Vibro-Acoustic Study of Flat Panel Speakers for Better In-car Entertainment 2005-01-2348

One potential method by which to realize better acoustic in-car entertainment with a minimum of space is to adopt very thin Flat-Panel Speakers (FPSs), which use a combination of an array of coils printed on a flexible thin plastic film and permanent magnets. In the present report, the optimal panel material was investigated through experimental modal analysis. The optimal driving unit placement over the board was then determined using FEM based modal analyses. Finally, structural modifications to the sound radiating board in order to obtain a wider efficient frequency range were investigated experimentally. Among several design alternatives, satisfactory results were obtained by either dividing the sound radiating board into virtually independent sub-panels or adding resilient damping material supported by a restraining material.