aterproofing mobile devices such as phones, MP3 players and cameras is becoming ever more common. But devices sporting little holes to let the sound out pose a bit of a leakage problem. Rather than potentially reduce sound quality by covering them up, Murata has produced a tiny piezoelectric speaker which is itself waterproof. Sometimes it just can’t be helped. No matter how hard you try to keep your mobile phone dry, water somehow finds a way to sneak in and wreak havoc with internal components. Manufacturers are taking measures against liquid infiltration – of the 50 or so mobile phones launched in Japan this year, almost a quarter have received some sort of waterproofing, but this is sometimes at the expense of performance. Case in point – the dynamic speaker inside your mobile phone, media player, digital camera, e-Reader and so on. Waterproofing such audio devices usually involves covering sound output holes with waterproof sheets, to prevent exposure to the moisture that can lead to component erosion damage. Unfortunately, this form of protection often results in a reduction in the quality of the output. It also adds to production costs. Japan’s Murata has come up with a 0.9mm thick piezoelectric speaker which is IPX7 waterproof, meaning that it should be able to easily cope with temporary immersion underwater or even being hit by a jet of water, and does so while maintaining the intended audio quality. More importantly perhaps, the new speaker negates the need for extra production costs incurred by including waterproof sheeting.
“Featuring a thickness of only 0.9mm, Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. has succeeded in launching the world’s first ultra-thin waterproof piezoelectric speaker. Of the 50 new Japanese mobile phone models announced in late 2010, almost one in four were waterproof mobile phones, one of numerous indicators of a growing trend towards the waterproofing of mobile equipment. Given there are so many different areas that require waterproofing, there are many technical challenges and cost issues to overcome. The waterproofing of sound output holes in speakers is a particulary significant issue. For equipment designed with conventional dynamic speakers, manufacturers have covered sound output holes with waterproof sheets. However, this solution often led to the degradation of sound quality, while adding excessive costs. Murata has already released a range of ultra-thin piezoelectric speakers that have been selected for use in many mobile devices. In response to the growing demand for waterproof equipment, we have succeeded in adding this new waterproof piezoelectric speaker to our product lineup. Basing the design of this new waterproof product on the piezoelectric expertise our company is known for, we created an IPX7* grade waterproof piezoelectric speaker that does not use any conventional waterproof sheets. This design approach has allowed us to avoid the costs associated with applying waterproof sheets, while maintaining the devices intended sound quality. By not covering the output holes. Additionally, the ultra-thinness (0.9mm) of this product also contributes to greater freedom in equipment design. Terminology: *IPX7: A JIS/IEC-determined protection grade defined as being “protection against powerful water jets” and “protection against temporary immersion in water”. Full details are outlined in the JIS C 0920 (IEC 60529) standard.” ( Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. President/ Statutory Representative Director: Tsuneo Murata ).
Features:
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The ultra-thinness (0.9mm) of this product contributes to greater design freedom.
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This product achieves IPX7 grade waterproof protection without using any waterproof sheets, which:
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allows for the elimination of waterproof sheet material costs
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allows for the elimination of waterproof sheet application costs
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eliminates the possibility of sound degradation resulting from waterproof sheets
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Since no magnets are used, there is no possibility of malfunctions caused by iron sand, or electromagnetic effects on magnetic sensors
Applications: Mobile phones, mobile music players, digital still cameras, digital video cameras, IC recorders, e-books, and other mobile equipment. Part Number: VSLBG1914E1400-T0; Characteristics: Acoustic characteristics (input: 5Vrms sine wave / speaker microphone distance: 10cm. / speaker back cavity: 0.7cc); Average sound pressure: 92.0±3.0dB (1500Hz/2000Hz/2500Hz/3000Hz average) Resonant frequency: 1400Hz±20%. Production: One million units per month as of May 2010. Sample Price: 250 yen. In addition to this newly-released product, the Murata piezoelectric speaker product lineup includes the following standard products (not waterproofed): VSLBP1913E1400-T0; VSLBP2115E1200-T0. For more information on product lineup, please refer to the URL below.
www.murata.com
