Audio system comprising a speaker connected to a conduit installed in a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to an audio speaker (11) or an audio system comprising an audio speaker installed in a vehicle (10). Specifically, the audio speaker comprises a housing (110) and a loudspeaker (111) arranged on an opening in a wall (p1) of the housing. The audio speaker also comprises a suspended diaphragm (m110) arranged on another opening in another wall (p2) of the housing, the suspended diaphragm providing a sealed interface between an internal volume of the housing and an internal volume of a duct (12) of the vehicle, for example, a ventilation duct. The suspended diaphragm is configured, in particular, to transmit vibrations emitted by the loudspeaker to the internal volume of the duct. (See Figure 3 for abbreviations.)

Description

Title of the invention: Audio system comprising an audio speaker associated with a conduit installed in a vehicle. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to audio speakers and audio systems installed in a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle. The present invention also relates to an infotainment system installed in a vehicle. Technological background

[0002] Modern vehicles are equipped with numerous systems designed to enhance passenger comfort, such as an infotainment system, also known as an IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) system. Such a system includes an audio system, which must be high-performing to transform every journey into an immersive experience. By offering clear and balanced sound quality, it allows for a better appreciation of music, various audio content, and even hands-free calls. High-fidelity sound, with deep bass and precise treble, contributes to making journeys enjoyable, whether it's a short trip around town or a long journey. For many users, music is a key element for relaxation or motivation, and a good audio system enhances this experience.

[0003] Furthermore, a high-quality audio system enhances the perceived value of a vehicle. Whether for a luxury vehicle or a more conventional car, the integration of high-performance audio equipment is often a selling point. It reflects attention to detail and a focus on passenger comfort. For car enthusiasts, it can also represent a distinctive feature that personalizes and differentiates the vehicle.

[0004] In addition, the audio or infotainment system is often coupled with other driver assistance systems and also improves the clarity of information related to navigation or vehicle alerts. Well-balanced sound distribution in the passenger compartment ensures that all instructions are clearly heard, thus reducing distractions while driving. Moreover, with technologies such as active noise cancellation, some audio systems contribute to a quieter environment, improving overall comfort.

[0005] Additionally, the number of embedded systems in a vehicle is growing while users expect more and more available or usable volume. Thus, vehicles are becoming increasingly complex and integration each device needs to be optimized, each device sometimes being miniaturized and arranged in an increasingly restricted space. Summary of the present invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to solve at least one of the problems of the technological background described above.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to improve the performance of an audio system embedded in a vehicle.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to an audio speaker embedded in a vehicle comprising a box and a loudspeaker arranged on a first orifice of a first wall of the box, the audio speaker comprising a suspended membrane arranged on a second orifice of a second wall of the box, the suspended membrane forming a sealed interface between an internal volume of the box and an internal volume of a duct of the vehicle, the suspended membrane being configured to transmit vibrations emitted by the loudspeaker towards the internal volume of the duct.

[0009] The loudspeaker and its (initially sealed) enclosure are thus coupled to at least one of the vehicle's ducts, for example, a ventilation duct, via a suspended diaphragm in order to take advantage of the combined acoustic effects of the diaphragm and the duct on the audio system's response. The acoustic circuit formed by the loudspeaker and its enclosure is coupled to the circuit formed by at least one duct, corresponding, for example, to the ventilation duct, via the diaphragm. Such coupling avoids the pressure drop in the airflow that could be induced without the diaphragm. Furthermore, the diaphragm allows for greater flexibility in the implementation of the overall system, with, in particular, more freedom in the frequency tuning of the resonance of the overall system formed by the acoustic circuit and the ventilation circuit.

[0010] Such a configuration then makes it possible to extend the bandwidth of the audio system in the low frequencies in particular, to reduce the size of the audio system by making judicious use of the conduits already available in the vehicle and to improve the rendering in the different seats by diffusing the sound to the "four corners" of the vehicle.

[0011] According to a variant of the audio enclosure, an external wall of the conduit includes an opening leading to the suspended membrane, the external wall being complementary to the second wall.

[0012] According to another variant of the audio enclosure, the enclosure is sealed in the presence of the loudspeaker and the suspended diaphragm.

[0013] According to yet another variant of the audio enclosure, the first wall communicates with a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

[0014] According to a further variant of the audio enclosure, the duct is a ventilation duct.

[0015] According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to an audio system comprising an audio speaker according to the first aspect of the present invention and a conduit.

[0016] According to one variant of the audio system, an internal volume of the enclosure, a mass and a tension (or stiffness or flexibility) of the suspended membrane are defined as a function of an upstream acoustic impedance and a downstream acoustic impedance of the conduit.

[0017] According to a third aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle comprising an audio speaker according to the first aspect of the present invention or an audio system according to the second aspect of the present invention.

[0018] According to another variant, the vehicle further includes an infotainment system. Brief description of the figures

[0019] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the particular and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention below, with reference to the attached Figures 1 to 4, in which:

[0020] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates a top view of a vehicle, according to an example of particular and non-limiting implementation of the present invention;

[0021] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates part of a passenger compartment of the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates an audio system embedded in the vehicle of [Fig.1], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] [Fig. 4] schematically illustrates an exploded view of the audio system of [Fig. 3], according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. Description of embodiment examples.

[0024] An audio speaker and an audio system embedded in a vehicle will now be described in what follows with joint reference to Figures 1 to 4. The same elements are identified with the same reference signs throughout the description that follows.

[0025] The terms "first," "second" (or "firsts," "seconds"), etc., are used in this document by arbitrary convention to allow for the identification and distinction of different elements (such as operations, means, etc.) implemented in the embodiments described below. Such elements may be distinct or correspond to a single element, depending on the embodiment.

[0026] According to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, an audio speaker or an audio system comprising an audio speaker installed in a vehicle includes a housing and a loudspeaker arranged on an opening in a wall of the housing. The audio speaker also includes a suspended diaphragm arranged on another opening in another wall of the housing, the suspended diaphragm providing a sealed interface between an interior volume of the housing and an interior volume of a duct in the vehicle, for example, a ventilation duct or a hollow body in the vehicle. The suspended diaphragm is notably configured to transmit vibrations emitted by the loudspeaker to the interior volume of the duct.

[0027] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates part of a vehicle passenger compartment, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Vehicle 10 corresponds, for example, to a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, with electric motor(s), or even a hybrid vehicle with an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Vehicle 10 thus corresponds, for example, to a land vehicle, for example a car, a truck, a bus.

[0029] The vehicle 10 carries a set of audio speakers 11, which are, for example, arranged in the front and rear doors of the vehicle 10, the invention not being limited to this example but extending to a set of audio speakers arranged in other places in the passenger compartment l0 of the vehicle, for example on the dashboard and / or on the rear shelf and / or on pillars and / or under the roof and / or in seats of the vehicle 10. According to another example, the set of audio speakers is implemented in the form of a box or housing, for example arranged at the level of the center console of the vehicle 10, for example near a ventilation unit of the vehicle 10 located under the dashboard at the axis of the vehicle 10.

[0030] This set of audio speakers 11 allows, in the case where it includes a plurality of audio speakers 11, to emit a sound locally in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10 by the activation of an audio speaker 11, or even to create a three-dimensional sound rendering called spatialized sound (also called holophonic sound) using several audio speakers 11.

[0031] The vehicle 10 advantageously incorporates an infotainment system, called the IVI system, which includes, for example, a computer to control each audio speaker 11 of the audio speaker set 11 and a human-machine interface, called the HMI, allowing a vehicle occupant to interact with the IVI system.

[0032] The vehicle 10 also includes a set of conduits, of which at least one conduit 12 of this set of conduits is associated with at least one audio speaker 11 of the audio speaker set.

[0033] A duct 12 is, for example, a ventilation duct opening into the passenger compartment lOh; however, the invention is not limited to a ventilation duct but extends to any type of duct or hollow body opening, for example, a technical conduit allowing the passage of electrical cables or ducts created by construction voids, that is to say, free volumes located between the passenger compartment trim lOh and the vehicle body, for example. The term duct is used to designate any duct or hollow body opening.

[0034] According to the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the ducts 12 are ventilation ducts, which open into the passenger compartment 10 via outlets 12s comprising, for example, grilles and / or deflectors, which are, for example, adjustable. These ducts 12 are traversed by an airflow generated by a fan of a ventilation or air conditioning system installed in the vehicle 10. According to this example, a duct 12 passes, in particular, behind an audio speaker 11.

[0035] It should be noted that the ducts 12 are of variable length, shape and cross-section and are connected or not so as to form for example a network or a set of air distribution networks.

[0036] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a schematic view of an audio enclosure 11 and a conduit 12 associated with this audio enclosure 11.

[0037] The duct 11 comprises, for example, an inlet port 12e and an outlet port 12s, a first airflow Fl entering the internal volume 12c of the duct, and a second airflow F2 exiting the internal volume 12c of this duct. Note that if the duct is airtight and has only one inlet port 12e and one outlet port 12s, then the first and second airflows Fl and F2 have the same flow rate.

[0038] The conduit 12 also has an opening 12o arranged in an external wall p 12, the wall pl2 being configured to be juxtaposed to the audio enclosure 11 at the level of this opening 12o.

[0039] The audio enclosure 11 comprises several elements. First, the audio enclosure 11 comprises a box 110, which is made, for example, of a plastic material and included in a trim piece of the passenger compartment lOh. This box 110 comprises a first opening ol directed towards the passenger compartment lOh, and a second opening o2 directed towards the opening 12o of the duct 12, the second opening o2 being, for example, coincident with the opening 12o when the box 110 is juxtaposed to the duct 12, that is to say when a rear wall of the box 110, called the second wall p2, is juxtaposed to the external wall pl2 of the duct.

[0040] According to a particular embodiment, the outer wall pl2 is complementary to the second wall p2, these two walls then being joined when the box 110 is placed next to the duct 12. Optionally, a sealing gasket positioned between The second wall p2 and the external wall pl2 provide a seal between the duct 12 and the box 110, thus preventing any air leakage between these two elements.

[0041] According to another particular embodiment, the conduit 12 or a section of the conduit 12 and the casing 110 form a single piece, these two elements being fused together. It is thus possible to obtain this assembly of elements by injection molding, the resulting part being optimized and guaranteeing a perfect seal around the orifice corresponding to the opening 12o and the second orifice o2, which are thus combined.

[0042] The enclosure 110 also includes a first opening ol arranged, for example, in its front face, which includes a first wall pl oriented towards the passenger compartment lOh, this first opening being configured in particular to receive a loudspeaker 111. Thus, the audio speaker 11 installed in the vehicle 10 includes an enclosure 110 and a loudspeaker 111 arranged on the first opening ol of the first wall pl of the enclosure 110. Optionally, a grille 112 is arranged in front of the loudspeaker 111 in order to protect it mechanically from external aggressions.

[0043] The loudspeaker 111 comprises, for example, a magnet al 11 fixed to the enclosure 110 by a frame bl 11 and a diaphragm ml 11 associated with a coil, which vibrates under the action of an electromagnetic force generated by a current flowing in the coil. This current, which controls the vibration of the diaphragm ml 11, is generated by the previously introduced IVI system. Thus, the IVI system generates displacements of the diaphragm ml 11, which then generates vibrations of the air present in the interior volume of the enclosure 110 and in the passenger compartment lOh, thereby generating sound.

[0044] In order to prevent the air contained in the duct 12 from being mixed with the air contained in the internal volume of the box 110, a suspended sealed membrane ml 10 is arranged on the second orifice o2, this forming a sealed interface between the internal volume of the box 110 and the internal volume of the duct 12. Thus, the previously determined airflows are not modified by the association of the audio enclosure 11 with the duct 12.

[0045] According to this particular embodiment, the enclosure 110 is sealed by the presence of the loudspeaker 111 and the suspended diaphragm ml 10, making the behavior of the audio speaker 11 close to that of a sealed enclosure. A sealed enclosure, as its name suggests, has no openings and is therefore completely closed. The advantage of this type of speaker is the linearity it offers in its upper bass and lower midrange response, but the drawback of this lack of opening is a decrease in its efficiency. Indeed, since the internal pressure cannot be released through an opening, called a "vent," the loudspeaker has more difficulty performing its mechanical movements. In order to overcome this drawback, the The suspended membrane ml 10 acts as a common opening in a bass-reflex enclosure. A bass-reflex enclosure is characterized by a port, usually located on the front or rear of the cabinet, which allows the internal pressures generated by the movement of the loudspeaker to be released. This port aims to significantly improve the bass response produced by the speaker. The second opening o2 partially fulfills the role of the port, as the suspended membrane ml 10 is flexible enough to release the internal pressures generated by the movement of the loudspeaker 111 towards the interior volume of the duct 12.Thus, the suspended membrane ml 10 is configured to transmit vibrations emitted by the loudspeaker 111 to the internal volume of the duct 12, then propagating the sound emitted by the loudspeaker 111 through the duct 12 to the outlet 12s which then, in turn, emits the sound generated by the loudspeaker 111 into the passenger compartment lOh. .

[0046] The audio speaker assembly and the conduits 12 associated with the audio speaker assembly thus form an audio system embedded in the vehicle 10, which is for example controlled by the IVI system embedded in the vehicle 10.

[0047] In order to improve the sound quality delivered by this audio system, the various components thereof are, for example, dimensioned relative to each other, parameters being, for example: • the number of audio speakers 11 and their location in the passenger compartment, • the internal volume and material of the enclosure 110 for each audio speaker 11, • the number of speakers 111 or number of channels, the type of speaker, its power and its behavior for each audio speaker 11, • a mass, a tension (representing stiffness or flexibility) and a diameter of the suspended membrane ml 10 if it is circular for each audio speaker 11, • a number of conduits 12 and the location of their exit in the passenger compartment lOh, • a length and a cross-section of each conduit 12.

[0048] One or more acoustic impedances are, for example, determined for each duct 12 associated with an audio speaker 11, for example an upstream acoustic impedance and a downstream acoustic impedance, the upstream and downstream being determined according to the position of the opening 12o in the duct and according to the direction of the airflow in the duct from the inlet 12e to the outlet 12s. Thus, according to a particular embodiment, an internal volume of the enclosure 110, a mass and a tension (i.e. the stiffness or flexibility) of the suspended diaphragm ml 10, a length and a cross-section are defined according to an upstream acoustic impedance and a downstream acoustic impedance of the duct 12.

[0049] Indeed, the audio enclosure 11 forms an acoustic resonator by connecting the internal volume of the audio enclosure 11 with the external space by means of a vent, which is here replaced by the suspended membrane ml 10 associated with the duct(s), the resonator comprises the suspended membrane and the duct(s). The dimensions of the vent will be adapted to be able to "tune" the resonator to a given frequency, knowing that the resonant frequency of a resonator following a Helmholtz model formed by a bass-reflex type audio enclosure is defined by the following formula: [Math.l] ^0 =

[0050] With: • c the speed of sound, • S the vent section, • 1 a length of the vent, and • V the internal volume of the box 110.

[0051] Such an audio system design allows for the combination of a loudspeaker with a duct. The loudspeaker, thus combined with the duct, offers performance close to that of a bass-reflex speaker and benefits from the duct's ability to distribute sound from the loudspeaker to various distinct locations within the passenger compartment. Furthermore, combining the loudspeaker with the duct reduces the vehicle's overall size for the audio system by sharing certain functions, as the duct can be used for both ventilation or air conditioning and audio distribution.

[0052] When the audio speaker assembly is in the form of a central box, for example arranged in the central console of the vehicle 10, the audio circuit or system of the vehicle 10 is coupled to one or more ducts of the ventilation group or system located under the dashboard, the coupling between the audio speaker(s) and each duct being achieved via a passive membrane (of the passive radiator type) which allows the hole of each duct opening into each audio speaker to be closed, thus avoiding a pressure loss for the hydraulic flow and offering flexibility for the implementation of the final system with more freedom in the frequency tuning of the resonance of the system thus obtained.

[0053] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above but extends to an audio system and an infotainment system embedded in a vehicle.

[0054] The present invention also relates to a vehicle, for example an automobile or more generally an autonomous land-based motor vehicle, comprising an audio enclosure associated with a conduit as shown with regard to figures 1 to 4.

Claims

Demands

1. Audio speaker (11) mounted in a vehicle (10) comprising a box (110) and a loudspeaker (111) arranged on a first orifice (ol) of a first wall (pl) of said box (110), characterized in that the audio speaker (11) comprises a suspended membrane (ml 10) arranged on a second orifice (o2) of a second wall (p2) of the box (110), said suspended membrane (ml 10) forming a sealed interface between an internal volume of the box (110) and an internal volume of a duct (12) of said vehicle (10), said suspended membrane (ml 10) being configured to transmit vibrations emitted by said loudspeaker (111) to the internal volume of the duct (12).

2. Audio enclosure (11) according to claim 1, wherein an outer wall (pl2) of said conduit (12) comprises an opening (12o) leading to said suspended membrane (ml 10), said outer wall (pl2) being complementary to said second wall (p2).

3. Audio enclosure (11) according to claim 2, wherein said enclosure (110) is sealed in the presence of the loudspeaker (111) and the suspended diaphragm (ml 10).

4. Audio enclosure (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first wall (pl) communicates with a vehicle compartment (10).

5. Audio enclosure (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said duct (12) is a ventilation duct.

6. Audio system comprising an audio speaker (11) according to any one of the preceding claims and a conduit (12).

7. Audio system according to claim 6, wherein an internal volume of the enclosure (110), a mass and a tension of the suspended membrane (ml 10) are defined as a function of an upstream acoustic impedance and a downstream acoustic impedance of said conduit (12).

8. Vehicle (10) comprising an audio speaker (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or an audio system according to any one of claims 6 to 7.

9. Vehicle (10) according to claim 8, further comprising an infotainment system.

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