Overhanging Flat Panel Loudspeaker for Flush Concealed Wall Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat panel loudspeakers are difficult to conceal in drywall-lined walls due to jointing tape standing proud of the speaker surface, and in plastered walls, shrinkage of plaster skim can reveal the speaker's location, making them visible.
Innovation Solution
A flat panel loudspeaker design with an edge portion extending beyond the active portion, allowing easy mounting by coupling to the mounting surface without separate fixing means, and a composite resonant panel that integrates seamlessly with wall coatings, enhancing fire and water resistance and preventing debris ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flat panel loudspeaker is mounted in plastered wall with skim coating, then it becomes invisible and blends with wall surface, but plaster shrinkage during drying reveals speaker location through embossed lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-coating the resonant panel with a surface treatment that matches the surrounding wall surface before plastering. This pre-prepared surface ensures that the plaster skim adheres uniformly and dries without creating visible embossed lines, thereby maintaining reliable concealment despite plaster shrinkage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the surface properties of the resonant panel through special coating or texturing. This changes the physical parameters of the panel surface to match the wall material, allowing the plaster to bond uniformly and dry without revealing the speaker location through differential shrinkage or embossed lines.
2Ease of operation
If flat panel loudspeaker is mounted in drywall-lined wall, then installation is simplified, but jointing tape stands proud of speaker surface making it visible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by removing the need for separate jointing tape around the speaker perimeter. The resonant panel itself is designed with an edge portion that integrates with the drywall surface, eliminating the protruding tape that would otherwise make the speaker visible while maintaining the simplified drywall installation approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the resonant panel edge with the drywall surface by designing the panel to extend slightly beyond the opening and be mounted flush with the drywall surface. This integration combines the speaker mounting structure with the wall finish, eliminating the need for separate jointing tape and achieving both installation simplicity and visual concealment.
3Reliability
If separate fixing means are used to mount loudspeaker, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mounting function with the resonant panel structure itself. The edge portion of the resonant panel is designed to be mounted directly to the wall surface, combining the speaker housing and mounting structure into a single integrated component. This eliminates separate fixing means while achieving secure attachment through the panel's own structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The resonant panel serves multiple functions: it acts as both the sound-generating element and the mounting structure. The edge portion is designed to perform both acoustic and structural roles, eliminating the need for separate fixing mechanisms and reducing installation complexity while maintaining reliable mounting security.
4Ease of operation
If edge portion extends beyond active portion, then mounting to surface is simplified and fixing means are reduced, but acoustic energy transfer to mounting surface may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the harmful acoustic energy that would otherwise transfer to the mounting surface through decoupling mechanisms. The resonant panel is designed with features that isolate it from the mounting surface, taking out the problematic energy transfer path while maintaining the simplified mounting configuration provided by the extending edge portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element or mechanism between the resonant panel and the mounting surface. This intermediary decouples the acoustic energy from the structural mounting connection, allowing the edge portion to extend for easy mounting while preventing harmful mechanical energy transfer to the wall surface through the use of damping or isolation materials.
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 design ensures the loudspeaker is easily mounted and hidden from view, improving acoustic properties and resistance to mechanical energy transfer, while simplifying installation and enhancing durability.
Implementation Method 1
an exciter coupled to the rear surface of the resonant panel to cause an active portion of the resonant panel to vibrate on operation of the exciter, to generate sound
Implementation Method 2
the edge portion is heavily damped by its attachment to the mounting surface and thus effectively prevents transfer of mechanical energy to outside of the active portion
Data Source
AI summary
A flat panel loudspeaker configured for mounting in an opening in a mounting surface includes a planar resonant panel configured to be inserted into an opening in the mounting surface and having a front surface and a rear surface. The flat panel loudspeaker also includes an exciter coupled to the rear surface and configured to cause an active portion of the planar resonant panel to vibrate and generate sound. An outer boundary of the active portion of the planar resonant panel is fixed relative to the mounting surface, the outer boundary defining the active portion as an area of the planar resonant panel. The planar resonant panel comprises an edge portion extending beyond the outer boundary of the active portion in at least one direction. The edge portion is configured to overlap the mounting surface.