Speaker grill

• US 7,266,211 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Swerdlow; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/524,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20050286735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 381/391, 381/189, 381/355, 381/337, 381/347, 381/416, 49/50, 181/176, 181/199, D14/210, D14/215, D14/221
• US Class Current: 381/391
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers

Abstract

A speaker grille is disposed in front of a speaker having a diaphragm and reproducing the sounds of 1 kHz and higher. The speaker grille is provided with a sound opening which includes a sound opening portion that opposes a region extending from the edge portion of a diaphragm to the fixing portion o n the outer circumference of the diaphragm of the speaker. The speaker grille offers superior sound characteristics, and at the same time a sufficient mechanical strength.

Claims

1. A speaker arrangement comprising:

a speaker including a speaker diaphragm, and a speaker frame arrangement fixed to said speaker diaphragm about an outer periphery thereof so that said speaker diaphragm spans across an opening in said speaker frame arrangement, a fixing portion of said diaphragm being defined by a boundary at which said diaphragm meets a periphery of said opening of said frame arrangement;

a speaker grille supported by said speaker frame arrangement, said speaker grille having a sound opening therein;

wherein said speaker diaphragm includes a diaphragm center and a diaphragm edge portion and is fixed to said speaker frame arrangement in such a manner as to define a diaphragm vibration plane having a shape that is one of circular and oval;

wherein said speaker grille includes a blocking portion including a center blocking portion arranged so as to oppose said diaphragm center of said diaphragm, and a peripheral blocking portion constituting an outer periphery of said speaker grille and surrounding at least said sound opening;

wherein said sound opening includes an opening portion that is disposed so as to oppose a region of said diaphragm between said fixing portion and said diaphragm edge portion thereof; and

wherein an effective open area provided by said sound opening of said speaker grille is at least 31% and less than 60% of an area of said diaphragm.

2. This speaker arrangement of claim 1, wherein

said opening portion of said sound opening is disposed so as to oppose an outer circumference of said diaphragm edge portion.

3. The speaker arrangement of claim 1, wherein

said sound opening includes an outer boundary that is arc-shaped and parallel with said fixing portion.

4. The speaker arrangement of claim 1, wherein

said sound opening is one of a plurality of sound openings of said speaker grille;

and

said blocking portion comprises reinforcement ribs separating said sound openings.

5. The speaker arrangement of claim 4, wherein

said reinforcement ribs of said blocking portion extend outwardly from said center blocking portion of said blocking portion.

6. The speaker arrangement of claim 4, wherein

said reinforcement ribs of said blocking portion extend radially outwardly from said center blocking portion of said blocking portion.

7. The speaker arrangement of claim 4, wherein

each of said sound openings is an elongated sound opening;

and

said elongated sound openings are disposed so as to extend circumferentially inside of an outer circumference of said diaphragm.

8. A speaker arrangement comprising:

a speaker including a speaker diaphragm, and a speaker frame arrangement fixed to said speaker diaphragm about an outer periphery thereof so that said speaker diaphragm spans across an opening in said speaker frame arrangement, a fixing portion of said diaphragm being defined by a boundary at which said diaphragm meets a periphery of said opening of said frame arrangement; and

a speaker grille supported by said speaker frame arrangement, said speaker grille having a sound opening therein;

wherein said speaker diaphragm includes a diaphragm center and a diaphragm edge portion and is fixed to said speaker frame arrangement in such a manner as to define a diaphragm vibration plane having a shape that is oblong and rounded;

wherein said speaker grille includes a blocking portion including a center blocking portion arranged so as to oppose said diaphragm center of said diaphragm, and a peripheral blocking portion constituting an outer periphery of said speaker grille and surrounding at least said sound opening;

wherein said sound opening includes an opening portion that is disposed so as to oppose a region of said diaphragm between said fixing portion and said diaphragm edge portion thereof; and

wherein an effective open area provided by said sound opening of said speaker grille is at least 22% and less than 60% of an area of said diaphragm.

9. The speaker arrangement of claim 8, wherein

the effective open area provided by said sound opening of said speaker grille is at least 48% and less than 60% of an area of said diaphragm.

10. The speaker arrangement of claim 8, wherein

said sound opening is one of a plurality of sound openings of said speaker grille;

said speaker diaphragm is fixed to said speaker frame arrangement in such a manner as to define a diaphragm vibration plane having a shape that is rounded and oblong so as to have a minor axis, a major axis, shorter sides in a direction of the minor axis, and longer sides in a direction of the major axis; and

said blocking portion includes reinforcement ribs separating said sound openings and extending in the direction of said minor axis of said vibration plane.

11. The speaker arrangement of claim 10, wherein

said reinforcement ribs of said blocking portion extend outwardly from said center blocking portion of said blocking portion.

12. The speaker arrangement of claim 11, wherein

said center blocking portion is elongated along the direction of said major axis of said vibration plane.

13. The speaker arrangement of claim 10, wherein

said center blocking portion is elongated along the direction of said major axis of said vibration plane.

14. The speaker arrangement of claim 10, further comprising

a magnet provided on a surface of said blocking portion opposing said diaphragm.

15. The speaker arrangement of claim 8, wherein

said sound openings is one of two sound openings of said speaker grille;

said speaker diaphragm is fixed to said speaker frame arrangement in such a manner as to define a diaphragm vibration plane having a shape that is rounded and oblong so as to have a minor axis, a major axis, shorter sides in a direction of the minor axis, and longer sides in a direction of the major axis; and

said center blocking portion of said blocking portion constitutes a first rib extending in the direction of said major axis of said vibration plane so as to separate said two sound openings in the direction of said minor axis of said vibration plane.

16. The speaker arrangement of claim 15, wherein

said blocking portion further includes second ribs extending in the direction of said minor axis of said vibration plane;

and

said two sound openings each comprise plural sound opening portions separated by said second ribs.

17. The speaker arrangement of claim 15, further comprising

a magnet provided on a surface of said first rib of said blocking portion so as to oppose said diaphragm.