Speaker unit and speaker

Abstract

To provide a higher performance and higher quality curved diaphragm speaker system that has sufficient performance for hard-of-hearing people and also for hearing people. A speaker unit (10; 20; 30) according to the present invention at least includes: a first diaphragm (1) in a cone shape; a blade piece (5) in a plate shape to which a second diaphragm (2;12) in a sheet shape forming a rounded surface portion that is curved from one end side to the other end side; and a driver unit (3) that drives those cone shaped diaphragm and blade piece (5) together. The blade piece (5) is connected via a center cap (4) attached to a tip end of a voice coil (31) of the driver unit (3) so as to protrude from a small diameter side (1a) to a large diameter (1b) side of the first diaphragm (1). In the first diaphragm (1), the small diameter side (1a) is connected to the driver unit (3), and also the large diameter side (1b) is attached to a cone support frame (9). Additionally, the second diaphragm (2;12) is arranged such that the one end side (2a) is overlapped with one surface of the blade piece (5). Most illustrative figure: Figure 1

Description

Speaker unit and speaker

[0001] The present invention relates to a speaker unit using a curved diaphragm and a speaker using the same, and more particularly to a higher performance composite curved diaphragm speaker system that allows hearing-impaired people to hear together with people with normal hearing without wearing hearing aids and has an expanded playback frequency band.

[0002] In recent years, the number of people with hearing impairments, such as age-related presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), organic hearing loss caused by damage to the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, or cochlear nerve, and functional hearing loss caused by stress, has been increasing, with an estimated 20 million people in Japan with hearing loss. Hearing loss not only makes it difficult to hear sounds, but it also makes it difficult to clearly distinguish sounds that can be heard. This can lead to people replying without fully understanding what is being said, leading to misunderstandings, or having to repeatedly ask for things to be repeated throughout the conversation, which can stall the conversation.

[0003] It is also said that hearing loss can make it difficult to communicate smoothly, and can lead to people unconsciously becoming reluctant to talk, resulting in fewer opportunities to meet people and a tendency to stay indoors instead of going out, which can lead to problems such as social isolation and alienation.

[0004] Hearing aids are commonly used to alleviate the inconvenience of hearing loss. Also, when watching television, there are FM transmitters that connect to the TV's earphone jack to transmit the audio via FM radio waves, which can then be received by a handheld FM radio to obtain the television audio.

[0005] However, hearing aids are not widely preferred due to their "inconvenience" and "embarrassment" and are often used out of necessity. Furthermore, many hearing aids also pick up noise, which can be stressful. On the other hand, using an FM transmitter requires the user to prepare and set up the FM transmitter every time they want to watch television, which can be a hassle. Furthermore, connecting the FM transmitter to the earphone jack switches the audio output, making it difficult for both hearing-impaired and hearing-normal people to watch television comfortably.

[0006] Therefore, the applicant has proposed a speaker that produces sound that can be heard by many, but not all, hearing-impaired people, and that includes a hollow housing, a drive unit housed in the housing, and a curved diaphragm arranged on the surface of the housing, and that transmits vibrations of the drive unit to the edge of the curved diaphragm to emit sound (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0007] A speaker using such a curved diaphragm (hereinafter simply referred to as a "curved diaphragm speaker") allows hearing-impaired people to hear without wearing hearing aids, and also allows people with normal hearing to hear without feeling uncomfortable. Moreover, subsequent demonstration experiments have confirmed that the curved diaphragm speakers according to the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can be clearly heard not only at close range but also at long distances. In other words, there is no distortion that occurs when the volume is turned up too high, and sounds can be heard clearly even at close range without being too loud.

[0008] The basic performance of this curved diaphragm speaker is at a level that is practical and that has been confirmed to be at a level that can be manufactured, but there is a demand for improved sound quality with improved reproduction performance in the expanded reproduction frequency range, particularly the low frequency range below 400 to 500 Hz (hereinafter referred to as the "low range").

[0009] Generally, curved diaphragm speakers use a curved diaphragm driven by a moving coil, or voice coil, to generate sound. To increase the low-frequency reproduction capability of this type of speaker, it is necessary to increase the amplitude (movement) of the voice coil to match the required capability, and to use a diaphragm and structure that matches this, as well as increasing the power.

[0010] However, if the amplitude of the voice coil is forcibly increased to improve the reproduction capability in the low frequency range, the curved diaphragm itself will emit abnormal sounds. Therefore, to reproduce the low frequency range equivalent to that of a conventional speaker, the curved diaphragm must be made longer and its surface area enlarged, which is an unpractical size.

[0011] Therefore, in order to increase the reproduction capability of the low frequencies, it is conceivable to further mount a dynamic speaker unit with a cone-shaped diaphragm on the housing to which the curved diaphragm speaker unit is mounted, and drive both speaker units to emit sound. In this way, the sound quality of the curved diaphragm, which has difficulty in producing low frequencies, is corrected by the sound emitted by the cone-shaped diaphragm, and a composite full-range speaker using both the curved diaphragm and the cone-shaped diaphragm can be created.

[0012] However, although such a composite speaker system can share a housing to mount the speaker units, it requires two speaker units (a curved diaphragm speaker unit and a dynamic speaker unit) according to the playback frequency band, which makes it costly.

[0013] Furthermore, if the speaker units are mounted on the housing so that the sound emission directions of the curved diaphragm and the cone-shaped diaphragm are the same in order to ensure a desirable sense of sound pressure emitted from the two speakers, a larger installation area is required, resulting in an enlarged housing.On the other hand, if the sound emission directions of the curved diaphragm and the cone-shaped diaphragm are made different in consideration of the installation area, a sufficient sense of sound pressure cannot be obtained from either speaker.

[0014] Japanese Patent No. 5668233 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-140060

[0015] Therefore, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-093395, the inventor of the present application proposed a speaker unit comprising at least a cone-shaped first diaphragm, a sheet-like second diaphragm having a single curved surface portion, and a driver unit that drives both the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm, the driver unit being connected to both the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm and one end side of the second diaphragm, and a speaker using this speaker unit.

[0016] This speaker unit requires only one driver unit, which reduces manufacturing costs and weight and allows for compact construction. Furthermore, a speaker using this speaker unit becomes a hybrid speaker system that combines a first dynamic speaker with a cone-shaped diaphragm and a second speaker with a curved diaphragm. Therefore, the first speaker (dynamic speaker) can compensate for the low-frequency reproduction range that the second speaker (curved diaphragm speaker) cannot cover.

[0017] In this way, the speaker unit and speaker proposed in Patent Application No. 2018-093395 can be a speaker system that is extremely effective for people with hearing loss, capable of reproducing a wider range of sounds. However, in conventional speaker units, when connecting one end of the second diaphragm (curved diaphragm) to the driver unit, a notch is made in the tip of the voice coil or the center of the center cap (dust cap), and one end of the second diaphragm (curved diaphragm) is inserted into this notch. Therefore, the connection process is somewhat cumbersome and complicated, and is inefficient for mass production. Therefore, improvements have been sought to more efficiently and simply connect the driver unit and the second diaphragm.

[0018] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a speaker unit that can be efficiently and simply manufactured in a composite speaker system using a curved diaphragm, which improves sound quality by expanding the reproduction frequency band, reduces costs, and ensures a desirable sense of sound pressure without increasing the size of the housing, and a speaker using this speaker unit.

[0019] The first speaker unit of the present invention comprises at least a cone-shaped first diaphragm, a plate-shaped blade piece for attaching one end of a sheet-shaped second diaphragm that forms a curved portion that curves from one end to the other end, and a driver unit that drives both the first diaphragm and the blade piece, wherein the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm is connected to the driver unit, and the blade piece is connected to the driver unit via a center cap attached to the tip of the voice coil of the driver unit so as to protrude from the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm toward the larger diameter side.

[0020] A second speaker unit according to the present invention comprises at least a cone-shaped first diaphragm, a sheet-shaped second diaphragm that forms a curved surface portion that curves from one end side to the other end side, a plate-shaped blade piece to which one end side of the second diaphragm is attached, a driver unit that drives the first diaphragm and also drives the second diaphragm via the blade piece, and a support member to which the first diaphragm, the second diaphragm, and the driver unit are attached, wherein the support member comprises a flat support plate having an opening that is sized to expose the larger diameter side of the first diaphragm, a support surface that is connected to the support plate and has a curved surface portion that is equal to the curvature of the second diaphragm, and a support member that is connected to an end portion of the support surface. the first diaphragm has a smaller diameter side connected to the driver unit and a larger diameter side connected to the support plate of the support member, the blade piece is connected to the driver unit via a center cap attached to the tip of the voice coil of the driver unit so as to protrude from the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm toward the larger diameter side, the second diaphragm has one end connected to the blade piece and the other end connected to the fixing part of the support member, and further the elastic support member is interposed between the concave side of the curved part and the support surface of the support member.

[0021] In the first and second speaker units described above, it is desirable that the blade pieces be perpendicular to the center cap at their base ends and curved to match the curvature of the second diaphragm as they move toward their tip ends. That is, if the blade pieces were attached so that they projected continuously at a right angle from the base end to the tip end of the center cap attached to the tip of the voice coil of the driver unit, the tips of the blade pieces would come into strong contact with one side of the second diaphragm, causing stress on the second diaphragm and hindering smooth driving. However, if the blade pieces are perpendicular to the center cap at their base ends and curved to match the curvature of the second diaphragm as they move toward their tip ends, there is no risk of stress being applied to the second diaphragm, and vibrations from the voice coil can be efficiently transmitted to the second diaphragm, allowing for smooth driving.

[0022] Although this blade piece may be separate from the center cap, it is preferable to integrate it with the center cap. That is, the blade piece could be attached to an existing center cap, but this would require two steps: attaching the center cap to the end of the voice coil and then attaching the blade piece to the center cap. However, if the blade piece and the center cap are integrated in advance, the blade piece can be attached efficiently through a single step: attaching the center cap to the end of the voice coil. Furthermore, by integrating the blade piece with the center cap, it is possible to prevent the blade piece from peeling off from the center cap due to vibrations of the voice coil.

[0023] Furthermore, in the second speaker unit described above, it is desirable that the second diaphragm is made of a foam sheet material. That is, if the thickness of the second diaphragm is made too thin to reduce the weight, the second diaphragm will not be able to have adequate tension and will not vibrate efficiently. On the other hand, if the thickness of the second diaphragm is made too thick to provide adequate tension, the second diaphragm will be too heavy and will not be able to vibrate efficiently. However, if the second diaphragm is made of a foam sheet material, even if the thickness of the second diaphragm is increased, the weight will not increase unnecessarily due to the presence of a cavity, and the second diaphragm can be given adequate tension and vibrated efficiently.

[0024] In the second speaker unit described above, the second diaphragm may have a shape in which the lengths of two opposing side edges along the curvature direction are longer than the lengths of one end and the other end, for example, a generally elongated rectangular shape, which makes it easier for the second diaphragm to curve from one end to the other end, allowing the second diaphragm to vibrate efficiently and easily.

[0025] In the second speaker unit described above, the second diaphragm may have two opposing side edges along the curvature direction that are longer than the lengths of the one end and the other end, and the lengths of the two side edges may be different from each other, for example, a generally elongated trapezoid or a generally elongated fan shape, with the convex surface of the curved portion facing the shorter side edge. This allows sound emitted from the second diaphragm to be emitted in a predetermined direction, specifically, in the direction in which the convex surface of the curved portion faces.

[0026] In this case, if the blade pieces are previously attached at an angle to the horizontal or vertical direction, the convex surface of the curved portion of the second diaphragm can be arranged to face the short side edge portion without rotating the first diaphragm in the circumferential direction.

[0027] Furthermore, in the second speaker unit described above, the elastic support member is not particularly limited as long as it is a flexible and elastic member that can support the second diaphragm, and can be, for example, made of a cotton-like member in which thread-like fibers are entangled.

[0028] This elastic support member is not limited to being disposed entirely on the support surface, i.e., on the rear side of the second diaphragm, but can also be disposed partially on the support surface. Examples of means for partially disposing the elastic support member include a single elastic support member disposed in the center along the curved direction of the support surface, or multiple elastic support members disposed linearly at intervals, or elastic support members disposed scattered on the support surface.

[0029] A speaker according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises either the first speaker unit or the second speaker unit described above mounted in a housing.

[0030] In the first speaker unit and the second speaker unit of the present invention, a plate-shaped blade piece that allows one end of the second diaphragm to be attached to a center cap attached to the tip of the voice coil of the driver unit that drives the first diaphragm is pre-installed. Therefore, the driver unit and the second diaphragm can be connected efficiently and easily by simply connecting one end of the second diaphragm to the blade piece, without requiring cumbersome and complicated work such as making a notch in the center of the tip of the voice coil or the center cap (dust cap) and inserting one end of the second diaphragm (curved diaphragm) into this notch.

[0031] Furthermore, since the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm and one end side of the second diaphragm are connected to the same driver unit, the driver unit that drives the first diaphragm and the driver unit that drives the second diaphragm are shared and only one is required, which not only reduces manufacturing costs and weight but also makes the device more compact with a smaller installation area.

[0032] Furthermore, by mounting (accommodating) the above-described first speaker unit and second speaker unit of the present invention in a housing, the speaker of the present invention becomes a hybrid speaker system that combines a first dynamic speaker with a cone-shaped diaphragm and a second speaker with a curved diaphragm, and by having the first speaker (dynamic speaker) compensate for the low-frequency reproduction band that the second speaker (curved diaphragm speaker) cannot reach, it becomes possible to reproduce a wider range of sound, and a speaker system can be created that includes a speaker that is extremely effective for people with hearing impairments and a speaker for people with normal hearing.

[0033] Therefore, in a composite speaker system using a curved diaphragm, it is possible to provide a speaker unit that can be manufactured efficiently and easily, and a speaker using this speaker unit, which improves sound quality by expanding the playback frequency band, reduces costs, and ensures a desirable sense of sound pressure without increasing the size of the housing.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a first speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of the first speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view illustrating a voice coil constituting a driver unit used in the speaker unit according to the present invention. (A) is an exploded perspective view, and (B) is a perspective view of a completed assembly, illustrating a magnetic circuit constituting a driver unit used in the speaker unit according to the present invention. (A) is a front perspective view before attachment, and (B) is a front perspective view after attachment, showing a state in which a second diaphragm is attached to the first speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a blade for attaching the second diaphragm to the first speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front perspective view showing a second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a left side view showing a second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of the second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view illustrating another structure of the second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view illustrating another structure of the second speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a speaker with a second speaker unit according to the present invention mounted in a housing. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a left side view showing a third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a right side view showing a third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a second diaphragm (curved diaphragm) used in the third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a front view explaining a blade for attaching the second diaphragm in the third speaker unit according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a front perspective view showing a speaker with a third speaker unit according to the present invention mounted in a housing.

[0035] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a speaker unit according to the present invention and a hybrid speaker system using this speaker unit will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are preferred examples of the present invention and are therefore subject to various technical limitations, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified in the following description.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first speaker unit 10 of this embodiment at least comprises a cone-shaped first diaphragm (hereinafter referred to as the "cone-shaped diaphragm") 1, a plate-shaped blade piece 5 for attaching one end of a sheet-shaped second diaphragm (hereinafter referred to as the "curved diaphragm") that forms a curved surface portion that curves from one end to the other end, and a driver unit 3 that drives both the cone-shaped diaphragm and the blade piece 5.

[0037] Cone-shaped diaphragm 1 is a cone-shaped sheet-like member with a small diameter side 1a connected to driver unit 3 and a large diameter side 1b attached to a cone support frame 9. This cone-shaped diaphragm 1 constitutes a speaker when cone support frame 9 is attached to a support member 6 (described later) and the support member 6 is further attached to a housing 50, or when cone support frame 9 is directly attached to the housing 50.

[0038] The blade pieces 5 are integral with a center cap 4 attached to the tip of the voice coil 31 of the driver unit 3 so as to protrude from the small diameter 1a side toward the large diameter 1b side of the cone-shaped diaphragm 1, and are connected to the driver unit 3. The center cap (dust cap) 4 is a component attached to prevent dust from entering the voice coil 31, and can be made of the same material as the cone paper to enhance the sense of unity of the tone, or made of a metallic material to function as a dome-shaped tweeter.

[0039] The driver unit 3 is an actuator that vibrates both the cone diaphragm 1 and the blade pieces 5 in response to an input (energized) electrical signal (audio signal). Examples of the driver unit 3 include a moving coil type or a moving magnet type electromagnetic actuator. These driver units 3 have a high coil space factor and therefore high magnetic efficiency. Therefore, loud, clear sound can be expected.

[0040] A moving coil actuator has a voice coil inserted into a magnetic gap formed by a magnetic circuit, and when an electric signal or the like is applied to this voice coil, it vibrates in accordance with the applied signal, and the vibration is transmitted to a diaphragm connected to the voice coil, thereby driving the actuator. In other words, one end of the voice coil is contained within the magnetic circuit (magnetic field), and the other end is connected to the diaphragm, so the input electric signal moves the voice coil, and this movement is transmitted to the diaphragm and converted into acoustic energy (sound).

[0041] In this embodiment, the driver unit 3 is described as a moving coil type actuator in which one end of a voice coil is inserted into a magnetic gap of a magnetic circuit and the voice coil is driven by applying an electric signal. As shown in Fig. 3, the voice coil 31 is formed by winding a coil wire 312 of a desired diameter by a desired number of turns around the outer peripheral end of a cylindrical coil bobbin 311.

[0042] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic circuit 32 has a shape corresponding to driving the voice coil 31, and the most commonly used general structure is composed of magnetic circuit components such as a ring-shaped ferrite magnet 321, a plate 324 made of iron, which is a good magnetic material, with a hole 324a of a predetermined diameter formed in the center of the plate, and a yoke 322 made of iron and having a cylindrical protrusion (hereinafter referred to as "pole") 323 formed in the center of the plate.

[0043] The magnetic gap is formed by arranging and mounting plate 324 on the upper surface of cylindrical ferrite magnet 321, and by arranging and mounting a disk portion of yoke 322 having cylindrical pole 323 on the lower surface of ferrite magnet 321. That is, pole 323 and plate 324 are mounted with the outer diameter of pole 323 and the inner diameter of plate hole 324a aligned, so that a ring-shaped gap having a predetermined width, i.e., gap 33, is formed between the outer surface of pole 323 and the inner surface of hole 324a in the center of plate 324.

[0044] The depth dimension of the magnetic gap 33 is determined by the thickness dimension of the plate 324. Therefore, the magnetism of the ferrite magnet 321 is guided and converged by the yoke 322 and the plate 324 to the gap 33, generating magnetic flux in the gap 33 and forming a magnetic gap. The voice coil 31 is then disposed at the center of this ring-shaped magnetic gap 33.

[0045] Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, the cone-shaped diaphragm 1 is connected and fixed to the driver unit 3 by inserting the voice coil 31 into a hole of a predetermined size (hereinafter referred to as the "neck portion") provided in the center of the small diameter 1a side, and applying adhesive to the contact area between the neck portion and the outer periphery of the coil bobbin 311.

[0046] In the speaker unit 10 of this embodiment, when one end 2a of the curved diaphragm 2 is connected to the driver unit 3, the curved diaphragm 2 can be connected to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31) by attaching it to a blade piece 5 that is integrated with a center cap 4 attached to the tip of the voice coil 31.

[0047] That is, as shown in FIG. 5(A), adhesive is applied to one side of the blade piece 5 or one side of the curved diaphragm 2, and then, as shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in the figure, one side of one end 2a of the curved diaphragm 2 is arranged so as to overlap one side of the blade piece 5, thereby making a speaker unit as shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0048] This means can reliably connect the curved diaphragm 2 to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31) compared to conventional means in which a notch is made at the tip of the voice coil 31 and one end side 2a of the curved diaphragm 2 is inserted into the notch.

[0049] Furthermore, it is desirable that the base end of the blade piece 5 is perpendicular to the center cap and that it curves toward the tip end to match the curvature of the second diaphragm. In other words, the process of elastically bending and deforming the curved diaphragm 2 to form the curved surface and the process of attaching the curved diaphragm 2 to the blade piece 5 are easier if the blade piece curves toward the tip end to match the curvature of the second diaphragm, and further, when driven by the driver unit 3, the curved diaphragm 2 can be driven smoothly without risk of applying stress to the curved diaphragm 2. In Figure 6, the blade piece 5 is shown as curved toward the tip end to match the curvature of the second diaphragm.

[0050] In the speaker unit 10 configured in this manner, the smaller diameter side 1a of the cone diaphragm 1 and one end surface 2a of the curved diaphragm 2 attached via the blade pieces 5 are both connected to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31). Therefore, by applying an electric signal or the like to the driver unit 3, the voice coil 31 vibrates in accordance with the applied signal, and the vibration is transmitted to the cone diaphragm 1 and the curved diaphragm 2 connected to this voice coil 31, driving them together.

[0051] In other words, one end (base end portion) of the voice coil 31 is contained within the magnetic circuit (magnetic field) 32, and the other end (tip end portion) is connected to the curved diaphragm 2 via the cone diaphragm 1 and the blade piece 5, so that the input electrical signal moves the voice coil 31, and this movement is transmitted to the cone diaphragm 1 and the curved diaphragm 2 and converted into acoustic energy (sound).

[0052] Here, the direction in which the curved vibration plate 2 is driven by the driver unit 3 refers to the direction of expansion on the surface of the curved vibration plate 2, i.e., the curvature direction in which the curved surface portion expands as it moves from one end side 2a of the curved vibration plate 2 to the opposite end side 2b (or from the other end side 2b to the opposite one end side 2a).

[0053] Therefore, the first speaker unit 10 in this embodiment can easily and reliably connect the curved diaphragm 2, the driver unit 3, and the blade pieces 5, and can therefore be mass-produced efficiently.

[0054] After the curved diaphragm 2 is attached to the blade pieces 5 of the first speaker unit 10, this can be attached to a support member 6, which will be described later, to form a second speaker unit 20 as shown in Fig. 7. Furthermore, this first speaker unit 10 can also be made into a speaker by attaching the cone support frame 9 to a housing and fixing the other end 2b of the curved diaphragm 2 to the housing.

[0055] Next, a second speaker unit 20 configured using the above-described first speaker unit 10 will be described. Note that in the embodiment described below, the description will focus on parts that are different from the above-described first speaker unit 10. Therefore, parts that are the same as those in the first speaker unit 10 will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and they will be considered the same unless otherwise specified.

[0056] As shown in Figures 7 to 14, the second speaker unit 20 of this embodiment comprises at least a cone-shaped first diaphragm (cone-shaped diaphragm) 1, a sheet-shaped second diaphragm (curved diaphragm) 2 curved from one end to the other end, a plate-shaped blade piece 5 to which one end of the curved diaphragm 2 is attached, a driver unit 3 that drives the cone-shaped diaphragm 1 and also drives the curved diaphragm 2 via the blade piece 5, and a support member 6 to which the cone-shaped diaphragm 1, the curved diaphragm 2, and the driver unit 3 are attached.

[0057] In the speaker unit 20 of this embodiment, the curved diaphragm 2 is a flexible sheet-like member that can form a curved surface portion, and one end side 2a is connected to the driver unit 3 to which the small diameter side 1a of the cone-shaped diaphragm 1 is connected via a center cap 4 and a blade piece 5.

[0058] This curved vibration plate 2 has one end 2a connected to the blade piece 5 in an upright, flat state, and then the other end 2b is elastically bent and deformed to form a curved surface, and the deformed curved convex surface faces forward, and the other end 2b is connected to a fixing part 63 (described later) of the support member 6. The curved vibration plate 2 may also be a member that is formed in advance to have a curved surface portion, and in this case, after one end 2a is connected to the blade piece 5, it is arranged so that the curved convex surface faces forward, and the other end 2b is connected to a fixing part 63 (described later) of the support member 6.

[0059] Furthermore, the curved vibration plate 2 has a roughly elongated rectangular shape in which the length of two opposing side edge portions 2c, 2d along the curved direction from one end 2a to the other end 2b is longer than the length of the one end 2a and the other end 2b, and furthermore, the distance (width) between the two side edge portions 2c, 2d gradually becomes smaller from the other end 2b to the one end 2a.

[0060] In other words, the shape of the side edge portion of the curved vibration plate 2 near one end 2a is approximately the same shape as the mortar shape of the cone-shaped vibration plate 1, and even when one end 2a of the curved vibration plate 2 is connected to the driver unit 3 to which the cone-shaped vibration plate 1 is connected, the curved vibration plate 2 does not come into contact with the cone-shaped vibration plate 1, and there is no interference between the cone-shaped vibration plate 1 and the curved vibration plate 2.

[0061] Although not shown, the curved diaphragm 2 may have a constricted portion at the side edge or a notch on the surface. The constricted portion is a portion of the side edge of the curved diaphragm 2 that is cut out in a gentle curve to narrow the width, and may have a guitar or snowman shape when viewed from the front. The notch is a portion of the surface that is cut out to form a single hole or multiple holes near the center of the curved diaphragm 2, and may have, for example, a single large round hole or a pattern of small holes.

[0062] In other words, by providing such constricted portions and notches in the curved diaphragm 2, it is possible to limit distortion due to resonance, suppress excessive resonance, and improve hearing through moderate harmonics.

[0063] The material of the curved diaphragm 2 can be paper such as carbon paper, flexible plastic such as polyimide or polyester, wood such as balsa wood, or metal such as aluminum, beryllium, or boron. The thickness of the curved diaphragm 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can be molded in advance to have a curved surface portion or can be elastically bent and deformed.

[0064] The curved diaphragm 2 may also be made of a foamed sheet material, for example. Specifically, a highly foamed sheet of polyethylene called "Softlon S" by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., with a thickness of about 1 mm, can be made by irradiating polyethylene with an electron beam and heating and foaming it 5 to 50 times.

[0065] 11, the support member 6 is configured to include a support plate 61, a support surface 62 connected to the support plate 61, a fixing portion 63 connected to the end of the support surface 62, and a flexible elastic support member 64 disposed on the support surface 62. Note that reference numeral 65 shown in FIG. 11 denotes a screw for attaching and fixing the first speaker unit 10 to the support plate 61 of the support member 6.

[0066] The support plate 61 is a flat plate-shaped portion having an opening large enough to expose the large diameter 1b side of the cone-shaped diaphragm 1, and by attaching a cone support frame 9 to which the large diameter side 1b of the cone diaphragm 1 is connected around the opening, the large diameter side 1b of the cone diaphragm 1 is connected to the support member 6 by the support plate 61.

[0067] The support surface 62 is a portion having a curved surface portion that is the same as the curvature of the curved diaphragm 2, and is positioned on the rear side of the curved diaphragm 2 without the curved surface portion coming into contact with the rear surface of the curved diaphragm 2. This support surface 62 functions to assist the curved diaphragm 2 in preventing it from being deformed by an external force from the front side.

[0068] The fixing portion 63 is a portion for attaching the other end 2b of the curved diaphragm 2, and has a groove on its upper surface along the width direction. Therefore, by attaching the other end 2b of the curved diaphragm 2 in this groove, the other end 2b of the curved diaphragm 2 is connected to the support member 6 by the fixing portion 63.

[0069] The elastic support member 64 is a flexible and resilient member that can support the curved diaphragm 2 so as not to bend, and can be made of, for example, a sponge or a cotton-like material made of entangled thread-like fibers. That is, one end 2a of the elastic support member 64 is connected to the blade piece 5 of the curved diaphragm 2, and the other end 2b is connected to the fixing portion 63 of the support member 6, so that the elastic support member 64 is disposed between the concave side of the curved portion of the curved diaphragm 2 and the support surface 62 of the support member 6. In Fig. 11, the elastic support member 64 is shown as being entirely interposed between the concave side of the curved portion of the curved diaphragm 2 and the support surface 62 of the support member 6.

[0070] The elastic support member 64 does not have to be entirely interposed between the concave side of the curved portion of the curved vibration plate 2 and the support surface 62 of the support member 6 as shown in Figure 11, but may be partially interposed as shown in Figures 12 to 14.

[0071] As a means for partially arranging the elastic support members 64, for example, Fig. 12 shows one elongated elastic support member 64 extending along the curved direction of the support surface 62, arranged in the center of the support surface 62. Fig. 13 shows two elongated elastic support members 64 extending along the curved direction of the support surface 62, arranged at a distance from each other on the support surface 62. Fig. 14 shows three block-shaped elastic support members 64 extending in a direction perpendicular to the curved direction of the support surface 62, arranged at a distance from each other along the curved direction of the support surface 62. Although not shown, small piece-shaped elastic support members may also be arranged scattered over the support surface.

[0072] In the speaker unit 20 configured in this manner, the small diameter side 1a of the cone diaphragm 1 is directly connected to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31), and one end 2a of the curved diaphragm 2 is indirectly connected to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31) via the blade pieces 5, and further, the large diameter side 1b of the cone diaphragm 1 and the other end 2b of the curved diaphragm 2 are both connected to the support member 6. Therefore, the cone diaphragm 1, curved diaphragm 2, and driver unit 3 are stably supported by the support member 6, making it easy to transport and to mount in a housing.

[0073] The speaker 100 according to this embodiment can be constructed, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, by mounting a second speaker unit 20, which includes at least a cone diaphragm 1, a curved diaphragm 2, a driver unit 3, a blade piece 5, and a support member 6, on a housing 50.

[0074] The speaker 100 configured in this manner comprises a first dynamic speaker equipped with a cone diaphragm 1 and a second speaker equipped with a curved diaphragm 2, and when an electrical signal is input to the driver unit 3, it can be made into a hybrid speaker system that is high performance, lightweight, requires a small installation area, and has improved speaker versatility compared to conventional speaker systems for both hearing-impaired and normal-hearing people, allowing both hearing-impaired and normal-hearing people to enjoy listening to it with satisfaction.

[0075] Next, a description will be given of a third speaker unit 30 configured using the above-described first speaker unit 10. As shown in Figures 16 to 22, the third speaker unit 30 according to this embodiment includes at least a cone-shaped first diaphragm (cone-shaped diaphragm) 1, a sheet-shaped second diaphragm (curved diaphragm) 12 curved from one end to the other end, a plate-shaped blade piece 5 to which one end 12a of the curved diaphragm 2 is attached, a driver unit 3 that drives the cone-shaped diaphragm 1 and also drives the curved diaphragm 12 via the blade piece 5, and a support member 6 to which the cone-shaped diaphragm 1, the curved diaphragm 12, and the driver unit 3 are attached.

[0076] In the speaker unit 30 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the length of the curved diaphragm 12 along the curved direction from one end 12a to the other end 12b is longer than the length of the one end 12a and the other end 12b, and the lengths of the both side edges 12c and 12d are different from each other, with the convex surface of the curved portion facing the shorter side edge 12d.

[0077] The blade pieces 5 protrude from the small diameter 1a side of the cone-shaped diaphragm 1 toward the large diameter 1b side, and are arranged diagonally horizontally or vertically relative to the center cap 4 attached to the tip of the voice coil 31 of the driver unit 3, as shown in Figure 22.

[0078] Furthermore, similar to the second speaker unit 20, the support member 6 can be configured to include a support plate 61, a support surface 62 connected to this support plate 61, a fixing portion 63 connected to the end portion of this support surface 62, and a flexible elastic support member (not shown) arranged on the support surface 62.

[0079] In the speaker unit 30 configured in this manner, the smaller diameter side 1a of the cone diaphragm 1 is directly connected to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31), and one end 2a of the curved diaphragm 2 is indirectly connected to the driver unit 3 (voice coil 31) via blade pieces 5 arranged diagonally relative to the center cap 4, and further, the larger diameter side 1b of the cone diaphragm 1 and the other end 2b of the curved diaphragm 2 are both connected to the support member 6. Therefore, the convex surface of the curved portion of the curved diaphragm 2 is arranged to face the short side edge 12d.

[0080] The speaker 200 according to this embodiment can be constructed by mounting a third speaker unit 30, which includes at least a cone diaphragm 1, a curved diaphragm 2, a driver unit 3, a blade piece 5, and a support member 6, on a housing 50, as shown in FIG.

[0081] The speaker 200 configured in this manner comprises a first dynamic speaker equipped with a cone diaphragm 1 and a second speaker equipped with a curved diaphragm 2, and can be heard by both people with hearing impairments and people with normal hearing, and can emit sound from the curved diaphragm 2 in a specified direction.

[0082] That is, for example, when such speaker 200 is installed below an audio device such as a television, by making the convex surface of the curved portion face upward, even when listening at the same height as the audio device, sound is emitted upward, ensuring a desirable sense of sound pressure. On the other hand, when speaker 200 is installed above an audio device such as a television, by making the convex surface of the curved portion face downward, even when listening at the same height as the audio device, sound is emitted downward, ensuring a desirable sense of sound pressure.

[0083] The electrical signal input to the driver unit 3 in the speakers 100 and 200 can be, for example, an audio signal output from a television, radio, audio player, personal computer, smart device such as a smartphone or tablet, etc. Although not shown, the back plate of the housing 50 is provided with holes for attaching an audio jack and a switch.

[0084] Therefore, these speakers 100 and 200 can reproduce a wide range of sounds (sound waves for both hearing-impaired and hearing-disabled people) by mixing the sound from the first dynamic speaker with a cone-shaped diaphragm and the sound from the second speaker with a curved diaphragm. Furthermore, because the speakers 100 and 200 share a driver unit that drives the cone-shaped diaphragm and the driver unit that drives the curved diaphragm, manufacturing costs and weight are reduced. Furthermore, by integrally connecting the first speaker and the second speaker, the installation area is reduced and the speaker can be made compact.

[0085] 1 First diaphragm (cone-shaped diaphragm), 1a Small diameter side, 1b Large diameter side, 2, 12 Second diaphragm (curved diaphragm), 2a One end side, 2b Other end side, 2c, 2d Side edge portion, 3 Driver unit, 4 Center cap (dust cap), 5 Blade, 5a Base end portion, 6 Support member, 61 Support plate, 62 Support surface, 63 Fixing portion, 64 Elastic support member, 9 Cone support frame, 10, 20, 30 Speaker unit, 31 Voice coil, 32 Magnetic circuit, 50 Housing, 100, 200 Speaker (hybrid speaker system).

Claims

1. A speaker unit comprising at least: a cone-shaped first diaphragm; a plate-shaped blade piece for attaching one end of a sheet-shaped second diaphragm that forms a curved surface portion that curves from one end to the other; and a driver unit that drives both the first diaphragm and the blade piece, wherein the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm is connected to the driver unit, and the blade piece is connected to the driver unit via a center cap attached to the tip of the voice coil of the driver unit so as to protrude from the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm toward the larger diameter side.

2. A device comprising at least a cone-shaped first diaphragm, a sheet-shaped second diaphragm that forms a curved surface portion that curves from one end side to the other end side, a plate-shaped blade piece to which one end side of the second diaphragm is attached, a driver unit that drives the first diaphragm and also drives the second diaphragm via the blade piece, and a support member to which the first diaphragm, the second diaphragm, and the driver unit are attached, wherein the support member is composed of a flat support plate having an opening of a size that exposes the larger diameter side of the first diaphragm, a support surface connected to the support plate and having a curved surface portion that is equal to the curvature of the second diaphragm, a fixing portion connected to the terminal end of the support surface and for attaching the other end side of the second diaphragm, and a flexible elastic support member arranged on the support surface, wherein the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm is connected to the driver unit and the larger diameter side is connected to the support plate of the support member, the blade piece is connected to the driver unit via a center cap attached to the tip of the voice coil of the driver unit so as to protrude from the smaller diameter side of the first diaphragm toward the larger diameter side, the second diaphragm has one end connected to the blade piece and the other end connected to a fixed portion of the support member, and further the elastic support member is interposed between the concave side of the curved portion and the support surface of the support member.

3. A speaker unit as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the base end of the blade piece is perpendicular to the center cap and curves toward the tip end to match the curvature of the second diaphragm.

4. A speaker unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the blade piece is integral with the center cap.

5. A speaker unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second diaphragm is made of a foam sheet material.

6. A speaker unit as described in any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the length of the two opposing side edges of the second diaphragm along the curvature direction is longer than the length of the one end side and the other end side, and the lengths of the both side edges are different from each other, and the convex surface of the curved portion is arranged facing the shorter side edge.

7. The speaker unit according to claim 6, wherein the blade pieces are attached at an angle to the horizontal or vertical direction.

8. A speaker unit according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the elastic support member is partially disposed on the support surface.

9. The speaker unit according to claim 8, wherein the elastic support member is arranged linearly along the direction of curvature of the support surface.

10. A speaker unit according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the elastic support members are arranged in a scattered manner on the support surface.

11. A speaker unit according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the elastic support member is a cotton-like member.

12. A speaker characterized in that any one of the speaker units according to claims 2 to 11 is mounted in a housing.