Compact speaker with modular external design

Abstract

Acoustic enclosure (2), comprising two half-enclosures (15a, 15b) joined together and each comprising an internal half-partition (20), the acoustic enclosure being arranged so that, when assembled, the two half-enclosures are positioned end-to-end such that the first end of each half-enclosure is positioned at the level of the second end of the other half-enclosure, and the internal half-partitions extend in line with each other to form an internal partition of the acoustic enclosure which defines within the acoustic enclosure two acoustic chambers (22a, 22b) each intended to accommodate one of the two loudspeakers (3). FIGURE IN ABRIDGED DIAGRAM: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Compact enclosure with modular external design

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

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] A loudspeaker, and in particular a connected and / or portable loudspeaker, typically includes a "technical section," also called an "acoustic enclosure," inside which one or more loudspeakers are integrated. The acoustic enclosure is sealed and defines a technical volume necessary for the implementation of the technical functions of the audio section of the loudspeaker, such as the acoustic volume, the connections for carrying the electrical audio signals to the loudspeakers, etc.

[0004] The acoustic enclosure can also serve as an external shell, which therefore both protects the various components of the speaker against external aggressions, but also gives a certain aesthetic appearance to the speaker.

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

[0006] To easily modify the appearance of the speaker enclosure (customization), it is known to cover the cabinet with a casing (for example, a lid or fabric). Generally, the casing serves primarily to conceal electronic boards that are integrated onto or within the cabinet, and this is done in a manner specific to that cabinet. The shape of the casing is therefore specific to each cabinet. The casing thus allows only minor modularity in the speaker's appearance, through changes in color and / or texture, but does not allow for changing the shape of the speaker.

[0007] It is also known to design different loudspeakers from the same acoustic enclosure (and its electronic circuit board(s)), by integrating it into different types of housings. This solution introduces additional technical constraints (for example, related to attaching the housing to the enclosure or adding extra parts to allow adaptation to a new shape) and involves increasing the external dimensions of the loudspeaker. For example, the original loudspeaker is concealed in a "shell" larger than the loudspeaker itself to change the appearance, and in particular the shape, of the final product.

[0008] OBJECT

[0009] The invention relates to an acoustic enclosure:

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

[0011] - having maximum compactness;

[0012] - exhibiting optimal acoustic performance.

[0013] SUMMARY

[0014] To achieve this goal, an acoustic enclosure is proposed, intended to form an acoustic enclosure which may also include two loudspeakers, the acoustic enclosure comprising two half-enclosures assembled together, each half-enclosure comprising a first end and a second end opposite 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-enclosure 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 line with each other to form an internal partition of the acoustic box which defines within 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 that is easily integrable into external shells of different shapes, without the addition of 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 with an optimized volume, and thus to obtain maximum compactness and acoustic performance.

[0019] The head-to-tail assembly makes the box more rigid and therefore more resistant to vibrations.

[0020] An acoustic box as previously described is further proposed, in which each half-box comprises two lateral faces extending opposite each other and parallel to the first and second dimensions, 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] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, in which each half-enclosure is manufactured by molding, said half-enclosure being arranged so that its demolding is carried out along a demolding direction perpendicular to a main face of the half-box from which the two lateral faces of the half-box extend.

[0022] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, in which, for each half-enclosure, the outer wall of each side face is inclined towards the inside of the half-enclosure to form a draft angle between said outer wall and an axis perpendicular to said main face.

[0023] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, in which, when the acoustic enclosure is in a nominal position, the internal 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 so that a speaker diaphragm of the upper acoustic chamber can extend at the level of said upper face, and a front face of the acoustic enclosure being arranged so that a speaker diaphragm of the lower acoustic chamber can extend at the level of said front face.

[0024] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, in which one of the half-enclosures comprises two faces arranged each so that a diaphragm of one of the loudspeakers can extend at the level of said face.

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

[0026] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, comprising a sealing gasket, made of compressible material, disposed at the joint of the half-enclosures when they are assembled, the sealing gasket comprising a contour portion positioned between free edges of faces of the half-enclosures, and an inner portion positioned between free edges of the internal half-partitions, so that the sealing gasket ensures a seal of the enclosure at the joint of the two half-enclosures, and at the level of the two acoustic chambers.

[0027] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, comprising a front face having an external wall including a reception surface arranged to accommodate an electronic board, and first means of fixing arranged to fix the electronic board to said external wall.

[0028] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, comprising additionally second fastening means arranged to cooperate with third fastening means for an outer shell to fix said outer shell to the enclosure acoustic.

[0029] An acoustic enclosure as previously described is further proposed, comprising a front face having lateral edges on which the second fixing means are formed, external walls of the lateral faces of the acoustic enclosure 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 enclosure, and to stiffen said acoustic enclosure.

[0030] An enclosure is also proposed comprising the acoustic box as previously described, as well as the two loudspeakers.

[0031] We further propose an enclosure as previously described, which includes the acoustic box as previously described, the enclosure further including the outer shell.

[0032] We further propose an enclosure as previously described, the external shell comprising a chassis forming a rear face, a lower face and side faces of the enclosure, and a cover forming a top 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 board, the electronic board comprising user interface components.

[0034] A speaker enclosure as previously described is further proposed, wherein the interface components include an actuation component, and wherein the enclosure includes a button arranged to actuate the actuation component, the button comprising a deformable surface formed on the outer shell and comprising a support area arranged so that when the user presses on the support area, it depresses and allows the actuation component to be actuated to implement a predefined function.

[0035] A housing as previously described is further proposed, in which the interface components further include a light indicator signaling a position of the button on the outer shell, and in which the support area includes a central portion and two extremal portions along a first dimension, the two extremal portions having a height along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension greater than that of the central portion, the housing being arranged so that an orthogonal projection of the light indicator on the outer shell is positioned between the two extremal portions.

[0036] We further propose an enclosure such as previously described, in which the deformable surface is obtained by a cut made in the outer 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 area extends.

[0037] The invention will be better understood in the 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 casing, lid and chassis of the outer shell, not assembled;

[0041] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a perspective view of the two unassembled half-boxes and the flat joint;

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

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

[0044] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] represents a perspective and cross-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 draft angle formed on the front half-box;

[0047] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] shows a cross-sectional view of the housing, the hull and the card main electronics, along a plane perpendicular to the map;

[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 lid and chassis of the hull. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the loudspeaker 1 is a "satellite" loudspeaker, which is intended to be connected via a radio frequency link to an audio source such as a set-top box (or STB). The set-top box may be an "enhanced" set-top box that itself incorporates a loudspeaker. The audio source may also be, for example, a connected loudspeaker.

[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 speakers 3 integrated into the acoustic box 2, and an outer shell 4.

[0053] The outer shell 4 comprises a chassis 5 and a cover 6. The chassis 5 forms a rear face 7, a lower face 8 and side faces 9 of the shell 4 and of the enclosure 1. The cover 6 forms a top 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 casing and the box 2 forms an internal casing of the enclosure 1.

[0055] The speaker 1 is powered by an electrical power cable 12 which is connected to the speaker 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 speaker 1.

[0056] The enclosure 1 is intended 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 a term relating to positioning is used and applied to the speaker 1 or the subwoofer 2 (for example front, rear, top, bottom, internal, external, horizontal, etc.), this term must be interpreted by considering that the speaker 1 is positioned according to one of these two positions, and therefore that the speaker 1 and the subwoofer 2 are each in a nominal position.

[0058] We are interested first of all 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 along a first dimension dl 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 dl, 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 each other and parallel to the first dimension d1 and the second dimension d2. Each lateral face 18 of each half-box 15 has a triangular shape. The acoustic box 2 thus comprises two rectangular lateral faces 19 (visible in [Fig. 2]), each formed by two lateral faces 18 of the two half-boxes 15a, 15b.

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

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

[0065] When the enclosure 2 is assembled, the internal half-partitions 20 extend in line with each other to form an internal partition 21 (in dotted lines on [Fig.2]) of the acoustic enclosure 2 which defines inside the acoustic enclosure 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 similar in principle to a solution consisting of a half-shell and a lid. However, in this case, there is a difference in rigidity between these two parts. The half-shell can be reinforced, but the lid has a generally flat shape and therefore deforms easily when subjected to vibrations during the 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 triangular half-boxes 15 head-to-tail allows for balancing the mechanical stresses suffered by the two half-boxes 15, due to acoustic vibrations during the operation of the enclosure 1.

[0072] Indeed, the areas of a half-box 15 having "short" walls or The narrower walls (typically at its tip: first end 16) constrain the areas with longer or wider walls of the other half of the enclosure (typically at its base: second end 17), and vice versa. Thus, when enclosure 1 is in operation, this configuration prevents potential deformation and vibration of the acoustic enclosure 2. In other words, the back-to-back mounting eliminates the difference in behavior between the two half-enclosures 15.

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

[0074] Each speaker 3 of the enclosure 1 is therefore mounted in a sealed acoustic volume. The sealing of each volume allows each speaker 3 to function 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 prior art solutions which provide for forming each sealed volume by means of independent compartments having separate walls.

[0076] Indeed, such independent compartments require mounting arrangements that necessitate empty spaces on the outside of the enclosure (i.e., between the outer surface of the enclosure and the shell), thus increasing the overall volume of the speaker for the same effective volume. Furthermore, each compartment is formed by a separate wall of a certain thickness, which has the disadvantage of reducing the effective volume of the speaker.

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

[0078] The internal partition 21 is arranged to delimit distinct volumes defined in such a way as to reduce the effort required to set the diaphragm of each loudspeaker in motion. Here, each acoustic chamber 22 has a volume of 0.2 L, which is an optimal volume determined 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 can be associated with different optimal volumes.

[0079] In the present example, the enclosure 1 comprises two loudspeakers 3, so that only one horizontal partition 21 is provided inside the box 2, approximately at mid-height, in order to delimit two sealed acoustic volumes of 0.2 L each, associated with the two loudspeakers 3. In other embodiments (not described), the enclosure 1 may comprise a larger 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 we have 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, comprises two faces arranged each so that a diaphragm 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 enclosure 2, which is also the upper face of the half-enclosure 15a, is arranged so that the diaphragm 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 includes an opening 26 through which the diaphragm 23 can be in acoustic communication with the outside of the enclosure 2.

[0083] The front face 27 of the acoustic enclosure 15a is arranged so that a diaphragm 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 includes an opening 28 through which the diaphragm 23 can be in acoustic communication with the outside of the enclosure 2.

[0084] The configuration described is indeed particularly well suited to the particular case where the acoustic enclosure 2 includes an up-firing speaker and a front-firing speaker.

[0085] The angle between the longitudinal axes of these two loudspeakers makes it possible, for example, to obtain the elevation required by Dolby™ ATMOS™ technology. Indeed, this technology requires two loudspeakers with a specific angle between them in order to diffuse 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 allows the enclosure 1 to be compacted as much as possible while respecting the principle of separation of 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 includes a rib 30 which extends around the opening 26, 28, perpendicular to the outer wall of said face 25, 27.

[0088] Each rib 30, which extends along a square contour with rounded corners, provides acoustic guidance for sound waves produced by the diaphragm 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 to perform the guiding and isolation functions, while optimizing the volume of the enclosure 1. This avoids the use of horns to perform the guiding.

[0091] Advantageously, the ribs 30 have a height of less than 6 mm. This height allows for optimal reduction of the overall size while simplifying the shape of the ribs, since flaring is not necessary with such a rib height to guide sound out of enclosure 1.

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

[0093] For example, a loudspeaker with a diameter between 45 and 50 mm is compatible with ribs less than 6 mm high. In this case, the ribs guide 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 rest on the ribs 30 of the front face 27 and the upper face 25 of the front half-box 15a, so as to ensure a 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 help to guide the sound out 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 shown here is the front half-box 15a.

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

[0097] We first considered using 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 drawing on the left of [Fig.7].

[0098] However, this demolding direction poses a problem for demolding certain functions, such as the fixing means for attaching the chassis of the speakers 3 to the faces of the enclosure 2. These fixing means here include the screw shafts of the speakers.

[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 drawing on the right of [Fig.7].

[0102] This reduces the difficulties during demolding.

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

[0104] For each half-box 15, the outer wall of each lateral face 18 is inclined towards the inside of the half-box 15 to form a draft angle α 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 manufacturing parts by plastic injection molding, the surfaces in the demolding direction must have a sufficient angle to allow the parts to be easily removed from the mold. The draft angle is determined based, in particular, on the materials used to manufacture the half-shells 15.

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

[0107] It is noted that the inner wall of the lateral faces 18 is here inclined outwards from the half-casing 15 at a certain angle with respect to the axis X, preferably less than the angle a.

[0108] With further reference to [Fig.3], the box 2 also includes a sealing gasket 40. This is a flat gasket, made of compressible material (e.g., foam).

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

[0110] The flat joint 40 includes 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 includes 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 the second side.

[0113] The sealing joint 40 therefore also ensures a seal between 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 significant 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 together in the following manner.

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

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

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

[0120] It is noted that the seal 40 has holes 45 at the level of these studs to allow the screws to pass through.

[0121] With further reference to [Fig.4], it can be seen that the enclosure 1 includes a power supply circuit 46 which is positioned in the rear half-casing 15b, at the level of the volume corresponding to the lower chamber 22b.

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

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

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

[0125] This configuration allows the male connector 50, located at the free end of the power cable 12, to be connected in two connection positions: a first connection position, corresponding to [Fig.1], 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 includes a main electronic board 52 which comprises components enabling the enclosure 1 to perform the functions for which it is designed. The electronic board 52 includes, in particular, user interface components 53 and a radio frequency communication module, including an antenna 54 which enables the enclosure 1 to communicate with external equipment (for example, with a decoder box).

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

[0128] The enclosure 1 includes a location to accommodate the electronic board 52. The location is preferably "frontal".

[0129] The front half-casing 15a includes a reception surface 55 (best seen in [Fig.5]) arranged to accommodate the electronic board 52.

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

[0131] The outer wall of the front face 27 also includes first fastening means arranged for fixing the electronic board 52 to said outer wall. The first fastening means here include 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 convenient if the user wishes to install the enclosure 1 against a vertical surface such as a wall.

[0133] The front location of the electronic board 52 also helps to limit electromagnetic interference on the Wi-Fi antenna 54 outside the enclosure 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 which helps to improve the acoustic performance of the enclosure 1, without requiring the addition of additional sealing elements.

[0135] We are particularly interested in the interface components 53. These components include an actuation component 57, which can be activated via a button 58, and an indicator light, in this case a light-emitting diode 59 (LED). The LED 59 indicates to the user the position of the button 58 on the front panel 11 of the enclosure 1.

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

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

[0138] The actuation 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 actuation member 61.

[0140] The deformable surface 60 is located on the front face 11 of the outer 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 actuation member 61 extends here from the inner 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 obtained here by a cut made in the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the outer shell 4.

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

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

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

[0148] Thus, the support area 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 actuation member 61 to actuate the switch 57 placed behind it.

[0149] As long as the user presses on the support area 63, the button 58 deforms in such a way as to push the switch 57.

[0150] It is noted that the support area 63 here has a "cat's head" shape.

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

[0152] The extremal portions 65 project from both 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 extremal portions 65 therefore have a height, along the second dimension D2, greater than that of the central portion 66.

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

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

[0155] Preferably, the front of the enclosure 1, including the contact area 63 (here, the outer wall of the front face 11 of the cover 6 of the housing 4), is covered with a fabric, so that the user does not see the precise contours of the contact area 63. The fabric is configured to allow the light emitted by the LED 59 to pass through, so that the LED 59 is visible by transparency through the fabric. This arrangement allows the user to know where to press without needing to see the precise contours of the contact area 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 having a deformable surface 60 formed on said face of the external housing and an actuation member 61, the button 58 being arranged so that, when a user presses on the deformable surface 60, it depresses and the actuation member 61 actuates the actuable component 57. The deformable surface has a bearing area 63 comprising two extremal 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 which is lower than that of the extremal portions.The equipment is arranged so that the orthogonal projection of the indicator onto the face of the external housing is positioned between the two extreme portions 65.

[0157] It is noted here that the actuation component 57 is not necessarily a switch, that the function is not necessarily a speaker pairing function (it could be a speaker activation or deactivation function, track selection, volume adjustment, etc.).

[0158] It should also be noted here that the support area 63 is placed on a sound 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 area and the light guide can be covered with other flexible, light-transmitting materials, for example, a plastic 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 having cutouts 69, each of which has a hexagonal shape, thus defining a honeycomb structure. This surface 62 improves the diffusion of the acoustic waves produced by the diaphragm 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 housing 2 with the outer shell 4.

[0161] The enclosure 2 includes second fastening means arranged to cooperate with third fastening means of the outer shell 4 to fix said outer shell to the acoustic enclosure.

[0162] The second fastening means include 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-casing 15a, which extend laterally beyond the junction of the side faces 18 with the front face 27. There are six holes 70 in this case.

[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 means of attachment comprise six threaded shafts 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, near 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 side faces 19 of the acoustic box 2 further include 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 side faces of the acoustic box.

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

[0168] Preferably, the number of grooves 75 is the same as the number of holes 70. Therefore, there are six grooves 75 centered on the holes 70. The grooves 75 extend over almost all the lateral surfaces of the half-shells 15, with the exception of the front surface which serves as a support for the screws. Thus, these grooves have the advantage of preventing contact with the screw shanks 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 outer shell 4.

[0171] The outer shell 4 was designed taking into account all the constraints that 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 also 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 retaining the same acoustic enclosure 2.

[0174] The outer 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 enclosure 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 a support for the other faces, and a front opening 80 formed between the side faces 9 and extending to the top of the rear face 7.

[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 within it. When the cover 6 is fixed on the chassis 5, the central acoustic box 2 is totally protected by the shell 4.

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

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

[0180] Due to its relatively flat and slightly angular shape (angle of approximately 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 prevent deformation during the operation of the speaker.

[0181] That is why fasteners such as clips, attachment points and two screws are provided on the cover 6 and on the chassis 5 to assemble the cover onto the chassis.

[0182] With reference to [Fig. 11], the cover 6 here first includes elastic interlocking elements 81 (“clips”), here six in number, arranged near the free edges of the inner wall of the upper face 10 of the cover 6.

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

[0184] The chassis 5 includes additional elastic snap-fit ​​elements 84 (“clip beaks”), six in number, arranged near the upper free edges of the side faces 9 and the rear face 7 of the chassis 5.

[0185] The cover 6 further includes two hooks 85 each positioned on the upper part and near one of the free edges of the inner wall of the front face of the cover.

[0186] Chassis 5, for its part, has two additional attachment points 86 po each positioned on the upper part and near the free edge of the inner wall of one of the lateral faces 9 of the chassis 5.

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

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

[0189] During the assembly of the enclosure 1, and therefore during the assembly of the cover 6 onto the chassis 5, the clips 81 engage with the clip prongs 84, the hooks 85 engage with the complementary attachment points 86, and the threaded shafts 87 coincide with screw hooks 88 formed on the bottom of the chassis. Screws are then inserted into the threaded shafts 87 via the holes in the hooks 88, and tightened.

[0190] Advantageously, all the fastening elements described above are obtained directly during the molding of the cover or chassis, thus limiting the addition of additional fastening 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 shafts 87 of the lid so as to reinforce the attachment of the lid to the chassis, all other fasteners being integrated directly into the lid and chassis, which allows an after-sales service operator to easily change the lid and / or chassis to modify the appearance of the enclosure.

[0192] The enclosure that has just been described has many advantages.

[0193] It allows for the optimization of the technical volume in order to obtain compactness maximum of the enclosure.

[0194] The separation of aesthetic aspects and technical functions allows for greater freedom in adapting 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 housing in an external shell via simple screws allows for the rapid design of new coverings.

[0196] Indeed, only three constraints are typically present when defining a new design: - a minimum gap (of 1 mm for example) between the housing and the hull; - a certain amount of play (5 mm for example) between the base of each speaker and the casing to allow maximum speaker movement; - screw shafts (here six) in a defined position 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 the cover of the shell may have different appearances from those described here.

Claims

Demands

1. Acoustic enclosure (2), intended to form a soundproof enclosure (1) which may also include two loudspeakers (3), the acoustic enclosure comprising two half-enclosures (15) assembled together, each half-enclosure comprising a first end (16) and a second end (17) opposite 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-enclosure further comprising an internal half-partition (20), the acoustic enclosure (2) being arranged so that, when assembled, the two half-enclosures are positioned head-to-tail so that the first end of each half-enclosure is positioned at the level of the second end of the other half-enclosure,and the internal half-partitions extend in line with each other to form an internal partition (21) of the acoustic enclosure which defines within the acoustic enclosure two acoustic chambers (22) each intended to house 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 each other and parallel to the first dimension (dl) and 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 enclosure according to claim 2, in which each half-enclosure (15) is manufactured by molding, said half-enclosure being arranged so that its demolding is carried out along a demolding direction (35) perpendicular to a main face (27, 37) of the half-enclosure from which the two lateral faces of the half-enclosure extend.

4. Acoustic enclosure according to claim 3, wherein, for each half-enclosure (15), the outer wall of each side face (18) is inclined towards the inside of the half-enclosure to form a draft angle (a) between said outer wall and an axis perpendicular (X) to said main face.

5. Acoustic enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, in whereby, when the acoustic enclosure 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 enclosure being arranged so that a diaphragm (23) of the loudspeaker (3a) of the upper acoustic chamber can extend at the level of said upper face, and a front face (27) of the acoustic enclosure being arranged so that a diaphragm (23) of the loudspeaker (3b) of the lower acoustic chamber can extend at the level of said front face.

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

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

8. Acoustic enclosure according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a sealing gasket (40), made of compressible material, disposed at the joint of the half-enclosures (15) when they are assembled, the sealing gasket comprising a contour portion (41) positioned between free edges of faces of the half-enclosures, and an inner portion (42) positioned between free edges of the internal half-partitions, so that the sealing gasket ensures a seal of the enclosure at the joint of the two half-enclosures, and at the level of the two acoustic chambers.

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

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

11. Acoustic box 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 box 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 box, and to stiffen said acoustic box.

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

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

14. 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 a top face (10) and a front face (11) of the enclosure.

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

16. Enclosure according to claim 15, wherein the interface components include an actuable component (57), and wherein the enclosure includes a button (58) arranged to actuate the actuable component, the button comprising a deformable surface (60) formed on the outer shell (4) and comprising a support area (63) arranged such that when the user presses on the support area, it depresses and enables the actuable component to be actuated to implement a predefined function.

17. Enclosure according to claim 16, wherein the interface components further comprise an indicator light (59) signaling a position of the button (58) on the outer shell (4), and wherein the support area (63) comprises a central portion (66) and two extremal portions (65) along a first dimension (D1), the two extremal 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 any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the deformable surface (60) is obtained by a cut made in the outer shell, the deformable surface comprising a tab (64) having one end connected to the rest of the outer shell and a free end from which extends the support area (63).

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