EP3917159A2 - Acoustic horn for generic system - Google Patents

Abstract

Acoustic horn (75) arranged to be fixed between a casing (23) of an enclosure and an external envelope (70), the horn having a shape and / or dimensions which depend on the external envelope, the acoustic horn being arranged so that when the acoustic horn, the cabinet and the outer casing are assembled, its underside is in contact with the casing so that the lower edge surrounds a membrane of the speaker, and its upper side is in contact with the outer casing so that the set of at least one hole of the outer casing is inside a surface delimited by the upper edge, the flag thus being arranged so that its inner lateral surface guides outwardly via the set of at least one hole in the outer envelope of the sounds produced by the loudspeaker.

Description

The invention relates to the field of acoustic speakers, and in particular to speakers comprising several speakers and integrated in electronic equipment of the decoder box type.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a multitude of loudspeakers on the market which each incorporate a plurality of loudspeakers. The plurality of loudspeakers comprises for example a treble loudspeaker (or tweeter ), a bass loudspeaker also called a low frequency loudspeaker (or woofer ), a medium frequency loudspeaker (or midrange) , etc. Playback can be active, when the loudspeaker is fitted with a motor, or else passive. Some loudspeakers are said to be full range, because they cover all (or almost all) audible frequencies thanks to these loudspeakers.

Today we are witnessing the marketing of decoder boxes in which are integrated an electronic module fulfilling the function of digital television decoder, as well as a plurality of loudspeakers. The decoder uses the speakers to reproduce an audio stream. Other functions can be implemented in the set-top box, for example voice recognition and voice assistant functions.

This integration raises many difficulties which are not solved in the products that we find on the market today. Set-top boxes are generally bulky. Certain set-top boxes incorporating loudspeakers are thus too large to fit near a television. The performance of the acoustic restitution are generally disappointing. The price of the set-top box is often very high.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to reduce the cost and improve the acoustic performance of equipment in which an acoustic enclosure is integrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With a view to achieving this aim, an acoustic horn is proposed which is designed to be fixed between a casing of a generic acoustic enclosure in which at least one loudspeaker is integrated, and an external envelope capable of at least partially covering the casing, the outer casing comprising a set of at least one hole and being capable of having a different shape and / or dimensions, the acoustic horn having a shape and / or dimensions which depend on the shape and / or dimensions of the 'outer casing, the acoustic horn comprising an upper face, a lower face, and an internal side surface defining a through cavity formed in a thickness of the horn and having an upper edge defined on the upper face and a lower edge defined on the lower face , the acoustic horn being arranged so that, when the acoustic horn, the box and the outer casing are assembled, the underside is con tact with the cabinet so that the bottom edge surrounds a speaker membrane, and the top face is in contact with the outer casing so that the set of at least one hole in the outer casing sits within the interior of a surface delimited by the upper edge, the roof being thus arranged so that the internal lateral surface guides towards the outside via the set of at least one hole of the external casing of the sounds produced by the speaker.

The acoustic horn according to the invention therefore makes it possible, thanks to its shape and / or its dimensions adapted to the external envelope, to guide the sounds produced by the loudspeaker directly towards the outside, without modifying the box. depending on the shape and / or dimensions of the outer casing. The acoustic reproduction of the generic acoustic enclosure, and therefore of the equipment incorporating said enclosure, is excellent regardless of the external envelope. The loudspeaker can therefore, thanks to the use of one or more acoustic horns (depending on the number of loudspeakers), be used without modification in equipment of different design , changes in design resulting in particular from modifications of the shape and / or dimensions of the outer casing. This generic and therefore reusable nature of the acoustic enclosure, obtained by virtue of the acoustic horn according to the invention, makes it possible to significantly reduce the cost of the equipment.

An acoustic horn such as that which has just been described is also proposed, in which the lower edge of the through cavity is arranged to be tangent to a circumference of the speaker membrane at any point thereof.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, in which the through cavity widens from the lower edge towards the upper edge to guide the sounds towards at least a first direction.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, in which at least a first portion of the internal lateral surface, through which the first direction passes, has a hyperbolic shape. when viewed in section in a first plane parallel to the thickness of the acoustic horn and including the first direction.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, in which at least a second portion of the internal lateral surface, through which passes a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, has a straight shape and inclined towards the upper edge when viewed in section in a second plane parallel to the thickness of the acoustic horn and including the second direction.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, the acoustic horn having a shape symmetrical with respect to a first plane parallel to the thickness of the horn and including the first direction, with the exception of its means. for fixing to the box which are not necessarily symmetrical with respect to said foreground.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, in which the first direction is a horizontal direction and towards the front when the acoustic horn is mounted on the box.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, comprising at least one cover recess, opening out at the level of the lower face and intended to cover a head of a first screw used to fix only the upper part. speaker to the box.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, comprising at least one fixing recess, made in the internal lateral surface to open out at the level of the upper face of the acoustic horn, and intended to accommodate a head of a second screws to secure both the acoustic horn and the loudspeaker to the cabinet.

An acoustic horn such as that which has just been described is furthermore proposed, further comprising at least one plugging part intended to plug the fixing recess when the acoustic horn and the loudspeaker have been fixed to the box.

We also propose an acoustic horn such as that which has just been described, comprising a first part and a second part superimposed in the thickness of the acoustic horn, the first part being made of rigid plastic and being a generic part, and the first part being made of rigid plastic. second part being made of rubber and having a shape and / or dimensions which depend on the shape and / or dimensions of the outer casing.

Equipment is also proposed comprising a generic acoustic enclosure comprising the box, as well as the acoustic horn which has just been described and the external envelope.

Equipment such as that which has just been described is also proposed, the equipment being a decoder box integrating the generic acoustic enclosure.

• utiliser au moins une première vis pour fixer le haut-parleur au caisson de l'enceinte acoustique générique ;
• positionner le pavillon contre le caisson, de sorte que la face inférieure du pavillon soit en contact avec le caisson et que le bord inférieur entoure une membrane du haut-parleur ;
• utiliser au moins une deuxième vis pour fixer à la fois le pavillon acoustique et le haut-parleur au caisson.

A method of assembling the equipment which has just been described is also proposed, comprising the successive steps of:

• using at least a first screw to secure the speaker to the generic speaker cabinet;
• positioning the horn against the box, so that the underside of the horn is in contact with the box and that the lower edge surrounds a membrane of the speaker;
• use at least a second screw to secure to the both the acoustic horn and the loudspeaker in the box.

An assembly method as described above is also proposed, the acoustic horn comprising at least one cover recess opening out at the level of the lower face, and at least one fixing recess made in the internal lateral surface to open out at the level of the upper face, the assembly method being such that, when the loudspeaker and the acoustic horn are mounted, the first screw is covered by the cover recess and the head of the second screw is positioned in the recess of fixation.

An assembly method as previously described is further provided, in which the housing comprises a visual indicator arranged to show the location of the first screw to be screwed in first to secure only the loudspeaker.

The invention will be better understood in the light of the following description of a particular non-limiting embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

• [Fig. 1] la figure 1 représente une vue en perspective et de derrière d'un boîtier décodeur intégrant l'enceinte acoustique ;
• [Fig. 2] la figure 2 est une vue en éclaté du boîtier décodeur ;
• [Fig. 3] la figure 3 est une vue en perspective et de dessus d'un décodeur de télévision numérique et de l'enceinte acoustique ;
• [Fig. 4] la figure 4 est une vue en perspective et de dessus de l'enceinte acoustique ;
• [Fig. 5] la figure 5 est une vue semblable à la figure 4, l'enceinte étant vue de face et légèrement de dessus ; [Fig. 6] la figure 6 est une vue de dessous d'une portion principale du caisson ;
• [Fig. 7] la figure 7 représente le premier connecteur et le deuxième connecteur ;
• [Fig. 8] la figure 8 est une vue en perspective du boîtier décodeur, sans le contour décoratif ;
• [Fig. 9] la figure 9 est une vue de dessus de l'enceinte acoustique et de l'enveloppe externe ;
• [Fig. 10] la figure 10 représente différents designs de l'équipement ;
• [Fig. 11] la figure 11 est une vue en coupe dans un plan horizontal d'une première chambre acoustique et de l'enveloppe externe ;
• [Fig. 12] la figure 12 est une vue de détail en perspective et de dessus de l'enceinte acoustique, d'un pavillon acoustique et de l'enveloppe externe ;
• [Fig. 13] la figure 13 est une vue en perspective d'un pavillon acoustique ;
• [Fig. 14] la figure 14 comprend une vue de dessus du pavillon acoustique ainsi que des vues en coupe selon un plan P1 et un plan P2 ;
• [Fig. 15] la figure 15 représente une membrane d'un haut-parleur et des vis sur le caisson ;
• [Fig. 16] la figure 16 est une vue similaire à la figure 15, sur laquelle le pavillon est représenté ;
• [Fig. 17] la figure 17 est une vue similaire à la figure 13, le pavillon comprenant une lèvre en caoutchouc ;
• [Fig. 18] la figure 18 est une vue similaire à la figure 14, avec le pavillon de la figure 17.

Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, among which:

• [ Fig. 1 ] the figure 1 shows a perspective view from behind of a set-top box incorporating the loudspeaker;
• [ Fig. 2 ] the figure 2 is an exploded view of the set-top box;
• [ Fig. 3 ] the figure 3 is a perspective and top view of a digital television decoder and the loudspeaker;
• [ Fig. 4 ] the figure 4 is a perspective and top view of the loudspeaker;
• [ Fig. 5 ] the figure 5 is a view similar to the figure 4 , the enclosure being seen from the front and slightly from above; [ Fig. 6 ] the figure 6 is a bottom view of a main portion of the box;
• [ Fig. 7 ] the figure 7 represents the first connector and the second connector;
• [ Fig. 8 ] the figure 8 is a perspective view of the set-top box, without the decorative outline;
• [ Fig. 9 ] the figure 9 is a top view of the acoustic enclosure and of the outer casing;
• [ Fig. 10 ] the figure 10 represents different designs of the equipment;
• [ Fig. 11 ] the figure 11 is a sectional view in a horizontal plane of a first acoustic chamber and the outer casing;
• [ Fig. 12 ] the figure 12 is a detail perspective view from above of the loudspeaker, of an acoustic horn and of the outer casing;
• [ Fig. 13 ] the figure 13 is a perspective view of an acoustic pavilion;
• [ Fig. 14 ] the figure 14 comprises a top view of the acoustic horn as well as sectional views along a plane P1 and a plane P2;
• [ Fig. 15 ] the figure 15 represents a membrane of a loudspeaker and screws on the cabinet;
• [ Fig. 16 ] the figure 16 is a view similar to figure 15 , on which the flag is represented;
• [ Fig. 17 ] the figure 17 is a view similar to figure 13 , the roof comprising a rubber lip;
• [ Fig. 18 ] the figure 18 is a view similar to figure 14 , with the flag of the figure 17 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to figures 1 to 3 , the invention is implemented in modular equipment 1 which comprises a generic acoustic enclosure 2.

By “modular” is meant that the equipment 1 comprises, in addition to the acoustic enclosure 2, one or more other distinct additional modules, comprising at least one electronic module, which are integrated with the acoustic enclosure 2 to form the equipment. 1. It is therefore possible, by using different additional modules, to obtain different types of equipment with different functionalities and / or external design , and which all incorporate the same loudspeaker 2.

The term “generic” is understood to mean that the acoustic enclosure 2 can be associated with this or these additional module (s) without it being necessary to make any modifications to the acoustic enclosure 2, in order to obtain the different types of equipment.

The equipment 1 comprises in this case, in addition to the acoustic enclosure 2, a first additional module 3 and a second additional module 4.

The first additional module 3 corresponds to the upper part of the equipment 1, the second additional module 4 corresponds to the lower part of the equipment 1, and the loudspeaker 2 is positioned between the first additional module 3 and the second module additional 4.

The equipment 1 has the general shape of a parallelepiped whose corners are rounded and which has an upper face 5, a lower face 6 and four side faces: a front face 7, a rear face 8, a left face 9 and a right face 10.

The first additional module 3 comprises a top cover 12 and an additional electronic module which is a digital television decoder 14.

The top cover 12 forms the top face 5 of the equipment 1. Threaded studs 15 are formed near the corners of the top cover 12 and extend vertically from an inner wall of the top cover 12.

The first additional module 3 further comprises electronic cards and electronic components which are mounted on the electronic cards and which implement a plurality of functions, and in particular the conventional functions of a digital television decoder: acquisition of audio streams / video, stream processing, etc.

The electronic components also perform the function of voice recognition and the function of voice assistant with decoding functionality. The voice assistant function uses speaker 2.

Of course, some of these electronic components (microcontrollers, processors, programmable logic circuits, etc.) are capable of executing programs making it possible to perform the functions which have just been mentioned.

The electronic components include in particular connectors 16 making it possible in particular to connect the decoder 14 of the first additional module 3 to a television, to the network, to the sector, etc. The electronic components also include microphones for implementing voice recognition, a user interface comprising light displays and buttons, an infrared module which makes it possible to control the equipment 1 using a remote control, etc.

The electronic boards comprise a main board 17, mounted under the upper cover 12 parallel to the latter and near the internal wall of the upper cover 12, as well as a secondary board 18 positioned at an upper portion of the face. before 7 of the equipment 1. The secondary card 18 comprises in particular electronic components for implementing the user interface.

The second additional module 4 comprises a support plate 20 forming the lower face 6 of the equipment 1 and comprising feet on which the equipment 1 rests when it is placed.

With reference to figures 4 to 6 , the acoustic enclosure 2, for its part, firstly comprises a box 23 which also has the general shape of a parallelepiped or a trapezoidal shape, and the corners of which are rounded, and which has an upper face 24, a lower face 25 and four side faces: a front face 26, a rear face 27, a left face 28 and a right face 29 (these faces correspond to the equivalent faces of the equipment 1).

A front disbursement 30 is formed on the upper part of the front face 26 of the casing 23, to integrate the secondary card 18. A rear disbursement 31 is formed on the rear part of the upper face 24 of the casing 23, to integrate the connectors 16. .

Tabs 33, each comprising a hole, extend horizontally from the side faces of the box 23 near the corners of the box 23. When the first additional module 3 and the loudspeaker 2 are assembled, the threaded studs 15 of the top cover 12 of the first additional module 3 are placed on the tabs 33, and screws are screwed under the tabs 33 in the threaded studs 15 to fix the first additional module 3 to the loudspeaker 2.

The box 23 comprises a main portion 34 comprising the upper face 24 and the side faces of the box 23, and a lower cover 35 which closes the box 23 and which forms the lower face 25 of the box 23. The box 23 is therefore open at the level of its lower face 25 when the lower cover 35 is not positioned on the main portion 34 of the box 23.

The casing 23 has a groove 36 which extends along the lower surface of its side faces, against which the lower cover 35 is placed to close the casing 23. The groove 36 also extends along the lower surface of the casings. internal walls which will be described below. The seal between the main portion 34 of the box 23 and the lower cover 35 of the box 23 is provided by a seal 37 deposited in the groove 36.

The main portion 34 of the box 23 comprises a plurality of threaded studs 38 which extend vertically from a bottom of the main portion 35, that is to say from an internal wall of the upper face 24 of the box 23. Screws 39 extend through the lower cover 35 and are screwed into the threaded studs 38, which makes it possible to fix the lower cover 35 to the box 23 to close the box 23, and to compress the gasket 37 to ensure the seal between the main portion 34 of the box 23 and the lower cover 35. Note that the seal between the main portion 34 of the box 23 and the lower cover 35 could have been provided by other means, for example by assembling the main portion 34 of the box 23 and the lower cover 35 by welding or gluing.

The box 23 further comprises internal partitions 40 which extend vertically from the bottom of the main portion 34, that is to say from the internal wall of the upper face 24 of the box 23. The internal partitions 40 define a plurality of sealed acoustic chambers, distinct and separated from each other by said internal partitions 40, each acoustic chamber comprising an orifice opening out towards the outside of the box in a different direction. The sealing between the chambers is ensured by the internal partitions 40 and by the seal 37 deposited in the groove 36 which has just been mentioned.

Four acoustic chambers are defined here in the box 23.

The four acoustic chambers include three first acoustic chambers 41 and a second acoustic chamber 42. Each first acoustic chamber 41 occupies a first volume. The second acoustic chamber 42 occupies a second volume greater than each of the first volumes. The second acoustic chamber is a central chamber, that is to say it includes a central portion of the box. The second volume of the second acoustic chamber 42 corresponds to the entire internal volume of the box 23 except for the first volumes of the first acoustic chambers 41.

Each first acoustic chamber 41 comprises a first orifice 43 which opens outwards at the level of a separate lateral face of the box 23. The first three acoustic chambers 41 comprise a first front acoustic chamber 41a comprising a first front orifice 43a opening towards the 'outside at the level of the front face 26 of the box 23, a first left acoustic chamber 41b comprising a first left orifice 43b opening outwards at the level of the left face 28 of the box 23, and a first right acoustic chamber 41c comprising a first right orifice 43c opening outwards at the level of the right face 29 of the box 23.

The second acoustic chamber 42 comprises a second orifice 44, positioned in the central portion of the box 23, which opens outwards at the level of a non-lateral face, which is the upper face 24 or the lower face 25 of the box 23. The non-lateral face is in this case the upper face 24 of the box 23.

The second acoustic chamber 42 comprises a third orifice 45 which opens outwards at the level of a face opposite the non-lateral face, that is to say here at the level of the lower face 25 of the box 23. The third orifice 45 is made in the lower cover 35 of the box 23.

It can be seen that the second orifice 44 and the third orifice 45 of the second acoustic chamber 42 are offset with respect to one another along a length or a width of the box 23, here along a length of the box 23 (by "length ”Means the dimension of the box 23 between its front face 26 and its rear face 27).

The preferred embodiment of the box 23 is plastic injection, which makes it possible to obtain complex shapes economically.

The acoustic enclosure 2 comprises a plurality of loudspeakers each comprising a membrane, each loudspeaker being integrated into one of the acoustic chambers so that the membrane of said loudspeaker extends at the level of an orifice of said orifice. acoustic chamber.

The enclosure therefore comprises a plurality of first loudspeakers 47 each integrated in a first chamber. acoustic 41 of the box 23, as well as a second loudspeaker 48 integrated into the second acoustic chamber 42, and a third loudspeaker 49 also integrated into the second acoustic chamber 42.

The first loudspeakers 47 include a first front loudspeaker 47a integrated in the first front acoustic chamber 41a, a first left loudspeaker 47b integrated in the first left acoustic chamber 41b, and a first right loudspeaker 47c integrated in the first right acoustic chamber 41c. The membrane 48 of each first loudspeaker 47 extends at the level of the first orifice 43 of the associated first acoustic chamber 41.

The first three loudspeakers 47 are identical.

The second loudspeaker 49, the membrane 50 of which extends at the level of the second orifice 44 of the second acoustic chamber 42, is a bass loudspeaker 49 also called a low frequency loudspeaker, that is to say. say a woofer. The third loudspeaker 51 (visible on the figure 1 ) is a passive radiator 51, the membrane 52 of which extends at the level of the third orifice 45 of the second acoustic chamber 42.

It is noted that the circumference of the membrane of each loudspeaker coincides, or at least extends in the immediate vicinity of the edge of the orifice of the associated acoustic chamber. The interface between the membrane and the orifice is sealed, so that the acoustic chamber is perfectly sealed when the associated loudspeaker is mounted.

Here, the audio sources requiring a smaller audio volume to operate, that is to say the first loudspeakers 47, are therefore integrated into the first acoustic chambers 41 and are thus separated from the main volume, that is to say - say of the second acoustic chamber 42, by the internal partitions 40, in order to create separate acoustic chambers. This configuration makes it possible to avoid interference between the different channels, which would be likely to occur if the different channels shared a common volume of air in the same acoustic chamber. Indeed, the first three loudspeakers 47 (front, left and right) are identical, and therefore reproduce the same frequency ranges (unlike a configuration with several loudspeakers in a "conventional" enclosure which reproduce only 'single channel), which makes them particularly susceptible to cross interference.

It should be noted that the positioning and orientation of the acoustic chambers correspond to an optimization of the acoustics for the customer. Thus, the left orifice and the right orifice are oriented slightly forward (towards the user), so that these orifices are as close as possible to the outside of the equipment 1, whatever or the design of the equipment 1. The first front acoustic chamber 41a corresponds to the central channel.

The basses occupy the rest of the volume, that is to say the second acoustic chamber 42.

The second acoustic chamber 42 therefore comprises the bass loudspeaker ( woofer ) 49 and the passive radiator 51. The passive radiator 51 makes it possible to reinforce the bass even more. The bass speaker 49 opens onto the upper face 24 of the box 23 and the passive radiator on the underside 25 of the box 23. The reverse configuration, with the bass speaker 49 opening onto the underside 25 of the box 23 and the passive radiator 51 opening onto the upper face 24 of the box 23, is of course also possible. The woofer 49 and the passive radiator 51 are therefore in opposition, one upwards and the other downwards. This configuration makes it possible to limit the mechanical pumping effect which could result from the combined presence of the bass speaker 49 and of the passive radiator 51, and therefore to limit the vibrations of the equipment 1.

We have seen that the second orifice 44 and the third orifice 45 of the second acoustic chamber 42 are offset with respect to each other along the length of the box 23. The position of the passive radiator 51 is therefore not exactly aligned. with that of the subwoofer 49, that is to say that one is not exactly above the other in the box 23. This offset makes it possible to limit the height of the box 23 and therefore equipment 1. Indeed, since the passive radiator 51 has both inward and outward travel, if the passive radiator 51 and the woofer 49 were aligned, an additional thickness would be. necessary to allow the movement of the passive radiator 51.

The use of the passive radiator 51 is optional. When it is decided not to integrate a passive radiator 51 into the equipment 1, the third orifice 45 made in the lower cover 35 of the box 23 is blocked. Two versions of the tool for injecting the plastic part constituting the lower cover 35 are thus used: a first tool for the version without passive radiator 51 and a second tool for the version with passive radiator 51.

Here, the second orifice 44 extends to the bottom of a first disbursement 54 formed in an outer wall of the upper face 24 of the box 23. Likewise, the third orifice 45 is positioned at the bottom of a second disbursement 55 formed in an outer wall of the lower face 25. We allow thus the external displacement of the membrane 50 of the bass loudspeaker 49 and of the membrane 52 of the passive radiator 51 without the latter coming into contact with the parts located above and below.

Note that the first disbursement 54 or the second disbursement 55, here the second disbursement 55, can be defined between the feet of the equipment 1. Such a configuration makes it possible to obtain a design in which at least one of the membranes of the bass speaker 49 and passive radiator 51 is visible from the outside.

Stiffening ribs 57 are formed in an internal wall of an upper face and / or a lower face of the box, in this case here in the internal wall of the upper face 24 of the box 23. In fact, the vibrations at low frequencies, produced mainly by the bass loudspeaker 49 and the passive radiator 51, can create distortions of the plastic parts forming the box 23, which could result in the loss of the sealing of the loudspeaker 2. The stiffening ribs 57 make it possible to overcome this problem by stiffening the assembly. The stiffening ribs 57 are positioned according to the results of digital simulations of the deformation of the parts using software for the resistance of materials calculated by finite elements.

The arrangement of the loudspeakers and their integration into the acoustic enclosure 2 makes it possible to obtain a spatialization of the sound, which, coupled with algorithms, makes it possible to obtain an acoustic rendering comparable to that of a more complex and expensive system. . The loudspeaker 2 is thus compatible with the DOLBY ATMOS specification.

The loudspeakers of the acoustic enclosure 2 are electrically connected to the main board 17 of the first additional module 3 (that is to say of the digital television decoder 14).

This electrical connection is made as follows.

With reference to the figure 7 , a first connector 60 is mounted on the box 23, here on the upper face 24 of the box 23. The first connector 60 is a female connector whose contacts are receiving pads 61 intended to cooperate with Pogo pins. The term “Pogo pin” is understood to mean a pin comprising a spring-loaded piston.

Electric wires 62 (visible on the figure 6 ), passing through the box 23, connect the loudspeakers to the first connector 60. Each of these electric wires 62 has one end connected to a loudspeaker and another end soldered to a reception area 61 of the first connector 60.

A second connector 63 is mounted on a lower face of the main board 17 of the decoder 14. The second connector 63 is a male connector comprising Pogo pins 64.

When the equipment 1 is assembled, the main board 17 of the decoder 14 is mounted on the upper face 24 of the box 23, and the first connector 60 is connected to the second connector 63. The Pogo pins 64 of the second connector 63 are thus in contact. with the reception areas 61 of the first connector 60, which makes it possible to establish an electrical connection between the main board 17 of the decoder 14 and the loudspeakers.

A gasket 66 is applied over the entire circumference of the first connector 60, so that the first connector 60 is mounted in a sealed manner on the casing 23.

This solution is very advantageous. In particular, this solution makes it possible not to use cables for connect the loudspeaker 2 to the decoder. The use of cables in fact presents several drawbacks. Cables require complicated mounting for assembly. The cables present an increased risk of acoustic leakage at the exit of the cables from the loudspeaker.

It should of course be noted that it would of course be possible to provide the acoustic enclosure with several first connectors, possibly positioned on different sides of the box, and in particular in the case where the equipment comprises not one but several additional electronic modules.

With reference to figures 8 and 9 , the equipment 1 comprises an outer casing 70 which at least partially covers the casing 23. Here, the outer casing 70 surrounds and covers the side faces of the casing 23. The outer casing 70 is made of a rigid plastic but could be manufactured in any type of material, rigid or not. The outer casing 70 is covered with an acoustic fabric. The outer casing 70 is itself covered with a decorative outline 73 (visible on the figure 1 ).

The outer casing 70 comprises sets of at least one hole 71, each set of at least one hole 71 comprising one or more holes, here several holes. Each set of holes 71 is intended to be positioned facing the membrane of a first loudspeaker 47 when the outer casing 70 is mounted around the side faces of the box 23. The sets of holes 71 make it possible to exit towards the body. outside the sounds generated by the first speakers.

Here, there is in front of each first loudspeaker 47 a set of holes 71. The holes of a set of holes 71 are arranged in a honeycomb network, which maximizes the number of holes in a set of holes 71 while stiffening the outer casing 70 at the level of the set of holes 71.

We therefore have a set of holes 71 positioned facing the first front speaker 47a, a set of holes 71 positioned facing the first left speaker 47b, and a set of holes 71 positioned facing the first right speaker 47c. The outer casing 70 also comprises a set of holes 71 positioned opposite the rear face 27 of the box 23.

The sounds produced by the bass speaker 49 are guided between the first additional module 3 and the box 23 towards the rear face 27 of the box 23 and towards the set of holes 71 positioned opposite the rear face 27 of the box 23 Likewise, the sounds produced by the passive radiator 51 are guided between the second additional module 4 and the box 23 towards the rear face 27 of the box 23 and towards the set of holes 71 positioned opposite the rear face 27 of the box. 23.

This guidance is not uniform over the entire surface of the box because of the front disbursement 30 and the rear disbursement 31.

Unlike the loudspeaker 2 and the box 23 which are generic, and which can be integrated into different equipment having different design, the external envelope 70 can have a different shape and / or dimensions to give a particular equipment its own. design. We can see on the figure 10 a plurality of items of equipment 1a, 1b, 1c which each incorporate an identical acoustic enclosure 2, and the external shape of which is conferred, at least at the level of the lateral faces of the equipment, by the external casing 70.

The loudspeaker 2, and in particular the box 23, is therefore sized to be compatible with different shapes and dimensions of the equipment 1. The contours of the box 23 have therefore been drawn to fit into the smallest design, or one which has the largest radii of curvature.

Particularly compact equipment 1 can thus be obtained, which integrates the acoustic enclosure 2 comprising the five loudspeakers as well as the decoder 14 in a total volume of less than 200mmx200mmx70mm (whereas a single decoder has a thickness typically close to 25mm) .

With reference to the figure 11 , it is possible however, and in particular when the outer dimensions of the outer casing 70 are large or when the radius of curvature of the outer casing 70 is small, that the distances between the first orifices 43 of the first acoustic chambers 41 (and therefore the membranes 48 of the first loudspeakers 47) and the sets of holes 71 of the outer casing 70 are relatively large. These distances create cavities 74 which are detrimental to the acoustic performance perceived by the user, the sounds being able to propagate between the box 23 and the outer casing 70.

With reference to the figure 12 , this difference is compensated by adding an additional, optional part between the membrane 48 of each first loudspeaker 47 and the outer casing 70. These parts are acoustic horns 75, the role of which is to avoid the previously mentioned cavity. and guide the sound to the outside of the product.

With reference to figures 13 and 14 , each acoustic horn 75 has a shape and / or dimensions which depend on the shape and / or dimensions of the outer casing 70. This is for example the thickness e of the horn acoustic which depends on the shape and / or dimensions of the external envelope.

An acoustic horn 75 intended to be mounted between the first left speaker 47b or the first right speaker 47c and the outer casing 70 is described.

The acoustic horn 75 comprises an upper face 76, a lower face 77, and an internal lateral surface 78 defining a through cavity 79 formed in the thickness e of the horn 75 and having an upper edge 80 defined on the upper face 76 and an edge lower 81 defined on the lower face 77. The upper edge 80 has the shape of an ellipse and the lower edge 81 has a circular shape.

When the acoustic horn 75 and the outer casing 70 are fixed to the box 23, the lower face 77 of the acoustic horn 75 is in contact with the box 23 so that the lower edge 81 of the through cavity 79 surrounds the membrane 48 of the first loudspeaker 47. The upper face 76 of the acoustic horn 75 is in contact with the outer casing 70 so that the set of holes 71 of the outer casing 70, positioned opposite the membrane 48 of the first loudspeaker 47, lies within an area bounded by the upper edge 80 of the through cavity 79. It is possible that the set of holes 71, which lies within the area bounded by the upper edge 80, has only one hole.

The lower edge 81 of the through cavity 79 is tangent to a circumference of the membrane 48 of the first loudspeaker 47 at any point thereof.

Thus, the internal lateral surface 78 of the acoustic horn 75 guides outwardly via the set of holes 71 of the outer envelope 70 the sounds produced by the first loudspeaker 47.

The through cavity 79 widens, in a first direction D1, from the lower edge 81 towards the upper edge 80. The widening of the through cavity 79 is greater at the level of the front part than at the level of the rear part. of pavilion 75.

The through cavity 79 is therefore arranged to guide the sounds in at least one direction, in this case here in the first direction D1. Here, the through cavity 79 is also arranged to guide the sounds towards one of the senses of the first direction D1.

This first direction D1 corresponds to the horizontal direction when the acoustic horn 75 is fixed to the box 23; the direction is forward. The sound is therefore guided in a privileged manner in the horizontal direction and towards the front when the acoustic horn 75 is fixed to the box 23.

Note that the cavity could be flared so as to guide the sounds in both directions of the same direction, and even in several directions.

At least a first portion of the internal lateral surface 78, through which the first direction D1 passes, has a hyperbolic shape when viewed in section in a first plane P1 parallel to the thickness e of the acoustic horn 75 and including the first direction D1. Here, in this case, we have two first portions 82 of the internal lateral surface which have this hyperbolic shape: a first portion 82 oriented in the horizontal direction and forwards, and a first portion 82 oriented in the horizontal direction and rearward. The shape of the first portions 82 makes it possible to diffuse the 180 ° sound signals.

Likewise, at least a second portion 83 of the internal lateral surface 78, through which passes a second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1, has a straight shape and inclined towards the upper edge when seen in section in a second plane P2 parallel to the thickness e of the acoustic horn 75 and including the second direction D2. Here, in this case, there are two second portions 83 of the internal lateral surface 78 which have this straight and inclined shape: a second portion 83 oriented in the vertical direction and upwards, and a second portion 83 oriented in the direction. vertical and down. The shape of the second portions 83 makes it possible to guide the sounds as far as the set of holes 71 of the outer casing 70 which is located in front of the first loudspeaker 47. Each second portion 83 is inclined at an angle α between 1 ° and 10 °, here equal to 5 °.

It can be seen that the thickness e of the acoustic horn 75 is greater in its front part than in its rear part. The acoustic horn 75 is therefore not symmetrical along the second plane P2. The acoustic horn 75 is however symmetrical with respect to the foreground P1, with the exception of the means for fixing the acoustic horn 75 which here are not symmetrical with respect to said foreground (but which could be).

It is thus possible to use the same acoustic horn 75 to the left and to the right of the box 23, which makes it possible to use a single mold to manufacture the acoustic horn 75 mounted on the left and the acoustic horn 75 mounted on the right (both pavilions 75, identical, then guide the sounds in the horizontal direction and towards front). This reduces the manufacturing cost of the equipment 1.

With reference to figures 15 and 16 , keying means are used to avoid assembling the left and right acoustic horns 75 in the wrong direction, which would make it impossible to assemble the acoustic enclosure 2 and the outer casing 70.

The coding means here comprise coding ribs 85 formed in the box 23, and coding recesses 86 formed on the acoustic horn 75 at the front and at the rear thereof, at two corners of the same length of pavilion 75.

On the left face 28 of the box 23, the coding ribs 85, each having the shape of a rounded right angle and oriented one against the other, are located under the first left orifice 43b of the first acoustic chamber left 41b, on either side of said first left orifice 43b.

On the right face 29 of the box 23, the coding ribs 85, having the same shape, are located above the first straight hole 43c of the first right acoustic chamber 41c, on either side of said first straight hole 43c.

The keying means could have a different configuration. It is however advantageous that the configuration of the keying means formed on the right face 29 is similar to the configuration of the keying means formed on the left face 28 after the latter has undergone a rotation of 180 °.

We now describe the means for fixing the acoustic horn on the box.

The pavilion 75 has at least one recess of fixing 88, in this case two fixing recesses 88, which are each made in the internal lateral surface 78 to open out at the level of the upper face 76 of the flag 75. When the flag 75 is seen from above, as is the case case on the figure 14 , the two fixing recesses 88 are diametrically opposed with respect to the lower circular edge 81 of the through cavity 79.

The flag 75 further comprises at least one cover recess 89, in this case two cover recesses 89 opening out at the level of the lower face 77. When the flag 75 is seen from below, the two cover recesses 89 are diametrically opposed. relative to the lower edge 81 of the through cavity 79. The two fixing recesses 88 and the two cover recesses 89 are each positioned on the corners of a virtual rectangle (which may be a square) within which s' extends the lower edge 81.

The cover recesses 89 are each intended to cover a head of a first screw 91 used to fix (only) the loudspeaker to the box.

The fixing recesses 88 are each intended to accommodate a head of a second screw 90 used to fix the acoustic horn and the loudspeaker to the box.

The fixing of the first loudspeaker 47 and of the horn 75 is carried out as follows. The first loudspeaker 47 is positioned on the box 23. Two first screws 91 are first of all used to fix the first loudspeaker 47 to the box 23. The horn 75 is then placed against the box 23. The two recesses of cover 89 cover the first two screws 91. Two second screws 90 are then used to secure both the acoustic horn 75 and the first speaker 47 to the box 23. The two second screws 90 each extend into one of the fixing recesses 88, which each receives the screw head of one of the second screws 90 when the first loudspeaker 47 and the acoustic horn 75 are fixed to the cabinet. 23.

The fixing solution which has just been described has the following advantages. If the acoustic horn 75 were fixed by the four screws with which the first loudspeaker 47 is fixed, it would have been difficult to disassemble the acoustic horn 75 after the complete assembly of the equipment 1 without dropping the first loudspeaker. 47 inside the box 23. Each first loudspeaker 47 is therefore fixed only by the first two screws 91 initially, to then allow the acoustic horn 75 to be screwed using the two second remaining screws 90. The first two screws 91 which initially hold the first loudspeaker 47 are embedded under the acoustic horn 75 (by being positioned in the cover recesses 89). There are therefore only two visible recesses on the acoustic horn 75 when the latter is fixed (the fixing recesses 88), instead of four if all the screws with which the first loudspeaker 47 is fixed were used, which allows to obtain better acoustic performance.

A visual indicator 94, present on the box 23, shows the location of the first two screws 91 to be screwed in first.

To maintain a maximum of guide surface at the level of the internal lateral surface 78, additional sealing pieces can optionally be inserted into the fixing recesses 88 allowing screwing.

In this case, it is advantageous to provide in each of the fixing recesses 88 of the acoustic horn 75 at least one guide notch which will help the correct alignment with the plugging part. The plugging part then comprises a guide (or vice versa, the notch possibly being on the plugging part and the guide on the flag 75). The surface of the flag 75 having a different shape at the level of the two fixing recesses 88, two different shapes of plugging parts are provided to adapt to the shape of the flag 75. It will therefore be advantageous to provide two notches / guides for each. plugging part, the notches / guides not being placed at 180 ° but at different angles for the two fixing recesses, which prevents the insertion of a plugging part in the fixing recess 88 to which it does not is not intended.

The acoustic horn 75 can be made of more or less rigid plastic.

The acoustic horn 75 can also be made of rubber to optimize the acoustic and vibratory behavior. The horn 75 then comprises a deformable lip 93 which on the one hand ensures the acoustic sealing between the outlet of the first loudspeaker 47 and the ambient medium, and which on the other hand dampens any vibrations of the outer casing 70.

This configuration requires the production of specific horns for each design of the equipment, the outline of which is different, in order to come back to the outer envelope optimally.

The use of a rigid material is recommended to participate in the robustness of the structure of the equipment. It is therefore advantageous for the roof 75 to include both a rigid portion, made for example of rigid plastic, and a flexible portion at the interface. with the outer casing, eg made of rubber.

It is possible to provide for the use of a rubber part which is an additional part which is grafted onto the existing rigid pavilions, which makes it possible to maintain the genericity of said rigid pavilions.

It is also possible to provide for the use of a flag in two distinct pieces superimposed in the thickness of the flag: a first piece, thinner, which is made of rigid plastic, and a second, thicker piece, which is made of rubber. The first part is a generic part while the second part depends on the shape and / or dimensions of the outer shell. The first part and the second part can optionally be fixed by the same screws, the first part being sandwiched between the acoustic box and the second part.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described but encompasses any variant coming within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims (14)

Acoustic horn (75) arranged to be fixed between a box (23) of a generic acoustic enclosure (2) in which is integrated at least one loudspeaker (47), and an outer casing (70) which can cover at least partially the box, the outer casing comprising a set of at least one hole (71) and being capable of having a different shape and / or dimensions, the acoustic horn having a shape and / or dimensions which depend on the shape and / or the dimensions of the outer casing, the acoustic horn comprising an upper face (76), a lower face (77), and an internal lateral surface (78) defining a through cavity (79) formed in a thickness (e) horn (75) and having an upper edge (80) defined on the upper face and a lower edge (81) defined on the underside, the acoustic horn being arranged so that when the acoustic horn, the box and the outer casing are assembled, the underside The upper face (77) is in contact with the housing (23) so that the lower edge surrounds a membrane (48) of the speaker, and the upper face (76) is in contact with the outer casing so that the set of at least one hole (71) of the outer casing lies within a surface delimited by the upper edge, the flag thus being arranged so that the inner side surface (78) guides towards the exterior via the set of at least one hole (71) of the outer casing (70) of the sounds produced by the loudspeaker (47), the through cavity (79) flaring out from the lower edge (81) towards the upper edge (80) so as to guide the sounds towards at least a first direction (D1), the acoustic horn having a shape symmetrical with respect to to a first plane parallel to the thickness of the pavilion and including the first direction, with the exception of its means for fixing to the box (23) which are not necessarily symmetrical with respect to said first plane. Acoustic horn according to claim 1, wherein the lower edge (81) of the through cavity (79) is arranged to be tangent to a circumference of the speaker membrane at any point thereof. Acoustic horn according to Claim 1, in which at least a first portion (82) of the internal lateral surface, through which the first direction passes, has a hyperbolic shape when viewed in section in a first plane (P1) parallel to the thickness of the acoustic horn and including the first direction. Acoustic horn according to one of the preceding claims, in which at least a second portion (83) of the internal lateral surface (78), through which passes a second direction (D2) perpendicular to the first direction, has a straight and inclined shape towards the upper edge when seen in section in a second plane (P2) parallel to the thickness of the acoustic horn and including the second direction. Acoustic horn according to one of the preceding claims, in which the first direction is a horizontal direction and towards the front when the acoustic horn is mounted on the box (23). Acoustic horn according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one cover recess (89), opening out at the level of the lower face (77) and intended to cover a head of a first screw (91) used to fix only the loudspeaker to the box. Acoustic horn according to one of the claims previous ones, comprising at least one fixing recess (88), formed in the internal lateral surface to open out at the level of the upper face (76) of the acoustic horn (75), and intended to accommodate a head of a second screw (90) to secure both the acoustic horn (75) and the loudspeaker (47) to the box. Acoustic horn according to claim 7, further comprising at least one plugging part intended to block the fixing recess when the acoustic horn and the loudspeaker have been fixed to the box. Acoustic horn according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a first part and a second part superimposed in the thickness of the acoustic horn (75), the first part being made of rigid plastic and being a generic part, and the second part being manufactured made of rubber and having a shape and / or dimensions which depend on the shape and / or dimensions of the outer casing (70). Equipment comprising a generic acoustic enclosure (2) comprising the box (23), as well as the acoustic horn (75) according to one of the preceding claims and the outer casing (70). Equipment according to Claim 12, the equipment being a decoder box integrating the generic acoustic enclosure. A method of assembling the equipment according to one of claims 10 or 11, comprising the successive steps of: - use at least a first screw (91) to fix the loudspeaker to the casing of the generic loudspeaker; - position the roof against the box, so that the underside (77) of the roof is in contact with the housing (23) and that the lower edge surrounds a membrane (48) of the loudspeaker; - use at least a second screw (90) to secure both the acoustic horn and the loudspeaker to the box. Assembly method according to claim 12, the acoustic horn comprising at least one cover recess (89) opening out at the level of the lower face (77), and at least one fixing recess (88) made in the internal lateral surface for open out at the level of the upper face (76), the assembly method being such that, when the loudspeaker and the acoustic horn are mounted, the first screw (91) is covered by the cover recess (89) and the head of the second screw (90) is positioned in the fixing recess (88). Assembly method according to one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the box (23) comprises a visual indicator (94) arranged to show the location of the first screw (91) to be screwed in first to fix only the top -speaker.

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