Ceiling Loudspeaker Blister Cover for Wiring Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ceiling loudspeakers are prone to damage from loose wiring and tubing in false ceilings due to their exposed components, leading to electrical shorts and impaired functionality, and are costly and complex to manufacture and assemble.

Innovation Solution

A ceiling loudspeaker design featuring a lightweight, non-circular plastic cover made in the form of a blister with a wall thickness of less than 2 mm, which is open on one side and has flange sections for attachment to the loudspeaker's fastening flange, providing protection from external elements and improved mechanical stability while allowing easy assembly and reduced material costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a conventional cover completely concealing the back of the loudspeaker is used, then protection from external elements is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection from external elementsVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is segmented into a modular structure comprising a hood portion and a flange portion that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining protective function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flange sections are integrated into the hood structure in a nested manner, allowing the flange to be part of the cover assembly without requiring separate mounting components, thus simplifying the overall device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a conventional cover completely concealing the back of the loudspeaker is used, then protection from external elements is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection from external elementsVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is made from a thin-walled plastic material that provides adequate protection while using minimal material, significantly reducing manufacturing cost compared to traditional thick or metallic covers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The segmented modular design allows for efficient manufacturing and assembly, reducing labor costs and material waste

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If the cover is made with thin-walled plastic material, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but mechanical stability may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidmechanical stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The hood portion is designed with a curved, dome-like shape that distributes mechanical stresses evenly across the thin-walled structure, preventing deformation and maintaining stability without requiring thick walls

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover uses a plastic material that combines thin wall thickness with sufficient mechanical strength through material selection and structural design, achieving both cost reduction and stability maintenance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP2768238B1Ceiling loudspeaker with a cover
Publication Date: 2020.12.30 IC AUDIO
  • EP2768238B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2768238B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2768238B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(d)

AI summary

The covering (10) is made of a plastic material and surrounds in the form of a single-sided open speaker structure, and forms a hood that is supported on a mounting flange (21) of the speaker (20). The hood has a non-circular cross-section, where the covering is formed with a wall thickness of less than 2 millimeters in the manner of a blister. The covering is made of three convex portions, which are separated by concave portions. The plastic material is polyethylene terephthalate. An independent claim is included for a ceiling speaker.