Speaker grill assembly for vehicle seats

• US 10,343,571 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Subat, Bradford Kyle, Oswald, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N.
• Application Number:
  US16/025,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20180312091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 381 86, 381189, 381300, 381302, 381386, 381389, 381390, 381391, 381392, 381393
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/885 provided with side-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/899 characterised by structural or mechanical details not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 in a chair, pillow

Abstract

The technology described in this document can be embodied in a seat headrest that includes an interior chamber that accommodates an acoustic transducer, and an acoustic channel disposed between the interior chamber and an external opening in the seat headrest. The headrest also includes a soft outer layer disposed around at least a portion of a periphery of the external opening, and a grill mount. The grill mount is disposed in or attached to the outer layer, the grill mount extending, at least in part, around the periphery of the acoustic channel, and configured to engage with a portion of a speaker grill-assembly in a mating configuration.

Claims

1. A seat headrest comprising:

an interior chamber;

an acoustic channel disposed between the interior chamber and an external surface of the seat headrest;

an external skin that covers a portion of the external surface of the seat headrest; and

a grill assembly coupled to the acoustic channel, the grill assembly comprising a flexible grill ring disposed around a portion of a periphery of the grill assembly, the flexible grill ring configured to retain a portion of the external skin against the external surface in a substantially secure configuration.

2. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the flexible grill ring is constructed from a material with shore A hardness less than 50.

3. The headrest of claim 1, further comprising a grill mount, the grill mount extending, at least in part, around the periphery of the acoustic channel, and configured to engage with a portion of the grill assembly in a mating configuration.

4. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the external surface comprises a material having shore A hardness less than 50.

5. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the external surface comprises closed-cell foam.

6. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the external skin comprises leather or fabric.

7. The headrest of claim 1, wherein, in a first configuration of the flexible grill ring, a separation between the external surface and a portion of the flexible grill ring is configured to receive the portion of the external skin.

8. The headrest of claim 7, wherein, in a second configuration of the flexible grill ring, the flexible grill ring retains the portion of the external skin against the external surface in the substantially secure configuration.

9. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the flexible grill ring is removably disposed in the grill assembly.

10. A housing for an acoustic transducer, the housing being disposed in a vehicle seat, and comprising:

an interior chamber, and

an acoustic channel disposed between the interior chamber and an external surface of the housing; and

a grill assembly coupled to the acoustic channel, the grill assembly comprising a flexible grill ring disposed around a portion of a periphery of the grill assembly, the flexible grill ring configured to retain a portion of an external skin of the vehicle seat against the external surface in a substantially secure configuration.

11. The housing of claim 10, wherein the flexible grill ring is constructed from a material with shore A hardness less than 50.

12. The housing of claim 10, further comprising a grill mount, the grill mount extending, at least in part, around the periphery of the acoustic channel, and configured to engage with a portion of the grill assembly in a mating configuration.

13. The housing of claim 10, wherein, in a first configuration of the flexible grill ring, a separation between the external surface and a portion of the flexible grill ring is configured to receive the portion of the external skin.

14. The housing of claim 13, wherein, in a second configuration of the flexible grill ring, the flexible grill ring retains the portion of the external skin against the external surface in the substantially secure configuration.

15. The housing of claim 10, wherein the external surface comprises closed-cell foam.

16. The housing of claim 10, wherein the external skin comprises leather or fabric.

17. The housing of claim 10, wherein the flexible grill ring is removably disposed in the grill assembly.