Headrest with integrated nose and loudspeaker enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535136-B2
Application number	US-202016809158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 8, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a vehicle apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a core, a nose, a first loudspeaker, and a first loudspeaker housing. The core is positioned within a headrest for a seat of a vehicle. The nose attaches to the core and is positioned within the headrest. The first loudspeaker is positioned on the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest. The first loudspeaker housing receives the first loudspeaker and is positioned on the nose. The first loudspeaker housing extends along a first outer edge of the core to decrease an overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle apparatus comprising:
a core including an outer periphery and being positioned within a headrest for a seat of a vehicle;
a nose for attachment to the core and being positioned within the headrest;
a first loudspeaker positioned on the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest; and
a first loudspeaker housing to receive the first loudspeaker and being positioned on the nose,
wherein the first loudspeaker housing extends along a first outer edge of the core to decrease an overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle,
wherein the first axis extends in a fore and aft direction in the vehicle, and
wherein the first loudspeaker housing defines a first enclosed volume that extends past the outer periphery of the core to store air for the first loudspeaker during audio playback.

2. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first enclosed volume extends along the first outer edge of the core to increase an amount of air stored therein.

3. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first loudspeaker housing is integrated with the nose to form a single component.

4. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second loudspeaker positioned opposite to the first loudspeaker on the nose.

5. The vehicle apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a second loudspeaker housing to receive the second loudspeaker and being positioned on the nose.

6. The vehicle apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second loudspeaker housing defines a second enclosed volume that extends past the outer periphery of the core to store air for the second loudspeaker during audio playback.

7. The vehicle apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the core includes a first side and a second side that is positioned opposite to the first side, and wherein the first enclosed volume extends past the outer periphery on the first side of the core and the second enclosed volume extends past the outer periphery on the second side of the core.

8. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nose includes a plurality of first connecting mechanisms positioned on a rear side thereof for mating with a plurality of second connecting mechanisms positioned on a front side of the core to couple the nose to the core.

9. The vehicle apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first connecting mechanisms slideably engage the plurality of second connecting mechanisms to couple the nose to the core.

10. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the core, the nose, and the first loudspeaker are capable of being packaged in a number of outer shells of the headrest that extend at different lengths from one another in a fore and aft direction of the vehicle.

11. A vehicle apparatus for being positioned in a headrest of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a core including an outer periphery and being positioned within the headrest for a seat of the vehicle;
a nose for attachment to the core and being positioned within the headrest;
a first loudspeaker positioned on a first side of the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest; and
a first loudspeaker housing to receive the first loudspeaker and being positioned on the first side of the nose,
a second loudspeaker positioned on a second side of the nose that is opposite to the first side of the nose for providing the audio signal from the headrest; and
a second loudspeaker housing to receive the second loudspeaker and being positioned on the second side of the nose;
wherein the first loudspeaker housing defines a first enclosed volume that extends past the outer periphery of the core to store air for the first loudspeaker during audio playback.

12. The vehicle apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first loudspeaker housing and the second loudspeaker housing are integrated with the nose and are positioned in front of the core.

13. The vehicle apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the nose includes a plurality of first connecting mechanisms positioned on a rear side thereof for mating with a plurality of second connecting mechanisms positioned on a front side of the core to couple the nose to the core.

14. The vehicle apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first connecting mechanisms slideably engage the plurality of second connecting mechanisms to couple the nose to the core.

15. The vehicle apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the core, the nose, and the first loudspeaker are capable of being packaged in a number of outer shells of the headrest that extend at different lengths from one another in a fore and aft direction of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second loudspeaker housing defines a second enclosed volume that extends past the outer periphery of the core to store air for the second loudspeaker during audio playback.

17. A vehicle apparatus comprising:
a core including an outer periphery and being positioned within a headrest for a seat of a vehicle;
a nose for attachment to the core;
a first loudspeaker positioned on the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest; and
a first loudspeaker housing including a first enclosed volume to receive the first loudspeaker and being positioned on the nose,
wherein the first enclosed volume extends past the outer periphery of the core to decrease an overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle, and
wherein the first axis extends along a fore and aft direction in the vehicle.

18. The vehicle apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the enclosed volume extends along a first outer edge of the core to increase an amount of air stored therein to enable the loudspeaker to playback the audio.

19. The vehicle apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a second loudspeaker housing positioned on the nose to receive a second loudspeaker, the second loudspeaker housing including a second enclosed volume that extends past the outer periphery of the core to decrease an overall length of the core and the nose along the first axis in the vehicle.

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Groleau Patrick

Classifications

• H04R5/023

  in a chair, pillow · CPC title

• B60R2011/0017

  Head-rests · CPC title

• H04R1/28

  Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means {(combinations of transducers with horns, i.e. front-loaded horns H04R1/30)} · CPC title

• B60N2/879 Primary

  with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers · CPC title

• B60R11/0217

  for loud-speakers · CPC title