Product with integrally formed vibrating panel loudspeaker

Abstract

A product having a vibrating panel loudspeaker integrally formed within a shell component of the product. The product comprises: a sheet-like shell component providing a part of a casing defining an externally facing outer boundary surface of a product; and an exciter coupled to an internally facing surface of the shell component. The shell component has an outer deadened portion surrounding a generally planar circular inner actuatable portion bounded by and integrally formed to the outer deadened portion to provide a continuity on the externally facing outer boundary surface of the shell component from the outer deadened portion across the inner actuatable portion, the exciter being coupled to the inner actuatable portion of the shell component. The product is configured such that the outer deadened portion of the shell component is substantially unmoveable by the exciter, and such that the inner actuatable portion is movable in response to actuation by the exciter, wherein the substantially unmovable bounding edge of the outer deadened portion acts to deaden the outer boundary edge of the inner actuatable portion such that the inner actuatable portion forms an elastic membrane that is caused to vibrate, on operation of the exciter, to generate sound.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibrating panel loudspeaker integrally formed in a housing part of a product, and more particularly to a housing part of a product having a circular inner actuatable portion. Background technique [0002] Many products have speakers inside to enable the product to produce sound. For example, all mobile phones have built-in speakers. The speaker is placed behind the enclosure of the product, and the enclosure directly outside the speaker forms the speaker grill to protect the speaker from foreign object damage while still allowing air (and therefore sound) to pass clearly from the speaker to the outside of the product. Due to the grill holes in the housing, if dust and / or liquids (such as water) enter the product through the holes, it may damage the product. Smaller grill holes also make the product difficult to clean. Even if the holes can be cleaned, cleaning fluid can get into the product and damage it. Also, the grille is visible...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Smaller grill holes also make product difficult to clean

Even if the holes can be cleaned, cleaning fluid can get into the product and damage it

Also, the grille is visible and can change the overall look and feel of the product from the outside

For example, if the product is a painting on the wall, and the speakers are integrated into the painting such that the painting has grilles on the outside, this may spoil the appearance of the painting

In addition, the design of many consumer electronics products is constrained by the inevitable presence of speakers and grilles in the product design and by their positioning in unobtrusive and unobtrusive locations

This limits the designer's freedom and compromises otherwise desirable design settings

[0003]As product size decreases and the number of speakers in a product increases, grilles become more difficult to manufacture, and speakers and products become while the possibility of damage increases

This reduces both the aesthetic quality and longevity of the product and is detrimental to both the consumer and the product manufacturer

Furthermore, it may add significant restrictions to design freedom, resulting in complex and suboptimal product designs

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