Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a new flexible speaker design that could be supported in  future Apple devices including XR Headsets, iPhones, iPads and MacBooks.

Apple's invention covers a speaker that includes a housing having walls that define a cavity and a diaphragm covering the cavity and configured to vibrate under application of a magnetic field. The vibration produces sound waves. The walls are configured to deform under bending stress. The speaker is configured produce the sound waves both in an undeformed state and in a deformed state. Another speaker includes a flexible layer, a sensor configured to detect a curvature of the flexible layer, and a transducer disposed on and configured to vibrate the flexible layer. The vibrations of the flexible layer generate sound waves and output generated by the transducer is based on the curvature of the flexible layer.

One focus of the invention centers in on Apple's future XR headsets. Apple notes that the head-mounted display includes a head support and a speaker disposed in the head support. The speaker includes a housing defining a cavity and a diaphragm covering the cavity and configured to vibrate under application of a magnetic field. The vibration produces sound waves. The head support and the housing of the speaker are configured to deform under bending stress. The speaker is configured produce the sound waves both in an undeformed state and in a deformed state.

The head-mounted display may include an electromagnet disposed in the cavity and configured to selectively generate the magnetic field and a permanent magnet disposed in the cavity and configured to generate another magnetic field. The diaphragm vibrates during an interaction between the magnetic fields to produce the sound waves.

The head-mounted display may include a sensor disposed in the head support, the sensor configured to detect a magnitude of deformation of at least one of the housing of the speaker or the head support. A pattern of current supplied to the electromagnet may be modified based on the magnitude of deformation detected with the sensor. A magnitude of the magnetic field selectively generated by the electromagnet may be based on the magnitude of deformation detected with the sensor.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view through a speaker (#200); FIG. 4A is a schematic sectional view of a speaker in an undeformed state; FIG. 4B is a schematic sectional view through the speaker of FIG. 4A with the speaker in a deformed state.

Further, Apple notes that the head-mounted display can be shaped to fit heads of different users and components such as a display unit and/or a head support of the head-mounted display may be configured to bend, stretch, fold, or otherwise deflect to fit the heads of different users.

Apple's patent US 20230055725 A1 lists Paul Wang, Senior Manager, Product Design as the lead inventor.