Rectangular small receiver for a listening device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a small receiver for a listening device, the small receiver comprising a rectangular housing, an audio output port arranged in the rectangular housing, and a hinged diaphragm arranged in the rectangular housing and separating a front volume portion and a rear volume portion in the rectangular housing, the hinged diaphragm comprising a hinge portion and a movable portion, at least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm being adapted to vibrate in response to a drive signal applied to a voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm, a hinged diaphragm, and a magnetic motor arranged in the rectangular housing, the magnetic motor being adapted to generate a static magnetic field in a gap in which at least a part of the voice coil is arranged. The present invention also relates to an audio assembly for a listening device comprising a nozzle having an audio channel in which the small receiver is at least partially arranged internally. The present invention further relates to a listening device comprising the small receiver or the audio assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rectangular small receiver for a hearing device. The rectangular small receiver includes a diaphragm with a hinge portion and a movable portion, and at least the movable portion of the diaphragm with a hinge vibrates in response to a driving signal applied to a voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm, and is thus adapted to generate sound waves.

Background Art

[0002] In the hearing aid industry, the shape and dimensions of the hearing aid components forming a hearing aid device are very important because these components need to fit into a hearing device such as a hearing device that is at least partially positioned in the ear canal of the user of the hearing device. An example of such a hearing device is an In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aid.

[0003] Regarding ITE, the shape and dimensions of the receiver are particularly important in that the receiver needs to fit into the nozzle of the hearing device. In the hearing aid industry, the term "receiver" is generally used to refer to a sound generating device, i.e., a speaker.

[0004] Furthermore, in the conventional design of small receivers, when the size of the diaphragm is small, it generally leads to a relatively large driving amplitude, which often causes problems in the rocking mode when combined. Since the amplitude of the tilt is proportional to the variation of the voice coil, and the gap of the voice coil is narrow for efficiency reasons, the voice coil collides with the magnet to a certain degree, causing excessive impact distortion due to friction. The friction of the voice coil along the wall of the gap (magnet) also rapidly destroys the coating of the voice coil wire, thus potentially causing the failure of the receiver. Therefore, due to the risk of the rocking mode, strict limitations are imposed on the usable output and lifespan of conventional small receivers.

[0005] Examples of prior art documents are US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 360350 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 051410. However, with respect to US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 360350, at least the planar coil appears to be arranged in a different way compared to the present invention, and with respect to US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 051410, the coil winding appears to be fixed to the hinge portion rather than the movable portion of the diaphragm.

[0006] An object of an embodiment of the present invention may be considered to provide a small receiver having an outer shape that fits into a nozzle of a listening device without degrading the acoustic performance of the receiver.

[0007] A further object of an embodiment of the present invention may be considered to provide a small receiver with a significantly reduced risk of rocking mode.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0009] The above object is achieved in a first aspect by providing a small receiver for a listening device, the small receiver comprising: 1) a rectangular housing; 2) an audio output port disposed in the rectangular housing; 3) a hinged diaphragm disposed in the rectangular housing and separating a front volume portion and a rear volume portion in the rectangular housing, the hinged diaphragm having a hinge portion and a movable portion, and at least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm being adapted to vibrate in response to a drive signal applied to a voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm; a hinged diaphragm; 4) A magnetic motor disposed within a rectangular housing, the magnetic motor being adapted to generate a static magnetic field within an air gap in which at least a portion of the voice coil is positioned, the magnetic motor and comprising.

[0010] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a small receiver for generating audible sound waves. Since the small receiver is adapted to be used in a listening device, the small receiver is very small. Typical dimensions (length × width × height) are from 6 to 9 mm in length, from 3 to 4 mm in width, and about 1.5 to 2.5 mm in height.

[0011] The small receiver of the present invention is a so-called moving coil receiver in which a voice coil is fixed to a movable portion of a hinged diaphragm. Since the voice coil is at least partially disposed within an air gap with a static magnetic field, at least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm vibrates in response to a drive signal applied to the voice coil, thus generating sound waves in the audible range.

[0012] In this context, the term "hinged diaphragm" should be understood as a diaphragm hinged to a frame structure, for example. For example, the hinged coupling of the diaphragm to the frame structure may be arranged in various ways, such as by applying one or more integral hinges, one or more separate independent hinges and / or one or more film-based hinges.

[0013] The hinged coupling of the diaphragm is advantageous in that it avoids or at least cancels out unwanted tilting of the diaphragm, which is a phenomenon widely known in conventional (hingeless) moving coil loudspeaker designs, i.e., the rocking mode of the hinge.

[0014] Furthermore, using a hinged diaphragm in combination with a movable coil driver is particularly advantageous when the diaphragm area is small and thus the deflection amplitude of the diaphragm is large. In such cases, the presence of the hinge prevents the occurrence of rocking modes at high frequencies. Furthermore, the presence of the hinge guides the voice coil within a narrow gap and thus prevents mechanical friction. In the small receiver of the present invention, the hinged diaphragm may be hinge-coupled to the frame structure, and one or more openings may be present between the hinged diaphragm and the frame structure. One or more openings may be present between one or more hinges that suspend the hinged diaphragm. The hinge portion of the hinged diaphragm may be hinge-coupled to the frame structure via one or more individual independent hinges such as adhesive pads. Alternatively, or in combination therewith, the hinge portion of the hinged diaphragm may be hinge-coupled to the frame structure via one or more integral hinges.

[0015] In this context, the term "integral hinge" should be understood as a hinge integrated with the frame structure, the hinged diaphragm, or both. The hinged diaphragm and the frame structure may form an integral structure of the same material, such as a metal containing aluminum.

[0016] One or more openings between the hinged diaphragm and the frame structure are provided to allow at least a portion of the hinged diaphragm to vibrate when a drive signal is applied to the voice coil, and thus generate audible sound waves. One or more openings between the hinged diaphragm and the frame structure may be at least partially sealed or filled with a flexible sealing member such as a (waveform) polymer film, or a viscoelastic material such as a viscoelastic gel. Sealing one or more openings is advantageous for acoustically separating the front volume portion and the rear volume portion of the small receiver.

[0017] At least a part of the diaphragm with a hinge may be provided with an embossed portion for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm. The embossed portion may be implemented as a recess or a concave portion extending in a direction opposite to that of the voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm. Another method of increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm with a hinge may be to fix a laminated layer or a laminated preformed layer to the diaphragm.

[0018] As described in connection with some of the drawings, the embossed portion of at least a part of the diaphragm with a hinge may provide an air ventilation path for the air inside the magnetic motor.

[0019] Preferably, the diaphragm with a hinge has a rectangular shape, and the length in the horizontal direction of the diaphragm with a hinge is at least twice the width of the diaphragm. Thus, the length in the horizontal direction of the diaphragm with a hinge may be three times, four times, five times or ten times the width of the diaphragm. The rectangular shape of the diaphragm with a hinge is advantageous in terms of maximizing the area of the diaphragm with a hinge within the rectangular housing of the small receiver. Furthermore, the maximum area of the diaphragm with a hinge enhances the performance of the small receiver.

[0020] The voice coil may typically be in the form of a cylinder or a cuboid, and the upper side and the bottom side of the cylinder or the cuboid are open. The upper side of the voice coil may be the part of the voice coil closest to the movable portion of the diaphragm. The bottom side of the voice coil is on the opposite side of the upper side and may be the part farthest from the movable portion of the diaphragm. The edge or end of the upper side (and / or bottom side) of the voice coil may in principle take any shape including an oval or a circle. The edge or end of the upper side (and / or bottom side) of the cuboid voice coil may take a substantially square shape or a substantially rectangular shape. Optionally, the substantially square or substantially rectangular edge or end may be rounded or curved. In this specification, a cuboid-shaped voice coil is called a substantially square voice coil (also called a secondary voice coil in this specification) or a rectangular voice coil. A cylindrical voice coil may be called a circular voice coil. Finally, there is also an oval (elliptical) voice coil.

[0021] The length of the horizontally long direction of the diaphragm with a hinge may be at least twice the diameter or width of the voice coil fixed to the movable part of the diaphragm. Therefore, the length of the horizontally long direction of the diaphragm with a hinge may be three times, four times, five times, or ten times the diameter or width of the voice coil. The width of the voice coil may correspond to the side length of the square voice coil or the shortest side length of the rectangular voice coil. The diameter of the voice coil may correspond to the shortest diameter of the oval (elliptical) voice coil or the diameter of the circular voice coil.

[0022] The air ventilation opening may be arranged in the rectangular housing of the small receiver. The air ventilation opening may be displaced or moved with respect to the magnetic motor. The air ventilation opening may be arranged on the opposite side with respect to the sound outlet port, or may be arranged as a side opening in the rectangular housing. In any case, the air ventilation opening may be adapted to ventilate the rear volume part of the small receiver.

[0023] The ventilation opening may include an acoustic filter element that forms an acoustic filter having an acoustic resistance, such as an acoustic low-pass filter having an acoustic resistance in the range of 1 to 5 GPa·s / m 3

[0024] ​The cut-off frequency of such an acoustic low-pass filter may be in the range of 100 to 1000 Hz, such as 200 to 800 Hz, and the acoustic low-pass filter may be implemented as a mesh, wire mesh, grid, cloth, non-woven fabric or another configuration including one or more (perforated or laser-cut) small holes with similar acoustic properties. The purpose of the acoustic filter is to allow the rear volume of the small receiver to be ventilated for signal frequencies below the cut-off of the filter and to block ventilation for frequencies above the cut-off. The advantage of such a filter is that the resonant frequency is not affected by the additional volume while the low-frequency output is increased. The main characteristic of the acoustic filter is acoustic resistance. The acoustic resistance of the acoustic filter required to achieve a specific cut-off frequency depends on the acoustic compatibility of the rear volume. For example, for a rear volume of 25mm 3 with a cut-off of 200 to 800 Hz, the acoustic resistance must be 1.1 to 4.5 GPa / s / m 3 . Alternatively, for a rear volume of 15 to 30 mm 3 with a cut-off frequency of 500 Hz, the acoustic resistance of the acoustic filter must be 1.3 to 3 GPa / s / m 3 .

[0025] The rectangular housing of the small receiver may be defined by combining a first rectangular housing portion and a second rectangular housing portion. The sound outlet port may be arranged in the first rectangular housing portion, and the air ventilation opening may be arranged in the second rectangular housing portion. The frame structure around the hinged diaphragm may form at least part of the seal between the first rectangular housing portion and the second rectangular housing portion, and the electrical terminals may be provided on the outer surface of the rectangular housing.

[0026] The magnetic motor may be a separate and independent motor. Thus, the magnetic motor may include a laminated arrangement of permanent magnets and an inner yoke, and the permanent magnets and the inner yoke are at least partially disposed within the outer yoke such that a gap is provided between the inner yoke and the outer yoke. The gap is adapted to receive at least a portion of the voice coil, i.e., the voice coil is at least partially disposed within the gap.

[0027] The outer yoke may include one or more ventilation openings adapted to ventilate the air volume inside the magnetic motor. Appropriate ventilation of the magnetic motor is advantageous because it may lead to an improvement in the performance of the small receiver.

[0028] Alternatively, the magnetic motor may form part of the housing of the small receiver to increase the output of the motor. In this embodiment, the magnetic motor may include a laminated arrangement of permanent magnets and an inner yoke, and the permanent magnets and the inner yoke are at least partially disposed within the outer yoke formed by a part of the rectangular housing. Thus, in this embodiment, the housing portion of the small receiver may form at least part of the outer yoke of the magnetic motor.

[0029] When the housing portion of the small receiver forms at least part of the outer yoke of the magnetic motor, the voice coil preferably has an elongated shape such as rectangular or elliptical. The longest extension, such as the length of the longest side of the rectangular voice coil or the maximum diameter of the elliptical voice coil, may be arranged substantially parallel to the transverse direction of the hinged diaphragm. In this embodiment, the length of the transverse direction of the hinged diaphragm is at least 1.1 times, preferably at least 1.2 times, 1.3 times or 1.4 times, for example 1.5 times, the longest extension of the voice coil such as the maximum diameter or the length of the longest side of the voice coil fixed to the movable part of the diaphragm. The length of the transverse direction of the hinged diaphragm may be at most 4 times, for example at most 3 times, 2.5 times or 2 times the longest extension of the voice coil such as the maximum diameter or the length of the longest side.

[0030] As already described, the rectangular housing of the small receiver may have an outer width within the range of 3 to 4 mm, an outer height within the range of 1.5 to 2.5 mm, and an outer length within the range of 6 to 9 mm.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to an audio assembly for a listening device comprising a nozzle having an audio channel and an audio outlet acoustically connected to the audio channel, wherein the small receiver according to the first aspect is at least partially disposed within the audio channel.

[0032] In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a listening device comprising the small receiver according to the first aspect or the audio assembly according to the second aspect.

[0033] Generally, the various aspects of the present invention may be combined and joined in any manner possible within the scope of the present invention. These and other aspects, features and / or advantages of the present invention will become apparent and be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described below.

[0034] Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0035]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9a

Figure 9b

Figure 9c

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0036] Generally, the present invention relates to a rectangular small receiver for a listening device. The rectangular small receiver of the present invention includes a diaphragm with a hinge having a hinge portion and a movable portion, and at least the movable portion of the diaphragm with a hinge vibrates in response to a drive signal applied to a voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm, and is thus adapted to generate sound waves. The rectangular small receiver of the present invention is advantageous in that its form factor enables it to be disposed, for example, within the voice channel of the nozzle of a listening device. This arrangement of the rectangular small receiver may form an acoustic channel having an acoustic mass between the housing of the rectangular small receiver and the nozzle. This arrangement is advantageous in promoting the possibility of providing a fundamental acoustic resonance peak in the range of about 6 to 8 kHz. A fundamental acoustic resonance peak in this range is advantageous in facilitating an increase in the bandwidth of a listening device incorporating the rectangular small receiver.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 1, a cross-sectional side view of a rectangular small receiver 100 having a diaphragm with a hinge is shown. The rectangular small receiver 100 includes housings 101, 101' including a voice outlet port 104 and a ventilation opening 115 disposed therein. The ventilation opening 115 has disposed therein 1 to 5 GPa / s / m 3It has an acoustic filter 116 having an acoustic resistance, such as a low-pass filter having an acoustic resistance within a certain range. Inside the housings 101, 101' of the rectangular small receiver 100, a front volume portion 102 and a rear volume portion 103 are provided. These volume portions 102, 103 are separated by a hinged diaphragm 105. The hinged diaphragm 105 includes a hinge portion closest to one or more hinges and a movable portion. At least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm 105 vibrates in response to a drive signal applied to a voice coil 112 fixed to the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm 105, and is thus adapted to generate sound waves. As shown in FIG. 1, at least a part of the hinged diaphragm 105 includes an embossed portion 108 for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm and / or providing an air ventilation path so as to be able to ventilate an air volume portion 113 inside the magnetic motor. The magnetic motor includes a permanent magnet 110 sandwiched between a central yoke 109 and an outer yoke 111. The central yoke 109 and the outer yoke 111 form a gap in which at least a part of the voice coil 112 is positioned.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, the hinged diaphragm 105 is hingedly coupled to the frame structure 114 via one or more hinges 106. The hinged diaphragm 105 and the frame structure 114 preferably form an integral structure of the same material, such as a metal containing aluminum. The hinged diaphragm 105 and the frame structure 114 are separated by one or more openings at least partially filled with a flexible sealing member 107, such as a corrugated polymer film, or a viscoelastic gel. By applying the flexible sealing member 107 within one or more openings between the hinged diaphragm 105 and the frame structure 114, the front volume portion 102 and the rear volume portion 103 are acoustically sealed from each other.

[0039] As can also be seen in FIG. 1, the length of the hinged diaphragm 105 is significantly longer than both the width / diameter of the magnetic motors 109, 110, 111 and the diameter of the voice coil 112. In fact, the length of the hinged diaphragm 105 is at least twice the width / diameter of the magnetic motors 109, 110, 111 and the diameter of the voice coil 112. The electrical terminals 117 are provided outside the housings 101, 101'. The electrical terminals 117 are electrically connected to the voice coil 112 so as to be able to supply a drive signal.

[0040] Referring now to FIG. 2, a top view of an integrated assembly 200 including a hinged diaphragm 201 and a frame structure 202 is shown. As previously described, the hinged diaphragm 201 and the frame structure 202 preferably form an integrated structure of the same material, such as a metal including aluminum. The hinged diaphragm 201 is hingedly coupled to the frame structure 202 via hinges 205, 205' that are integral hinges. The openings 204, 206 between the hinged diaphragm 201 and the frame structure 202 are sealed with a corrugated polymer film having one or more ventilation openings 207 disposed between the hinges 205, 205'. These one or more ventilation openings are provided to equalize the air pressure between the front volume portion and the rear volume portion (see FIG. 1). At least a portion of the hinged diaphragm 201 includes an embossed portion 203 for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm and / or providing an air ventilation path, as will be described in more detail below.

[0041] In an alternative configuration, the diaphragms 301, 306 with hinges are hingedly coupled to the frame structures 302, 307 via individual independent adhesive hinges 304, 310, 310' (see FIGS. 3a - 3b). Referring to FIG. 3a, the thin film 305 within the narrow gap between the diaphragm 301 with a hinge and the frame structure 302 acts as a hinge 304. The opening 303 between the diaphragm 301 with a hinge and the frame structure 302 is sealed with a corrugated polymer film. In FIG. 3b, the individual independent hinges 310, 310' are fixed to the diaphragm 306 with a hinge and the frame structure 307. The opening 308 between the diaphragm 306 with a hinge and the frame structure 307 is sealed with a corrugated polymer film, and the opening 309 between the hinges 310, 310' is sealed with a film that may include a ventilation / air pressure opening (not shown).

[0042] FIGS. 4a - 4b show an embodiment of the present invention in which a rectangular small receiver 400 (see FIG. 4a) includes a diaphragm 405 with a hinge that includes an embossed portion 408, and FIG. 4b shows a rectangular small receiver 420 that includes a flat diaphragm 418 with a hinge.

[0043] Returning to FIG. 4a, the rectangular small receiver 400 includes housings 401, 401' having a sound outlet port 404 and a ventilation opening 415 disposed therein. The ventilation opening 415 may have an acoustic filter (not shown) such as a low-pass filter disposed therein. In the housings 401, 401', a front volume portion 402 and a rear volume portion 403 are provided. These volume portions 402, 403 are separated by a hinged diaphragm 405. The hinged diaphragm 405 includes a hinge portion and a movable portion, and at least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm 405 vibrates in response to a drive signal applied to a voice coil 412 fixed to the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm 405, and thus is adapted to generate sound waves. As seen in FIG. 4a, at least a part of the hinged diaphragm 405 includes an embossed portion 408 for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm and / or providing an air ventilation path so as to be able to ventilate an air volume portion 413 inside the magnetic motor. The magnetic motor includes a permanent magnet 410 sandwiched between a central yoke 409 and an outer yoke 411. The central yoke 409 and the outer yoke 411 form a gap in which at least a part of the voice coil 412 is positioned. The hinged diaphragm 405 is hingedly coupled to a frame structure 414 via one or more hinges 406. The hinged diaphragm 405 and the frame structure 413 preferably form a monolithic structure of the same material such as a metal including aluminum. The hinged diaphragm 405 and the frame structure 413 are separated by one or more openings at least partially filled with a flexible sealing member 407 such as a corrugated polymer film or a viscoelastic gel. By applying the flexible sealing member 407 in one or more openings between the hinged diaphragm 405 and the frame structure 413, the front volume portion 402 and the rear volume portion 403 are acoustically sealed from each other.

[0044] Referring now to FIG. 4b, the flat hinged diaphragm 418 does not provide an air ventilation path for ventilating the air volume portion 421. To compensate for this, one or more ventilation openings 419, 419' are located within the outer yoke 422. Otherwise, the rectangular small receiver 400 (FIG. 4a) is identical to the rectangular small receiver 420 (FIG. 4b).

[0045] FIGS. 5a-5c illustrate various embodiments for increasing the rigidity of the hinged diaphragm. In FIG. 5a, the hinged diaphragm 501 is hingedly coupled to the frame structure 502 via integral hinges 503, 503'. The hinged diaphragm 501, the frame structure 502, and the integral hinges 503, 503' are preferably made of the same material, such as a metal including aluminum. The openings 506, 507 are sealed with a film, such as a corrugated polymer film, optionally having one or more ventilation openings disposed therein. The hinged diaphragm 501 includes an embossed portion 504 for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm and / or for providing an air ventilation path, as will be described in more detail below. The voice coil 505 is fixed to the non-embossed portion of the hinged diaphragm 501 such that a ventilation path is provided between the embossed portion 504 and the voice coil 505. In FIG. 5b, a laminate 508 having holes 509 disposed therein is fixed to the hinged diaphragm. The purpose of the holes 509 is to reduce the mass of the laminate 508. The voice coil 510 is fixed to the laminate 508. In FIG. 5c, a formed laminate 511 is fixed to the hinged diaphragm, and the voice coil 512 is fixed to the formed laminate 511. The formed laminate may include a plurality of layers of different materials, some of which may have holes.

[0046] Furthermore, the formed laminate may be of the same material as the hinged diaphragm and may be attached to the flat hinged diaphragm. An air layer may exist between the flat diaphragm and the formed laminate, or a layer of another material, such as a porous material, may exist. Alternatively, the flat hinged diaphragm may be perforated in the region covered by the formed laminate.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows the effect of the positioning of the voice coil near or away from the hinge of the hinged diaphragm. Generally, the position of the voice coil relative to the hinge affects the output of the receiver in a plurality of ways. First, for the same air displacement of the hinged diaphragm, the vertical displacement of the voice coil near the hinge is smaller than the vertical displacement of the voice coil arranged away from the hinge. As a result, the same current in the voice coil generates a higher output sound pressure level when the voice coil is positioned away from the hinge than when the voice coil is positioned near the hinge. Second, the contribution of the moving mass of the voice coil to the effective acoustic mass is smaller for the voice coil arranged closer to the hinge than for the voice coil arranged away from the hinge. As a result, the bandwidth of the small receiver including the voice coil positioned near the hinge can be larger than the bandwidth of the voice coil positioned away from the hinge.

[0048] In FIG. 6, two cases are shown: Case A where the hinged diaphragm is relatively heavy and the contribution of the voice coil to the total effective acoustic mass is small relative to the diaphragm contribution, and Case B where the diaphragm is relatively light and the contribution of the voice coil to the total effective acoustic mass is large relative to the diaphragm contribution. In the case of Case B, it is advantageous to arrange the voice coil near the hinge in order to maximize the bandwidth.

[0049] Next, referring to FIGS. 7a to 7c, various positions of the voice coil / magnetic motors 704, 705, 706 with respect to the hinge 701 are shown. In FIG. 7a, the voice coil / magnetic motor 704 is positioned near the hinge 701. As seen in FIG. 7a, the rectangular small receiver includes a voice output port 702 and a ventilation opening 703 disposed on the opposite side. In FIG. 7b, the voice coil / magnetic motor 705 is positioned at the center of the diaphragm with a hinge. Also in this case, the rectangular small receiver includes a voice output port 706 and a ventilation opening 707 disposed on the opposite side. In FIG. 7c, the voice coil / magnetic motor 708 is positioned on the opposite side of the hinge of the diaphragm with a hinge, that is, the farthest from the hinge. The rectangular small receiver includes a voice output port 709 and a ventilation opening 710 on the side of the housing. Acoustic filters such as low-pass filters may be positioned within the ventilation openings 703, 707, 710.

[0050] Figures 8a - 8d show various embodiments of magnetic motors within respective housings 801, 805, 809, 813 (from a top - down perspective). In Figure 8a, a cylindrical magnetic motor includes a disc - shaped inner yoke 802 disposed on a permanent magnet (not shown). Further, the magnetic motor includes an outer yoke 803, and a gap 804 is formed between the inner yoke 802 and the outer yoke 803. The gap 804 is adapted to receive at least a portion of a cylindrical voice coil (not shown). The magnetic motor of Figure 8a is similar to the motor shown in Figure 1. In Figure 8b, a (substantially) rectangular / square magnetic motor includes an inner yoke 806 disposed on a permanent magnet (not shown). Further, the magnetic motor includes an outer yoke 807, and a gap 808 is formed between the inner yoke 806 and the outer yoke 807. The gap 804 is adapted to receive at least a portion of a (substantially) rectangular / square voice coil (not shown). Figure 8c also shows a cylindrical magnetic motor including a disc - shaped inner yoke 810 disposed on a permanent magnet (not shown). Further, the magnetic motor includes segmented outer yokes 811, 811', and a gap 812 is formed between the inner yoke 810 and the outer yoke segments 811, 811'. The gap 812 is adapted to receive at least a portion of a cylindrical voice coil (not shown). In Figure 8d, a rectangular / square magnetic motor includes an inner yoke 814 disposed on a permanent magnet (not shown). Further, the magnetic motor includes segmented outer yokes 815, 815', and two gaps 817, 817' are formed between the inner yoke 814 and the segmented outer yokes 815, 815'. The gaps 817, 817' are adapted to receive at least a portion of a rectangular / square voice coil 816.

[0051] Figures 9a - 9c show various embodiments in which respective housings 901, 905 of a rectangular small receiver form part of a magnetic motor (from a top - down perspective).

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 9a, the housing 901 forms an outer yoke with respect to the inner yoke 902. Any additional outer yoke 903 may be provided. FIG. 11 shows a small receiver in which the outer yoke 903 is omitted. In embodiments where the outer yoke 903 is omitted, the inner yoke 902 preferably has an elongated shape such as (substantially) rectangular. A gap 904 is formed between the inner yoke 902 and the outer yoke 901 (and 903 if present). The gap 904 is adapted to receive at least a portion of a voice coil (not shown). The inner yoke 902 is disposed on a permanent magnet (not shown). In FIG. 9b, the housing 905 forms an entire outer yoke with respect to the inner yoke 906 disposed on a permanent magnet (not shown). A gap 907 is formed between the inner yoke 906 and the outer yoke 905. The gap 907 is adapted to receive at least a portion of a voice coil (not shown). FIG. 9c shows the same embodiment as FIG. 9b, but in FIG. 9c, both the permanent magnet 909 and the voice coil 908 are visible.

[0053] In FIG. 10, the rectangular small receiver 1001 forms part of an acoustic assembly 1000 that includes a nozzle 1002 and a flexible dome 1003. As seen in FIG. 10, the rectangular small receiver 1001 is disposed within the acoustic channel of the nozzle 1002 such that the acoustic channel 1005 is formed for the length of the rectangular small receiver 1001. The acoustic channel 1005 is acoustically coupled to the acoustic outlet port 1007 of the rectangular small receiver 1001 and the nozzle outlet 1006. The flexible dome 1003 is fixed to the nozzle 1002. The ventilation opening 1008 is adapted to ventilate the rear volume of the rectangular small receiver 1001, and as seen in FIG. 10, the ventilation opening 1008 is acoustically connected to an external rear volume 1009 within the housing 1010 of the listening device.

[0054] Referring now to FIG. 11, a cross-sectional side view of a rectangular small receiver 1100 with a hinged diaphragm is shown. The rectangular small receiver 1100 includes housings 1101, 1111 that contain a sound outlet port 1104 and a ventilation opening 1115 disposed therein. A portion of the housing 1111 is adapted to function as at least a part of the outer yoke of a magnetic motor, as shown in FIG. 11. As seen in FIG. 11, the magnetic motor includes a permanent magnet 1110 sandwiched between a central yoke 1109 and a housing portion / outer yoke 1111. The central yoke 1109 and the housing portion / outer yoke 1111 form an air gap 1113 in which at least a part of the voice coil 1112 is positioned. The housing portion 1111 adapted to function as at least a part of the outer yoke is typically made of a nickel / iron alloy such as mu-metal.

[0055] The ventilation opening 1115 includes an acoustic filter 1116 such as a low-pass filter having an acoustic resistance in the range of 1 to 5 GPa.s / m 3 The acoustic filter 1116 may be implemented in various forms such as an acoustic mesh.

[0056] In the housings 1101, 1111 of the rectangular small receiver 1100, a front volume portion 1102 and a rear volume portion 1103 are provided. These volume portions 1102, 1103 are separated by a hinged diaphragm 1105. The hinged diaphragm 1105 includes a hinge portion closest to one or more hinges 1106 and a movable portion. At least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm 1105 is adapted to vibrate in response to a drive signal applied to the voice coil 1112 and thus generate sound waves. The voice coil 1112 is fixed to the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm 1105. At least a part of the hinged diaphragm 1105 includes an embossed portion 1108 for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 11, the hinged diaphragm 1105 is hingedly coupled to the frame structure 1114 via one or more hinges 1106. The hinged diaphragm 1105 and the frame structure 1114 preferably form an integral structure of the same material, such as a metal including aluminum. The hinged diaphragm 1105 and the frame structure 1114 are separated by one or more openings at least partially filled with a flexible sealing member 1107, such as a (corrugated) polymer film, or a viscoelastic material such as a viscoelastic gel. By applying the flexible sealing member 1107 within one or more openings between the hinged diaphragm 1105 and the frame structure 1114, the front volume portion 1102 and the rear volume portion 1103 are acoustically sealed from each other. The electrical terminal 1117 is provided outside the rectangular small receiver 1100, more specifically, outside the housings 1101, 1111. The electrical terminal 1117 is electrically connected to the voice coil 1112 so that a drive signal can be supplied via the electrical terminal 1117.

[0058] As also seen in FIG. 11, the length of the hinged diaphragm 1105 is significantly longer than both the width of the inner yoke of the magnetic motor 1109 and the width of the voice coil 1112. In fact, the length of the hinged diaphragm 1105 is at least twice the width of the inner yoke of the magnetic motor 1109 and the width of the voice coil 1112. Also, from FIG. 11, it can be seen that the inner yoke 1109 of the magnetic motor, the permanent magnet 1110, and the voice coil 1112 have a rectangular shape, and the voice coil 1112 has rounded / curved corners. The length of the hinged diaphragm 1105 is about 1.5 times the length of the voice coil 1112.

[0059] In terms of performance, the rectangular small receiver according to the present invention has a low frequency output of about 120 dB SPL at 100 Hz (1 Vrms) and a maximum output at the first resonance peak (about 2 kHz) of 122 dB SPL. The mechanical resonance frequency of the hinged diaphragm is about 15 kHz.

[0060] The present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and can be modified in many ways without departing from the present invention. Therefore, the described exemplary embodiments should not be used to strictly interpret the appended claims accordingly. On the contrary, these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims to these exemplary embodiments, but are only intended to explain the language of the appended claims. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted only in accordance with the appended claims, and the possible ambiguity of the language of the claims should be resolved using these exemplary embodiments.

Explanation of Signs

[0061] 100, 400, 420, 1001, 1100 Rectangular small receiver 101, 101’, 401, 401’, 801, 805, 809, 813, 901, 905, 1010, 1101, 1111 Housing 102, 402, 1102 Front volume part 103, 403, 1009, 1103 Rear volume part 104, 404, 1007, 1104 Sound emission port 105, 201, 301, 306, 405, 418, 501, 1105 Hinged diaphragm 106, 205, 205’, 304, 310, 310’, 406, 503, 503’, 701, 1106 Hinge 107, 407, 1107 Flexible sealing member 108, 203, 408, 504, 1108 Embossed part 109, 409, 1109 Central yoke 110, 410, 909, 1110 Permanent magnet 111, 411, 422, 803, 807, 811, 811’, 815, 815’, 903 Outer yoke 112, 412, 505, 510, 512, 816, 908, 1112 Voice coil 113, 413, 421 Air volume part 114, 202, 302, 307, 414, 502, 1114 Frame Structures 115, 207, 415, 419, 419’, 703, 707, 710, 1008, 1115 Ventilation Openings 116, 1116 Acoustic Filters 117, 1117 Electrical Terminals 200 Integrated Assembly 204, 206, 303, 308, 309, 506, 507 Openings 305 Thin Film 508, 511 Laminations 509 Holes 702, 706, 709 Voice Output Ports 704, 705, 708 Voice Coil / Magnetic Motor 802, 806, 810, 814, 902, 906 Inner Yokes 804, 808, 812, 817, 817’, 904, 907, 1113 Clearances 1000 Acoustic Assembly 1002 Nozzle 1003 Flexible Dome 1005 Acoustic Channel 1006 Nozzle Outlet 1109 Magnetic Motor

Claims

1. A small receiver for a listening device, wherein the small receiver is 1) a rectangular housing, and 2) an audio output port disposed in the rectangular housing, and 3) a hinged diaphragm disposed in the rectangular housing that separates a front volume portion and a rear volume portion within the rectangular housing, the hinged diaphragm having a hinge portion and a movable portion, and at least the movable portion of the hinged diaphragm being adapted to vibrate in response to a drive signal applied to a voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm, the hinged diaphragm; and 4) a magnetic motor disposed in the rectangular housing, the magnetic motor being adapted to generate a static magnetic field within an air gap in which at least a portion of the voice coil is positioned, the magnetic motor A small receiver comprising.

2. The small receiver according to claim 1, wherein the hinged diaphragm is hingedly coupled to a frame structure, and one or more openings exist between the hinged diaphragm and the frame structure.

3. The small receiver according to claim 2, wherein the hinge portion of the hinged diaphragm is hingedly coupled to a frame structure via one or more individual independent hinges and / or one or more integral hinges.

4. The small receiver according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the hinged diaphragm and the frame structure form an integral structure of the same material, such as a metal containing aluminum.

5. The small receiver according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the one or more openings between the hinged diaphragm and the frame structure are at least partially sealed or filled with a flexible sealing member such as a corrugated polymer film or a viscoelastic material.

6. The small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a portion of the hinged diaphragm comprises an embossed portion for increasing the rigidity of the diaphragm.

7. The small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the hinged diaphragm has a rectangular shape, and the length of the hinged diaphragm in the horizontal direction is at least twice the width of the diaphragm.

8. The small receiver according to claim 7, wherein the length of the hinged diaphragm in the horizontal direction is at least twice the diameter or width of the voice coil fixed to the movable portion of the diaphragm.

9. The small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an air ventilation opening is arranged in the rectangular housing of the small receiver, and the air ventilation opening is displaced with respect to the magnetic motor.

10. The small receiver according to claim 9, wherein the air ventilation opening is adapted to ventilate the rear volume portion of the small receiver, and the air ventilation opening includes an acoustic filter element that forms an acoustic filter such as an acoustic low-pass filter.

11. The small receiver according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the rectangular housing is defined by a combination of a first rectangular housing portion and a second rectangular housing portion, the voice outlet port is arranged in the first rectangular housing portion, and the air ventilation opening is arranged in the second rectangular housing portion.

12. The small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the magnetic motor includes a laminated arrangement of a permanent magnet and an inner yoke, and a gap in which the voice coil is at least partially arranged is provided between the inner yoke and an outer yoke, and the permanent magnet and the inner yoke are at least partially arranged within the outer yoke.

13. The small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the magnetic motor includes a laminated arrangement of a permanent magnet and an inner yoke, and the permanent magnet and the inner yoke are at least partially arranged within an outer yoke formed by a part of the rectangular housing.

14. An audio assembly for a listening device, the audio assembly including a nozzle having a voice channel and a voice outlet acoustically connected to the voice channel, wherein the small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is at least partially positioned within the voice channel of the nozzle, etc., an audio assembly that is at least partially positioned within the nozzle.

15. A listening device including the small receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 13, or the audio assembly according to claim 14.

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