Boston Acoustics, Inc.

Aaron Linn

Leif Blackmon

Derek Hatchett

David Cahill

Brian Cox

An audio speaker having a removable voice coil, which may be a part of a voice coil assembly. The voice coil may be user-removable to facilitate replacement of a damaged voice coil or reconfiguration of a speaker system. Properly positioning the voice coil assembly may provide a solder-free electrical connection between the voice coil and leads that provide current to the voice coil. In some embodiments, the voice coil is user-removably attached to an inner circumferential surface of a diaphragm. In other embodiments, the voice coil is connected to the diaphragm, and the voice coil assembly and the diaphragm are both user-removably attached to a frame.

Audio speaker having a removable voice coil

A cooling mechanism is provided for an audio speaker, which mechanism includes a plate of a thermally conductive material mounted between the driver mechanism of the speaker and the speaker basket and extending from the voice coil gap to the outside of the speaker. The spacing between this plate and the voice coil is preferably kept as small as possible. The plate is preferably a vent plate having a plurality of radial vents extending along the width of the plate from the voice coil gap side thereof to the side facing the outside of the speaker. Such a vent plate, in addition to providing radiant cooling, also provides cooling via air flow as well as conduction and convection cooling. The vents are sized and shaped so as to minimize any turbulence, and thus any audible air noise.

Cooling mechanism for an audio speaker

An audio speaker, the voice coil of which is passively cooled by using at least one of the speaker cone and spider as a bellows to draw air in and to push air out through a first vent passing through the voice coil and a second vent, connected to the first vent through an air flow path, which second vent is formed in a basket of the speaker which is formed of a material having good heat transfer properties. Air drawn into the speaker through the first vent removes heat from the voice coil and is heated thereby. This air is mixed with cooler air drawn in through the second vent which cooler air is expelled through both vents under appropriate action of the bellows. Partially cooled air expelled through the first vent further cools the voice coil and expelled through the second vent, which is also partially heated, has heat removed therefrom as it passes through the second vent formed in the basket, the relatively large area of the basket passed through by this air functioning as a heat sink. Turbulence in the vents assures air exchange at the entrances to the vents and the drawing of replacement air therein.

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York, ME, United States of America

Aaron Linn