Sealed Audio Module With U-Shaped Channel and Resonant Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in maintaining acoustic performance of audio modules due to pressure fluctuations caused by user interaction with touch screens, which can alter internal air pressure and affect sound emission.
Innovation Solution
The audio module is designed with a sealed enclosure and a U-shaped channel that positions the sound port away from the diaphragm, incorporating a resonant cavity to compensate for acoustic performance issues and a barometric vent to equilibrate air pressure, ensuring consistent sound output despite pressure changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the audio module is positioned within the electronic device, then the device can emit sound from an external aperture, but pressure fluctuations caused by user interaction with the touch screen affect the acoustic performance
Solution Approach 1:
The audio module is divided into separate volumes: a front volume containing the diaphragm and speaker plane, and a back volume containing the resonant cavity. These volumes are separated by a partition, allowing the front volume to be isolated from pressure fluctuations in the back volume while maintaining acoustic functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible diaphragm partition separates the front and back volumes, acting as an intermediary that allows acoustic energy to pass through while blocking pressure fluctuations from the back volume from affecting the front volume where the main speaker diaphragm is located.
2Reliability
If a sealed enclosure is used to isolate the audio module from pressure fluctuations, then acoustic performance consistency is improved, but the device profile becomes thicker
Solution Approach 1:
The resonant cavity is nested within the back volume of the audio module enclosure, utilizing the existing space efficiently. This nested configuration allows the sealed enclosure to provide pressure isolation without significantly increasing the overall device profile thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The U-shaped channel positions the sound port away from the diaphragm in a different spatial dimension, allowing the sealed enclosure to be optimized for pressure isolation while maintaining a compact profile by utilizing three-dimensional space rather than simply increasing linear dimensions.
3Productivity
If the sound port is positioned close to the diaphragm, then the acoustic path is shorter and more efficient, but the U-shaped channel configuration is required to position it away from the diaphragm
Solution Approach 1:
The sound port is extracted from its traditional position adjacent to the diaphragm and repositioned away from the diaphragm through the U-shaped channel configuration. This extraction allows the sound port to be positioned in an optimal location for acoustic efficiency while the U-shaped channel provides the necessary structural path.
Solution Approach 2:
The U-shaped channel provides a curved acoustic path that efficiently connects the diaphragm to the sound port while positioning them apart. The curved geometry of the U-shaped channel optimizes acoustic energy transmission while maintaining the separated configuration needed for effective pressure isolation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a resonant cavity is added to compensate for acoustic performance, then acoustic bandwidth is extended, but the available space within the device is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The resonant cavity is nested within the back volume of the audio module, utilizing otherwise wasted space. This nested configuration allows the resonant cavity to extend the acoustic bandwidth while minimizing the reduction of available device space, as the cavity occupies space that would otherwise be unused in the audio module assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively isolates the audio module from internal pressure fluctuations, maintaining consistent acoustic performance and utilizing space efficiently within the device.
Implementation Method 1
the resonant cavity is sized to resonate at a frequency that extends a bandwidth of the audio module
Implementation Method 2
a barometric vent coupling the front volume to the back volume
Implementation Method 3
a voice coil attached to the diaphragm and positioned adjacent one or more magnets
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is disclosed that includes one or more sealed audio modules that are unaffected by changes in the internal pressure within the electronic device. The audio modules can also include one or more features that increase the audible bandwidth of the electronic device.