Abstract:
A portable electronic device ( 200 ) includes a casing ( 20 ) containing a speaker set ( 30 ) therein and defines a vent ( 232 ) therein. The speaker set includes a hollow shell ( 40 ) having a first partition wall ( 451 ), and a loudspeaker ( 50 ). The first partition wall divides an inner space of the shell into a first resonance chamber ( 47 ) and a second resonance chamber ( 49 ). The first resonance chamber communicates with the second resonance chamber via a communicating port ( 452 ). The second chamber communicates with a surrounding environment via a sound propagation port ( 432 ) defined in the shell. The sound propagation port communicates with the vent of the casing. The loudspeaker is accommodated in the shell, and acoustically couples with the first resonance chamber.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to sound emitting devices, particularly to speaker sets and portable electronic devices using the speaker sets. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, CD players, MP3 players, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and the like, have decreased both in size and weight over the past few years and are becoming ever more popular with travelers. This demand for smaller size with ever-increasing capability has required a tremendous effort to continually shrink many of the components contained within the device. 
         [0005]    In another aspect, portable electronic devices being designed today require multi-media features and provide the user with the same enjoyable experience as that experienced with conventional high quality desktop systems. Thus, the sounds emanating from a portable electronic device should provide as full a harmonic content as the original sounds. The production of high frequency sounds requires a large acoustic chamber for the movement of a large mass of air. As the device is reduced in size, the size of the acoustic chamber of the speaker set and the maximum power the speaker can handle are also accordingly reduced, resulting in both a reduction in loudness as well as a poorer overall quality of sound. 
         [0006]    For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a mobile phone  100  includes a housing  10  and a speaker  19  incorporated in the housing  10 . The housing  10  has a top surface  11 , a sidewall  13  extending upwards from the top surface  11 , and a cavity  15  defined between the top surface  11  and the sidewall  13 . A plurality of sound propagation holes  110  is defined in the top surface  11 , and communicates with the cavity  15 . The speaker  19  has a sound emanating surface  191 . The speaker  19  is received in the cavity  15 , with the sound emanating surface  191  thereof facing towards the top surface  11 . An acoustic chamber is thus formed by the sound emanating surface  191  of the speaker  19  and the housing  10 . Since the sound emanating surface  191  of the speaker  19  is disposed close to the top surface  11  of the housing  10 , the acoustic chamber is small. 
         [0007]    However, increasing the device size to increase the size of the acoustic chamber for the speaker is very undesirable since it would strongly detract from the very characteristics that have helped to make these devices popular, namely size and weight. Thus the size of the device is at odds with high capability sounds of the speaker. 
         [0008]    Therefore, an improved speaker set and an improved portable electronic device are desired in order to overcome the above-described problems. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    A speaker set configured for a portable electronic device is provided in one aspect thereof. The speaker set includes a hollow shell and a loudspeaker. The hollow shell includes a first partition wall dividing an inner space of the shell into a first resonance chamber and a second resonance chamber. The first resonance chamber acoustically communicates with the second resonance chamber via a communicating port defined in the first partition wall. The second chamber acoustically communicates with a surrounding environment via a sound propagation port defined in the shell. The loudspeaker is accommodated in the shell, and acoustically couples with the first resonance chamber. Sounds emanated from the loudspeaker can travel through the first resonance chamber, the communicating port, the second chamber, the sound propagation port and finally into surrounding environment. 
         [0010]    Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Many aspects of the present speaker set for portable electronic device can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present speaker set and its potential applications. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of a typical speaker used in a mobile phone. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic, isometric view of a mobile phone incorporating a speaker set according to a present embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic, isometric view of the speaker set of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a disassembled view of the speaker set of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of the speaker set, taken along line V-V of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    The present speaker set is particularly suitable for portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, and the like. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a mobile phone  200  incorporating a speaker set  30  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) therein according to the present invention is shown. The mobile phone  200  includes a hollow casing  20  and a variety of elements enclosed in the casing  20 . The casing  20  is substantially rectangular shaped in profile, and includes a keypad  21 , a display panel  22 , and a speaker section  23  respectively disposed at bottom, middle and top portions of the casing  20 . The casing  20  defines two vents  232  at one side of the speaker section  23 . The vent  232  can be, but is not limited to, a hole, a slot, a slit, a groove, and a notch. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a speaker set  30  is configured (i.e., arranged and structured) to be disposed in the speaker section  23  of the casing  20 , and includes a hollow shell  40  and a loudspeaker  50  accommodated in the shell  40 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the shell  40  of the speaker set  30  is open on one side, and includes a base wall  41 , a plurality of sidewalls, i.e. a first sidewall  431 , a second sidewall  433 , a third sidewall  435 , and a fourth sidewall  437 , approximately perpendicularly and upwardly extending from a periphery of the base wall  41 , a plurality of partition walls, i.e. a first partition wall  451 , a second partition wall  453 , a third partition wall  455 , a fourth partition wall  457 , and a fifth partition wall  459 , perpendicularly and upwardly extending from a middle portion of the base wall  41 , and a supporting member  48 . 
         [0021]    The first sidewall  431  is connected to the second sidewall  433  which is connected to the third sidewall  435  which is connected to the fourth sidewall  437  which is connected to the first sidewall  431 . The first sidewall  431  is positioned opposite to the third sidewall  435 , and has a sound propagation port  432  defined therein. The sound propagation port  432  is defined corresponding to the vent  232  of the casing  20 . The sound propagation port  432  can be, but is not limited to, a hole, a slot, and a slit. The second and the fourth sidewalls  433 ,  437  are disposed opposite to each other, and both connect with the first and third sidewalls  431 ,  435 . 
         [0022]    The first partition wall  451  extends from a middle portion of the base wall  41 , and is disposed approximately parallel with the first and the third sidewalls  431 ,  435 . The first partition wall  451  has a communicating port  452  defined therein. The communicating port  452  is defined proximate to the base wall  41 , and can be, but is not limited to, a hole, a slot, a slit, a groove, and a notch. The second and the third partition walls  453 ,  455  are parallel to each other and both are connected between the first partition wall  451  and the third sidewall  435 . The fourth and fifth partition walls  457 ,  459  both are connected between the first partition wall  451  and the first sidewall  431 . The partition walls  451 ,  453 ,  455 ,  457 ,  459  can be, but not limited to, planar, curved, arced, and cambered in shape. 
         [0023]    The partition walls  451 ,  453 ,  455 ,  457 ,  459  divide a space formed between the base wall  41  and the sidewalls  431 ,  433 ,  435 ,  437  into four sub-chambers, i.e. a first resonance chamber  47 , a second resonance chamber  48 , a third chamber (not labeled) and a fourth chamber (not labeled). The first resonance chamber  47  comprises free space between the first, second and third partition walls  451 ,  453 ,  455 , the third sidewall  435 , and the base wall  41 . The first resonance chamber  47  is configured for receiving the loudspeaker  50  therein. The second resonance chamber  49  comprises free space between the first, fourth, and fifth partition walls  451 ,  457 ,  459 , the first sidewall  431 , and the base wall  41 . The second resonance chamber  49  communicates with the first resonance chamber  47  via the communicating port  452 , and can communicate with outside via the sound propagation port  432  and the vents  232 . The third chamber comprises free space between of the third and fourth partition walls  455 ,  457 , the first, third and fourth sidewalls  431 ,  435 ,  437 , and the base wall  41 . The fourth chamber comprises free space between the second and fourth partition walls  453 ,  459 , the first, second and third sidewalls  431 ,  433 ,  435 , and the base wall  41 . The third and fourth chambers are configured for receiving other electronic components therein. 
         [0024]    The supporting member  48  is configured for supporting the loudspeaker  50  so as to separate the loudspeaker  50  apart from the base wall  41 . The supporting member  48  includes a plurality of blocks projecting from the base wall  41 , inside the first resonance chamber  47 . It is to be understood that the supporting member  48  can be blocks or flange projecting from the first, second and third partition walls  451 ,  453 ,  455 , and the third sidewall  435 . 
         [0025]    Also referring to  FIG. 5 , the loudspeaker  50  is configured for converting electrical signals to sound waves, and has a shape and size corresponding with that of the first resonance chamber  47  so that the loudspeaker  50  can be fittingly received in the first resonance chamber  47 . The loudspeaker  50  has a sound emanating surface from which sound waves are emanated. 
         [0026]    In assembly the speaker set  30 , the loudspeaker  50  is placed inside the first resonance chamber  47  of the shell  40 , and is supported and mounted on the supporting member  48 . The sound emanating surface of the loudspeaker  50  faces towards the base wall  41 , and is spaced a certain distance from the base wall  41 . A back cover (not shown) will be provided to be mounted to the shell  40  so as to hermetically cover the first and second resonance chambers  47 ,  49 . 
         [0027]    The assembled shell  40  and loudspeaker  50  are arranged in the casing  20  of the mobile phone  200 , with the sound propagating port  432  of the shell  40  corresponding to and communicating with the vent  232 . 
         [0028]    In use, sound waves generated by the loudspeaker  50  are transmitted to and resonate with air in the first resonance chamber  47  at the natural frequencies thereof. Sound waves in the first resonance chamber  47  are then transmitted into the second resonance chamber  49  via the communicating port  452  and further resonate with the air in the second resonance chamber  47 . Finally, the sound waves are transmitted to the surrounding environment via the sound propagation port  432  of the first sidewall  431  of the shell and the vent  232  of the casing  20 . 
         [0029]    In the present mobile phone  200 , the sound propagating port  432  is not aligned with the inverting port  452 , causing at least some of the sound waves to reflect back and forth within the second resonance chamber  49 , so that at least a portion of the sound waves that enter the second resonance chamber  49  from the first resonance chamber  47  will combine with preceding and/or succeeding sound waves in the second resonance chamber  49  to produce a better quality sound emanating from the sound propagating port  432 , which increases sound quality of the mobile phone  200 . 
         [0030]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.