Mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker (8) in an engine compartment (1) of a motor vehicle (K), wherein the loudspeaker (8) is held by a holding device (9) such that a sound-emitting front (8a) of the loudspeaker (8) is in contact with an air space (L2) of a passenger compartment (2) of the motor vehicle (K), wherein a rear (8b) of the loudspeaker (8) opposite the sound-emitting front (8a) is in contact with an air space (L1) that is closed to the environment of the motor vehicle (K) and is arranged in the engine compartment (1), characterized in that the closed air space (L1) is formed by a container (6) designed for storing or removing objects, which is arranged above a drive motor (5) of the motor vehicle (K),wherein the holding device (9) is designed in a channel-like manner and the loudspeaker (8) is received within the holding device (9) and the holding device (9) is detachably attached to the container (6) and to the end wall (3).

Description

The invention relates to a mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle having the features of the preamble of claim 1.In the automotive sector, it is customary to equip motor vehicles with audio components for enhancing the hearing experience for the vehicle occupants. These include, in addition to suitable audio sources and audio amplifiers, loudspeakers which can emit sound waves in the high-tone, mid-tone and also low-tone range on the basis of the generated and amplified audio signals.Loudspeakers in particular designed as woofers, which exclusively emit a low sound spectrum in a range from about 40 Hz to about 400 Hz, and woofers with an even lower sound spectrum from about 20 Hz to about 200 Hz (so-called subwoofers), require a closed housing with a large, preferably empty volume as sound bodies.Finding a sufficient installation space for this purpose in a motor vehicle is extremely difficult because of the installation space which is generally available only to a very limited extent. Inter alia, volumes which are located outside the motor vehicle, that is to say are formed by the environment of the motor vehicle, are also used. However, disadvantages of this are the problems of increased acoustic emission to the outside to the environment and the environmental influences acting on the loudspeaker, such as splash water, dirt and snow.As is known, a woofer includes a permanent magnet having an iron core in which a movable voice coil is disposed. The voice coil is connected to a funnel-shaped sound membrane. Depending on electrical input signals, the voice coil and thus the sound diaphragm are set into oscillations, whereby sound is generated and emitted. The sound-emitting front side of a loudspeaker is to be understood as meaning that side of the loudspeaker to which the funnel-shaped sound membrane widens.U.S. Pat. No. 10,531,194 B2 discloses an audio system for a motor vehicle, which has a loudspeaker designed as a subwoofer. In addition, a plurality of loudspeakers are present, which, in addition to a part of a low-frequency spectrum that can be generated, can also generate sound with higher frequencies outside the low-frequency spectrum. A holding device for the subwoofer is proposed at various locations in the motor vehicle, inter alia in the region of an end wall of the passenger compartment. The subwoofer is held in the end wall in such a way that its sound-emitting front side protrudes into the air space of the passenger compartment. A rear side of the subwoofer protrudes into the engine compartment and is connected to an air space of the surroundings of the vehicle.In U.S. Pat. No. 9,025,790 B2, likewise of the generic type, the installation of a loudspeaker system in a motor vehicle is disclosed, which loudspeaker system is arranged in an engine compartment in the front region of the motor vehicle. In the loudspeaker system, an air space of a first channel is connected to the sound-emitting front side of a sound membrane. On the rear side of the sound membrane, an air space of a second channel is connected to the sound membrane. The first channel is led through an end wall of the motor vehicle and is connected to an air space of a passenger compartment. The second channel is led through a wall of a water tank of the motor vehicle and is connected to the air space of the vehicle environment.EP 2 620 328 A1 describes the installation of a loudspeaker system in a motor vehicle, which loudspeaker system is arranged in an engine compartment in the front region of the motor vehicle. In the loudspeaker system, an air space of a sound emission channel is connected to the sound emitting front side of a sound membrane. On the rear side of the sound membrane, an air space of a back pressure channel is connected to the sound membrane. The sound emission channel is passed through a splashboard of the motor vehicle and is in communication with an air space of a vehicle interior. The back pressure channel is passed through a wall of a water tank of the motor vehicle and projects into the latter.U.S. Pat. No. 8,708,092 B2 discloses a loudspeaker system which is arranged in a passenger compartment by a holding device. In this case, a sound-emitting front side is connected to an air space of the passenger compartment. A rear side opposite to the front side is communicated with the air space of a space, for example, a trunk room, separated from the passenger compartment via the communication with a hollow member inserted into an opening of a partition wall. U.S. Pat. No. 10,419,837 B2 describes a loudspeaker which is mounted on a partition wall of a motor vehicle. The partition separates an inner acoustic space from an outer space. The loudspeaker system is mounted on the partition wall on the side of the acoustic space into which the sound of the loudspeaker is radiated. The interior acoustic space is a passenger compartment. The loudspeaker has a frame to which a diaphragm is fastened and is movable via a drive device. An air chamber is formed between the diaphragm and the partition wall. The frame defines an air chamber-side opening that faces and overlaps the partition wall at a smaller opening. The disclosed speakers may be mounted to such a bulkhead both inside and outside the passenger compartment, where the bulkhead may separate the passenger compartment of a vehicle from an engine compartment or a trunk compartment.U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,175 A discloses a loudspeaker system of a motor vehicle and comprises a loudspeaker which is mounted at the inlet of an acoustic channel. The loudspeaker is arranged with a part of the acoustic channel in a trunk of the motor vehicle. An opening of the channel guided under a rear seat opens into a foot space of a passenger space.DE 10 2006 023909 B3 which has the features of the preamble of patent claim 1 discloses a mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker in a vehicle, in which the loudspeaker is arranged in a longitudinal member in the engine compartment at the boundary with a cross member. The cross member is in turn acoustically coupled to a sill. The loudspeaker is dimensioned such that it divides the total volume of the structural parts mentioned into two partial volumes. A first, closed partial volume is formed by the longitudinal member. A second subvolume is formed by the cross member and the sill, wherein the second subvolume is connected to an interior of the vehicle via a tunnel.Furthermore, it is known that in motor vehicles, in particular electric vehicles, unused installation space of the engine compartment is additionally filled by a container designed for depositing or removing objects. Such a container can be present in series or can also be retrofitted. It generally has an internal volume of 20 liters and more and is fastened to the drive motor above the latter. Thus, unused installation space in the engine compartment can be utilized well. The container can be closed and opened by a suitable cover. In the open state, objects such as a charging cable or onboard tool can be placed into the container. During the driving operation of the motor vehicle, the container is closed by the cover. Such a container is also known as "frunk" (Front+ Tr=Frunk). It therefore forms a storage space in the front end of the motor vehicle, which is present in addition to the rear trunk.DE 10 2018 131 250 B3 describes a vehicle having a rear trunk and a front luggage compartment (trunk). The trunk and the chunk are respectively disposed below a tailgate and a front flap. The vehicle further includes a trunk cover that is normally attachable and detachable between a passenger compartment of the vehicle and the rear trunk. In the region of the front luggage compartment, the vehicle has a receiving region for the boot cover when the latter is to be removed from its normal position. The receiving region is arranged below the front flap.Against this background, the object of the present invention is to propose a mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker, in particular of a woofer in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle, which mounting arrangement contributes to a good sound of the loudspeaker. In addition, the installation arrangement is intended to make good use of installation space present in the engine compartment of the motor vehicle.This object is achieved by a mounting arrangement having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments or refinements of the invention can be gathered from the dependent claims.The invention is based on a mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker in an engine compartment of a motor vehicle. The loudspeaker is held by a holding device in such a way that an acoustic emitting front side of the loudspeaker is connected to an air space of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.It is proposed that a rear side of the loudspeaker opposite the sound-emitting front side is connected to an air space which is closed with respect to the surroundings of the motor vehicle. The closed air space is formed by a container arranged in the engine compartment of the motor vehicle and made according to features of the invention for depositing or removing objects. In this way, it is possible to make good use of available installation space in the engine compartment. This provides available installation space for a dual function. The installation space present in the engine compartment serves on the one hand for depositing objects and on the other hand as a sound body or sound volume for the loudspeaker.According to further features of the invention, the container is arranged above a drive engine of the motor vehicle. Such a position allows particularly easy access to the container if the container is used for depositing objects or objects are to be removed from the container.According to another embodiment of the inventive concept, the container has a volume of at least 20 liters. Such a volume contributes particularly well to the fact that a loudspeaker designed as a woofer or subwoofer can be provided with a sound body having a sufficient sound volume.According to further features of the invention, the holding device is channel-like and the loudspeaker is accommodated within the holding device. These features on the one hand achieve greater flexibility in the sound guidance of the sound emitted by the loudspeaker, on the other hand the loudspeaker is thus well protected from environmental influences, such as splash water, dirt and the like, in the engine compartment.The channel-like holding device can be formed in one piece, but also in several pieces. A multi-part, preferably two-part, design simplifies the assembly of the loudspeaker together with associated power lines in the holding device.According to a suitable configuration, the holding device connects an air passage of the container to an air passage in an end wall of the passenger compartment. As a result, a connection of the loudspeaker to an air space of the container and to an air space of the passenger compartment can be realized in a simple and effective manner.In order to prevent objects in the container from entering the channel-like holding device, it is proposed that the air passage of the container is designed in the form of a grid or screen. In other words, the air passage is formed by a plurality of openings which are arranged distributed over the surface of the air passage. The air passage can also be provided for this purpose with a grid-shaped or screen-shaped insert.According to a further embodiment of the invention, the air passage of the container faces the end wall of the motor vehicle. Thus, the distance which the holding device must bridge between the container and the end wall for connecting the air spaces can be kept small.Additional features of the invention suggest that the holding device is detachably fastened to the container and to an end wall of the passenger compartment. This contributes to the more flexible design and mullibility of the container on the one hand and of the holding device on the other hand. These can be produced independently of one another and exchanged in the event of maintenance.The present application also shows the use of a container arranged in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle and designed for depositing or removing objects as a rear sound body for a loudspeaker. This use thus achieves, on the one hand, an elegant provision of a sound element for a loudspeaker, and on the other hand, installation space present in the engine compartment can be utilized well.In particular, a chunk which is used as a rear sound body for a loudspeaker and generally has a particularly large, free inner volume, offers a sound body which is particularly suitable for a woofer of a motor vehicle.A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the single FIGURE. This also makes further features and advantages of the invention clear.It shows schematicallyFIGURE shows a mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker in a motor vehicleThe figure shows the front region of a motor vehicle K. In the exemplary embodiment, this is an electric vehicle. The motor vehicle K has an engine compartment 1 which can be covered by a front hood 1 a. A passenger compartment 2 adjoins the engine compartment 1. The passenger compartment 2 is separated from the engine compartment 1 by an end wall 3. Of the usual components in the passenger compartment 2, only one instrument panel 4 is shown.In the engine compartment 1, only the components relevant for understanding the invention are shown. Thus, a drive motor 5 designed as an electric motor is indicated. Above the drive motor 5 is arranged a container 6. The container 6 is preferably fastened to the drive motor 5 by means of suitable fastening means such as screws, bolts or the like.The container 6 is designed for storing or removing objects, not numbered in more detail, such as charging cable, onboard tool, warning triangle. A lid 7 serves to open and close the container 6 after opening a front hood 1a. During operation of the motor vehicle K, the container 6 is closed by the flap 7 and encloses an air space L 1. The container 6 is preferably designed as a so-called chunk, in which the enclosed air space L 1 has a volume of at least 20 liters.The container 6 serves as a rear housing, i.e. with its volume as a sound body for a loudspeaker 8. the loudspeaker 8 is preferably a woofer which can emit sound at low frequencies in the range from about 40 Hz to about 400 Hz. Particularly preferably, the loudspeaker 8 is a subwoofer capable of emitting sound at frequencies in a range from about 20 Hz to 200 Hz.Moreover, the loudspeaker 8 is connected by signal technology to an audio system of the motor vehicle K, which is not shown in detail, by means of which other loudspeakers of the motor vehicle can also be actuated (not shown).The loudspeaker 8 is held in the engine room 1 by a holding device 9 in such a way that an acoustic front side 8 aof the loudspeaker 8 is connected to an air space L 2 of the passenger compartment 2 and an opposite rear side 8 bof the loudspeaker 8 is connected to the air space L 1 of the container 6. In this way, the air space L1 of the container 6 can be used as a sound volume or the container 6 as a sound body for the loudspeaker 8. Thus, a good, low frequency, smooth sound can be guided into the passenger compartment 2.Furthermore, it can be seen that the holding device 9 is configured in a channel-like manner, wherein the loudspeaker 8 is completely accommodated by the holding device 9 and is thus well protected from environmental influences. The holding device 9 is connected to the container 6 by an end on the left in the figure and to the end wall 3 by an end on the right in the figure. The connection of the holding device 9 takes place on the one hand in the region of an air passage 6 aof the container 6 and on the other hand in the region of an air passage 3 aof the end wall 3. In the exemplary embodiment, the air passage 3 ais at the height of a lower region of the instrument panel 4, as seen in a vehicle vertical direction Y, but can also be positioned at other locations on the front wall 3. The air passage 6 aof the container 6 or a corresponding insert therein can preferably be designed in the manner of a grid or screen and thus prevent objects deposited in the container 6 from slipping through into the holding device 9.In order to be able to keep the channel-like holding device 9 short, the air passage 6 aof the container 6 faces the end wall 3. It is also conceivable that the air passage 6 aof the container 6 and the air passage 3 aare arranged in the same position or approximately in the same position in the front wall 3 in a vehicle transverse direction Y and viewed in a vehicle vertical direction Z.The holding device 9 is preferably designed as a separate component and is connected both releasably to the container 6 and also releasably to the end wall 3. The connection can preferably be made via end flanges 9 aof the holding device 9 by means of suitable fastening openings (not shown).In contrast to the exemplary embodiment, a multipart, preferably two-part, design of the channel-like holding device 9 is also conceivable. This can contribute to simplified mounting of the loudspeaker 8 on the holding device 9.The channel-like holding device 9 can preferably be circular in cross section. This makes it possible to simplify the recording of the loudspeaker 8 into the holding device 9. If the cross section of the holding device 9 deviates from a circular shape, the use of an adapter with a circular opening is also conceivable, which is fastened in the holding device 9 and accommodates the loudspeaker 8.In order to contribute to a good sound of the loudspeaker 8 and to avoid the occurrence of disturbing vibrations, vibration-damping means 9 bmay also be provided, by means of which the loudspeaker 8 is vibrationally decoupled from the holding device 9. The vibration-damping means 9 bmay be designed, for example, as a circumferential ring.List of reference characters1 Engine compartment 1 a Front 2 Passenger compartment 3 Front wall 3 a Luft 4 Instrument panel 5 Drive motor 6 Container, Frunk 6 a Luft 7 Flap 8 Loudspeaker, Subwoofer 8 a Vorderseite of loudspeaker 8 b Rückseite of loudspeaker 9 Holding device 9 a Flansche 9 b Vibration-damping means K Motor vehicle L 1, L 2 Air space X Vehicle longitudinal direction Y Vehicle transverse direction Z Vehicle vertical direction

Claims

Mounting arrangement of a loudspeaker (8) in an engine compartment (1) of a motor vehicle (K), wherein the loudspeaker (8) is held by a holding device (9) in such a way that an acoustic front side (8a) of the loudspeaker (8) is connected to an air space (L2) of a passenger compartment (2) of the motor vehicle (K), wherein a rear side (8b) of the loudspeaker (8) opposite the acoustic front side (8a) is connected to an air space (L1) which is closed with respect to the environment of the motor vehicle (K) and arranged in the engine compartment (1), characterized in that the closed air space (L1) is formed by a container (6) which is designed for depositing or removing objects and is arranged above a drive motor (5) of the motor vehicle (K), wherein the holding device (9) is channel-like and the loudspeaker (8) is accommodated within the holding device (9) and the holding device (9) is detachably fastened to the container (6) and to the end wall (3).Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the container (6) has a volume of at least 20 litres.Mounting arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding device (9) connects an air passage (6a) of the container (6) to an air passage (3a) in an end wall (3) of the passenger compartment (2).Mounting arrangement according to claim 3, characterised in that the air passage of the container (6) is designed in the form of a grid or screen or is provided with a grid or screen-shaped insert.Mounting arrangement according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the air passage (6a) of the container faces the end wall (3) of the motor vehicle (K).

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