GB2305327A

GB2305327A - Waterproof back protection for vehicle loudspeakers

Info

Publication number: GB2305327A
Application number: GB9615345A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giancarlo Stevani; Tiziano Nili
Original assignee: Ask Industries SpA
Current assignee: Ask Industries SpA
Priority date: 1995-09-13
Filing date: 1996-07-22
Publication date: 1997-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-22
Also published as: ITRE950042U1; ES1034853U; DE29614826U1; BR9604136A; TR199600631A2; ES1034853Y; GB9615345D0; FR2738703A1; FR2738703B1; TR199600631A3; IT239248Y1; PL315486A1; AR004206A4; GB2305327B; PL180971B1

Description

DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a back protection for loudspeakers.

More particularly, this invention relates to a back protection for vehicle loudspeakers, applied to the doors of motor-cars and/or the same loudspeakers.

The function of back protection of loudspeakers according to this invention is to avoid that loudspeakers be damaged from water and/or moisture dripping into or remaining in the inside of the door strture, on the sliding side of the mobile glasses.

The protection of this invention is made up by a box-body which superposes to the back side of loudspeakers and extends at least in the inside of the doors, through the wall from insulating plastic material that separates the glass sliding structure from that looking towards the inside of the vehicle, provided with fixture coverings.

The box-body is provided with back and/or peripheral openings closed with hydrophobic phonotransparent material which, while preventing water and/or moisture from passing through, allows an air circulation adequate for sound diffusion.

As is known, the loudspeakers of the known art applied to vehicle doors are not provided with protection systems to protect the back side of the same from rain water dripping and/or the moisture that collects in door openings in corrispondence of the mobile glass sliding seat, the transversal safety bar seats and, substantially, the spaces oriented towards the outside, provided with water discharge channels and holes.

The loudspeakers of the known art are applied by drilling the intermediate wall, separating the above space and the internal one provided with fixture coverings, and by fitting the loudspeakers with their back side forming an extension of the first aforementioned space. In the best hypothesis, the drilling of the imtermediate wall is made with two vertical side cuts, a lower transversal cut and subsequent upwards folding of the cut wall.

The folded part constitutes an empirical protection tile under which the loudspeaker is located. Obviously, such configurations cannot ensure a correct protection from oxidations and/or damages of the electromagnetic parts and the moving parts (membranes, centering devices, etc.) of the loudspeakers, due to either the direct action of water and/or drippings or the persistent action of environment moisture.

Another drawback arises from the fact that said drilling affects the integrity of the internal protection walls, so that the moisture and/or direct water get in touch also with the parts of the doors looking towards the inside of driver's cabs, with obvious consequences of oxidations of the mechanical and/or electric parts, moisture infiltrations and deterioration of the internal fixtures.

Object of this invention is to prevent such drawbacks.

According to this invention, this and other objects that will be clarified by-the following description are achieved by means of a protection of the loudspeakers comprising a box-body, preferably a truncated cone shaped body, provided with at least a temporary opening, from hydrophobic and phonotransparent material in which box-body the back side of a loudpeaker engages.

Tha back protection for loudspeakers of this invention allows to obtain the following results: - the protection is constituted by a a preferably truncated cone shaped box-body, wich is fitted in and connected to the intermediate partitioning and insulating wall, in the hole drilled for the application of the loudspeaker ; - the loudspeaker is applied to said partionining wall, with its back side fitted coaxially in the box-body; - the box-body comprises at'east a back opening protected and closed with hydrophobic phonotransparent material which prevents water and moisture from passing through but which allows an adequate amount of air to pass for the acoustic diffusion of the signals emitted by said loudspeaker.

The advantages achieved by this invention consist essentially in that the loudspeakers applied to the doors are entirely protected from both water and moisture and in that the protection boxbodies constitute a continuity configuration with the intermediate insulating walls which prevent possible infiltrations towards the internal part of the doors.

For a better understanding of the construction and functional characteristics of the back protection for loudspeakers of this invention, said protection is described with more details in the following, with reference to the attached figures that show some embodiments given by way of non limitative examples, wherein: Fig. 1 shows the diagram of the cross-section of the protection of the invention, applied to the intermediate insulating wall of a door, complete of the loudspeaker; Fig. 2 shows the same diagram of a cross-section of a variant of the protection of Fig. 1, provided with an inclined back opening and lower slits; Fig. 3 shows the diagram of a cross-section of another variant of the protection of Fig. 1, provided with an inclined back opening and of upper and lower slits; Fig. 4 shows a diagram of a cross-section of still another variant of the protection of Fig. 1, provided with a vertical back opening, and Fig. 5 shows a diagram of a cross-section of an embodiment of the protection of the invention, incorporated in the loudspeaker basket.

With reference to the figure, the back protection for loudspeakers of this invention comprises a preferably truncated cone-shaped box-body (1) in which the back side (2) of a loudspeaker (3) is coaxially located. The box-body (1) is provided with a front flange (4) through which said body (1) can be connected to the intermediate insulating part (5) of any door, in correspondence of a hole (6) drilled on said door.

Loudspeaker (3) is connected to said flange (4) and, therefore, to body (1) either independently on or together with the connection of said intermediate part (5). The back protection may be either independent and applicable to the vehicle doors on the assembly of the corresponding loudspeaker or already preassembled to the loudspeaker or make part of the same. Said protection may have an annular cylindrical shape or any other shape suitable for the prefixed aim.

Box-body (1) extends and is oriented towards space (7) of door (8) looking outsidewards. In said space (7) there are comprised the means for the movement and sliding of the mobile glasses (9), the possible transversal safety bars (10) and the channels with the water discharge holes.

The open part (11) of the loudspeaker and the box-body (1) is oriented towards the inside of the door and the vehicle, i.e. towards the internal fixture covering (12). In its simplest embodiment, box-body (1) comprises a back hole in correspondence of the smaller orthogonal section 13). Said hole is closed by a layer from hydrophobic and phonotransparent material (14), such as, for instance, open microcell polyurethane foam, or the like.

For a further improvement, and to ensure the internal water protection of the loudspeaker (3), the back hole of box-body (1) may be inclined downwards (13') in the manner of "salami slice", so that the possible water drops present on the back surface may slide downwards, without the possibility of getting in touch with the edge of said hole.

The closing of hole (13) (13') with hydrophobic phonotransparent material has the function of allowing an adequate air circulation between space (7) and the inside of body (1), for the diffusion of the acoustic signals emitted by loudspeaker (3), while ensuring a perfect water seal.

For possible greater needs of air circulation, box-body (1) may be realized with a plurality of lower slits (15), as shown by Fig. 2, oriented donwards and, in any case, protected by a strip of hydrophobic and phonotransparent material (14 r) applied on the inner surface of body (1).

Alternatively, box-body (1) may be provided with supplementary upper slits (15') so oriented as to prevent water from entering and protected by phonotransparent and hydrophobic materia: (14'').

Box-body (1), while being preferably truncated cone-shaped, maz be realized for the same scopes and functions also with different shapes, such as, for instance a cylindrical shape with bac} opening (13') or the shape of a hemispheric segment with lower opening, or any other suitable shape specifically configuratec according to the prefixed aims.

As shown by Fig. 5, box-body (1) may have the shape of thc loudspeaker (3) basket and is so placed as to wrap up saic basket. Also in this case, said box-body is provided with a bac) opening (13), closed with phonotransparent hydrophobic material.

Even though this invention has been described with reference tc the figures of the attached drawing which represents some of its embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications anc variations in the shape, structure, configuration, coupling anc connection means, components and orientation may be introduced b those skilled in the art according to the teaching of this invention.

Therefore, it is implicit that said modifications and variations fall withing the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A back protection for loudspeakers comprising a box body provided with at least an opening closed by means of phonotransparent hydrophobic material, and in which the back part of a loudspeaker is coaxially inserted.
2. The protection according to Claim 1, wherein a box body is engaged in the intermediate insulating wall of a vehicle door.
3. The protection according to Claim 2, wherein a box body is provided with a front flange which engages in the intermediate insulating wall, provided with a through-hole and to which a loudspeaker is connected, together with or separately from the wall.
4. The protection according to any of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the body has a truncated cone shape and the back opening, in correspondence of the smaller section, orthogonal or inclined downwards.
5. The protection according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the lower wall of a box-body is provided with slits oriented downwards and closed by phonotransparent hydrophobic material.
6. The protection according to Claim 1 or 3, wherein a box-body has a cylindrical or hemispheric shape with at least one opening closed by phonotransparent hydrophobic material realised behind or under said body.
7. The protection according to Claim 1 or 3, wherein a box-body has a cylindrical or hemispheric shape with at least one opening closed by phonotransparent hydrophobic material realised behind or under said body.
8 The protection according to Claim 7, wherein a box body is provided, along its walls, with slits closed by phonotransparent hydrophobic material.
9. The protection according to Claim 1, wherein a box body has the shape of the basket of the loudspeaker, wraps it up and comprises at least an opening closed with phonotransparent hydrophobic material.
10. The protection according to any one of the preceding Claims as described above and illustrated in the Figures of the attached drawing.