HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING HIDDEN SOUND OPENINGS OFFSET FROM AN AUDIO SOURCE

摘要

An improved handheld electronic device has a case (6) with an elongated cavity (96) formed therein. An audio transducer (112) is in fluid communication with the cavity (96), and a number of sound openings (28) are formed in the case (6) and are in fluid communication with the cavity and with the atmosphere surrounding the handheld electronic device. The sound openings (28) are generally spaced from a central region of the audio transducer (112) to space the sound openings generally farther from an edge (32) of the case than the audio transducer. The cavity (96) is configured to form a Helmholtz resonator that enables the communication of sound through the cavity between the audio transducer and the sound openings. The spacing of the sound openings from an edge (32) of a case (6) helps a user to form a seal between the case (6) and the user's ear to enable sound from the sound openings to enter the ear and to be perceived by the user. In one embodiment, the sound openings face into a channel formed in the case, which enables the sound openings to be largely hidden from view and enable the sound openings (28) to be spaced an even greater distance from the audio transducer (112).