive trace on a first side of at least one material layer and a second planar voice coil formed by a second conductive trace on a second side of at least one material layer. In addition, a third planar voice coil can be formed by a third conductive trace on another material layer coupled to at least one material layer. In some aspects, the planar voice coil includes a spiral voice coil confined to an actuation area. In some aspects, the magnet array is axially polarized and includes a center magnet surrounded by a certain number of side magnets. In other aspects, the magnet array includes a permanent magnet arrangement having a spatially rotating magnetization pattern. In some aspects, the magnet array is coupled to a multilayer printed circuit board or a device housing. In yet another aspect, the magnet array includes a first magnet coupled to a first side of at least one material layer and a second magnet coupled to a second side of at least one material layer.

[0006] The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present disclosure. It is contemplated that the present invention includes all systems and methods that can be implemented by all suitable combinations of the various aspects summarized above and disclosed in the detailed description below and specifically pointed out in the claims filed with this patent application. Such combinations have specific advantages not specifically recited in the above summary. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Several aspects are shown by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that reference to "one" or "an" aspect in the present disclosure is not necessarily the same aspect, and it means at least one.

[0008] Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of one aspect of a transducer assembly is shown.

[0009] Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 or Figure 2 A top plan view of the voice coil of a transducer assembly.

[0011] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 or Figure 2 A top plan view of a magnet assembly of a transducer assembly.

[0012] Figure 5 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown.

[0013] Figure 6 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown.

[0014] Figure 7 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown.

[0015] Figure 8 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown.

[0016] Fig. 9 A block diagram illustrating some of the components of an aspect of an electronic device that may implement one or more aspects. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In this section, we will explain several preferred aspects of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever the shapes, relative positions, and other aspects of the described components are not clearly defined, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the components shown, which are only used for illustrative purposes. In addition, although many details are set forth, it should be understood that some aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and technologies are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description.

[0018] The terms used herein are only for describing specific aspects and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Spatial related terms such as "under ... ", "under ... ", "lower part", "above ... ", "upper part" can be used in this article for the convenience of description to describe the relationship between an element or feature and another element or feature, as shown in the figure. It should be understood that the spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations during the use or operation of the equipment except for the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, if the equipment in the figure is turned over, the elements described as "under" or "under" other elements or features will be oriented to "above" other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "under ... " can cover these two orientations above ... and below .... Equipment can be oriented in other ways (for example, rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially related descriptors used in this article are interpreted accordingly.

[0019] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0020] The terms "or" and "and / or" as used herein should be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Thus, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C." An exception to this definition will only occur if a combination of elements, functions, steps or actions are inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of one aspect of a transducer assembly is shown. The transducer assembly 100 can be, for example, an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical signal into an auditory or tactile signal that can be output from a device in which the transducer assembly 100 is integrated. For example, the transducer assembly 100 can be a micro-speaker, such as an electric speaker found in a smart phone, a laptop, a notebook, a tablet computer, a portable timer, or a controller for remotely controlling another electronic device (e.g., a television). The transducer assembly 100 can be enclosed in a housing or shell of a device in which the transducer assembly is integrated, or enclosed in a module integrated into a housing or shell of the device. In some aspects, the transducer assembly 100 can be viewed as a micro-speaker, micro-transducer, or micro-actuator having a thickness of about 4 mm or less.

[0022] The transducer assembly 100 may include a frame, housing, or shell 102 that encloses all of the components of the transducer assembly 100. In some aspects, the shell 102 may enclose only the transducer components (e.g., a transducer module) or may enclose all device components (e.g., a remote control housing). In some cases, the shell 102 may include a top shell portion 102A and a bottom shell portion 102B, between which a cavity is formed for holding the transducer components. The top shell portion 102A and the bottom shell portion 102B may be considered fixed structures that may be snap-fit, welded, adhered, or attached together along their interfacing surfaces using some other mechanism or process.

[0023] The transducer assembly 100 may also include an MLB 104 mounted within the housing 102. Representatively, the MLB 104 may be mounted to an interior surface or interior side of the bottom housing portion 102B, as shown. However, it is contemplated that in other aspects, the MLB 104 may be mounted to the top housing portion 102A or some other portion of the housing 102. The MLB 104 may be formed by a stack of alternating non-conductive layers (e.g., fiber reinforced plastic layers) 104-1 to 104-6 and conductive layers (e.g., copper layers) 105 that may be interconnected to route electrical signals to / from electronic components coupled to the MLB 104. Representatively, the MLB 104 may be a multi-layer printed circuit board comprised of two or more PCB layers that together form a multi-layer circuit for driving electronic components when a voltage is applied by the circuit 120. In some aspects, the layers 104-1 to 104-6 may be relatively rigid layers. In other aspects, one or more of the layers 104 - 1 through 104 - 6 can be relatively flexible, for example, one or more of the layers 104 - 1 through 104 - 6 can be a flexible circuit or “flex” board.

[0024] The MLB 104 can be further configured so that portions of the MLB 104 itself can be excited or actuated to generate sound and / or tactile output, as previously discussed. Using the existing MLB 104 for sound or tactile output can eliminate the need for separate or additional acoustic devices that occupy space within the housing 102. Representatively, in some aspects, in addition to the speakers and / or microphones typically used for sound output / input within an electronic device, it may be necessary to have additional sound or tactile output devices in the system for other purposes, such as for finding a device. The MLB 104 already within the device can be reconfigured for this secondary purpose or function without using up any additional housing volume. In this regard, the MLB traces used to form the conductive layer 105 or within the conductive layer can be rewired or arranged into one or more planar coils 112, 114 within the region 122 of the MLB 104. For example, the planar coils 112, 114 can be formed within or from traces within the conductive layer 105 along the top side 104A and the bottom side 104B of the non-conductive layer 104-1. In this regard, the coils 112, 114 can be understood to be formed from two of the six power trace layers that make up the conductive layer 105. However, it should be understood that in some aspects, additional coils can be formed from traces of additional conductive layers 105, such as will be referenced to FIG. Figure 6 In some aspects, the traces within layer 105 can be rerouted or arranged to form planar spiral coils 112, 114 along sides 104A, 104B of layer 104-1, as will be described with reference to Figure 3 Describe in more detail.

[0025] In addition, coils 112, 114 can be formed in a zone 122 of the MLB 104, which has a desired local bending mode that is found to improve efficiency. For example, the MLB 104 may have certain zones (e.g., softer areas) that are more efficiently actuated and / or more easily excited than other zones. Therefore, when coils are formed in these zones, the MLB 104 can be more efficiently actuated and vibrate along arrow 116 and have improved sound or tactile output. Representatively, zone 122 can be regarded as an excitable or actuated zone that is found to have a local bending mode different from the local bending mode of other zones, such as a local bending mode of about 1.5kHz to 2.5kHz (e.g., 2kHz to 2.5kHz) or about 2.1kHz. The coils 112, 114 formed in this zone 122 can actuate or excite the MLB 104 more efficiently. Since the coils 112, 114 are formed in a zone 122 that is found to have a specific local bending mode that is easily excited, this local MLB mode can be used to improve efficiency and enhance sound output.

[0026] Additionally, in yet another aspect, the thickness (T1) of zone 122 may be reduced relative to the thickness (T2) of the remainder of MLB 104, so that MLB 104 can be driven more efficiently to produce sound. For example, zone 122 may have a thickness (T1) that is less than the thickness (T2) of the remainder of MLB 104. In some aspects, the thickness (T1) of zone 122 may be one-third of the thickness (T2) of the remainder of MLB 104. In other aspects, the thickness (T1) of zone 122 may be any amount less than the thickness (T2) of the remainder of MLB 104, such as from one-sixth, one-quarter, one-half to three-quarters of the thickness of (T2). For example, in some aspects, MLB 104 may have a total thickness (T1) of about 500 microns to 600 microns (e.g., about 550 microns), and zone 122 may have a thickness (T2) of about 150 microns to 250 microns (e.g., about 180 microns). To accomplish this, in some aspects, portions of one or more of layers 104-2 through 104-6 and 105 within region 122 below layer 104-1 can be removed. For example, in some aspects, region 122 can be formed by only layer 104-1 and layer 105 above and below layer 104-1, and portions of each of layers 104-2 through 104-6 and 105 below region 122 of layer 104-1 can be cut away, drilled, or otherwise removed. In this regard, a recess, channel, or recessed region 118 is formed below region 122 formed by layer 104-1. For example, recessed region 118 can be formed by edges of bottom side 104B of layer 104-1 (and / or layer 105 along bottom side 104B) and the remainder of layers 104-2 through 104-6. Thus, this thinned region 122 formed by layer 104 - 1 (and adjacent layer 105 ) can be more easily actuated or excited to produce sound than the surrounding MLB 104 composed of each of layers 104 - 1 through 104 - 6 and 105 .

[0027] Component 100 also includes a magnet assembly 106, which is installed in the housing and generates a magnetic field aligned with coils 112, 114. Representatively, magnet assembly 106 may include a certain number of magnets 106A, 106B, 106C arranged above coils 112, 114, as shown. For example, magnets 106A, 106B, 106C may be installed or otherwise attached to the inner surface of top housing portion 102A. In some aspects, magnets 106A to 106C may be considered to be all in the same plane or have a relative plane or coplanar arrangement. For example, magnet assembly 106 may have a total thickness of, for example, about 1 mm to 2 mm or about 1.3 mm to 1.5 mm. In some aspects, magnets 106A to 106C may be adaptively mounted to top housing portion 102A using a soft adhesive or a rubber-like mounting mechanism. The magnets 106A-106C can be mounted so that there is a gap or space between the magnets 106A-106C and the coils 112, 114. In some aspects, the gap between the magnets 106A-106C and the coils 112, 114 can be up to one millimeter, such as 0.75 millimeters or about 0.5 millimeters. The magnets 106A, 106B, 106C can be arranged relative to each other and the coils 112, 114 so that the magnets produce a magnetic field having magnetic flux lines 108, 110 that travel through the coils 112, 114. For example, the magnets 106A-106C can include a center magnet 106A aligned with the center of the coils 112, 114. The magnets 106B, 106C can be side magnets arranged around the sides of the center magnet 106A (or radially outward relative to the sides) and radially outward to the coils 112, 114. One or more of the magnets 106A-106C may be axially polarized and form magnetic flux lines 108, 110 that pass between the magnets and through the coils 112, 114, as shown. In this regard, when the circuit 120 applies current or voltage to the coils 112, 114, the Lorentz force actuates or excites the coils 112, 114, causing the MLB 104 to move (or vibrate) in the direction of arrow 116 and radiate sound.

[0028] Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown. The transducer assembly 200 may be similar to the previously described Figure 1The assembly 100 discussed above and includes the same components as that assembly. Representatively, the transducer assembly 200 may include an MLB 104 having coils 112, 114 formed therein and a magnet assembly 106 mounted within the housing 102. However, in the assembly 200, the magnet assembly 106 may be mounted or attached to the MLB 104. For example, the magnet assembly 106 may be adaptively mounted to the top side 104A of the MLB layer 104-1 by a soft adhesive, rubber, or other attachment mechanism 202. The attachment mechanism 202 may be any type of attachment mechanism that provides a certain gap and allows relative movement between the magnet assembly 106 and the MLB 104. In some aspects, the center magnet 106A is attached to the side magnets 106B and 106C such that only one or two of the side magnets 106B-106C (or the center magnet 106A) are attached to the top side 104A of the MLB layer 104-1 via the attachment mechanism 202. In other aspects, each of the magnets 106A-106C is individually attached to the top side 104A of the MLB layer 104A-1. Similar to the assemblies previously discussed, one or more of the magnets 106A-106C can be axially polarized and form magnetic flux lines 108, 110 that pass between the magnets and through the coils 112, 114, as shown. In this regard, when the circuit 120 applies current or voltage to the coils 112 , 114 , the Lorentz force actuates or excites the coils 112 , 114 , causing the MLB 104 to move (or vibrate) in the direction of arrow 116 and radiate sound.

[0029] Reference now Figure 3 , Figure 3 Shows Figure 1 or Figure 2 1 is a top plan view of a voice coil of a transducer assembly of FIG. 104. Representatively, the top layer 104-1 of the MLB 104 is shown as having a coil 112 formed in the top layer by traces through the conductive layer 105. The coil 112 may be similar to the voice coil 112 previously described with reference to FIG. Figure 1 to Figure 2 The coil 112 discussed is the same, Figure 1 to Figure 2 Can be along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of line A-A'. Figure 3As can be more clearly seen in , coil 112 can be formed from a single trace arranged in a spiral pattern that begins at a center zone and extends radially outward along top layer 104-1. In some aspects, spiral coil 112 can have a relatively square shape as shown, however, other shapes and sizes are contemplated. For example, spiral coil 112 can be arranged in a spiral that is circular, elliptical, triangular, or any other shape. Additionally, spiral coil 112 should be further understood to have any number of turns (or corners) required for maximum excursion and can be limited only by the size of zone 122 and / or MLB 104. For example, spiral coil 112 can be confined to the area of ​​local bending mode zone 122 and have any number of turns (or corners) suitable for fitting within zone 122. In other aspects, such as Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , spiral coil 112 can have up to 14 or more turns (or corners), such as up to 20 turns, up to 30 turns, or more. Additionally, in some aspects, the area occupied by spiral coil 112 can be up to about 10 mm×10 mm, up to about 20 mm×20 mm, up to about 30 mm×30 mm, or more and is limited only by the size of region 122 and / or MLB 104. Although not shown in this view, it is understood that coil 114 on bottom side 104B of layer 104-1 can have a similar size to that of coil 114 on bottom side 104B of layer 104-1. Figure 3 The coil 112 described above may have the same or different shapes and sizes.

[0030] Additionally, it can be seen from this view that the coil 112 is formed within a desired local bending mode region 122. As previously discussed, the region 122 of the MLB 104 can have a desired local bending mode that is found to be easily excited, which in turn improves efficiency when using the MLB 104 to radiate sound. For example, in some aspects, the MLB 104 can have a substantially rectangular shape as shown, and the region 122 can be closer to one end 302 than the other end 304 of the MLB 104. For example, the region 122 can be offset relative to the center of the MLB 104 or completely within one half of the MLB 104. Additionally, in some aspects, the region 122 can be aligned within or otherwise close to a cut-out region 306 within a side of the MLB 104. The cut-out region 306 can create a narrow region of the MLB 104, which can also improve efficiency due to the reduction in surface or mass that needs to be excited within the region. However, it should be understood that the location of a desired bending mode for optimal excitation (eg, a local bending mode of approximately 1.5 kHz to 2.5 kHz, such as a local bending mode of 2 kHz to 2.5 kHz or approximately 2.1 kHz) may be at other locations along the MLB 104 .

[0031] Reference now Figure 4 , Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 or Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a magnet assembly of a transducer assembly of FIG. 1. Representatively, an interior surface of the top portion 102A of the housing 102 is shown having a magnet assembly 106 mounted thereto. The magnet assembly 106 may be similar to the magnet assembly 106 previously described with reference to FIG. Figure 1 to Figure 2 The magnet assembly 106 discussed above is identical to the magnet assembly 106. Figure 1 to Figure 2 Can be Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the magnet assembly 106. Figure 4 As can be seen more clearly, the magnet assembly 106 can include a number of magnets 106A, 106B, 106C, 106D, 106E. Representatively, the magnet assembly 106 can include a center magnet 106A surrounded by a number of side magnets 106B-E. In some aspects, the center magnet 106A can have a square shape, and the side magnets 106B-E can be rectangular shaped magnets arranged around each side of the side of the center magnet 106A. The magnets 106A to 106E can be axially polarized magnets so that the magnetic flux lines 108 travel between the center magnet 106A and each of the side magnets 106B to 106E. The magnets 106A to 106E can be attached to the housing 102 separately or can be attached to each other so that the attachment of one of the magnets 106A to 106E to the housing 102 attaches the entire magnet assembly 106 to the housing 102. It should be further understood that, although polygonal shaped magnets 106A-106E are shown, magnets 106A-106E may have any shape and / or size suitable for generating a magnetic field having magnetic flux lines 108 across coil 112 (and coil 114), as previously discussed. Additionally, magnet assembly 106 need not be limited to Figure 4 The magnet arrangement shown in .

[0032] Representatively, Figure 5 A cross-sectional side view of an alternative magnet assembly configuration for a transducer assembly is shown. Representatively, the transducer assembly 500 may have the same configuration as previously described with reference to FIG. Figure 1 to Figure 2Components identical to the components discussed and operate in the same manner as the components. However, in this configuration, magnet assembly 506 is a Halbach magnet assembly including a plurality of magnets 506A, 506B, 506C, 506D, 506E and 506F arranged in an array as shown. Representatively, magnets 506A to 506F can be arranged side by side, which increases the magnetic field on one side of the array, while eliminating the field to near zero on the other side of the array. This is achieved by having a spatial rotation pattern of permanent magnets 506A to 506F (on the front, on the left, upward, right, downward) placed adjacent to each other with similar poles touching (poles touching). Similar to the magnet assembly discussed previously, magnet assembly 506 produces a magnetic field with magnetic flux lines 108, 110 passing through coils 112, 114. In this regard, when current or voltage is applied to coils 112, 114, the Lorentz force actuates or excites coils 112, 114, causing MLB 104 to move (or vibrate) in the direction of arrow 116 and radiate sound. It should be further understood that while six magnets 506A-506F are shown, any number of magnets may be used.

[0033] Representatively, Figure 6 to Figure 7 A cross-sectional side view of an alternative double-sided magnet assembly configuration for a transducer assembly is shown. Representatively, Figure 6 shows a similarity to that shown in the previous reference Figure 1 to Figure 2 1. The transducer assembly 600 of the present invention has components similar to those discussed above. However, in this configuration, the magnet assembly 606 is a double-sided magnet assembly including a plurality of magnets 606A, 606B, 606C, and 606D arranged on opposite sides of the MLB layer 104-1 of the MLB 104, as shown. Representatively, the magnets 606A to 606C can be individually attached to the top side of the MLB layer 104-1 by the attachment mechanism 202. On the other hand, the magnet 606D can be attached to the bottom side of the MLB layer 104-1 by the attachment mechanism 202. Representatively, the magnet 606D can be positioned in a recess or depression 118 below the actuation area 122. This configuration forms a push-pull / isokinetic assembly that can generate more magnetic flux for the same amount of magnetic material. Additionally, the magnetic field may be more linear and / or consistent within the thickness of the MLB 104, such that the movement of the MLB 104 will be more linear and less distorted. In this regard, when current or voltage is applied to the coils 112, 114, the Lorentz forces actuate or excite the coils 112, 114, causing push / pull movement and / or vibration of the MLB 104 that produces an acoustic output.

[0034] Reference now Figure 7 , Figure 7 shows a similarity to that shown in the previous reference Figure 1 to Figure 2 1. The transducer assembly 700 of the present invention may be configured to have components similar to those discussed above. However, in this configuration, the magnet assembly 706 is a double-sided magnet assembly including a plurality of magnets 606A, 606B, 606C, 606D, 606E, and 606F arranged on opposite sides of the MLB layer 104-1 of the MLB 104, as shown. Representatively, the magnets 606A to 606D may be individually attached to the top side of the MLB layer 104-1 via the attachment mechanism 202. On the other hand, the magnets 606E to 606F may be attached to the bottom side of the MLB layer 104-1 via the attachment mechanism 202. Representatively, the magnets 606E to 606F may be positioned within a recess or depression 118 below the actuation region 122. This configuration forms a push-pull / isokinetic assembly that can generate more magnetic flux and less distortion for the same amount of magnetic material to vibrate the MLB 104, as previously discussed. Additionally, it should be understood that while magnets 606A-606F are shown as being attached to one of the MLB layers (e.g., layer 104-1), one or more of magnets 606A-606F may also be attached to a portion of the housing 102, such as Figure 1 Additionally, although one or more of the magnets 606A-606F are shown as being positioned within the pocket 118, the one or more magnets may overlap the pocket and / or be mounted on another portion of the MLB 104.

[0035] Figure 8 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is shown. Representatively, the transducer assembly 800 may have the same Figure 1 to Figure 2 The components discussed are identical to those described above and operate in the same manner as those described above. However, for ease of understanding, Figure 81 and the remaining previously discussed components are omitted. The MLB 104 is shown as including a stack of alternating non-conductive layers 104-1 to 104-6 and conductive layers 105. Coils 112, 114 are formed using traces formed by the conductive layers 105 along the top and bottom sides 104A to 104B of the non-conductive layer 104-1. From this view, it can be further understood that additional coils 812, 814 can be formed in additional conductive layers 105. Representatively, traces within the conductive layer 105 between the non-conductive layer 104-2 and the non-conductive layer 104-3 can be rerouted to form the coil 812, and traces within the conductive layer 105 between the non-conductive layer 104-2 and the non-conductive layer 104-3 can be rerouted to form the coil 814. In this regard, it can be understood that traces within several MLB layers can be used to form more voice coil lengths and therefore promote improved output. It should be further understood that although four coils 112, 114, 812, 814 are shown, any number of coils may be formed depending on the desired force and output. Additionally, because the coils 112, 114, 812, 814 are formed within the conductive layer 105 along the non-conductive layers 104-1 to 104-3, the non-conductive layers 104-1 to 104-3 remain within the local bending mode region 122. In this regard, only the layers 104-4 to 104-6 are cut away or drilled to form the channel, pocket, or recessed region 118 below the actuation region 122. Thus, the region 122 excited or actuated using the coils 112, 114, 812, 614 may also be understood to be thicker than the previously discussed regions (e.g., the region 122 has a thickness of 1.1 mm or less). Figure 1 to Figure 2 However, region 122 may still have a thickness that is less than the total thickness (T2) of MLB 104.

[0036] Fig. 9 A block diagram of some of the components of an aspect of an electronic device that may implement one or more aspects is shown. Device 900 may be any of a number of different types of consumer electronic devices. For example, device 900 may be any device equipped with a transducer, such as a cellular phone, a smart phone, a media player, a tablet-type portable computer, a controller, or any other device that may benefit from sound output.

[0037] In this regard, the electronic device 900 includes a processor 912 that interacts with the camera circuit 906, the motion sensor 904, the storage device 908, the memory 914, the display 922, and the user input interface 924. The main processor 912 may also interact with the communication circuit 902, the main power supply 910, the actuator 904, the speaker 918, and the microphone 920. The speaker 918 and / or the actuator 908 may be a reference device such as a Figures 1 to 8The various components of the electronic device 900 may be digitally interconnected and used or managed by a software stack executed by the processor 912. Many of the components shown or described herein may be implemented as one or more dedicated hardware units and / or programmed processors (software executed by a processor, such as the processor 912).

[0038] The processor 912 controls the overall operation of the device 900 by executing some or all of the operations of one or more application programs or operating system programs implemented on the device 900, by executing instructions (software code and data) that may be found in the storage device 908. The processor 912 may, for example, drive the display 922 and receive user input through the user input interface 924 (which may be integrated with the display 922 as part of a single touch-sensitive display panel). In addition, the processor 912 may send audio signals to the speaker 918 and / or the actuator 904 to facilitate the operation of the speaker 918 and / or the actuator 904.

[0039] Storage 908 provides relatively large amounts of "permanent" data storage using non-volatile solid-state memory (e.g., flash memory storage) and / or dynamic non-volatile storage devices (e.g., spinning disk drives). Storage 908 may include both local storage space and storage space on remote servers. Storage 908 may store data as well as software components that control and manage different functions of device 900 at a higher level.

[0040] In addition to storage device 908, there may also be memory 914, also referred to as main memory or program memory, which provides relatively fast access to stored code and data being executed by processor 912. Memory 914 may include solid-state random access memory (RAM), such as static RAM or dynamic RAM. There may be one or more processors, such as processor 912, which run or execute various software programs, modules, or instruction sets (e.g., applications) that, while permanently stored in storage device 908, have been transferred to memory 914 for execution to perform the various functions described above.

[0041] Device 900 may include communication circuitry 902. Communication circuitry 902 may include components for wired or wireless communications such as two-way conversations and data transmission. For example, communication circuitry 902 may include RF communication circuitry coupled to an antenna so that a user of device 900 can make or receive calls over a wireless communication network. The RF communication circuitry may include an RF transceiver and a cellular baseband processor to enable calls over a cellular network. For example, communication circuitry 902 may include Wi-Fi communication circuitry so that a user of device 900 can make or initiate calls using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection to transmit data over a wireless local area network.

[0042] The device may include a microphone 920. The microphone 920 may be an acoustic-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound in the air into an electrical signal. The microphone circuit may be electrically connected to the processor 912 and the power supply 910 to facilitate microphone operation (eg, tilting).

[0043] The device 900 may include a motion sensor 904, also referred to as an inertial sensor, that can be used to detect movement of the device 900. The motion sensor 904 may include a position, orientation, or movement (POM) sensor, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a light sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, an acoustic sensor, a sound wave or sonar sensor, a radar sensor, an image sensor, a video sensor, a global positioning (GPS) detector, an RF or acoustic Doppler detector, a compass, a magnetometer, or other similar sensors. For example, the motion sensor 904 may be a light sensor that detects movement or the absence of movement of the device 900 by detecting ambient light intensity or a sudden change in ambient light intensity. The motion sensor 904 generates a signal based on at least one of the position, orientation, and movement of the device 900. The signal may include a feature of the motion, such as acceleration, speed, direction, change of direction, duration, amplitude, frequency, or any other motion characterization. The processor 912 receives the sensor signal and controls one or more operations of the device 900 based in part on the sensor signal.

[0044] The device 900 also includes camera circuitry 906 that implements the digital camera functionality of the device 900. One or more solid-state image sensors are built into the device 900, and each solid-state image sensor may be located at a focal plane of an optical system including a corresponding lens. An optical image of a scene within the camera's field of view is formed on the image sensor, and the sensor responds by capturing the scene in the form of a digital image or picture composed of pixels, which may then be stored in a storage device 908. The camera circuitry 906 may also be used to capture video images of a scene.

[0045] The device 900 also includes a main power source 910 such as a built-in battery as a main power source.

[0046] Although certain aspects have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that such aspects are merely illustrative of the broad disclosure and not limiting, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific structures and arrangements shown and described, as a person of ordinary skill in the art may conceive of various other modifications. For example, in some aspects, the transducer assembly disclosed herein can be coupled to a button or other input device associated with the housing or otherwise positioned near the button or other input device. In this regard, actuation or excitation of the MLB transmits a tactile or sound output to a button that can, for example, provide an alarm or other output to the user. Therefore, the description is to be regarded as exemplary and not limiting. In addition, in order to assist the patent office and any reader of any patent issued by this application to interpret the attached claims, the applicant wishes to point out that unless "device for..." or "step for..." is explicitly used in a particular claim, the applicant does not intend to cite 35 U.S.C. 112 (f) in any attached claim or claim element.

Claims

1. An actuator assembly, comprising: a multilayer sheet including a first side and a second side defining an actuation region, the actuation region having a reduced thickness relative to a remainder of the multilayer sheet; a planar voice coil formed from traces on at least one of the first side or the second side defining the actuation region; and A polarized magnet array having a magnetic field aligned with the planar voice coil to actuate the actuation region when a voltage is applied to the planar voice coil. 2 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the actuation region includes a local bending mode having a different bending mode than a remainder of the multilayer plate.

3. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the reduced thickness at the actuation region is between one-half and one-third of the thickness of the remainder of the multilayer board. 4 . The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the planar voice coil comprises a first planar voice coil formed by traces on the first side and a second planar voice coil formed by traces on the second side. 5 . The actuator assembly of claim 4 , wherein a third planar voice coil is formed by traces on a layer of the multilayer board between the first side and the second side.

6. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the planar voice coil comprises a spiral voice coil confined to the actuation region.

7. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarized magnet array is axially polarized and includes a center magnet surrounded by a plurality of side magnets.

8. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarized magnet array comprises an arrangement of permanent magnets having a spatially rotating magnetization pattern.

9. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarized magnet array is coupled to the first side or the second side of the multilayer plate.

10. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the polarized magnet array is coupled to a fixed structure disposed along the first side of the multilayer board, and the second side faces a recessed area formed in the multilayer board by the remainder of the multilayer board.

11. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the multilayer board comprises a flexible circuit board.

12. An electronic device comprising: Equipment housing; a multi-layer printed circuit board coupled to the device housing, the multi-layer printed circuit board comprising a plurality of material layers and an actuation region formed by less than all of the plurality of material layers; a planar voice coil formed in the actuation region by conductive traces of at least one of the plurality of material layers; a magnet array having a magnetic field aligned with the planar voice coil to actuate the actuation region when a voltage is applied to the planar voice coil; and A circuit is coupled to the planar voice coil to apply the voltage to the planar voice coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the actuation region includes a localized bending mode having a different bending mode than a remainder of the multilayer printed circuit board.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the multilayer printed circuit board comprises alternating conductive and non-conductive layers, and the actuation region is formed from less than all of the non-conductive layers.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the planar voice coil comprises a first planar voice coil formed by a first conductive trace on a first side of the at least one material layer and a second planar voice coil formed by a second conductive trace on a second side of the at least one material layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a third planar voice coil is formed by a third conductive trace coupled to another material layer of the at least one material layer.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the planar voice coil comprises a spiral voice coil confined to the actuation region.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the magnet array is axially polarized and comprises a center magnet surrounded by a plurality of side magnets.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the magnet array comprises an arrangement of permanent magnets having a spatially rotating magnetization pattern.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the magnet array comprises a first magnet coupled to a first side of the at least one material layer and a second magnet coupled to a second side of the at least one material layer.

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