Speaker system and seat system

Abstract

This speaker system comprises: a speaker unit that has, in the front face thereof, a first opening for outputting sound to ambient air; a bass reflex port that is for amplifying a low range sound of a sound from the back face of the speaker unit and that has a second opening for outputting the amplified sound to the ambient air; a plurality of acoustic tubes having hollow passages; an attachment part that includes a wall to which proximal ends of the acoustic tubes are attached, and a space enclosed by the wall; and a holding part that holds distal ends of the acoustic tubes in a prescribed positional relationship. The hollow passages are in communication with the first opening and the second opening via said space.

Description

Speaker system and seat system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to audio output.

[0002] A technology related to audio output is known, as described in Patent Document 1 below. Patent Document 1 discloses a directional speaker system including a speaker unit, a sealed cabinet, and multiple acoustic tubes. The sealed cabinet is attached to the front and rear of the speaker unit. Each of the multiple acoustic tubes is attached to at least one of the sealed cabinets attached to the front and rear of the speaker unit.

[0003] In the technology of Patent Document 1, when sound is output to a specific listener (user) through a plurality of acoustic tubes, there is a risk that the listener may feel that the quality of the low-frequency sound is low.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-105386

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that can output sound including low-frequency sounds to a specific listener in a good quality.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a speaker system comprising: a speaker unit having a first opening on the front side for outputting sound to the outside air; a bass reflex port having a second opening for amplifying low-frequency sound from the back side of the speaker unit and outputting the amplified sound to the outside air; a plurality of acoustic tubes having a hollow path; an attachment portion having a wall to which the base ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes are attached and a space surrounded by the wall; and a holding portion for holding the tip ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes in a predetermined positional relationship, wherein the hollow path is connected to the first opening and the second opening via the space.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to satisfactorily output sounds including low-frequency sounds to a specific listener.

[0008] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a seat system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a speaker system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a plurality of acoustic tubes, an attachment portion, and a holding portion according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a first opening of a speaker unit, a second opening of a bass reflex port, and a cabinet according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a speaker system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a cross-section of the configuration of a plurality of acoustic tubes, an attachment portion, and a holding portion according to the second embodiment; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a headrest system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a plurality of acoustic tubes, an attachment portion, and a holding portion according to the third embodiment; FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a headrest system according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a plurality of acoustic tubes, an attachment portion, and a holding portion according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] (Findings underlying the present disclosure) For example, when a specific listener is seated in a seat arranged in a predetermined space where multiple people are present, there is a need to output sound only to the specific listener seated in the seat. One method that can meet this need is to output sound with directionality to the specific listener by maintaining the tips of multiple acoustic tubes in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0010] As an example of a technology for outputting sound only to specific listeners as described above, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for maintaining the tips of multiple acoustic tubes in a predetermined positional relationship. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses that a directional speaker system includes a baffle plate that linearly supports the tips of multiple acoustic tubes. In particular, Patent Document 1 considers that the directivity of sound sources arranged in a line is expressed as the product of the directivity of each sound source and the directivity of the array when each sound source is considered to be a point sound source.

[0011] However, according to the inventor's findings, simply maintaining the tips of multiple acoustic tubes in a predetermined positional relationship makes it difficult for people to hear low-frequency sounds, and there is a risk that listeners will perceive the low-frequency sounds as being of low quality. The inventor has found that in order to output low-frequency sounds well, it is effective to provide a bass reflex port having an opening for amplifying low-frequency sounds from the speaker unit, and to connect at least one acoustic tube to the opening of the bass reflex port, which has led to the present disclosure.

[0012] (1) A system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a speaker system comprising: a speaker unit having a first opening on the front side for outputting sound to the outside air; a bass reflex port having a second opening for amplifying low-frequency sound from the back side of the speaker unit and outputting the amplified sound to the outside air; a plurality of acoustic tubes having a hollow path; an attachment portion having a wall to which the base ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes are attached and a space surrounded by the wall; and a holding portion for holding the tip ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes in a predetermined positional relationship; and the hollow path is connected to the first opening and the second opening via the space.

[0013] According to the present disclosure, sound generated at the rear of the speaker unit passes through the bass reflex port and is then guided to the hollow path of the acoustic tube via the space in the mounting portion. For example, sound generated from the front of the speaker unit is guided to the hollow path of the acoustic tube via the space in the mounting portion. As a result, certain listeners may be able to hear mid- to high-frequency sounds but may not be able to hear low-frequency sounds. Meanwhile, low-frequency sounds generated at the rear of the speaker unit are amplified by the bass reflex port. As a result, the amplified low-frequency sounds are output to certain listeners. Therefore, certain listeners can perceive both the quality of mid- to high-frequency sounds and the quality of low-frequency sounds as being high.

[0014] (2) In the system of (1) above, the predetermined positional relationship may be a relationship in which the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes are aligned in a predetermined direction.

[0015] In this configuration, the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes are arranged in a line, giving the sound directionality, so that only specific listeners can hear high-quality sound in both the mid- and high-frequency ranges and the low-frequency ranges.

[0016] (3) In the system of (1) or (2) above, the mounting portion may further have a partition plate that divides the space into a first space and a second space, and the multiple acoustic tubes may have a first tube that communicates with the first space and a second tube that communicates with the second space.

[0017] In this aspect, by separating the first space from the second space, it is possible to implement settings according to the range of sound, for example by changing the shape of the first tube and the shape of the second tube.

[0018] (4) In the system of (3) above, the second tube may have a larger diameter than the first tube.

[0019] In this embodiment, the large diameter of the second tube makes it possible to suppress attenuation of low-frequency sounds.

[0020] (5) In any of the systems (1) to (4) above, the dimension of the first opening in a first direction may be larger than the dimension of the first opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second opening and the first opening may be aligned along the first direction, and the base ends of the multiple acoustic tubes may be aligned along the first direction.

[0021] In this manner, the size of the speaker system in the second direction can be reduced.

[0022] (6) In any of the systems (1) to (5) above, the lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes may be different from each other.

[0023] In this embodiment, the different lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes can prevent the occurrence of disturbances in sound pressure. For example, if the multiple acoustic tubes have the same length, the resonance frequencies will be uniform. As a result, disturbances in sound pressure will occur. In contrast, if the multiple acoustic tubes have different lengths, the resonance frequencies will be prevented from being uniform. As a result, disturbances in sound pressure can be prevented.

[0024] (7) In the system of (2) above, each of the multiple acoustic tubes may be bendable, and the multiple acoustic tubes may be arranged so that the length of the acoustic tube increases toward one side of the specified direction.

[0025] In this embodiment, the directionality can be controlled by bending the acoustic tube on one side in the predetermined direction and holding it with the holding part. For example, by tilting the tip of the acoustic tube on one side in the predetermined direction more greatly, the sound can be output toward a more narrowed area.

[0026] (8) In any of the systems (1) to (7) above, the holding portion may be attached to a headrest against which the person's head rests.

[0027] In this embodiment, a specific listener whose head is resting against the headrest can obtain the same effect as that of the speaker system disclosed above.

[0028] (9) A system according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a seat system comprising a speaker system according to any one of (1) to (7) and a seat in which a person sits, the speaker system being attached to a headrest of the seat.

[0029] According to the present disclosure, a specific listener seated in a seat can obtain the same effect as that of the speaker system disclosed above.

[0030] Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present disclosure. The numerical values, shapes, components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept are described as optional components. Furthermore, in all of the embodiments, the respective contents can be combined.

[0031] (First embodiment) <Seat system> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a seat system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that while Fig. 1 indicates directions such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," these directions are shown for the sake of convenience in explaining the structure of the seat system 100 according to the first embodiment and do not limit the manner in which the seat system 100 can be used.

[0032] The seat system 100 includes a speaker system 1 and a seat 110. A person P sits in the seat 110. Specifically, the seat 110 is a vehicle seat provided in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. More specifically, the seat 110 is one of a plurality of seats provided in a vehicle. Specifically, the seat 110 includes a headrest 111 and a main body 112. The headrest 111 abuts against the head of the person P. Specifically, the headrest 111 abuts against the rear of the head of the person P. The main body 112 abuts against the back and buttocks of the person P. A speaker system 1, the details of which will be described later, is attached to the headrest 111.

[0033] <Speaker System> Here, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the speaker system 1 before being attached to the headrest 111 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the speaker system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the multiple acoustic tubes 30, the attachment portion 40, and the holding portion 50 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the speaker opening 11 of the speaker unit 10 according to the first embodiment, the external opening 21 of the bass reflex port 20, and the cabinet 60. Note that in FIGS. 2 to 4, the directional relationship will be described using mutually orthogonal XYZ Cartesian coordinates. One side in the X-axis direction will be referred to as the "+X side," and the other side opposite the one side in the X-axis direction will be referred to as the "-X side." One side in the Y-axis direction will be referred to as the "+Y side," and the other side opposite the one side in the Y-axis direction will be referred to as the "-Y side." One side in the Z-axis direction is referred to as the "+Z side," and the other side opposite to the one side in the Z-axis direction is referred to as the "-Z side."

[0034] 2 to 4 show X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, but these directions are shown for the sake of convenience in explaining the structure of the speaker system 1 according to the first embodiment and do not limit the manner of use of the speaker system 1 according to the present disclosure. Furthermore, the X-axis direction corresponds to an example of the "first direction" and "predetermined direction" in the present disclosure. Furthermore, the Y-axis direction corresponds to an example of the "second direction" in the present disclosure.

[0035] The speaker system 1 includes a speaker unit 10 , a bass reflex port 20 , a plurality of acoustic tubes 30 , an attachment portion 40 , a holding portion 50 , and a cabinet 60 .

[0036] The speaker unit 10 is not particularly limited as long as it can output sound through the diaphragm 12, and examples thereof include a dynamic speaker. Specifically, the speaker unit 10 has a diaphragm 12 and a speaker opening 11. The speaker opening 11 corresponds to an example of a "first opening" in the present disclosure. The shape of the diaphragm 12 is a substantially conical shape or a substantially square pyramid shape. Specifically, the shape of the diaphragm 12 becomes larger toward the +Z side. The speaker opening 11 is located in front of the diaphragm 12. In other words, the speaker opening 11 is located on the +Z side of the diaphragm 12.

[0037] The shape of the speaker opening 11 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a circle or a rectangle. In the first embodiment, the shape of the speaker opening 11 is a rectangle. Specifically, the dimension of the speaker opening 11 in the X-axis direction is larger than the dimension of the speaker opening 11 in the Y-axis direction. In other words, the dimension of the speaker opening 11 in the Y-axis direction is smaller than the dimension of the speaker opening 11 in the X-axis direction.

[0038] Such a speaker unit 10 generates sound by electromagnetically vibrating the diaphragm 12 in response to a sound signal supplied from an amplifier (not shown). Specifically, the speaker unit 10 outputs sound from the front of the diaphragm 12 (the +Z side of the diaphragm 12) to the outside air through the speaker opening 11. The speaker unit 10 also outputs sound from the back of the diaphragm 12 (the -Z side of the diaphragm 12). The phase of the sound from the back of the diaphragm 12 (the -Z side of the diaphragm 12) is the opposite phase to the phase of the sound from the front of the diaphragm 12 (the +Z side of the diaphragm 12).

[0039] The bass reflex port 20 has an external opening 21, an internal opening 24, a cylindrical body 22, and a hollow passage 23. The external opening corresponds to an example of a "second opening" in this disclosure. For example, the cylindrical body 22 is a tube formed in the shape of a hollow rectangular prism. The hollow passage 23 is formed inside the cylindrical body 22. The external opening 21 and the internal opening 24 are connected via the hollow passage 23. The material of the cylindrical body 22 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include paper, synthetic resin, and wood, from the viewpoint of avoiding an increase in the weight of the bass reflex port 20. Specifically, the cylindrical body 22 extends along the Z-axis direction.

[0040] The external opening 21 is disposed on the +Z side of the cylindrical body 22. The shape of the external opening 21 is not particularly limited, but is circular or rectangular. In the first embodiment, the shape of the external opening 21 is rectangular. Specifically, the size of the external opening 21 is smaller than the size of the speaker opening 11. Furthermore, the dimension of the external opening 21 in the X-axis direction is smaller than the dimension of the external opening 21 in the Y-axis direction.

[0041] The cabinet 60 secures the speaker unit 10 and the bass reflex port 20. Specifically, the cabinet 60 is a hollow member formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. In other words, the cabinet 60 has six walls. The wall materials are not particularly limited, but examples include synthetic resin and wood.

[0042] A first hole 61 and a second hole 62 are provided in one of the six walls of the cabinet 60, a wall 64 on the +Z side. In other words, the cabinet 60 is covered with walls except for the positions of the first hole 61 and the second hole 62. As a result, an acoustic space is formed inside the cabinet 60. Furthermore, the first hole 61 and the second hole 62 are aligned along the X-axis direction. Specifically, the second hole 62 is positioned on the +X side of the first hole 61.

[0043] The speaker opening 11 of the speaker unit 10 is attached to the first hole 61. As a result, the speaker unit 10 is disposed on the +Z side of the internal space of the cabinet 60. On the other hand, the external opening 21 of the bass reflex port 20 extending along the Z-axis direction is attached to the second hole 62. As a result, the bass reflex port 20 can output sound from the internal space of the cabinet 60 to the +Z side.

[0044] Such a bass reflex port 20 uses Helmholtz resonance to amplify low-frequency sounds from the rear surface of the diaphragm 12 (the −Z side of the diaphragm 12). During Helmholtz resonance, the bass reflex port 20 emits low-frequency sounds from the rear surface of the diaphragm 12 (the −Z side of the diaphragm 12) from the external opening 21 in phase with the sound from the front surface of the diaphragm 12 (the +Z side of the diaphragm 12).

[0045] Each of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 has a base end opening 31, a tip end opening 34, a cylindrical body 32, and a hollow passage 33. For example, the cylindrical body 32 is a tube formed in a hollow cylindrical shape. The hollow passage 33 is formed inside the cylindrical body 32. The base end opening 31 and the tip end opening 34 are connected via the hollow passage 33.

[0046] The number of acoustic tubes 30 is not particularly limited. In the first embodiment, the lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are the same. The multiple acoustic tubes 30 are aligned along the X-axis direction. Preferably, each of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 is bendable. The material of the cylindrical body 32 is not particularly limited, but examples include synthetic resins. In Figures 2 and 3, each of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 extends along the Z-axis direction.

[0047] The base ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are attached to the mounting portion 40. Specifically, the mounting portion 40 is a member formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with a space on the -Z side. In other words, the mounting portion 40 has five rectangular walls. Of the five walls of the mounting portion 40, each of the four walls extends from the outer periphery of a +Z side wall 41 toward the -Z side. As a result, the mounting portion 40 has a space 42 that is open toward the -Z side. In other words, all sides of the mounting portion 40 except the -Z side are covered with walls. The material of the mounting portion 40 is not particularly limited, but examples include synthetic resins.

[0048] A plurality of mounting holes 43 are provided in the wall 41 on the +Z side. The plurality of mounting holes 43 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the X-axis direction. The predetermined intervals may be constant or may vary. The base ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes 30 are attached to the plurality of mounting holes 43, respectively. As a result, the hollow passages 33 of each of the plurality of acoustic tubes 30 communicate with the space 42.

[0049] Furthermore, the mounting portion 40 is attached to the +Z side wall 64 of the cabinet 60. Specifically, the -Z side surfaces of each of the four walls extending from the outer periphery of the +Z side wall 41 are attached to the +Z side wall 64. As a result, the speaker opening 11 and the external opening 21 communicate with the space 42. Therefore, the hollow path 33 communicates with the speaker opening 11 and the external opening 21 via the space 42.

[0050] The holding unit 50 holds the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 in a predetermined positional relationship. Specifically, the predetermined positional relationship is a relationship in which the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are lined up along a predetermined direction. The predetermined direction may be a linear direction, such as the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, or the Z-axis direction. The predetermined positional relationship may also be a relationship in which the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are lined up in multiple rows along the predetermined direction. The directivity of a sound source linearly arranged along a predetermined direction makes it difficult for sound to spread in the predetermined direction. As a result, sound is output only to a specific person. In the first embodiment, the predetermined direction is a direction along the X-axis direction. As a result, sound is difficult to spread to the +X side and the -X side. Therefore, sound is output to a specific person P located on the +Z side of the speaker system 1.

[0051] The holding portion 50 is not particularly limited, but in the first embodiment, it is a plate-like body 51. The plate-like body 51 has a plurality of holding holes 52. The plurality of holding holes 52 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the X-axis direction. The predetermined intervals may be constant or may vary. The tip ends of a plurality of acoustic tubes 30 are attached to the plurality of holding holes 52, respectively.

[0052] <Method of Mounting Speaker System 1 to Seat 110> Here, referring again to Figure 1, a method of mounting speaker system 1 to seat 110 will be described. Speaker system 1 is mounted to a headrest 111. Specifically, speaker system 1 is disposed with respect to seat 110 so that the +X side shown in Figures 2 to 4 coincides with the downward direction shown in Figure 1.

[0053] More specifically, the cabinet 60 is attached to the rear surface of the headrest 111. The attachment portion 40 is disposed laterally behind the headrest 111. The holding portion 50 is attached to the front of the right surface of the headrest 111. The multiple acoustic tubes 30 are bent at right angles and disposed laterally of the headrest 111.

[0054] Specifically, the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are open toward the front. The tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are also arranged in a line along the vertical direction. As a result, sound is less likely to spread upward and downward. As a result, sound is output from the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 toward the right ear of the person P.

[0055] <Effects> As described above, in the first embodiment, sound generated at the rear surface of the speaker unit 10 passes through the bass reflex port 20 and is then guided to the hollow passage 33 of the acoustic tube 30 via the space 42 of the mounting portion 40. For example, sound generated from the front surface of the speaker unit 10 is guided to the hollow passage 33 of the acoustic tube 30 via the space of the mounting portion 40. As a result, there is a risk that a specific person P will be able to hear mid- to high-frequency sounds but will not be able to hear low-frequency sounds. On the other hand, low-frequency sounds generated at the rear surface of the speaker unit 10 are amplified by the bass reflex port 20. As a result, the amplified low-frequency sounds are output to the specific person P. Therefore, the specific person P can perceive both the mid- to high-frequency sounds and the low-frequency sounds as being of high quality.

[0056] In particular, in the first embodiment, the sound has directionality because the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are arranged in a line, so that only the specific person P can hear high-quality sound in both the mid-high range and the low range.

[0057] In the first embodiment, the dimension of the speaker opening 11 in the X-axis direction is larger than the dimension of the speaker opening 11 in the Y-axis direction, and the speaker opening 11 and the external opening 21 are aligned along the X-axis direction, so the size of the speaker system 1 in the Y-axis direction can be reduced. In Figure 1, the size of the cabinet 60 of the speaker system 1 in the front-to-rear direction can be reduced.

[0058] Second Embodiment Based on the design principles described in relation to the first embodiment, a designer can construct various structures for outputting mid-high range sounds and low range sounds from the speaker system 2. In the second embodiment, an exemplary structure for outputting mid-high range sounds and low range sounds from the speaker system 2 will be described.

[0059] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a speaker system 2 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a cross section of the configuration of a plurality of acoustic tubes 30, an attachment portion 240, and a holding portion 50 according to the second embodiment. The speaker system 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0060] The speaker system 2 includes a speaker unit 10, a bass reflex port 20, a plurality of acoustic tubes 30, a mounting portion 240, a holding portion (not shown), and a cabinet 60. In other words, the speaker system 2 according to the second embodiment is different from the speaker system 1 according to the first embodiment in the mounting portion 240 and the mounting portion 40.

[0061] The base ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are attached to the mounting portion 240. In detail, the mounting portion 240 has five rectangular walls and a partition plate 247. In other words, unlike the mounting portion 40, the mounting portion 240 has the partition plate 247.

[0062] Of the five wall surfaces of mounting portion 240, four walls extend from the outer periphery of one +Z side wall 241 toward the −Z side. As a result, mounting portion 240 has space 242 that is open toward the −Z side. Partition plate 247 is disposed between one of the five wall surfaces of mounting portion 240 on the +X side and one of the five wall surfaces of mounting portion 240 on the −X side. As a result, partition plate 247 divides space 242 into first space 246 and second space 245.

[0063] A plurality of mounting holes 243 are provided in the +Z side wall 241. The plurality of mounting holes 243 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the X-axis direction. Specifically, at least one of the plurality of mounting holes 243 is formed on the +X side of the partition plate 247. In the second embodiment, one mounting hole 243 is formed on the +X side of the partition plate 247. Meanwhile, the remaining mounting holes 243 of the plurality of mounting holes 243 are formed on the −X side of the partition plate 247.

[0064] The base ends of a plurality of acoustic tubes 30 are attached to the plurality of mounting holes 243, respectively. The plurality of acoustic tubes 30 include a plurality of first tubes 236 and at least one second tube 235. As a result, the hollow passage 33 of at least one second tube 235 of the plurality of acoustic tubes 30 communicates with the second space 245. Meanwhile, the hollow passage 33 of the remaining first tube 236 of the plurality of acoustic tubes 30 communicates with the first space 246.

[0065] Furthermore, the mounting portion 240 is attached to the +Z side wall 64 of the cabinet 60. Specifically, the -Z side surfaces of each of the four walls extending from the outer periphery of the +Z side wall 241 are attached to the +Z side wall 64. As a result, the speaker opening 11 and the first space 246 are in communication. Therefore, the hollow paths 33 of the multiple first tubes 236 are in communication with the speaker opening 11 via the first space 246. As a result, mid- to high-frequency sound is output from the multiple first tubes 236. Meanwhile, the external opening 21 is in communication with the second space 245. Therefore, the hollow path 33 of at least one second tube 235 is in communication with the external opening 21 via the second space 245. As a result, low-frequency sound is output from at least one second tube 235.

[0066] <Effects> As described above, in the second embodiment, by separating the first space 246 and the second space 245, it is possible to perform settings according to the range of sound, for example, by changing the shape of the first tube 236 and the shape of the second tube 235.

[0067] For example, the tube diameter of the second tube 235 may be larger than the tube diameter of the first tube 236. In this embodiment, the larger tube diameter of the second tube 235 can suppress attenuation of low-frequency sounds.

[0068] Third Embodiment Based on the design principles described in relation to the first embodiment, a designer can construct various structures for outputting mid-high range sounds and low range sounds from the headrest system 300. In the third embodiment, an exemplary structure for outputting mid-high range sounds and low range sounds from the headrest system 300 will be described.

[0069] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a headrest system 300 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that although directions such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are shown in Fig. 7, these directions are shown for the sake of convenience in explaining the structure of the headrest system 300 according to the third embodiment, and do not limit the manner of use of the headrest system 300. The headrest system 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 7.

[0070] The headrest system 300 includes two speaker systems 3 and a headrest 311. The headrest 311 comes into contact with the head of the person P. Specifically, the headrest 311 comes into contact with the rear of the head of the person P. The speaker systems 3, which will be described in detail later, are housed inside the headrest 311.

[0071] Here, the speaker system 3 before being placed inside the headrest 311 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a plurality of acoustic tubes 330, an attachment portion 40, and a holding portion 50 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] The speaker system 3 includes a speaker unit (not shown), a bass reflex port (not shown), a plurality of acoustic tubes 330, an attachment portion 40, a holding portion 50, and a cabinet (not shown). In other words, the acoustic tubes 330 and the acoustic tubes 30 are different between the speaker system 3 according to the third embodiment and the speaker system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0073] Each of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 has a base end opening 331, a tip end opening 334, a cylindrical body 332, and a hollow passage (not shown). For example, the cylindrical body 332 is a tube formed in a hollow cylindrical shape. The hollow passage is formed inside the cylindrical body 332. The base end opening 331 and the tip end opening 334 are connected via the hollow passage.

[0074] The number of acoustic tubes 330 is not particularly limited. In addition, in the third embodiment, the lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 are different from one another. The multiple acoustic tubes 330 are arranged along the X-axis direction. Specifically, the acoustic tubes 330 on one side in the X-axis direction are longer. Furthermore, each of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 is bendable. In the third embodiment, the acoustic tubes 330 on one side in the X-axis direction are more curved. Specifically, the acoustic tubes 330 on the +X side are more curved in a U-shape. In other words, the intermediate portions of the acoustic tubes 330 on the +X side protrude more toward the +X side.

[0075] Here, referring again to Fig. 7, a method of attaching the two speaker systems 3 to the headrest 311 will be described. The two speaker systems 3 are housed in the headrest 311. The two speaker systems 3 are arranged along the left-right direction. Specifically, the right speaker system 3 of the two speaker systems 3 is arranged with respect to the headrest 311 so that the +X side shown in Fig. 8 coincides with the right direction shown in Fig. 7. On the other hand, the left speaker system 3 of the two speaker systems 3 is arranged with respect to the headrest 311 so that the +X side shown in Fig. 8 coincides with the left direction shown in Fig. 7.

[0076] More specifically, the holding portion 50 is attached to the front surface of the headrest 311. In particular, the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 are open toward the front. Furthermore, the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 are arranged in a line along the left-right direction. As a result, the sound from the right speaker system 3 of the two speaker systems 3 is output from the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 toward the right ear of the person P. Meanwhile, the sound from the left speaker system 3 of the two speaker systems 3 is output from the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 toward the left ear of the person P.

[0077] <Effects> As described above, in the third embodiment, the lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 are different from one another, thereby suppressing the occurrence of disturbances in sound pressure. For example, if the lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes are the same, the resonance frequencies will be uniform. As a result, disturbances in sound pressure will occur. In contrast, if the lengths of the multiple acoustic tubes 330 are different from one another, the resonance frequencies can be prevented from being uniform. As a result, disturbances in sound pressure can be suppressed.

[0078] In particular, in the third embodiment, the directivity can be controlled by bending the +X side acoustic tube 330 and holding it with the holding part 50. For example, by inclining the tip of the +X side acoustic tube 330 more greatly so that the more open the tip of the +X side acoustic tube 330 is, facing the +Z side and the -X side, the more the +X side acoustic tube 330 is, the more sound can be output toward a more narrowed area.

[0079] <Modifications> Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these, and the following modifications can be adopted, for example.

[0080] (1) In the first embodiment described above, the holding portion 50 is a plate-like body 51, but the member that holds the tip ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 in a predetermined positional relationship is not limited to this. For example, the holding portion may be a headrest 411. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a headrest system 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The headrest system 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 9.

[0081] The headrest system 400 includes the speaker system 1 and a headrest 411. The headrest 411 abuts against the head of the person P. Specifically, the headrest 411 abuts against the rear of the person P's head.

[0082] The speaker system 1 is attached to a headrest 411. Specifically, the speaker system 1 is disposed with respect to the headrest 411 so that the +X side shown in Figures 2 to 4 corresponds to the downward direction shown in Figure 1.

[0083] More specifically, the cabinet 60 is attached to the rear surface of the headrest 411. The attachment portion 40 is disposed on the rear side of the headrest 411. The multiple acoustic tubes 30 are bent twice at right angles and fixed to the front surface of the headrest 411. In other words, the headrest 411 holds the tip ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0084] Specifically, the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 open to the left. The tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are arranged in a line along the vertical direction. As a result, sound is output from the tips of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 toward the right ear of the person P. The multiple acoustic tubes 30 may be covered with a cloth or the like that covers the headrest 411.

[0085] (2) In the first embodiment, the mounting portion 40 was a rectangular parallelepiped member with a space on the -Z side to correspond to the rectangular shape of the speaker opening 11. However, the member to which the base ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are attached is not limited to this. For example, the mounting portion 540 may be a cylindrical member with a space on the -Z side to correspond to the circular shape of the speaker opening. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of multiple acoustic tubes 30, the mounting portion 540, and the holding portion 50 according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. The mounting portion 540 will be described with reference to Figure 10.

[0086] Mounting portion 540 has a cylindrical wall 542 that extends from the outer periphery of a circular +Z side wall 541 toward the -Z side. As a result, mounting portion 540 has a space that is open toward the -Z side. In other words, mounting portion 540 is covered with a wall except for the -Z side.

[0087] The +Z side wall 541 is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 543. The base ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes 30 are attached to the plurality of mounting holes 543, respectively. As a result, the hollow paths of the plurality of acoustic tubes 30 communicate with the space.

[0088] The holder 50 holds the tip ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 in a predetermined positional relationship. Specifically, the predetermined positional relationship is a relationship in which the tip ends of the multiple acoustic tubes 30 are lined up in a predetermined direction.

[0089] (3) In the first embodiment, the speaker system 1 includes one bass reflex port 20 . However, the speaker system 1 may include a plurality of bass reflex ports 20 .

[0090] The present disclosure is useful for favorably outputting sounds including low-frequency sounds to a specific listener.

Claims

1. A speaker system comprising: a speaker unit having a first opening on the front for outputting sound to the outside air; a bass reflex port having a second opening for amplifying low-frequency sound from the back of the speaker unit and outputting the amplified sound to the outside air; a plurality of acoustic tubes having a hollow path; an attachment part having a wall to which the base ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes are attached and a space surrounded by the wall; and a holding part for holding the tip ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes in a predetermined positional relationship, wherein the hollow path and the first opening and the second opening are connected via the space.

2. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined positional relationship is a relationship in which the tips of the plurality of acoustic tubes are aligned in a predetermined direction.

3. A speaker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting portion further comprises a partition plate that divides the space into a first space and a second space, and the plurality of acoustic tubes comprise a first tube that communicates with the first space, and a second tube that communicates with the second space.

4. A speaker system according to claim 3, wherein the second tube has a larger diameter than the first tube.

5. A speaker system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimension of the first opening in a first direction is larger than the dimension of the first opening in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second opening and the first opening are aligned along the first direction, and the base ends of the plurality of acoustic tubes are aligned along the first direction.

6. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the lengths of the plurality of acoustic tubes are different from each other.

7. A speaker system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of acoustic tubes is bendable, and the plurality of acoustic tubes are arranged so that the length of the acoustic tube increases as the acoustic tube approaches one side of the predetermined direction.

8. A speaker system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the holding portion is attached to a headrest against which a person's head rests.

9. A seat system comprising: a speaker system according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a seat in which a person sits, wherein the speaker system is attached to a headrest of the seat.

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