Microphone Placement in Slim Electronic Device Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of designing a slimmer electronic device is that it reduces the space available for components, making it difficult to achieve good microphone performance due to the limited area for placement and sound passage.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a specific configuration of a microphone placement within the electronic device, using a plate and printed circuit board with a seal member and support members to simplify sound passage and reduce sound loss, ensuring effective acoustic characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the device is made slimmer, then portability and accessibility are improved, but the space for microphone placement and sound passage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar microphone placement to a three-dimensional configuration where the microphone is positioned at an angle relative to the printed circuit board. The support member creates a tilted arrangement that utilizes vertical space rather than horizontal space, allowing the microphone to be effectively placed while maintaining a slim device profile.
2Length of moving object
If the device is made slimmer, then portability is improved, but sound passage space is reduced leading to sound loss
Solution Approach 1:
By angling the microphone support member relative to the printed circuit board, the patent creates an optimized sound passage path that efficiently channels sound waves to the microphone diaphragm within the constrained thickness of the device. This dimensional approach maximizes acoustic performance without increasing device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates effective sound transmission from the opening in the plate to the microphone diaphragm. It provides a dedicated acoustic pathway that prevents sound loss despite the reduced space available in the slim device configuration.
3Reliability
If microphone performance is improved, then acoustic quality is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides mechanical support for the microphone, creates the acoustic passage pathway, and positions the microphone at the optimal angle. This merging of functions achieves improved microphone performance without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member serves multiple purposes simultaneously - structural support, acoustic guidance, and positional alignment - making the overall structure more efficient. This multi-functionality allows the device to achieve good microphone performance without adding excessive complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device comprises a plate at least partially forming one surface of a housing and including a first through-hole; a printed circuit board disposed in the housing under the plate, the printed circuit having a second through-hole at least partly overlapping the first through-hole when viewed from above the first surface; a microphone disposed on a surface of the printed circuit board facing away from the plate, and at least partly overlapping the second through-hole when viewed from above the first surface; a seal member that is disposed between the plate and the printed circuit board around the first through-hole or the second through-hole; a support member that includes a first portion that faces the printed circuit board and includes an opening, the opening penetrated by the microphone, and a second portion that extends from the first portion and faces the plate; a first fixture the printed circuit board and the first portion; and a second fixture that is disposed between the plate and the second portion.