Low-profile speaker

The present invention generally relates to speakers such as those used in various home appliances and audio systems.

Audio systems are commonly used in homes, workplaces, automobiles, and many portable electronic devices. One of the considerations in deciding how to place these audio systems is the amount of space the system requires. Speakers are often the largest component of audio systems. In general, cabinets and various speaker components, especially components that provide low-distortion low-frequency sound, such as woofers (bass speakers) or subwoofers, tend to be large and bulky. Typical subwoofer sizes make them, for example, in automobiles, home audio systems, or in commercial applications where space is limited, or so that the user has some visibility of the components to the listener. It can be difficult to easily and conveniently incorporate into the system you want to do. Therefore, it is desirable to have speaker components that provide clear low frequency sound but are less bulky than conventional speaker components.

Specific methods of subwoofer design to reduce the size of the subwoofer cabinet are disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,130,954 issued to Carver, the teachings and disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Embodiments of the present invention provide such speaker components that provide clear low frequency sound with less distortion. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will become apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a thin speaker having a thin frame and a first magnet assembly disposed on the thin frame. The first magnet assembly has a first cage and a plurality of magnets arranged in the first cage. The thin speaker also includes a cone and a support assembly with a support ring attached to the cone, and a voice coil attached to the support ring. The support ring and voice coil are suspended relatively very close to the magnet assembly so that the support ring and voice coil vibrate in response to electrical signals in the voice coil.

In certain embodiments, multiple magnets are placed in individual pockets around the cage. The first magnet assembly, the second magnet assembly, and the bottom plate can be annular or rectangular. In another embodiment, the voice coil is a metal wire wound around a support ring, and the first magnet assembly and voice coil are concentric around the central axis of the frame. The magnet assembly is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the frame. In some embodiments, the diameter of the voice coil may be larger than the magnet assembly, and in alternative embodiments, the diameter may be smaller than the magnet assembly.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a thin speaker with a thin frame and a first magnet assembly disposed on the thin frame. The first magnet assembly has a first cage and a first solid ring of composite magnetic material placed in the first cage. The thin speaker also includes a cone and a support assembly with a support ring attached to the cone, and a voice coil attached to the support ring. The support ring and voice coil are suspended relatively very close to the magnet assembly so that the support ring and voice coil vibrate in response to electrical signals in the voice coil.

In embodiments of the invention, the first solid ring of the composite magnetic material comprises a plurality of fragments of the magnetic material suspended in epoxy. The magnetic poles of the plurality of fragments are aligned before the epoxy cures. In certain embodiments, the pieces of magnetic material include pieces of neodymium.

The thin speaker may further include a thin frame and a surround attached to the supporting assembly. The enclosing material is made of an elastic material and has an outer peripheral portion, an inner peripheral portion, and an arch-shaped portion connecting the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion. The outer peripheral portion is attached to the thin frame, and the inner peripheral portion is attached to the cone. The cone is flat or concave with respect to the thin frame. In certain embodiments, the enclosing material is made of butyl rubber.

In certain embodiments of the thin speaker, the first magnet assembly has a magnetic pole attached to the bottom surface of a first solid ring of composite magnetic material. The magnetic pole piece has a horizontal portion and a vertical portion. An upper plate is attached to the upper surface of the first solid ring of the composite magnetic material. The support ring and voice coil are housed in the gap between the top plate and the vertical portion.

In addition, the thin speaker may include a second magnet assembly placed in the thin frame. The second magnet assembly has a second cage and a second solid ring of composite magnetic material placed in the second cage. The second magnet assembly is concentric with the first magnet assembly and is smaller in width or diameter than the first magnet assembly. The first magnet assembly and the second magnet assembly are connected by a bottom plate attached to the bottom surface of the first and second solid rings of the composite magnetic material in the first and second magnet assemblies. In the embodiment, the first top plate is attached to the top surface of the first solid ring of the composite magnetic material, and the second top plate is attached to the top surface of each of the second solid ring of the composite magnetic material. There is. The support ring and voice coil are housed in the gap between the first top plate and the second top plate.

In certain embodiments, the first solid ring of the composite magnetic material has individual magnetic poles such that the first solid ring of the composite magnetic material effectively has a single north pole and a single south pole. Includes aligned magnetic fragments. In addition, the second voice coil is wound around the support ring, and the voice coil and the second voice coil are very close to the opposite pole of the first solid ring of the composite magnetic material.

In certain embodiments, the width or diameter-to-speaker depth ratio of the thin speaker is greater than 10 in some embodiments and greater than 20 in certain embodiments.

In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a thin speaker that includes a frame with stepped portions. The stepped portion has a plurality of openings, and a plurality of magnets are arranged in the plurality of openings. The voice coil is supported by a cone disc that fits within the stepped frame, and the voice coil is suspended relatively close to multiple magnets. At the same time, the top plate and magnetic pole pieces hold multiple magnets in the frame. The top plate and magnetic pole pieces are assembled so that the voice coil can vibrate in the gap between the top plate and the magnetic pole pieces.

Certain thin speakers include a wrapping material made of elastic material, the wrapping material has an outer and inner peripheral portion, the outer peripheral portion is attached to the frame, the inner peripheral portion is attached to the cone disc, and the cone disc and Allow the voice coil to be suspended in the gap between the top plate and the magnetic pole pieces.

In an embodiment, the cone disc is made from either aluminum or a transparent material. The perimeter of the frame may include multiple openings. In another embodiment, the magnetic pole piece has a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, and the gap described above is between the vertical portion and the inner peripheral surface of the top plate.

Other aspects, objectives, and advantages of the present invention, together with the accompanying drawings, will become more apparent from the following detailed description.

The accompanying drawings incorporated and in part thereof serve to illustrate some aspects of the invention, along with a description thereof, to explain the principles of the invention.

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thin speaker constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the thin speaker of FIG. 1 constructed according to a particular embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the thin speaker of FIG. 2 which is shown at different angles and provides perspective views of the thin speaker.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a thin speaker constructed according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="5">FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the thin speaker of FIG. 4, which is shown at different angles and provides perspective views of the thin speaker.</figref><figref num="6">FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a thin speaker including a rear baffle and a second enclosing material according to an embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a thin rectangular speaker constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="8">FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a thin rectangular speaker constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="9">FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the thin speaker of FIG. 1 assembled in a square housing.</figref><figref num="10">FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a thin speaker constructed according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="11">FIG. 11 is an exploded isometric view of a thin speaker constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="12">FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the thin speaker of claim 11, which includes a frame with a plurality of openings.</figref>

The present invention will be described in the context of specific preferred embodiments, but is not limited to those embodiments. On the contrary, it covers all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a thin speaker 100 constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a particular embodiment, the thin speaker 100 of FIG. 1 is a subwoofer configured to provide low frequency sound. In many conventional speaker systems, the subwoofer (or simply "sub") is generally 8 to 21 inches in diameter and is dedicated to reproducing bass audible frequencies (ie, "bass"). The typical frequency range for subwoofers is around 20-200Hz for consumer products, below 100Hz for full-fledged professional live sound, and below 80Hz for modern subwoofers. There are many.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the thin speaker 100 is attached to a substantially disk-shaped thin frame 102 including a cup-like portion 104 inside, and an upper edge of the cup-like portion 104 around the disk-shaped frame 102. Includes a flange-shaped portion 106. In at least one embodiment, the frame 102 is shaped and formed from a single, malleable but sufficiently rigid material, or molded from a material of suitable rigidity. However, in an alternative embodiment, the frame 102 is assembled from separate components.

The enclosing material 108 is mounted on the surface of the flange-shaped portion 106. Envelopment material 108 is an annular part made of an elastic material, such as an elastomer such as butyl rubber. In certain embodiments, the annular surface of the enclosing material 108 is arched, with the first flat portion 110 or outer flat portion of the arch 112 and the second flat portion 114 or inner flat portion of the arch 112. The apex of the arch 112 forms a substantially circular shape at the midpoint between the inner and outer diameters of the annular encapsulation 108. The first flat portion 110 of the enclosing material 108 is attached to the surface of the flanged portion 106 of the frame 102. The second flat portion 114 of the enclosing material 108 extends radially to the cup-like portion 104 and, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the supporting assembly 116 including the cone 118 and the support ring 120. It is attached to. For embodiments of the present invention, the "cone" may have a variety of shapes, including, but not limited to, planar, concave, convex, and conical. In conventional speakers, the support ring 120 is more typically referred to as winding or voice coil winding.

2 and 3 show a cross-sectional view of the thin speaker 100. The second flat portion 114 of the enclosing material 108 is attached to a flat circular cone 118. The circular cone 118 is similarly attached to a support ring 120 that supports the voice coil 122. In embodiments of the present invention, the voice coil 122 comprises wire rods made from aluminum, copper, alloys of these metals, or some other suitable material. The wire is wrapped around the support ring 120. The support ring 120 can be made from plastic or from some other lightweight but rigid material suitable for supporting the voice coil 122. The embodiment of FIG. 2 shows a first magnet assembly 124 and a second magnet assembly 126.

In at least one embodiment, each magnet assembly 124, 126 comprises an annular cage holding a plurality of magnets 128. Generally, the annular cage is configured such that a plurality of magnets 128 are arranged at equal intervals around the frame 102. The first and second magnet assemblies 124 and 126 in the figure are annular, and the diameter of the first magnet assembly 124 is larger than the diameter of the second magnet assembly 126. The frame 102 may be configured to hold the annular cage in place. In some embodiments, the magnets 128 are arranged side by side in pockets all around the annular cage.

The first magnet assembly 124, the outer magnet assembly, is located substantially along the inner wall of the cup-like portion 104 of the frame 102, away from the outer diameter surface of the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120. The second magnet assembly 126, the inner magnet assembly, is disposed away from the inner diameter surface of the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120. In at least one embodiment, the magnet assemblies 124, 126 each include a magnet 128 made of a rare earth metal such as neodymium or samarium cobalt. The strength of these magnets 128 allows the construction of magnet assemblies that are smaller and lighter than those commonly found in traditional speakers. In certain embodiments, each magnet 128 is rectangular and is approximately 1 inch high x 0.5 inch wide x 8 inches deep. However, alternative embodiments may include magnets 128 larger or smaller. Further, in an alternative embodiment, the magnet 128 may be curved rather than planar, or may have a shape other than a rectangle.

The annular bottom plate 130 connects the bottom surface of the magnet 128 in the outer magnet assembly 124 to the bottom surface of the magnet 128 in the inner magnet assembly 126. In conventional speakers, this bottom plate 130 is sometimes called a magnetic pole piece. In at least one embodiment, the annular bottom plate 130 is arched outward away from the magnet 128, creating more space for the voice coil 122 to move between the magnet assemblies 124 and 126. ing. There are two annular top plates. The first top plate 132, the outer top plate, is attached to the top surface of the magnet 128 in the outer magnet assembly 124. The second top plate 134, the inner top plate, is attached to the top surface of the magnet 128 of the inner magnet assembly 126.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the first and second magnet assemblies 124, 126, along with the bottom and top plates 130, 132, 134, have a rectangular or box-like cross section internally provided with an opening for the voice coil 122. To form. The opening is described more precisely as the annular gap 136 between the outer first top plate 132 and the inner second top plate 134. This annular gap, commonly referred to as the magnetic gap 136, allows the annular voice coil 122 and the attached support ring 120 to move back and forth in the magnetic gap 136 without contacting either the top plate 132 or 134. It is separated by just enough space. Therefore, when the thin speaker 100 is not operating, the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120 are connected to the cone 118 and the enclosing material 108, and the voice coil 122 between the two magnet assemblies 124, 126. It is suspended in the magnetic gap 136 between the two annular top plates 132, 134, with at least a portion. In an embodiment, the bottom plate and the two top plates are made of a ferromagnetic material.

By manufacturing the magnet assemblies 124 and 126 in an annular shape and separating the voice coil 122 from the magnet assemblies 124 and 126, a subwoofer having a sufficiently reduced depth as compared with the conventional subwoofer is constructed. It becomes possible. The annular inner and outer magnet assemblies 124, 126 are substantially concentric. Even with the shallow depth of the thin speaker 100, the inner and outer magnet assemblies 124, 126, along with the top plates 132, 134 and bottom plate 130, are mounted with the voice coil 122 with less distortion of low frequency sound during operation. Generates enough magnetic field to drive the support ring 120. A typical embodiment of a thin speaker 100 (eg, a home audio system) uses a magnet 128 with a height of about 1 inch, even for diameters up to 20 inches or more, in depth, ie thickness. Is considered to be about 2 to 3 inches. However, it is also considered that this 3 inch depth can be further reduced to less than 2 inches, or even less than 1 inch, for example by lowering the height of the magnet 128 and the corresponding voice coil 122. To. Therefore, in embodiments of the thin speaker 100, the diameter or width to thickness or depth ratio of the thin frame 102 may be about 7-25, and in some embodiments greater than 25. In the light of this application, the term "thin" refers to speakers and speaker components that have a width-to-depth ratio in the range described above.

It should also be noted that the designs disclosed herein can be scaled to reduce the size of the thin speaker 100 for use in applications such as headphones, mobile phones and MP3 play. However, at the other end of the spectrum, speaker systems for use in smaller sizes, more suitable for use in home or automotive speaker systems, or in commercial applications, such as stadiums and entertainment venues. Can be manufactured to a size suitable for use in. Therefore, it is envisioned that this design will be used for speakers as small as 0.5 inches in diameter to those over 30 inches in diameter. In addition, the scalability of the thin design allows speakers of all sizes to have a width-to-depth ratio that follows the range specified above.

Similarly, in an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a magnet assembly containing a solid ring of composite magnetic material is used. In this embodiment, a number of pieces of magnetic material, such as neodymium, are suspended in liquid epoxy. The liquid epoxy is formed on the ring and the magnetic poles of the magnetic fragments are aligned so that the ring has substantially a single north pole and a single south pole. The epoxy then cures to form a rigid magnetic ring. As shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnetic ring is attached to the top plate 132 and the bottom plate 130 of the ferromagnetic material and assembled to the speaker frame 102 as described below. In another embodiment, two solid magnetic rings 124, 126 with slightly different diameters are used to represent magnets 128 on each side of the voice coil 122, as shown in embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3. In general, the solid magnetic rings 124, 126 are placed concentrically and, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, both magnetic rings 124, such that the bottom plate 130 of the ferromagnetic material connects the rings 124, 126 at the bottom edge. , 126 assembled. In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each magnetic ring 124, 126 has its own top plates 132, 134 of the ferromagnetic material, which top plates are suspended internally. It is arranged to form a magnetic gap 136 that allows the voice coil 122 to move.

4 and 5 show a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the thin speaker 200. In this alternative embodiment, the frame 102, enclosure 108, voice coil 122, and support ring 122 are similar or identical to the components in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3. However, an alternative embodiment has only one magnet assembly 224 with a cage 225 and a plurality of rectangular magnets 128. Further, the cone 218 is concave in this embodiment instead of the planar cone 118 of FIGS. 1-3 and is curved towards the cup-like portion 104 of the frame 102. In the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnet assembly 224 is disposed along the inner wall of the cup-like portion 104 of the frame 102 facing the outer diameter surface of the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120. In some embodiments, a snap ring 203 or similar device is used to secure the magnet assembly 224 in place within the frame 102. The top plate 232 is attached to the top surface of the magnet 128 of the magnet assembly 224 and extends horizontally from the top of the magnet 128 by a short distance. A bottom plate or pole piece 230 is attached to the bottom surface of the magnet 128 in the magnet assembly 224. The magnetic pole piece 230 extends horizontally from the magnet 128 under the annular voice coil 122, and the vertical portion 231 extends upwardly apart toward the inner diameter surface of the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120.

In this arrangement, there is a magnetic gap 236 between the top plate 232 and the vertical portion 231 of the magnetic pole piece 230. In at least one embodiment, the top plate 232 and the magnetic pole piece 230 are made of a ferromagnetic material. Thus, the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120 have a magnetic gap 236 between the top plate 232 and the vertical portion 231 of the magnetic pole piece 230 and also between the magnet assembly 224 and the vertical portion 231 of the magnetic pole piece 230. Suspended on.

During operation, the magnet assembly 224 and magnetic pole piece 230 have sufficient magnetic field to drive the voice coil 122 and the attached support ring 120, even within a shallow, thin speaker 200 with low low frequency sound distortion. To generate. The supporting assembly 116 is supported in a suspended state by being attached to the enclosing material 108 and vibrates or moves back and forth in the space between the magnet assembly 224 and the vertical portion 231 of the magnetic pole piece 230. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the range of motion of the voice coil 122 is approximately 0.5 inch to 0.75 inch. However, depending on the size of the magnet 128 and the thickness of the voice coil 122, the range of motion of the voice coil 122 can be larger or smaller than 0.5 to 0.75 inch.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 4 and 5, the magnet assembly 224 is positioned inside the voice coil 122 and support ring 120, and the magnet 128 is placed on the inner surface of the voice coil 122 and support ring 120. Try to face each other. In this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, the magnetic pole piece 230 is attached to the bottom surface of the magnet 128. The vertical portion 231 extends below the annular voice coil 122 and upwardly towards the outer diameter surface of the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120. As in the example above, the magnetic pole piece 230 is made of a ferromagnetic material. Further, as in the above example, the voice coil 122 and the support ring 120 are suspended between the magnet assembly 224 and the vertical portion 231 of the magnetic pole piece 230. Further, in this other embodiment, the voice coil oscillates, i.e., moves back and forth in the magnetic gap 236 between the magnet assembly 224 and the vertical portion 231 of the magnetic pole piece 230.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a thin speaker 300 including an enclosing material 108, a concave cone 218, and a rear baffle 308 attached to a frame 102. The rear baffle 308 is structurally similar to the encapsulating material 108 and is made of an elastic elastomer material such as butyl rubber. The rear baffle 108 allows the rear portion 310 of the frame 102 to move to some extent. In this configuration, the thin speaker 300 performs a function similar to that of an isobaric speaker and has a reduced frequency response. In general, the term "isobaric speaker" refers to operating characteristics that use at least two woofers, or bus drivers, in a loudspeaker unit. From a practical point of view, the use of isobaric loading on loudspeaker systems is to reduce the bus frequency response.

7 and 8 show perspective views of a thin rectangular speaker 400 constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention. The components and internal structure of the rectangular speaker 400 are similar or identical to those of the embodiments described above, with the exception that the frame, enclosure, magnet assembly, voice coil, and support ring, and cone are not circular. It is a rectangle. Of course, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the thin speaker can be configured in any other shape, such as oval, hexagonal, octagonal, triangular, or in various shapes. One advantage of the rectangular speaker 400 shown in FIG. 7 is that it can be easily installed on the wall of a home or building between adjacent studs, as shown in FIG. However, this can also be achieved using the rounded, thin speaker 100 installed in the rectangular box 402, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a thin speaker 500 having a dual coil configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the magnet assembly is to hold either a plurality of relatively small magnets 128 in the magnet assembly 526 or a solid ring of composite magnetic material in the magnet assembly 526 as described above. Includes a configured annular cage 524. In certain embodiments, the magnet assembly 526 is in contact with or very close to the frame 102. Top and bottom plates 532 and bottom plates of approximately equal size are attached to the top and bottom edges of the magnet 128, respectively.

The top and bottom plates 532 and 530 are made of ferromagnetic material and project radially inward from the perimeter of the magnet 128 and frame 102. The first voice coil 522 is placed relatively close to the top plate 532, while the second voice coil 523 is placed relatively close to the bottom plate 530. In at least one embodiment, two voice coils 522, 523 are wound around the support ring 520 in opposite directions. In an alternative embodiment, the two voice coils 522, 523 are wound in the same direction, but the termination of the first voice coil 522 is connected to a power supply (not shown) and the polarity is second. The end of the voice coil 523 is reversed. In this method, the voice coils 522, 523, which are located close to the opposite poles of the magnet 128, move in the same direction in response to the electrical signal driving the speaker 500.

FIG. 11 is an exploded isometric view of the thin speaker 600 constructed according to the embodiment of the present invention. The thin speaker 600 has an annular stepped frame 602 with a flange 603 and an internal step 605. Around the inner stage 605, there are a plurality of rectangular openings 607 for holding the plurality of magnets 604. Although held in place by the rectangular opening 607, each of the plurality of magnets 604 is supported at the bottom by the pole piece 606 and at the top by the top plate 608. The magnetic pole piece e606 includes an annular horizontal portion 609 and an annular vertical portion 615. In the illustrated embodiment, the magnet 604 is cubic, but in an alternative embodiment, the magnet may have a shape other than the cube, and the rectangular opening 607 may be non-rectangular. In another embodiment, the plurality of magnets 604 may be replaced with a solid ring of composite magnetic material as described above.

The magnetic pole pieces and top plates 606 and 608 are made of ferromagnetic material. The annular encapsulation material 610, made of an elastic material such as butyl rubber, has an outer peripheral portion 611 and an inner peripheral portion 613. The outer peripheral portion 611 is attached to the flange 603 of the annular stepped frame 602, while the inner peripheral portion 613 is attached to the cone disc 612, which is an integral part of the cone and support ring of the previous embodiment. .. In certain embodiments, the cone disk 612 is made of aluminum and has the effect of reducing magnetic eddy currents during speaker operation. As a result, the thin speaker 600 operates more efficiently, i.e. requires less power for equivalent output when compared to the thin speaker 600 using a non-metal cone disk 612. .. In an alternative embodiment, the cone disc 612 is made of a transparent material that allows the internal components of the speaker to be clearly visible. In this case, the light can be placed behind the transparent surface of the cone disc to improve the appearance of the thin speaker 600. In addition, a transparent material is coated so that digital photographs or videos can be viewed on the surface of the cone disc 612.

The voice coil 614 is wound around a peripheral portion of the cone disc 612. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the voice coil 614 is integrated with the cone disc so that a single component includes, for example, the cone, support ring, and voice coil shown in the embodiment of FIG.

The operation of the thin speaker 600 is very similar to the embodiment described above. When fully assembled, there is a gap (not shown) between the top plate 608 and the vertical portion 615 of the magnetic pole piece 606. The peripheral portion of the voice coil 614 and the cone disc 612 is suspended in the gap and held in place by the enclosing material 610. As can be seen from FIG. 11, the encapsulating material 610 has two arched portions instead of the one arched portion shown in the enclosing material 108 of FIG. The larger enclosing material 608 of FIG. 11 is used to provide a tighter fit between the enclosing material 608 and the cone disc 612. This provides better support and stability for the cone disc 612 and voice coil 614.

FIG. 12 shows an isometric view of the assembled thin speaker 600. In the embodiment of FIG. 12, the thin speaker 600 has a frame 622, and there are a plurality of slots 624 around the frame 622. In the illustrated embodiment, the slots are oriented vertically. The slots allow air cooling to enter and exit the thin speaker 600. In an alternative embodiment, the slot 624 can be a round hole, or an opening of a suitable shape, allowing air to flow through the speaker 600. In another embodiment, the magnetic pole piece 606 may have a plurality of openings similar to or identical to those in the frame 622. In addition to the cooling function, the plurality of slots 624 also reduce the back pressure inside the thin speaker 600 caused by the movement of the cone disk 612 during speaker operation. This reduces the stress on the components of the thin speaker 600. In conventional sealed speakers, the back pressure generally increases during speaker operation. The embodiment of FIG. 12 shows the thin speaker 600 and most of its components in a rounded shape, including, but not limited to, rectangles, hexagons, octagons, eggs, and triangles. Other shapes are envisioned within the scope of the present invention.

All references, including publications, patent applications and patents cited herein, are to the extent that each reference is individually and specifically indicated for inclusion by reference, and herein. Incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as described in its entirety.

The use of the terms "a" and "an" and "the" and similar referents is not indicated herein in the context of the description of the invention (particularly in the context of the following claims). It is construed to cover both the singular and the plural, as long as it does not contradict the content. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are also open-ended terms (ie, "including, but limited," unless otherwise noted. It is interpreted as "not a thing"). The enumeration of the range of values herein is intended to serve as a simple and clear way to individually describe each and every value within that range, unless otherwise specified herein. , And individual values are incorporated herein as if they were listed individually herein. All of the methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise specified herein or which is clearly inconsistent with the content. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary languages (eg, "etc.") provided herein is merely to better demonstrate the invention and is not claimed as such. As long as it does not limit the scope of the present invention. The language of the specification is essential to the practice of the present invention and should not be construed to indicate any unclaimed element.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described herein, including the best embodiments known to us to carry out the present invention. Modifications of those preferred embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the above description. We anticipate that those skilled in the art will use such modifications as needed, and we implement the invention in ways other than those specifically described herein. Intended to be. Accordingly, the present invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter of the claims attached herein, as permitted by applicable law. Further, any combination of the above elements in all possible variations thereof is included in the present invention unless otherwise specified herein or inconsistent with the content.