Loudspeaker box and electronic device

Abstract

A speaker box and an electronic device are provided. The speaker box includes: a box housing defining an internal chamber; a plurality of openings formed in the tank housing; at least one active driver, each active driver being located within one of the openings; at least one passive radiator, each passive radiator being located within one of the openings; and at least one reinforcement structure positioned within the chamber, where each reinforcement structure is associated with one passive radiator, each reinforcement structure being located behind its respective passive radiator, and extending from the tank housing proximate to the opening where the respective passive radiator is located and spanning the respective passive radiator. The electronic device comprises a loudspeaker box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to a speaker enclosure and an electronic device including the speaker enclosure. Background Technology

[0002] Speaker enclosures are indispensable components in many electronic devices. One type of speaker enclosure design includes one or more active drivers and passive radiators. The active drivers are conventional speaker units with magnet assemblies, voice coils, and diaphragms that produce sound when driven by an electro-audio signal. Passive radiators, on the other hand, lack magnets and voice coils and are designed to vibrate in response to changes in air pressure inside the speaker enclosure caused by the operation of the active speaker units. Passive radiators improve the low-frequency response of the speaker enclosure and the user experience in a cost-effective manner.

[0003] However, including passive radiators involves creating a large opening in the speaker enclosure, which can weaken its structural strength. This weakening of structural strength is problematic because it lowers the speaker enclosure's natural frequency and leads to increased vibration during operation. This problem becomes even more pronounced when the speaker enclosure is integrated into space-constrained electronic devices such as laptops, all-in-one computers, or projectors. Attempts to address this issue involve using thicker enclosure walls. However, these methods typically increase the speaker enclosure's weight and cost, reduce the net acoustic volume, and offer limited improvement in vibration.

[0004] Therefore, a solution is needed that can strengthen the structure of the speaker enclosure without significantly increasing its weight, cost, or negatively impacting sound quality, especially in the context of space-constrained electronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a loudspeaker enclosure is provided, the loudspeaker enclosure comprising: an enclosure housing defining an internal chamber; a plurality of openings formed in the enclosure housing; at least one active driver, each active driver being located within one of the openings; at least one passive radiator, each passive radiator being located within one of the openings; and at least one reinforcing structure positioned within the chamber, wherein each reinforcing structure is associated with a passive radiator, each reinforcing structure being located behind its respective passive radiator and extending from the enclosure housing near the opening where the respective passive radiator is located and across the respective passive radiator.

[0006] According to another aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a speaker enclosure as described above. Attached Figure Description

[0007] This disclosure will be better understood with reference to the following figures and description. The components shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather the principles illustrated in this disclosure are intended to be emphasized. Furthermore, in the figures, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the figures.

[0008] Figure 1 A perspective view of a speaker enclosure according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 Exploded view of the speaker enclosure;

[0010] Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of the speaker enclosure is shown, taken along a longitudinal vertical plane passing through the center of the speaker enclosure;

[0011] Figure 3B A cross-sectional view of the speaker enclosure is shown, taken along a transverse vertical plane passing through the center of the speaker enclosure;

[0012] Figure 4A A perspective view of the speaker enclosure is shown, with the passive radiator removed to reveal the internal structure of the speaker enclosure;

[0013] Figure 4B An exploded view of the speaker enclosure is shown;

[0014] Figures 5A to 5C The upper housing portion of a speaker enclosure according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein... Figure 5A This is a perspective view of the upper outer shell. Figure 5B It is a bottom view of the upper shell section, and Figure 5C This is a top view of the upper outer shell.

[0015] Figures 6A to 6C The lower housing portion of a speaker enclosure according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein... Figure 6A This is a perspective view of the upper outer shell. Figure 6B It is a bottom view of the lower shell section, and Figure 6C This is a top view of the lower outer shell. Detailed Implementation

[0016] In the following, various embodiments of this disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” indicate the presence of the stated feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. As used herein, the terms “and / or” and the symbol “ / ” signify any and all combinations including one or more of the associated listed items. Furthermore, while the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, steps, or calculations, these elements, components, steps, or calculations should not be limited by these terms, but rather these terms are used only to distinguish one element, component, step, or calculation from another. For example, the first component may be referred to as the second component; similarly, the first calculation may be referred to as the second calculation; likewise, the first step may be referred to as the second step; all of these are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0018] As used herein, the term "active driver" refers to a conventional loudspeaker unit that has a magnet assembly, voice coil, and diaphragm. This unit produces sound when powered by an electro-audio signal. The term "passive radiator" refers to a passive loudspeaker unit that includes a diaphragm but lacks a magnet assembly and voice coil. Passive radiators are designed to vibrate in response to changes in air pressure caused by the operation of an active driver.

[0019] For the purpose of clarifying its use in pending claims and to provide notice to the public, unless expressly stated to the contrary by the applicant, the phrase "in lieu of any other implied definition above or below" shall supersede any other implied definition thereof. 、 ,……and <n> at least one of them or< / n> 、 、……、 <n>"or at least one of their combinations" is defined most broadly by the applicant as meaning one or more elements selected from the group comprising A, B, ... and N, that is, any combination of one or more elements A, B, ... or N that includes any single element or a combination of one or more elements with other elements (which may also include additional elements not listed).

[0020] This disclosure provides a loudspeaker enclosure including an enclosure housing, at least one active driver, and at least one passive radiator. The loudspeaker enclosure also includes at least one reinforcing structure, each reinforcing structure associated with a passive radiator, each reinforcing structure being located behind its respective passive radiator and extending from an opening in the enclosure housing near and across the respective passive radiator.

[0021] Contrary to intuition, the inventors of this disclosure have discovered that the reinforcing structure can efficiently enhance the structural strength of the enclosure without having an audible impact on sound quality or audio performance.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the reinforcing structure is a cross-shaped reinforcing structure having two arms that intersect each other at a right angle at the center point of the reinforcing structure. In some embodiments, the two arms comprise a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm, wherein the longitudinal arm crosses the passive radiator in a longitudinal direction, and the transverse arm crosses the passive radiator in a transverse direction. In some other embodiments, the reinforcing structure is spaced apart from its corresponding passive radiator by a distance D, said distance being greater than twice the width of the fold of the corresponding passive radiator.

[0023] The inventors of this disclosure have discovered that, with a carefully designed reinforcing structure, the sound quality or audio performance of a speaker enclosure can be kept undamaged.

[0024] < / n> Figure 1 A perspective view of a speaker enclosure 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 An exploded view of a loudspeaker enclosure 100 is shown. The loudspeaker enclosure 100 includes an enclosure housing 110. The enclosure housing 110 is elongated, having two longitudinal ends 112, 114 and defining an internal chamber. The loudspeaker enclosure 100 also includes two active drivers 182, 184, each active driver mounted to one of the longitudinal ends 112, 114 of the enclosure housing 110. Furthermore, the loudspeaker enclosure 100 includes two passive radiators 140, 170, which are mounted to the upper side 116 and lower side 118 of the enclosure housing 110, respectively.

[0025] When the speaker enclosure 100 is in operation, the active drivers 182 and 184 of the speaker enclosure 100 receive electro-audio signals that drive the voice coils and diaphragms of the active drivers 182 and 184 to vibrate, thereby producing sound. When the diaphragms of the active drivers 182 and 184 vibrate, they induce pressure changes within the cavity of the enclosure 110. Therefore, the passive radiators 140 and 170 vibrate in response to the pressure changes within the cavity, thereby contributing to improved low-frequency response of the speaker enclosure 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the diaphragm area or diameter of each passive radiator 140 and 170 is larger than the diaphragm area or diameter of each active driver 182 and 184, allowing the passive radiators 140 and 170 to better improve the low-frequency response of the speaker enclosure. In one or more embodiments, the diaphragm area of ​​each passive radiator 140 and 170 is 1.1 to 3.5 times larger than the diaphragm area of ​​each active driver 182 and 184.

[0026] As shown in the figure, the housing 110 comprises an upper housing portion or a first housing portion 120 and a lower housing portion or a second housing portion 150. The upper housing portion 120 and the lower housing portion 150 are configured to fit together to form the housing 110. In one or more embodiments, each of the upper housing portion 120 and the lower housing portion 150 is a single integral part. In some other embodiments, each of the upper housing portion 120 and the lower housing portion 150 is a one-piece injection molded part.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing portion 120 and the lower housing portion 150 have similar structures. The upper housing portion 120 has an opening for receiving the passive radiator 140, and the lower housing portion 150 has an opening 156 for receiving the passive radiator 170. The upper housing portion 120 and the lower housing portion 150 together further define two openings, one at each longitudinal end 112, 114, for receiving corresponding active actuators 182, 184.

[0028] Active actuators 182 and 184 have similar or identical structures or dimensions and are arranged symmetrically. Similarly, passive radiators 140 and 170 have similar or identical structures or dimensions and are arranged symmetrically.

[0029] Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of the speaker enclosure 100 is shown, taken along a longitudinal vertical plane passing through the center of the speaker enclosure 100. Figure 3B A cross-sectional view of the speaker enclosure 100 is shown, taken along a transverse vertical plane passing through the center of the speaker enclosure 100. Figure 4A A perspective view of the speaker enclosure 100 is shown, in which passive radiators 140 and 170 have been removed to expose the internal structure of the speaker enclosure 100. Figure 4B An exploded view of the outer casing 110 is shown.

[0030] The upper outer shell portion 120 includes: an upper wall 122 that substantially defines the upper side 116 of the outer shell 110; and side walls 124a and end walls 124b extending vertically from the upper wall 122. An opening 126 is formed in the upper wall 122 of the upper outer shell portion 120. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 126 is the largest opening that can be formed in or accommodated by the upper wall 122. That is, the diameter of the opening 126 is substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the width of the upper wall 126.

[0031] The openings 126 in the upper housing portion 120 and the lower housing portion 150 have relatively large diameters to accommodate passive radiators 140, 170, which also have relatively large diameters. Typically, such openings in the enclosure can weaken the structural strength of the enclosure, leading to a decrease in the natural frequency of the speaker enclosure and increased vibration during operation. Some attempts to address this problem involve using thicker enclosure walls. However, the inventors of this disclosure have found these methods to be inefficient and ineffective in addressing vibration problems.

[0032] In this disclosure, a cross-shaped reinforcing structure 130 is introduced to enhance the structural strength of the upper housing portion 120. The reinforcing structure 130 is positioned directly behind the opening 126 or the passive radiator 140. As used herein, the term "behind" is used with reference to the orientation of the passive radiator. The area or location outside the speaker enclosure 100 facing the passive radiator is considered the front of the passive radiator 140, and conversely, the area outside the passive radiator is considered the "behind" of the passive radiator.

[0033] The cruciform reinforcing structure 130 includes a first arm or longitudinal arm 132 and a second arm or transverse arm 134. The first arm 132 and the second arm 134 intersect each other at a right angle at the center point of the reinforcing structure 130. The reinforcing structure 130 is parallel to and spaced apart from the passive radiator 140 by a distance D. The first arm 132 is connected to support legs 132a at both ends. Each support leg 132a extends from the corresponding end of the first arm 132 to the upper wall 122 near the opening 126 and is configured to support the first arm 132 to the upper wall 122 of the upper housing portion 120. The second arm 134 is connected to side walls 124a at both ends. Thus, the reinforcing structure 130 extends through the opening 126 in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the upper housing portion 120 from which material is removed due to the opening 126. Therefore, the reinforcing structure 130 can efficiently enhance the structural strength of the upper housing portion 120 and thus reduce vibration problems.

[0034] Similarly, the lower housing portion 150 includes: a lower wall 152 that substantially defines the lower side 118 of the housing 110; and side walls 154a and end walls 154b extending vertically from the lower wall 152. An opening 156 is formed in the lower wall 152 of the lower housing portion 150. A cruciform reinforcement structure 160 is introduced directly behind the passive radiator 170 to enhance the structural strength of the lower housing portion 150. The cruciform reinforcement structure 160 includes a first arm or longitudinal arm 162 and a second arm or transverse arm 164. The first arm 162 is connected to support legs 162a at both ends. Each support leg 162a is configured to support the first arm 162 to the lower housing portion 150. The second arm 164 is connected to the side wall 154a at both ends. The structure and function of the cruciform reinforcement structure 160 are similar to those of the cruciform reinforcement structure 130, and a detailed description of it is omitted here.

[0035] To those skilled in the art, placing a reinforcement structure directly behind a passive radiator is generally counterintuitive, as it is commonly believed that such a reinforcement structure might degrade the audio performance of the speaker enclosure. However, the inventors of this disclosure have discovered that the reinforcement structure 130 can effectively enhance the structural strength of the enclosure 110 without any audible impact on sound quality or audio performance. More significantly, the inventors of this disclosure have discovered that, with a carefully designed reinforcement structure, the sound quality or audio performance of the speaker enclosure can remain unaffected.

[0036] In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, each of the reinforcing structures 130, 160 is spaced apart from its corresponding passive radiator 140, 170 by a distance D greater than twice the width W of the fold of the corresponding passive radiator 140, 170. In some other embodiments, the reinforcing structures 130, 160 are configured such that the distance d between the reinforcing structures 130, 160 is less than the distance D between the reinforcing structures 130, 160 and their corresponding passive radiators 140, 170. In still other embodiments, the reinforcing structures 130, 160 are configured such that the distance d between the reinforcing structures 130, 160 is less than half the distance D between the reinforcing structures 130, 160 and their corresponding passive radiators 140, 170. In one or more embodiments of this disclosure, the width of each arm of the reinforcing structures 130, 160 is 1 / 6 to 1 / 3 of the diameter of its corresponding passive radiator 140, 170. In one or more other embodiments of this disclosure, each of the reinforcing structures 130, 160 has a smooth surface facing its respective passive radiator 140, 170.

[0037] Figures 5A to 5C The upper housing portion 120 of a speaker enclosure 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein... Figure 5A This is a perspective view of the upper outer shell portion 120. Figure 5B It is a bottom view of the upper outer shell portion 120, and Figure 5C This is a top view of the upper outer shell portion 120.

[0038] As shown in the figure, the reinforcing structure 130 is aligned with the center of the passive radiator 140. That is, the center of the reinforcing structure 130 is aligned with but spaced apart from the center of the passive radiator 140. On the side of the reinforcing structure 130 facing away from the passive radiator 140, the reinforcing structure 130 is provided with mesh-like reinforcing ribs 136. This design effectively enhances the structural strength of the enclosure while minimizing any impairment to the sound quality or audio performance of the speaker enclosure 100.

[0039] Figures 6A to 6C The lower housing portion 150 of a speaker enclosure 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, wherein... Figure 6A This is a perspective view of the upper outer shell portion at 150°. Figure 6B This is a bottom view of the lower outer shell portion 150, and Figure 6C This is a top view of the lower outer shell portion 150.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the reinforcing structure 160 is aligned with the center of the passive radiator 170. That is, the center of the reinforcing structure 150 is aligned with but spaced apart from the center of the passive radiator 170. On the side of the reinforcing structure 160 facing away from the passive radiator 170, the reinforcing structure 160 is provided with mesh-like reinforcing ribs 166. This design effectively enhances the structural strength of the enclosure while minimizing any impairment to the sound quality or audio performance of the speaker enclosure 100.

[0041] This disclosure refers to a loudspeaker enclosure. Figures 1 to 6C The illustrated embodiments are described. This disclosure is not limited thereto and various variations are possible. In one or more embodiments, the speaker enclosure may not be limited to the substantially rectangular shape shown, but may have any suitable shape. In the illustrated embodiment, speaker enclosure 100 has two active drivers and two passive radiators. In some other embodiments, the speaker enclosure may have any suitable number of active drivers and / or passive radiators. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcing structure is cross-shaped, having two arms that intersect each other at a right angle at the center point of the reinforcing structure. In one or more other embodiments, the reinforcing structure may have any other suitable shape or structure. For example, in some embodiments, the reinforcing structure may have any suitable number of arms that radiate from the center point and extend to the enclosure shell near the opening.

[0042] According to one or more embodiments of this disclosure, this disclosure may be implemented as follows.

[0043] Item 1: A loudspeaker enclosure comprising: an enclosure housing defining an internal chamber; a plurality of openings formed in the enclosure housing; at least one active driver, each active driver being located within one of the openings; at least one passive radiator, each passive radiator being located within one of the openings; and at least one reinforcing structure positioned within the chamber, wherein each reinforcing structure is associated with a passive radiator, each reinforcing structure being located behind its respective passive radiator and extending from the enclosure housing near the opening where the respective passive radiator is located and across the respective passive radiator.

[0044] Item 2: The speaker enclosure as described in Item 1, wherein each reinforcing structure is integrally formed with the enclosure housing.

[0045] Item 3: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 2, wherein each reinforcing structure has a plurality of arms radiating from its center point and extending to the enclosure housing near the opening, the center point of the reinforcing structure being spaced apart from and aligned with the center of the corresponding passive radiator.

[0046] Item 4: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 3, wherein each reinforcing structure is a cross-shaped reinforcing structure having two arms that intersect each other at a right angle at the center point of the reinforcing structure.

[0047] Item 5: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing structure is spaced apart from its corresponding passive radiator by a distance D, said distance being greater than twice the width of the fold of said corresponding passive radiator.

[0048] Item 6: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the width of each arm of the reinforcing structure is in the range of 1 / 6 to 1 / 3 of the diameter of the corresponding passive radiator.

[0049] Item 7: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the reinforcing structure has a flat portion spaced apart from and extending parallel to its corresponding passive radiator, and has a support leg extending between the flat portion of the reinforcing structure and the enclosure housing to support the flat portion of the reinforcing structure.

[0050] Item 8: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the speaker enclosure has an elongated shape having two longitudinal ends, and the speaker enclosure includes two active drivers, wherein each active driver is mounted to a corresponding longitudinal end.

[0051] Item 9: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the speaker enclosure includes two opposing sides extending between the two longitudinal ends and includes two passive radiators, wherein each passive radiator is mounted to one of the two opposing sides.

[0052] Item 10: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the two passive radiators are aligned with each other.

[0053] Item 11: A loudspeaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 10, wherein each passive radiator has the substantially largest diameter that its respective side may be able to accommodate.

[0054] Item 12: A speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 11, wherein the two arms comprise a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm, wherein the longitudinal arm spans the respective passive radiator in a longitudinal direction, and the transverse arm spans the respective passive radiator in a transverse direction.

[0055] Item 13: An electronic device comprising a speaker enclosure as described in any one of items 1 to 12.

[0056] Item 14: An electronic device as described in Item 13, wherein the electronic device is a notebook computer, an all-in-one computer, a monitor, a television, or a projector.

[0057] Systems and methods have been described in general terms to aid in understanding the details of this disclosure. In some cases, well-known structures, materials, and / or operations have not been specifically shown or described in detail to prevent obscuring aspects of this disclosure. In other cases, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms, such as to suit a particular system or device or situation, or material or component, without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the disclosure and description herein are intended to define the scope of this disclosure and not to limit it. Consequently, this disclosure is not limited except by consideration of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker enclosure, comprising: The outer shell that defines the internal chambers; Multiple openings are formed in the outer shell of the box; At least one active actuator, each active actuator being located within one of the openings; At least one passive radiator, each passive radiator being located within one of the openings; as well as At least one reinforcing structure is positioned within the cavity, wherein each reinforcing structure is associated with a passive radiator, each reinforcing structure is located behind its respective passive radiator, and extends from the outer shell of the enclosure near the opening where the respective passive radiator is located and across the respective passive radiator.

2. The speaker enclosure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing structure is integrally formed with the enclosure housing.

3. The speaker enclosure of claim 1, wherein each reinforcing structure has a plurality of arms radiating from its center point and extending to the enclosure housing near the opening, the center point of the reinforcing structure being spaced apart from and aligned with the center of the corresponding passive radiator.

4. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 1, wherein each reinforcing structure is a cross-shaped reinforcing structure having two arms that intersect each other at a right angle at the center point of the reinforcing structure.

5. The loudspeaker enclosure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing structure is spaced apart from its corresponding passive radiator by a distance D, the distance being greater than twice the width of the surround of the corresponding passive radiator.

6. The speaker enclosure of claim 4, wherein the width of each arm of the reinforcing structure is in the range of 1 / 6 to 1 / 3 of the diameter of the corresponding passive radiator.

7. The loudspeaker enclosure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing structure has a flat portion spaced apart from and extending parallel to its corresponding passive radiator, and has a support leg extending between the flat portion of the reinforcing structure and the enclosure housing to support the flat portion of the reinforcing structure.

8. The loudspeaker enclosure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the loudspeaker enclosure has an elongated shape having two longitudinal ends, and the loudspeaker enclosure includes two active drivers, wherein each active driver is mounted to a corresponding longitudinal end.

9. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 8, wherein the loudspeaker enclosure includes two opposing sides extending between the two longitudinal ends, and includes two passive radiators, wherein each passive radiator is mounted to one of the two opposing sides.

10. The speaker enclosure of claim 9, wherein the two passive radiators are aligned with each other.

11. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 9, wherein each passive radiator has the substantially largest diameter that its respective side may be able to accommodate.

12. The speaker enclosure of claim 4, wherein the two arms comprise a longitudinal arm and a transverse arm, wherein the longitudinal arm spans the respective passive radiator in a longitudinal direction, and the transverse arm spans the respective passive radiator in a transverse direction.

13. An electronic device comprising a speaker enclosure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the electronic device is a notebook computer, an all-in-one computer, a monitor, a television, or a projector.

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