Sound guide for speaker and handset for mobile communication using the same

• US 7,627,112 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Sung, Young Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/592,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 37943301-43304, 455/90.3, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 379/433.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/34 by using a single transducer with sound reflecting, diffracting, directing or guiding means specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/402
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

A sound guide for a speaker is capable of guiding a sound of a desired volume to a desired position regardless of installation structure of the speaker. The sound guide for a speaker includes a speaker support for supporting the speaker in a case, and a sound guide groove formed in an inner side of the speaker support, for guiding the direction of the audible signal of the speaker at a predetermined angle. The sound propagation groove has one side coupled with the speaker and other side coupled with a sound propagation hole which is formed in the case. A handset for mobile communication using the sound guide includes a case having a speaker therein, and a sound propagation hole for propagating the audible signal generated by the speaker to outside, wherein the speaker is slanted at a predetermined angle with respect to a front side of the case. Preferably, the sound guide is mounted in an upper side of the speaker to guide the audible signal to the sound propagation hole by directing the audible signal at a predetermined angle.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a body case having a sound propagation hole on a first surface of the mobile communication terminal;

a speaker, provided in the body case, to generate an audible sound; and

a sound guide, provided in the body case, to guide the sound from the speaker to the sound propagation hole along semicircular curved surface the extends from the speaker to the sound propagation hole.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the speaker transmits the sound in a first direction and the sound exits the sound propagation hole in a second direction, the second direction being substantially 90 degrees from the first direction.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the body case includes the first surface having the sound propagation hole and a display screen.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the speaker is positioned above the display screen.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the sound guide includes a speaker support to support the speaker.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the sound guide includes a sound guide groove.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the sound guide groove has one end coupled to the speaker and another end coupled to the sound propagation hole.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the sound guide is formed of a prescribed thickness so as to not generate vibration.

9. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising a sound chamber between the speaker and the sound propagation hole.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the sound guide is made of a rubber material.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the sound guide is formed from a single piece of the rubber material.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the sound guide is configured to minimize vibration of the case.

13. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising a filter between the sound propagation hole and the speaker.

14. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the body case is a rigid single body case that supports the speaker, the sound guide and a display screen.

15. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the speaker is provided in the rigid single body case between the sound propagation hole and the display screen.

16. The terminal of claim 14, wherein the speaker is provided in the rigid single body case at an angle other than 0 degrees and 180 degrees relative to the first surface.

17. A mobile communication terminal comprising:

a rigid body case having a sound propagation hole on a first surface of the mobile communication terminal;

a display device having a display screen on the first surface of the mobile communication terminal;

a speaker, provided in the rigid body case, to generate an audible sound, the speaker provided in an area of the mobile communication terminal above the display device; and

a sound guide, provided in the rigid body case, to guide the sound from the speaker to the sound propagation hole.

18. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the area of the speaker is between the sound propagation hole and the display device.

19. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the speaker transmits the sound in a first direction and the sound exits the sound propagation hole in a second direction, the second direction being substantially 90 degrees from the first direction.

20. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the rigid body case includes the first surface having the sound propagation hole and a display screen of the display device.

21. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the sound guide includes a speaker support to support the speaker.

22. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the sound guide includes a sound guide groove.

23. The terminal of claim 22, wherein the sound guide groove has one end coupled to the speaker and another end coupled to the sound propagation hole.

24. The terminal of claim 22, wherein the sound guide groove guides the sound from the speaker to the sound propagation hole along a curved surface.

25. The terminal of claim 22, wherein the sound guide groove guides the sound from the speaker to the sound propagation hole along a semicircular curved surface that extends from the speaker to the sound propagation hole.

26. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising a sound chamber between the speaker and the sound propagation hole.

27. The terminal of claim 26, wherein the sound guide comprises a single piece of the rubber material.

28. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the sound guide comprises a rubber material.

29. The terminal of claim 17, further comprising a filter between the sound propagation hole and the speaker.

30. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the body case is a rigid single body case that supports the display screen, the speaker, and the sound guide.

31. The terminal of claim 30, wherein the speaker is provided in the rigid single body case between the sound propagation hole and the display screen.

32. The terminal of claim 30, wherein the speaker is provided in the rigid single body case at an angle other than 0 degrees and 180 degrees relative to the first surface.