Speaker apparatus

The speaker device addresses sound interference issues in slot-radiating loudspeakers by using resonant passages and AMM to control sound waves, enhancing sound quality and reducing energy consumption.

WO2025225842A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-10-30SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/KR2025/001648
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-04-25
Filing Date
2025-02-04
Publication Date
2025-10-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional slot-radiating loudspeakers experience distorted sound quality due to sound waves reflecting and reinforcing or canceling within the enclosure, leading to uneven amplitude spectrum characteristics, and existing solutions like parametric equalizers consume excessive electrical energy and computational resources.

Method used

A speaker device with a housing containing a transducer and an acoustic structure featuring resonant passages and a buffer, including an acoustic meta-material (AMM) to control sound wave interference, using resonant passages with bends and an auxiliary sound-absorbing material to absorb specific frequencies, thereby maintaining sound quality while reducing energy consumption.

Benefits of technology

The solution effectively absorbs and attenuates sound waves to prevent interference, resulting in improved sound quality with a more even amplitude spectrum and reduced energy consumption.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A speaker apparatus is disclosed. The speaker device is characterized by comprising: a housing; a transducer disposed inside the housing and configured to generate sound waves; and an acoustic structure disposed inside the housing and including a plurality of resonance passages, wherein each of the plurality of resonance passages includes an opening open toward the transducer, and is configured such that the sound waves enter via the opening and move along the resonance passage.
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Description

speaker device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a speaker device.

[0002] A speaker is a device that converts electrical signals into sound waves and radiates them. Typically, a speaker device includes a box-shaped enclosure with an internal cavity and a transducer that generates sound waves by vibrating a diaphragm. The transducer converts electrical signals into sound waves and can generate sound waves across a wide range of frequencies, from low to high.

[0003] Speakers can be integrated into a variety of electronic devices, including TVs, monitors, and refrigerators. However, as technological advancements have made electronic devices slimmer, the size of the speaker devices attached to them has also needed to be reduced. To meet this need, slot-loading loudspeakers (SLLs), featuring a thin sound-emitting aperture, were designed.

[0004] Slot-radiating loudspeakers feature a structure in which the transducer is embedded within the enclosure. However, in the case of slot-radiating loudspeakers, sound waves that are reflected and then radiated within the enclosure reinforce and / or cancel each other with sound waves that are directly radiated to the outside from the transducer without going through a reflection process, causing the amplitude spectrum characteristics of the sound waves to be distorted into an uneven form, resulting in a deterioration in the overall sound quality.

[0005] Accordingly, in conventional technologies, a technology for adjusting the frequency of sound waves using a separate device such as a parametric equalizer (PEQ) has been utilized, but this has the problem of high consumption of electrical energy applied to the speaker device and excessive load at the computational resource level.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a speaker device may include a housing, a transducer disposed within the housing and configured to generate sound waves, and an acoustic structure disposed within the housing and including a plurality of resonant passages.

[0007] Each of the plurality of resonant passages may include an opening that opens toward the transducer, and may be configured such that the sound wave enters the opening and travels along the resonant passage.

[0008] The housing may include a first housing including a receiving space to support the transducer and the acoustic structure, and a second housing having a shape corresponding to the first housing and arranged to cover one surface of the first housing.

[0009] The second housing may have a slot formed in an area facing the transducer to connect the receiving space and the exterior of the housing.

[0010] At least one of the plurality of resonant passages may include a bend.

[0011] The first housing may include a receiving portion formed by being recessed inwardly toward the lower surface of the first housing from the second housing side.

[0012] The above acoustic structure may include a first acoustic structure disposed in the receiving portion and a second acoustic structure coupled to the inner surface of the second housing.

[0013] The second sound-absorbing material may include a sound-absorbing wall formed by protruding and extending from the inner surface of the second housing toward the first housing.

[0014] The above speaker device may include a buffer disposed between the transducer and the opening of each resonance passage among the plurality of resonance passages.

[0015] The above speaker device may include an auxiliary sound-absorbing material disposed in the buffer section.

[0016] The above buffer portion may be formed in a semicircular or rectangular shape.

[0017] The above acoustic structure may be an Acoustic meta-material (AMM).

[0018] The housing includes a first housing and a second housing coupled in an opposite direction to the first housing, and the transducer can be disposed inside the first housing.

[0019] Each of the plurality of resonance passages may be formed in a meander shape along the inner surface of the first housing in a direction away from the transducer with the opening facing the transducer.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a drawing for explaining a slot radial loudspeaker according to the prior art.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a speaker device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a speaker device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a resonance passage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining an auxiliary sound absorbing material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a graph for comparing sound waves radiated externally from speaker devices according to the prior art or embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a speaker device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a speaker device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Fig. 9 is a graph for comparing sound waves of sound radiated externally from the speaker devices according to Figs. 7 and 8.

[0029] Figure 10 is an exploded view of a speaker device having a resonant passage with a double-layer structure.

[0030] Fig. 11 is a drawing showing a cross-section along line DD' of Fig. 10.

[0031] Fig. 12 is a graph for explaining sound waves radiated externally from a speaker device according to Fig. 10.

[0032] It should be understood that the various embodiments and terms used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, but rather to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments.

[0033] In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0034] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0035] In this document, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0036] The term "and / or" includes any combination of a plurality of related described elements or any one of a plurality of related described elements.

[0037] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0038] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0039] The terms "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in this document, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0040] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, but also cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0041] When we say that a component is "on" another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.

[0042] Below, speaker devices according to various embodiments are specifically described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a slot radial loudspeaker according to the prior art. Referring to FIG. 1, a speaker device (1000) according to the prior art may include a housing (1100), a cover (1200), a transducer (1300), and an enclosure (1400).

[0044] The housing (1100) can form an enclosure (1400) inside by being combined with the cover (1200). The enclosure (1400) refers to a portion of the receiving space formed by combining the housing (1100) and the cover (1200), excluding the space occupied by the transducer (1300).

[0045] A transducer (1300) is a component that converts an applied electrical signal into a sound wave to generate sound, and various types such as a tweeter, woofer, and mid-range speaker can be used depending on the frequency range of the sound wave generated therefrom.

[0046] The cover (1200) may include a slot (1210) for radiating sound waves generated from the transducer (1300) to the outside. The slot (1210) may be an opening to allow communication between the outside and the inside of the speaker device (1000). The shape of the slot (1210) may vary and is not limited to a rectangular shape as illustrated in the drawing.

[0047] The enclosure (1400) refers to a space formed by combining the housing (1100) and the cover (1200). The enclosure (1400) can be formed into a very thin space so that the speaker device (1000) can be installed in a narrow space.

[0048] A transducer (1300) may be provided in the enclosure (1400), and sound waves generated from the transducer (1300) may be radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1000) through the slot (1210).

[0049] In the process of sound waves that have undergone mutual reinforcement and destructive interference inside the enclosure (1400) being radiated through the slot (1210), mutual interference may occur again with sound waves that are directly radiated from the transducer (1300) to the outside of the speaker device (1000).

[0050] In this way, in a conventional slot-radiating loudspeaker device (1000), since the transducer (1300) is provided inside the housing (1100), i.e., in the enclosure (1400), there was a problem that the sound quality could be lowered as the sound waves radiated from the transducer (1300) were reflected on the inner surface of the housing (1100) and the cover (1200) inside the enclosure (1400) and then radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1000), due to the various frequency components within the sound waves causing mutual cancellation or constructive interference.

[0051] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a speaker device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a speaker device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the speaker device (1) includes a housing (10), a transducer (20), an acoustic structure (30), and a buffer (40).

[0052] The housing (10) forms the exterior of the speaker device (1) and has a configuration in which a receiving space (S) is provided so that other configurations can be arranged inside. The housing (10) may include a first housing (11) and a second housing (12).

[0053] The first housing (11) is configured to support a transducer (20) and an acoustic structure (30).

[0054] The second housing (12) has a shape corresponding to the first housing (11) and can be arranged to cover one side of the first housing (11).

[0055] That is, the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) can be formed to have a box shape of a hexahedron with an empty interior by being coupled while being positioned opposite each other and having corresponding shapes.

[0056] The second housing (12) can serve as a cover for the first housing (11). That is, the first housing (11) can form five sides of a receiving space (S) that can contain other components therein, and the second housing (12) can form one side of the receiving space (S).

[0057] A slot (121) may be formed on one side of the second housing (12). A transducer (20) may be placed on the lower side of the slot (121).

[0058] Although the present disclosure describes embodiments in which the housing (10) is divided into a first housing (11) and a second housing (12), the housing (10) may be manufactured and assembled by separately manufacturing the first housing (11) and the second housing (12), and may also be formed in a state in which the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are combined.

[0059] Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawing, when the housing (10) is provided with a first housing (11) and a second housing (12) that are separately coupled, the speaker device (10) may include a configuration such as a gasket so that the area where the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are joined to each other can be acoustically sealed. Accordingly, the internal space of the housing (10) can be hermetically sealed.

[0060] The slot (121) may be an opening that connects the outside and inside of the housing (10). The slot (121) may be formed in an area of ​​the second housing (12) facing the transducer (20).

[0061] The shape and opening direction of the slot (121) may vary and are not limited to those illustrated in the drawing. However, the slot (121) may be an opening having a cross-sectional area sufficient to allow sound waves generated from the transducer (20) to be transmitted to the outside of the speaker device (1).

[0062] The transducer (20) is a configuration that changes an electric signal into a sound wave as described in Fig. 1. A portion of the sound wave generated by the transducer (20) can be transmitted to the outside of the speaker device (1) through a slot (121) provided on the upper side of the transducer (20).

[0063] The transducer (20) can be placed in the internal receiving space (S) of the housing (10) so as to correspond to the slot (121).

[0064] The number of transducers (20) and slots (121) is not limited to a single number, and a plurality of transducers (20) and slots (121) may be provided as needed. However, in the present disclosure, embodiments in which there is one transducer (20) and one slot (121) are described.

[0065] Meanwhile, the height (H) of the first housing (11) may be 50 mm, but is not limited thereto. In this way, the speaker device (1) according to the present disclosure can be provided in a slim shape since the first housing (11) has a small height (H). Accordingly, the speaker device (1) according to the present disclosure can be combined or arranged in and used in various thin electronic devices.

[0066] The acoustic structure (30) is configured to absorb some of the sound waves generated from the transducer (20). The acoustic structure (30) may alternatively be described as an acoustic treatment material, a third housing, or the like, but will be described as an acoustic structure in the present disclosure. The acoustic structure (30) may be provided in the inner surface of the second housing (12) and the receiving space (S) of the first housing (11).

[0067] The acoustic structure (30) provided on the inner surface of the second housing (12) can be arranged to cover the entire area corresponding to the inner surface of the second housing (12).

[0068] The acoustic structure (30) provided in the receiving space (S) can be arranged to face at least one side of the transducer (20). Accordingly, sound waves generated from the transducer (20) that are not immediately radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1) after generation through the slot (121) can move toward the acoustic structure (30).

[0069] The acoustic structure (30) may be an AMM (Acoustic Meta-Material) structure.

[0070] AMMs, also known as acoustic metamaterials, can be an assembly of multiple elements, typically made of composite materials such as metals or plastics.

[0071] AMMs can acoustically realize various types of functions depending on their configuration. Among them, the present disclosure focuses on the function of controlling the characteristics of the acoustic amplitude spectrum using the resonance phenomenon. In the case of an AMM designed for this purpose, a plurality of resonance passages (31) can be arranged and controlled so that the intended function is realized. Specifically, the shape of the resonance passages (31) is related to the resonance frequencies to be controlled, and sounds having the corresponding frequencies can be efficiently absorbed by the AMM. As such, the shape of the resonance passages (31) is not limited to simple shapes such as straight lines or monotonous curves. A more detailed description of the resonance passages (31) will be provided later.

[0072] The composite materials that make up an AMM can be designed to have a repeating pattern with a size smaller than the wavelength of the sound wave. This allows the design and manufacturing process of the AMM to specify the desired sound wave frequency to be absorbed.

[0073] The acoustic structure (30) described in this disclosure has no limitations on the sound waves to be absorbed, and can be manufactured by taking into consideration a specific frequency range during the manufacturing process of the speaker device (1).

[0074] The acoustic structure (30) may be provided in an area other than the area where the transducer (20) is placed in the receiving space (S). In this way, by filling a portion of the receiving space (S), which is an empty space inside the housing (10), the acoustic structure (30) can prevent the sound quality of the sound generated by the speaker device (1) from being deteriorated as the sound waves generated by the transducer (20) and moving inside the receiving space (S) are reflected randomly and radiated through the slot (121).

[0075] The acoustic structure (30) may include a resonance passage (31). The resonance passage (31) is configured to provide a path through which sound waves generated and transmitted from the transducer (20) can travel.

[0076] Sound waves that are generated from the transducer (20) and are not immediately radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1) through the slot (121) can enter the resonance passage (31).

[0077] A specific and detailed description of the resonance passage (31) will be described later in Fig. 4.

[0078] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a resonance passage according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] Referring to Fig. 4, a buffer portion (40) and a resonance passage (31) can be formed inside the speaker device (1).

[0080] The buffer section (40) is configured to increase the number of resonance passages (31) through which sound waves generated from the transducer (20) can enter. The buffer section (40) may also be referred to as an 'auxiliary cavity section'.

[0081] The buffer (40) may be an empty space formed between a plurality of resonant passages (31) and a transducer (20).

[0082] Due to this, a greater number of resonant passages (31) can be formed than when the transducer (20) and the openings (311) of the plurality of resonant passages (31) are directly adjacent. The buffer section (40) can be formed in a semicircular or rectangular area.

[0083] When one area of ​​the buffer portion (40) is formed in a semicircular shape, the buffer portion (40) may be a portion of a circle having a diameter larger than the diameter of the transducer (20). Since the length of the circumference is proportional to the diameter of the circle, when the resonance passages (31) are arranged along the circumference of the semicircular buffer portion (40), a greater number of resonance passages (31) can be arranged than when they are arranged along the outer circumference of the transducer (20).

[0084] The shape of one area of ​​the buffer section (40) is not limited to a semicircle, and may be formed into a rectangular shape depending on the embodiment. A buffer section (40) including one area of ​​a rectangular shape will be described later in FIG. 7.

[0085] The resonance passage (31) is configured to absorb sound waves of a specific frequency range among the sound waves generated from the transducer (20).

[0086] The resonance passage (31) can be placed inside the first housing (11). That is, the resonance passage (31) can be placed in the receiving space (S).

[0087] The resonance passage (31) may have an opening (311) formed toward the transducer (20) so that sound waves generated from the transducer (20) can enter.

[0088] The resonance passage (31) may be formed in a meander shape along the inner surface of the first housing (11) in a direction away from the transducer (20) while the opening (311) faces the transducer (20). Here, the meander shape may be a structure formed to have multiple curved portions. Alternatively, it may be described as a zigzag shape or a bent pattern, but in the present disclosure, it is described as a meander shape. The meander-shaped resonance passage (31) may be formed by a plurality of protrusions protruding inward from the inner wall of the resonance passage (31).

[0089] The opposite side of the area where the opening (311) of the resonance passage (31) is formed may have an area (B) closed by an acoustic structure (30).

[0090] Accordingly, the sound wave generated from the transducer (20) enters the opening (311) of the resonant passage (31) and is reflected from the surface of the acoustic structure (30) and is closed in the area (

[0091] B) can move towards the side. Afterwards, it can form a standing wave by interfering with subsequent sound waves that are reflected in the closed area (B) and enter the resonance passage (31) through the opening (311). This standing wave causes constructive and destructive interference phenomena, resulting in vibration at a specific resonance frequency. This causes the accumulation of sound energy at a specific frequency within the resonance passage (31), thereby increasing the degree of sound absorption and / or attenuation.

[0092] At this time, if an auxiliary sound absorbing material (50, see Fig. 5) is provided adjacent to the opening (311) of the resonance passage (31), it can help attenuate the standing wave within the resonance passage (31), and as a result, the effect of widening the bandwidth of the sound to be absorbed can be obtained. A more detailed description of the auxiliary sound absorbing material (50) will be described later with reference to Fig. 5.

[0093] In other words, a sound wave of a specific frequency that enters the resonance passage (31) through the opening (311) can travel to the closed area (B) of the resonance passage (31) after being reflected at least once inside the resonance passage (31), and a standing wave can be formed in this process. In this process, the sound wave may not be radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1) but may be absorbed by the acoustic structure (30) or attenuated to a low amplitude.

[0094] Accordingly, it is possible to prevent deterioration of sound quality caused by interference between sound waves generated from the transducer (20) and directly radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1) and sound waves reflected inside the speaker device (1) and then radiated to the outside.

[0095] Meanwhile, the resonance passage (31) may include at least one resonance passage (31) having a bend (312).

[0096] In the process of designing a resonant passage (31), the specific shape of the resonant passage (31), such as its length and width, can be determined according to the resonant frequency to be controlled. In this process, the resonant passage (31) with a determined length can include at least one bend (312) to accommodate it in a limited installation space, i.e., within the housing (10).

[0097] The bending portion (312) can be formed so that a specific area of ​​the resonance passage (31) has a shape bent at a specific angle.

[0098] When designing a resonant passage (31), the size of the passage can be analytically determined based on the frequency of the sound wave for which attenuation is desired. Through this process, the resonant passage (31), whose physical length is determined, can be designed to have at least one bend to save installation space.

[0099] In other words, the resonance passage (31) having a bend (312) can increase the total length of the passage through which sound waves can travel by being bent at least once by the bend (312) compared to the resonance passage (31) not having a bend (312).

[0100] Meanwhile, the bending portion (312) may be bent at a right angle, but is not limited thereto. For example, the bending portion (312) may be round-shaped with a curved surface, and may be bent at an angle other than a right angle.

[0101] The shape of the bending portion (312) can be formed to correspond to the frequency component of the sound wave to be controlled.

[0102] That is, the shape of the bending portion (312) can be designed to attenuate the amplitude of sound waves having frequencies that exhibit a peak and / or dip-shaped spectrum, so as to avoid occurrence of excessive peak and / or dip-shaped characteristics in the amplitude spectrum of sound waves radiated by the speaker (1).

[0103] In order to prevent the phenomenon of an amplitude spectrum with large peaks and dips occurring due to interference between sound waves radiated after being reflected inside the speaker (1) and sound waves radiated directly to the outside of the speaker (1) from the transducer (20) without going through reflection, the resonance passage (31) can be designed to have a resonance frequency corresponding to a specific frequency component. The shape of the entrance of the resonance passage (31) is determined acoustically according to the frequency of the sound wave to be controlled, and as a result, can be designed to have different lengths.

[0104] For example, in the case of a resonance passage (31) for absorbing sound waves having a first high frequency among sound waves generated from a transducer (20), when designing the resonance passage (31), it can be formed longer than the resonance passage (31) for absorbing sound waves having a second or third frequency having a lower frequency.

[0105] Here, the first, second, and third frequencies refer to sound waves of different frequencies, and the expressions first, second, and third do not imply anything related to order or magnitude.

[0106] In this way, by forming the resonance passage (31) for absorbing sound waves of a specific frequency to have a different length from the resonance passage (31) for absorbing sound waves of other frequencies, each resonance passage (31) can effectively absorb sound waves of a specific frequency that is the target of absorption.

[0107] In this way, the shape of the resonance passage (31) may vary depending on the frequency of the sound wave to be absorbed, and even in the case of sound waves of the same frequency, it may vary depending on the overall shape of the speaker device (1).

[0108] In addition, during the process of manufacturing the speaker device (1), the shape of the resonance passage (31) may be determined by running a simulation using a computer program, etc., and then reflecting data corresponding to the resulting value.

[0109] The resonance passage (31) can be formed by engraving an acoustic structure (30). Specifically, the resonance passage (31) can be formed by engraving an acoustic structure (30) placed in the receiving space (S) of the first housing (11). The upper area of ​​the resonance passage (31) can be covered by an acoustic structure (30) provided in the second housing (12).

[0110] As described in FIG. 2, the second housing (12) can be combined to cover one side of the first housing (11), so that when the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are combined, the resonance passage (31) can have all sides except the opening (311) as acoustic structures (30).

[0111] In this way, since the resonance passage (31) has a sealed internal space, when a sound wave of a specific frequency to be controlled enters the resonance passage (31) through the opening (311), it can be effectively absorbed by the standing wave and resonance phenomenon formed within the resonance passage (31).

[0112] The openings (311) of the resonance passage (31) can be arranged to correspond to the shape of the buffer section (40). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when one area of ​​the buffer section (40) is formed to have a semicircle, the openings (311) of a plurality of resonance passages (31) can be arranged radially along the boundary between the semicircular buffer section (40) and the resonance passage (31).

[0113] Accordingly, in an embodiment where one area of ​​the buffer section (40) is formed in a rectangular shape, the openings (311) of the resonance passage (31) may be arranged in a corresponding row.

[0114] A detailed description of the relationship between the resonance passage (31) and the buffer (40) is as described in Fig. 3, so any duplicate content will be omitted.

[0115] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an auxiliary sound absorbing material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5, the speaker device (1) may further include an auxiliary sound absorbing material (50).

[0116] The auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) is configured to enable the sound-absorbing effect achieved by the resonance passage (31) to be achieved more evenly and across a wider frequency bandwidth. That is, the auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) can help to flatten the overall amplitude spectrum of sound waves generated by the speaker (1).

[0117] The auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) can act as a damper for the resonance passage (31) as the standing wave formed in the resonance passage (31) transfers part of the sound energy of the resonance frequency to sound waves of surrounding frequencies, thereby providing a sound-absorbing effect for the band components surrounding the resonance frequency. As a result, sound absorption for a wider bandwidth can be achieved compared to the sound-absorbing effect for a single frequency component that can be obtained with only a single resonance passage (31).

[0118] The auxiliary sound absorbing material (50) can be placed in one area of ​​the buffer part (40) and can be formed to have a shape corresponding to one area of ​​the buffer part (40). The auxiliary sound absorbing material (50) can be placed between the transducer (20) and the resonance passage (31).

[0119] Specifically, the auxiliary sound absorbing material (50) may be provided to have a shape corresponding to the boundary surface of the buffer part (40) and the openings (311) of the plurality of resonance passages (31). For example, when the buffer part (40) has a semicircular shape as illustrated, the auxiliary sound absorbing material (50) may be formed in an arc shape.

[0120] The auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) can be made of a material capable of absorbing vibrations such as sound waves, and can be made of, for example, a continuous cell material such as felt, paper, or wire mesh, or a multi-fiber filler.

[0121] A speaker device (1) according to an embodiment including an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) may have higher sound-absorbing performance than a speaker device (1) according to an embodiment not including an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50).

[0122] FIG. 6 is a graph for comparing sound waves radiated externally from a speaker device according to a prior art or an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] Specifically, the graph illustrated in FIG. 6 compares the results of measuring the frequency of sound waves radiated from a speaker device (hereinafter, a first speaker device) that does not include an acoustic structure (30) and an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) and a speaker device (hereinafter, a second speaker device) that includes an acoustic structure (30) and an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) in which a resonance passage (31) is formed at a horizontal distance of 1.5 m from each device.

[0124] The unit on the vertical axis is decibel, which indicates the measured sound pressure level, and the unit on the horizontal axis is hertz (Hz), which is the frequency of the sound wave.

[0125] A first speaker device that does not include an acoustic structure (30) and an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) and a second speaker device that includes an acoustic structure (30) and an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) may include the same transducer (20). That is, sound waves generated from the first and second speakers are sound waves having the same frequency characteristics, but there may be a difference in the sound volume ultimately radiated from them to the outside of the speaker device (1) due to differences in the configurations of the first and second speakers.

[0126] As illustrated in Fig. 6, the sound waves ultimately emitted from the first speaker may have different volumes for each frequency range. For example, in a sound range having a frequency of 2 kHz, the volume may have a value corresponding to 50 dB, but in a sound range having a frequency of approximately 4 kHz, the volume may have a value corresponding to 95 dB.

[0127] As can be confirmed through the shape of the dashed line in FIG. 6, the shape of the amplitude spectrum of the sound waves may have a peak & dip shape due to mutual reinforcement and destructive interference of sound waves that may occur inside the speaker device (1), and this may deteriorate the sound quality of the sound radiated from the speaker device (1).

[0128] On the other hand, the peak and dip shape of the amplitude spectrum of the sound waves finally radiated from the second speaker can be selected compared to the first speaker. This is the result of sound waves of a specific frequency generated from the transducer (20) being absorbed by the auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) and / or the acoustic structure (30), as described in FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0129] In this way, since the amplitude spectrum of sound waves radiated from the second speaker can be formed relatively evenly, the second speaker can radiate sound of higher quality than the first speaker.

[0130] Fig. 7 is an exploded view of a speaker device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 7, the buffer portion (40) of the speaker device (1) may be rectangular. Accordingly, the opening portions (311) of the plurality of resonance passages (31) surrounding the buffer portion (40) may be aligned in a single row based on three axes (L1, L2, L3).

[0131] The number of resonance passages (31) having a bend (312) may be less than the number of resonance passages (31) not having a bend (312). That is, in the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment according to the present drawing, the number of resonance passages (31) having a bend (312) may be less than in the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 4.

[0132] Additionally, in this embodiment, the bend (312) of the resonance passage (31) can be formed to have only a right angle. This allows the volume of the portion of the acoustic structure (30) excluding the resonance passage (31) to be minimized.

[0133] Compared to the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 4, the lowest frequency among the frequency components of the sound waves absorbed by the resonance passage (31) according to the embodiment illustrated in this drawing can have the effect of increasing.

[0134] Accordingly, the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 7 can be manufactured to have a smaller size than the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 4.

[0135] The speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 7 can be included and used in an electronic device designed to have a small size.

[0136] In addition, since the speaker device (1) according to the present embodiment has a relatively small volume of the acoustic structure (30) placed in the receiving space (S), the cost consumed for manufacturing the speaker device (1) can be reduced.

[0137] Meanwhile, the buffer unit (40) may be rectangular. Accordingly, a greater number of resonance passages (31) may be arranged along three sides of the rectangular buffer unit (40) than when a plurality of resonance passages (31) are arranged along the circumference of the transducer (20). Any description of the buffer unit (40) that overlaps with that described in FIG. 3 will be omitted.

[0138] Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a speaker device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 8, a resonance passage (31) may be formed only in an area facing one side of a transducer (20). In other words, a resonance passage (31) may be arranged only in an area corresponding to one side, excluding two sides, of the three sides surrounding the transducer (20).

[0139] Specifically, an acoustic structure (30) may be provided between the first housing (11) and an area opposite to the area where the slot (121) of the second housing (12) is arranged. As a result, the speaker device (1) according to the present embodiment may have a smaller size compared to the speaker device (1) disclosed in FIG. 7.

[0140] In order to minimize the volume of the acoustic structure (30) placed within the receiving space (S), the bent portion (312) of the resonance passage (31) may be formed to have a right angle, and the number of bent portions (312) may be formed to be two or less. However, the shape and number of the bent portions (312) are not limited thereto, and may be modified to have various shapes and numbers during the design and manufacturing process of the speaker device (1).

[0141] Meanwhile, the transducer (20) of the speaker device (1) according to the present embodiment may be a transducer (20) that generates sound waves in a low-frequency band. For example, the transducer (20) may be a woofer or a mid-range speaker.

[0142] Woofers generally refer to speakers that produce frequencies between 20 Hz and 200 Hz. Midrange speakers generally refer to speakers that produce frequencies between 200 Hz and 2000 Hz. However, the frequencies produced by the woofers and midrange speakers included in the present invention are not limited to these.

[0143] The speaker device (1) according to the present embodiment can be included and used in an electronic device of a smaller size than the electronic device in which the speaker device (1) disclosed in FIG. 7 is used.

[0144] Meanwhile, the speaker device (1) according to FIGS. 7 and 8 may also include an auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50, see FIG. 5). In this case, the position at which the auxiliary sound-absorbing material (50) is placed may be based on the same principle as described in FIG. 5, and therefore, the description will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

[0145] Fig. 9 is a graph for comparing sound waves of sound radiated externally from the speaker devices according to Figs. 7 and 8.

[0146] The horizontal axis of the graph illustrated in Fig. 9 represents the frequency of sound waves in Hertz (Hz), and the vertical axis represents the measured sound pressure level in decibels (dB). The solid line represents the sound volume by frequency range of sound waves emitted from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 7, and the dotted line represents the sound volume by frequency range of sound waves emitted from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 8.

[0147] As illustrated in FIG. 9, in the case of the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 8, it can be seen that the decibel of sound waves included in the frequency band exceeding 1 kHz and less than 8 kHz has a larger value overall compared to the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of FIG. 7. On the other hand, in the case of frequencies exceeding 8 kHz, it can be seen that the sound waves generated from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of FIG. 8 have a smaller decibel value compared to the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

[0148] In this way, the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 8 has the advantage that the size of the speaker device (1) can be formed small, although the effect of improving the acoustic characteristics may be limited to a narrow frequency band compared to other embodiments (such as the embodiment according to Fig. 7).

[0149] Fig. 10 is an exploded view of a speaker device having a resonance passage of a double-layer structure. Fig. 11 is a drawing showing a cross-section along line DD' of Fig. 10. Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, the first housing (11) may include a receiving portion (N) formed by being inwardly recessed toward the lower surface (M) of the first housing from the second housing (12) side.

[0150] The acoustic structure (30) may include a first acoustic structure (30a) placed in the receiving portion (N) and a second acoustic structure (30b) coupled to the inner surface of the second housing (12).

[0151] The first acoustic structure (30a) may include a resonance passage (31) formed by engraving from the second housing (12) side toward the lower surface (M) of the first housing. The resonance passage (31) may be formed to be surrounded by the first acoustic structure (30a) and the second acoustic structure (30b).

[0152] The second acoustic structure (30b) may include a protrusion (313) formed to protrude toward the second housing (12).

[0153] The protrusion (313) may be positioned at the upper portion of the resonance passage (31). The protrusion (313) may be formed in an area opposite to the area where the slot (121) is positioned in the second housing (12).

[0154] The height (h1) of the protrusion (313) may be the same as the height (h2) of the first acoustic structure (30a), and the width (w1) of the protrusion (313) may be the same as the width (w2) of the resonance passage (31) formed in the first acoustic structure (30a), but the height (h1) and width (w1) of the protrusion (313) are not necessarily limited thereto.

[0155] The first acoustic structure (30a) and the second acoustic structure (30b) may be formed of the same material. The first and second acoustic structures (30a, 30b) may be AMM structures.

[0156] Since the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) have corresponding shapes and are joined so that their respective inner surfaces face each other, the sound wave travel path in the Z direction of the first acoustic structure (30a) and the second acoustic structure (30b) can be longer than that of the other embodiments described above.

[0157] That is, since the resonance passage (31) of the speaker device (1) according to the present embodiment can be designed to have a longer length compared to the length of the receiving space (S) compared to other embodiments, sound waves of a specific frequency that require a long resonance passage (31) can be effectively controlled.

[0158] In other words, there is an advantage in that a speaker device (1) smaller in size than the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of FIG. 4 can be implemented, while forming a resonance passage (31) having the same length as the resonance passage (31) included in the embodiment of FIG. 4.

[0159] The number of resonant passages (31) having a bend (312) may be less than the number of resonant passages (31) not having a bend (312). The bend (312) may be right angled, but the number of bend (312) and the angle at which the bend (312) of the resonant passage (31) having the bend (312) are not limited to those illustrated.

[0160] Fig. 12 is a graph for explaining sound waves radiated externally from a speaker device according to Fig. 10.

[0161] The horizontal axis of the graph illustrated in Fig. 12 represents the frequency (Hz) of sound waves, and the vertical axis represents the sound pressure level in decibels (dB). The solid line represents sound emitted from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 4, and the dotted line represents sound emitted from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a graph recording the sound volume by frequency of the sound emitted from these speaker devices (1) measured at a distance of 1.5 meters from the speaker device (1).

[0162] Referring to FIG. 12, the amplitude spectrum of the sound generated from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of FIG. 10 can be compared with the amplitude spectrum of the sound generated from the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of FIG. 4.

[0163] That is, it can be seen that although the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of Fig. 10 has a smaller size than the speaker device (1) according to the embodiment of Fig. 4, the effect of controlling sound waves is similar.

[0164] As described above in FIG. 10, sound waves emitted from a transducer (20) in a speaker device (1) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure and propagated toward the internal receiving space (S) of the speaker device (1) can be controlled so that the peak and dip shapes of the amplitude spectrum of sound waves emitted from the speaker device (1) appear relatively evenly by entering the resonance passage (31) through the opening (311) to form a standing wave or resonating the resonance passage (31).

[0165] Accordingly, the phenomenon of mutual cancellation and / or constructive interference between sound waves generated from the transducer (20) and directly radiated to the outside of the speaker device (1) through the slot (121) without moving toward the receiving space (S) and sound waves that are not generated from the transducer (20) can be prevented, thereby improving the sound quality of the speaker device (1).

[0166] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been individually described above, each embodiment does not necessarily have to be implemented alone, and the configuration and operation of each embodiment may be implemented in combination with at least one other embodiment.

[0167] In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. Housing; a transducer disposed inside the housing and configured to generate sound waves; and An acoustic structure disposed inside the housing and including a plurality of resonant passages; Each of the above plurality of resonant passages, A speaker device comprising an opening that opens toward the transducer, and configured such that the sound wave enters the opening and travels along a resonant path.

2. In paragraph 1, The above housing, A first housing including a receiving space to support the transducer and the acoustic structure; and A second housing having a shape corresponding to the first housing and arranged to cover one side of the first housing; The above second housing, A speaker device having a slot formed in an area facing the transducer so as to connect the receiving space and the exterior of the housing.

3. In paragraph 1, At least one of the plurality of resonant passages, A speaker device including a bending member.

4. In paragraph 1, The above first housing, It includes a receiving portion formed by being recessed inwardly toward the lower surface of the first housing from the second housing side; The above acoustic structure, A first acoustic structure disposed in the above-mentioned receiving portion; and A speaker device comprising a second acoustic structure coupled to the inner surface of the second housing and the receiving portion.

5. In paragraph 4, The above second acoustic structure, A speaker device comprising a protrusion formed by protruding and extending from the inner surface of the second housing toward the first housing.

6. In paragraph 1, A speaker device comprising a buffer portion disposed between the transducer and the opening of each resonant passage among the plurality of resonant passages.

7. In paragraph 6, A speaker device comprising an auxiliary sound-absorbing material disposed in the above buffer section.

8. In paragraph 6, The above buffer part, A speaker device in which the area is formed into a semicircle or rectangle.

9. In paragraph 1, The above acoustic structure is a speaker device made of AMM (Acoustic meta-material).

10. In paragraph 1, The above housing, First housing; and A second housing coupled in a direction opposite to the first housing; The above transducer is placed inside the first housing, Each resonance passage of the above plurality of resonance passages is, A speaker device, wherein the openings are each formed in a meander shape along the inner surface of the first housing in a direction toward the transducer and away from the transducer.

Citation Information

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