Patent Description:
Audio systems in vehicles often include speakers mounted in the vehicle doors. Generally, in a vehicle application, it is desirable for the speakers to be lightweight, compact, and durable. However, when the speaker is mounted in the vehicle door, vibrations from the vehicle are a concern. Another concern is that the speaker is typically assembled in the door below the window, which may expose the speaker to water, such as from weather or a car wash, causing damage to the speaker components adversely affecting its performance.

For speakers assembled in vehicle doors, it is typical to use a plastic speaker basket into which a loudspeaker is glued in place. However, it is common for the glue to fail. This may happen, for example, during assembly or due to vibrations from the vehicle driving on a road surface, where the weight of the motor causes the loudspeaker to detach from the glue holding it in the speaker basket. As a result, the speaker may rattle or vibrate which adversely affects the speaker performance.

Protecting the speaker from water is commonly accomplished with a waterproof seal or boot that encloses the speaker. However, enclosing the speaker adversely affects its performance because the cover reduces a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of the speaker output.

Publication <CIT> discloses an externally coupled speaker assembly having a horizontal ledge extending along a top side of a housing having an opening therein. A screen is positioned at the opening of the housing. A horizontal portion of the screen is retained between a bottom surface of a speaker and the horizontal ledge of the housing. A vertical portion of the screen is retained in a channel approximate to the opening of the housing. Publication <CIT> discloses a loudspeaker assembly for a vehicle that includes an enclosure arranged to be positioned outside of a passenger compartment of the vehicle adjacent a first vehicle body panel. The enclosure has a front side, a rear side, a top portion and a substantially enclosed bottom portion, where the top portion includes an outer wall structure. A loudspeaker is mounted in the enclosure and configured to generate an acoustic signal to be radiated into the passenger compartment through an opening in a second vehicle body panel. The enclosure may include a plurality of ribs extending between the loudspeaker and the outer wall structure. A barrier may be disposed within the top portion inward of the outer wall structure and substantially surrounding the loudspeaker. The ribs and the barrier damp high frequencies to reduce propagation of high-frequency noise toward the passenger compartment.

The above-mentioned drawbacks are solved with a speaker assembly according to claim <NUM>. Optional features of the assembly are defined in the dependent claims.

A speaker assembly including a speaker, a speaker basket having an opening for receiving the speaker, the speaker basket having a rear surface with a plurality of slots positioned circumferentially about the opening on a perimeter of the rear surface. The speaker assembly further comprises a splash shield having an opening that coincides with the opening of the speaker basket and attaches to the rear surface of the speaker basket. The splash shield has a perimeter wall having a predetermined height, a plurality of tabs on a first surface of the perimeter wall aligns with and are inserted into the plurality of slots, and a plurality of guards extend across the opening of the splash shield. Each guard in the plurality of guards has a predetermined width and space exists between guards in the plurality of guards.

In one or more embodiments the speaker basket is molded from polycarbonate and the splash shield is molded from thermoplastic.

In one or more embodiments one slot in the plurality of slots is a locking slot and one tab on the splash shield, that aligns with the locking slot, has an extension for locking the tab into the locking slot.

In one or more embodiments, the splash shield has a living hinge molded into the perimeter wall. The living hinge folds over the wire harness connector to protect the connector.

Elements and steps in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any sequence.

<FIG> is an exploded view of a speaker assembly <NUM> that is mounted into a door frame of an automotive vehicle (not shown). A basket <NUM> contains all the components of a speaker driver, including but not limited to a frame, a cone, terminals, a voice coil, and a connector <NUM> for a wire harness (not shown). The basket <NUM> is molded in one piece with an opening <NUM> for receiving a shell pot <NUM>. The shell pot <NUM> is made of a rigid material such as metal and receives a speaker motor, that includes (but is not shown in <FIG>), a back plate or center pole, a permanent magnet, and a front or top plate. A splash shield <NUM> attaches to a rear surface <NUM> of the basket <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> is a rear view of the speaker assembly <NUM>. The rear surface <NUM> of the basket <NUM> has a plurality of slots <NUM> spaced a distance from each other circumferentially around the opening <NUM> of the basket <NUM>. The rear surface <NUM> of the basket <NUM> has an opening <NUM> adjacent at least one of the slots <NUM> in the plurality of slots <NUM>. The opening <NUM> at the at least one slot <NUM> receives a tab portion (to be described later herein) of the splash shield <NUM> and locks the position of the splash shield relative to the rear surface <NUM> of the basket <NUM>. The basket <NUM> is formed of a rigid plastic material, for example, polycarbonate material.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the splash shield <NUM> that is molded as one piece from a less rigid thermoplastic material, for example, polypropylene. The splash shield <NUM> has a perimeter wall <NUM> and an opening <NUM> that generally coincides with the opening <NUM> of the basket <NUM>. The splash shield <NUM> has a first surface <NUM> that faces, and attaches to, the rear surface <NUM> of the basket <NUM>. The first surface <NUM> of the splash shield has a plurality of tabs <NUM>. There is a corresponding slot <NUM>, <NUM> in the speaker basket for each tab <NUM> of the splash shield <NUM>.

Each tab has a first portion <NUM> that extends a predetermined distance perpendicularly from the perimeter wall <NUM> into the opening <NUM>. Each tab in the plurality of tabs <NUM> has a second portion <NUM> that extends a predetermined distance perpendicular to the first portion <NUM>. Each tab <NUM> in the plurality of tabs <NUM> has a third portion <NUM> that extends a predetermined distance in a direction horizontal to the second direction and circumferentially with the opening <NUM>. It should be noted that the splash shield <NUM> is molded in one piece and the first <NUM>, second <NUM>, and third <NUM> portions of the tab are continuous.

<FIG> is a view of the first surface <NUM> of the splash shield <NUM>. The tabs <NUM> are strategically positioned around the opening <NUM> in manner to provide adequate attachment points between the basket <NUM> and the splash shield <NUM>. In the example shown in <FIG>, the tabs <NUM> are spaced approximately equidistant from each other. However, the number, configuration, size, and arrangement of the tabs <NUM> depends upon the speaker assembly and its arrangement, or installation, in the vehicle.

One of the tabs <NUM> has a fourth portion <NUM> that extends a predetermined distance perpendicularly from the second portion <NUM> defining a locking tab <NUM>. The locking tab aligns with the locking slot <NUM> in the basket <NUM>. The locking slot <NUM> is the slot in the plurality of slots <NUM> that has the adjacent opening <NUM>. When the splash shield <NUM> is assembled to the speaker basket <NUM> and the splash shield <NUM> is rotated, the fourth portion <NUM> of tab <NUM>, cooperates with opening <NUM>, locking the splash shield <NUM> in place in slot <NUM>. The fourth portion <NUM> of locking tab <NUM> catches the opening <NUM> of the locking slot <NUM> and prevents the splash shield from rotating.

<FIG> is a rear view of the splash shield <NUM>. One or more guards <NUM> extend contiguously across the opening <NUM> over a diameter of the opening <NUM>. The guards <NUM> may vary in number, size, location, and configuration depending on the speaker assembly and its installation configuration in the vehicle. In the example shown in FIG. 4B, two guards <NUM> are shown. Each guard <NUM> has a predetermined width. The guards <NUM> serve the purpose of deflecting water away from the speaker assembly <NUM>.

Referring again to <FIG>, a rear view of the speaker assembly <NUM>, shows the guards <NUM> and their arrangement with respect to the shell pot <NUM>. One or more guards <NUM> extend contiguously across the opening <NUM> over a diameter of the opening <NUM>. The guards <NUM> may vary in number, size, location, and configuration depending on the speaker assembly and its installation configuration in the vehicle. In the example shown in <FIG>, the guards <NUM> have a predetermined width. The guards <NUM> serve the purpose of deflecting water away from the speaker assembly <NUM>. The guards <NUM> also reinforce positioning of the shell pot <NUM> by providing supports that help to hold the shell pot in place. Typically, the shell pot <NUM> is held in place with adhesive or glue. An advantage of the splash shield <NUM> of the inventive subject matter is that the amount of glue can be reduced, or avoided all together, because the guards <NUM> assist in holding the shell pot <NUM> in place.

<FIG> is a close-up rear view of the speaker assembly <NUM> without the splash shield. The example shown in <FIG> has <NUM> slots 126a, 126b, 126c, 126d and locking slot <NUM> with opening <NUM>. Referring again to <FIG>, the number of tabs in the plurality of tabs <NUM> is equal to the number of slots <NUM> in the rear surface <NUM> of the speaker basket. The tabs in the plurality of tabs <NUM> are shaped such that they can be inserted into the plurality of annular slots. The splash shield <NUM> is attached to the basket <NUM> by aligning each of the tabs in the plurality of tabs <NUM> with each of the slots <NUM> in the plurality of slots <NUM> and inserting the tabs <NUM> into the slots <NUM>. Twisting the splash shield in one direction secures the tabs <NUM> into the slots <NUM> by causing the third portion of the tab <NUM> to extend past the slot of the rear surface <NUM> of the speaker basket <NUM>.

The number of tabs in the plurality of tabs <NUM> is equal to the number of slots <NUM> in the rear surface <NUM> of the speaker basket. The tabs in the plurality of tabs <NUM> are shaped such that they can be inserted into the plurality of slots. The splash shield <NUM> is attached to the basket <NUM> by aligning each of the tabs in the plurality of tabs <NUM> with each of the slots <NUM>, <NUM> in the plurality of slots <NUM>, <NUM> and inserting the tabs <NUM> into the slots <NUM>. Twisting the splash shield <NUM> in one direction secures the tabs <NUM> into the slots <NUM> and attaches the splash shield <NUM> to the basket <NUM>. <FIG> is a close-up rear view of the speaker assembly <NUM> showing the splash shield <NUM> locked in place. The fourth portion <NUM> of tab <NUM> is locked into opening <NUM> adjacent to slot <NUM>.

Referring again to <FIG>, a height, h, of the perimeter wall <NUM> is shown. The height of the wall <NUM> is advantageous in that it allows the guards <NUM> to prevent water intrusion into the cone area of the speaker assembly <NUM>, encloses the speaker without reducing SPL. The wall height, h, provides bigger openings at the speaker basket <NUM>, creating a better sound performance for the speaker assembly <NUM>.

The wall height, h, of the perimeter wall <NUM> also provides coverage for the connector area <NUM>. The perimeter wall <NUM> has an indented segment <NUM> of its surface. This segment <NUM> is a portion of the perimeter wall <NUM> that is indented to accommodate a connector (not shown in <FIG>) for the wire harness (also not shown). In one or more embodiments, shown in <FIG>, the indented segment <NUM> of the splash shield <NUM> may be molded with a living hinge <NUM>. The living hinge <NUM> has a surface area that is molded as part of the splash shield <NUM> and is operable to close over the wire harness connector (not shown), covering it and providing protection from contaminants, such as water, debris, etc..

Claim 1:
A speaker assembly (<NUM>), comprising:
a speaker;
a speaker basket (<NUM>) having an opening (<NUM>) for receiving the speaker, the speaker basket having a rear surface (<NUM>) with a plurality of slots (<NUM>) positioned circumferentially about the opening (<NUM>) on a perimeter of the rear surface (<NUM>); and
a splash shield (<NUM>) having an opening (<NUM>) that coincides with the opening (<NUM>) of the speaker basket (<NUM>), the splash shield being attached to the rear surface (<NUM>) of the speaker basket, (<NUM>) the splash shield (<NUM>) having a perimeter wall (<NUM>) having a predetermined height, a plurality of tabs (<NUM>) on a first surface (<NUM>) of the perimeter wall (<NUM>) aligning with and being inserted into the plurality of slots (<NUM>), and a plurality of guards (<NUM>) extending across the opening (<NUM>) of the splash shield (<NUM>), wherein each guard in the plurality of guards (<NUM>) has a predetermined width and wherein space exists between guards in the plurality of guards (<NUM>).