Electrical equipment integrated with loudspeaker

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical device (1) comprising: a housing (10) defining a chamber (E) in which a main board (40) and a loudspeaker (30) connected to the main board are arranged, characterized in that a membrane (32) of the loudspeaker opens into at least one opening (12.2) provided in an upper panel (12b) of the housing, and in that the main board extends into a first transverse plane (P41) of the loudspeaker, the first plane is substantially parallel to the upper panel. The electrical device (1) is a set top box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of electrical devices with integrated loudspeakers. Background Art

[0002] A set-top box or STB is an electrical device designed to be connected to a television set and used for various functions and different services, such as digital television.

[0003] The set-top box generally comprises a chassis with a cover mounted on top, the chassis and the cover defining a cavity in which the main board is arranged, and the cavity extends substantially horizontally.

[0004] It is known that a set-top box is equipped with a speaker and a microphone connected to a mainboard to ensure the voice assistant function. The speaker is usually arranged below the mainboard, so that the height of the set-top box equipped with a voice assistant is greater than that of the set-top box without a voice assistant.

[0005] The loudspeakers are arranged facing the openings or the flanks of the cover provided on the chassis, so that the loudspeakers are oriented downwards or sideways, respectively. When the loudspeakers are oriented downwards, it is necessary to increase the height of the feet on which the set-top box rests and / or to provide outflow openings on the lower face of the chassis to ensure sufficient propagation of the sound waves generated by the loudspeakers. Therefore, this downward orientation has a significant impact not only on the height, but also on the overall volume of the set-top box. Summary of the invention

[0006] The invention aims to propose an arrangement of a loudspeaker in a piece of electrical equipment making it possible to limit the dimensions of the electrical equipment, and in particular its height.

[0007] To achieve this object, a housing is proposed, which defines a chamber in which a main board and a speaker connected to the main board are arranged.

[0008] The membrane of the loudspeaker opens into at least one opening provided in the upper panel of the housing, and the main panel extends into a first transverse plane of the loudspeaker, the first plane being substantially parallel to the upper panel.

[0009] According to the invention, the loudspeaker comprises a square base extending into a second plane substantially parallel to the upper panel, none of the edges of the base extending parallel to the edges of the upper panel as seen in the second plane.

[0010] Therefore, the speaker is not arranged below or above the main board, but is at the same level as the main board, which makes it possible to limit the height of the housing.

[0011] Furthermore, by opening onto the upper panel, the loudspeaker is said to be oriented upwards. This integration of the loudspeaker in the housing does not require an extended chassis, which rests on the housing on a support, or a lower face of said chassis flowing out with sufficient height to allow the sound waves generated by the loudspeaker to propagate, which also makes it possible to limit the height of the housing, but also the overall volume of the electrical equipment.

[0012] According to a feature of the invention, the upper panel is rectangular and the openings are provided in the corners of the upper panel.

[0013] According to another feature of the present invention, the shell includes a chassis, the chassis includes ridges, the ridges include a first series of ridges and a second series of ridges, the first series of ridges and the second series of ridges extend vertically from the bottom of the chassis, and are respectively arranged at the central part of the bottom of the chassis and the periphery of the central part, and the first series of ridges are arranged according to a honeycomb structure including hexagonal pits.

[0014] The invention also relates to a set-top box comprising such a piece of electrical equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The invention will be best understood from the following description, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting and must be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a top perspective view from the front of a piece of electrical equipment in a nominal operating position according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of the electrical equipment shown in;

[0018] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A bottom view of the electrical device shown in and without the chassis;

[0019] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electrical device shown in FIG. 1 in a plane including a central axis of the loudspeaker;

[0020] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A top perspective view from the side of the chassis of the electrical device shown in ; and

[0021] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A top perspective view from the side of a chassis and a speaker of an electrical device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to a particular embodiment of the invention, a set-top box, generally referenced 1, comprises a casing 10 defining a chamber E in which are arranged an electrical module 20, a loudspeaker 30, a main electronic board or motherboard 40, a first antenna 50 and a second antenna 60. In this case, the casing 10 is made of plastic material and has a height H substantially equal to 24 millimeters.

[0023] The housing 10 is generally parallelepipedal in shape and comprises a base 11 on which a cover 12 is mounted.

[0024] The chassis 11 includes a lower panel 11 a , which is mainly rectangular and includes an upper face and a lower face, the lower face forming a lower face 10 a of the housing 10 .

[0025] The cover 12 includes an upper panel 12b and a skirt having an upper edge connected to the periphery of the upper panel 12b.

[0026] The upper panel 12 b , which is mainly rectangular, includes an upper face that forms the upper face 10 b of the housing 10 and a lower face that forms the bottom of the cover 12 .

[0027] The skirt has four rounded corners and comprises:

[0028] - a front panel 12c connected to the front edge of the upper panel 12b to form the front face 10c of the housing 10;

[0029] - a rear panel 12d, which is opposite to the front panel 12c and is connected to the rear edge of the upper panel 12b to form a rear face 10d of the housing 10;

[0030] - a right side panel 12e connected to the side edge of the upper panel 12b, the side edge of the front panel 12c and the side edge of the rear panel 12d to form a side face 10e of the housing 10; and

[0031] A left side panel 12 f , which is opposite to the right side panel 12 e , is connected to the side edge of the upper panel 12 b , the side edge of the front panel 10 a , and the side edge of the rear panel 12 d to form the left side 10 f of the housing 10 .

[0032] The set-top box 1 is mounted in its nominal operating position so that the chassis 11 of the housing 10 rests via four feet 13 on a substantially horizontal support (e.g. a piece of furniture on which a television set is also placed, to which the set-top box 1 is connected), and the front face 10c of the housing 10 is positioned facing the user. The feet 13 are received in fixing studs 11.6 provided at the four corners of the chassis 11 and are provided in this case with runners 14 forming decoupling ends to limit the transmission of vibrations generated by the loudspeaker 30 to the support on which the set-top box 1 rests.

[0033] In this case, all positional terms such as "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", "horizontal" and "vertical" are interpreted by considering the set-top box 1 to be in its nominal operating position and viewed from the front (as seen by a user).

[0034] refer to Figure 2 , the front panel 12c of the cover 12 comprises, on the right side, a recess 12.1 (or cutout) arranged to receive the electrical module 20. The recess 12.1, which is mainly trapezoidal, extends from the lower edge of said front panel 12c and comprises side edges and an upper edge which extends to the vicinity of the front edge of the upper panel 12b, substantially parallel thereto.

[0035] The electric module 20 comprises a support 21 and an electronic board 22 fixed to the support 21 .

[0036] The support 21 has an overall shape complementary to that of the recess 12.1 and is received in the recess 12.1 so that the support 21 contacts the upper and side edges of the recess 12.1. The support 21 comprises a front face 21c extending into the extension of the front face 10c of the housing 10 and a rear face opposite the front face 21c from which the studs extending from the electronic board 22 extend.

[0037] The electronic board 22 comprises a printed circuit extending substantially parallel to the support and on which a camera, an infrared receiver and a microphone are mounted. The camera is arranged facing a circular hole provided in the support 21 and covered with a protective glass 23 which is substantially flush with the front face 10c of the housing 10.

[0038] It should be noted that the support 21 is in this case made of a material that is transparent or translucent to infrared light. For example, this is a polycarbonate or MABS type (methacrylonitrile butadiene styrene methacrylate) plastic material.

[0039] like Figure 2 and 3As shown, the loudspeaker 30 is integrated in the housing 10 and comprises, in a manner known per se, a bowl 31 in which a coil is movably mounted via magnets, the coil being coaxially connected to a membrane 32, the movement of which causes a change in the sound pressure, thereby generating sound. The bowl 31 has a central axis extending substantially vertically and comprises a square base 33 extending horizontally, in a plane P 33 The central axis of the bowl 31 is also the central axis of the speaker 30. The base 33 is provided with a hole at each corner, which faces the studs extending vertically from the bottom of the cover 12, so that the speaker 30 is said to be oriented upward and fixed to the lower face of the upper panel 12b of the cover 12 via the base 33.

[0040] The speaker 30 is disposed in a corner of the cover 12 defined by the front panel 12c and the left side panel 12f. It should be noted that the right side of the base 33 of the speaker 30 does not extend parallel to the front panel 12c or the left side panel 12f in this case: 33 As can be seen, the sides of the base 33 extending to the vicinity of the front panel 12c and the left side panel 12f form a non-zero angle α and differ from the front panel 12c by 90 degrees. In this case, the angle α is approximately equal to 25 degrees. It can be understood that all the right edges of the base 33 form angles with the edges of the upper panel 12b that differ by 0 degrees and 90 degrees, so that from the plane P 33 It can be seen that none of the right edges of the base 33 extends parallel to the edge of the upper panel 12b. This angular orientation of the loudspeaker 30 about its central axis makes it possible to limit the width and length dimensions of the housing 10 in particular.

[0041] In order to enable the membrane 32 of the loudspeaker 30 to be articulated, a circular opening 12.2 is provided in the cover 12, which is coaxial with the membrane 32. It is claimed that the loudspeaker 30 opens into the opening 12.2. It is worth noting that in this case, the diameter of the opening 12.2 is greater than the diameter of the membrane 32 and smaller than the major diameter of the bowl 31.

[0042] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the motherboard 40 is integrated in the housing 10 and includes a printed circuit 41, on which components such as a processor, a memory, and a connector are mounted. The printed circuit 41 extends substantially horizontally to a plane P between the chassis 11 and the upper panel 12b of the cover 12. 41 The printed circuit 41 is in this case mainly in the shape of a rectangle, one corner of which is indented to partially receive the speaker 30. The printed circuit 41 includes:

[0043] - a rear edge 42 extending adjacent to and parallel to the rear panel 12 d of the cover 12 ;

[0044] - a front edge 43 which, opposite the rear edge 42 , extends in the vicinity of the support 21 of the electrical module 20 and parallel thereto;

[0045] - a right side edge 44 extending near and parallel to the right side panel 12e of the cover 12, the right side edge 44 connecting the rear edge and the front edge;

[0046] - a left edge 45, opposite to the right edge 44, extending near and parallel to the left side panel 12f of the cover 12, the left edge 45 being connected to the rear edge; and

[0047] A retracted edge 46 connecting the front edge 43 and the left side edge 45 so as to face horizontally towards the bowl 31 of the loudspeaker 30 .

[0048] The indented edge 46 includes a central portion 46.1, a first side portion 46.2 and a second side portion 46.3. The first side portion 46.2 extends substantially perpendicular to the front edge 43 and connects the front edge 43 to the central portion 46.1. The second side portion 46.3 extends substantially perpendicular to the left side edge 45 and connects the left side edge 45 to the central portion 46.1. The first side portion 46.2 and the second side portion 46.3 have substantially the same length, and the side portions extend primarily at 45 degrees.

[0049] It is understandable that the speaker 30 is not placed above or below the main board 40 , but beside the main board 40 .

[0050] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first antenna 50 and the second antenna 60 are integrated into the housing 10 .

[0051] The first antenna 50 extends parallel to the front panel 12c of the cover 12 and lies flat against the front panel 12c, facing the speaker 30. The first antenna 50 is connected to the printed circuit 41 of the main board 40 via a first connection cable 51.

[0052] The second antenna 60 extends parallel to and lies flat against the right side panel 12e of the cover 12, near the middle of the left edge of the printed circuit 41 of the main board 40. The second antenna 60 is connected to the printed circuit 41 of the main board 40 via a second connection cable 61.

[0053] The loudspeaker 30 and the electronic board 22 of the electrical module 20 itself are connected to the printed circuit 41 of the main board 40 via a connection layer 24 and a connection cable (not shown), respectively.

[0054] In order to optimize the overall volume of the housing 10, the chamber (E) delimited by the chassis 11 and the cover 12 is not soundproofed, so that the housing 10 does not form a closed chamber for the loudspeaker 30. Therefore, the chassis 11 comprises ridges, including a first series of ridges 11.1 and a second series of ridges 11.2, which are arranged to limit the acoustic resonances within the housing 10 while increasing the rigidity of said chassis 11. The first series of ridges 11.1 and the second series of ridges 11.2 extend vertically from the upper face of the chassis 11 and have, in this case, a height h substantially equal to 6.4 millimeters.

[0055] The first series of ridges 11.1 defines a honeycomb structure extending to the central part of the chassis 11. The honeycomb structure is mainly square and includes hexagonal pits 11a, which enable it to break stationary waves. The pits 11a are arranged on either side of reinforcing ridges 11.3, each extending substantially along a diagonal of the honeycomb structure. The reinforcing ridges 11.3 each extend from a cylindrical central ridge 11.4 located in the center of the chassis 11 in the direction of one of the fixing studs 11.6 to receive the standoffs 13.

[0056] The second series of ridges 11.2 defines a rectangular cavity 11b extending around the honeycomb structure, primarily at the periphery of the chassis.

[0057] It is worth noting that the first series of ridges 11.1 and the second series of ridges 11.2 define an area 11.5 for receiving the rear portion of the bowl 31 of the speaker 30 ( Figure 5 and 6 ) so that none of the ridges extend below the bottom of the bowl 31, thereby optimizing the height H of the housing 10.

[0058] The upper panel 12b of the cover 12 is covered with an insert 70 arranged to protect the loudspeaker 30 from elements external to the housing 10 and, to a lesser extent, from dust. The insert 70 comprises a plate 71 provided with a plurality of apertures evenly distributed over the entire surface of the plate 71 to form a protective grid permeable to sound waves. The plate 71 comprises a lower face provided with an acoustic fabric (not shown) extending over the entire surface of the plate 71 to protect the loudspeaker 30 from dust.

[0059] In this case, the insert 70 is fixed to the upper panel 12b of the cover 12 by double-sided tape. An outflow portion having a height substantially equal to 1 mm is provided on the upper face 10b of the housing 10 to receive the insert 70.

[0060] The insert 70 also makes it possible to hide cosmetic defects of the upper panel 12 b related to the method used to inject the plastic of the cover 12 , and in particular ducts created during the stripping of technical functions such as fixing studs.

[0061] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described but comprises any variant coming within the ambit of the invention such as defined by the claims.

[0062] Furthermore, the speaker 30 may be arranged in a corner of the cover 12 (as long as it remains oriented upward). The speaker 30 may be arranged in the middle of the upper panel 12 b of the cover 12 , for example.

[0063] The shape of the housing 10 may be different from that described, such as a cylindrical shape.

[0064] The first series of ridges 11.1 and the second series of ridges 11.2 may form a different pattern than described and / or have a different density.

[0065] The tilt angle α of the speaker 30 may be zero and may differ by 25 degrees.

[0066] The circular opening 12.2 into which the loudspeaker 30 opens may be replaced by a plurality of apertures.

[0067] Only the portion of insert 70 situated above loudspeaker 30 must be transparent to sound waves. The uniform distribution of the apertures of plate 71 and the almost complete covering of the lower face of plate 71 by the acoustic fabric primarily enable the visual uniformity of set-top box 1 to be improved.

Claims

1. An electrical device (1) comprising a housing (10) defining a chamber (E), wherein a main board (40) and a loudspeaker (30) connected to the main board are arranged, the membrane (32) of the loudspeaker opening into at least one opening (12.2) arranged in an upper panel (12b) of the housing, and the main board extending to a first transverse plane (P) of the loudspeaker 41 ), the first plane is substantially parallel to the upper panel, characterized in that, The speaker comprises a square base (33) extending to a second plane (P) substantially parallel to the upper panel. 33 ) in which, viewed from the second plane, none of the edges of the base are parallel to the edges of the upper panel.

2. The electrical device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The upper panel (12b) is rectangular and the openings (12.2) are arranged in corners of the upper panel.

3. An electrical device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The main board (40) comprises a printed circuit (41) provided with a recess (46) arranged to at least partially receive the speaker (30).

4. The electrical device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The speaker (30) is fixed to the upper panel (12b).

5. The electrical device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The housing comprises a chassis (11), the chassis comprising ridges, the ridges comprising a first series of ridges (11.1) and a second series of ridges (11.2), the first series of ridges and the second series of ridges extending vertically from the bottom of the chassis and being arranged at a central part of the bottom of the chassis and at the periphery of the central part, respectively, the first series of ridges being arranged according to a honeycomb structure comprising hexagonal pits (11a).

6. The electrical device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that The honeycomb structure is mainly square and the recesses (11a) are arranged on either side of reinforcing ridges (11.3), each of which extends substantially along a diagonal of the honeycomb structure.

7. The electrical device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The ridge comprises a cylindrical central ridge (11.4) located in the center of the chassis (11), the chassis comprises four fixing studs (11.6), each of which is intended to receive a foot (13) of the electrical device, and the reinforcing ridges (11.3) each extend from the central ridge in the direction of one of the fixing studs.

8. The electrical device (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that The ridge defines an area (11.5) for receiving a rear portion of the speaker (30).

9. The electrical device (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The housing (10) comprises a cover (12) mounted on top of the chassis (11), the cover comprising an upper panel (12b) and skirts (12c, 12d, 12e, 12f) connecting the upper panel to the chassis.

10. The electrical device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electrical device is a set-top box.

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