US 12,445,783 B2
Electromagnetic transducer with piezoelectric spring
Armin Azhirnian, Mölnlycke (SE); Henrik Fyrlund, Mölnlycke (SE); and Tommy Bergs, Mölnlycke (SE)
Assigned to Cochlear Limited, Macquarie University (AU)
Appl. No. 18/548,155
Filed by Cochlear Limited, Macquarie University (AU)
PCT Filed Mar. 15, 2022, PCT No. PCT/IB2022/052344
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 28, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/208214, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 6, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/168,693, filed on Mar. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0147168 A1, May 2, 2024
Int. Cl. H04R 17/10 (2006.01); H04R 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 17/10 (2013.01) [H04R 25/48 (2013.01); H04R 25/606 (2013.01); H04R 2460/13 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a bobbin comprising at least one core and at least one electrically conductive coil wound around at least a portion of the bobbin;
at least one counterweight assembly configured to vibrate with a first range of vibrational frequencies in response to magnetic fields generated by the bobbin; and
at least one spring in mechanical communication with the at least one counterweight assembly, the at least one spring configured to resiliently deform in response to movement of the at least one counterweight assembly, the at least one spring comprising at least one piezoelectric element, the at least one piezoelectric element configured to respond to at least one time-varying electrical signal applied to the at least one piezoelectric element by vibrating the at least one counterweight assembly with a second range of vibrational frequencies comprising at least some vibrational frequencies higher than the first range of vibrational frequencies.