Textile-assembly toolkit for reversible assembly of a textile to an electronic-speaker device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11729546-B2
Application number	US-202217575759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2022
Priority date	Jan 15, 2021
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

The present document describes a textile-assembly toolkit for reversible assembly of a textile to an electronic-speaker device. The toolkit includes multiple attachment features, including rigid features with matched purposefully-designed knit types that can be combined to enable repeatable, mass-producible, reversible assembly of the textile to the electronic-speaker device. The techniques described herein enable accurate alignment of the textile on the electronic-speaker device without distorting the textile's cosmetic pattern and in a manner that results in no visible edges of the textile or visible attachment features on the exterior of the electronic-speaker device. Also, the textile-assembly toolkit includes attachment features that secure the textile with sufficient tension to avoid acoustic distortion such as rub and buzz.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic-speaker device comprising:
a housing part forming a shell having opposing exterior and interior surfaces and at least one opening;
a textile reversibly assembled to the housing part effective to cover the exterior surface of the housing part and wrap around edges of the at least one opening;
a plurality of mechanical attachment features configured for reversible assembly of the textile to the housing part; and
a plurality of textile features configured to removably attach the textile to the plurality of mechanical attachment features to align and secure the textile to the housing part with a tension force sufficient to reduce acoustic distortion resulting from a vibration of the textile when exposed to acoustic pressure.

2. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of mechanical attachment features include pins attached to the interior surface of the housing part and proximate to the at least one opening; and
the plurality of textile features include knit holes usable to latch the textile onto the pins.

3. The electronic-speaker device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of mechanical attachment features include a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet attached to the textile around the knit holes to rigidize a portion of the textile proximate to an edge of the textile.

4. The electronic-speaker device of claim 3 , wherein:
the plurality of mechanical attachment features include a hook material having a micro-hook array configured to interlock with fibers of the textile;
the hook material is attached to the interior surface of the housing part via a pressure sensitive adhesive; and
the PET sheet is positioned on an opposite side of the textile from the hook material.

5. The electronic-speaker device of claim 2 , wherein a respective pin includes a retention feature configured to pierce into the textile, retain the textile, and enable disassembly of the textile from the housing part.

6. The electronic-speaker device of claim 5 , wherein:
the respective pin includes an insertion feature positioned opposite the retention feature; and
the insertion feature is configured to pierce the textile or be inserted through a respective knit hole in the textile for alignment.

7. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein:
the mechanical attachment features include buttons positioned proximate to an edge of the textile;
the textile is wrapped around a bottom edge of the housing part;
the buttons are removably attached to a base of the electronic-speaker device; and
the base includes one or more holes each configured to receive a respective button.

8. The electronic-speaker device of claim 7 , wherein the buttons are ultrasonically welded onto the textile together with one or more polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheets, the PET sheets providing stress distribution.

9. The electronic-speaker device of claim 8 , wherein the respective button includes a ring with one or more pointed extensions configured to pierce through the textile and extend into a corresponding hole in the base.

10. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of textile features include an edge of the textile formed into a tube configured to support a retention rod;
the plurality of mechanical attachment features include multiple hooks configured to receive and secure the retention rod proximate to the interior surface of the housing part; and
the retention rod is configured to exert an evenly-distributed tension force on the textile.

11. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing part includes an input/output (I/O) port opening corresponding to an I/O port of the electronic-speaker device;
the housing part includes multiple slots around the I/O-port opening;
the textile features include multiple textile flaps that wrap around edges of the I/O-port opening from the exterior surface of the housing part to the interior surface of the housing part and overlap the multiple slots; and
the plurality of mechanical attachment features include an PO-port ring having a body with multiple extensions configured to extend into the multiple slots around the I/O opening, the multiple extensions configured to press the multiple textile flaps into the multiple slots and removably secure the multiple textile flaps within the multiple slots.

12. The electronic-speaker device of claim 11 , wherein:
the plurality of textile features include a region having a knit structure change forming a dimple in the textile by goring or partial knitting to provide additional fabric to locally wrap inside the I/O-port opening; and
the dimple is cut to form the multiple textile flaps.

13. The electronic-speaker device of claim 12 , wherein the I/O-port ring is snapped or press fit into the multiple slots to retain the textile in position around the I/O-port opening.

14. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein the housing part is non-symmetric about at least one axis.

15. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein, when the electronic-speaker device is assembled, the plurality of mechanical attachment features and the plurality of textile features are hidden.

16. The electronic-speaker device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mechanical attachment features and the plurality of textile features enable reversible assembly of the textile onto the housing part without distorting a cosmetic pattern on the textile and in a manner that results in no visible edges of the textile or visible attachment features on an exterior of the electronic-speaker device.

17. A textile-assembly toolkit for reversible assembly of a textile to an electronic-speaker device, the textile-assembly toolkit comprising:
a plurality of mechanical attachment features; and
a plurality of textile features formed in the textile and including knit types configured to connect to one or more of the plurality of mechanical attachment features to enable repeatable and reversible assembly of the textile to the electronic-speaker device in a manner that hides the plurality of textile features and the plurality of mechanical attachment features and leaves no visible edge of the textile on an exterior of the electronic-speaker device,
wherein the plurality of textile features are configured to removably attach the textile to the plurality of mechanical attachment features to align and secure the textile to a housing part with a tension force sufficient to reduce acoustic distortion resulting from a vibration of the textile when exposed to acoustic pressure.

18. The textile-assembly toolkit of claim 17 , wherein:
the purposefully-designed knit types include knit holes and knit structure changes that correspond to one or more of the plurality of mechanical attachment features;
the plurality of mechanical attachment features include:
one or more pins positioned on an interior surface of the housing part of the electronic-speaker device and proximate to an opening in the housing part;
hook and loop material attached to the interior surface of the housing part;
a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet attached to the textile and configured to rigidize a portion of the textile and enable consistent alignment of a pattern on the textile to the housing part; and
one or more buttons attached to the textile and configured to secure the textile to a base of the electronic-speaker device.

19. The textile-assembly toolkit of claim 18 , wherein:
the plurality of textile features include a tube formed

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Shumaker Laura Charlotte
• Huynh Brian
• Lu Edmond
• Ancha Phanindraja
• Murphy Robert Sean
• Resneck Myrrhia R

Classifications

• H04R1/2888 Primary

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• G06F3/162

  Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs · CPC title

• H04R1/025

  Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture · CPC title

• H04R1/023 Primary

  Screens for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title