as) United States
`a2) Patent Application Publication co) Pub. No.: US 2009/0052721 Al
` Dabrowski (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 26, 2009
`
`
`
`US 20090052721A1
`
`(54) COMBINED INDUCTIVE CHARGING COIL
`AND AUDIO SPEAKER FOR USE INA
`PERSONAL CARE APPLIANCE
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/752,651, filed on Dec.
`21, 2005.
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor:
`
`Christopher J. Dabrowski,
`Lynnwood, WA (US)
`
`.
`.
`oe
`Publication Classification
`
`Correspondence Address:
`PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY &
`STANDARDS
`P.O. BOX 3001
`BRIARCLIFF MANOR,NY 10510 (US)
`.
`:
`
`(73) Assignee:
`
`Appl. No.:
`21)
`Appl.
`No
`(21)
`(22) PCT Filed:
`
`(86) PCT No.:
`
`ponenone xWoes
`EINDHOVEN (NL) “™
`12/158.283
`,
`Dec. 14, 2006
`,
`PCT/IB2006/054870
`
`§ 371 (c)(1),
`(2), (4) Date:
`
`Sep. 10, 2008
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`HOAR 1/02
`(52) U.S. C1. cc ceeeseseeesersereeceeceeceeceeceeeneenes 381/386
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`The combined charge coil and audio speaker coil assembly
`
`(30) includes a single coil (32) which acts as a charging coil
`for a battery charging circuit and as an audio speakercoil, in
`a personalcare appliance. An audio speaker membrane(42)is
`mounted to produce audio sounds when activated. A magnet
`(40) is included for the audio speaker and the single coil is
`mounted to the speaker membranefor driving the membrane
`in responseto a drive signal. Electrical con- tact members(50,
`52) for the coil are connected to receive a driving signal to
`move the membrane to produce an audio sound and to a
`recharging circuit (34)for recharging ofthe appliance batter-
`
`ies (16). APPLE 1081
`
`1
`
`Apple v. GUI
`IPR2021-00472
`
`1
`
`APPLE 1081
`Apple v. GUI
`IPR2021-00472
`
`

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`Patent Application Publication
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`Patent Application Publication
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`US 2009/0052721 Al
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`Feb. 26, 2009
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`COMBINED INDUCTIVE CHARGING COIL
`AND AUDIO SPEAKER FOR USE IN A
`PERSONAL CARE APPLIANCE
`
`[0001] This invention relates to personal care appliances,
`such as a powertoothbrush, the powertoothbrush including a
`coil for recharging the batteries within the appliance and a
`separate coil for an audio speaker for the appliance.
`[0002]
`Personal care appliances, including, for instance,
`powertoothbrushes, are being packaged into smaller configu-
`rations/arrangements while generally retaining the same
`overall functionality. This typically requires reduction of
`componentsize and/or creative componentlayout. The total
`number of components required, however, places a lower
`limit on the size and a limit on the form ofthe appliance, if
`overall functionality is to be maintained. However, the ben-
`efits of a smaller size, in order to reduce costs, and component
`layout are important considerations in design approaches for
`personal care appliances.
`[0003] Accordingly, the present invention is a combined
`charge coil and audio speaker coil assembly in a personalcare
`appliance, comprising: a single coil for inductively receiving
`charging current from a charger and for use in an audio
`speaker arrangement; an audio speaker membrane mounted
`to produce audio sounds whenactivated; a magnet for use in
`said audio speaker arrangement, wherein the single coil and
`the magnet are mounted such that the speaker membrane
`moves to produce an audible sound when a driving signalis
`applied to the coil; and contact members connected by leads
`to the coil for receiving said driving signal to move the mem-
`brane to produce an audio sound and also connected to a
`charging circuit for the rechargeable batteries.
`[0004]
`FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the combined charge
`coil and audio speaker assembly with audio coil in a power
`toothbrush.
`
`FIG. 2A is an elevational view showing the com-
`[0005]
`bined charge coil and audio speaker coil in a more detailed
`form.
`
`FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of an assembly
`[0006]
`similar to FIG. 2A, with a slightly modified coil configura-
`tion.
`
`FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views ofalterna-
`[0007]
`tive arrangements for the assembly of FIGS. 2A and 2B.
`[0008]
`FIG. 1 shows a power toothbrush, generally at 10.
`The powertoothbrush includes a brushhead 12 which vibrates
`under the control of a drive system 14, driven by rechargeable
`batteries 16. The drive system 14 can be any oneof various
`knowndrive systems. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No.
`5,378,153, owned by the assignee of the present invention.
`However, other drive systems can be used. The toothbrush is
`controlled in operation by a microprocessor, shownat 56. The
`powertoothbrush, whennotin use, sits in a charger 20, which
`is connectable to an electrical power outlet by a power cord
`22. Power toothbrush 10 includes a user interface panel 24
`which, amongother controls, will include an ON/OFFswitch
`26. The powertoothbrush 10 also includes an audio speaker
`arrangement for communication with the user, either by pre-
`recorded messages, various tones or music, or other audio
`information. A speaker grill is shown at 27 for illustration.
`The speaker assembly is within the toothbrush.
`[0009] The present invention is a combined charging coil
`and speaker coil assembly, generally shownat 30, referred to
`hereinafter as a combined coil assembly,for use in a personal
`
`care appliance, for instance the power toothbrush of FIG. 1.
`The combined coil assembly 30 includes a single coil 32
`whichserves as both a charging coil for charging batteries 16
`with
`
`recharging circuit 34, and as an audio coil for the
`[0010]
`audio speaker.
`[0011] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the combined coil
`assembly 30 includes an enclosure or bobbin 34 which typi-
`cally is made from plastic and is mounted to the interior ofthe
`toothbrush. The coil/magnet arrangement
`in FIG. 2B is
`slightly modified relative to FIG. 2A. The enclosure in the
`embodiment shownis cylindrical, with a base portion 36 and
`a short peripheral wall 38. A permanent magnet 40 is posi-
`tioned within the enclosure 34, bonded to the enclosure, as
`shown in FIG. 2B. Membrane 42 is mounted to the upper
`peripheral edge 44 ofwall 38. Membrane42 is a metallic film
`or a thin polymerfilm whichis arranged to vibrate to produce
`a sound when activated. The diameter of the membrane can
`vary, typically up to 20 mm, with a desirable range of 10 12
`mm.
`
`[0012] Wound around magnet 40 as shown, with a space
`between the coil and the magnet, and mounted (bonded) to
`membrane 42 is a coppercoil 32.
`[0013]
`Inthe embodiment shown,coil 32 comprises 40 200
`windings, depending upon the particular application. The
`respective ends of coil 32 terminate in electrical contacts 50
`and 52. Electrical connections extend from contacts 50 and 52
`to a recharging circuit 34 for the appliance batteries 16, and
`also are connected to microprocessor 56 which controls the
`operation of the toothbrush and producesthe drive signals to
`drive the coil 32 in a mannerto produce a desired sound. Coil
`32 thusserves as both a charging coil for batteries 16 when the
`toothbrushis positioned in charger 20 and as an audio coil as
`part of a speaker assembly to produce desired audio sounds
`when the toothbrush is in use. All of the components for
`accomplishing both functions are contained within the single
`assembly 30.
`[0014] Whenthe toothbrush 10 is in the charging device,
`poweris inductively transferred from a coil 60 in the conven-
`tional charger 20 to coil 32, and then to a charging circuit 34,
`which operates in knownfashion to recharge the rechargeable
`batteries. The combined assembly is positioned within the
`power toothbrush so that the inductive coupling of power
`between coil 60 and coil 32 can occur in known fashion.
`
`[0015] When the toothbrush 10 is in use, the microproces-
`sor 56 will in the course of normal operation produce a drive
`signal for the speaker assembly to produce a desired sound,
`which could be a voice, music, or other audio. The drive
`signal from the microprocessor is applied through leads to
`contacts 50 and 52 of the coil 32, which produces a magnetic
`field which interacts with the magnetic field produced by
`magnet 40 to drive the membrane 42 to produce the desired
`audio sound.
`
`In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, a
`[0016]
`coil 70 is wound aroundthe exterior of an enclosure/bobbin
`
`72. A thin, flexible membrane 74 is mounted to the upper
`surface ofthe bobbin, with a permanent magnet 76 bondedto
`the interior surface ofthe membrane.A signal through the coil
`will cause the membraneto vibrate in normalspeaker fashion
`to produce an audio sound.
`[0017]
`In another embodiment, shown in FIG.4, an enclo-
`sure bobbin 82 hasa thin, flexible membrane 84 attached to
`the upper surface thereof. A permanent magnet 86 is bonded
`to the enclosure. A first coil 88 surrounds magnet 86 andis
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`US 2009/0052721 Al
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`Feb. 26, 2009
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`attached to the thin film membrane. A second coil 80 is wound
`around the exterior of enclosure bobbin 82, to accommodate
`higher charging currents from charger 20, if that is necessary
`in a particular appliance. However, second coil 80 is not
`necessary in the present arrangement.
`[0018] Accordingly, a combined charging coil and audio
`coil assembly has been disclosed, which produces a com-
`bined function of a charging coil for an appliance and an
`audio coil for an audio speaker assembly. This has the advan-
`tage ofreducing the number of components and overall space
`requirements within the power toothbrush.
`[0019] Although a preferred embodimentof the invention
`has been disclosed for purposesof illustration, it should be
`understoodthat various changes, modifications and substitu-
`tions may be incorporated in the embodimentwithout depart-
`ing from the spirit of the invention which is defined by the
`claims which follow.
`
`1. A combined charge coil and audio speaker coil assembly
`in a personal care appliance, comprising: a single coil for
`inductively receiving charging current from a charger and for
`use in an audio speaker arrangement; an audio speaker mem-
`brane mounted to produce audio sounds when activated; a
`magnet for use in said audio speaker arrangement, wherein
`the single coil and the magnet are mounted such that the
`speaker membrane movesto produce an audible sound when
`a driving signal is applied to the coil; and contact members
`connected byleadsto the coil for receiving said driving signal
`
`to move the membrane to produce an audio sound and also
`connected to a charging circuit for the rechargeable batteries
`(16).
`2. The system of claim 1, including an enclosure bobbin for
`the coil and the magnet, having an open top portion, wherein
`the membrane is mountedto the top portion.
`3. The system of claim 2, wherein the speaker magnetis
`surrounded by the coil and the coil is bonded to the mem-
`brane.
`4. The system of claim 2, wherein the speaker magnetis
`surroundedbythe coil, which is woundaroundtheexterior of
`the enclosure bobbin, and the magnet is bonded to the mem-
`brane.
`5. The system of claim 2, wherein the membraneis a thin
`metallic film.
`6. The system of claim 2, wherein the membraneis a thin
`polymerfilm.
`7. The system of claim 2, including a second coil (80) for
`accommodating increased charging current.
`8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second coil sur-
`rounds the magnet andthefirst coil, the second coil being
`woundaround the exterior surface of the enclosure bobbin,
`the magnet being bonded to the enclosure.
`9. The system of claim 1, whereinthe single coil comprises
`approximately 40 200 windings.
`10. The system of claim 2, wherein the diameter of the
`membraneis within the range of 10 12 mm, and wherein the
`coil is approximately 4 mm in diameter and 5 mm long.
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