Multipurpose speaker enclosure in a display assistant device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11513565-B2
Application number	US-201916651545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display assistant device, comprising:
a screen;
a rear speaker;
one or more front speakers;
an enclosure structure in which the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers are mounted, the enclosure structure exposing a speaker opening of each of the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers and providing a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of each of the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers, wherein the enclosure structure further includes an electrically conductive portion; and
one or more electronic components coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure;
wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is electrically coupled to a ground of the display assistant device to provide electromagnetic shielding for the one or more electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker.

2. The display assistant device of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure structure includes a base portion distinct from the electrically conductive portion, wherein each of the one or more front speakers is individually packaged and integrated into the base portion of the enclosure structure, the one or more front speakers facing a front view that is opposite to a rear view which the rear speaker faces.

3. The display assistant device of claim 2 , wherein the enclosure structure includes a plurality of separated sealed spaces each of which provides a respective sealed enclosure for one of the front and rear speakers.

4. The display assistant device of claim 2 , wherein the enclosure structure is disposed and concealed in a housing, and the housing includes a plurality of speaker grill portions that permit sound generated by the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers to exit the housing of the base portion.

5. The display assistant device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of speaker grill portions is distributed on at least a rear side and a front side of the housing, facing the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers, respectively.

6. The display assistant device of claim 4 , wherein the housing is wrapped with a fabric that conceals the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers and is substantially transparent to sound generated thereby.

7. The display assistant device of claim 2 , wherein the rear speaker is a woofer speaker configured to produce first audio frequencies in a first frequency range, and each of the one or more front speakers is a tweeter speaker configured to produce second audio frequencies in a second frequency range, the second audio frequencies are higher than the first audio frequencies.

8. An electronic device, comprising:
a speaker;
an enclosure structure in which the speaker is mounted, the enclosure structure exposing a speaker opening of the speaker and providing a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, wherein the enclosure structure further includes an electrically conductive portion; and
one or more electronic components coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure;
wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is electrically coupled to a ground of the electronic device to provide electromagnetic shielding for the one or more electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker; and
wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the one or more electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the one or more electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the one or more electronic components.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:
the enclosure structure is configured to attach to a base mount plate, and
the base mount plate includes a top surface facing a bottom surface of the enclosure structure; and
the top surface includes a plurality of stud fasteners configured to mate with a plurality of receiving fasteners on the bottom surface of the enclosure structure.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of stud fasteners includes a first stud configured to match a first receiving fastener with a first tolerance and a second stud configured to match a second receiving fastener with a second tolerance, the first tolerance being smaller than a threshold tolerance and the second tolerance being larger than the first tolerance.

11. A speaker assembly, comprising:
a speaker;
an enclosure structure in which the speaker is mounted, the enclosure structure exposing a speaker opening of the speaker and providing a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, wherein the enclosure structure further includes an electrically conductive portion; and
one or more electronic components that are mounted on a logic board, wherein the logic board is mounted on the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, thereby allowing the one or more electronic components to be mechanically coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure via the logic board;
wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is electrically coupled to a ground of the speaker assembly to provide electromagnetic shielding for the one or more electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the one or more electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the one or more electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the one or more electronic components.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 12 , wherein a thermal spreader is disposed between the one or more electronic components and the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, and is configured to transfer heat generated by the one or more electronic components to the electrically conductive portion.

14. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure includes a recess configured to receive the one or more electronic components when the logic board is mounted on the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
a thermal spreader disposed in the recess and thermally coupled between the one or more electronic components and the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, wherein the thermal spreader is configured to transfer heat generated by the one or more electronic components to the electrically conductive portion.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the logic board further includes a ground plane that is electrically coupled to the electrically conductive portion to provide the electromagnetic shielding to enclose the one or more electronic components.

17. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein:
the one or more electronic components are surrounded by an electromagnetic shielding fence fixed on the logic board;
a flexible electrically conductive foam is disposed on top of the electromagnetic shielding fence; and
when the logic board is mounted on the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is pressed onto the flexible electrically conductive foam and electrically coupled to the electromagnetic shielding fence via the flexible electrically condu

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Qin Xiaoping
• Bilger Christen Cameron
• Heckmann Frederic
• Kwee Frances
• Leong Justin
• Castro James

Classifications

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title

• G06F1/1658

  related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module · CPC title

• G06F1/16

  Constructional details or arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/1683

  for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title