Vehicle Headrest Speaker Assembly With Retractable Audio Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle speaker arrangements fail to simultaneously satisfy acoustics, safety, and user comfort while delivering multiple advanced audio features with optimal performance, as speakers with fixed positions restrict occupant movement and violate ergonomic and regulatory standards.
Innovation Solution
A modular audio assembly for vehicle headrests with movable speaker assemblies, featuring actuator-driven mechanisms for dynamic positioning, allowing various audio modes like ISZ, binaural, and surround sound, and compatible with different headrest designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If speakers are mounted in fixed positions in passenger doors or along the front or rear dash, then the vehicle audio system can provide basic sound output, but the sound quality and performance are limited and cannot be optimized for different listening modes
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker assembly is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between different positions (retracted and extended) and orientations (vertical and horizontal) to optimize sound quality for different audio modes while maintaining adaptability
2Reliability
If headrest speakers are positioned to create optimal acoustical effects for different listening modes, then audio performance is improved, but safety and comfort concerns arise due to potential obstruction of occupant movement
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker assembly can dynamically adjust its position and orientation based on the selected audio mode. In extended configurations, speakers are positioned to optimize acoustical effects for different listening modes, while in retracted configurations, they clear away to eliminate potential safety and comfort hazards
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker system is divided into separate movable speaker assemblies that can be independently positioned. This allows the speakers to be segmented from the fixed headrest structure, enabling them to move to optimal acoustic positions without permanently obstructing occupant space
3Adaptability or versatility
If speakers are positioned to provide individual user-preferred listening modes in each seat, then seat-based audio performance is improved, but the system complexity increases due to the need for movable mechanisms and actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker assemblies are designed with movable mounting mechanisms that allow dynamic repositioning between retracted and extended configurations, enabling seat-based audio capabilities while managing complexity through standardized mechanical designs
4Reliability
If the speaker assembly is positioned in an extended configuration to optimize audio output, then sound quality is improved, but the speaker assembly may obstruct occupant movement and violate ergonomic standards
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker assembly transitions between retracted and extended configurations based on audio mode requirements. When extended for optimal audio output, the system is designed to clear away from critical occupant movement paths, and when retracted, it completely clears the space to ensure full occupant freedom of movement
Data Source
AI summary
A modular audio assembly for use with a vehicle headrest includes a speaker assembly including a support member arranged to be rotatably mounted to the vehicle headrest, and a speaker module coupled to the support member, the speaker module including a housing having a front face and at least one speaker mounted therein for generating audio output. An actuator is operably connected to the speaker assembly and configured to position the speaker assembly in an inactive position with the front face generally adjacent a lateral side of the vehicle headrest and in an active position with the speaker assembly rotated away from the lateral side of the vehicle headrest and the front face oriented in an inward direction.