Equivalent Spring for a spring connected with a diaphragm

[Harsh Shah]

Hello all,

I am trying to find an equivalent spring for a combination of a spring with spring constant k1 & pre-sompression of x1 and a diaphragm of stiffness k2. Refer to the attached figure. Please help me in understanding whether this combination will be in series or in parallel.

Thanks

 

[DEvens]

Series. In the range that both the spring and the diaphragm operate correctly it will be just like two springs connected end-to-end.

But do be sure to "round up the usual suspects" before you go with this. For example, are you indeed in the normal operating range for both objects? Are there any restraints or restrictions such as one object can't extend or retract farther than some distance? Is there a question of how fast this has to operate such as in a loudspeaker? Etc. and etc.