Removable Boot Panel With Integrated Speaker Grille
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing trunk panel arrangements with subwoofers under the floor of motor vehicles face issues of high manufacturing cost due to the need for thermoformed products and dimpling techniques, and are prone to water ingress and potential damage from loads or tearing.
Innovation Solution
A removable boot panel with a recess under the floor, featuring a stack of plates including a textile material plate with an opening, wooden plates with indentations, a sound-absorbing plate, and a non-woven material plate, along with a grid and counter-grid assembly that provides sound passage and mechanical reinforcement, reducing the need for thermoformed products and enhancing water resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective grille is provided to protect the speaker diaphragm, then the reliability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to the need for thermoformed products and dimpling techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The protective grille is divided into a grid portion and a counter-grid portion that are assembled separately and then joined together. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex thermoforming and dimpling techniques, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The grid portion is inserted into the counter-grid portion to form the complete protective grille assembly. This nested arrangement allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components that can be easily assembled, avoiding the need for expensive thermoformed monolithic structures.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the speaker diaphragm is oriented towards the opening of the recess, then the sound propagation is improved, but the panel becomes more susceptible to water ingress and potential damage from loads
Solution Approach 1:
The protective grille assembly acts as an intermediary between the speaker diaphragm and the external environment. It allows sound to pass through while blocking water and distributing mechanical loads, thus protecting the diaphragm without compromising sound propagation.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel structure is designed with differentiated local properties: the protective grille provides protection at the opening location, while the recess structure provides acoustic optimization at the speaker location. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of sound propagation and protection.
3Strength
If the panel is made rigid to support loads, then the strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to the stack of multiple plates and assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is segmented into multiple functional plates (textile material plate, wooden plates, sound-absorbing plate, non-woven material plate) that are assembled in a stack. Each plate provides specific functionality, and the cumulative structure achieves the required rigidity without requiring any single component to be overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel uses a composite structure combining different materials (textile, wood, sound-absorbing material, non-woven material) in a stacked arrangement. This composite construction provides enhanced strength and rigidity while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of standard materials and assembly techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces manufacturing costs, enhances the panel's rigidity and resistance to water ingress, and minimizes the risk of tearing while maintaining sound propagation, thereby improving the overall performance and durability of the trunk panel.
Implementation Method 1
The acoustic transducer is notably a subwoofer placed in a compartment under the trunk floor... a loudspeaker designed to reproduce the lowest sound frequencies of the audio spectrum
Implementation Method 2
the panel having at least one opening extending in the plane of the panel to allow sound to pass through the panel, and a protective grille assembly integrated into the panel closing the opening formed in the panel
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~4B
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a removable luggage-compartment panel (8), supported by the floor (26) of a luggage compartment (25) of a motor vehicle (V) in which the floor (26) comprises a recess (27) arranged under the floor (26) the opening of which (28), which is flush with the floor (26), leads into the luggage compartment (25), said recess (27) containing a loudspeaker (30), the diaphragm (31) of which, which extends parallel to the plane of the opening (28) of the recess (27), is oriented towards the opening (28) of the recess (27) by being flush with said opening (28), wherein said panel (8) covers the opening (28) of the recess (27), and wherein a protective screen is arranged to protect said diaphragm (31), said arrangement being characterised in that the panel (8) comprises at least one opening (10) extending in the plane of the panel (8) in order to allow the sound to pass through the panel (8), and a protective screen assembly built into the panel (8) closing the opening (10) formed in the panel (8).