Motor vehicle with sound system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12342114-B2
Application number	US-202217851149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jul 2, 2021
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A motor vehicle ( 10 ) defining a longitudinal axis (X), a front side, and a median (P) plane including the longitudinal axis (X) and which is vertical, and comprising:
a structure ( 14 ) comprising a bulkhead ( 34 ), at least one front seat ( 26 A) for a driver, and a floor covering ( 18 ), the bulkhead and the floor covering partially delimiting a passenger compartment ( 35 ), and a sound system ( 12 ) including at least one speaker enclosure ( 42 ) rigidly attached to the structure, the speaker enclosure comprising at least one woofer ( 50 A) and being located close to the median plane (P): either longitudinally between the bulkhead and a front edge of the front seat, or longitudinally astride a front zone ( 40 A) of the passenger compartment intended to receive the driver and a rear zone ( 40 B) of the passenger compartment intended to receive one or more rear passengers of the motor vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle defining a central longitudinal axis along which the motor vehicle is intended to move, one front side along the longitudinal axis, and a median plane of the motor vehicle, the median plane including the longitudinal axis and being vertical when the motor vehicle is on a horizontal surface, the motor vehicle comprising:
a structure comprising a bulkhead,
at least one front seat intended to seat a driver of the motor vehicle,
a floor covering, the bulkhead and the floor covering partially delimiting a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and
a sound system including at least one speaker enclosure rigidly attached to the structure, the speaker enclosure comprising:
one box defining at least one first opening, and
at least one first woofer mounted in the opening,

the speaker enclosure being located close to the median plane:
either longitudinally between the bulkhead and a front edge of the front seat,
or longitudinally astride a front zone of the passenger compartment intended to receive the driver and a rear zone of the passenger compartment intended to receive one or more rear passengers of the motor vehicle;
wherein the box further defines a second opening, the speaker enclosure further comprising a second woofer structurally analogous to the first woofer, the second woofer being mounted in the second opening, back-to-back with the first woofer; and
wherein the first woofer and the second woofer comprise two magnetic motors respectively, the speaker enclosure comprising at least one metal rod mechanically connecting the two magnetic motors to each other.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first woofer has a bandwidth including a frequency range from 60 Hz to 150 Hz.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the speaker enclosure has a barycenter located 20 cm or less from the median plane.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the speaker enclosure defines an interior volume intended to receive sound waves generated at least by the first woofer, the box further comprising at least one vent apt to channel at least part of sound waves from the interior volume to the exterior of the speaker enclosure.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the box defines at least one or two additional opening(s), the speaker enclosure further comprising at least one or two passive membrane(s) which are mounted as to be movable relative to the box in the additional opening or openings respectively, the passive membrane or membranes being apt to emit sound waves.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the sound system further comprises at least one medium- and high-frequency loudspeaker with a bandwidth ranging from a frequency between 150 Hz and 350 Hz to a frequency of at least 14 kHz, said medium- and high-frequency loudspeaker being located inside the passenger compartment.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the sound system further comprises:
at least one medium-frequency loudspeaker with a band ranging from a frequency comprised 150 Hz to 600 Hz to a frequency comprised between 1 kHz to 6 kHz, and
at least one high-frequency loudspeaker with a bandwidth including a range from a frequency comprised between 1 kHz to 6 kHz to a frequency of at least 14 kHz, said medium-frequency loudspeaker and said high-frequency loudspeaker being located inside the passenger compartment.

8. A sound generation method comprising:
supplying a motor vehicle according to claim 1 , and
emitting sound waves at least by the first woofer of the speaker enclosure.

9. A motor vehicle defining a central longitudinal axis along which the motor vehicle is intended to move, one front side along the longitudinal axis, and a median plane of the motor vehicle, the median plane including the longitudinal axis and being vertical when the motor vehicle is on a horizontal surface, the motor vehicle comprising:
a structure comprising a bulkhead,
at least one front seat intended to seat a driver of the motor vehicle,
a floor covering, the bulkhead and the floor covering partially delimiting a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and
a sound system including at least one speaker enclosure rigidly attached to the structure, the speaker enclosure comprising:
one box defining at least one first opening, and
at least one first woofer mounted in the opening,

the speaker enclosure being located close to the median plane,
longitudinally astride a front zone of the passenger compartment intended to receive the driver and a rear zone of the passenger compartment intended to receive one or more rear passengers of the motor vehicle,

wherein the box forms a universal support, and
the box further defines a second opening, the speaker enclosure being adapted for further comprising a second woofer structurally analogous to the first woofer, and mounted in the second opening, back-to-back with the first woofer.

Assignees

• Devialet

Inventors

• Julien Vincent
• Vericel Baptiste Loïc Robin

Classifications

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title

• H04R9/06

  Loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/2834

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/2826

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/26 Primary

  Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges · CPC title