Sound absorbing device, electronic device, and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10720134-B2
Application number	US-201916415450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	Apr 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

A sound absorbing device includes: a plurality of sound absorbing units. A frequency of sound absorbed by at least one of the sound absorbing units overlaps, at least partially, with a frequency of sound with a volume increased by installation of another sound absorbing unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sound absorbing device comprising:
a first sound absorbing unit configured to absorb a range of a first sound absorption frequency in which volume decreases with respect to sound generated by a sound source, and a range of a first volume increase frequency in which volume increases; and
a second sound absorbing unit configured to absorb a range of a second sound absorption frequency in which volume decreases with respect to sound generated by the sound source, and a range of a second volume increase frequency in which volume increases, wherein
the range of the first volume increase frequency and the range of the second sound absorption frequency at least partially overlap.

2. The sound absorbing device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first sound absorbing unit and the second sound absorbing unit is structured as Helmholtz resonators.

3. The sound absorbing device according to claim 2 , wherein
members making up the Helmholtz resonators are made of a resin material, and
an interval between the first sound absorption frequency and the second sound absorption frequency is 30 hertz to 70 hertz.

4. The sound absorbing device according to claim 2 , wherein
members making up the Helmholtz resonators include a member made of a metallic material, and
an interval between the first sound absorption frequency and the second sound absorption frequency is 70 hertz to 200 hertz.

5. The sound absorbing device according to claim 4 , each of the first sound absorbing unit and the second absorbing unit further comprises:
a first member that forms a first wall defining cavities of respective ones of the Helmholtz resonators, the first wall being the member made of the metallic material and including communicating portions formed via a burring process on the metallic material, the communicating portions configured to communicate externally; and
a second member that forms a second wall defining the cavities of the respective ones of the Helmholtz resonators.

6. The sound absorbing device according to claim 2 , wherein a first one of the Helmholtz resonators corresponding to the first sound absorbing unit is positioned adjacent to a second one of the Helmholtz resonators corresponding to the second sound absorbing unit.

7. The sound absorbing device according to claim 2 , wherein frequencies of sound absorbed by the Helmholtz resonators are differentiated by differentiating lengths of communicating portions on a wall defining cavities of respective ones the Helmholtz resonators, the communicating portions configured to communicate externally.

8. The sound absorbing device according to claim 2 , wherein a frequency of sound absorbed by at least one of the Helmholtz resonators is within a range of greater than or equal to 100 hertz and less than or equal to 1500 hertz.

9. The sound absorbing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first member that forms a first wall defining cavities of respective ones of the Helmholtz resonators, the first wall including communicating portions communicating externally; and
a second member that forms a second wall defining the cavities of the respective ones of the Helmholtz resonators, wherein
the first member includes a plurality of holes, each of the plurality of holes serving as a respective one of the communicating portions, at least one of the plurality of holes having a different diameter from a rest of the plurality of holes,
the second member includes a plurality of opened spaces, each of the plurality of opened spaces serving as a respective one of the cavities by being surrounded by a third wall and by having an opening closed by the first member, at least one of the plurality of opened spaces having a different volume from a rest of the plurality of opened spaces,
the Helmholtz resonators are formed from the first member and the second member by a pairing of the plurality of holes with corresponding ones of the plurality of opened spaces, and
the pairing is changeable.

10. The sound absorbing device according to claim 9 , wherein the pairing is changed by adjusting a relative position between the second member and the first member.

11. The sound absorbing device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a sound detecting unit on the first member, the sound detecting unit configured to detect sound to generate a detection result;
a cavity forming member moving unit configured to move a first one of the first member or the second member relative to a second one of the first member or the second member; and
a cavity forming member movement control unit configured to control the cavity forming member moving unit based on the detection result.

12. The sound absorbing device according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of holes and the plurality of opened spaces are both circumferentially arranged.

13. The sound absorbing device according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of holes and the plurality of opened spaces are both linearly arranged.

14. The sound absorbing device according to claim 9 , wherein
a first one of the first member and the second member is a magnet, and
a second one of the first member and the second member is a ferromagnetic body.

15. An electronic device comprising:
the sound absorbing device according to claim 1 configured to absorb sound generated in an operation of the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device is a electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

Assignees

• Ishida Masahiro
• Matsuda Naoki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishida Masahiro
• Matsuda Naoki

Classifications

• B41J29/08 Primary

  Sound-deadening, or shock-absorbing stands, supports, cases or pads separate from machines · CPC title

• G03G21/1619

  Frame structures · CPC title

• G10K2210/32272

  Helmholtz resonators · CPC title

• G10K11/16

  Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general (G10K11/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G10K11/172 Primary

  using resonance effects · CPC title