Headrest speaker device

• US 4,490,842 A
• Filed: 05/18/1982
• Issued: 12/25/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Schreyer, Stafford D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schroeder, L. C.
• Application Number:
  US06/379,546
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 381/24, 381/86, 179/146 H, 179/157, 181/156, 181/155
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/803 fixed
• 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 2002/905 the head-rest or seat used as an anchorage point, for an object not covered by groups in B60N, e.g. for a canvas
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0015 Back-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 in a chair, pillow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/904 with sound emitting means

Abstract

Headrest speaker device, in which the upper ends of pipes supporting a headrest on the upper part of a seat are in communication with speaker cabinets disposed at each side of the headrest and the lower ends of the pipes open toward the outside at the sides of the seat.

Claims

1. In an apparatus which includes a seat having a backrest and two spaced speaker cabinets supported on said backrest at the upper end thereof, the improvement comprising two elongate pipes which are external to said speaker cabinets and which each open at one end to the interior of a respective one of said speaker cabinets, said pipes improving the middle and low frequency response of said speaker cabinets and minimizing vibration thereof.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said pipe is operatively coupled to said backrest of said seat, said speaker cabinets being supported on said backrest by said pipes.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, including a headrest which is supported above said backrest of said seat by said pipes and is disposed between said speaker cabinets.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pipes each extend into said backrest of said seat, wherein said seat has means defining an opening in each side thereof, and wherein an end of each said pipe which is remote from the associated speaker cabinet communicates with a respective one of said openings in said backrest.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, including a headrest which is supported above said backrest by said pipes and is disposed between said speaker cabinets.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each said pipe is approximately U-shaped and has two legs and a bight, one said leg extending generally horizontally from the associated speaker cabinet into said headrest, said bight extending generally downwardly out of said headrest and into said backrest, and the other said leg extending generally horizontally within said backrest to the associated opening in the side of said backrest.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, including speaker wires which extend through each said pipe from the associated speaker cabinet to said backrest.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each said pipe is made of a material which has a degree of resilient flexibility.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said seat is adapted for use in a vehicle.

10. A headrest speaker device for a seat having headrest and backrest portions, comprising:

two upstanding elongated pipes including means adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof for respectively engaging the headrest and backrest and therewith supporting the headrest on the backrest;

two speaker cabinets spaced for producing sound at opposite sides of the headrest, the upper ends of said pipes being connected to and opening into respective ones of said speaker cabinets such that the interiors of each pipe and its respective speaker cabinet communicate acoustically, the lower ends of said pipes providing an acoustical outlet from said speaker cabinets in the region of said backrest, said pipes improving the low frequency sound output of said speaker cabinets while supporting said headrest on said backrest.

11. A headrest speaker device according to claim 10 in which wires for electrically energizing speakers in said speaker cabinets pass through said pipes.