PROTECTIVE CASE WITH SPEAKER SOUND AMPLIFICATION PATH

• US 20130070948A1
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Byoung-Hee, KIM, Ki-Won, LEE, Sun-Young
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A protective case having a speaker sound amplification path and an electronic device including at least one speaker device are disclosed. The protective case includes a base surface placed adjacent to at least one side of the electronic device to protect the electronic device, at least one speaker sound amplification path formed in the base surface and having a specific depth including a first location corresponding to a speaker hole of the electronic device to output a speaker sound of the speaker device, and a speaker sound output hole at a second location extended from the speaker sound amplification path and formed to an outer side of the protective case in an open manner, wherein the speaker sound output from the speaker hole is amplified within the speaker sound amplification path and is then output through the speaker sound output hole.

Claims

1. A protective case for an electronic device including at least one speaker device, comprising:

a base surface placed adjacent to at least one side of the electronic device to protect the electronic device;

at least one speaker sound amplification path formed in the base surface and having a specific depth, having a first location corresponding to a speaker hole of the electronic device for the output of a speaker sound of the speaker device; and

a speaker sound output hole at a second location extended from the speaker sound amplification path and formed to an outer side of the protective case in an open manner,

wherein the speaker sound which is output from the speaker hole is amplified within the speaker sound amplification path and is then output through the speaker sound output hole.

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the electronic device and the base surface are in contact and the speaker sound amplification path is formed from a gap between the electronic device and the protective case and having a cross-sectional area that is gradually widened in a direction towards the speaker sound output hole.

3. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer in the gap between the electronic device and the protective case which extends up to a height of the base surface to support the gap of the speaker sound amplification path.

4. The protective case of claim 1, wherein a sealing member is placed onto the base surface along a border portion of the speaker sound amplification path, such that the sealing member is higher than the base surface so that the speaker sound amplification path is completely sealed when the electronic device is installed within the protective case.

5. The protective case of claim 4,

wherein the sealing member is insert-molded along the border portion of the speaker sound amplification path of the base surface, and

wherein the sealing member is of the type having a flexible resilient material.

6. The protective case of claim 4,

wherein the sealing member is adhesively secured along the border portion of the speaker sound amplification path of the base surface, and

wherein the sealing member is selected from the group consisting of poron, rubber, and silicon.

7. The protective case of claim 4,

wherein a recess having a specific depth is formed along the border portion of the speaker sound amplification path of the base surface, and

the sealing member is inserted into the recess such that a portion of the sealing member protrudes from the base surface.

8. The protective case of claim 4, wherein the protective case is of the type having a flexible material selected from the group consisting of rubber or silicon, and wherein the sealing member is an integral part of the protective case and a portion of the sealing member protrudes from the base surface.

9. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising a speaker sound amplification path member which borders an open space for the speaker sound amplification path.

10. The protective case of claim 9, further comprising the sealing member along a boundary of the open space of the speaker sound amplification path member which wherein the sealing member is higher than the adjacent surface of the speaker sound amplification path member.

11. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising an outer protective case wall and an adjacent inner base wall and wherein the speaker sound amplification path is formed of a space between the outer protective case wall and the adjacent inner base wall and,

wherein a through-hole is formed in a portion of the inner base wall corresponding to the speaker hole of the electronic device, and

wherein the speaker sound output from the speaker hole is amplified within the speaker sound amplification path through the through-hole and is output through the speaker sound output hole.

12. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the protective case further includes a lateral portion having a predetermined height along a boundary of the base surface for covering a lateral side of the electronic device.

13. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the lateral portion includes an inner wall, and wherein the speaker device outputs the speaker sound through a speaker hole formed in the lateral side of the electronic device, and

wherein the speaker sound amplification path extends up to the inner wall of the lateral portion of the protective case corresponding to the speaker hole.

14. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising more than one speaker sound amplification path, wherein each of the more than one speaker sound amplification paths are formed to have the same size to each other.

15. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the protective case is of the type selected from the group consisting of rubber, silicon, urethane, and synthetic resin.

16. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the speaker sound amplification path has a gradual increase in depth in a direction towards the speaker sound output hole.

17. The protective case of claim 11, further comprising at least one spacer in the space to support the space of the speaker sound amplification path.

18. The protective case of claim 13, further comprising a sealing member that extends up to the lateral portion of the inner wall of the protective case along the speaker sound amplification path.

19. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the protective case is battery cover of the electronic device or at least one case frame of the electronic device.

20. An electronic device comprising:

a speaker for outputting speaker sound; and

a protective case for protecting the electronic device and amplifying the speaker sound of the speaker;

wherein the protective case comprising;

a base surface placed adjacent to at least one side of the electronic device to protect the electronic device;

at least one speaker sound amplification path formed in the base surface and having a specific depth, having a first location corresponding to a speaker hole of the electronic device for the output of a speaker sound of the speaker device; and

a speaker sound output hole at a second location extended from the speaker sound amplification path and formed to an outer side of the protective case in an open manner,

wherein the speaker sound which is output from the speaker hole is amplified within the speaker sound amplification path and is then output through the speaker sound output hole.