Noise reduction for high-airflow audio transducers

• US 10,142,726 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Oishi, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US15/421,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20180220228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 381332, 381334, 381335, 381338, 381339, 381345, 381349, 381350, 381351, 381352, 381182, 381186, 381386, 381391, 381189, 181144, 181145, 181147, 181156, 181199
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2819 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2846 Vents, i.e. ports, e.g. shape thereof or tuning thereof with damping material number or position of ports H04R1/2838; vents in bass reflex type enclosures H04R1/2823
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2849 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2873 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

Example techniques may involve reduction of turbulence noise from a sound transducer that is mounted within an interior housing of a playback device. An example playback device may include an enclosure comprising a first interior volume and a second interior volume. The playback device may further include a speaker mounted within an interior of the enclosure. The speaker includes a diaphragm dividing the first interior volume and the second interior volume and the speaker is moveable along an axis to generate sound. The playback device may also include a first speaker vent providing airflow between the first interior volume and an exterior of the enclosure and a second speaker vent providing airflow between the first interior volume and the exterior of the enclosure. The first speaker vent directs airflow in a first direction and second speaker vent directs airflow in a second direction.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

an enclosure defining an interior portion including a first interior volume and a second interior volume, the enclosure comprising;

a front surface; and

a side surface,

a speaker disposed within the interior portion of the enclosure and comprising a diaphragm dividing the first interior volume and the second interior volume;

a first speaker vent in the front surface having a first cross-sectional area, wherein first speaker vent is configured to direct a first airflow from the first interior volume to an exterior of the enclosure at a first airspeed and in a first direction toward an expected listener location; and

a second speaker vent in the side surface having a second cross-sectional area, wherein second speaker vent is configured to direct a second airflow from the first interior volume to the exterior of the enclosure at a second airspeed and in a second direction away from the expected listener location, and wherein the second airspeed is greater than the first airspeed.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the front surface comprises a first speaker grille between the first speaker vent and the exterior of the enclosure, and wherein the side surface comprises a second speaker grille between the second speaker vent and the exterior of the enclosure.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the first speaker vent and the second speaker vent are separated by a distance that is less than an operational wavelength of the speaker.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the first direction and the second direction are at a relative angle to one another that is within a range of 90°

to 180°

.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback device further comprises one or more tweeters facing outwards along the front surface of the enclosure, the one or more tweeters operating in a frequency range of at least 2000-20000 Hz.

6. The playback device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker port tube coupling the second interior volume to the exterior of the enclosure.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the first cross-sectional area is larger than the second cross-sectional area.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the second airspeed is approximately three times greater than the first airspeed.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the speaker is moveable along a vertical axis to generate sound when the enclosure is placed upon a horizontal surface.

10. The playback device of claim 1, wherein each horizontal dimension of the diaphragm is longer than a vertical dimension of the enclosure.

11. A playback device comprising:

an enclosure comprising a first interior volume and a second interior volume,

wherein the enclosure comprises a front surface and a side surface that is substantially perpendicular to the front surface;

a speaker mounted within an interior of the enclosure and comprising a diaphragm dividing the first interior volume and the second interior volume, wherein the speaker is moveable along a vertical axis to generate sound;

a first speaker vent providing airflow between the first interior volume and an exterior of the enclosure,

wherein first speaker vent directs airflow in a first horizontal direction, and

wherein the first speaker vent provides airflow between the first interior volume and the front surface of the enclosure

wherein the front surface comprises a first speaker grille between the first speaker vent and the exterior of the enclosure, wherein the first speaker grille comprises first perforations on the front surface of the enclosure; and

a second speaker vent providing airflow between the first interior volume and the exterior of the enclosure,

wherein second speaker vent directs airflow in a second horizontal direction, and

wherein the second speaker vent provides airflow between the first interior volume and the side surface of the enclosure

wherein the side surface comprises a second speaker grille between the second speaker vent and the exterior of the enclosure, wherein the second speaker grille comprise second perforations on the side surface of the enclosure, the second perforations being larger than the first perforations such that the second speaker grille is less resistant to airflow than the first speaker grille.

12. The playback device of claim 11, wherein the playback device comprises a continuous grille comprising the first speaker grille and the second speaker grille.

13. The playback device of claim 12, wherein perforations in the continuous grille gradually increase in size along the front surface of the enclosure to the side surface of the enclosure.

14. The playback device of claim 11, wherein the second speaker vent has a smaller cross section than the first speaker vent such that the second speaker vent provides a higher speed of airflow than the first speaker vent.

15. The playback device of claim 11, wherein the airflow provided by the second speaker vent is travels at three times the airspeed relative to the airflow provided by the first speaker vent.

16. A playback device comprising:

an enclosure comprising a first interior volume and a second interior volume,

wherein the enclosure comprises a front surface and a side surface that is substantially perpendicular to the front surface;

a speaker mounted within an interior of the enclosure and comprising a diaphragm dividing the first interior volume and the second interior volume, wherein the speaker is moveable along an axis to generate sound;

a first speaker vent providing airflow between the first interior volume and an exterior of the enclosure,

wherein first speaker vent directs airflow in a first direction that is substantially perpendicular to the axis,

wherein the first speaker vent provides airflow between the first interior volume and the front surface of the enclosure,

wherein the front surface comprises a first speaker grille between the first speaker vent and the exterior of the enclosure, wherein the first speaker grille comprises first perforations on the front surface of the enclosure; and

a second speaker vent providing airflow between the first interior volume and the exterior of the enclosure,

wherein second speaker vent directs airflow in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the axis

wherein the second speaker vent provides airflow between the first interior volume and the side surface of the enclosure

wherein the side surface comprises a second speaker grille between the second speaker vent and the exterior of the enclosure, and wherein the second speaker grille comprises second perforations on the side surface of the enclosure, the second perforations being larger than the first perforations such that the second speaker grille is less resistant to airflow than the first speaker grille.

17. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the second speaker vent has a smaller cross section than the first speaker vent such that the second speaker vent provides a higher speed of airflow than the first speaker vent.

18. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the first speaker vent and the second speaker vent are separated by a distance that is less than an operational wavelength of the speaker.

19. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the playback device comprises a continuous grille comprising the first speaker grille and the second speaker grille.

20. The playback device of claim 16, wherein the second speaker vent has a smaller cross section than the first speaker vent such that the second speaker vent provides a higher speed of airflow than the first speaker vent.