Speaker and speaker device

• US 6,807,284 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US10/127,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 381/337-339, 381/345-351, 381/161, 381/397, 381/332, 381/335, 381/386, 181/182, 181/184, 181/189, 181/198, 181/156, 181/185, 181/186, 181/187, 181/196, 181/199
• US Class Current: 381/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/021 incorporating only one transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2811 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2842 for loudspeaker transducers

Abstract

A speaker has a very small size and is arranged to emit sound waves in a non-directional manner. The speaker includes a case and a speaker unit attached to a plate provided at an opening of the case. The speaker is arranged so that the speaker unit is mounted or attached to a floor or support surface such that a space formed by the case, the plate and the speaker unit is airtight and so that the back-and-forth motion of a vibrator of the speaker unit generates expansion and contraction of the case.

Claims

1. A speaker device comprising:

a speaker unit a case;

an amplifier main body within the case; and

a plate within the case, wherein the speaker unit, the case and the plate define an airtight space therebetween; and

wherein the speaker unit is arranged to be mounted in the airtight space and on the plate;

the case being arranged to be mounted on a mounting surface, the case having a bottom surface to be placed on the mounting surface, the sneaker unit and the case are arranged such that the case vibrates in response to vibration of the speaker unit and the sound emitted from the speaker is the sound generated by the vibration of the case, the case including at least one port formed in the bottom surface of the case so as to define at least one opening between the mounting surface and the case when the case is mounted on the mounting surface;

wherein

the at least one port is arranged so that air flows between the weaker unit and the mounting surface; and

the amplifier main body is located in front of the speaker unit.

2. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker unit is arranged to face the mounting surface.

3. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the case is made of at least one of wood, rubber, plastic, resin, ceramic, glass and metal.

4. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the case has a shape that is one of cubic, rounded cubic, square, triangular, truncated pyramid and rectangular.

5. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the ports are provided in the bottom surface of the case.

6. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the amplifier main body is arranged to be cooled by the air that flows between the speaker unit and the mounting surface.

7. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the amplifier main body is located closer to the mounting surface than the speaker unit.

8. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker unit faces toward the mounting surface and is arranged relative to the amplifier main body so as to emit sounds through the amplifier main body.

9. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein a gap is provided between the-inner wall surfaces of the case and the amplifier main body such that air generated by the vibration of the speaker unit passes through the gap to cool the interior of the case.

10. The speaker according to claim 9, wherein the gap is arranged to define a load horn for making the sound emitted from the speaker unit pass therethrough.

11. The speaker according to claim 9, wherein the amplifier main body includes heat generating elements which are arranged to face the air generated by the vibration of the speaker unit passing through the gap.

12. The speaker according to claim 9, wherein the air generated by the vibration of the speaker unit passes through the gap, past the amplifier main body and travels to the mounting surface.

13. The speaker device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one port includes a plurality of ports and at least one of the plurality of ports is provided on each wall of the case.