Self-Shielded Metal Speaker Box for Camera-Safe Phone Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smartphone designs are limited by the magnetic interference between earpiece speakers and auto-focus camera modules due to magnetic fields penetrating beyond the speaker box, hindering packaging efficiency and compactness.
Innovation Solution
A magnetically self-shielded speaker box with a thin-walled, high magnetic permeability metal enclosure that contains transducer-generated magnetic fields within the enclosure, allowing sensitive components to be positioned closer together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional plastic speaker boxes with thick walls and adhesive seals are used, then manufacturing ease is improved, but device volume increases and magnetic shielding is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to thin-walled metal (stainless steel or aluminum), enabling both reduced thickness and inherent magnetic shielding properties that plastic cannot provide
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker box uses composite construction with metal walls for structural integrity and magnetic shielding, combined with electromagnetic shielding material (mu-metal or ferrite) applied to the interior surface to enhance magnetic field containment
2Device complexity
If conventional speaker boxes are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but magnetic field penetration occurs affecting adjacent components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to thin-walled metal (stainless steel or aluminum), enabling both reduced thickness and inherent magnetic shielding properties that plastic cannot provide
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker box uses composite construction with metal walls for structural integrity and magnetic shielding, combined with electromagnetic shielding material (mu-metal or ferrite) applied to the interior surface to enhance magnetic field containment
3Object-affected harmful factors
If increased spacing between speaker box and camera module is provided, then magnetic interference is reduced, but packaging efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from plastic to thin-walled metal (stainless steel or aluminum), enabling both reduced thickness and inherent magnetic shielding properties that plastic cannot provide
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker box uses composite construction with metal walls for structural integrity and magnetic shielding, combined with electromagnetic shielding material (mu-metal or ferrite) applied to the interior surface to enhance magnetic field containment
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
Enhances spatial efficiency by reducing the spacing requirements between magnetic-sensitive components, enabling a more compact design and potentially increasing battery size or accommodating additional features in smartphones.
Implementation Method 1
The metal of the enclosure may have a high magnetic permeability to prevent penetration of a magnetic field generated by the speaker transducer within the exterior enclosure
Implementation Method 2
the exterior enclosure may include at least two enclosure portions that are joined together with a continuous welded seam
Data Source
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AI summary
The present document describes techniques for a magnetically self-shielded speaker box for a mobile device. The speaker box described herein includes a thin metal enclosure, thereby reducing or eliminating plastic components from the exterior enclosure of the speaker box. The metal of the enclosure has a high magnetic permeability to prevent penetration of a magnetic field generated by the speaker transducer within the exterior enclosure. Also, the exterior enclosure includes at least two enclosure portions that are joined together with a continuous welded seam. Accordingly, the speaker box described herein is a thin-walled, fully metal, high-permeability enclosure resulting in a smaller, self-shielded solution that reduces both (i) the total physical volume of the speaker box for a given internal speaker back volume and (ii) the spacing requirements to adjacent voice-coil-motor auto-focus camera modules.