Portable electronic device having a ported speaker enclosure

• US 5,610,992 A
• Filed: 03/17/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hickman, Scott N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US08/405,677
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 381/154, 381/88, 381/159, 381/188, 381/205, 381/24, 181/198, 181/199
• US Class Current: 381/386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

A portable electronic device, such as a portable personal computer, has a ported speaker enclosure. The ported speaker enclosure has a speaker having a front portion and a back portion, where the front portion of the speaker forms a seal with a top surface of the portable electronic device, and the back portion of the speaker is contained in the ported speaker enclosure. An acoustic insulator, such as a gasket, is disposed between the top surface of the portable electronic device and the bosom surface of the ported speaker enclosure, thereby forming one chamber portion on one side of the acoustic insulator and a second chamber portion on the other side of the acoustic insulator. The acoustic insulator has a gap which allows for sound to travel from the first chamber portion to the second chamber portion. A first aperture in the top surface of the portable electronic device allows sound waves to emit from the front portion of the speaker. A second aperture in the top surface of the portable electronic device allows sound waves to emit from the back portion of the speaker through the first chamber portion and the second chamber portion. The sound waves from the front portion of the speaker and the sound waves from the back portion of the speaker are substantially in phase with each other when emitted from the first and second apertures.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device having a first surface, said portable electronic device comprising:

a ported speaker enclosure, said ported speaker enclose comprising;

a speaker having a front portion and a back portion, said front portion of said speaker forming a first seal with said first surface of said portable electronic device, said back portion of said speaker forming a second seal with a second surface of said ported speaker enclosure;

an acoustic insulator disposed between said first surface of said portable electronic device and said second surface of said ported speaker enclosure wherein a first chamber portion is formed on one side of said acoustic insulator and a second chamber portion is formed on the other side of said acoustic insulator, said acoustic insulator having a gap that allows sound to travel from said first chamber portion to said second chamber portion;

said first chamber portion having a first chamber area;

said second chamber portion having a second chamber cross sectional area and a second chamber length;

a first aperture in said first surface of said portable electronic device to allow sound waves to emit from the front portion of said speaker;

a second aperture in said first surface of said portable electronic device to allow sound waves to emit from the back portion of said speaker through said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion;

said sound waves from said front portion of said speaker and said sound waves from said back portion of said speaker being substantially in phase with each other when emitted from the first and second apertures.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said first chamber area is determined from the resonant frequency of said speaker and the equivalent acoustic compliance of said speaker.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said second chamber cross sectional area is determined from the resonant frequency of said speaker and the equivalent acoustic compliance of said speaker.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said second chamber length is determined from the resonant frequency of said speaker and the equivalent acoustic compliance of said speaker.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the portable electronic device is a palmrest.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein said first chamber area is less than 0.75 cubic inches.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein said second chamber cross sectional area is less than 0.08 square inches.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein said second chamber length is less than 1.8 inches.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the maximum power of said speaker is more than 0.8 Watts.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein said acoustic insulator is a gasket.

12. A portable computer having a display, a keyboard, and a palmrest, said portable computer comprising:

a ported speaker enclosure, said porter speaker enclose comprising;

a speaker having a front portion and a back portion, said front portion of said speaker forming a first seal with said palmrest, said back portion of said speaker forming a second seal with a bottom enclosure surface of said ported speaker enclosure;

an acoustic insulator disposed between said palmrest and said bottom enclosure surface of said ported speaker enclosure wherein a first chamber portion is formed on one side of said acoustic insulator and a second chamber portion is formed on the other side of said acoustic insulator, said acoustic insulator having a gap that allows sound to travel from said first chamber portion to said second chamber portion;

said first chamber portion having a first chamber area, wherein said first chamber area is determined from the resonant frequency of said speaker and the equivalent acoustic compliance of said speaker;

said second chamber portion having a second chamber cross sectional area and a second chamber length, wherein said second chamber cross sectional area and second chamber length are determined from the resonant frequency of said speaker and the equivalent acoustic compliance of said speaker;

a first aperture in said palmrest of said portable electronic device to allow sound waves to emit from the front portion of said speaker;

a second aperture in said palmrest of said portable electronic device to allow sound waves to emit from the back portion of said speaker through said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion;

said sound waves from said front portion of said speaker and said sound waves from said back portion of said speaker being substantially in phase with each other when emitted from the first and second apertures.

13. The portable computer of claim 12, wherein said acoustic insulator is a gasket.