Vehicular loudspeaker system

• US 6,356,641 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Transducers Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Transducers Limited (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Parrella, Michael J., Warnaka, Glenn E., Warnaka, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Application Number:
  US08/720,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 381/205, 381/203, 381/188, 381/190, 381/302, 381/87, 381/332, 381/386, 381/389, 381/152, 381/191, 381/173, 381/171, 381/116
• US Class Current: 381/190
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0223 of flat type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/00 Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0043 for integrated articles, i.e. not substantially protruding from the surrounding parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/045 using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion

Abstract

An improved loudspeaker system for a passenger vehicle such as an automobile is disclosed. The system comprises a transducer capable of being excited by applied electric potential and electronic means that is electrically connected to the transducer to apply electric potential thereto. It is a feature of the present invention that the diaphragm driven by the excited transducer is comprised of the headliner of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker system comprising

a piezoelectric element subject to displacement by applied electric potential and having a top side, an under side and an outer perimeter;

a substrate having an upper and lower side, with the upper side of the substrate being joined to the underside of the piezoelectric element;

a diaphragm that is driven by the excited piezoelectric element, said diaphragm being comprised of the headliner of a vehicle;

means to attach the lower side of the substrate directly to the diaphragm; and

means to apply electric potential to the piezoelectric element, wherein said substrate having a larger surface area than the piezoelectric element and having substantially the same rigidity as the piezoelectric element but a greater rigidity than the diaphragm.

2. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 further comprising at least one motion coupler having an upper side and an under side and an outer edge, wherein at least a portion of said outer edge is adjacent to at least a portion of the outer perimeter of the piezoelectric element and the under side of the motion coupler is adjacent to the upper side of the substrate.

3. The loudspeaker system of claim 2 wherein the at least one motion coupler is in one piece which completely surrounds the piezoelectric element.

4. The loudspeaker system of claim 2 wherein the at least one motion coupler is comprised of the same material as the substrate.