Movable Speaker Panel for Acoustic Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart devices face limitations in speaker size and performance due to the need for rigidity, which restricts air movement and frequency response, leading to poor audio quality and battery inefficiency, making existing portable speakers bulky and inconvenient for daily use.
Innovation Solution
A speaker device with a movable speaker panel that articulates into the device housing, reducing mechanical constraints and allowing for better air movement, thus reducing power requirements and enhancing low and high-frequency acoustic performance, while also providing portability and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the speaker panel is fixed rigidly in the device housing, then the structural integrity and durability of the device is improved, but the air movement capability and acoustic performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker panel is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to articulate between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic configuration enables the panel to move freely for optimal acoustic performance while maintaining structural integrity when retracted, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and air movement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker system is segmented into a movable panel assembly that can be separated from the main device housing. This segmentation allows the speaker panel to operate independently with optimal air movement when extended, while the device housing maintains its structural integrity when the panel is retracted.
2Productivity
If a separate portable speaker is used, then the acoustic performance is improved, but the device portability and convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker system is merged with the device housing, combining the functions of a portable device and a speaker into a single integrated unit. The speaker panel can be extended when audio playback is needed and retracted when portability is prioritized, eliminating the need to carry a separate speaker.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated speaker system incorporates a movable panel that can be dynamically deployed or stowed based on usage requirements. When extended, it provides high-quality acoustic performance; when retracted, it maintains a compact profile for portability, resolving the contradiction between acoustic performance and device portability.
3Productivity
If the speaker panel is made larger, then the low-frequency acoustic performance is improved, but the device size and portability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker panel is designed to be extendable from a compact retracted position to a larger extended position. When extended, the panel provides sufficient surface area for low-frequency acoustic performance; when retracted, it maintains a compact device profile, resolving the contradiction between panel size and device portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker panel is nested within the device housing in a retracted state, allowing the device to maintain a compact size. When audio playback is needed, the panel can be extended outward from the housing, providing the necessary panel area for low-frequency performance without permanently increasing the device volume.
4Productivity
If the speaker panel is made movable and extendable, then the acoustic performance is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The movable panel assembly incorporates hinges and mounting mechanisms that allow the panel to articulate between retracted and extended positions. While this adds some mechanical complexity, the use of standard hinge mechanisms and modular mounting systems keeps the manufacturing complexity manageable while enabling superior acoustic performance.
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
The solution enables high-quality audio anywhere, improves frequency response, and extends battery life by integrating a speaker panel that can retract into the device, providing a compact and durable solution for portable audio.
Implementation Method 1
a speaker panel assembly movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein in the open configuration the speaker panel assembly is displaced relative to the body
Implementation Method 2
The fundamental rule in audio is you need to move air in order to create sound: the more air you move the louder the sound is
Data Source
AI summary
The field of the invention relates to speaker devices, to speaker panels for speaker devices, to mechanical assemblies and mountings for speaker devices, to uses of speaker devices for example as products or as components for products, and to computer program products operable to control speaker devices. There is provided a speaker device, the speaker device including a body and a speaker panel assembly, the speaker panel assembly movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein in the open configuration the speaker panel assembly is displaced relative to the body, and in the closed configuration the speaker panel assembly is retracted into the body. The speaker device may be a smart device. The speaker device may be one configured to receive and to store a mobile device.