Speaker Type Patents (Class 181/199)
  • Patent number: 7654361
    Abstract: A bracket for retaining a sound transducer against a soundboard. The bracket is mountable to architectural frame members and is operable to balance the load of the transducer in the bracket. The bracket includes a spring element that is operable to hold the sound transducer against the soundboard with a specified force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Induction Dynamics LLC
    Inventor: Christopher Combest
  • Patent number: 7628249
    Abstract: A speaker enclosure mounted within an internal wall of a vehicle may employ first and second enclosure halves that are vibration welded together to define an enclosure or cavity between the halves. A first leg and a second leg protrude from a bottom of the second half. The legs may have strengthening ribs to govern leg deflection resistance and further each have a resilient s-shaped tab protruding from the distal end of each leg to contact the wall of the vehicle. A first and a second fastener leg may each define a fastener hole and accept a fastener to help secure the speaker enclosure along with the first and second resilient legs. The fastener legs each may protrude from an enclosure half.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventor: Fadi S. Hanna
  • Patent number: 7624839
    Abstract: A compact loudspeaker enclosure combines planar type devices for high frequency sound reproduction and cone type active devices for low frequency sound reproduction. The low frequency cone type transducers are mounted in baffles between forward and rear enclosed spaces and thus do not directly radiate into the environment. The first enclosed space is acoustically coupled to the environment by the planar device which is mounted between the first enclosed space and the environment with one major face mounted to radiate either directly into the environment or to be horn loaded. The planar operates as a passive radiator to the LF devices at low frequencies and an active device above a crossover frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Inventor: Curtis E. Graber
  • Patent number: 7624840
    Abstract: A portable computer includes a speaker device and a first casing. The speaker device includes a speaker main body and a speaker housing for housing the speaker main body. The first casing has a bottom wall. The bottom wall has swelling portion which swells outward and contains at least part of the speaker housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshio Konno, Satoshi Kishikawa, Koji Ariga
  • Publication number: 20090288911
    Abstract: A sound box structure includes a shell (10) and a speaker (30) received therein. The shell defines a resonance chamber (114) and a receiving chamber (115) communicating therewith. The speaker is received in the receiving chamber. The shell is Mg—Al alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: FOXCONN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HWANG-MIAW CHEN, HUI-CHENG CHEN, SHIH-CHIA CHIU, CHENG-CHIA PAN
  • Patent number: 7614479
    Abstract: A sound enhancement module includes a set of walls that define an enclosed chamber, an aperture in one of the walls to provide a path for audio waves to travel between the enclosed chamber and an external space and an alternative density transmission medium positioned in the enclosed chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Inventor: Jan Plummer
  • Patent number: 7607512
    Abstract: A speaker assembly for a structural pole is provided, as well as a method for attaching a speaker assembly to a structural pole. The speaker assembly is provided with an elongated housing mounted to banner brackets that are fixed to the structural pole. The housing is sized to provide an aesthetic appearance that corresponds to a banner attached to the banner brackets. A speaker, or a plurality of speakers are provided within the housing for transmitting acoustic vibrations to a corresponding environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventor: Ronald Paul Harwood
  • Patent number: 7604091
    Abstract: An improved system and method for reducing standing waves and diffracted waves in speaker a driver enclosure is disclosed. The speaker driver enclosure has an interior enclosure surface, shaped such that any cross section taken of it comprises a looped, substantially continuously curved, non-rational B spline. A rear enclosure surface is provided, the rear enclosure surface being shaped substantially the same as the interior enclosure surface and offset from the interior enclosure by a wall thickness. An outer baffle surface has slightly varying curvatures such that substantially any cross section taken of it comprises a continuously curved, non-rational B spline and a flat surface shaped such that at least one loudspeaker driver may be mounted to it. A loudspeaker driver is mounted to the flat surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Steven Kane, Kirk Samuel Lombardo
  • Patent number: 7604090
    Abstract: Recessed section is formed in the rear surface of a speaker box body with a speaker mounted to the inner front surface of the body box. Circuit unit, such as a mixer, including operators is removably accommodated in the recessed section. There is also provided a retention structure for retaining the accommodated circuit unit in the recessed section. When the speaker is to be used, for example, the circuit unit can be removed from the speaker box body and placed near a human player, so that the human player is allowed to, for example, readily operate the operators of the circuit unit. The recessed section may be covered with a lid, in which case speaker-related accessories can be stored in the recessed section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Tashiro
  • Patent number: 7584820
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acoustic device comprising a waveguide having a sound opening at one end facing a space, an audio source, an acoustic driver at another end of the waveguide, the acoustic driver facing a listening area, and structure supporting the acoustic device, the audio source, and the acoustic driver, as an integrated audio system, the acoustic driver and the opening in the waveguide facing in substantially different directions from the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Preston Parker, Dewey Potter
  • Publication number: 20090211840
    Abstract: A loudspeaker enclosure is disclosed which comprises an inner cabinet having a front baffle for mounting one or more loudspeaker drivers, the inner cabinet being a self-sustaining enclosure, and an outer cabinet covering at least a half of the inner cabinet surface area but exposing the one or more loudspeaker drivers, the outer cabinet keeping a gap from the inner cabinet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2008
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventor: Peigen Jiang
  • Patent number: 7577265
    Abstract: A speaker system includes a first, second and third sound radiators with the second sound radiator positioned medially between the first and third sound radiators. The radiators project first, second and third sound vectors respectively, with the second sound vector oriented vertically and the first and third sound vectors directed generally toward each other at angles above the horizontal so as to intersect at an inclusive angle between 90 and 170 degrees. Sound from the first and third radiators impinges on the second radiator so as to cause an echo effect improving sound spaciousness. The first and third radiators are placed at different angles relative to the listener and at different heights as well to improve time delays in the two radiated signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Inventor: Ira Pazandeh
  • Patent number: 7575095
    Abstract: A speaker includes a housing; a support assembly installed on the lower end of the housing to support the housing; at least one first speaker unit installed in the housing to reproduce a sound signal; and a second speaker unit installed in the support assembly to reproduce a sound signal which belongs to a low sound band. Openings are defined through both sides of the support assembly to transmit to the outside sound reproduced by the second speaker unit. A guide cone is provided to the lower end of the support assembly to guide sound toward the openings. The speaker unit can be installed in a baffle which is supported at the opened front end of the housing to be rotated about a vertical axis. Through rotating the baffle, the speaker unit can be actually rotated within a predetermined range to change a sound transmission direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Wuk An, Jung Woo Choi
  • Publication number: 20090200102
    Abstract: A novel construction of lightweight loudspeaker enclosure wherein the interior is substantially filled with rigid open-celled foam as a structural core. The speaker enclosure is comprised of two basic parts, the structural foam core, and a relatively thin exterior shell. The rigid foam core eliminates acoustic reflections within the interior of the enclosure and prevents flexure or vibration of the exterior shell thereby producing a loudspeaker enclosure of light weight, and high rigidity. Further this construction makes practical the manufacture of very thin or unusually shaped loudspeaker enclosures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventor: Eric S. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 7565948
    Abstract: An acoustic waveguide system contains a trunk waveguide and a number of branch waveguides. The trunk waveguide section defines an interior passage and includes at least one open end. A number of branch waveguide sections define an interior passage and include a junction end and a terminal end, with the junction end coupled to the trunk waveguide. One or more cavities can be coupled to at least one of the trunk or branch sections and communicate therewith through a vent for damping the resonance peak of a target standing wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Preston Parker, Dewey Potter, Hal P. Greenberger
  • Patent number: 7565949
    Abstract: An image display module include a flat panel display, a sound source element disposed on a rear surface side opposite to a display observation side of the panel display, and a sound leading path through which a sound wave generated from the sound source element is led to the display observation side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Tojo
  • Publication number: 20090173567
    Abstract: A loudspeaker enclosure having a folded duct formed by an adjoining pair of the enclosure's panels and a pair of diagonally mounted internal panels. For example, at a lower left corner of the enclosure, a triangular first portion of the folded duct extends inward from a triangular hole in the front panel toward the back panel and is formed by the left panel, the bottom panel, and a first internal duct panel; and a trapezoidal second portion of the folded duct extends in the opposite direction and is formed by the left panel, the bottom panel, the first internal duct panel, and a second internal duct panel. The first internal duct panel is coupled to the front panel but ends short of the back panel to form the fold connecting the first and second portions of the folded duct, and the second internal duct panel is coupled to the back panel but ends short of the front panel to connect the folded duct with the enclosed air volume of the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventor: Enrique M. Stiles
  • Patent number: 7556122
    Abstract: A low frequency exponential bass horn enclosure suitable for use in a front-loaded or rear-loaded configuration, intended for corner placement, with driver access from the back. The unitary horn pathway exhausts upward along the dihedral axis formed by the vertical walls of the corner and the ungular form of the triangle-based enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Inventor: Dana A. Moore
  • Patent number: 7519195
    Abstract: A sound system for industrial tool chests modifies a tool chest with drawers to provide sound and music to technicians at work in a shop. The sound system has a power supply and electronics mounted in the vacant spaces within a tool chest. The power supply has ducting and a fan for cooling. Wiring delivers power from the power supply to the electronics and a player. The electronics include a dropping resistor and illuminated on-off switch. The player can play one or all of AM, FM, and other radio bands, broadcast or cable TV, video and other digital signals, and recorded media of many kinds. The player distributes a signal to two or more speakers mounted to the bottom of the tool chest, and alternatively in the top. The present invention installs within single chests and multiple story chests. Sound from the speakers reflects upon a shop floor to send music throughout the shop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Inventor: Howard W. Hesketh
  • Patent number: 7506721
    Abstract: A low frequency exponential bass horn enclosure employing a large area unitary throat pathway, bifurcated at a substantially parabolic rearward channel wall, convertible to a front-loaded or rear-loaded configuration by the use of interchangeable parts, with driver access from the front. Intended for corner placement, however, fully enclosed horn channel allows for floor use. The axially-centered throat expands vertically, exhausts rearward, and is bifurcated at the back of the enclosure with two hard reflection points, comprising a single fold, in which the vertically arranged horn terminus exhausts with a forward-canted splay angle around a partially rectangular back chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Inventor: Dana A. Moore
  • Patent number: 7503423
    Abstract: A portable computer includes a speaker device and a first casing. The speaker device includes a speaker main body and a speaker housing for housing the speaker main body. The first casing has a bottom wall. The bottom wall has swelling portion which swells outward and contains at least part of the speaker housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshio Konno, Satoshi Kishikawa, Koji Ariga
  • Publication number: 20090057053
    Abstract: An auxiliary mounting device includes a mounting seat mounted with an electronic device thereon and having an upright rear wall formed with a through hole that is aligned with a rear opening unit in a housing of the electronic device. An upright reflecting plate is connected to a rear surface of the rear wall, is disposed adjacent to the through hole, is pivotable about a vertical axis relative to the rear wall, and is operated at a used position, where a desired angle is formed between the reflecting plate and the rear surface of the rear wall such that sound waves of an audio output reproduced by a loudspeaker of the electronic device propagate rearwardly from the electronic device through the through hole in the mounting seat and are then reflected by the reflecting plate so as to propagate sidewardly and frontwardly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Yi-Che Hsieh, Shih-Feng Lo, Chi-Chao Fang, Jui-Chun Shyur
  • Patent number: 7478703
    Abstract: A speaker cabinet includes a cabinet having a side board to which a speaker driver can be fixed, a substantially cylindrical tube which is inserted into the cabinet such that a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of a horizontal plane of the cabinet coincides with the axis of the substantially cylindrical tube and which is in contact with the base board and the top board of the cabinet, and a support rod which is inserted into the substantially cylindrical tube through a through-hole formed in the base board of the cabinet and which supports the top board of the cabinet at the upper end portion of the support rod such that the cabinet undulates so as to move like a see-saw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20080308344
    Abstract: An improved system and method for reducing standing waves and diffracted waves in speaker a driver enclosure is disclosed. The speaker driver enclosure has an interior enclosure surface, shaped such that any cross section taken of it comprises a looped, substantially continuously curved, non-rational B spline. A rear enclosure surface is provided, the rear enclosure surface being shaped substantially the same as the interior enclosure surface and offset from the interior enclosure by a wall thickness. An outer baffle surface has slightly varying curvatures such that substantially any cross section taken of it comprises a continuously curved, non-rational B spline and a flat surface shaped such that at least one loudspeaker driver may be mounted to it. A loudspeaker driver is mounted to the flat surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: Altec Lansing, a Division of Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Steven Kane, Kirk Samuel Lombardo
  • Publication number: 20080302595
    Abstract: A low frequency folded horn enclosure intended for use in proximity with at least one planar surface with access to the horn throat from the top of the enclosure. The horn is bifurcated at the threat and folds horizontally around a central trapezoid-shaped columnar back chamber which includes a phase-inverting means. The throat channel expands vertically to the single fold and expands vertically and horizontally to the horn mouth, maximizing back chamber volume within the constraints imposed by footprint size, frequency response, and driver characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventor: Dana A. Moore
  • Publication number: 20080302594
    Abstract: A speaker enclosure mounted within an internal wall of a vehicle may employ first and second enclosure halves that are vibration welded together to define an enclosure or cavity between the halves. A first leg and a second leg protrude from a bottom of the second half. The legs may have strengthening ribs to govern leg deflection resistance and further each have a resilient s-shaped tab protruding from the distal end of each leg to contact the wall of the vehicle. A first and a second fastener leg may each define a fastener hole and accept a fastener to help secure the speaker enclosure along with the first and second resilient legs. The fastener legs each may protrude from an enclosure half.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventor: Fadi S. Hanna
  • Patent number: 7461718
    Abstract: An improvement is provided in loudspeaker enclosures characterised by a frequency response having at least one null due to a cavity mode. The improvement comprises introducing an aperture at a high pressure region of said enclosure for provided a pressure leak thereby substantially eliminating said at least one null.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
    Inventors: Stephane Dedieu, Philippe Moquin
  • Patent number: 7463746
    Abstract: A loudspeaker system having an enclosure having a narrow opening or slot for radiating high frequency acoustic energy. The loudspeaker system has a cover member defining a slot between the cover member and a boundary of a listening space. The loudspeaker system may also include a fixed or adaptive equalizer for modifying frequency response anomalies resulting from the interaction of the acoustic energy, the narrow opening, and the boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald F. Caron, George E. P. Chute, Allan S. Copeland, Eric J. Freeman, Doug Kramer
  • Publication number: 20080279406
    Abstract: A portable speaker device comprising a front mounting plate (1) having two openings (1a, 1b) for sound transmission, two loudspeakers (3a, 3b) each fixedly secured to the front mounting plate for broadcasting through one of the openings, a rear mounting plate extending parallel to the front mounting plate (5), and two enclosure bodies (7a, 7b). These bodies are each formed by a plurality of separate ring-shaped enclosure members (11a1-11a5; 11b1?-11b5) axially movable with regard to each other. The members of each enclosure body have a front member (11a1?; 11b1) secured to the front mounting plate in surrounding relation to one of the loudspeakers and a rear member (11a5; 11b5) secured to the rear mounting plate. In a non-operational position of the speaker device, the mounting plates extend closely to each other, whereby the enclosure bodies have a collapsed shape and the device is very compact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventor: Guido Odilon Maurits D'Hoogh
  • Patent number: 7448467
    Abstract: An acoustic enclosure such as a loudspeaker (10) uses within the cabinet adsorbent material, and/or containment means (22) for the adsorbent material, which is at least partially hydrophobic. Preferably, the material is activated carbon treated to provide it with hydrophobic properties. Preferably, the adsorbent material is treated with a silicon-containing compound. This improves the acoustic compliance of the acoustic enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignees: KH Technology Corporation, Sutcliffe Speakman Limited
    Inventors: Julian Wright, Thomas Anthony Ryan
  • Patent number: 7441630
    Abstract: A speaker unit includes first and second drivers carried by first and second enclosures. A first linkage supports the second driver enclosure relative to the first driver enclosure and provides at least two positional degrees of freedom of movement of the second driver enclosure relative to the first driver enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: PBP Acoustics, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel A. Herrington, Richard A. Corciullo
  • Patent number: 7440582
    Abstract: A trim panel (10) includes an integrally formed attachment member (14) for mounting an acoustic device (16), such as a loudspeaker, an exciter, a piezoelectric transducer, or the like, directly to the trim panel (10) without the need of a separate mounting member. The acoustic device (16) is attached to the trim panel (10) by use a twist and lock fastening feature (18) in the form of a ramp surface (24) that draws the acoustic device (16) toward the trim panel (10) as the acoustic device (16) is rotated about the attachment member (14). Once the acoustic device (16) is rotated into place, one or more detents (26) are provided on the trim panel (10) and one or more corresponding detent grooves or recesses (32) are provided on the acoustic device (16) to lock the acoustic device (16) securely in place. The integrally formed attachment member (14) enables the inner and outer surfaces (11, 12) of the trim panel (10) to be a generally continuous surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Intier Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Hager, Daniel V. Beckley, Lisa Ann Kidd
  • Patent number: 7425361
    Abstract: A speaker grille has a grille base, a plurality of front through holes formed on a front side of the grille base, and a plurality of back through holes formed on a back side of the grille base, each of the plurality of front through holes communicating with one of the plurality of back through holes at its inner end. The front through holes are smaller than the back through holes at the inner ends. Such speaker grille is formed by injection-molding a resin using a mold having a stationary half provided with a plurality of stationary side mold pins, and a movable half provided with a plurality of movable side mold pins. The stationary half is designed to form a front side of the speaker grille. The stationary mold pins have distal end faces that are smaller than distal ends faces of the movable mold pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Ishii
  • Patent number: 7416048
    Abstract: A portable terminal apparatus with a telephone function such as a portable telephone, for efficiently emitting a voice from a speaker from both a front face and a backside of a housing. The portable terminal has: a first cover that includes a first sound outlet for emitting a sound from the speaker through the front of the portable terminal apparatus; a second cover that includes a second sound outlet for emitting a sound from the speaker through the back of the portable terminal apparatus; and a gasket accommodated at a position sandwiched between the first cover and the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Manabu Hongo, Yoshiaki Kato, Nariyasu Hayakawa, Toshikazu Ishioka, Hiroaki Sakashita, Yoshifumi Kajiwara, Hidehiko Hizuka
  • Patent number: 7418104
    Abstract: A speaker system having a first speaker, a second speaker, and a housing having a first mounting surface to which the first speaker is mounted and a second mounting surface to which the second speaker is mounted. The first mounting surface and the second mounting surface are substantially planar and abut one another to form an included angle of between 120 degrees and 140 degrees. By so arranging the mounting surfaces, the sound produced by each speaker is allowed to mix to provide a full sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Inventor: Robert G. Spinale
  • Patent number: 7415124
    Abstract: A low-frequency loudspeaker system based on a dipole principle. In some implementations, the system includes an open frame rigging system and multiple subwoofers mounted in a dipole surface array configuration in the open frame rigging system to produce controlled sound dispersion in both horizontal and vertical planes. The subwoofers are operable to produce low-frequency sound dispersion below about 300 Hz. The subwoofers mounted in the dipole configuration include a first set of subwoofers facing a first direction and a second set of subwoofers facing a second direction, in which the second direction is facing a direction that is 180 degrees with respect to the first direction. The second set of subwoofers are wired out-of-phase with respect to the first set of subwoofers to reduce non-liner distortion. The first and second sets of subwoofers are configured to concurrently move in a same direction when a signal is applied to the subwoofers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: HPV Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Dragoslav Colich
  • Publication number: 20080149418
    Abstract: A speaker system includes a speaker cabinet having a unit mounting port; a speaker unit attached to the unit mounting port; a sound absorbing structure disposed at a rear portion side of the speaker unit and in the speaker cabinet. The sound absorbing structure includes a porous air-permeable bag and flaky wood chips provided in the bag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN, LIMITED
    Inventors: Satoshi Imamura, Junji Iino, Shinji Kamimura
  • Patent number: 7350618
    Abstract: A satellite speaker system includes a side firing low mid driver mounted in a sub-enclosure which is vented into a second sub-enclosure through an acoustic resistance vent and to a third sub-enclosure through a variable aperture second vent. The vents further serve as pivots to allow the side-firing speaker to be rotated through a predetermined range, simultaneously varying the aperture of the second vent. The pivots are isolated by o-rings to provide an airtight seal to the sub-enclosures, as well as to provide vibration control. Third, fourth and fifth resistively damped vents allow the first and second sub-enclosure to establish acoustic communication with the environment. The front firing driver/s that reproduces the mid and high frequencies are mounted in a fourth sub-enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Aik Hee Goh, Susimin Suprapmo, Kar Choon Ng
  • Patent number: 7341259
    Abstract: This invention provides an air seal system for loudspeakers where it is desirable to reproduce sound accurately and efficiently without loss in sound quality. The air seal system may include a housing, a baffle, and a cord gasket positioned in a gland to form an airtight seal between the baffle board and the housing. The gland may include a break. Secured in the break may be the cord gasket ends. The cord gasket ends also may be secured in a pocket, one or more notches, or in a retaining region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Inventors: John Slabich, Johnny Lo
  • Patent number: 7337874
    Abstract: A speaker enclosure having a substantially seamless rigid outer skin, a middle sound absorbing layer, and a substantially seamless inner skin results in a lightweight speaker having sound absorbing characteristics. The speaker enclosure is comprised of two basic parts, a box section and a baffle section where each of these sections include a rigid outer skin, the middle sound absorbing layer and a seamless inner skin and are made according to the same method. The outer skin is formed from a layer of sheet molding compound, the middle sound absorbing layer includes pieces of honeycomb material, and the inner skin is formed from a layer of sheet molding compound. The layers of material are placed into a mold and then cured through vacuum bagging and heating thereby producing a strong, lightweight speaker enclosure made of materials which attenuate the transmission and retransmission of errant sound waves in the enclosure thereby reducing distortion of the sound signal produced by the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Southern California Sound Image
    Inventor: Ross Ritto
  • Patent number: 7328769
    Abstract: A rigging system for angularly adjusting the output portions of a plurality of loudspeaker cabinets wherein each of the cabinets includes a pair of rotatably adjustable rigging disks which protrude outwardly thereof which are selectively receivable within an adjacent cabinet. Each cabinet has a first locking element for securing the disks therein with respect thereto and second locking element or elements for selectively securing protruding portions of disks of an adjacent cabinet whereby an angle of the output portions of each cabinet may be adjusted from substantially a planar orientation to a curved orientation to thereby change the overall wavefront characteristics of sound issuing from a vertical array of attached loudspeaker cabinets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Inventor: Alan Brock Adamson
  • Publication number: 20080006477
    Abstract: A sandwich speaker cabinet, which has an outer cabinet, an inner cabinet mounted inside the outer cabinet, and a flexible shock-absorbing filler layer sandwiched in between the outer cabinet and the inner cabinet to join the outer cabinet and the inner cabinet and to absorb shocks during operation of the speaker system so as to reduce distortion and vibrating noise created by the resonance of the speaker system. The ultimate purpose of this sandwich speaker cabinet is to reduce the distortion and vibrating noise created by the resonance of the cabinet when the speaker drivers are doing piston motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventor: Chi En Huang
  • Publication number: 20080000714
    Abstract: A flexible multiple speaker support apparatus is provided for supporting a plurality of speakers therein and includes a flexible, hollow speaker support unit which includes a plurality of open, sound emission channels. The speakers are housed within the flexible, hollow speaker support unit, and the speakers are placed in registration with the open, sound emission channels. With one embodiment of the invention, the flexible, hollow speaker support unit includes a flexible, tubular speaker support member, and the flexible, tubular speaker support member includes a plurality of the open, sound emission channels. The speakers are placed in registration with the open, sound emission channels. With another embodiment of the invention, a suspension bracket assembly is connected to the flexible, hollow speaker support unit for supporting the flexible, hollow speaker support unit in a desired orientation from a ceiling, wall or other surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventor: Steven L. Adams
  • Publication number: 20070272474
    Abstract: Disclosed is a speaker cabinet, which includes a cabinet body, a face panel, which is fixedly provided at the front side of the cabinet body to hold a speaker and has a cross section greater than the cabinet body, and a bracket formed of a curved tube and pivoted with two distal ends thereof to the bottom ends of the two opposite lateral sidewalls of the face panel for use as a support to support the speaker cabinet on the floor or a handle for carrying by hand or a hanger for hanging the speaker cabinet on a tree or the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventor: Chi En Huang
  • Publication number: 20070272476
    Abstract: Disclosed is a low-noise, shock-absorbing speaker cabinet, which includes a cabinet body, a face panel fixedly provided at the front side of the cabinet body for holding a speaker in a hole thereof, a line of first floor bearing portion formed on the bottom side of the face panel and a line of second floor bearing portion formed on the rear end of the bottom side of the cabinet body for supporting the speaker cabinet on the floor, and a suspension open space defined between the front bottom side of the cabinet body and the face panel to reduce floor contact area of the speaker cabinet so as to effectively eliminate noises and shocks and improve the output quality of the speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventor: Chi En Huang
  • Patent number: 7296653
    Abstract: A sound controlling apparatus adapted for combination with a speaker unit, comprising a stand configured to support the speaker unit, a reflecting panel or panels associated with the stand to reflect sound waves transmitted by the speaker unit, a side panel or panels associated with the stand, there being a reflected sound transmission path or paths defined by at least one of the following: i) the stand ii) a side panel, or panels, iii) the stand and a side panel or panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Inventors: Harold N. Smith, Jr., Harold N. Smith, III
  • Patent number: 7284637
    Abstract: In a low-frequency sound reproducing speaker apparatus of Kelton type, a cabinet for containing a speaker unit is constituted by a shape of substantially a parallelepiped slender in a front and rear direction, a length dimension in the front and rear direction is set to a value substantially near to a depth dimension of a seat cushion of a vehicle, the speaker unit is attached to a partition plate for partitioning inside of the cabinet into front and rear air chambers, and a lower face of the cabinet is fixed to the seat cushion by a fixing belt laid along the front and rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignees: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer Design Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Abe, Chuichi Endo, Koji Nakane, Yumi Takigami
  • Patent number: 7278513
    Abstract: This invention provides a lens system for a loudspeaker. The loudspeaker may include a driver unit and a waveguide attached to the driver unit. The loudspeaker further may include a lens system. The lens system may include a plurality of plates. The plates may be positioned to divide an interior of the waveguide into a plurality of acoustic paths of substantially equal length. The acoustic paths may bend the propagation of one or more acoustic elements of a sound wave so that each acoustic element arrives at a plane substantially at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: James S. Brawley, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7277552
    Abstract: The power density of a bass-reflex enclosure is improved by providing transducers in pairs, with the members of each pair being oriented front to back with respect to one another. The transducers are mounted on the enclosure with at least one of the transducers being substantially perpendicular to a front face of the enclosure and having its backside partially rested in the second transducer of the pair. The gap between the transducers is wider on the side open to the surrounding environment through the front face. Directivity may be provided by incorporating a second pair of transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Inventor: Curtis E. Graber
  • Patent number: 7270215
    Abstract: A loudspeaker cabinet with a laminated internal brace which has a first rigid layer coupled to a first exterior panel of the cabinet, a second rigid layer coupled to an a second exterior panel of the cabinet, and a damping layer affixed between the rigid layers where they overlap. Vibration, flexure, and expansion/contraction of the cabinet are damped by shearing forces applied to the damping layer as the rigid layers move in opposite, parallel directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: STEP Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Enrique M. Stiles