EP1371262B1

EP1371262B1 - Speaker arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP1371262B1
Application number: EP02704955A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ian Alexander Hynd; Norman Richard Harris
Original assignee: SFX TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
Current assignee: SFX Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2001-03-10
Filing date: 2002-03-11
Publication date: 2010-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2022-03-11
Also published as: WO2002074006A3; ATE474424T1; DE60237002D1; WO2002074006A2; AU2002238754A1; EP1371262A2; GB0105980D0

Abstract

There is described a speaker arrangement (10) which comprises a sound emitting element which is formed of a standard loudspeaker (11) having a cone (12). The cone (12) is filled with a filling material (13) which is inserted into the interior of the cone (12). There is also described a method of providing display panels, the display panels incorporating an audio player and speaker, the method comprising the steps of supplying and distributing display panels incorporating a speaker, designing and producing panel graphics to be displayed on the display panels, producing and directing audio messages, producing and distributing of the audio messages to a consumer, and updating and replacing the art work on the graphic panels when necessary.

Description

The present invention relates to a speaker arrangement used particularly, but not exclusively, to increase the performance of low cost loudspeakers in concealed or secure applications (such as behind advertising display panels), where a conventional speaker grill cannot be used.
Conventional speaker arrangements for use in such concealed applications (such as behind advertising display panels), must be permanently fixed to the rear surface of the display panel in order to transmit the sound effectively. If not securely fixed, poor sound quality results.
US 4,478,309 describes a loudspeaker arrangement having improved electro-acoustic transducing efficiency. The improvement involves filling a cone of a moving cone loudspeaker with a foamed resin body. A thin sheet of foamed resin of higher rigidity than the foamed resin body is attached to a planar surface of the foamed resin body. In operation of the loudspeaker arrangement the cone, the foamed resin body and the thin sheet of foamed resin move together in the manner of conventional moving cone loudspeakers.
US 4,275,278 describes a loudspeaker arrangement of similar form and function to the arrangement of US 4,478,309 . Thus, the loudspeaker arrangement of US 4,275,278 has a moving cone, a foamed resin body and an outer radiation layer attached to the foamed resin body, all of which move together in the manner of conventional moving cone loudspeakers.
WO 97/09842 describes a loudspeaker arrangement, which in one form has a distributed mode sound radiating panel that is caused to resonate by a moving coil transducer. The moving coil transducer is embedded entirely within the sound radiating panel. The loudspeaker arrangement also has a pistonic drive unit that causes the sound radiating panel to move pistonically.
US 3,861,495 describes a loudspeaker arrangement having a moving cone loudspeaker coupled to a panel by means of styrene transmitter members. Grooves are formed in the panel with the depth of the grooving being used to control a length of a stroke of movement of the panel during operation of the loudspeaker arrangement.
According to the present invention there is provided a speaker arrangement comprising: a sound producing generally planar surface; a filling material, which defines a generally planar surface that abuts the sound producing planar surface; and a sound emitting element, which is operative to produce sound and with which the filling material engages to transmit the sound produced by the sound emitting element to the sound producing planar surface to cause the sound producing planar surface to produce the sound by resonating.
Preferably, an intermediate layer is provided between the planar surface defined by the filling material and the sound producing planar surface.
Preferably, the intermediate layer is formed of silicon grease.
Preferably, the filling material is received into an interior of the sound emitting element.
Preferably, the sound emitting element is in the form of a cone.
Preferably, the planar surface defined by the filling material is at a base of the cone.
Preferably the filling material is formed of one of the following materials: liquids such as water and water based solutions, alcohol (e.g. methanol, ethanol), metals (such as mercury), glycerinates, oils (synthetic, mineral or vegetable); gels such as gelatines, petroleum, silicon, polymeric gels; greases such as silicon, graphite, petroleum; and elastomers such as silicon rubber, natural rubber/latex, PVC, acrylate cross polymers.
Preferably, the filling material is retained within the cone by a membrane which is conjoined to the base of the cone.
Preferably, the membrane is formed of one of the following materials: polypropylene; PVC; styrene; PTFE; natural rubber; silicon rubber; and cellulose.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded schematic perspective view of part of the speaker arrangement of the present invention, viewed from below;
Figure 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of part of the speaker arrangement of Figure 1, viewed from above;
Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of part of the speaker arrangement of the present invention; and
Figure 4 is a schematic cross sectional diagram of one embodiment of the speaker arrangement of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a speaker arrangement 10 which comprises a sound emitting element which is formed of a standard loudspeaker 11 having a cone 12. The cone 12 is filled with a filling material 13 which is inserted into the interior of the cone 12.
The filling material 13 fills the interior of the cone 12 and defines a first planar surface at the base of the cone 12.
The filling material 13 is retained in place by a membrane 14 which is joined to the base end of the cone 12.
The first planar surface abuts against a second planar surface (such as the rear side of a graphic display panel 15) by way of an intermediate layer 16 which is provided between the first planar surface and the second planar surface. The intermediate layer 16 acts to removeably attach the loudspeaker 11 (with the filling material 13 inserted) to the rear of the display panel 15. The loudspeaker 11 may also be permanently attached to the rear of the display panel 15 if desired. The speaker arrangement 10 can also operate with no membrane 14 and/or no intermediate layer 16.
The first planar surface of the filling material 13 can protrude slightly from the base of the cone 12 to define an expansion gap around the perimeter of the base of the cone 12, between the base of the cone 12 and the second planar surface.
The invention has broad applications and alternative uses are envisaged for the loudspeaker 11 having the filling material 13 inserted, for example, instead of being used at the rear of a display panel 15, the loudspeaker 11 could be attached to the rear of wall panels, plasterboard, glass, wood, tiles or any other surface. The loudspeaker 11 with fill material 13 inserted is particularly useful in concealed location where it is preferable that no hole is cut in the mounting surface to hold the speaker and where it is desirable not to have a visible speaker grill, such as for cases where aesthetic or security considerations must be taken into account.
There are many envisaged materials which could be used in the forming of the speaker arrangement 11, some of these are listed below:

The filling material 13 may be formed of one of the following materials:
- Liquids such as water and water based solutions, alcohol (e.g. methanol, ethanol), metals (such as mercury), glycerinates, oils (synthetic, mineral or vegetable);
- gels such as gelatines, petroleum, silicon, polymeric gels; and
- greases such as silicon, graphite, petroleum; and elastomers such as silicon rubber, natural rubber/latex, PVC, acrylate cross polymers.

The intermediate layer 16 may be formed of silicon grease.
The membrane 14 may be formed of one of the following materials:

polypropylene, PVC, styrene, PTFE, rubber (natural or silicon) or cellulose.

The cone 12 may be formed of one of the following materials:

Polypropylene, Mylar, Kevlar, Carbon Fibre, Aluminium, Polycarbonate, Styrene or paper.

The loudspeaker 11 is driven by an amplifier (not shown) which is integrated into circuitry, the circuitry also including an audio input (such as an MP3 player), volume control and a power source. The circuitry can also incorporate further input signals such as signals from activation sensors and signals from a communication device used to update the audio data utilised by the MP3 player.
In use in the specific application of the graphic display panel, the speaker arrangement 10 is connected to the rear of the display panel 15. The loudspeaker 11 is connected to the amplifier (incorporated into the circuitry). Optional sensors can also be connected to the circuitry to provide an interactive element to the display panel 15. For example, the sensors may activate the audio input when they detect the motion of a person passing the display panel 15, detect the touch of a specific area of the display panel or may be set to activate the audio input on a time dependent loop.
The MP3 player on the circuitry is loaded with audio data, such as an advertising trailer. Multiple advertising trailers can be stored for use and different advertising trailers may be loaded to activate corresponding to specific sensors which are activated.
When activated, the MP3 player and the amplifier are adapted, by way of circuitry, to send a signal to the loudspeaker 11 which drives the loudspeaker 11 to emit a sound. This sound passes through the filling material 13, the membrane 14 and the intermediate layer 16 and is transmitted to the display panel 15, which resonates to produce sound.
It has been found that the sound quality of the sound emitted from the resonating display panel 15 when using the loudspeaker 11 filled with the filling material 13 is greatly enhanced over the use of a speaker having no filling material 13, both the bass and the mid range responses are enhanced.
The MP3 audio input used may be substituted for any other suitable form of audio input such as, for example, compact disc, mini-disc or microphone.
Modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

A speaker arrangement (10) comprising: a sound producing generally planar surface (15); a filling material (13), which defines a generally planar surface that abuts the sound producing planar surface; and a sound emitting element (12), which is operative to produce sound and with which the filling material (13) engages to transmit the sound produced by the sound emitting element (12) to the sound producing planar surface (15) to cause the sound producing planar surface to produce the sound by resonating.
An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the sound producing planar surface is defined by one of: a display panel; a wall panel; plasterboard; glass; wood; and a tile.
An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, in which an intermediate layer (16) is provided between the planar surface defined by the filling material and the sound producing planar surface.
An arrangement according to claim 3, in which the intermediate layer is formed of silicon grease.
An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the filling material is received into an interior of the sound emitting element.
An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the sound emitting element is in the form of a cone.
An arrangement according to claim 6, in which the planar surface defined by the filling material is at a base of the cone.
An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the filling material is selected from one of the following materials: liquids; gels; alcohols; oils; greases; and elastomers.
An arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which the filling material is selected from one of the following materials: water; water based solutions; methanol; ethanol; mercury; glycerinates; synthetic oils; mineral oils; vegetable oils; gelatines; petroleum gel; silicon gel; polymeric gels; silicone grease; graphite grease; petroleum grease; silicon rubber; natural rubber/latex; PVC; and acrylate cross polymers.
An arrangement according to any one of claims 6 to 9 when depending from claim 6, in which the filling material is retained within the sound emitting element by a membrane (14).
An arrangement according to claim 10, in which the membrane is formed of one of the following materials: polypropylene; PVC; styrene; PTFE; natural rubber; silicon rubber; and cellulose.