Title of Invention

"A CABINET FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE EQUIPPED WITH ONE LOUDSPEAKER FOR AUDIO REPRODUCTION"

Abstract The invention relates to a cabinet for an electronic device equipped with at least one loudspeaker (11) for audio reproduction, comprising: a main cabinet (4) for housing electrical and mechanical components of the electronic device, and a loudspeaker cabinet (9) for accommodating the at least one loudspeaker (11), the loudspeaker cabinet (9) being configured as an unit separated from the main cabinet (4), and connected to the main cabinet (4) in an non-detachable manner.The invention relates to a cabinet for an electronic device equipped with at least one loudspeaker (11) for audio reproduction, comprising: a main cabinet (4) for housing electrical and mechanical components of the electronic device, and a loudspeaker cabinet (9) for accommodating the at least one loudspeaker (11), the loudspeaker cabinet (9) being configured as an unit separated from the main cabinet (4), and connected to the main cabinet (4) in an non-detachable manner.
Full Text 2.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a cabinet for consumer electronic devices equipped with loudspeakers. Examples for such devices are audio equipment like CD players, tape recorders, radios, and television receivers- In particular, the invention is related to devices where the loudpeakers farm an integral part of it.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In know electronic devices of this type, the cabinet is formed as an integral part for housing electronic and mechanical componentĀ© as it is shown in Figs la and 1b. The electrical components comprise among others the power supply and signal processing circuits. The mechanical components may be a tape recorder and/or a CD player. The housing acts as a structuring element apt for arranging all required components for the device. Furthermore, the housing protects the user from hazardous electrical shacks and the components from damages due to external influences like dirt or moisture. Finally, the cabinet allows designing the device, i.e. the shape, size and looking. For all this reasons the cabinet is a very important part of the device, sometimes decisive for its commercial success.

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In general, the cabinet is made out of plastic by injection moulding. Known cabinets enclose all components especially the loudspeakers. For marketing purposes it is frequently required to have different models of different design and size for different markets. It is therefore necessary to manufacture different types of cabinets for devices having different types of loudspeakers or different design of the loudspeaker boxes. Even though the mechanical and electrical components can be identical. This type of differentiation causes significant costs due to different moulds required for manufacturing cabinets for different models.
GB Patent number 68 2303485 discloses a detachable/ portable stereo unit in which the stereo incorporates a main unit and detachable components, e.g. personal compact disk player, personal radio/cassette and speakers . 5, 6, 7, 8, enabling varied usage of each component. The main unit and both, the compact disk player and radio/cassette player include static rechargeable batteries permitting usage away from the mains electricity as a complete units or usage of the individual components e.g. personal compact disk player or personal radio/cassette

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Power level indicators are located in the main section so as to monitor available power in each component or to monitor the charging of the batteries in the fore mentioned components-
EP Patent Number EP0114951 discloses a stereophonic loudspeaker box in which the stereophonic single baffle comprises two adjacent chambers (7,8) having each a rear wall (9, 10) forming an angle between them. Loud speakers (13 to 16) are mounted on each of said rear walls (9, 10). The center of the loud speakers (13 to 16) mounted on a same rear wall (9, 10) are located on a line diverging simultaneously from the bottom of the baffle and from the middle partition (6) of the baffle separating the two chambers (7, 8).
EP0492919 describes a televison receiver loudspeaker device in which the loudspeaker unit for a television receiver includes loudspeakers SPL, SPR arranged at the back of television screen surface) sound reflectors for reflecting the sound from the loudspeakers substantially in a forward direction from the

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television screen surface, and acoustic lenses provided on -a surface complanar with the televison screen surface for controlling the sound radiating direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Using this as a starting point the present invention suggests a cabinet for an electronic device equipped with a loudspeaker for audio reproduction. Today audio deviceĀ© have usually two loudspeakers for stereo reproduction of sound. However, the number of loudspeakers is not important for the present invention. The cabinet comprises a main cabinet for housing electrical and mechanical components of the electronic device and further comprises a cabinet for a loudspeaker being separate from the main cabinet and connected to the outside of the main cabinet in an non-detachable manner.
In this way the present invention allows to design audio devices with different look without requiring completely individual cabinets. Rather the invention suggests to use a standardized main cabinet to take advantage of a more cost efficient manufacturing.

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In an embodiment of the invention a vibration damping means is arranged between the main cabinet and the loudspeaker cabinet. The vibration damping means improve the sound quality but also prevent dust or moisture from penetrating into the loudspeaker cabinet.
It is also possible to arrange electronic circuitry inside the loudspeaker cabinet, if certain loudspeakers need different circuits than others. This allows an even higher degree of standardization, encompassing not only the cabinet itself but also the electrical components, in particular those related to the sound reproduction.
In yet another embodiment of the invention the main cabinet is provided with urging means pressing the loudspeaker cabinet against the main cabinet to secure a tight seat of the loudspeaker cabinet on the main cabinet.
This advantage can also be achieved if the urging means press the loudspeaker cabinet primarily against the vibration damping means.

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It is understood that even though the resent invention is exemplified as a portable audio device the scope of the invention is not limited to this kind of devices- The invention can be applied to any consumer electronics products equipped with loudspeakers, e.g. TV receivers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPING DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings an embodiment of the present
invention is illustrated wherein equal or corresponding elements
are denoted with the same reference number. The figures are
showing.
Figs. la and lb a portable audio device according to the prior art:
Fig. 2a a first audio device according to the present invention in front view?
Fig. 2b the audio device of Fig. 2a in a sectional view! Fig. 2c details of the device shown in Fig. 2a:
Fig. 3a a second audio device according to the inventionl and
Fig. 3b the audio device of Fig. 3a in a sectional view.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Fig. la shows a portable audio device 1 of a conventional type having for example a radio receiver, a tape recorder and a CD player- The components are contained in a cabinet 2 made out of injection moulded plastic. The device 1 is equipped with two seta of loudspeakers 3a* 3b on the left and on the right side of the cabinet 2 for stereo representation of the sound. By comparison of Fig. la and lb it can be seen that the device shown 1a Fig. 1b the loudspeaker cabinets are larger compared to the device shown in Fig. la. The design shown in Fig. ib gives the user the impression that this device is more powerful than the one shown in Fig.la even if the two devices are technically identical apart from the loudspeakers and/or the loudspeaker cabinet- This kind of differentiation is frequently required for marketing purposes to enable a manufacturer to satisfy different segments of the market. However, this kind of differentiation gives rise to increased manufacturing costs for the different types of cabinets.

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In Figs. 2a and 2b a portable audio device 1 according to the present invention is shown in a front view. The cabinet of this device comprises a main cabinet 4 which is manufactured in a conventional way, e.g. by injection moulding of plastic material. The main cabinet 4 incorporates a front wall 6 and a back wall 7 (Fig. 2b). The front and the back walls are connected by sidewalls 8 (Fig. 2b). Attached to the main cabinet 4 there are two loudspeaker cabinets 9 on each side of the main cabinet 4. It is important to note that the loudspeaker cabinets 9 are separate parts from the main cabinet and are attached to the latter by clipping means, screws or any other technique that is known in the prior art for connecting plastic form parts. Each loudspeaker cabinet 9 houses a loudspeaker 11 for the reproduction of audio signals reproduced by a CD player, tape recorder or radio receiver incorporated in the main cabinet 4. For the sake of simplicity only the CD door 12 is shown in Fig. 2a. The electrical connection between the loudspeakers 11 and the signal processing and amplifying circuits are made by conventional plug connections or simply by wires penetrating the sidewalls 8 of the main cabinet 4.
Fig. 2c shows an enlarged detai1 of Fig. 2b and in particular, the contact area between the loudspeaker cabinet 9 and the main cabinet 4. Between the plastic parts of the two
10

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cabinets 4, 9 there is interposed a vibration damping material 13, e.g. a rubber gasket. The damping material 13 prevents the transmission of vibrations from the loudspeakers to the main cabinet.
The rubber gasket 13 has a circular action and is accommodated in a half circular groove 14 in the main cabinet 4. The front end 16 of the loudspeaker cabinet 9 is also provided with another half circular groove 17 so that the rubber gasket 13 is securely held in the grooves 14 and 17. Protrusions 18 prolong the front wall 6 and the back wall 7 of the main cabinet 4. The loudspeaker cabinet closely fits between one protrusion 18 of the front wall 6 and back wall 7 as can be seen in Fig, 2b. Therefore, there is no visible gap beetwen the main cabinet 4 and the loudspeaker cabinet 9, The securing means connecting the main cabinet 4 and the loudspeaker cabinet 9 are not shown in the drawing and are of conventional type like screws, clips, glue, etc. The securing means are arranged such that it is not possible for the user to detach the loudspeaker cabinet 9 from the main cabinet 4.

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The cross section of the rubber gasket can have a different shape as shown in Fig. 2c. Depending on the need to avoid sound leakage and/or need to educe cabinet vibrations the rubber gasket 13 can be mounted or not in a particular type of cabinet.
If the reproduced sound has a high volume and contains low frequencies excessive vibrations could disturb the normal operation of a CD player that is built into the main cabinet. The vibration damping rubber gasket 13 reduces the transfer of vibrations generated by the loudspeakers to the main cabinet. Simultaneous the rubber gasket 13 improves the sound quality as such due to its capabi1ity to dampen parasitic vibrations.
Figs. 3a and Fig. 3b display in a different scale another type of a portable audio device according to the present invention. The main cabinet 4 of the first and second embodiment of the invention should have the same size and shape whereas the loudspeaker cabinets are quite different. Compared to the first embodiment shown in Figs. 2a and Fig. 2b each loudspeaker cabinet 9 houses one additional loudspeaker 19, Therefore, the second embodiment shown in Fig. 3a and 3b exhibits a completely different outlook apart from the different sound characteristics.

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It is evident that the outlook or design of an audio device can be changed or adapted to different market requirements without hanging the number of type of loudspeakers.

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WE CLAIM
1. A cabinet for an electronic device equipped with at least one loudspeaker (1l) for audio reproduction, comprising t
a main cabinet (4) for bousing electrical and mechanical components of the electronic device, and
a loudspeaker cabinet (9) for accommodating the atleast one loudspeaker (ll)i
characterized in that the loudspeaker cabinet (9) being configured as an unit separated from the main cabinet (4); and connected to the main cabinet (4) in an non-detachable manner.
2. The cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vibration damping means (13) is arranged between the main cabinet (4) and the loudspeaker cabinet (9).

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3. The cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein electronic
circuitry is arranged inside the loudspeaker cabinet (9).
4. The cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main cabinet
(4) is provided with urging means (13) pressing the loudspeaker
cabinet (9) against the main cabinet (4).
5. The cabinet as claimed in claim 4, wherein said urging means
(13) are arranged such that the loudspeaker cabinet (9) is
pressed against the vibration damping means (13).

The invention relates to a cabinet for an electronic device equipped with at least one loudspeaker (11) for audio reproduction, comprising: a main cabinet (4) for housing electrical and mechanical components of the electronic device, and a loudspeaker cabinet (9) for accommodating the at least one loudspeaker (11), the loudspeaker cabinet (9) being configured as an unit separated from the main cabinet (4), and connected to the main cabinet (4) in an non-detachable manner.The invention relates to a cabinet for an electronic device equipped with at least one loudspeaker (11) for audio reproduction, comprising: a main cabinet (4) for housing electrical and mechanical components of the electronic device, and a loudspeaker cabinet (9) for accommodating the at least one loudspeaker (11), the loudspeaker cabinet (9) being configured as an unit separated from the main cabinet (4), and connected to the main cabinet (4) in an non-detachable manner.

Documents:

00219-cal-2001-abstract.pdf

00219-cal-2001-claims.pdf

00219-cal-2001-correspondence.pdf

00219-cal-2001-description(complete).pdf

00219-cal-2001-drawings.pdf

00219-cal-2001-form-1.pdf

00219-cal-2001-form-18.pdf

00219-cal-2001-form-2.pdf

00219-cal-2001-form-26.pdf

00219-cal-2001-form-3.pdf

00219-cal-2001-form-5.pdf

00219-cal-2001-letters patent.pdf

00219-cal-2001-priority document.pdf

219-CAL-2001-FORM-27.pdf


Patent Number 205832
Indian Patent Application Number 219/CAL/2001
PG Journal Number 15/2007
Publication Date 13-Apr-2007
Grant Date 13-Apr-2007
Date of Filing 16-Apr-2001
Name of Patentee THOMSON MULTIMEDIA
Applicant Address 46 QUAI A, LE GALLO, F-92100 BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, FRANCE, A FRENCH COMPANY.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 BORGONOVO ALBERTO FLAT 9E, BLESSINGS GARDEN, 95 ROBINSON ROAD, HONG KONG, AN ITALIAN NATIONAL.
PCT International Classification Number H04 R 5/02
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 00108438.3 2000-04-18 EUROPEAN UNION