Patent Publication Number: US-6219430-B1

Title: Electronic appliance with loudspeaker unit

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a loudspeaker unit of an electronic appliance, such as a computer, more particularly to a computer having a loudspeaker unit with enhanced low frequency characteristics. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional portable computer is shown to comprise a computer housing  2  having a lower housing part  20  with a side wall  200  that is formed with a perforated sound port  201 . A loudspeaker unit  1  includes a loudspeaker enclosure  10  having a loudspeaker mechanism  11  mounted therein. The loudspeaker enclosure  10  is mounted in the computer housing  2  between an upper housing part  21  and the lower housing part  20  adjacent to the side wall  200  with the use of a screw fastener  210  such that the loudspeaker mechanism  11  is registered with the sound port  201 . 
     The quality of the sound output generated by the loudspeaker unit  1  is affected by the size of the loudspeaker enclosure  10 . In view of the current trend to make the size of the computer housing  2  as small as possible to enhance portability, the size of the loudspeaker enclosure  10  is accordingly reduced, thereby resulting in an adverse effect on the output sound quality. There is thus a need to improve the quality of the sound output of a loudspeaker unit of a computer without necessitating an increase in the size of the computer housing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electronic appliance, such as a computer, having a loudspeaker unit with enhanced low frequency characteristics without requiring an increase in the size of the housing of the electronic appliance. 
     According to the present invention, an electronic appliance comprises a housing, a loudspeaker unit and a connector unit. 
     The housing includes a lower housing part having a base wall and a side wall that extends upwardly from the base wall. The side wall is formed with a perforated sound port and a connector mounting opening that extends upwardly from the base wall and that has a first vertical edge adjacent to the perforated sound port and a second vertical edge opposite to the first vertical edge in a longitudinal direction of the side wall. The lower housing part further has a barrier wall that extends upwardly from the base wall. The barrier wall has a first barrier portion that extends from the second vertical edge of the connector mounting opening in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction, and a second barrier portion that extends from the first barrier portion in the longitudinal direction. The second barrier portion is disposed parallel to the side wall and is registered with the connector mounting opening in the transverse direction. The barrier wall is formed with a terminal hole. The base wall, the side wall and the barrier wall cooperatively form a connector receiving space thereamong. 
     The loudspeaker unit includes a loudspeaker enclosure and a loudspeaker mechanism mounted in the loudspeaker enclosure. The loudspeaker enclosure is mounted in the lower housing part adjacent to the side wall such that the loudspeaker mechanism is registered with the sound port. The loudspeaker unit further has an elongated resonance duct that extends from one side of the loudspeaker enclosure in the longitudinal direction toward the first barrier portion and into the connector receiving space and that is disposed immediately above the base wall. The resonance duct is communicated acoustically with the loudspeaker enclosure, and has a vertical height that is shorter than that of the loudspeaker enclosure. The resonance duct is formed with a low frequency sound hole. 
     The connector unit is disposed in the connector receiving space on top of the resonance duct and between the loudspeaker enclosure and the first barrier portion. The connector unit has a terminal set that extends through the terminal hole in the barrier wall. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing a conventional computer with a loudspeaker unit; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the conventional computer of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view showing the preferred embodiment of an electronic appliance with a loudspeaker unit according to this invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of an electronic appliance according to the present invention is shown to be embodied in a portable computer that includes a computer housing  4 , a loudspeaker unit  3 , and a connector unit  60 . 
     The computer housing  4  includes a lower housing part  40  having a base wall  41  and a side wall  42  that extends upwardly from the base wall  41 . The side wall  42  is formed with a perforated sound port  400  and a connector mounting opening  401  that extends upwardly from the base wall  41  and that has a first vertical edge  4011  adjacent to the sound port  400  and a second vertical edge  4012  opposite to the first vertical edge  4011  in a longitudinal direction of the side wall  42 . The lower housing part  40  further has a barrier wall  43  that extends upwardly from the base wall  41 . The barrier wall  43  has a first barrier portion  431  that extends from the second vertical edge  4012  of the connector mounting opening  401  in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction, and a second barrier portion  432  that extends from the first barrier portion  431  in the longitudinal direction. The second barrier portion  432  is disposed parallel to the side wall  42 , and is registered with the connector mounting opening  401  in the transverse direction. The barrier wall  43  is formed with at least one terminal hole  430 . In this embodiment, the second barrier portion  432  is formed with a pair of terminal holes  430  that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The base wall  41 , the side wall  42  and the barrier wall  43  cooperate to form a connector receiving space thereamong. 
     The loudspeaker unit  3  includes a loudspeaker enclosure  30  and a loudspeaker mechanism  33  mounted in the loudspeaker enclosure  30 . The loudspeaker enclosure  30  is mounted in the computer housing  4  between an upper housing part  44  and the lower housing part  40  adjacent to the side wall  42  with the use of a screw fastener  5  such that the loudspeaker mechanism  33  is registered with the sound port  400 . The loudspeaker unit  3  further has an elongated resonance duct  31  that extends from one side  300  of the loudspeaker enclosure  30  in the longitudinal direction toward the first barrier portion  431  and into the connector receiving space and that is disposed immediately above the base wall  41 . The resonance duct  31  is communicated acoustically with the loudspeaker enclosure  30 , and has a vertical height that is shorter than that of the loudspeaker enclosure  30 . The resonance duct  31  is formed with a low frequency sound hole  32  in one end thereof distal to the loudspeaker enclosure  30 . In this embodiment, the resonance duct  31  has a front wall  310  adjacent to the side wall  42  and formed with the sound hole  32 . 
     The connector unit  60  of this embodiment includes an RJ45 electrical connector  600  and an RJ11 electrical connector  601 , and is disposed in the connector receiving space on top of the resonance duct  31  and between the side  300  of the loudspeaker enclosure  30  and the first barrier portion  431 . The terminal set (shown in hidden lines) of each of the electrical connectors  600 ,  601  extends through a corresponding terminal hole  430  in the barrier wall  43 . The connector unit  60  and the loudspeaker unit  3  are retained in the lower housing part  40  by the upper housing part  44 . Due to the novel configuration of the loudspeaker unit  3 , which includes a resonance duct  31  that permits disposing of the connector unit  60  thereon, the quality of sound output can be enhanced without necessitating an increase in the size of the computer housing  4 . The object of the invention is thus met. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.