EP0847660B1 - Greetings card or the like with loudspeaker - Google Patents

Greetings card or the like with loudspeaker Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0847660B1
EP0847660B1 EP96929389A EP96929389A EP0847660B1 EP 0847660 B1 EP0847660 B1 EP 0847660B1 EP 96929389 A EP96929389 A EP 96929389A EP 96929389 A EP96929389 A EP 96929389A EP 0847660 B1 EP0847660 B1 EP 0847660B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
greetings
card
transducer
leaf
panel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP96929389A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0847660A2 (en
Inventor
Henry Azima
Martin Colloms
Neil Harris
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NVF Tech Ltd
Original Assignee
New Transducers Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GBGB9517918.0A external-priority patent/GB9517918D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9522281.6A external-priority patent/GB9522281D0/en
Priority claimed from GBGB9606836.6A external-priority patent/GB9606836D0/en
Application filed by New Transducers Ltd filed Critical New Transducers Ltd
Publication of EP0847660A2 publication Critical patent/EP0847660A2/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0847660B1 publication Critical patent/EP0847660B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/02—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein
    • H04R1/028—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
    • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
    • B42D15/00—Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
    • B42D15/02—Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets
    • B42D15/022—Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R7/00—Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers; Cones
    • H04R7/02—Diaphragms for electromechanical transducers; Cones characterised by the construction
    • H04R7/04—Plane diaphragms
    • H04R7/045—Plane diaphragms 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

Definitions

  • the invention relates to greetings or the like cards.
  • DE-A-3,239,597 of MARCO POLO discloses a greetings card comprising a tone generator.
  • Embodiments of the present invention use members of nature, structure and configuration achievable generally and/or specifically by implementing teachings of our co-pending PCT publication No. WO97/09842 of even date herewith.
  • Such members thus have capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in operative area (5) extending transversely of thickness often but not necessarily to edges of the member(s); are configured with or without anisotropy of bending stiffness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said area(s) beneficially for acoustic coupling with ambient air; and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means, particularly operationally active or moving part(s) thereof effective in relation to acoustic vibrational activity in said area(s) and signals, usually electrical, corresponding to acoustic content of such vibrational activity.
  • This invention is particularly concerned with greetings and the like cards incorporating acoustic devices e.g. in the form of loudspeakers.
  • the term 'greetings card' is intended to encompass analogous cards such, for example as advent calendars and the like.
  • the invention is a greetings or the like card having at least one leaf, characterised by a loudspeaker comprising a board forming a leaf of the card and in that the board is a member having capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in at least one operative area extending transversely of thickness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said at least one area and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means and having a transducer mounted wholly and exclusively on said member at one of said locations or sites to vibrate the member to cause it to resonate forming an acoustic radiator which provides an acoustic output when resonating.
  • the member may have a cellular core sandwiched between skin layers.
  • the member may comprise a core of foamed plastics sandwiched between sheets of craft board.
  • the transducer may be a piezo-electric bender.
  • the bender may be crystalline.
  • the card may comprise a pair of leaves, and means associated with the leaves for triggering actuation of the transducer on movement of one leaf relative to the other leaf.
  • the card may comprise a signal generator, an amplifier and an electric battery on a leaf of the card to drive the transducer.
  • the member may be adapted to receive printed matter.
  • a panel-form loudspeaker (81) of the kind described and claimed in our co-pending International publication No. WO97/09842 of even date herewith comprising a rectangular frame (1) carrying a resilient suspension (3) round its inner periphery which supports a distributed mode sound radiating panel (2).
  • a transducer (9) as described in Figure 4 is mounted wholly and exclusively on or in the panel (2) at a predetermined location defined by dimensions x and y , the position of which location is calculated as described in our co-pending International publication No. W097/09842 of even date herewith, to launch bending waves into the panel to cause the panel to resonate to radiate an acoustic output.
  • the transducer (9) is driven by a signal amplifier (10), e.g. an audio amplifier, connected to the transducer by conductors (28).
  • Figures 2 a and 2 b are partial typical cross-sections through the loudspeaker (81) of Figure 1.
  • Figure 2 a shows that the frame (1), surround (3) and panel (2) are connected together by respective adhesive-bonded joints (20).
  • Suitable materials for the frame include lightweight framing, e.g. picture framing of extruded metal e.g. aluminium alloy or plastics.
  • Suitable surround materials include resilient materials such as foam rubber and foam plastics.
  • Suitable adhesives for the joints (20) include epoxy, acrylic and cyano-acrylate etc. adhesives.
  • Figure 2 b illustrates, to an enlarged scale, that the panel (2) is a rigid lightweight panel having a core (22) e.g. of a rigid plastics foam (97) e.g. cross linked polyvinylchloride or a cellular matrix (98) i.e. a honeycomb matrix of metal foil, plastics or the like, with the cells extending transversely to the plane of the panel, and enclosed by opposed skins (21) e.g. of paper, card, plastics or metal foil or sheet. Where the skins are of plastics, they may be reinforced with fibres e.g. of carbon, glass, Kevlar or the like in a manner known per se to increase their modulus.
  • a core e.g. of a rigid plastics foam (97) e.g. cross linked polyvinylchloride or a cellular matrix (98) i.e. a honeycomb matrix of metal foil, plastics or the like, with the cells extending transversely to the plane of the panel, and enclosed
  • Envisaged skin layer materials and reinforcements thus include carbon, glass, Kevlar (RTM), Nomex (RTM) i.e. aramid etc. fibres in various lays and weaves, as well as paper, bonded paper laminates, melamine, and various synthetic plastics films of high modulus, such as Mylar (RTM), Kaptan (RTM), polycarbonate, phenolic, polyester or related plastics, and fibre reinforced plastics, etc. and metal sheet or foil.
  • Investigation of the Vectra grade of liquid crystal polymer thermoplastics shows that they may be useful for the injection moulding of ultra thin skins or shells of smaller size, say up to around 30cm diameter. This material self forms an orientated crystal structure in the direction of injection, a preferred orientation for the good propagation of treble energy from the driving point to the panel perimeter.
  • Envisaged core layer materials include fabricated honeycombs or corrugations of aluminium alloy sheet or foil, or Kevlar (RTM), Nomex (RTM), plain or bonded papers, and various synthetic plastics films, as well as expanded or foamed plastics or pulp materials, even aerogel metals if of suitably low density.
  • Some suitable core layer materials effectively exhibit usable self-skinning in their manufacture and/or otherwise have enough inherent stiffness for use without lamination between skin layers.
  • a high performance cellular core material is known under the trade name 'Rohacell' which may be suitable as a radiator panel and which is without skins. In practical terms, the aim is for an overall lightness and stiffness suited to a particular purpose, specifically including optimising contributions from core and skin layers and transitions between them.
  • the suspension (3) may damp the edges of the panel (2) to prevent excessive edge movement of the panel. Additionally or alternatively, further damping may be applied, e.g. as patches, bonded to the panel in selected positions to damp excessive movement to distribute resonance equally over the panel.
  • the patches may be of bitumen-based material, as commonly used in conventional loudspeaker enclosures or may be of a resilient or rigid polymeric sheet material. Some materials, notably paper and card, and some cores may be self-damping. Where desired, the damping may be increased in the construction of the panels by employing resiliently setting, rather than rigid setting adhesives.
  • Effective said selective damping includes specific application to the panel including its sheet material of means permanently associated therewith. Edges and corners can be particularly significant for dominant and less dispersed low frequency vibration modes of panels hereof. Edge-wise fixing of damping means can usefully lead to a panel with its said sheet material fully framed, though their corners can often be relatively free, say for desired extension to lower frequency operation. Attachment can be by adhesive or self-adhesive materials. Other forms of useful damping, particularly in terms of more subtle effects and/or mid- and higher frequencies can be by way of suitable mass or masses affixed to the sheet material at predetermined effective medial localised positions of said area.
  • An acoustic panel as described above is bidirectional.
  • the sound energy from the back is not strongly phase related to that from the front. Consequently there is the benefit of overall summation of acoustic power in the room, sound energy of uniform frequency distribution, reduced reflective and standing wave effects and with the advantage of superior reproduction of the natural space and ambience in the reproduced sound recordings.
  • Figure 3 illustrates a greetings or the like card (144) incorporating loudspeaker technology of Figures 1 and 2.
  • the card is in the form of a folded member having a front leaf (145) and a rear leaf (146).
  • At least the rear leaf (146) is made from a composite board consisting of a core (22) of foam plastics sandwiched by skins of craft board (21) to form a rigid lightweight distributed mode acoustic radiator panel (2) of the kind described in Figures 1 and 2.
  • Such composite boards are known under the trade name KAPPABOARD. It has been found that a panel shaped according to the European standard 'A' series is suitable.
  • a transducer (9) as shown in Figure 4 is attached to the rear leaf (146) to vibrate the panel (2) to cause it to resonate to produce an acoustic output.
  • the transducer (9) is driven by a signal generator/amplifier/ battery unit (112) which is actuated by a switch (53) concealed in the fold of the card so as to activate the signal generator when the card is opened.
  • FIG 4 shows a transducer (9) for a distributed mode panel (2) in the form of a crystalline disc-like piezo bender (27) mounted on a disc (118), e.g. of brass, which is bonded to a face of the panel (2), e.g. by an adhesive bond (20).
  • a transducer (9) for a distributed mode panel (2) in the form of a crystalline disc-like piezo bender (27) mounted on a disc (118), e.g. of brass, which is bonded to a face of the panel (2), e.g. by an adhesive bond (20).
  • a transducer (9) via leads (28) will cause the piezo disc (27) to bend and thus locally resiliently deform the panel (2) to launch bending waves into the panel.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Diaphragms For Electromechanical Transducers (AREA)
  • Detergent Compositions (AREA)
  • Fats And Perfumes (AREA)
  • Medicinal Preparation (AREA)
  • Cosmetics (AREA)
  • Paper (AREA)
  • Obtaining Desirable Characteristics In Audible-Bandwidth Transducers (AREA)
  • Structure Of Receivers (AREA)
  • Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)
  • Piezo-Electric Transducers For Audible Bands (AREA)
  • Apparatuses For Generation Of Mechanical Vibrations (AREA)
  • Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)
  • Lubricants (AREA)
  • Polarising Elements (AREA)
EP96929389A 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 Greetings card or the like with loudspeaker Expired - Lifetime EP0847660B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9517918 1995-09-02
GBGB9517918.0A GB9517918D0 (en) 1995-09-02 1995-09-02 Acoustic device
GBGB9522281.6A GB9522281D0 (en) 1995-10-31 1995-10-31 Acoustic device
GB9522281 1995-10-31
GB9606836 1996-03-30
GBGB9606836.6A GB9606836D0 (en) 1996-03-30 1996-03-30 Acoustic device
PCT/GB1996/002144 WO1997009841A2 (en) 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 Greetings or the like card

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0847660A2 EP0847660A2 (en) 1998-06-17
EP0847660B1 true EP0847660B1 (en) 1999-03-10

Family

ID=34865236

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96929389A Expired - Lifetime EP0847660B1 (en) 1995-09-02 1996-09-02 Greetings card or the like with loudspeaker

Country Status (20)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0847660B1 (cs)
JP (1) JPH11512248A (cs)
CN (1) CN1195460A (cs)
AT (1) ATE177575T1 (cs)
AU (1) AU703015B2 (cs)
BR (1) BR9610502A (cs)
CZ (1) CZ58498A3 (cs)
DE (1) DE69601724T2 (cs)
DK (1) DK0847660T3 (cs)
EA (1) EA000859B1 (cs)
ES (1) ES2130847T3 (cs)
HK (1) HK1008596A1 (cs)
HU (1) HUP9900177A3 (cs)
IL (1) IL123485A (cs)
NZ (1) NZ316546A (cs)
PL (1) PL182468B1 (cs)
RO (1) RO119043B1 (cs)
SK (1) SK26598A3 (cs)
TR (1) TR199800360T1 (cs)
WO (1) WO1997009841A2 (cs)

Families Citing this family (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2336072A1 (en) * 1998-06-22 1999-12-29 Slab Technology Limited Loudspeakers
US20010031052A1 (en) * 2000-03-07 2001-10-18 Lock Christopher Colin Noise suppression loudspeaker
US11431312B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2022-08-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10848118B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2020-11-24 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US8284955B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2012-10-09 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US10158337B2 (en) 2004-08-10 2018-12-18 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
GB0510484D0 (en) * 2005-05-24 2005-06-29 New Transducers Ltd Acoustic device
US10069471B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2018-09-04 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US11202161B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2021-12-14 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
US10701505B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2020-06-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc. System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
US10848867B2 (en) 2006-02-07 2020-11-24 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US9264004B2 (en) 2013-06-12 2016-02-16 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for narrow bandwidth digital signal processing
US9883318B2 (en) 2013-06-12 2018-01-30 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for stereo field enhancement in two-channel audio systems
US9906858B2 (en) 2013-10-22 2018-02-27 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing
US9615813B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2017-04-11 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc. Device for wide-band auscultation
US10820883B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2020-11-03 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Noise reduction assembly for auscultation of a body
US10639000B2 (en) 2014-04-16 2020-05-05 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Device for wide-band auscultation
US9564146B2 (en) 2014-08-01 2017-02-07 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for digital signal processing in deep diving environment
US9638672B2 (en) 2015-03-06 2017-05-02 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System and method for acquiring acoustic information from a resonating body
US9906867B2 (en) 2015-11-16 2018-02-27 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Surface acoustic transducer
US9621994B1 (en) 2015-11-16 2017-04-11 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Surface acoustic transducer
CA3096877A1 (en) 2018-04-11 2019-10-17 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc Audio enhanced hearing protection system
WO2020028833A1 (en) 2018-08-02 2020-02-06 Bongiovi Acoustics Llc System, method, and apparatus for generating and digitally processing a head related audio transfer function
DE102020112725A1 (de) 2020-05-11 2021-11-11 Technische Universität Dresden Flexible display-vorrichtung, verfahren zum stabilisieren mindestens einer geometrischen konfiguration einer flexiblen display-vorrichtung, rollbare projektionswand, und verfahren zum stabilisieren einer ausgerollten konfiguration einer rollbaren projektionswand

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3247925A (en) * 1962-03-08 1966-04-26 Lord Corp Loudspeaker
JPS5748153Y2 (cs) * 1977-11-26 1982-10-22
WO1981002215A1 (en) * 1980-02-01 1981-08-06 M Segan Audio-visual message device
DE3239597A1 (de) * 1982-10-26 1984-04-26 Marco Polo Industries & Merchandising Co., Ltd., Kowloon Toenende postkarte
GB2137560A (en) * 1983-03-31 1984-10-10 David Chung Musical greetings card
JPH04226399A (ja) * 1990-05-25 1992-08-17 Ooretsukusu:Kk ボイスメッセージカード
WO1992003024A1 (en) * 1990-08-04 1992-02-20 The Secretary Of State For Defence In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Panel-form loudspeaker

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
RO119043B1 (ro) 2004-02-27
EA000859B1 (ru) 2000-06-26
AU703015B2 (en) 1999-03-11
BR9610502A (pt) 1999-12-21
IL123485A (en) 2001-01-11
HUP9900177A2 (hu) 1999-04-28
WO1997009841A2 (en) 1997-03-13
CZ58498A3 (cs) 1998-08-12
EP0847660A2 (en) 1998-06-17
PL182468B1 (pl) 2002-01-31
PL325273A1 (en) 1998-07-20
IL123485A0 (en) 1998-09-24
JPH11512248A (ja) 1999-10-19
DE69601724D1 (de) 1999-04-15
ATE177575T1 (de) 1999-03-15
TR199800360T1 (xx) 1998-05-21
DE69601724T2 (de) 1999-09-16
HUP9900177A3 (en) 2001-08-28
SK26598A3 (en) 1998-09-09
WO1997009841A3 (en) 1997-05-01
NZ316546A (en) 1998-05-27
ES2130847T3 (es) 1999-07-01
AU6880496A (en) 1997-03-27
EA199800258A1 (ru) 1998-10-29
HK1008596A1 (en) 1999-05-14
DK0847660T3 (da) 1999-09-27
CN1195460A (zh) 1998-10-07

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