Condenser microphone

Abstract

A condenser microphone, including at least one diaphragm, at least one electrode assigned to the diaphragm, comprising at least one ring-shaped insulator holding the electrode, comprising at least one diaphragm ring holding the diaphragm, and a holding ring holding the components mentioned. The mechanical and electrical properties of the condenser microphone are improved where the holding ring includes ceramic material. Preferably, the diaphragm ring and/or the ring-shaped insulator also consist(s) of ceramic material. With further preference, the ceramic material is zirconium oxide.

Claims

1. A condenser microphone, comprising: at least one diaphragm; at least one electrode associated with the diaphragm; at least one annular insulator holding the electrode; at least one diaphragm ring holding the diaphragm; and a retaining ring that in cooperation with the annular insulator secures the diaphragm ring, the diaphragm, and the electrode; wherein the retaining ring consists of a ceramic material.

2. The condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein both the diaphragm ring and the annular insulator include ceramic materials.

3. The condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein the diaphragm ring and the annular insulator are fastened together by means of screws.

4. The condenser microphone of claim 3, wherein the screws include a ceramic material.

5. The condenser microphone of claim 4, wherein the screws include the same ceramic material as the retaining ring.

6. The condenser microphone of claim 1, comprising two electrodes, each electrode being held by a different annular insulator, with the annular insulators being secured by two ceramic retaining rings connected to one another using screws so that the end faces of the two electrodes are disposed opposite one another.

7. The condenser microphone of claim 1, comprising two electrodes, both electrodes being held by a common annular insulator so that the end faces of the two electrodes are disposed opposite one another.

8. The condenser microphone of claim 1, comprising two electrodes, both electrodes being held by a common ceramic retaining ring so that the end faces of the two electrodes are disposed opposite one another.

9. The condenser microphone of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material is zirconium oxide.

10. A condenser microphone, comprising: at least one diaphragm; at least one electrode associated with the diaphragm; at least one annular insulator holding the electrode; at least one diaphragm ring holding the diaphragm; and a retaining ring that in cooperation with the annular insulator secures the diaphragm ring, the diaphragm, and the electrode; wherein the retaining ring, diaphragm ring, and the annular insulator include ceramic materials.

11. A condenser microphone, comprising: at least one diaphragm; at least one electrode associated with the diaphragm; at least one annular insulator holding the electrode; at least one diaphragm ring holding the diaphragm; and a retaining ring that in cooperation with the annular insulator secures the diaphragm ring, the diaphragm, and the electrode; wherein the retaining ring includes a ceramic material; and wherein the diaphragm ring and the annular insulator are fastened together by means of screws that include the same ceramic material as the retaining ring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Independently of the other configurations, in a backplate microphone it is possible for both electrodes to be held by a common ceramic holding ring, thereby saving component parts and structural height.

(2) It is preferred for the ceramic material to be zirconium oxide.

(3) The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawing, in which

(4) FIG. 1 shows a purely schematic section through the most essential components of a condenser microphone, namely electrode and diaphragm,

(5) FIG. 2 shows a corresponding section through a condenser microphone with two electrodes and diaphragm,

(6) FIG. 3 shows a plan view in the direction of the arrow III from FIG. 2,

(7) FIG. 4 shows a variant of FIG. 1, and

(8) FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show a variant of FIGS. 2 and 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic axial section, a microphone in accordance with the prior art: a diaphragm ring 2 clamps a diaphragm 1 by means of an insulating spacer ring 3 and a ring-shaped insulator 7 at a distance above a disk-shaped electrode 5. Said electrode 5 has openings 6 connecting the interspace between the electrode and the diaphragm to the space on the other side of the electrode. There a so-called acoustic friction 8, for example a spun yarn or a foam, is provided, which serves for tuning the microphone. All this is prior art and needs no further explanation.

(10) It is advantageous that the diaphragm ring 2 and/or the ring-shaped insulator 7 also consist(s) of ceramic material. They are connected to one another by means of screws 4, if appropriate composed of electrically insulating material, in particular likewise ceramic material, and thus clamp in the diaphragm 1.

(11) FIG. 2 shows the situation in the case of a microphone with two diaphragms. In principle, such a microphone consists of two microphones each comprising a diaphragm 1, which are connected to one another in a manner facing electrode-to-electrode. In this case, the electrodes are at a short distance from one another. This distance is determined by the role of the acoustic friction, which in this case is implemented by the disk-shaped cavity or slot 8 thus formed between the mutually facing end faces of the two electrodes 5.

(12) In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the two microphone parts are appropriately connected to one another in a manner not shown (e.g. by means of the housing or the capsule and/or the further components) or are held in this position, if appropriate with an intermediate ring (not shown). It is possible, of course, to connect the two components by means of at least one spacer and through screws in order to facilitate their handling and mounting. Said through screws can be used instead of the ring screws 4, or else in addition thereto. Moreover, it is possible to hold both electrodes with a ring-shaped insulator or to ensure the illustrated configuration in the capsule after, if appropriate progressive, introduction by means of fixed clamping. With knowledge of the invention, it is a straightforward matter for the person skilled in the art to choose the appropriate embodiments here for the individual fields of application.

(13) FIG. 3 shows a plan view in the direction of the arrow III from FIG. 2; the diaphragm ring 2, the screws 4 and the diaphragm 1 are readily discernible.

(14) FIG. 4 shows, purely schematically, a variant of FIG. 1 with a holding ring 9 composed of ceramic material and an insulating disk 7 on the rear side of the diaphragm 1, which firstly, together with the holding ring 9, holds the electrode and the diaphragm 1 together with its rings and secondly fixes an acoustic friction 8, illustrated as dotted, permeable material, for example by means of adhesive bonding or screws (not illustrated).

(15) FIGS. 5 and 6 analogously show a dual embodiment similar to that from FIGS. 2 and 3, once again with a ceramic holding ring 9. The latter has radial projections (lugs) having through holes for through screws 10, which thus fix the entirety of the components mentioned. Here, however, instead of the slot friction 8, an acoustic friction 8 embodied as spun yarn or the like is provided, which can be freely combined and/or exchanged.

(16) Generally it shall also be pointed out that the insulator 7 need only generally be ring-shaped, in the sense that it surrounds and holds the electrode 5 at the circumference thereof and in the sense that it cooperates with the diaphragm ring 2 in order to hold the diaphragm 1. Otherwise it can be adapted to the respective installation situation and have corresponding projections, shoulders, lugs, indentations, etc.

(17) The invention can be modified in a variety of ways. In this regard, the ring screws 4 can also consist of ceramic material, they can be embodied with countersunk heads that descend completely into cutouts in the respective ring, and suchlike.

(18) In the description and the claims, the terms at the front, at the back, at the top, at the bottom and so on are used in their common form and with reference to the object in the customary use position thereof. In other words, in the case of a gun, the muzzle of the barrel is at the front, the breach or slide is moved toward the back by the explosion gases, etc.

(19) It shall also be pointed out that in the description and the claims, indications such as lower region of a suspension, reactor, filter, construction, or of a device or, very generally, of an object, means the lower half and in particular the lower quarter of the total height, and lowest region means the lowest quarter and in particular an even smaller part; while middle region means the middle third of the total height (width-length). All these indications have their common meaning, applied to the intended position of the object considered.

(20) In the description and the claims, substantially means a deviation of up to 10% of the indicated value, if it is physically possible, both downward and upward, otherwise only in the expedient direction; for indications of degrees (angle and temperature), this is therefore taken to mean10.

(21) All indications of quantities and indications of proportions, in particular those for delimiting the invention, provided that they do not concern the concrete examples, should be understood with a tolerance of 10%, thus for example: 11% means: from 9.9% to 12.1%. In the case of designations in the German text such as: ein Lsungsmittel [a solvent], the German word ein [a; an; one] should not be regarded as a numeral but rather as a pronoun, unless something to the contrary is clear from the context.

(22) The term combination or combinations, unless indicated otherwise, stands for all kinds of combinations, preceding from two of the relevant constituents up to a multiplicity of such constituents; the term containing also stands for consisting of.

(23) The features and variants indicated in the individual configurations and examples can be freely combined with those of the other examples and configurations and be used in particular for characterizing the invention in the claims without mandatory concomitant inclusion of the other details of the respective configuration or of the respective example.

(24) TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs: 01 Diaphragm 02 Diaphragm ring 03 Spacer ring 04 Ring screw(s) 05 Electrode 06 Holes 07 Insulator 08 Acoustic friction 08 Friction as slot 09 Holding ring 10 Through screws