US 11,930,311 B2
Sound output apparatus and oscillation provising mechanism
Masahiro Takahashi, Tokyo (JP); Takanobu Wada, Tokyo (JP); and Tetsuya Minakawa, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SONY GROUP CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/756,603
Filed by SONY GROUP CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Dec. 2, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/044854
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 27, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/117575, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 17, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-222812 (JP), filed on Dec. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0417629 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. H04R 1/26 (2006.01); G06F 1/16 (2006.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 7/04 (2006.01); H04R 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/026 (2013.01) [G06F 1/1605 (2013.01); H04R 1/26 (2013.01); H04R 7/04 (2013.01); H04R 17/00 (2013.01); H04R 2499/15 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sound output apparatus, comprising:
a functional mechanism configured to perform a specified function;
an oscillation providing mechanism configured to oscillate, as an oscillation-provision-target member, a member that is included in the functional mechanism; and
an oscillation controller configured to control oscillation generated by the oscillation providing mechanism based on a basis of sound information, wherein
the oscillation providing mechanism includes:
an actuator configured to generate the oscillation along a specified oscillation axis,
wherein the actuator includes a rear end that is situated opposite to the oscillation-provision-target member in an axial direction of the specified oscillation axis,
a support member configured to support the actuator, and
a biasing member which is a coil spring wrapped around
the support member as viewed along the specified oscillation axis,
wherein
at least a portion of the biasing member is closer to the oscillation-provision-target member than the rear end of the actuator in the axial direction of the specified oscillation axis,
the biasing member is configured to bias the support member towards the oscillation-provision-target member,
the oscillation-provision-target member is configured to include a sound output region and a region other than the sound output region,
the sound output region is configured to output sound based on the oscillation, and
thickness of the sound output region is smaller than a thickness of the region other than the sound output region.