U.S. patent application number 13/459470 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-31 for electronic device with an improved acoustic mesh system.
This patent application is currently assigned to MOTOROLA MOBILITY, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Christopher P. Carlson, Jason E. Jordan, Vivek M. Patel. Invention is credited to Christopher P. Carlson, Jason E. Jordan, Vivek M. Patel.
Application Number | 20130288755 13/459470 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49477761 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130288755 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Carlson; Christopher P. ; et
al. |
October 31, 2013 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH AN IMPROVED ACOUSTIC MESH SYSTEM
Abstract
An electronic device as provided here includes a primary
housing, an acoustic transducer, a lower layer of acoustic mesh
material, and an upper layer of acoustic mesh material. An interior
volume is defined within the primary housing. The primary housing
includes an interior mounting surface, an exterior mounting
surface, and an acoustic port. The transducer is located within the
interior volume, and the lower layer of mesh material is coupled
between the interior mounting surface and the transducer to cover a
lower opening of the acoustic port. The upper layer of mesh
material covers an upper opening of the acoustic port. Each layer
of mesh material provides an amount of acoustic transparency and an
amount of visual obscurity such that the transducer is effectively
hidden from view without adversely impacting the audio performance
characteristics of the transducer.
Inventors: |
Carlson; Christopher P.;
(Libertyville, IL) ; Jordan; Jason E.; (Palatine,
IL) ; Patel; Vivek M.; (Elk Grove Village,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Carlson; Christopher P.
Jordan; Jason E.
Patel; Vivek M. |
Libertyville
Palatine
Elk Grove Village |
IL
IL
IL |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
MOTOROLA MOBILITY, INC.
Libertyville
IL
|
Family ID: |
49477761 |
Appl. No.: |
13/459470 |
Filed: |
April 30, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/569.1 ;
381/332 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/035 20130101;
H04R 2499/11 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/569.1 ;
381/332 |
International
Class: |
H04M 1/00 20060101
H04M001/00; H04R 1/02 20060101 H04R001/02 |
Claims
1. An electronic device comprising: a primary housing that defines
at least a portion of an interior volume for the electronic device,
the primary housing comprising an interior mounting surface, an
exterior mounting surface, and an acoustic port formed therein; an
acoustic transducer located within the interior volume; a lower
layer of acoustic mesh material coupled between the interior
mounting surface and the acoustic transducer and covering a lower
opening of the acoustic port, the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material comprising a bottom surface facing the acoustic transducer
and a top surface facing the acoustic port; and an upper layer of
acoustic mesh material coupled to the exterior mounting surface and
covering an upper opening of the acoustic port, the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material comprising a bottom surface facing the
acoustic port; wherein each of the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material and the upper layer of acoustic mesh material is
configured to provide an amount of acoustic transparency and an
amount of visual obscurity.
2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the lower opening of
the acoustic port terminates at the interior mounting surface of
the primary housing; and the upper opening of the acoustic port
terminates at the exterior mounting surface of the primary
housing.
3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic
transducer is a loudspeaker for use with a speakerphone function of
the electronic device.
4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the bottom surface of
the lower layer of acoustic mesh material is coupled to the
acoustic transducer; and the top surface of the lower layer of
acoustic mesh material is coupled to an area of the interior
mounting surface that surrounds the lower opening of the acoustic
port.
5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the bottom surface of
the upper layer of acoustic mesh material is coupled to an area of
the exterior mounting surface that surrounds the upper opening of
the acoustic port.
6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lower layer of
acoustic mesh material and the upper layer of acoustic mesh
material are fabricated from an identical mesh material.
7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the lower layer of
acoustic mesh material has a consistent pore size; and the upper
layer of acoustic mesh material has the consistent pore size.
8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein: the lower layer of
acoustic mesh material has a defined acoustic resistance; and the
upper layer of acoustic mesh material has the defined acoustic
resistance.
9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing
and the acoustic port are configured to maintain an acoustic air
gap between the upper layer of acoustic mesh material and the lower
layer of acoustic mesh material.
10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a
decorative cover coupled to the primary housing, the decorative
cover having a port opening formed therein, wherein the port
opening acoustically communicates with the acoustic port via the
upper layer of acoustic mesh material.
11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the lower layer of
acoustic material, the acoustic port, the upper layer of acoustic
material, and the port opening are configured to provide an
acoustic path from the acoustic transducer to an area external to
the electronic device.
12. An acoustic system for an electronic device, the acoustic
system comprising: an acoustic transducer; a first layer of an
acoustic mesh material overlying the acoustic transducer, wherein
the acoustic mesh material provides an amount of acoustic
transparency and an amount of visual obscurity; a second layer of
the acoustic mesh material overlying the first layer of the
acoustic mesh material; an offsetting structure between the first
layer of the acoustic mesh material and the second layer of the
acoustic mesh material, the offsetting structure having a thickness
to maintain spacing between the first layer of the acoustic mesh
material and the second layer of the acoustic mesh material; and an
acoustic port formed within the offsetting structure; wherein: the
first layer of the acoustic mesh material is positioned between the
acoustic transducer and a first end of the acoustic port; the first
layer of the acoustic mesh material covers the first end of the
acoustic port; and the second layer of the acoustic mesh material
covers a second end of the acoustic port.
13. The acoustic system of claim 12, wherein the acoustic
transducer is a loudspeaker for use with a speakerphone function of
the electronic device.
14. The acoustic system of claim 12, wherein the acoustic port has
a stepped cross-sectional profile.
15. The acoustic system of claim 12, wherein the first layer of the
acoustic mesh material cooperates with the second layer of the
acoustic mesh material to hide the acoustic transducer from a view
external to the electronic device.
16. The acoustic system of claim 12, further comprising a
decorative cover coupled to the offsetting structure, the
decorative cover having a port opening formed therein, wherein at
least a portion of the port opening is aligned with at least a
portion of the acoustic port.
17. A mobile electronic device comprising: a primary housing that
defines at least a portion of an interior volume for the mobile
electronic device, the primary housing comprising an interior
mounting surface, an exterior mounting surface, and an acoustic
port formed therein, wherein the acoustic port extends between the
interior mounting surface and the exterior mounting surface such
that an upper opening of the acoustic port terminates at the
exterior mounting surface and such that a lower opening of the
acoustic port terminates at the interior mounting surface; an upper
layer of acoustic mesh material coupled to the exterior mounting
surface, the upper layer of acoustic mesh material extending across
and covering the upper opening of the acoustic port; a decorative
cover coupled to the primary housing, the decorative cover
overlying a portion of the upper layer of acoustic mesh material
such that the portion of the upper layer of acoustic mesh material
is located between the decorative cover and the primary housing,
and the decorative cover having a port opening formed therein; a
lower layer of acoustic mesh material having a top surface coupled
to the interior mounting surface of the primary housing, the lower
layer of acoustic mesh material extending across and covering the
lower opening of the acoustic port; and a loudspeaker located
within the interior volume of the primary housing, the loudspeaker
coupled to a bottom surface of the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material; wherein: the lower layer of acoustic mesh material, the
acoustic port, the upper layer of acoustic mesh material, and the
port opening cooperate to provide an acoustic path for sound
emitted from the loudspeaker; the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material and the upper layer of acoustic mesh material provide an
amount of acoustic transparency; and the lower layer of acoustic
mesh material cooperates with the upper layer of acoustic mesh
material to hide the loudspeaker from a view external to the mobile
electronic device.
18. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, wherein the lower
layer of acoustic mesh material and the upper layer of acoustic
mesh material are fabricated from an identical mesh material.
19. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, wherein: the lower
layer of acoustic mesh material has a consistent pore size; and the
upper layer of acoustic mesh material has the consistent pore
size.
20. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, wherein: the lower
layer of acoustic mesh material has a defined acoustic resistance;
and the upper layer of acoustic mesh material has the defined
acoustic resistance.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate
generally to electronic devices, such as mobile electronic devices.
More particularly, embodiments of the subject matter relate to an
acoustic mesh system for an acoustic transducer of a mobile
electronic device.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Mobile electronic devices are very well known, and such
devices have become increasingly popular. Indeed, mobile electronic
devices such as cellular telephones, handheld video game devices,
and digital media players have now become virtually ubiquitous in
many societies. Many electronic devices utilize acoustic
transducers (e.g., loudspeakers, microphones, or piezoelectronic
elements) to generate and/or receive sound. For example, most
cellular telephone devices include at least one loudspeaker to
accommodate speakerphone functions, audio playback functions, ring
tone functions, and the like. The volume, fidelity, and other
performance characteristics of the loudspeaker (e.g., "how good is
the speakerphone feature?") in a mobile electronic device can play
an important role in the decision to purchase one device over
another.
[0003] A loudspeaker in a mobile electronic device may be
associated with an external audio port opening that accommodates
the sound emitted by the loudspeaker. Unfortunately, unprotected
and uncovered external ports in an electronic device can allow
contaminants such as water, dirt, and dust to enter the interior of
the device housing. Moreover, unprotected and uncovered external
ports may provide a clear line of sight into the interior space of
the device. For example, it may be possible for a person to see
some or all of the underlying acoustic transducer and/or other
components of the electronic device through an acoustic port
opening. Although such visibility may not adversely impact the
performance of the device, it can be cosmetically unappealing.
Accordingly, acoustically "transparent" material (such as an
acoustic mesh or screen) can be used to cover the loudspeaker and,
thus, obscure its visibility. In certain applications, however, a
layer of acoustic mesh material may not provide sufficient cosmetic
masking of the underlying device components. Moreover, some
acoustic mesh materials may degrade the audio performance of the
loudspeaker.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic device with
an improved acoustic mesh system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals
refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the
separate views, together with the detailed description below, are
incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to
further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed
invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those
embodiments.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a front face view of an exemplary embodiment of a
mobile electronic device;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the mobile electronic device shown
in FIG. 1;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a
conventional single-layer acoustic mesh approach for an acoustic
transducer of an electronic device;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a mesh or
pore size of the acoustic mesh depicted in FIG. 3;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram that illustrates another
single-layer acoustic mesh approach for an acoustic transducer of
an electronic device;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a mesh or
pore size of the acoustic mesh depicted in FIG. 5;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an exemplary
embodiment of a multi-layer acoustic mesh approach for an acoustic
transducer of an electronic device;
[0013] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the
mobile electronic device shown in FIG. 1; and
[0014] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the mobile
electronic device, as viewed from line 9-9 in FIG. 2.
[0015] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the
figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not
necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of
some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to
other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of
the present invention.
[0016] The apparatus components have been represented where
appropriate in the drawings, showing only those specific details
that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present
invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that
will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art
having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] An exemplary embodiment of an electronic device is presented
here. The electronic device includes a primary housing that defines
at least a portion of an interior volume for the electronic device.
The primary housing has an interior mounting surface, an exterior
mounting surface, and an acoustic port formed therein. An acoustic
transducer is located within the interior volume, and a lower layer
of acoustic mesh material is coupled between the interior mounting
surface and the acoustic transducer. The lower layer of acoustic
mesh material covers a lower opening of the acoustic port, and the
lower layer of acoustic mesh material has a bottom surface facing
the acoustic transducer and a top surface facing the acoustic port.
The electronic device also includes an upper layer of acoustic mesh
material coupled to the exterior mounting surface and covering an
upper opening of the acoustic port. The upper layer of acoustic
mesh material has a bottom surface facing the acoustic port. The
lower layer of acoustic mesh material and the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material provide an amount of acoustic transparency
and an amount of visual obscurity. As a result, the underlying
components of the electronic device are hidden from view in a
manner that does not adversely affect the audio quality, fidelity,
or emitted volume of sound generated by the acoustic
transducer.
[0018] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a front face view of
an exemplary embodiment of a mobile electronic device 100, and FIG.
2 is a rear view of the mobile electronic device 100. It should be
appreciated that the mobile electronic device 100 shown in the
figures is merely one of many different possible platforms,
implementations, and realizations, and that the illustrated
embodiment of the mobile electronic device 100 is not intended to
limit or restrict the scope of the subject matter described herein.
This particular embodiment of the mobile electronic device 100
represents a modern Internet-enabled cellular telephone having
enhanced functionality such as email, digital media player, camera,
and video game features.
[0019] The illustrated embodiment of the mobile electronic device
100 includes a primary housing 102 that represents the external
body or "shell" of the device 100. In practice, the primary housing
102 may be fabricated from a plurality of individual parts that are
coupled together, or it may be fabricated as a one-piece unitary
component. Although not always required, the device 100 also
includes a decorative cover 104 coupled to a portion of the primary
housing 102. For this embodiment, the decorative cover 104 is
located on the back side of the device 100 (see FIG. 2). The
decorative cover 104 may include one or more openings formed
therein to accommodate certain features or elements of the device
100. For this example, the decorative cover 104 includes a camera
opening 106 to accommodate a camera lens, and a port opening 108
formed therein to accommodate an acoustic port (which is described
in more detail below). The port opening 108 accommodates sound
emitted from an underlying acoustic transducer. At least one layer
of acoustic mesh material 110 hides the transducer from a view
external to the device 100, such as a view from the perspective of
FIG. 2.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates a
conventional single-layer acoustic mesh approach for an acoustic
transducer of an electronic device. FIG. 3 represents a
cross-sectional side view of an acoustic transducer 200, a layer of
low density acoustic mesh material 202, and related mounting
structure 204. It should be appreciated that FIG. 3 schematically
depicts the acoustic mesh material 202 as a row of dots to
illustrate its low density characteristics. FIG. 4 is a schematic
diagram that illustrates a mesh or pore size of the low density
acoustic mesh material 202. The mesh or pore size may be defined as
the width or height dimension of each space 206 in the acoustic
mesh material 202, as the volume of each space 206 in the acoustic
mesh material 202, or the like. For this particular example, the
acoustic mesh material 202 is considered to be "low density" in
that the mesh or pore size is large relative to a "high density"
acoustic mesh material. Accordingly, a "low density" acoustic mesh
material will generally exhibit more open space, less visual
obscurity, and more acoustic transparency than a "high density"
acoustic mesh material having the same composition. Therefore,
although the arrangement depicted in FIG. 3 has good acoustic
performance characteristics (e.g., high acoustic transparency,
little to no volume attenuation, little to no audio distortion or
coloring), the low density acoustic mesh material 202 is somewhat
visually transparent, which makes the underlying acoustic
transducer 200 visible through the acoustic mesh material 202. As
mentioned above, the overall cosmetic appeal of the electronic
device may be compromised if the acoustic transducer 200 is easy to
see through its associated acoustic port.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram that illustrates another
single-layer acoustic mesh approach for an acoustic transducer of
an electronic device. FIG. 5 represents a cross-sectional side view
of an acoustic transducer 220, a layer of high density acoustic
mesh material 222, and related mounting structure 224. FIG. 6 is a
schematic diagram that illustrates the mesh or pore size of the
high density acoustic mesh material 222. In contrast to the
relatively large mesh/pore size used for the low density acoustic
mesh material 202, the high density acoustic mesh material 222
exhibits a relatively small mesh/pore size, as depicted in FIG. 6.
Consequently, the high density acoustic mesh material 222 can
visibly obscure the underlying acoustic transducer 220.
Unfortunately, this optical quality of the high density acoustic
mesh material 222 comes at the expense of audio fidelity and
acoustic performance. In this regard, the high density acoustic
mesh material 222 has lower acoustic transparency (relative to the
low density acoustic mesh material 202), which can result in volume
attenuation, frequency response coloring, etc.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an exemplary
embodiment of a multi-layer acoustic mesh approach for an acoustic
transducer of an electronic device. This simplified rendition of
the embodiment depicts a cross-sectional side view of an acoustic
transducer 300, a first (lower) layer of low density acoustic mesh
material 302, a second (upper) layer of low density acoustic mesh
material 304, and related mounting structure 306. For this
particular embodiment, the material used for the first and second
layers of low density acoustic mesh material 302, 304 is identical,
and both layers of the material exhibit the same mesh or pore size.
In preferred embodiments, the first layer of low density acoustic
mesh material 302 is offset from, misaligned with, and/or staggered
relative to the second layer of low density acoustic mesh material
304. Such offsetting makes it more difficult to see the underlying
acoustic transducer 300 from points external to the electronic
device.
[0023] Notably, the first and second layers of acoustic mesh
material 302, 304 are spaced apart from one another by the mounting
structure 306, resulting in an acoustic air gap 310 defined between
the two layers. The acoustic air gap 310 can be shaped and sized
for acoustic transparency such that the sound emitted from the
acoustic transducer 300 is not attenuated or colored by any
noticeable amount. Moreover, the use of low density acoustic mesh
material (rather than a high density or a medium density material)
allows sound waves to pass through both layers in an acoustically
transparent manner. Therefore, the arrangement depicted in FIG. 7
has: (1) good acoustic performance characteristics (e.g., high
acoustic transparency, little to no volume attenuation); and (2)
high visual opaqueness, which makes the underlying acoustic
transducer 300 difficult if not impossible to see through the two
layers of low density acoustic mesh material. Accordingly, the
overall cosmetic appearance of the electronic device is improved
without degrading the sonic performance of the acoustic loudspeaker
300.
[0024] Referring again to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the mobile electronic
device 100 is suitably configured to implement an acoustic system
of the type schematically depicted in FIG. 7, namely, an acoustic
system having at least two layers of low density acoustic mesh
material associated with the port opening 108. FIG. 8 is an
exploded perspective view of a portion of the mobile electronic
device 100, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of
the mobile electronic device 100, as viewed from line 9-9 in FIG.
2.
[0025] As explained above with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the
device 100 includes a primary housing 102, a decorative cover 104
with a port opening 108 formed therein, and an upper layer of
acoustic mesh material 110. These elements are also shown in FIG. 8
and FIG. 9. Moreover, the device 100 may also include, without
limitation: an acoustic transducer 120; a transducer frame 122; and
a lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124.
[0026] The primary housing 102 may serve as the main structural
component or shell of the electronic device 100. In practice, the
primary housing 102 may be fabricated as a one-piece component,
e.g., a molded plastic component. For this particular embodiment,
the primary housing 102 defines at least a portion of an interior
volume 126 for the electronic device 100. For the illustrated
embodiment, the primary housing 102 includes or defines an interior
mounting surface 128 (or any comparable mounting element or
feature), an exterior mounting surface 130 (or any comparable
mounting element or feature), and an acoustic port 132 formed
therein.
[0027] Although not always required, the acoustic port 132 has an
oblong or oval perimeter (see FIG. 2) and a stepped cross-sectional
profile (see FIG. 9). As depicted in FIG. 9, the acoustic port 132
includes an upper acoustic port 132a that communicates with a lower
acoustic port 132b. The upper acoustic port 132a defines the upper
opening and upper end of the acoustic port 132, which terminates at
the exterior mounting surface 130 of the primary housing 102. The
lower acoustic port 132b defines the lower opening and lower end of
the acoustic port 132, which terminates at the interior mounting
surface 128 of the primary housing 102. As shown in FIG. 9, the
upper acoustic port 132a and the lower acoustic port 132b are
continuous with one another, such that the acoustic port 132
extends between the interior mounting surface 128 and the exterior
mounting surface 130. It should be appreciated that the specific
shape, size, stepped profile, and configuration of the acoustic
port 132 need not be as depicted in the figures, and that an
embodiment of the acoustic port 132 could be acoustically tuned to
obtain the desired acoustic performance characteristics.
[0028] The acoustic port 132 could be considered to be a part of
the interior volume 126 of the primary housing 102. The interior
volume 126 is suitably shaped, sized, and configured to accommodate
various internal components of the mobile electronic device 100,
including, without limitation, the acoustic transducer 120, the
transducer frame 122, and the lower layer of acoustic mesh material
124. In this regard, the acoustic transducer, the transducer frame
122, and the lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 are all
located and maintained within the interior volume 126, as shown in
FIG. 9.
[0029] The transducer frame 122 is used to physically couple the
acoustic transducer 120 to the primary housing 102. As shown in
FIG. 8, the transducer frame 122 includes an opening 136 that
accommodates the propagation of sound waves emitted from the
acoustic transducer 120. In certain embodiments, the acoustic
transducer 120 is realized as a loudspeaker for use with a
speakerphone function of the electronic device 100. The acoustic
transducer 120 could also be used to support ring tone, audio/video
playback, alarm, and other functions that require the generation of
sound. It should be appreciated that the techniques and approaches
described here could also be utilized for an embodiment where the
acoustic transducer 120 is realized as a microphone.
[0030] With continued reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the lower
layer of acoustic mesh material 124 is coupled between the interior
mounting surface 128 and the acoustic transducer 120. More
specifically, the lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 is
coupled between the interior mounting surface 128 and the
transducer frame 122. As a result, the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material 124 is positioned between the acoustic transducer 120 and
the lower end of the acoustic port 132 (see FIG. 9). In certain
embodiments, the lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 is
affixed or adhered to the transducer frame 122 and to the interior
mounting surface 128 using a suitable adhesive material, layer, or
composition. Referring to FIG. 8, the bottom surface 140 of the
lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 (i.e., the surface facing
the acoustic transducer 120) may be affixed to the transducer frame
122 and/or to the acoustic transducer 120 using a first adhesive
layer 142. Similarly, the top surface 144 of the lower layer of
acoustic mesh material 124 (i.e., the surface facing the acoustic
port 132) may be affixed to the interior mounting surface 128 using
a second adhesive layer 146. In particular, the top surface 144 of
the lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 is coupled to an area
of the interior mounting surface 128 that surrounds the lower
opening of the acoustic port 132. Thus, the lower layer of acoustic
mesh material 124 overlies the acoustic transducer 120, and extends
over and covers the lower opening and lower end of the acoustic
port 132.
[0031] The upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 is coupled to
at least the exterior mounting surface 130. For this particular
embodiment, the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 is
coupled between the exterior mounting surface 130 and the
decorative cover 104. As a result, the upper layer of acoustic mesh
material 110 is located between the decorative cover 104 and the
upper end of the acoustic port 132. In certain embodiments, the
upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 is affixed or adhered to
the exterior mounting surface 130 using a suitable adhesive
material, layer, or composition. Referring to FIG. 8, the bottom
surface 150 of the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 (i.e.,
the surface facing the acoustic port 132) may be affixed to the
exterior mounting surface 130 using a third adhesive layer 152. In
particular, the bottom surface 150 of the upper layer of acoustic
mesh material 110 is coupled to an area of the exterior mounting
surface 130 that surrounds the upper opening of the acoustic port
132. Thus, the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 overlies
the lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124, and extends over and
covers the upper opening and upper end of the acoustic port
132.
[0032] As mentioned previously, the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material 124 and the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 are
configured to provide an amount of acoustic transparency (to
propagate sound waves in an efficient manner) and to provide an
amount of visual obscurity (to hide the underlying acoustic
transducer 120 and other components). Thus, the lower layer of
acoustic mesh material 124 cooperates with the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material 110 to hide the acoustic transducer 120 from
a view external to the electronic device 100. In other words, a
person looking through the port opening 108 of the decorative cover
104 will see the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110, but
will have little to no visibility of anything located below the
lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 (see FIG. 2).
[0033] In certain implementations, the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material 124 and the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 have
the same, consistent pore/mesh size. In exemplary embodiments, the
lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 and the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material 110 have the same defined acoustic
transmission properties and characteristics, e.g., the same defined
acoustic resistance. For example, the lower layer of acoustic mesh
material 124 and the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110 are
preferably fabricated from an identical mesh material. Depending
upon the particular implementation, the mesh material used for the
electronic device 100 could be a pliable fabric material, a screen
material, a molded or machined component, or the like. As one
non-limiting example, the SAATIFIL ACOUSTEX 032 type of fabric
(available from SaatiTech) could be used to manufacture the upper
and lower layers of acoustic mesh material 110, 124. The published
specification for this material indicates that the pore size is 38
micrometers. It should be appreciated that alternative materials
could be used for the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110
and/or for the lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124 if so
desired. The SAATIFIL ACOUSTEX 032 fabric is merely one suitable
material that is readily available; another suitable material is
SEFAR ACOUSTIC HF fabric.
[0034] As best shown in FIG. 9, a portion of the primary housing
102 may serve as an offsetting structure 160 between the two layers
of acoustic mesh material 110, 124. The offsetting structure 160
has an overall thickness (the vertical dimension depicted in FIG.
9) that is designed to maintain spacing between the two layers of
acoustic mesh material 110, 124. In certain embodiments, including
the one shown in FIG. 9, the acoustic port 132 is formed within the
offsetting structure 160 of the primary housing 102. In this
regard, the primary housing 102 and the acoustic port 132 are
configured to maintain an acoustic air gap 162 between the two
layers of acoustic mesh material 110, 124. The acoustic air gap 162
may be defined as the separation distance between the two layers of
acoustic mesh material 110, 124, measured along an imaginary line
that is orthogonal to the two layers (see FIG. 9). In certain
embodiments, the acoustic air gap 162 is defined to be within the
range of about 1.0 to 2.0 millimeters. The size of the acoustic air
gap 162 can be optimized to provide the desired amount of visual
obscurity and to meet certain audio quality metrics, while
satisfying any physical constraints associated with the overall
packaging requirements of the electronic device 100, the primary
housing 102, and the like.
[0035] The decorative cover 104 can be coupled to the primary
housing 102, either directly or indirectly as needed. The
decorative cover 104 can be secured to the primary housing 102
using any suitable material, features, or technology, such as an
adhesive, a snap-fit feature, tabs, bonding, or the like. The
embodiment described here utilizes an adhesive layer 166 to affix
the decorative cover 104 to the primary housing 102 (see FIG.
8).
[0036] As mentioned above, the decorative cover 104 includes a port
opening 108 formed therein. The port opening 108 acoustically
communicates with the acoustic port 132 via the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material 110. In this regard, the decorative cover
104 is positioned overlying a portion of the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material 110 such that the portion of the upper layer
of acoustic mesh material 110 is located between the decorative
cover 104 and the exterior mounting surface 130 of the primary
housing 102, while the remaining section of the upper layer of
acoustic mesh material 110 is exposed through the port opening 108.
In accordance with this exemplary arrangement, the decorative cover
104 serves to hold and maintain the outer edge of the upper layer
of acoustic mesh material 110 in place. As shown in FIG. 9, the
decorative cover 104 may be coupled to the offsetting structure 160
of the primary housing 102 in a desired location and position such
that at least a portion of the port opening 108 is aligned with at
least a portion of the acoustic port 132 (more specifically, the
upper acoustic port 132a). In other words, the port opening 108
serves as a continuation of the acoustic port 132, with the upper
layer of acoustic mesh material 110 intervening between the
acoustic port 132 and the port opening 108.
[0037] The lower layer of acoustic mesh material 124, the acoustic
port 132, the upper layer of acoustic mesh material 110, and the
port opening 108 of the decorative cover 104 are suitably
configured to provide an acoustic path from the acoustic transducer
120 to an area external to the electronic device 100. Ideally, the
path for sound emitted by the acoustic transducer has little to no
effective acoustic impedance associated therewith, which minimizes
volume attenuation and preserves the audio fidelity of the emitted
sound. Moreover, the layers of acoustic mesh material 110, 124
cooperate to freely pass sound waves while hiding the acoustic
transducer 120 and/or other internal components from view.
[0038] In lieu of a single, tighter mesh weave to provide increased
visual masking, the exemplary embodiment described herein employs
two spaced-apart layers of low density acoustic mesh material
separated by an acoustic air gap to satisfy cosmetic and audio
requirements. For the described loudspeaker application, one layer
of the acoustic mesh material is placed internally on or near the
loudspeaker sealing surface, and the second layer is placed on the
outside surface of the port area, just below the decorative cover
104. The intentional acoustic air gap between the two layers of
acoustic mesh material results in little to no cumulative
restrictive effect or degradation of the audio performance. The use
of two meshes separated by the acoustic air gap creates a
staggering effect of the mesh openings, which significantly reduces
the "straight through" visibility of the acoustic system. The
resulting cosmetic masking of the opening is similar to using a
single, tighter weave mesh, without any audio degradation.
[0039] In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have
been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art
appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made
without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in
the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to
be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and
all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope
of present teachings.
[0040] The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any
element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to
occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a
critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all
the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims
including any amendments made during the pendency of this
application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
[0041] Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first
and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to
distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action
without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such
relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms
"comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes",
"including", "contains", "containing", or any other variation
thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that
a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has,
includes, or contains a list of elements does not include only
those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed
or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An
element proceeded by "comprises . . . a", "has . . . a", "includes
. . . a", "contains . . . a" does not, without more constraints,
preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the
process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has,
includes, or contains the element. The terms "a" and "an" are
defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein.
The terms "substantially", "essentially", "approximately", "about",
or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one
non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in
another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and
in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term "coupled" as used
herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly
and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is
"configured" in a certain way is configured in at least that way,
but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.
[0042] The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly
ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted
with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or
limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the
foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various
features are grouped together in various embodiments for the
purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure
is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the
claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly
recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,
inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single
disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby
incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim
standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
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