Compact speaker enclosure employing modular external design

Abstract

Sound box (2) comprising two half-boxes (15a, 15b) assembled with each other, each half-box comprising an inner half-divider (20), the sound box being arranged such that, when assembled, the two half-boxes are positioned end-to-end such that a first end of each half-box is positioned at a second end of the other half-box and the inner half-dividers extend in line with each other to form an inner divider of the sound box, the invention relates to a sound box (1) comprising an internal partition (2) defining two acoustic chambers (22a, 22b) within the sound box, each acoustic chamber being intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of enclosures for acoustic speakers. Background Art

[0002] Enclosures for acoustic speakers, especially for smart and / or portable speakers, generally include "technical components", also known as "sound boxes", in which one or more speakers are integrated. The sound box is waterproof and defines the technical volume required to implement the technical functions of the audio components of the speaker enclosure, such as acoustic volume, connections for transmitting electrical audio signals to the speakers, etc.

[0003] The sound box can also be used as an external housing. Therefore, it not only allows protecting various components of the speaker enclosure from external erosion but also provides a certain aesthetic appearance for the speaker enclosure.

[0004] Therefore, without modifying the sound box, it is impossible to modify the aesthetic appearance of the speaker enclosure, which requires designing a new sound box for each new speaker enclosure model.

[0005] To be able to easily modify the appearance (customize) of the speaker enclosure, it is known to cover the sound box with a covering (such as a lid, fabric). Generally, the covering is mainly used to hide the electronic board integrated on or inside the sound box, in a way specific to the said sound box. Therefore, the shape of the covering is specific to each sound box. Therefore, by changing the color and / or texture of the covering, the covering only allows a minor modularity of the appearance of the speaker enclosure but does not allow a change in the shape of the speaker enclosure.

[0006] It is well known that by integrating the same sound box (and its one or more electronic boards) into different types of coverings, different speaker enclosures can be designed from the same sound box (and its one or more electronic boards). This solution causes additional technical limitations (for example, related to the fastening of the covering on the sound box or adding additional components to allow adaptation to the new shape) and involves an increase in the external dimensions of the speaker enclosure. For example, the original speaker enclosure is hidden in a "shell" larger than the speaker enclosure (enclosure) to change the appearance, especially the shape of the final product. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Objectives of the Invention

[0008] The present invention relates to a sound box.

[0009] - Allowing easy modification of the appearance of the speaker enclosure containing the said sound box;

[0010] - Having maximum compactness;

[0011] - Having optimal acoustic performance.

[0012] To achieve this purpose, a speaker box designed to form an acoustic speaker enclosure is proposed. The acoustic speaker enclosure may also include two speakers. The speaker box includes two half-boxes assembled with each other. Each half-box includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other along a first dimension. The first end has a first height along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension, and this first height is less than the second height of the second end along the second dimension. Each half-box also includes an internal half-partition. The speaker box is arranged such that when assembled, the two half-boxes are positioned end to end, with the first end of each half-box positioned at the second end of the other half-box, and the internal half-partitions extend in a straight line with each other to form an internal partition of the speaker box. This internal partition is defined within the speaker box, and each of the two speaker boxes is designed to accommodate one of the two speakers.

[0013] The speaker box obtained by assembling two half-boxes has many advantages.

[0014] Its external shape can be easily integrated into external casings of different shapes without adding additional components to allow adaptation to these different casings.

[0015] Furthermore, the internal half-partitions of the half-boxes that form the internal partition of the speaker box allow acoustic chambers to be defined within the speaker box. Each acoustic chamber has an optimized volume, thereby achieving compactness and maximum acoustic performance.

[0016] The end-to-end assembly allows the speaker box to be rigid, making it more resistant to vibration.

[0017] Furthermore, a speaker box as described above is proposed, wherein each half-box includes two side faces extending relative to each other and parallel to the first dimension and the second dimension. Each side face of each half-box has a triangular shape. Thus, the speaker box includes two rectangular-shaped side faces, and each side face is formed by the two side faces of the two half-boxes.

[0018] Furthermore, a speaker box as described above is proposed, wherein each half-box is manufactured by molding. The half-box is arranged such that its demolding is carried out in a demolding direction perpendicular to the main face of the half-box, and the two side faces of the half-box extend from this main face.

[0019] Furthermore, a speaker box as described above is proposed, wherein for each half-box, the outer wall of each side face is inclined towards the inside of the half-box to form a draft angle between the outer wall and an axis perpendicular to the main face.

[0020] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, wherein when the speaker is in the nominal position, the inner wall extends in a horizontal plane and thus defines an upper acoustic chamber and a lower acoustic chamber. The upper surface of the speaker is arranged such that the diaphragm of the speaker in the upper acoustic chamber can extend on the upper surface, and the front surface of the speaker is arranged such that the diaphragm of the speaker in the lower acoustic chamber can extend on the front surface.

[0021] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, wherein one of the half - boxes includes two faces, each face being arranged such that the diaphragm of one of the speakers can extend to the face.

[0022] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, which includes a face for each speaker, the face being arranged such that the diaphragm of the speaker can extend on the face. The face includes an opening through which the diaphragm can be acoustically communicated with the outside of the speaker, and the outer wall of the face further includes ribs extending around the opening to provide acoustic guidance for the sound waves generated by the diaphragm.

[0023] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, which includes a seal made of compressible material. When assembled, the seal is arranged at the joint of the half - boxes. The seal includes a contour part located between the free edges of the face of the half - box and an inner part located between the free edges of the inner semi - partition, such that the seal ensures the sealing of the speaker at the joint of the two half - boxes and at the two acoustic chambers.

[0024] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, which includes a front face having an outer wall, the outer wall including a receiving surface arranged to receive an electronic board and a first fastening device arranged to fasten the electronic board to the outer wall.

[0025] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, which further includes a second fastening device arranged to cooperate with a third fastening device of an outer housing to fasten the outer housing to the speaker.

[0026] In addition, a speaker as described above is proposed, which includes a front face having side edges, and the second fastening device is formed on the front face. The outer wall of the side face of the speaker further includes grooves extending from the second fastening device, and these grooves are arranged to prevent the third fastening device of the outer housing from contacting the side face of the speaker and to stiffen the speaker.

[0027] In addition, a speaker enclosure is proposed, which includes a speaker as described above and two speaker enclosures.

[0028] In addition, a speaker enclosure as described above is proposed, which includes a speaker as described above, and the speaker enclosure further includes an outer housing.

[0029] In addition, a loudspeaker enclosure as described above is proposed, the outer housing including a frame forming the rear, lower and side faces of the loudspeaker enclosure and a cover forming the top and front faces of the loudspeaker enclosure.

[0030] In addition, a loudspeaker enclosure as described above is proposed, the loudspeaker enclosure including a sound box as shown above, and the loudspeaker enclosure further including an electronic board, the electronic board including interface components for the user.

[0031] In addition, a loudspeaker enclosure as described above is proposed, wherein the interface components include actuatable components, and wherein the loudspeaker enclosure includes a button arranged to actuate the actuatable components, the button including a deformable surface formed on the outer housing and including a support area arranged such that when the user presses the support area, the support area sinks and allows the actuatable components to be actuated to perform a predefined function.

[0032] In addition, a loudspeaker enclosure as described above is proposed, wherein the interface components further include a light indicator indicating the position of the button on the outer housing, and wherein the support area includes a central portion and two end portions along a first dimension, the two end portions having a height along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension greater than the height of the central portion along the second dimension, the loudspeaker enclosure being arranged such that the orthogonal projection of the light indicator on the outer housing is positioned between the two end portions.

[0033] In addition, a loudspeaker enclosure as described above is proposed, wherein the deformable surface is obtained by a cut in the outer housing formation, the deformable surface including a tab having one end connected to the remainder of the outer housing, and the support area extending from the free end.

[0034] The present invention will be better understood from the following description of a particular non - limiting embodiment of the invention. Description of the Drawings

[0035] Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an acoustic loudspeaker enclosure;

[0037] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an unassembled box, cover and outer housing frame;

[0038] Figure 3 is a perspective view of two unassembled half - boxes and a flat joint;

[0039] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rear half - box and a cross - sectional view of the half - box along a plane parallel to its side face;

[0040] Figure 5 Is a perspective view of the front half of the box;

[0041] Figure 6 Is a perspective sectional view of the speaker along a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the speaker;

[0042] Figure 7 Shows the demolding direction of the front half of the box;

[0043] Figure 8 Is the draft angle formed on the front half of the box;

[0044] Figure 9 Is a sectional view of the box, the housing, and the main electronic board along a plane perpendicular to the board;

[0045] Figure 10 Is a front view of the speaker enclosure;

[0046] Figure 11 Shows a perspective view of the cover and the housing frame. Detailed implementation

[0047] Reference Figure 1 And Figure 2 , the acoustic speaker enclosure 1 is a "satellite" speaker enclosure, which is designed to be connected to an audio source, such as a set-top box (or STB), through a radio frequency link. The set-top box can be an "improved" set-top box that integrates the speaker enclosure itself. The audio source can also be, for example, a smart speaker enclosure.

[0048] The speaker enclosure 1 is designed such that its appearance is easy to modify while retaining the technical characteristics required for its normal operation.

[0049] The speaker enclosure 1 includes a speaker box 2, two speakers 3 integrated in the speaker box 2, and an external housing 4.

[0050] The external housing 4 includes a frame 5 and a cover 6. The frame 5 forms the rear face 7, the lower face 8, and the side faces 9 of the housing 4 and the speaker enclosure 1. The cover 6 forms the top face 10 and the front face 11 of the housing 4 and the speaker enclosure 1. The speaker box 2 is positioned within the volume defined by the housing 4.

[0051] Therefore, the housing 4 forms the external shell of the speaker enclosure 1, and the speaker box 2 forms the internal shell of the speaker enclosure.

[0052] The speaker enclosure 1 is powered by a power supply cable 12, which is connected to the speaker enclosure 1 at the corner defined by the intersection line of the rear face 7 and the bottom face 8 of the housing 4 (i.e., thus the intersection line of the speaker enclosure 1).

[0053] The loudspeaker enclosure 1 is designed to operate in a nominal manner without damaging the cable 12, either by positioning it such that its bottom face 8 (or the feet of its bottom face) is placed on a horizontal flat surface (such as a piece of furniture), or by positioning it such that its rear face 7 extends against a vertical flat surface (such as a wall).

[0054] Here, when using terms related to positioning and applied to the loudspeaker enclosure 1 or the soundbox 2 (such as front, rear, upper, lower, inner, outer, horizontal, etc.), these terms must be interpreted by considering the loudspeaker enclosure 1 positioned according to one of these two positions, so that both the loudspeaker enclosure 1 and the soundbox 2 are in the nominal position.

[0055] First, focusing on the soundbox 2, refer to Figures 3 to 5 .

[0056] The soundbox 2 includes two half-boxes 15: a front half-box 15a and a rear half-box 15b.

[0057] Each half-box 15 includes a first end 16 and a second end 17 opposite to each other along a first dimension d1 of the half-box 15. The first end 16 has a first height along a second dimension d2 of the half-box 15 perpendicular to the first dimension d1, and this first height is less than the second height of the second end 17 along the second dimension d2.

[0058] When assembling the soundbox 2, the two half-box bodies 15a, 15b are positioned end to end such that the first end 16 of each half-box body 15 is positioned at the second end 17 of the other half-box 15 (and vice versa).

[0059] Each half-box 15 includes two side faces 18, which face each other and extend parallel to the first dimension d1 and the second dimension d2. Each side face 18 of each half-box 15 has a triangular shape. Thus, the soundbox 2 includes two rectangular side faces 19 (visible in Figure 2 ), and each side face is formed by the two side faces 18 of the two half-boxes 15a, 15b.

[0060] Thus, a soundbox 2 having a generally parallelepiped shape is obtained from these two half-boxes 15 with triangular cross-sections.

[0061] Each half-box 15 also includes an internal half-partition 20.

[0062] When assembling the soundbox 2, the internal half-partitions 20 extend in a straight line with respect to each other to form an internal partition 21 of the soundbox 2 (the dashed line in Figure 2 ), and this internal partition 21 defines two acoustic chambers 22 within the soundbox 2, and each acoustic chamber 22 is intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers 3.

[0063] Here, when the speaker 2 is in the nominal position, the inner wall 21 extends into the horizontal plane, thus defining an upper chamber 22a and a lower chamber 22b.

[0064] Therefore, a common volume is defined in the speaker 2, and this common volume is separated by the internal partition 21. Thus, the speaker 2 is obtained from only two components (two half - boxes 15a, 15b), and the speaker 2 includes two acoustic chambers 22 defined in the box.

[0065] Therefore, this limits the number of components and volume loss within the box 2.

[0066] In principle, this solution is similar to the solution with a half - shell and a cover. However, in this case, there is a difference in the stiffness of the two components. The half - shell can be reinforced, but the cover has a generally flat overall shape and thus is prone to deformation when subjected to vibration during the operation of the speaker enclosure.

[0067] On the contrary, here, the speaker 2 with a diagonal joint plane does not have this weakness.

[0068] The specific construction in the two triangular half - boxes 15 connected end - to - end allows for balancing the mechanical stresses borne by the two half - boxes 15 due to acoustic vibrations during the operation of the enclosure 1.

[0069] In fact, the area of the half - box 15 with a "short" or "narrow" wall (usually at its top: the first end 16) has the effect of constraining the area of the other half - box with a "long" or "wide" wall (typically at its bottom: the second end 17), and vice versa. Therefore, once the speaker enclosure 1 starts operating, this construction has the advantage of preventing the deformation and potential vibration of the acoustic chamber 2. In other words, the end - to - end connected assembly eliminates the performance differences between the two half - boxes 15.

[0070] Therefore, the end - to - end connected triangular cross - section allows each half - box 15 to absorb the forces of the other half; thus there are two components resistant to deformation related to vibration.

[0071] Therefore, each speaker 3 of the speaker enclosure 1 is mounted in a sealed acoustic volume. The sealing of each volume allows each speaker 3 to work optimally (i.e., with optimal sound rendering), avoiding acoustic short - circuits that may degrade the sound quality of the speaker enclosure 1.

[0072] To form a sealed volume, compared with the solutions provided by the prior art, using the internal partition 21 is particularly advantageous, and each sealed volume is formed by an independent compartment with a separate wall.

[0073] In fact, such a separate compartment requires an assembly arrangement that requires an empty space outside the speaker enclosure (i.e., between the outer surface of the enclosure and the housing), thereby increasing the overall volume of the speaker enclosure for the same effective volume. In addition, each compartment is formed by a separate wall having a certain thickness, which has the disadvantage of reducing the effective volume of the speaker enclosure.

[0074] Therefore, using the internal partition 21 allows increasing the acoustic volume associated with each speaker to optimize the acoustic rendering of the speaker enclosure and / or reducing the overall volume of the speaker, thereby minimizing the size of the speaker enclosure.

[0075] The internal partition 21 is arranged to define different volumes, and the definition of these different volumes is to reduce the force required for the diaphragm movement of each speaker. Here, the volume of each acoustic chamber 22 is 0.2L, which is the optimal volume determined by considering the size of the speaker enclosure 1 and the characteristics of the selected speaker. Therefore, the volume of 0.2L is specific to the speaker 3 present here. Other speakers can be associated with different optimal volumes.

[0076] In the present example, the speaker enclosure 1 includes two speakers 3, so a separate horizontal partition 21 is provided approximately at the middle height inside the enclosure 2 to define two sealed acoustic volumes of 0.2L respectively associated with the two speakers 3. In other embodiments (not described), the speaker enclosure 1 may include a larger number of speakers 3, and the number of internal partitions 21 of the enclosure 2 will be adjusted accordingly. It should also be noted that one or more internal half partitions and one or more internal partitions, and thus not necessarily horizontal, can be inclined or even vertical.

[0077] However, as just seen, the internal wall 21 defines an upper acoustic chamber 22a and a lower acoustic chamber 22b.

[0078] It can be seen that one of the half enclosures 15, in this case the front half enclosure 15a, here includes two faces, each face being arranged such that the diaphragm of one of the speakers can extend on the said faces: the upper face 25 and the front face 27 of the half enclosure 15a. Therefore, the two speakers 3a, 3b are positioned on the same half enclosure 15, in this case the front half enclosure 15a.

[0079] The top face 25 of the speaker 2 is also the top face of the half enclosure 15a, which is arranged such that the diaphragm 23 of the speaker 3a in the top chamber 22a can extend on the said top face 25. Here, the frame of the speaker 3a is fastened to the upper face 25, and the upper face 25 includes an opening 26 through which the diaphragm 23 can be acoustically communicated with the outside of the speaker 2.

[0080] The front face 27 of the speaker enclosure 15a is arranged such that the diaphragm 23 of the loudspeaker 3b in the lower chamber 22b can extend in the front face 27. Here, the frame of the loudspeaker 3b is fastened to the front face 27, which includes an opening 28 through which the diaphragm 23 can be acoustically connected to the outside of the speaker enclosure 2.

[0081] The described construction is actually particularly suitable for the specific case where the speaker enclosure 2 includes a loudspeaker pointing upwards (“up-firing”) and a front loudspeaker pointing forwards.

[0082] The angle between the longitudinal axes of these two loudspeakers allows, for example, to obtain the elevation imposed by the Dolby TM ATMOS TM technology. In fact, this technology requires two loudspeakers with a specific angle between them in order to propagate sound in a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

[0083] The grouping of the two loudspeakers 3a, 3b in the front half-enclosure 15 allows the speaker enclosure 1 to be as compact as possible while respecting the principle of acoustic volume separation (for example, as in this case, the sealed acoustic volume of each loudspeaker 3 is 0.2 L).

[0084] Each of the upper face 25 and the front face 27 includes ribs 30 that extend around the openings 26, 28 and are perpendicular to the outer walls of the faces 25, 27.

[0085] Each rib 30 extends along a square profile with rounded corners, providing acoustic guidance for the sound waves generated by the diaphragm 23 of the loudspeaker 3 fixed to the face in question. The ribs 30 also provide sound insulation.

[0086] The ribs 30 on the top face 25 guide the sound waves upwards, and the ribs 30 on the front face 27 guide the sound waves forwards.

[0087] The ribs 30 are directly integrated into the speaker enclosure 2, which allows the number of components to be limited to achieve the guiding and insulating functions while optimizing the volume of the speaker enclosure 1. Thus, this avoids the use of horns to provide guidance.

[0088] Advantageously, the height of the ribs 30 is less than 6 mm. This height allows the volume to be optimally reduced while simplifying the shape of the ribs, as long as ribs of this height do not require flaring to direct the sound towards the outside of the speaker enclosure 1.

[0089] In fact, in the case where the height of the ribs is very small compared to the diameter of the loudspeaker under consideration, flaring is unnecessary.

[0090] For example, a loudspeaker with a diameter between 45 and 50 mm is compatible with ribs less than 6 mm in height. In this case, the ribs guide the sound without causing any interference.

[0091] Here, reference is made to Figure 6 , where the foam 31 is fastened to the inner walls of the upper surface 10 and the front surface 11 of the cover 6 of the housing 4. When the cover 6 and the box 2 are assembled, these foams 31 rest on the ribs 30 of the front surface 27 and the upper surface 25 of the front half-box 15a to ensure the seal between the speaker 2 around the diaphragm 23 and the cover 6, which has the effect of preventing sound waves from passing between the speaker 2 and the cover 6. Therefore, the foam 31 of the cover 6 combines with the ribs 30 of the speaker 2, contributing to guiding the sound towards the outside of the speaker enclosure 1.

[0092] Reference Figure 7 Now, focus on the manufacturing of the half-box 15. The half-box 15 shown here is the front half-box 15a.

[0093] The half-box 15 is made of a plastic material by a plastic injection process.

[0094] First, envision using a demolding direction orthogonal to the component diagonal 33 of the speaker 2 in the direction and path shown by the arrow 34. This method is as Figure 7 shown in the left figure.

[0095] However, this demolding direction causes problems for some functions of demolding (such as the fastening device that allows the frame of the speaker 3 to be fastened to the surface of the speaker 2). These fastening devices here include the screw cylinder of the speaker.

[0096] Therefore, the demolding direction has been redirected. The demolding of each half-box 15 is carried out along the direction and path shown by the arrow 35.

[0097] Therefore, for each half-box 15, the demolding direction is perpendicular to the main surface from which the two side surfaces 18 of the half-box 15 extend. The main surface is the front surface 27 of the front half-box 15a and the rear surface 37 of the rear half-box 15b.

[0098] Therefore, the demolding direction is not perpendicular to the diagonal 33 of the side surface 18, as can be seen in Figure 7 the right figure.

[0099] This helps to reduce the difficulties during the demolding process.

[0100] Reference Figure 8 , a draft angle α is also provided. The half-box 15 shown here is the front half-box 15a.

[0101] For each half-box 15, the outer wall of each side surface 18 is inclined towards the inside of the half-box 15 to form a draft angle α between the outer wall and the axis X (surface 27 or 37) perpendicular to the main surface of the half-box 15.

[0102] In fact, during the production of injection-molded parts, the surfaces in the demolding direction must have sufficient angles so that the parts can be easily removed from the mold. The value of the draft angle is particularly determined by the material used to manufacture the half-box 15.

[0103] For example, the front face 27 of the half-box 15a forms an angle β with at least one of the side faces 18 of the half-box, and this angle β is between 45° and 90°, preferably between 85° and 90°.

[0104] Note that the inner wall of the side face 18 is here inclined at an angle towards the outside of the half-box 15 with respect to the axis X, preferably less than the angle α.

[0105] Referring again to Figure 3 , the sound box 2 also includes a seal 40. This is a flat joint made of a compressible material (such as foam).

[0106] The seal 40 is arranged between the two half-boxes 15a, 15b.

[0107] The flat joint 40 includes a contour portion 41 having a generally rectangular shape, and when the box 2 is assembled, this contour portion 41 is positioned between the free edges of the faces of the half-box 15.

[0108] The contour portion 41 allows to ensure the sealing of the sound box 2 at the joint of the two assembled half-boxes 15.

[0109] Advantageously, the seal 40 also includes an inner portion 42, which, when the sound box is assembled, is positioned between the free edges of the inner half-divider 20. The inner portion 42 has a longitudinal shape and extends from a first side (length) of the contour portion 41 to a second side (another length) parallel to the first transverse, perpendicular to the first side and the second side.

[0110] Thus, the seal 40 also ensures the sealing of the two acoustic chambers 22a, 22b.

[0111] To be as effective as possible, this seal 40 must be as flat as possible (therefore, having a constant thickness with no significant differences in thickness).

[0112] Note that for the half-box 15, the term "free edge" is used to denote an edge that does not belong to another face.

[0113] The half-boxes 15a, 15b are assembled with each other as follows.

[0114] The rear half-box 15b includes longitudinal studs 44, here ten in number, distributed according to the length of the free edge of the side face 18 of the rear half-box 15 and extending parallel to them by being positioned on the inner wall of the side face 18.

[0115] The front half-box 15a includes complementary threaded cylinders.

[0116] To assemble the speaker enclosure 2, screws are inserted into the longitudinal studs 44 from the outside of the rear face 37 of the rear half-box 15b and screwed into the threaded cylinders.

[0117] Note that the joint 40 includes holes 45 at these studs to allow the screws to pass through.

[0118] Referring again to Figure 4 , it can be seen that the speaker enclosure 1 includes a power supply board 46, which is positioned in the rear half-box 15b at the volume corresponding to the lower chamber 22b.

[0119] The power supply board 46 is positioned near where the power supply cable 12 arrives.

[0120] This power supply board is held within the half-box 15b by screwing. More specifically, it is not only mechanically constrained by the screws 47, but also by the support ribs 48, which push in the direction opposite to the tightening to avoid vibrations that could generate parasitic noise during the operation of the speaker enclosure 1. In fact, the simple contact of this power supply board 46 with the rear half-box 15b would cause vibrations from this power supply board 46, thus causing parasitic noise.

[0121] Finally, the power supply board 46 is positioned along a plane inclined at 45° with respect to each of the rear face 37 and the lower face 38 of the half-box 15b. The female connector 49 is mounted perpendicular to the power board 46 on the printed circuit of the power supply board 46.

[0122] This configuration allows the male connector 50 located at the free end of the power supply cable 12 to be connected to two connection positions: a first connection position corresponding to Figure 1 where, when the male connector 50 is connected to the female connector 49, the cable 12 extends parallel to the rear face 7 of the housing 4 near the male connector 50; and a second connection position corresponding to Figure 2 where, when the male connector 50 is connected to the female connector 49, the cable 12 extends parallel to the lower face 8 of the housing 4 near the male connector 50.

[0123] Referring to Figure 2 and Figure 9 , the speaker enclosure 1 includes a main electronic board 52, which includes components that allow the speaker enclosure 1 to perform the functions it is designed for. The electronic board 52 particularly includes interface components 53 for communication between the user and the radio frequency communication module, and also includes an antenna 54, which allows the speaker enclosure 1 to communicate with external devices (such as a set-top box).

[0124] The radio frequency communication module here operates according to the Wi-Fi standard, but other standards such as Bluetooth can also be used.

[0125] The speaker enclosure 1 includes a position for receiving the electronic board 52. This position is preferably the "front end".

[0126] The front half-box 15a includes a receiving surface 55 (more clearly visible in Figure 5 ), and this receiving surface 55 is arranged to receive the electronic board 52.

[0127] Here, the receiving surface 55 is located on the outer wall of the front face 27 of the sound box 2.

[0128] The outer wall of the front face 27 includes a first fastening means which is arranged to fasten the electronic board 52 to the said outer wall. Here, the first fastening means includes two threaded holes 56 into which fastening screws are screwed.

[0129] This front slot allows the user to directly access the interface components 53 arranged at the front of the speaker enclosure 1, which is particularly convenient if the user wishes to mount the speaker enclosure 1 on a vertical surface such as a wall.

[0130] The front position of the electronic board 52 also allows restricting the electromagnetic interference to the Wi-Fi antenna 54 outside the sound box 2, especially in the direction of the device (in this case the set-top box) to which the speaker enclosure is connected.

[0131] It is further noted that when the electronic board 52 is positioned in this front slot, the printed circuit of the electronic board 52 acts as a sealing element which helps to improve the acoustic performance of the speaker enclosure 1 without the need to add additional sealing elements.

[0132] Particular attention is paid to the interface components 53. Here, these components include actuatable components 57 which can be actuated via buttons 58 and optical indicators, in this case light-emitting diodes 59 (LEDs). The LED 59 allows indicating to the user the position of the button 58 on the front face 11 of the speaker enclosure 1.

[0133] The button 58 allows manually controlling the actuatable components 57 to achieve predefined functions of the speaker enclosure 1.

[0134] Here, the predefined function is the pairing function of the speaker enclosure 1. Preferably, the pairing function will allow transmitting audio signals using wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi or "Bluetooth", for example to connect the speaker enclosure 1 to a decoder box of the STB type, so that sound can be transmitted without using an audio cable.

[0135] Here, the actuatable component 57 is a switch, in this case, it is a bistable switch.

[0136] The button 58 includes a deformable surface 60 and an actuating member 61.

[0137] The deformable surface 60 is located on the front face 11 of the housing 4.

[0138] The actuating member 61 is a body located between the switch 57 and the inner wall of the deformable surface 60.

[0139] The actuating member 61 extends here from the inner wall of the deformable surface 60.

[0140] The deformable surface 60 is formed in the cover 6 by a layer of deformable material, such as a thermoplastic polymer, preferably acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene (ABS), with a thickness of 2.5 mm here.

[0141] Here, the deformable surface 60 is obtained by a cut made in the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the outer housing 4.

[0142] Reference Figure 10 , the deformable surface 60 includes a support area 63 and a tab 64. The tab 64 extends horizontally on the outer wall of the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the outer housing 4 and includes an end connected to the rest of the cover 6 and a free end from which the support area 63 extends.

[0143] The support area 63 is arranged such that when the user presses on the support area 63, the support area 63 sinks a certain depth to bring the actuating member 61 towards the switch 57, thereby actuating it and changing its state.

[0144] Here, the tab 64 has a width of 3 mm and a length of 11.4 mm, which allows for good deformation under the pressure of the user's finger while ensuring recovery to the position of the support area 63 when the pressure stops.

[0145] Thus, the support area 63 will be able to sink a certain depth, here equal to 1.6 mm relative to the front face 11 of the speaker enclosure 1, which will allow the actuating member 61 to actuate the switch 57 located behind it.

[0146] As long as the user presses on the pressing area 63, the button 58 will deform to push the switch 57.

[0147] Note that here the support area 63 is in the shape of a "cat's head".

[0148] The support area 63 sequentially includes an end portion 65, a central portion 66, and an end portion 65 along a first dimension D1. Thus, according to this first dimension D1, the central portion 66 is positioned between the two end portions 65.

[0149] The end portions 65 project from both ends of the central portion 66 according to a second dimension D2 perpendicular to the first dimension D1 and in the same direction (in this case, upward). Thus, the height of the two end portions 65 along the second dimension D2 is greater than the height of the central portion 66.

[0150] The orthogonal projection of the LED 69 on the front face 11 is positioned between the two end portions 65.

[0151] This means that when the speaker enclosure 1 is viewed from the front, the LED 59 is positioned between the two end portions 65 of the support area 63 and is located here above the central portion 66. This special shape allows maximizing the surface of the support area 63 by passing the light guide 68 as close as possible around the LED 59 without obstructing the light emission.

[0152] Preferably, the front part of the speaker enclosure 1 including the support area 63 (here the outer wall of the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the housing 4) is covered with a fabric so that the user cannot precisely see the contour of the support area 63. The fabric is configured to let the light emitted by the LED 59 pass through, such that the LED 59 is transparently visible through the fabric. This assembly allows the user to know where to press without the user precisely seeing the contour of the pressing area 63.

[0153] Thus, here is a device 1 that includes an outer housing 4 and an electronic board 52 positioned inside the outer housing near the inner wall of the face 11 of the outer housing. The electronic board 52 includes an actuatable component 57 and a lamp indicator 59. The device includes a button 58 and an actuating member 61. The button 58 has a deformable surface 60 formed on the said face of the outer housing. The button 58 is arranged such that when the user presses on the deformable surface 50, the deformable surface sinks and the actuating member 60 actuates the actuatable component 57. The deformable surface includes a support area 63 that includes two end portions 65 along a first dimension D1 and a central portion 66 along a second dimension D2, and a central portion 66 having a height along the second dimension D2 perpendicular to the first dimension D1 that is less than the height of the end portions along the second dimension D2. The device is arranged such that the orthogonal projection of the indicator on the face of the outer housing is positioned between the two end portions 65.

[0154] It is noted here that the actuatable component 57 is not necessarily a switch, and this function is not necessarily the function of pairing the speaker enclosure (it may be functions such as activating or deactivating the speaker enclosure, track selection, volume adjustment, etc.).

[0155] It is also noted here that the support area 63 is placed on the acoustic speaker enclosure, but the same principle also applies to other types of devices, such as digital TV decoders. In this case, the assembly including the support area and the light guide can be covered by other light-transmitting flexible materials, such as a plasticized film coating instead of a fabric.

[0156] It can be seen that the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the outer housing 4 includes a surface 62 which includes incisions 69, each of which has a hexagonal shape, which defines a honeycomb structure. This surface 62 allows for an improved diffusion of the sound waves generated by the diaphragm 23 of the speaker 3b. The top face 10 of the cover 6 also includes such a surface.

[0157] Now focus on the assembly of the speaker enclosure 2 and the outer housing 4.

[0158] The speaker enclosure 2 includes a second fastening means which is arranged to cooperate with a third fastening means of the outer housing 4 to fasten the outer housing to the speaker enclosure.

[0159] The second fastening means includes holes 70 for positioning screws (visible, for example, in Figure 5 ). The holes 70 are located on the side edges of the front face 27 of the front half-box 15a, which extend transversely beyond the junction of the side face 18 and the front face 27. There are six holes here.

[0160] The holes 70 include three holes which are located on each of the two side edges of the front face, distributed along the length of the edge.

[0161] The third fixing means includes six threaded barrels 71 (visible in Figure 2 ), which extend horizontally along the inner wall of the side face 9 of the frame 5 of the outer housing 4, close to the free edge of the side face 9.

[0162] Therefore, the screws are positioned in the holes 70 and screwed into the barrels 71 to fix the speaker enclosure 2 to the frame 5.

[0163] It can be seen that the outer wall of the side face 19 of the speaker enclosure 2 also includes grooves 75 which extend from the second fastening means (holes 70) and are arranged to prevent the third fastening means of the outer housing from contacting the side face of the speaker enclosure.

[0164] Therefore, the grooves 75 allow for an easier insertion of the outer housing 4 onto the speaker enclosure 2.

[0165] Preferably, the number of grooves 75 is the same as the number of holes 70. Therefore, the number of grooves 75 is six and they are concentrated on the holes 70. The grooves 75 extend on almost all the side surfaces of the half-box 15, except for the front surface which is used to support the screws. Therefore, these grooves have the advantage of avoiding contact with the threaded barrel present in the housing.

[0166] Taking into account their shape, the grooves also contribute to the complete rigidity of the speaker.

[0167] Now pay more specific attention to the outer housing 4.

[0168] The design of the outer housing 4 takes into account all the limitations applicable to the speaker 2, in particular the need to associate a sealed acoustic volume of 0.2 L with each speaker 3.

[0169] The housing 4 surrounds the speaker 2 and at the same time serves as a covering for the speaker enclosure 1.

[0170] Due to its two-piece design, the outer housing 4 is modular and can be easily replaced while maintaining the same speaker 2.

[0171] Thus, as just seen, the outer housing 4 includes a frame 5 and a cover 6.

[0172] The frame 5 is configured to accommodate the speaker 2 and includes two side faces 9, a rear face 7 connecting the two side faces 9, a lower (bottom) face 8 that serves as a support for the other faces, and a front opening 80 formed between the side faces 9 and extending to the top of the rear face 7.

[0173] The cover 6 is configured to completely cover the front opening 80 of the frame 5.

[0174] Thus, the frame 5 forms a container that allows the speaker 2 to be accommodated. When the cover 6 is fixed to the frame 5, the central speaker 2 is completely protected by the housing 4.

[0175] The modular nature of the housing 4 allows it (i.e., the frame and / or the cover) to be replaced completely or partially in order to modify the appearance of the speaker enclosure with greater freedom while retaining the acoustic performance of the speaker enclosure 1.

[0176] Preferably, both the frame 5 and the cover 6 are formed by separate parts obtained by plastic injection manufacturing techniques (e.g., injecting a polymer into a mold). In practice, the part forming the cover 6 is less rigid than the part forming the frame 5.

[0177] Due to its rather flat and slightly angled shape (the angle is about 120°), once subjected to the vibrations generated by the speaker, the part forming the cover 6 will behave like a stretched canvas. Therefore, it must be constrained to avoid deformation of the speaker enclosure during operation.

[0178] This is why fastening elements such as clamps, support points, and two screws are provided on the cover 6 and the frame 5 to assemble the cover on the frame.

[0179] Reference Figure 11, the cover 6 here first includes elastic nesting elements 81 ("clamps"), and there are six elastic nesting elements 81 here, which are arranged near the free edge of the inner wall of the upper surface 10 of the cover 6.

[0180] Each element 81 includes two legs 82 extending vertically from the inner wall, and a hook 83 carried by the two legs 82 and perpendicular to them.

[0181] As for the frame 5, it includes additional elastic nesting elements 84 ("clamp noses"), the number of which is six, and they are arranged near the upper free edges of the rear surface 7 and the side surfaces 9 of the frame 5.

[0182] The cover 6 also includes two hooks 85, and each hook 85 is located on the upper part and near one of the free edges of the inner wall of the front surface of the cover.

[0183] As for the frame 5, it includes two additional attachment points 86, and each attachment point 86 is located on the upper part and near the free edge of the inner wall of one of the side surfaces 9 of the frame 5.

[0184] The cover 6 also includes two threaded barrels 87, and each threaded barrel 87 is located near the lower part of one of the free edges of the inner wall of the front surface 11 of the cover 6.

[0185] The frame 5 includes two screw attachments 88, and here they are two threaded holes, and each threaded hole is located at one end of the free edge of the inner wall of the lower surface 8 of the frame 5.

[0186] When assembling the speaker enclosure 1, and thus when assembling the cover 6 on the frame 5, the clamps 81 are coupled with the clamp noses 84, the hooks 85 are coupled with the additional attachment points 86, and the threaded barrels 87 coincide with the screw attachments 88 formed at the bottom of the frame. Then, screws are inserted into the threaded barrels 87 through the holes of the attachments 88 and tightened.

[0187] Advantageously, all of the above fastening elements are directly obtained during the molding process of the cover or the frame, thereby limiting the addition of additional fastening components as practiced in the prior art.

[0188] In fact, in this example, only two screws are installed through the screw attachments 88 of the frame and the screw barrels 87 of the cover to strengthen the fastening of the cover on the frame, and all other fastening elements are directly integrated into the cover and the frame, which allows the operator of after-sales service to easily replace the cover and / or the frame to modify the appearance of the speaker enclosure.

[0189] The above speaker enclosure has many advantages.

[0190] It allows optimizing the technical volume to obtain the maximum compactness of the speaker enclosure.

[0191] The separation between the aesthetic aspect and the technical function allows for greater freedom, either by increasing the external dimensions of the speaker enclosure or by maintaining an equivalent external volume to adapt the style of the speaker enclosure to a given technical volume.

[0192] Integrating and fixing the speaker in the external housing by means of simple screws allows for a quick design of a new cover.

[0193] In fact, there are generally only three limiting conditions for defining the new cover:

[0194] - The minimum clearance between the speaker and the housing (e.g., 1 mm);

[0195] - A certain clearance (e.g., 5 mm) between the base of each speaker and the housing to allow for the maximum displacement of the speaker;

[0196] - The screw barrels (six in this case) are at positions corresponding to the passages in the chamber.

[0197] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but includes any variations that fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

[0198] The shape of the side surface of the half-box does not necessarily have to be triangular. Any shape is possible as long as it is compatible with the components connected end to end.

[0199] Similarly, the frame and the cover of the housing can have aspects different from those described herein.

Claims

1. A sound box (2) intended to form an acoustic loudspeaker enclosure (1), the acoustic loudspeaker enclosure (1) may also include two loudspeakers (3), the sound box comprising two half boxes (15) assembled to each other, each half box comprising a first end (16) and a second end (17) opposite each other along a first dimension (d1), the first end having a first height along a second dimension (d2) perpendicular to the first dimension (d1), the first height being smaller than a second height of the second end in the second dimension, each half box further comprising an internal half partition (20), The sound box (2) is arranged so that when the sound box is assembled, the two half boxes are positioned end to end so that the first end of each half box is positioned at the second end of the other half box, and the internal half partitions extend in line with each other to form an internal partition (21) of the sound box, and the internal partition (21) defines two acoustic chambers (22) within the sound box, each of the acoustic chambers (22) is intended to accommodate one of the two speakers (3).

2. The speaker according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the half boxes (15) comprises two side surfaces (18) extending relative to each other and parallel to the first dimension (d1) and the second dimension (d2), each side surface (18) of each of the half boxes (15) having a triangular shape, so that the speaker comprises two rectangular side surfaces (19), each side surface (19) of the speaker is formed by the two side surfaces (18) of the two half boxes.

3. The speaker according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each half-box (15) is manufactured by molding and is arranged so that its demoulding is carried out in a demoulding direction (35) perpendicular to the main face (27, 37) of the half-box from which its two side faces extend.

4. The speaker according to claim 3, characterized in that: For each of the half-boxes (15), the external wall of each lateral face (18) of the half-box is inclined towards the inside of the half-box so as to form a draft angle (α) between the external wall and an axis (X) perpendicular to the main face.

5. A loudspeaker according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that When the sound box is in a nominal position, the internal partition (21) extends in a horizontal plane and thereby defines an upper acoustic chamber (22a) and a lower acoustic chamber (22b), the upper face (25) of the sound box being arranged so that the diaphragm (23) of the speaker (3a) of the upper acoustic chamber can extend on the upper face, and the front face (27) of the sound box being arranged so that the diaphragm (23) of the speaker (3b) of the lower acoustic chamber can extend on the front face.

6. A loudspeaker according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that One of the half-boxes (15a) comprises two faces, each of which is arranged so that the diaphragm of one of the loudspeakers can extend on said face.

7. A loudspeaker according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The sound box includes a surface (25, 27) for each of the loudspeakers (3), the surface (25, 27) being arranged so that the diaphragm (23) of the loudspeaker can extend on the surface, the surface including an opening (26, 28) through which the diaphragm (23) can be acoustically connected to the outside of the sound box, and the outer wall of the surface also includes ribs (30) extending around the opening to provide acoustic guidance for the sound waves generated by the diaphragm.

8. A loudspeaker according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The loudspeaker comprises a seal (40) made of a compressible material, which is arranged at the joint of the half-boxes (15) when the half-boxes are assembled, and which comprises a contour portion (41) positioned between the free edges of the faces of the half-boxes and an internal portion (42) positioned between the free edges of the internal half-partitions, so that the seal ensures the sealing of the loudspeaker at the joint of the two half-boxes and at the two acoustic chambers.

9. A loudspeaker according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The sound box comprises a front face (27) having an outer wall, the outer wall comprising a receiving surface (55) arranged to receive an electronic board (52) and first fastening means (56) arranged to fasten the electronic board to the outer wall.

10. A loudspeaker according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The speaker box further comprises second fastening means (70) which are arranged to cooperate with third fastening means (71) of the external housing (4) to fasten the external housing to the speaker box (2).

11. The speaker according to claim 10, characterized in that: The speaker box comprises a front face (27) having a side edge, the second fastening means (70) being formed on the side edge, the outer wall of the side face (19) of the speaker box further comprising a groove (75), the groove (75) extending from the second fastening means (70) and arranged to prevent the third fastening means of the outer shell (4) from contacting the side face of the speaker box and to stiffen the speaker box.

12. Loudspeaker enclosure (1) comprising the sound box (2) according to any one of the preceding claims and the two loudspeakers (3).

13. The loudspeaker enclosure according to claim 12, characterized in that The loudspeaker enclosure comprises a sound box according to any one of claims 10 or 11, the loudspeaker enclosure further comprising the outer housing (4).

14. The loudspeaker enclosure according to claim 13, the outer shell (4) comprising a frame (5) forming a rear face (7), a bottom face (8) and a side face (9) of the loudspeaker enclosure, and a cover (6) forming a top face (10) and a front face (11) of the loudspeaker enclosure.

15. Loudspeaker enclosure according to any one of claims 12 to 14, comprising the sound box according to claim 9, further comprising the electronic board (52), the electronic board (52) comprising interface means (53) for a user.

16. The loudspeaker enclosure according to claim 15, characterized in that The interface component comprises an actuatable component (57), and wherein the speaker enclosure comprises a button (58) arranged to actuate the actuatable component, the button (58) comprising a deformable surface (60) formed on the outer shell (4) and comprising a rest area (63), the rest area (63) being arranged such that when a user presses the rest area, the rest area sinks and allows actuation of the actuatable component to achieve a predefined function.

17. The loudspeaker enclosure according to claim 16, characterized in that The interface component also includes a light indicator (59) indicating the position of the button (58) on the outer shell (4), and wherein the support area (63) includes a central part (66) and two end parts (65) according to a first dimension (D1), the heights of the two end parts according to a second dimension (D2) perpendicular to the first dimension (D1) of the end parts are greater than the height of the central part, and the speaker enclosure is arranged so that the orthogonal projection of the light indicator on the outer shell (4) is positioned between the two end parts (65).

18. A loudspeaker enclosure according to any one of claims 16 and 17, characterized in that The deformable surface (60) is obtained by a cutout made in the outer shell, the deformable surface comprising a tab (64) having one end connected to the rest of the outer shell and a free end from which the rest area (63) extends.

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