Compact enclosure with modular external design

Abstract

Acoustic box (2), comprising two half-boxes (15a, 15b) assembled with each other and each comprising an internal half-partition (20), the acoustic box being arranged so that, when assembled, the two half-boxes are positioned head to tail 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 of the acoustic box which defines inside the acoustic box two acoustic chambers (22a, 22b) each intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers (3). FIGURE OF THE ABSTRACT: Fig.1

Description

Title of the invention: Compact enclosure with modular external design

[0001] The invention relates to the field of acoustic speakers.

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] An acoustic speaker, and in particular a connected and / or portable speaker, very conventionally comprises a “technical part”, also called an “acoustic box”, inside which one or more loudspeakers are integrated. The acoustic box is waterproof and defines a technical volume necessary for implementing the technical functions of the audio part of the speaker, such as the acoustic volume, the connections for bringing the electrical audio signals to the loudspeakers, etc.

[0004] The acoustic enclosure can also serve as an external shell, which therefore allows both to protect the various components of the enclosure against external attacks, but also to give a certain aesthetic appearance to the enclosure.

[0005] The aesthetic appearance of the enclosure cannot therefore be modified without modifying the cabinet, which requires designing a new cabinet for each new speaker model.

[0006] To be able to easily modify the appearance of the enclosure (customization), it is known to cover the box with a covering (for example a lid, a textile). In general, the covering is essentially used to conceal electronic cards which are integrated on or in the box and this, in a manner specific to said box. The shape of the covering is therefore specific to each box. The covering therefore only allows minor modularity of the appearance of the enclosure, via changes in color and / or texture of the covering, but does not allow the shape of the enclosure to be changed.

[0007] It is also known to design different enclosures from the same acoustic box (and its electronic card(s)), by integrating it into different types of cladding. This solution brings additional technical constraints (for example linked to the fixing of the cladding on the box or to the addition of additional parts to allow adaptation with a new shape) and involves increasing the external dimensions of the enclosure. For example, the original enclosure is concealed in a “shell” larger than the enclosure to change the appearance, and in particular the shape, of the final product.

[0008] OBJECT

[0009] The subject of the invention is an acoustic box:

[0010] - allowing the appearance of the enclosure incorporating said box to be easily modified acoustics;

[0011] - having maximum compactness;

[0012] - presenting optimal acoustic performances.

[0013] SUMMARY

[0014] In order to achieve this aim, an acoustic box is proposed, intended to form an acoustic enclosure which may also comprise two loudspeakers, the acoustic box comprising two half-boxes assembled with each other, each half-box comprising a first end and a second end opposite each other along a first dimension, the first end having a first height, along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension, which is less than a second height of the second end along said second dimension, each half-box further comprising an internal half-partition,

[0015] the acoustic box being arranged so that, when assembled, the two half-boxes are positioned head to tail so that the first end of each half-box is positioned at the level of the second end of the other half-box, and the internal half-partitions extend in the extension of one another to form an internal partition of the acoustic box which defines inside the acoustic box two acoustic chambers each intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers.

[0016] The acoustic box, obtained by assembling the two half-boxes, has many advantages.

[0017] It has an external shape which is easily integrable into external shells of different shapes, without adding additional parts to allow adaptation to these different shells.

[0018] In addition, the internal half-partitions of the half-boxes, forming the internal partition of the box, make it possible to define acoustic chambers inside the box, each having an optimized volume, and therefore to obtain maximum compactness and acoustic performance.

[0019] The head-to-tail assembly makes it possible to stiffen the box, which is therefore more resistant. to vibrations.

[0020] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, in which each half-box comprises two lateral faces extending opposite one another and parallel to the first dimension and to the second dimension, each lateral face of each half-box having a triangular shape, the acoustic box thus comprising two lateral faces of rectangular shape and each formed by two lateral faces of the two half-boxes.

[0021] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, in which each half-box is manufactured by molding, said half-box being arranged so that its demolding is carried out in a demolding direction perpendicular to a main face of the half-box from which the two side faces of the half-box extend.

[0022] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, in which, for each half-box, the external wall of each lateral face is inclined towards the inside of the half-box to form a clearance angle between said external wall and an axis perpendicular to said main face.

[0023] There is further provided an acoustic enclosure as previously described, wherein, when the acoustic enclosure is in a nominal position, the inner wall extends in a horizontal plane and thus defines an upper acoustic chamber and a lower acoustic chamber, an upper face of the acoustic enclosure being arranged such that a membrane of the loudspeaker of the upper acoustic chamber can extend at said upper face, and a front face of the acoustic enclosure being arranged such that a membrane of the loudspeaker of the lower acoustic chamber can extend at said front face.

[0024] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, in which one of the half-boxes comprises two faces each arranged so that a membrane of one of the loudspeakers can extend at the level of said face.

[0025] There is further provided an acoustic enclosure as previously described, comprising, for each loudspeaker, a face arranged so that a membrane of said loudspeaker can extend at said face, said face comprising an opening through which the membrane can be in acoustic communication with the exterior of the enclosure, an external wall of said face further comprising a rib which extends around the opening so as to provide acoustic guidance of acoustic waves produced by said membrane.

[0026] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, comprising a seal, made of compressible material, arranged at the junction of the half-boxes when they are assembled, the seal comprising a contour portion positioned between free edges of faces of the half-boxes, and an internal portion positioned between free edges of the internal half-partitions, so that the seal ensures sealing of the box at the junction of the two half-boxes, and at the two acoustic chambers.

[0027] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, comprising a front face having an external wall comprising a receiving surface arranged to receive an electronic card, and first fixing means arranged to fix the electronic card to said external wall.

[0028] We further propose an acoustic box as previously described, further comprising second fixing means arranged to cooperate with third means for fixing an external shell to fix said external shell to the box. acoustic.

[0029] There is further provided an acoustic box as previously described, comprising a front face having lateral edges on which the second fixing means are formed, external walls of the lateral faces of the acoustic box further comprising grooves which extend from the second fixing means and which are arranged to prevent the third fixing means of the external shell from coming into contact with the lateral faces of the acoustic box, and to stiffen said acoustic box.

[0030] We further propose an enclosure comprising the acoustic box as previously described, as well as the two loudspeakers.

[0031] There is further provided an enclosure as previously described, which comprises the acoustic box as previously described, the enclosure further comprising the outer shell.

[0032] An enclosure as previously described is further provided, the outer shell comprising a frame forming a rear face, a lower face and side faces of the enclosure, and a cover forming an upper face and a front face of the enclosure.

[0033] We further propose an enclosure as previously described, the enclosure comprising an acoustic box as previously described, the enclosure also comprising the electronic card, the electronic card comprising components for interface with a user.

[0034] We further propose an enclosure as previously described, in which the interface components comprise an actuatable component, and in which the enclosure comprises a button arranged to actuatable the actuatable component, the button comprising a deformable surface formed on the outer shell and comprising a support zone arranged so that when the user presses on the support zone, the latter sinks and makes it possible to actuatable the actuatable component to implement a predefined function.

[0035] We further propose an enclosure as previously described, in which the interface components further comprise a light indicator signaling a position of the button on the outer shell, and in which the support zone comprises 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 that of the central portion, the enclosure being arranged so that an orthogonal projection of the light indicator on the outer shell is positioned between the two end portions.

[0036] We further propose an enclosure as previously described, in which the deformable surface is obtained by a cutout made in the external shell, the deformable surface comprising a tongue having one end connected to the rest of the outer shell and a free end from which the support zone extends.

[0037] The invention will be better understood in light of the following description of a particular non-limiting embodiment of the invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0038] Reference will be made to the attached drawings, among which:

[0039] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] represents an exploded and perspective view of the acoustic enclosure;

[0040] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a perspective view of the box, the cover and the frame of the external hull, unassembled;

[0041] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of the two half-boxes, not assembled, and of the flat joint;

[0042] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] represents an exploded perspective view of the rear half-box, and a sectional view of said half-box along a plane parallel to its lateral faces;

[0043] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] represents a perspective view of the front half-box;

[0044] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] represents a perspective and sectional view of a loudspeaker, along a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the loudspeaker;

[0045] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] illustrates the direction of demolding of the front half-box;

[0046] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] represents the clearance angle formed on the front half-box;

[0047] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] represents a sectional view of the box, the hull and the card main electronics, according to a plane perpendicular to the card;

[0048] [Fig. 10] [Fig. 10] is a view of the front face of the enclosure;

[0049] [Fig. 11] [Fig. 11] shows perspective views of the cover and the frame of the hull. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] With reference to figures 1 and 2, the acoustic speaker 1 is a “satellite” speaker, which is intended to be connected by a radio frequency link to an audio source such as a decoder box for example (or STB for Set-Top Box). The decoder box may be an “improved” decoder box itself integrating a speaker. The audio source may also be for example a connected speaker.

[0051] The enclosure 1 is designed so that its appearance can be easily modified, while preserving the technical characteristics necessary for its proper functioning.

[0052] The enclosure 1 comprises an acoustic box 2, two loudspeakers 3 integrated into the acoustic box 2, and an external shell 4.

[0053] The outer shell 4 comprises a frame 5 and a cover 6. The frame 5 forms a rear face 7, a lower face 8 and side faces 9 of the shell 4 and the enclosure 1. The cover 6 forms an upper face 10 and a front face 11 of the shell 4 and of the enclosure 1. The box 2 is positioned inside the volume defined by the shell 4.

[0054] The shell 4 therefore forms an external housing and the box 2 forms an internal housing of the enclosure 1.

[0055] The enclosure 1 is powered by an electrical power supply cable 12 which is connected to the enclosure 1 at a corner defined by the intersection of the rear face 7 and the lower face 8 of the shell 4 and therefore of the enclosure 1.

[0056] The enclosure 1 is designed to operate nominally, without damaging the cable 12, either by being positioned so that its lower face 8 (or feet of its lower face) rests on a horizontal flat surface (a piece of furniture for example), or by being positioned so that its rear face 7 extends against a vertical flat surface (a wall for example).

[0057] Here, when using a term relating to positioning and applied to the enclosure 1 or to the box 2 (for example front, rear, upper, lower, internal, external, horizontal, etc.), this term must be interpreted by considering that the enclosure 1 is positioned according to one of these two positions, and therefore that the enclosure 1 and the box 2 are each in a nominal position.

[0058] We are first interested in the acoustic box 2, with reference to figures 3 to 5.

[0059] The acoustic box 2 comprises two half-boxes 15: a front half-box 15a and a rear half-box 15b.

[0060] Each half-box 15 comprises a first end 16 and a second end 17 opposite each other along a first dimension d1 of the half-box 15, the first end 16 having a first height, along a second dimension d2 of the half-box 15 perpendicular to the first dimension d1, which is less than a second height of the second end 17 along said second dimension d2.

[0061] When the box 2 is assembled, the two half-boxes 15a, 15b are positioned head to tail so that the first end 16 of each half-box 15 is positioned at the level of the second end 17 of the other half-box 15 (and vice versa).

[0062] Each half-box 15 comprises two lateral faces 18 extending opposite one another and parallel to the first dimension d1 and to the second dimension d2. Each lateral face 18 of each half-box 15 has a triangular shape. The acoustic box 2 thus comprises two lateral faces 19 (visible in [Fig.2]) of rectangular shape and each formed by two lateral faces 18 of the two half-boxes 15a, 15b.

[0063] We therefore obtain, from these two half-boxes 15 of triangular section, a box 2 of generally parallelepiped shape.

[0064] Each half-box 15 further comprises an internal half-partition 20.

[0065] When the box 2 is assembled, the internal half-partitions 20 extend in line with one another to form an internal partition 21 (in dotted lines in [Fig.2]) of the acoustic box 2 which defines inside the acoustic box 2 two acoustic chambers 22 each intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers 3.

[0066] Here, when the acoustic box 2 is in a nominal position, the internal wall 21 extends in a horizontal plane and thus defines an upper chamber 22a and a lower chamber 22b.

[0067] We therefore have a common volume defined in the box 2 and separated by an internal partition 21. We thus obtain a box 2 comprising two acoustic chambers 22 defined in the box, from only two parts (the two half-boxes 15a, 15b).

[0068] We therefore limit both the number of parts and the volume lost inside the box 2.

[0069] This solution is close, in principle, to a solution in which there would be a half-shell and a cover. However, in this case, there is a difference in rigidity between these two parts. The half-shell can be reinforced but the cover has a generally substantially flat shape and therefore deforms easily once subjected to vibrations, during operation of the enclosure.

[0070] Here, on the contrary, the box 2, with a diagonal joint plane, does not present this weakness.

[0071] The particular configuration in two head-to-tail triangular half-boxes 15 allows balancing of the mechanical stresses undergone by the two half-boxes 15, due to acoustic vibrations during operation of the enclosure 1.

[0072] Indeed, the areas of a half-box 15 having “short” walls or "narrow" (typically at its tip: first end 16) have the effect of constraining the areas with "longer" or "wider" walls of the other half-box (typically at its base: second end 17) and vice versa. Thus, as soon as the enclosure 1 is in operation, this configuration has the advantage of preventing deformations and potential vibrations of the acoustic box 2. In other words, the head-to-tail assembly eliminates the difference in behavior between the two half-boxes 15.

[0073] The head-to-tail triangular sections therefore allow each half-box 15 to absorb the forces of the other; we therefore have two parts resistant to deformations linked to vibrations.

[0074] Each loudspeaker 3 of the enclosure 1 is therefore mounted in a sealed acoustic volume. The sealing of each volume allows each loudspeaker 3 to operate in an optimal manner (i.e. with optimum sound rendering), avoiding acoustic short circuits which could degrade the sound quality of the enclosure 1.

[0075] To form sealed volumes, the use of the internal partition 21 is particularly advantageous compared to solutions of the prior art which provide for forming each sealed volume by means of independent compartments having distinct walls.

[0076] Indeed, such independent compartments require mounting arrangements which require empty spaces to be present outside the box (i.e. between the outer surface of the box and the shell), thus increasing the overall volume of the enclosure for the same effective volume. In addition, each compartment is formed from a separate wall having a certain thickness, which has the disadvantage of reducing the effective volume of the enclosure.

[0077] The use of the internal partition 21 therefore makes it possible to increase the acoustic volume associated with each loudspeaker to optimize the acoustic rendering of the enclosure and / or to reduce the total volume of the acoustic box so as to minimize the size of the enclosure.

[0078] The internal partition 21 is arranged so as to delimit distinct volumes defined so as to reduce the effort required to set the membrane of each loudspeaker in motion. Here, each acoustic chamber 22 has a volume of 0.2 L, which is an optimal volume determined by taking into account the size of the enclosure 1 and the characteristics of the chosen loudspeakers. The volume of 0.2 L is therefore specific to the loudspeakers 3 presented here. Other loudspeakers may be associated with different optimal volumes.

[0079] In the present example, the enclosure 1 comprises two loudspeakers 3, so that a single horizontal partition 21 is provided inside the box 2, approximately at mid-height, so as to delimit two sealed acoustic volumes of 0.2 L respectively associated with the two loudspeakers 3. In other embodiments (not described), the enclosure 1 may comprise a greater number of loudspeakers 3, and the number of internal partitions 21 of the box 2 will be adjusted accordingly. It should also be noted that the internal half-partition(s), and therefore the internal partition(s), are not necessarily horizontal and could be inclined, or even vertical.

[0080] Here, however, as has been seen, the internal wall 21 delimits an upper acoustic chamber 22a and a lower acoustic chamber 22b.

[0081] It can be seen that one of the half-boxes 15, in this case the front half-box 15a, here comprises two faces each arranged so that a membrane of one of the loudspeakers can extend at the level of said face: the upper face 25 and the front face 27 of the half-box 15a. The two loudspeakers 3a, 3b are therefore positioned on the same half-box 15, in this case the front half-box 15a.

[0082] The upper face 25 of the acoustic box 2, which is also the upper face of the half-box 15a, is arranged so that the membrane 23 of the loudspeaker 3a of the upper chamber 22a can extend at the level of said upper face 25. The chassis of the loudspeaker 3a is here fixed to the upper face 25, which comprises an opening 26 through which the membrane 23 can be in acoustic communication with the exterior of the box 2.

[0083] The front face 27 of the acoustic box 15a is arranged so that a membrane 23 of the loudspeaker 3b of the lower chamber 22b can extend at the level of said front face 27. The chassis of the loudspeaker 3b is here fixed to the front face 27, which comprises an opening 28 through which the membrane 23 can be in acoustic communication with the exterior of the box 2.

[0084] The configuration described is in fact particularly well suited to the particular case where the acoustic box 2 comprises a loudspeaker pointing upwards (“up-firing”) and a front loudspeaker pointing forwards.

[0085] The angle between the longitudinal axes of these two speakers makes it possible, for example, to obtain the elevation imposed by Dolby™ ATMOS™ technology. Indeed, this technology requires having two speakers with a specific angle between the two in order to diffuse the sound on a horizontal plane and also on a vertical plane.

[0086] The grouping of the two loudspeakers 3a, 3b in the front half-box 15a makes it possible to compact the enclosure 1 as much as possible while respecting the principle of separation of the acoustic volumes (for example, as is the case here, a sealed acoustic volume of 0.2 L per loudspeaker 3).

[0087] Each of the upper face 25 and front face 27 comprises a rib 30 which extends around the opening 26, 28, perpendicular to the external wall of said face 25, 27.

[0088] Each rib 30, which extends along a square-shaped contour with rounded corners, provides acoustic guidance of acoustic waves produced by the membrane 23 of the loudspeaker 3 fixed to the face in question. The ribs 30 also provide acoustic insulation.

[0089] The rib 30 of the upper face 25 guides the acoustic waves upwards, and the rib 30 of the front face 27 guides the acoustic waves forwards.

[0090] The ribs 30 are directly integrated into the acoustic box 2, which makes it possible to limit the number of parts for performing the guidance and insulation functions, while optimizing the volume of the enclosure 1. This avoids using horns to perform the guidance.

[0091] Advantageously, the ribs 30 have a height of less than 6 mm. This height makes it possible to reduce the size optimally while simplifying the shape of the ribs, since flaring is not necessary with such a rib height to guide sound out of the enclosure 1.

[0092] Indeed, flaring is not necessary in the case where the height of the rib is very low compared to the diameter of the loudspeaker considered.

[0093] For example, a loudspeaker with a diameter of between 45 and 50 mm is compatible with ribs less than 6 mm in height. In this case, the ribs have the effect of guiding the sound without causing any disturbance.

[0094] Here, with reference to [Fig.6], foams 31 are fixed to the internal walls of the front face 11 and the upper face 10 of the cover 6 of the shell 4. When the cover 6 and the box 2 are assembled, these foams 31 come to bear on the ribs 30 of the front face 27 and the upper face 25 of the front half-box 15a, so as to ensure the seal between the acoustic box 2 and the cover 6 around the membrane 23, which has the effect of preventing sound waves from passing between the box 2 and the cover 6. Thus, the foams 31 of the cover 6 combined with the ribs 30 of the box 2 contribute to guiding the sound towards the outside of the enclosure 1.

[0095] We are now interested, with reference to [Fig.7], in the manufacture of the half-boxes 15. The half-box 15 represented here is the front half-box 15a.

[0096] The half-boxes 15 are manufactured with a plastic material, by a plastic injection process.

[0097] It was first considered to use a demolding direction normal to the assembly diagonal 33 of the box 2, according to the direction and sense represented by the arrow 34. This method is illustrated in the left-hand drawing of [Fig.7].

[0098] However, this demolding direction poses a problem for demolding certain functions, such as for example the fixing means for fixing the frames of the loudspeakers 3 to the faces of the box 2. These fixing means here comprise screw barrels of the loudspeakers.

[0099] The demolding direction has therefore been reoriented. The demolding of each half-box 15 is carried out according to the direction and sense represented by the arrow 35.

[0100] For each half-box 15, the demolding direction is therefore perpendicular to a main face from which the two lateral faces 18 of the half-box 15 extend. The main face is the front face 27 for the front half-box 15a, and the rear face 37 for the rear half-box 15b.

[0101] The demolding direction is therefore not perpendicular to the diagonal 33 of the lateral faces 18, as can be seen in the right-hand drawing of [Fig.7].

[0102] This reduces the difficulties during demolding.

[0103] With reference to [Fig.8], draft angles a have also been provided. The half-box 15 shown here is the front half-box 15a.

[0104] For each half-box 15, the external wall of each lateral face 18 is inclined towards the inside of the half-box 15 to form a clearance angle a between said external wall and an X axis perpendicular to the main face of the half-box 15 (face 27 or 37).

[0105] Indeed, when producing parts by plastic injection, the surfaces in the demolding direction must have a sufficient angle so that the parts can be removed from the mold easily. The value of the draft angle is determined in particular according to the materials used to manufacture the half-boxes 15.

[0106] For example, the front face 27 of the half-box 15a forms with at least one of the side faces 18 of the half-box an angle [3 which is between 45° and 90°, preferably between 85° and 90°.

[0107] It is noted that the internal wall of the lateral faces 18 is here inclined towards the outside of the half-box 15 at a certain angle relative to the axis X, preferably less than the angle α.

[0108] Referring again to [Fig.3], the box 2 further comprises a sealing gasket 40. This is a flat gasket, made of compressible material (foam for example).

[0109] The sealing gasket 40 is arranged between the two half-boxes 15a, 15b.

[0110] The flat seal 40 comprises a contour portion 41 of generally rectangular shape which, when the box 2 is assembled, is positioned between the free edges of faces of the half-boxes 15.

[0111] The contour portion 41 ensures the sealing of the box 2 at the joint of the two assembled half-boxes 15.

[0112] Advantageously, the joint 40 also comprises an inner portion 42 which, when the box is assembled, is positioned between free edges of the internal half-partitions 20. The inner portion 42 has a longitudinal shape and extends from a first side (one length) of the contour portion 41 to a second side parallel to the first side (another length), perpendicular to the first side and to the second side.

[0113] The sealing gasket 40 therefore also ensures sealing of the two acoustic chambers 22a, 22b.

[0114] To be as effective as possible, this seal 40 must be as flat as possible (and therefore have a constant thickness, without notable differences in thickness).

[0115] It is noted that here, for a half-box 15, by “free edge”, we mean an edge which does not belong to another face.

[0116] The half-boxes 15a, 15b are assembled with each other in the following manner.

[0117] The rear half-box 15b comprises longitudinal studs 44, here numbering ten, distributed along the length of the free edges of the lateral faces 18 of the rear half-box 15, and extending parallel to these while being positioned at the level of the internal wall of the lateral faces 18.

[0118] The front half-box 15a includes additional threaded barrels.

[0119] To assemble the box 2, screws are inserted into the longitudinal studs 44 from the external wall of the rear face 37 of the rear half-box 15b, and are screwed into the threaded barrels.

[0120] Note that the seal 40 has holes 45 at the level of these pads to allow the screws to pass through.

[0121] Referring again to [Fig.4], it can be seen that the enclosure 1 comprises an electrical power supply card 46 which is positioned in the rear half-box 15b, at the level of the volume corresponding to the lower chamber 22b.

[0122] The electrical power supply card 46 is positioned near the arrival of the electrical power supply cable 12.

[0123] This card is held inside the half-box 15b by screwing. More particularly, it is mechanically constrained by the screws 47 but also by a support rib 48 which pushes in the direction opposite to the tightening in order to avoid vibrations which could generate parasitic noises during operation of the enclosure 1. Indeed, simple contact of the card 46 against the rear half-box 15b would cause vibrations of the latter and therefore parasitic noises.

[0124] Finally, the electrical power supply card 46 is positioned along a plane inclined at 45° relative to each of the rear face 37 and lower face 38 of the half-box 15b. A female connector 49 is mounted on the printed circuit of the electrical power supply card 46, perpendicular to it.

[0125] This configuration makes it possible to connect the male connector 50, located at the free end of the power cable 12, in two connection positions: a first connection position, corresponding to [Fig.l], in which, when the male connector 50 is connected to the female connector 49, the cable 12 extends parallel to the rear face 7 of the shell 4 near the male connector 50, and a second connection position, corresponding to [Fig.2], in which, when the male connector 50 is connected to the female connector 49, the cable 12 extends parallel to the lower face 8 of the shell 4 near the male connector 50.

[0126] With reference to Figures 2 and 9, the enclosure 1 comprises a main electronic card 52 which comprises components enabling the enclosure 1 to implement the functions for which it is designed. The electronic card 52 notably comprises interface components 53 with the user and a radiofrequency communication module, comprising an antenna 54 which enables the enclosure 1 to communicate with external equipment (with a decoder box for example).

[0127] The radio frequency communication module operates here according to the Wi-Fi standard, but other standards could be used, such as for example Bluetooth.

[0128] The enclosure 1 comprises a location for accommodating the electronic card 52. The location is preferably “frontal”.

[0129] The front half-box 15a comprises a receiving surface 55 (better visible in [Fig.5]) arranged to accommodate the electronic card 52.

[0130] The receiving surface 55 is here located on the external wall of the front face 27 of the box 2.

[0131] The external wall of the front face 27 also comprises first fixing means arranged to fix the electronic card 52 to said external wall. The first fixing means here comprise two tapped holes 56 into which fixing screws are screwed.

[0132] This front location allows the user to have direct access to the interface components 53, arranged at the front of the enclosure 1, which is particularly practical if the user wishes to install the enclosure 1 against a vertical surface such as a wall.

[0133] The front location of the electronic card 52 also makes it possible to limit electromagnetic interference on the Wi-Fi antenna 54 outside the box 2, particularly in the direction of the equipment (here the decoder box) to which the speaker is connected.

[0134] It is further noted that when the electronic card 52 is positioned in this front location, the printed circuit of the card 52 acts as a sealing element contributing to improving the acoustic performance of the enclosure 1, without requiring the addition of additional sealing elements.

[0135] We are more particularly interested in the interface components 53. These components here comprise an actuable component 57, which can be actuated via a button 58, and a light indicator, in this case a light-emitting diode 59 (LED). The LED 59 makes it possible to signal to the user the position on the front face 11 of the enclosure 1 of the button 58.

[0136] Button 58 allows manual control of the actuable component 57 to implement a predefined function of the enclosure 1.

[0137] Here, this predefined function is the pairing function of the speaker 1. Preferably, the pairing function will then allow transmission of the audio signals using a wireless technology, for example Wi-Fi or “Bluetooth”, to connect the speaker 1 for example to a decoder box of the STB type, so that the sound is transmitted without having to use audio cables.

[0138] The actuable component 57 is here a switch, which is in this case a bistable switch.

[0139] The button 58 comprises a deformable surface 60 and an actuating member 61.

[0140] The deformable surface 60 is located on the front face 11 of the external shell 4.

[0141] The actuating member 61 is a body located between the switch 57 and the wall internal of the deformable surface 60.

[0142] The actuating member 61 extends here from the internal wall of the deformable surface 60.

[0143] The deformable surface 60 is formed in the cover 6 by a layer of a deformable material, such as a thermoplastic polymer, preferably Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), here having a thickness of 2.5 mm.

[0144] The deformable surface 60 is here obtained by a cutout made in the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the external shell 4.

[0145] With reference to [Fig. 10], the deformable surface 60 comprises a support zone 63 and a tab 64. The tab 64 extends horizontally on the external wall of the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the external shell 4, and comprises an end connected to the rest of the cover 6 and a free end from which the support zone 63 extends.

[0146] The support zone 63 is arranged so that when the user presses on the support zone 63, the latter sinks to a certain depth, to bring the actuating member 61 towards the switch 57 so as to actuate the latter and change its state.

[0147] The tab 64 here has a width of 3 mm and a length of 11.4 mm, which allows good deformation under the pressure of the user's finger, while ensuring the return to place of the support zone 63 when the pressure ceases.

[0148] Thus, the support zone 63 will be able to sink to a certain depth, here equal to 1.6 mm relative to the front face 11 of the enclosure 1, which will allow the actuating member 61 to actuate the switch 57 placed behind.

[0149] As long as the user presses the support zone 63, the button 58 deforms so as to push the switch 57.

[0150] It is noted that the support zone 63 here has the shape of a “cat’s head”.

[0151] The support zone 63 successively comprises, according to a first dimension D1, an extreme portion 65, a central portion 66 and an extreme portion 65. The central portion 66 is therefore positioned between the two extreme portions 65 according to this first dimension DL

[0152] The end portions 65 project from the two ends of the central portion 66 along a second dimension D2 perpendicular to the first dimension D1 and in the same direction (here upwards). The two end portions 65 therefore have here a height, along the second dimension D2, greater than that of the central portion 66.

[0153] The orthogonal projection of the LED 69 on the front face 11 is positioned between the two end portions 65.

[0154] This means that when the speaker 1 is viewed from the front, the LED 59 is positioned between the two extreme portions 65 of the support zone 63 and here above the central portion 66. This particular shape makes it possible to maximize the surface area of ​​the support zone 63, by bypassing as closely as possible the light guide 68 of the LED 59 without hindering the emission of light.

[0155] Preferably, the front of the enclosure 1 including the support zone 63 (here the external wall of the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the shell 4) is covered with a fabric, so that the user does not see precisely the contours of the support zone 63. The fabric is configured to let the light emitted by the LED 59 pass through so that the LED 59 is visible by transparency through the fabric. The assembly allows the user to know where to press without requiring him to see precisely the contours of the support zone 63.

[0156] We therefore have here an equipment 1 comprising an external housing 4 and an electronic card 52 positioned in the external housing near an internal wall of a face 11 of the external housing, the electronic card comprising an actuable component 57 and a light indicator 59, the equipment comprising a button 58 comprising a deformable surface 60 formed on said face of the external housing and an actuating member 61, the button 58 being arranged so that, when a user presses on the deformable surface 60, the latter sinks and the actuating member 61 actuates the actuable component 57. The deformable surface comprises a support zone 63 comprising two end portions 65 along the first dimension DI and a central portion 66 of height along the second dimension D2 perpendicular to the first dimension DI less than that of the end portions.The equipment is arranged so that the orthogonal projection of the indicator on the face of the external housing is positioned between the two end portions 65. .

[0157] It is noted here that the actuable component 57 is not necessarily a switch, that the function is not necessarily a function of pairing the speaker (it could be a function of activating or deactivating the speaker, of selecting a track, of adjusting the volume, etc.).

[0158] It is also noted here that the support zone 63 is placed on an acoustic enclosure, but the same principle is applicable to other types of devices, such as digital television decoders. In such cases, the assembly comprising the support zone and the light guide can be covered by other flexible materials allowing light to pass through, for example a plasticized film instead of fabric.

[0159] It can be seen that the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the outer shell 4 comprises a surface 62 comprising cutouts 69 which each have a hexagonal shape, which defines a honeycomb structure. This surface 62 makes it possible to improve the diffusion of the acoustic waves produced by the membrane 23 of the loudspeaker 3b. The upper face 10 of the cover 6 also comprises such a surface.

[0160] We are now interested in the assembly of the box 2 with the external shell 4.

[0161] The box 2 comprises second fixing means arranged to cooperate with third fixing means of the external shell 4 to fix said external shell to the acoustic box.

[0162] The second fixing means comprise holes 70 (visible in [Fig.5] for example) for positioning screws. The holes 70 are positioned on the lateral edges of the front face 27 of the front half-box 15a, which extend laterally beyond the junction of the lateral faces 18 with the front face 27. The holes 70 are here six in number.

[0163] The holes 70 comprise three holes positioned at each of the two lateral edges of the front face, distributed along the length of said edges.

[0164] The third fixing means comprise six threaded barrels 71 (visible in [Fig.2]) which extend horizontally at the level of the internal walls of the lateral faces 9 of the chassis 5 of the external shell 4, close to the free edges of said lateral faces 9.

[0165] Screws are therefore positioned in the holes 70 and screwed into the barrels 71 to fix the box 2 to the chassis 5.

[0166] It can be seen that the external walls of the lateral faces 19 of the acoustic box 2 further comprise grooves 75 which extend from the second fixing means (the holes 70) and which are arranged to prevent the third fixing means of the external shell from coming into contact with the lateral faces of the acoustic box.

[0167] The grooves 75 therefore make it easier to insert the external shell 4 onto the box 2.

[0168] Preferably, the number of grooves 75 is the same as that of the holes 70. The grooves 75 are therefore six in number and are centered on the holes 70. The grooves 75 extend over almost all of the lateral surfaces of the half-boxes 15, with the exception of the front surface serving as a support for the screws. Thus, these grooves have the advantage of avoiding contact with the screw barrels present in the shell.

[0169] Given their shapes, the grooves also contribute to the complete stiffening of the box.

[0170] We are now more particularly interested in the external shell 4.

[0171] The external shell 4 was designed taking into account all the constraints which apply to the acoustic enclosure 2, and in particular the need to associate a sealed acoustic volume of 0.2 L with each loudspeaker 3.

[0172] The shell 4 surrounds the acoustic box 2 while serving as a covering for the enclosure 1.

[0173] Due to its two-piece design, the outer shell 4 is modular and can be easily replaced while keeping the same acoustic enclosure 2.

[0174] The external shell 4 therefore comprises, as we have seen, a chassis 5 and a cover 6.

[0175] The chassis 5 is configured to receive the acoustic box 2, and comprises two side faces 9, a rear face 7 connecting the two side faces 9, and a lower face 8 (bottom) serving as 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.

[0176] The cover 6 is configured to completely cover the front opening 80 of the chassis 5.

[0177] Thus, the chassis 5 forms a receptacle allowing the acoustic box 2 to be housed there. When the cover 6 is fixed on the chassis 5, the central acoustic box 2 is completely protected by the shell 4.

[0178] The modular nature of the shell 4 allows it to be replaced completely or partially (i.e. the chassis and / or the cover) so as to modify the appearance of the enclosure with increased freedom, while preserving the acoustic performance of the enclosure 1.

[0179] Preferably, the frame 5 and the cover 6 are each formed from a single piece, obtained by an injection plastic manufacturing technique (i.e. injection of polymer into a mold). In practice, the piece forming the cover 6 is less rigid than the piece forming the frame 5.

[0180] Due to its rather flat and slightly angular shape (angle of the order of 120°), the part forming the cover 6 behaves like a stretched canvas once subjected to the vibrations produced by the loudspeakers. It must therefore be constrained to avoid deformations during operation of the enclosure.

[0181] For this reason, fixing elements, such as clips, resumption points and two screws are provided on the cover 6 and on the chassis 5 to assemble the cover on the chassis.

[0182] With reference to [Fig. 11], the cover 6 here firstly comprises elastic fitting elements 81 (“clips”), here six in number, arranged close to the free edges of the internal wall of the upper face 10 of the cover 6.

[0183] Each element 81 comprises two legs 82 which extend vertically from the internal wall, and a hook 83 carried by the two legs 82 and perpendicular to them.

[0184] The chassis 5 comprises complementary elastic fitting elements 84 (“clip beaks”), six in number, arranged near the upper free edges of the lateral faces 9 and the rear face 7 of the chassis 5.

[0185] The cover 6 further comprises two hooks 85 each positioned on the upper part and close to one of the free edges of the internal wall of the front face of the cover.

[0186] The chassis 5 has two complementary attachment points 86 for each located on the upper part and close to the free edge of the internal wall of one of the side faces 9 of the chassis 5.

[0187] The cover 6 further comprises two threaded barrels 87 each positioned near the lower part of one of the free edges of the internal wall of the front face 11 of the cover 6.

[0188] The chassis 5 comprises two screw hooks 88, here two tapped holes, positioned on each at one end of the free edge of the internal wall of the lower face 8 of the chassis 5.

[0189] When assembling the enclosure 1, and therefore when assembling the cover 6 on the chassis 5, the clips 81 couple with the clip beaks 84, the hooks 85 couple with the complementary attachment points 86, and the threaded barrels 87 coincide with screw hooks 88 formed on the bottom of the chassis. Screws are then inserted into the threaded barrels 87 via the holes in the hooks 88, and screwed.

[0190] Advantageously, all the fixing elements described above are obtained directly during the molding of the cover or the frame, thus limiting the addition of additional fixing parts as practiced in the prior art.

[0191] Indeed, in the present example, only two screws are mounted through the screw hooks 88 of the chassis and the screw barrels 87 of the cover so as to reinforce the fixing of the cover on the chassis, all the other fixing elements being integrated directly into the cover and the chassis, which allows an operator of an after-sales service to easily change the cover and / or chassis to modify the appearance of the enclosure.

[0192] The enclosure which has just been described has numerous advantages.

[0193] It allows the technical volume to be optimized in order to obtain compactness maximum enclosure capacity.

[0194] The separation of aesthetic aspects and technical functions allows increased freedom to adapt the style of the enclosure for a given technical volume, either by increasing the external dimensions of the enclosure, or by maintaining an equivalent external volume.

[0195] The integration and fixing of the box in an external shell via simple screws allows new cladding to be designed quickly.

[0196] In fact, only three constraints are classically present to define a new design: - a minimum clearance (1 mm for example) between the box and the hull; - a certain amount of play (5 mm for example) between the base of each speaker and the shell to allow maximum travel of the speaker; - screw barrels (here six) at a position defined to correspond to the passages in the box.

[0197] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described but encompasses any variant falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0198] The shape of the side faces of the half-boxes is not necessarily triangular. Any shape is possible, provided that it is compatible with a head-to-tail assembly.

[0199] Similarly, the chassis and hull cover may have different appearances than those described herein.

Claims

Claims

1. Acoustic box (2), intended to form an acoustic enclosure (1) which may also comprise two loudspeakers (3), the acoustic box comprising two half-boxes (15) assembled with 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, which is less than a second height of the second end along said second dimension, each half-box further comprising an internal half-partition (20), the acoustic box (2) being arranged so that, when assembled, the two half-boxes are positioned head to tail 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 one another to form an internal partition (21) of the acoustic box which defines inside the acoustic box two acoustic chambers (22) each intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers (3).,

2. Acoustic box according to claim 1, in which each half-box (15) comprises two lateral faces (18) extending opposite one another and parallel to the first dimension (d1) and to the second dimension (d2), each lateral face of each half-box having a triangular shape, the acoustic box thus comprising two lateral faces (19) of rectangular shape and each formed by two lateral faces (18) of the two half-boxes.

3. Acoustic box according to claim 2, in which each half-box (15) is manufactured by molding, said half-box being arranged so that its demolding is carried out in a demolding direction (35) perpendicular to a main face (27, 37) of the half-box from which the two lateral faces of the half-box extend.

4. Acoustic box according to claim 3, in which, for each half-box (15), the external wall of each lateral face (18) is inclined towards the inside of the half-box to form a clearance angle (a) between said external wall and an axis perpendicular (X) to said main face.

5. Acoustic box according to one of the preceding claims, in which, when the acoustic box is in a nominal position, the inner wall (21) extends in a horizontal plane and thus defines an upper acoustic chamber (22a) and a lower acoustic chamber (22b), an upper face (25) of the acoustic box being arranged so that a membrane (23) of the loudspeaker (3a) of the upper acoustic chamber can extend at said upper face, and a front face (27) of the acoustic box being arranged so that a membrane (23) of the loudspeaker (3b) of the lower acoustic chamber can extend at said front face.

6. Acoustic enclosure according to one of the preceding claims, in which one of the half-enclosures (15a) comprises two faces each arranged so that a membrane of one of the loudspeakers can extend at the level of said face.

7. Acoustic box according to one of the preceding claims, comprising, for each loudspeaker (3), a face (25, 27) arranged so that a membrane (23) of said loudspeaker can extend at said face, said face comprising an opening (26, 28) through which the membrane (23) can be in acoustic communication with the exterior of the box, an external wall of said face further comprising a rib (30) which extends around the opening so as to provide acoustic guidance of acoustic waves produced by said membrane.

8. Acoustic box according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a seal (40), made of compressible material, arranged at the junction of the half-boxes (15) when the latter are assembled, the seal comprising a contour portion (41) positioned between free edges of faces of the half-boxes, and an internal portion (42) positioned between free edges of the internal half-partitions, so that the seal ensures sealing of the box at the junction of the two half-boxes, and at the two acoustic chambers.

9. Acoustic box according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a front face (27) having an external wall comprising a receiving surface (55) arranged to receive an electronic card (52), and first fixing means (56) arranged to fix the electronic card to said external wall.

10. Acoustic box according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising second fixing means (70) arranged to cooperate with third fixing means (71) of an external shell (4) to fix said external shell to the acoustic box (2).

11. An acoustic enclosure according to claim 10, comprising a front face (27) having lateral edges on which the second fixing means are formed, external walls of the lateral faces (19) of the acoustic enclosure further comprising grooves (75) which extend from the second fixing means (70) and which are arranged to prevent the third fixing means of the external shell (4) from coming into contact with the lateral faces of the acoustic enclosure, and to stiffen said acoustic enclosure.

12. Enclosure (1) comprising the acoustic box (2) according to one of the preceding claims, as well as the two loudspeakers (3).

13. An enclosure according to claim 12, which comprises the acoustic box according to one of claims 10 or 11, the enclosure further comprising the outer shell (4).

14. An enclosure according to claim 13, the outer shell (4) comprising a chassis (5) forming a rear face (7), a lower face (8) and side faces (9) of the enclosure, and a cover (6) forming an upper face (10) and a front face (11) of the enclosure.

15. Enclosure according to one of claims 12 to 14, the enclosure comprising an acoustic box according to claim 9, the enclosure also comprising the electronic card (52), the electronic card comprising interface components (53) with a user.

16. An enclosure according to claim 15, wherein the interface components comprise an actuatable component (57), and wherein the enclosure comprises a button (58) arranged to actuatable the actuatable component, the button comprising a deformable surface (60) formed on the outer shell (4) and comprising a support zone (63) arranged so that when the user presses on the support zone, the latter depresses and allows the actuatable component to be actuatable to implement a predefined function.

17. Enclosure according to claim 16, in which the interface components further comprise a light indicator (59) signaling a position of the button (58) on the outer shell (4), and in which the support zone (63) comprises a central portion (66) and two end portions (65) along a first dimension (D1), the two end portions having a height along a second dimension (D2) per- pendicular to the first dimension (Dl) greater than that of the central portion, the enclosure being arranged so that an orthogonal projection of the light indicator on the external shell (4) is positioned between the two extreme portions (65).

18. Enclosure according to one of claims 16 or 17, in which the deformable surface (60) is obtained by a cutout made in the external shell, the deformable surface comprising a tab (64) having one end connected to the rest of the external shell and a free end from which the support zone (63) extends.

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