Speaker for vehicle and mounting structure of the speaker

• US 7,177,438 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakashima, Sukeyoshi, Nakamura, Taizo, Kirihara, Karebu, Iwaya, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni; Suhan
• Application Number:
  US10/474,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20040247150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 381/302, 381/86, 381/87, 381/365, 381/386, 381/389, 381/395
• US Class Current: 381/389
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0217 for loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0047 using hidden fastening means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0059 using clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0061 using key-type connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture

Abstract

The present invention relates to a speaker for a vehicle and an installation structure therefor, and it is an object of the invention to enhance the speaker installation rigidity without impairing the acoustic characteristic of the speaker. The speaker installation structure comprises a speaker unit (1) for holding a speaker body (11) and having a plurality of claws (13) and a panel member (3) having an opening (4) and a plurality of slits (5). For the installation of the speaker unit (1), the plurality of claws (13) are inserted into the plurality of slits (5), respectively, and the speaker unit (1) is rotated in its circumferential direction. The opening (4) is made to be smaller than the diameter of a speaker housing (12) and to have at least three linear portions (41). Each of the slits (5) is formed outside the three linear portions (41) and inside an outer circumference of the speaker housing (12).

Claims

1. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle, comprising:

a speaker unit (1) including a speaker housing (12) for holding a speaker body (11), said speaker housing (12) having a plurality of claws (13) formed thereon; and

a panel member (3) having an opening (4) and a plurality of slits (5) made therein,

said plurality of claws (13) being inserted into said plurality of slits (5), respectively, and said speaker unit (1) being mounted on said panel member (3) by rotating said speaker housing (12) in its circumferential direction,

characterized in that said opening (4) has a diameter smaller than a diameter of said speaker housing (12) and has at least three linear portions (41), and each of said plurality of slits (5) is made outside said three linear portions (41) and inside an outer circumference of said speaker housing (12), and a plurality of indentations (14) are made in an outer circumference of said speaker housing (12), and a connector (6) to be connected to a harness terminal (7) for power supply to said speaker body (11) is placed on said speaker housing (12), and an elastic piece (6a), made to be elastically deformed by said panel member (3) in a direction opposite to said panel member (3) when said claws (13) are inserted into said slits (5) and returned to the panel member (3) side when said speaker housing (12) is rotated up to a predetermined position, is formed on said connector (6), with said harness terminal (7) being connectable to said connector (6) only when said elastic piece (6a) is returned to the panel member (3) side.

2. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said claws (13) has an L-shaped cross section and has a tip portion (13a) bent toward the opening (4) side in an installed state of said speaker unit (1) and an arm portion (13b) connecting said tip portion (13a) to said speaker housing (12), and

each of said slits (5) has a first slit portion (51) into which said tip portion (13a) of said claw (13) is inserted and a second slit portion (52) made to accept the insertion of only said arm portion (13b),

after said tip portion (13a) of said claw (13) is inserted into said first slit portion (51), said speaker unit (1) being rotated to shift said arm portion (13b) to the interior of said second slit portion (52) so that said tip portion (13a) is brought close to an edge side of said opening (4).

3. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that a relatively positional relationship between said slits (5) and said linear portions (41) is set so that said claws (13) approach said linear portions (41) at the rotation of said speaker unit (1).

4. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that flanges (44) are formed on an opening edge portion of said opening (4) to protrude toward an opposite side to an installation side of said speaker unit (1).

5. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said indentations (14) are located to be in symmetrical relation to each other with respect to the center of said speaker unit (1).

6. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said speaker body (11) includes:

a speaker cone (11a); and

a cone edge (11b) formed on an outer circumference of said speaker cone (11a),

said speaker housing (12) includes;

a flange (15) made to come into contact with a cone flange (11c) formed on an outer circumferential edge portion of said cone edge (11b); and

an opening (14a) made inside said flange (15) in an axial direction of said speaker housing (12), and

each of said indentations (14) is formed by a first mold (9a) having an extension (91) which extends from said flange (15) through said opening (14a) in an axial direction of said speaker housing (12), with said extension (91) being drawn in an axial direction of said speaker housing (12), and a second mold (9b) extending from said flange (15) in an outer circumferential direction and made to be drawn in an axial direction opposite to said axial direction of the drawing of said first mold (9a).

7. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that a rubber-made sealing member (2) is placed on said speaker housing (12) of mounting side of said panel member (3), and a closing piece (21) is formed on said sealing member (2) for closing said opening (14a).

8. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a harness for power supply is connected to said speaker unit (1), and a clip (17) for fixing said harness is formed on an outer circumferential edge of said speaker housing (12).

9. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that said clip (17) is constructed such that its one end is fixed to an outer circumference of said speaker housing (12) and the other end is an open end, and a projection (18) is formed on the outer circumference of said speaker housing (12) in the vicinity of the one end of said clip (17) to protrude outwardly.

10. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that a tip portion of the other end of said clip (17) is formed into a wedge-like configuration, and said projection (18) is made to have a roundness on the tip portion side of the other end of said clip (17) and a vertical surface on the opposite side thereof.

11. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a protruding portion (6b) is formed on said elastic piece (6a) to protrude toward the panel member (3) side, and a recess portion (31) is made in said panel member (3) to engage with said protruding portion (6b) when said speaker housing (12) is placed at a predetermined position.

12. A speaker installation structure for a vehicle according to claim 11, characterized in that said connector (6) is constructed independently of said speaker housing (12), and at least said elastic piece (6a) is made of a material softer than that of said speaker housing (12).