Speaker device

Abstract

To solve the problem that a speaker device cannot be flexibly utilized since satisfaction is not obtained both in utilization as an illumination apparatus during reading, working or the like and in utilization of sound source voice reproduction with high quality.SOLUTION: A speaker 1 with illumination comprises: a speaker unit 12 including a speaker 125 inside; and an illumination unit 11 arranged above the speaker unit 12 so as to radiate light by a light emission part 114. The illumination unit 11 is provided with a light-transmittable diffuser 115 arranged in a radiation direction of the light emission part 114 and formed to have a nearly conical shape in the radiation direction. The illumination unit 11 is rotatable in a posture where the center of the diffuser 115 is opposed to the center of the speaker 125.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a speaker device such as a portable wireless speaker.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a wireless speaker that incorporates a lighting device in an omnidirectional wireless speaker that spreads 360 degrees and emits a faint light to create the emotionality of music or changes the light amount together with music has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a speaker device combining a speaker with good directivity characteristics and a lighting lamp has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0003] The conventional wireless speakers as described above are not made for the purpose of being used as a spotlight for illuminating food on a table or the like, or for reading or working at a desk. However, by increasing the light amount, it is conceivable that it can be used not only as a wireless speaker but also as a lighting fixture for reading or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, conventional wireless speakers were not designed for use in activities such as reading or working, and therefore could not illuminate any desired location. As a result, they failed to satisfy users in both the role of a lighting fixture for reading or working, and for high-quality audio playback, lacking flexibility. Therefore, there is a demand for a high-performance and flexible device that can illuminate any desired location, serving as a lighting fixture for reading or working, and for high-quality audio playback, making it usable in a wide variety of situations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises a first unit having a speaker inside, and a second unit provided above the first unit and irradiating light with a light-emitting part, wherein the second unit is provided with a light-transmitting diffuser plate formed in a substantially conical shape in the direction of irradiation of the light-emitting part, and the second unit is rotatable to a position in which the center of the diffuser plate and the center of the speaker face each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a high-performance and flexible speaker device that can be used in a wide variety of situations, such as illuminating any location desired by the user, or for reproducing high-quality sound sources and voices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing an example of a speaker with lighting. [Figure 2] A six-view drawing showing an example of a speaker with lighting. [Figure 3] A perspective cross-sectional view of a speaker with lighting. [Figure 4] Cross-section of a speaker with built-in lighting. [Figure 5] A bottom view showing an example of the detachable battery cover of a speaker with lighting. [Figure 6]A diagram showing how to use a lighting unit by changing its position and orientation. [Figure 7] A diagram showing how to use a lighting unit by changing its position and orientation. [Figure 8] A diagram showing how to use a lighting unit by changing its position and orientation. [Figure 9] Front view and cross-sectional view of a speaker with lighting. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a light-blocking sheet. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [First Embodiment] The following description of the illuminated speaker 1, which embodies this embodiment, will be explained using Figures 1 to 5. While this embodiment assumes a speaker sized for use on a table or desk, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it could be used in live music venues or event spaces, connected to musical instruments.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a speaker with lighting, illustrating one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, (a) is an oblique view from the upper left, (b) is an oblique view from the upper right, (c) is an oblique view from the lower left, and (d) is a perspective view from the lower right.

[0011] Figure 2 is a six-view drawing showing an example of a speaker with illumination according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a right side view, (d) is a rear view, (e) is a top view, and (f) is a bottom view.

[0012] Figure 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the illuminated speaker of this embodiment. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the illuminated speaker according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a bottom view showing an example of the detachable phase of the battery cover of the illuminated speaker of this embodiment.

[0013] The illuminated speaker 1 of this embodiment has an illumination unit 11, a speaker unit 12, a battery unit 13, and a rotating pedestal 14 from above, and has arms 15 on the left and right. The illumination unit 11 includes a light-emitting part (which is an LED light in this embodiment, but is not limited thereto) inside, and irradiates light downward in the states of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0014] The speaker unit 12 is an omnidirectional speaker that spreads 360 degrees. The speaker unit 12 has a mesh cover 121 on the upper part, a speaker 125 arranged upward, a beam member 122 on the lower part, a passive radiator 126 arranged downward, etc. A slit 123 is provided in the beam member 122. The speaker unit 12 outputs sound from the mesh cover 121 and the slit 123. The speaker unit 12 is connected to the battery unit 13 by the beam member 122.

[0015] The battery unit 13 has a battery described later and supplies power to the illumination unit 11 and the speaker unit 12. The battery unit 13 is rotatable (or pivotable) with respect to the rotating pedestal 14 in the horizontal plane (within the mounting surface of the device) in the rotation direction.

[0016] The arm 15 is pivotably supported by the battery unit 13, and pivotably supports the illumination unit 11 at its tip. The battery unit 13 has a body 131 having substantially the same diameter as the body 124 of the speaker unit 12.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the battery unit 13 includes a rechargeable battery 132 and a circuit board 133. The circuit board 133 is equipped with a power supply circuit and the like. A USB terminal 138 is provided on the back of the battery unit 13, as shown in Figure 2(d), and power can be supplied to the battery 132 via the USB terminal 138. The USB terminal 138 is, for example, a Type C terminal, but other types of terminals may also be used. Furthermore, the USB terminal 138 may be configured to enable data communication with an external device.

[0018] The bottom 135 of the battery unit 13 has an opening for the replacement of the battery 132, and a battery cover 136 is detachably attached to this opening. By removing this battery cover 136, the battery 132 can be replaced. The battery unit 13 is rotatably supported on a rotating base 14. The following explanation will be given with reference to Figure 5.

[0019] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the base 135 and the battery cover 136 rotate (or pivot) horizontally with respect to the rotating base 14. During this rotation, the battery cover 136 is attached to the base 135 such that it rotates (or pivots) around the intersection of its diagonals.

[0020] In this embodiment, in order to allow for the replacement of a larger battery, the size of the battery cover 136 (the length of the diagonal, which is the longest part, corresponding to the rotation diameter) is made larger than the diameter of the hole (140a) provided at the bottom of the rotating base 14. Furthermore, only at the position shown in Figure 5(a), the diameter of the hole is made long enough to allow the battery cover 136 to be attached and detached (shape like 140b).

[0021] In other words, when the rotational phase of the battery unit 13 relative to the rotating base 14 is the phase shown in Figure 5(a), or a phase rotated 180 degrees from the phase shown in Figure 5(a), the corners of the battery cover 136 can pass through the holes at the bottom of the rotating base 14. On the other hand, when the rotational phase of the battery unit 13 relative to the rotating base 14 is other than the phase shown in Figure 5(a), or a phase rotated 180 degrees from the phase shown in Figure 5(a), the corners of the battery cover 136 get caught in the holes at the bottom of the rotating base 14, as shown in the example in Figure 5(b), making it impossible to pass through. Therefore, the battery cover 136 can only be removed in the phase shown in Figure 5(a), or in the phase rotated 180 degrees from Figure 5(a). In other words, the battery 132 can only be replaced in the phase shown in Figure 5(a), or in the phase rotated 180 degrees from Figure 5(a).

[0022] This configuration allows for a larger battery cover 136, enabling the installation of a larger, replaceable battery. Specifically, the illuminated speaker with the above configuration allows the size of the battery cover 136 (the diagonal length, which is the longest part) to be larger than the diameter of the hole provided at the bottom of the rotating base 14, enabling the installation of a larger, replaceable battery. As a result, longer battery life is possible, improving usability. Furthermore, the area of ​​the bottom surface of the rotating base 14 can be increased, improving stability when the illuminated speaker 1 is placed on it as a portable device. In addition, by preventing the battery cover 136 from coming off unless it is in a specific rotation phase, the chances of the battery cover 136 coming off due to unexpected impacts while carrying the device are reduced.

[0023] In the above configuration, the battery cover 136 has a rectangular shape, and the intersection of its diagonals (136a) (136b) is mounted at a position corresponding to the center of rotation relative to the rotating base 14. The hole provided in the rotating base 14 has a shape having a short diameter portion (140a) shorter than the length of the diagonal of the battery cover 136 and a long diameter portion (140b) longer than the length of the diagonal of the battery cover 136. Furthermore, when the rotating base 14 is in a specific rotational phase, the diagonal (136a) of the battery cover 136 is positioned in the long axis portion (140b) of the hole in the rotating base 14. When the rotating base 14 is not in a specific rotational phase, the diagonal (136a) of the battery cover 136 is positioned in the short axis portion (140b) of the hole in the rotating base 14. This configuration makes the battery cover 136 removable (i.e., the battery 132 replaceable) only when the rotating base 14 is in a specific rotational phase (as shown in Figure 5(a)).

[0024] However, the shape of the battery cover 136 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and may be other shapes that match the shape of the battery 132. For example, it may be a polygonal shape or a circular shape that is not a perfect circle (a circle with a major axis and a minor axis). In that case, the hole provided in the rotating base 14 shall have a shape that has a minor axis shorter than the rotational diameter of the battery cover 136 and a major axis longer than the rotational diameter of the battery cover 136. When the rotating base 14 is in a specific rotational phase, the part of the battery cover 136 corresponding to the rotational diameter (i.e., the outermost part relative to the center of rotation) is located in the major axis part of the hole in the rotating base 14, and when the rotating base 14 is not in a specific rotational phase, the part of the battery cover 136 corresponding to the rotational diameter is located in the minor axis part of the hole in the rotating base 14. This makes the battery cover 136 removable and the battery 132 replaceable only when the rotating base 14 is in a specific rotational phase.

[0025] As described above, the illuminated speaker 1 of this embodiment is a vertical wireless speaker and has an illumination unit on its top whose position and illumination angle can be changed. It can be used not only as an audio device but also as a light source for reading or working. It combines the functions of an audio device and a light source, and by incorporating a large battery, it can be used for longer periods even in places where it is difficult to secure a power source. For example, it is suitable as a desktop speaker for a table. Although the illuminated speaker has been described as an example, the present invention is also applicable to speaker devices that do not have an illumination unit 11 (speaker devices that have a speaker unit 12, a battery unit 13, and a rotating base 14). Generally, to provide sufficient light for reading or working with a wireless speaker with built-in lighting, power consumption increases, requiring a large battery. Similarly, even when used as a wireless speaker, a large battery is necessary for extended use. Furthermore, it is desirable that the battery be replaceable without disassembling the device. Conventional wireless speakers are not designed for reading or working, and therefore are not configured to accommodate a large, replaceable battery for extended use in such applications. While increasing the device size might allow for the inclusion of a large, replaceable battery, this would present challenges, such as making it unsuitable for use as a desktop speaker. However, as described above, this embodiment solves these problems. Therefore, it is possible to provide a speaker device equipped with a large battery while preventing the external dimensions of the wireless speaker from becoming too large. Furthermore, it can be used not only as a wireless speaker but also as a lighting fixture for reading and other purposes, providing a speaker with built-in lighting that can be used for extended periods regardless of the location.

[0026] [Second Embodiment] Figures 6 to 8 show how the speaker device (speaker with lighting 1) of this embodiment can be used by changing the position and orientation of the lighting unit 11. The illuminated speaker 1 of this embodiment includes a speaker unit 12 (first unit) having a speaker 125 inside, a lighting unit 11 (second unit) provided above the speaker unit 12, and a battery unit 13 (third unit) connected to the bottom of the speaker unit 12. The lighting unit 11 is equipped with a light-emitting part (in this embodiment, an LED light (LED substrate 114), but not limited to this) and emits light downwards in the state shown in Figures 1 and 2. The illuminated speaker 1 has a hinge 137 (Figures 3 and 4) built into the battery unit 13 to rotatably support the arm 15. The illuminated speaker 1 also has a hinge 113 (Figures 3 and 4) built into the lighting unit 11 to rotatably support the lighting unit 11. With this configuration, the arm 15 and the lighting unit 11 of the illuminated speaker 1 can rotate freely. Therefore, the illuminated speaker 1 can be used as a lighting device for reading, working, etc., by illuminating any desired location.

[0027] Figure 9 shows a front view and a cross-sectional view of the illuminated speaker 1. In Figure 9, (a) is a front view of the illuminated speaker 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the illuminated speaker 1 cut along the cutting surface AA shown in (a). Furthermore, (c) is a cross-sectional view of the illuminated speaker 1 cut along the cutting surface BB shown in (a), and (d) is an enlarged view of the DT1 portion of the cutting surface shown in (c), which corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the location where the arm 15 is connected. Furthermore, (e) is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the illuminated speaker 1 at the cross-section CC shown in (a), and (f) is an enlarged view of the DT2 portion of the cross-section shown in (e), which corresponds to a cross-sectional view above the point where the arm 15 is connected.

[0028] As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), a diffuser 115 (diffusing plate) is provided at the bottom of the lighting unit 11. The diffuser 115 is made of a light-transmitting material, such as milky white, and is formed in a substantially conical shape (tapered shape) facing downwards (i.e., in the direction of light irradiation by the lighting unit 11), as shown in the figure. This tapered shape has the effect of diffusing the light irradiated from the light-emitting part 114 in all directions.

[0029] Furthermore, when the diffuser 115 is positioned such that its center and the center of the speaker 125 are facing each other and are approximately in a straight line, as shown in Figure 9, the aforementioned tapered shape prevents frontal reflection of sound output from the speaker 125 while diffusing the light emitted from the light-emitting part 114 in all directions. Alternatively, the diffuser 115 may be configured to have a shape in which the curvature changes at the boundary 115a, as shown in Figure 7(c), to diffuse light and sound at an optimal angle. In this case, the area inside the boundary 115a may be a flat surface with no diffusion effect to the extent that it does not affect sound reflection. Alternatively, a camera may be provided inside the boundary 115a or elsewhere. Furthermore, the lighting unit 11 may also have a configuration on its front side that includes an audio input unit (not shown) with a microphone inside.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the illuminated speaker 1 of this embodiment has the following features: for example, the arm 15 can rotate within a range of -25 to 25 degrees (angle in Figure 5) with the vertical direction being 0 degrees; the lighting unit 11 can rotate within a range of -90 to 180 degrees (angle in Figure 8) with the state shown in Figure 2 being 0 degrees; and the rotating base 14 can rotate 360 ​​degrees. In addition, the lighting from the lighting unit 11 is dimmable, and for example, it is possible to switch between daylight white and warm white at multiple brightness levels. Moreover, with the illuminated speaker 1 of this embodiment, the position and illumination angle of the lighting unit 11 located on the top of the device can be easily changed with one hand without having to support the main body of the device, allowing the user to freely illuminate any direction they desire. As described above, by changing the position and illumination angle of the lighting unit 11, the reflection of sound output from the speaker 125 changes, altering its directivity and thus the sound quality. In other words, the user can change the sound quality by changing the position and illumination angle of the lighting unit 11. Furthermore, since the lighting unit 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape and the diffuser 115 is formed in a conical shape, the surface of the lighting unit 11 will never face the outlet of the speaker 125, regardless of whether the angle of the lighting unit 11 is set to -90 degrees or 90 degrees.

[0031] Furthermore, the lighting unit 11 can be adjusted to an angle ranging from 90 degrees as shown in Figure 7 to 180 degrees as shown in Figure 8, so that the sound output from the speaker 125 is reflected in a specific direction from the top surface of the lighting unit 11, thereby giving the speaker directionality. By giving it directionality, for example, the clarity of conversations in video conferences (TV conferences) can be improved. In this way, users can change the sound quality and directionality depending on the intended use, such as listening to music or video conferencing.

[0032] As described above, in the speaker with lighting of this embodiment, an arm 15 is rotatably attached to the lighting unit 11 in order to realize a configuration in which the position and illumination angle of the lighting unit 11 can be freely changed. The lighting unit 11 is provided with a hole in the mounting portion of the arm 15 through which the arm 15 passes, and the arm 15 is inserted into this hole. Therefore, there is a concern that light from the lighting part (LED substrate 114) inside the lighting unit 11 may leak from the mounting portion of the arm 15 (the gap between the hole and the arm 15). To prevent this, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9(d) and (f), a light-shielding sheet 900 as shown in Figure 10 is provided on the mounting portion of the arm 15 of the lighting unit 11.

[0033] The light-shielding sheet 900 is a ring-shaped light-shielding sheet having a through-hole with a diameter approximately the same as the diameter of the arm 15. The light-shielding sheet 900 is positioned to curve along the inner surface of the cylindrical housing of the lighting unit 11, with the arm 15 passing through its through-hole and being sandwiched between the inner surface of the housing of the lighting unit 11 and the connection point at the end of the arm 15. At this time, the light-shielding sheet 900 is made to match the outer diameter of the arm 15 so that there is no gap between the inside of the ring of the light-shielding sheet 900 and the arm 15. In Figures 9(d) and 9(f), the light-shielding sheet 900 is shown attached to the arm mounting portion on the front right of the lighting unit 11. Similarly, the light-shielding sheet 900 is also attached to the arm mounting portion on the front left.

[0034] The following describes the light-blocking sheet 900. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the light-shielding sheet 900. In Figure 10, (a) is a perspective view of the light-shielding sheet 900, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a cross-sectional view.

[0035] As shown in Figures 10(a) and (b), the light-shielding sheet 900 has a ring shape, and the arms 15 are arranged so as to pass through the inside of the ring without any gaps. As shown in Figure 10(c), the light-shielding sheet 900 is composed of a cushioning material 901 with a PET sheet on one side and a light-shielding tape 902. Note that PET is an abbreviation for polyethylene terephthalate.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(d), the cushion material 901 with a single-sided PET sheet is composed of a PET film 901-1 and a polyurethane foam 901-2. Furthermore, the light-blocking tape 902 is composed of a black polyester film 902-1 and a black acrylic adhesive 902-2, and is attached to the cushion material 901 with a PET sheet on one side by the adhesive strength of the black acrylic adhesive 902-2.

[0037] Furthermore, the part where the arm 15 is attached to the lighting unit 11 is a movable part, and therefore smooth movement is required. The light-shielding sheet 900, which is placed at the attachment point of the arm 15, is positioned between the inner surface of the housing of the lighting unit 11 and the connection point at the tip of the arm 15. Therefore, by making the surface of the black polyester film 902-1 of the light-shielding sheet 900 slippery and increasing its sliding properties, smoother movement can be achieved. Alternatively, the sliding properties and light-shielding properties may be further enhanced by attaching highly sliding light-shielding tape 902 to both sides of the cushioning material 901 with a PET sheet on one side. In other words, the light-shielding sheet 900 may be configured with a cushioning material 901 and a sheet (light-shielding tape 902) with higher sliding properties than the cushion attached to both sides of the cushioning material 901.

[0038] In this way, by attaching a ring-shaped light-shielding sheet 900, which is curveable along the inner surface of the housing of the lighting unit 11 and into which the outer diameter of the arm 15 can be inserted without any gaps, to the mounting position of the arm 15 on the inner surface of the housing of the lighting unit 11, it is possible to prevent light from leaking from the mounting portion of the arm 15 into the lighting unit 11.

[0039] In this embodiment of the illuminated speaker 1, the arm 15 for changing the position and illumination angle of the lighting unit 11 is connected to the battery unit 13 and the lighting unit 11, and is separate from the speaker unit 12 (does not come into contact with the speaker unit 12). That is, for example, the U-shaped arm 15 does not come into contact with the speaker unit 12, with one end rotatably supported by the battery unit 13 and the other end rotatably supporting the lighting unit 11. Therefore, vibrations from the speaker unit 12 are not transmitted to the lighting unit 11 via the arm 15, which can cause flickering and other problems. In particular, when the lighting unit 11 is equipped with a camera or microphone, vibrations transmitted to the lighting unit 11 may affect the image quality of the video captured by the camera or the sound quality of the sound input by the microphone, but the impact of these vibrations on image quality and sound quality can be suppressed.

[0040] In summary, this speaker can be used not only as a wireless speaker, but also as a lighting fixture for reading and other activities by illuminating any desired location. It is portable, maintains the posture of a stand-type lamp, and offers the ease of operation of being easily deployed with one hand without needing to support the device. Thus, it provides a high-performance and flexible speaker with built-in lighting that can be used in a wide variety of situations, such as illuminating any desired location or for high-quality audio playback.

[0041] It goes without saying that the various configurations and their contents described above are not limited to those mentioned, and that they can be composed of various configurations and contents depending on the use and purpose. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications (including organic combinations of each embodiment) are possible based on the spirit of the invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the invention. That is, all configurations that combine the above-described embodiments and their modified forms are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1. Speaker with lighting 11 Lighting Units 12 speaker units 13 Battery Unit 14 Rotating base 15 Arms 115 Diffuser (diffusing plate) 125 speakers 900 Light-blocking sheet

Claims

1. A first unit having a speaker therein; a second unit provided above the first unit; Equipped with The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the second unit has a diffusion plate formed on the first unit side, and is rotatable so that the diffusion plate faces the center of the speaker.

2. The second unit has a light-emitting part that irradiates light toward the diffusion plate, The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusion plate is capable of transmitting light from the light emitting portion.

3. a third unit connected to a lower portion of the first unit; an arm that is rotatably supported by the third unit and that rotatably supports the second unit at its tip; 3. The speaker device according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. a hole through which the arm passes is provided in the housing of the second unit; a light-shielding sheet having a through hole through which the arm passes is disposed along the inner surface of the housing; the arm inserted through the hole in the housing passes through the through-hole and is fixed to the second unit, 4. The speaker device according to claim 3, wherein the light blocking sheet closes a gap that occurs between the arm and the hole.

5. The housing is cylindrical, 5. The speaker device according to claim 4, wherein the light blocking sheet is attached in a curved state along the inner surface of the housing.

6. 6. The speaker device according to claim 4, wherein the light-shielding sheet includes a cushion and sheets attached to both sides of the cushion and having higher sliding properties than the cushion.

7. The speaker device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the arm has a U-shape, one end of which is rotatably supported by the third unit without contacting the first unit, and the other end of which rotatably supports the second unit.

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