Headrest-mounted acoustic device

• US 4,696,370 A
• Filed: 11/25/1985
• Issued: 09/29/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Shuichi, Takagi, Kazunori, Tokumo, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Application Number:
  US06/801,994
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 181/141, 181/144, 181/145, 181/155, 181/156, 381/86
• US Class Current: 181/141
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 in a chair, pillow

Abstract

A headrest-mounted acoustic device including at least a speaker mounted on the right or left side of a headrest provided on a seat, a cover mounted in the sound radiating direction of the speaker, and a sound radiating portion communicating with a chamber provided behind the cover and having an area much smaller than that which is defined by the diameter of the speaker, so that sounds from the speaker are radiated from the sound radiating part through the chamber.

Claims

1. An acoustic device comprising:

a headrest having at least a first hollow inner portion at a side portion thereof, said headrest being mounted on top of a seat;

at least a first speaker mounted within said first hollow portion of said headrest, a sound radiating direction of said speaker being substantially parallel to the central axis of said headrest;

a cover mounted outside said headrest in the sound radiating direction of said first speaker, said cover having a front surface, side surfaces, and reflecting surface, said surfaces being so connected as to form a chamber with said first speaker, said front surface having an axis of orientation which is at an angle other than normal to said sound radiating direction; and

a sound radiating part for altering a frequency response characteristic of said first speaker, said sound radiating part being constituted by an opening in said front surface and having an area substantially smaller than an area which is defined by the diameter of said speaker, said frequency response charcteristic being altered in accordance with the area of said sound radiating part.

2. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound radiating direction of said speaker is substantially horizontal and is to the right or left of the front direction of said chair.

3. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area of said sound radiating part is at most 10% of the area which is defined by the diameter of said speaker.

4. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area of said sound radiating part is at most 5% of the area defined by the diameter of said speaker.

5. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sound radiating part has a plurality of holes.

6. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sound radiating part has one hole.

7. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seat is installed in a vehicle.

8. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said headrest has a second hollow inner portion on a side of said headrest opposite said first hollow inner portion, said acoustic device further comprising a second speaker mounted opposite said first speaker within said second hollow inner portion, and interference preventing means provided between said first and second speakers to prevent said two speakers from interfering with each other.

9. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said interference preventing means are provided in said headrest.

10. An acoustic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said interference preventing means comprises two partition boards.