# US 11,115,740 B2 · Flat panel speaker and display unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,740 B2 - Document ID: US11115740B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/070,853 - Filed: 2017-11-15 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-27 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Toshihiko Masuda; Hiroki Matsuoka; Hideyuki Taguchi; Hiroshi Yoshioka; Shinpei Kondo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115740B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/025: {Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture} - H04R 7/04: Plane diaphragms - H04R 7/26: Damping by means acting directly on free portion of diaphragm or cone (air damping H04R1/28) - H04R 9/025: {Magnetic circuit} - G02F 1/133394: {Piezoelectric elements associated with the cells} - H04R 7/045: {using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion} - H04R 2440/05: Aspects relating to the positioning and way or means of mounting of exciters to resonant bending wave panels - H04R 2499/15: Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A flat panel speaker according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a flat panel and a plurality of vibrators that are disposed on a back surface of the flat panel. The plurality of vibrators are disposed to avoid a location that most easily vibrates in an entire range of audio frequencies when vibration is generated in the flat panel by the plurality of vibrators. A large stationary wave with respect to the flat panel therefore does not easily occur. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flat panel speaker comprising: a flat panel; and a plurality of vibrators that are disposed on a back surface of the flat panel and cause the flat panel to vibrate, the plurality of vibrators being disposed at locations having a lateral coordinate along a lateral direction and a vertical coordinate along a vertical direction of the flat panel; and a vibration controlling member fixed to the back surface of the flat panel and that partitions the back surface of the flat panel into a first closed partition region including a first vibration point and a second closed partition region including a second vibration point, the vibration controlling member includes a first vibration controlling member that forms the first closed partition region and a second vibration controlling member that forms the second closed partition region, wherein the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned vertically symmetrical relative to a vertical central axis extending along the vertical direction or the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned laterally symmetrical relative to a lateral central axis extending along the lateral direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flat panel speaker according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibrators are disposed to avoid a location of a node of a minimum stationary wave in the entire range of audio frequencies when vibration is generated in the flat panel by the plurality of vibrators. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The flat panel speaker according to claim 1, wherein, on the back surface of the flat panel, a position facing a first vibrator among the plurality of vibrators is set as the first vibration point and a position facing a second vibrator, different from the first vibrator, among the plurality of vibrators is set as the second vibration point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The flat panel speaker according to claim 3, wherein the vibration controlling member has a function of preventing a stationary wave caused by interference between vibration generated in the flat panel by the first vibrator and vibration generated in the flat panel by the second vibrator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The flat panel speaker according to claim 4, wherein the first partition region has an aspect ratio different from 1:1, and the second partition region has an aspect ratio different from 1:1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The flat panel speaker according to claim 4, further comprising a facing plate that is disposed to face the flat panel with a predetermined clearance formed therebetween, each of the vibrators being fixed to the facing plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The flat panel speaker according to claim 6, wherein the vibration controlling member is in contact with the facing plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The flat panel speaker according to claim 6, wherein the vibration controlling member is disposed away from the facing plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The flat panel speaker according to claim 3, wherein the first vibration controlling member includes one or more first protrusions protruding toward the first vibration point, and the second vibration controlling member includes one or more second protrusions protruding toward the second vibration point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The flat panel speaker according to claim 9, wherein the first closed partition region is disposed near a left edge of the flat panel, the second closed partition region is disposed near a right edge of the flat panel, the one or more first protrusions are disposed near the left edge of the flat panel in the first closed partition region, and the one or more second protrusions are disposed near the right edge of the flat panel in the second closed partition region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The flat panel speaker according to claim 3, wherein the vibration controlling member is configured by a flexible member, the vibration controlling member including a sponge as the flexible member and further including an adhesive layer or a bonding layer that fixes the sponge to the back surface of the flat panel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The flat panel speaker according to claim 3, wherein the vibration controlling member is configured by a flexible member, the vibration controlling member including an adhesive or a bond as the flexible member. ### Claim 13 A flat panel speaker comprising: a flat panel; a vibrator that is disposed on a back surface of the flat panel and causes the flat panel to vibrate, the vibrator being disposed at a location having a lateral coordinate along a lateral direction and a vertical coordinate along a vertical direction of the flat panel; and a vibration controlling member fixed to the back surface of the flat panel and that partitions the back surface of the flat panel into a first closed partition region including a first vibration point and a second closed partition region including a second vibration point, the vibration controlling member includes a first vibration controlling member that forms the first closed partition region and a second vibration controlling member that forms the second closed partition region, wherein the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned vertically symmetrical relative to a vertical central axis extending along the vertical direction or the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned laterally symmetrical relative to a lateral central axis extending along the lateral direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The flat panel speaker according to claim 13, wherein the vibration controlling member has a function of preventing a stationary wave caused by vibration generated in the flat panel by the vibrator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The flat panel speaker according to claim 13, wherein the vibrator is disposed to avoid a location of an anti-node of a maximum stationary wave in an entire range of audio frequencies when vibration is generated in the flat panel by the vibrator. ### Claim 16 A display unit comprising: a display cell that is shaped like a thin plate and displays an image; a plurality of vibrators that are disposed on a back surface of the display cell and cause the display cell to vibrate, the plurality of vibrators are disposed at locations having a lateral coordinate along a lateral direction and a vertical coordinate along a vertical direction of the flat panel such that the ratio of the lateral coordinate and the vertical coordinate is indivisible; and a vibration controlling member that is fixed to the back surface of the flat panel and that partitions the back surface of the flat panel into a first closed partition region including a first vibration point and a second closed partition region including a second vibration point, the vibration controlling member includes a first vibration controlling member that forms the first closed partition region and a second vibration controlling member that forms the second closed partition region, wherein the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned vertically symmetrical relative to a vertical central axis extending along the vertical direction or the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned laterally symmetrical relative to a lateral central axis extending along the lateral direction. ### Claim 17 A display unit comprising: a display cell that is shaped like a thin plate and displays an image; a vibrator that is disposed on a back surface of the display cell and causes the display cell to vibrate, the vibrator being disposed at a location having a lateral coordinate along a lateral direction and a vertical coordinate along a vertical direction of the flat panel such that the ratio of the lateral coordinate and the vertical coordinate is indivisible; and a vibration controlling member that is fixed to the back surface of the flat panel and that partitions the back surface of the flat panel into a first closed partition region including a first vibration point and a second closed partition region including a second vibration point, the vibration controlling member includes a first vibration controlling member that forms the first closed partition region and a second vibration controlling member that forms the second closed partition region, wherein the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned vertically symmetrical relative to a vertical central axis extending along the vertical direction or the first closed partition region and the second closed partition region are positioned laterally symmetrical relative to a lateral central axis extending along the lateral direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The display unit according to claim 17, wherein the vibrator is disposed to avoid a location of an anti-node of a maximum stationary wave in an entire range of audio frequencies when vibration is generated in the flat panel by the vibrator.