Horn Patents (Class 381/340)
  • Patent number: 11895460
    Abstract: An acoustic horn arranged to be fastened between a cabinet of a loudspeaker enclosure and an outer casing, the horn presenting a shape and/or dimensions that depend on the outer casing, the acoustic horn being arranged in such a manner that when the acoustic horn, the cabinet, and the outer casing are assembled together its inner face is in contact with the cabinet so that its inner edge surrounds a diaphragm of the loudspeaker and its outer face is in contact with the outer casing in such a manner that a hole set having at least one hole in the outer casing lies inside an area defined by its outer edge, the horn thus being arranged in such a manner that its inside peripheral surface guides sound produced by the loudspeaker towards the outside via the hole set having at least one hole in the outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SAGEMCOM BROADBAND SAS
    Inventors: Arnaud Ferreira, Dominique Susini, Gilles Bourgoin, Hugo Chusseau
  • Patent number: 11877120
    Abstract: A compression driver is provided. In one embodiment, the compression driver comprises an annular diaphragm, a phasing plug, and a housing, wherein the housing has a rectangular exit proximate to a blade of the phasing plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Alexander Voishvillo, Alex Pliner
  • Patent number: 11622179
    Abstract: In one example embodiment, a device mounting system is provided for in-wall and/or in-ceiling use in residential and commercial structures, suitable for both retro-fit and new construction applications. The system includes a mounting ring and a device can. The mounting ring is installed directly into a hole cut at a selected location in the wall or ceiling or into a pre-construction bracket arranged in the wall or ceiling. The device can is later inserted into the mounting ring and retained therein by a combination of a number of magnets that are attracted to a mounting ring flange and a number of spring clips that engage an inner face of a mounting ring body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Savant Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Cary L. Christie
  • Patent number: 11432066
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a MEMS microphone can be coupled to an acoustic horn to provide various benefits and improvements including, but not limited to, at-a-distance acoustic signal reception with improvements in signal-to-noise ratio and directional preference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Dean Robert Gary Anderson
  • Patent number: 11252500
    Abstract: Embodiments are described for a high-frequency waveguide that improves the performance of large-scale surround sound and immersive audio environments. A horn waveguide is configured to be asymmetric about one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis of the waveguide to form an asymmetric horn waveguide. A spherical enclosure surrounds the asymmetric horn waveguide to form a horn speaker, and a three-axis mounting system is configured to fix the horn speaker to one of a wall or ceiling surface of the venue, wherein the mounting system facilitates rotating the horn speaker to a location that provides maximum coverage of the venue within the passband of the asymmetric horn waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Garth Norman Showalter, Mario Di Cola, John Michael Gott, Patrick Ross Spurlock, Gregory Lynn Carney, Bryce Joseph Gott
  • Patent number: 11151972
    Abstract: An acoustic component, an acoustic apparatus and an acoustic system are provided. The acoustic component has a pipe, a slot configured on the pipe that has an elongation direction along an elongation direction of the pipe, and a horn extending from a first end of the pipe. The acoustic apparatus includes the acoustic component and further includes an acoustic driver acoustically coupled with a second end of the pipe to radiate acoustic energy carried in waves into the pipe. The acoustic energy carried in waves is radiated to the environment through the slot and the horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: James Zheng
  • Patent number: 11057699
    Abstract: A speaker device includes a speaker that outputs sound, a horn that emits sound output from the speaker, and a slit opening that is formed on a front surface of the horn, a vertical side of the slit opening being longer than a horizontal side of the slit opening. It is possible to prevent reflection of unnecessary sound in a vertical direction and enhance sound reproduction performance in a horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakaguchi, Toshiyuki Matsumura
  • Patent number: 10848858
    Abstract: A waveguide housing for a speaker assembly. The speaker assembly includes first and second drivers coupled to the waveguide housing where the first driver generates a midrange sound signal and the second driver emits a high-frequency sound signal. The waveguide housing includes a first plurality of sound channels configured to receive the midrange sound signal from the first driver such that the midrange sound signal travels through the first plurality of sound channels and is emitted from the waveguide housing by a first plurality of openings in the waveguide housing. The waveguide housing also includes a second plurality of sound channels configured to receive the high-frequency sound signal from the second driver such that the high-frequency sound signal travels through the second plurality of sound channels and is emitted from the waveguide housing by a second plurality of openings in the waveguide housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: QSC, LLC
    Inventors: Jerome Halley, Chris Smolen
  • Patent number: 10440465
    Abstract: A surface mounted loudspeaker design is provided that mitigates the interference between direct low frequency (LF) energy and reflected LF energy by breaking the LF energy from an LF driver into multiple paths using one or more of waveguides, driver load plates, and enclosure ports to diffuse the reflected energy and minimize frequency response errors. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provides a loudspeaker have multiple acoustic exits strategically designed and located to generate, for example, three major wave front arrivals—2 source and 1 reflection—at target angles with favorable lag times, mitigating the cancellation notching and frequency errors that occur in conventional loudspeaker designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Paul Wayne Peace, Jr., Derrick Rodgers
  • Patent number: 10375470
    Abstract: The invention relates a horn-based multi-driver wide-bandwidth loudspeaker with a flat-frequency response having the property of controlled acoustic directivity at wavelengths larger than the nominal wavelength supported by the horns' mouth circumference which is provided by means of a centerbody fitted with acoustic drivers that are acoustically coupled to the walls of the horn enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Inventors: Anthony Allen Bisset, Quang-Viet Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9812117
    Abstract: An acoustic wave generator including a stack having a plurality of first layers configured to receive electrical and/or magnetic energy and a plurality of second layers configured in contact with the plurality of first layers, the plurality of second layers comprising one or more materials configured to change mechanical properties when electrical and/or magnetic energy is applied thereto. The generator further having at least one source configured in operational communication with the plurality of first layers and configured to supply at least one of phased electrical and/or magnetic energy to the plurality of first layers, wherein the stack is configured to (i) generate phased acoustic energy and (ii) at least one of amplify and store the generated phased acoustic energy in a first state and release said generator acoustic energy in a second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph V. Mantese, Arthur Blanc, Antonio M. Vincitore
  • Patent number: 9779713
    Abstract: An acoustic wave gate is provided. The gate includes one or more layers of metamaterial configured to be in a first state and a second state and configured to change from the first state to the second state when electrical and/or magnetic energy is applied thereto. The gate also includes at least one source configured in operational communication with the one or more layers and configured to supply at least one of electrical and magnetic energy to the one or more layers. The one or more layers are configured to (i) prevent the passage of acoustic energy through the one or more layers when in the first state and (ii) permit the passage of acoustic energy through the one or more layers when in the second state, wherein the one or more layers are configured to be stimulated in phase with the acoustic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arthur Blanc, Joseph V. Mantese
  • Patent number: 9764687
    Abstract: A sound path member covers a rear side of a bumper reinforcement for reinforcing a bumper of a vehicle and forms a sound path for a loudspeaker device between the sound path member and the bumper reinforcement. The sound path member is provided so that the sound path has a return portion. The loudspeaker device is arranged between the bumper reinforcement and the sound path member. Consequently, a sound radiated from a front side of the loudspeaker device is radiated through an opening of the bumper reinforcement, and a sound radiated from a rear side of the loudspeaker device passes through the sound path and is then radiated through an opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignees: PIONEER CORPORATION, TOHOKU PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Okuyama, Yutaka Moriyama, Tomokazu Nitta
  • Patent number: 9762993
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention is to smoothen air flow at the time of vibrations of the diaphragm, and to suppress variations in acoustic characteristics. Since the inclined surface 37c of the washer 37, which forms the air flow channel 50, is an inclined surface having a diameter gradually reduced with distance from the diaphragm 35 in the axial direction of the movable iron core 36, compared with the conventional step-shaped air flow channel having vertical surfaces, air flow in the air flow channel 50 can be smoothened. Therefore, disturbance in air flow is not easily generated in the air flow channel 50, and variations in acoustic characteristics of the horn apparatus 10 can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Kobayashi, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Ryota Matsukura
  • Patent number: 9338537
    Abstract: The invention relates to a loudspeaker and to a loudspeaker housing for accommodating a loudspeaker module, wherein the loudspeaker housing has a sound output side having a sound output opening and a casing, wherein the sound output side is the side of the loudspeaker housing that is intended to output the sound of the loudspeaker module through the sound output side when the loudspeaker module is arranged in the loudspeaker housing, wherein the sound output direction is perpendicular to the sound output side, and wherein the casing is arranged radially around the sound output direction and laterally around the sound output side, and wherein the loudspeaker housing has a rear side opposite the sound output side, and wherein the rear side is open or has an opening, wherein between the sound output side and the rear side, the casing varies in the cross-section thereof perpendicular to the distance line between the sound output side and the rear side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: FUEHLKLANG AG
    Inventor: Michael Kircher
  • Patent number: 9232301
    Abstract: Coaxial two-way or more loudspeaker system comprising a low range electro-dynamic transducer and a high range transducer with compression chamber, mounted in a coaxial and frontal with respect of the low range transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: PHL AUDIO
    Inventors: Yoann Flavignard, Philippe Lesage, Arthur Leroux, Nicolas Clevy, Jean-Louis Tebec, Benedicte Hayne
  • Patent number: 9173018
    Abstract: In an aspect, in general, a loudspeaker element includes an enclosure, a cone diaphragm of a driver element located within the enclosure, a first cavity wall extending from the cone diaphragm of the driver element to a throat opening which has an area less than an area of the cone diaphragm and forming a first cavity within the enclosure, an exit element extending from the throat opening to an environment outside of the enclosure, and an impedance compensation element extending from the first cavity wall, the impedance compensation element including a second cavity wall which forms a second cavity within the enclosure and a resistance element separating the second cavity from the first cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Silver, John H. Wendell
  • Patent number: 9154869
    Abstract: A portable electronic device having an enclosure having a top wall, a bottom wall, at least one sidewall connecting the top wall to the bottom wall, an acoustic output opening and a back volume defined by the top wall, the bottom wall and the at least one sidewall. A speaker driver is positioned within the enclosure, the speaker driver including a sound radiating surface having a top face and a bottom face for emitting sound waves therefrom. A frame member is attached to the speaker driver, the frame member forming a front volume chamber acoustically coupling the top face of the sound radiating surface to the acoustic output opening and a back volume chamber that overlaps a side of the speaker drive and acoustically couples the bottom face of the sound radiating surface to the back volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sawyer I. Cohen, Christopher Wilk, Ruchir M. Dave
  • Publication number: 20150104054
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for waveguide structures and speaker assemblies. In one embodiment, a waveguide may include an input aperture configured to receive a sound signal from a sound source, and a plurality of isolated sound paths having substantially equal path lengths. Each isolated sound path may be formed within a housing of the waveguide and formed with a curved path to reduce the depth of the waveguide. The waveguide may include a plurality of plugs, wherein each plug divides an output of one of the isolated sound paths into a plurality of output sound paths and defines a plurality of output apertures of the waveguide. Each output sound path is characterized by a reduced width relative to the output of the isolated sound path, the plurality of output apertures configured to output a combined sound signal based, at least in part, on the plurality of sound signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: QSC Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Adams
  • Patent number: 9008343
    Abstract: An annular diaphragm compression driver for electro-acoustic conversion has an annular diaphragm, which bears a moving coil, and a compression driver housing with a closed housing base. Opposite the housing base is a sound wave routing element having a sound discharge channel. The compression driver also has an annular magnet system unit, which has an annular magnet gap (M) and a compression chamber, adjoining the magnet gap (M), for the annular diaphragm. The open exit end of the sound discharge channel is in slot form and its entry start is annular. The sound path between the compression chamber and the entry start contains an annular collecting space. The collecting space and the sound discharge channel contain a central sound guidance body having a portion which merges to match the slot-like exit end. The sound discharge channel is formed between the sound guidance body and the sound wave routing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: BMS Speakers GmbH
    Inventor: Dimitar Kirilov Dimitrov
  • Patent number: 8995700
    Abstract: An acoustic transducer may comprise a sound source, a throat connected to the sound source, and a horn connected to the throat. The horn may be arranged on a wall, wherein the throat is designed such that a path of the sound from the sound source to an interface between the throat and the horn is shorter in a region close to the wall than at a region that is remote from the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: d&b audiotechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Bothe
  • Patent number: 8989419
    Abstract: A loudspeaker assembly comprises a casing with a diaphragm loudspeaker mounted in the casing. A phase plug is mounted in the casing adjacent the diaphragm loudspeaker. The phase plug has a central cone with a longitudinal axis extending from an input end adjacent the diaphragm loudspeaker to an output end with its base at the input end tapering to an apex at the output end. A plurality of vanes extend radially outwardly from the central cone with the plurality of vanes being thickest at the input end and progressively thinning toward the output end. Radially outward edges of the plurality of vanes are twisted relative to the longitudinal axis with the degree of twist being progressively greater with increasing proximity to the output end. The plurality of vanes tapers in width along their longitudinal extent from the input end to the output end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Inventors: Curtis E. Graber, Barry Allen Richart
  • Publication number: 20150063620
    Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a horn including a first end panel, a second end panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. Edges of at least the first and second side panels define a diffraction slot opening. The first and second side panels are each fabricated from a sheet of flexible material held in a stressed, curved shape by at least a rigid support member. The panels are designed by an automated process based on a number of electro-acoustic transducers to be used in a loudspeaker, horizontal and vertical coverage angles for the loudspeaker, and a wall length for a horn of the loudspeaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher B. Ickler, Clifford A. Henricksen, Akira Mochimaru, Kenneth D. Jacob, Soichiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8953830
    Abstract: A horn loudspeaker, in particular for reproducing bass sound in public address systems, in which the horn (23) is mounted directly to the driver element (21) without any intervening compression chamber. The back side of the driver element (21) is covered by a back chamber (24) designed with walls of a semi-permeable material. The walls may be perforated or made of a “leaky” material such as cell foam with open structure, or a fibrous material. The “leaky” back chamber will prevent the build up of high pressures in the back chamber at large cone excursions. The horn loudspeaker is suitable for stacking in groups of two or more, so as to produce a sound source scalable for reproducing any frequency range heard by humans in public address systems or hi-fi systems. Due to the back chamber design, the horn loudspeaker, for high frequencies especially in conical horn shaped versions, can be stacked close together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Inventor: Rune Skramstad
  • Patent number: 8953831
    Abstract: An acoustic horn. In one implementation, the horn includes at least four wall sections, defining a passageway. The cross-sectional area of the mouth is at least ten times the cross sectional area of the throat. The wall sections are dimensioned so that at least one wall section has a dimension at the throat at least ten times a dimension at the throat of a second wall section. In another implementation the cross-section at the mouth is elongated and is be bounded by a continuous curve defining a geometric figure having a major axis at least ten times a minor axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Jankovsky, Sarah M. Heile, John H. Wendell
  • Publication number: 20150003657
    Abstract: In a low frequency transducer system a multi-compression chamber, an inverse horn structure is employed in combination with a resonance-distortion filter chamber. The filter chamber effectively expands the effective enclosure volume at low frequencies and connected to one of the compression chambers filter parasitic resonances and distortion and allowing the system to more efficiently reproduce low frequencies while being able to use smaller diameter transducers and maintaining good system sensitivity. Compression chambers are organized for constant or continuous compression on a section-by-section basis throughout the inverse horn system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Philip R. Clements, Boaz Shalev, James Joseph Croft, III
  • Patent number: 8917896
    Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a horn including a first end panel, a second end panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. Edges of at least the first and second side panels define a diffraction slot opening. The first and second side panels are each fabricated from a sheet of flexible material held in a stressed, curved shape by at least a rigid support member. The panels are designed by an automated process based on a number of electro-acoustic transducers to be used in a loudspeaker, horizontal and vertical coverage angles for the loudspeaker, and a wall length for a horn of the loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher B. Ickler, Clifford A. Henricksen, Akira Mochimaru, Kenneth D. Jacob, Soichiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8858892
    Abstract: A liquid treatment system has a housing defining an interior space. The housing has an inlet port for receiving liquid into the interior space of the housing and an outlet port for allowing liquid to exit the interior space of the housing. The outlet port is spaced from the inlet port so that liquid flows through the interior space of the housing from the inlet port to the outlet port. An ultrasonic waveguide assembly is disposed within the interior space of the housing and includes an ultrasonic horn disposed at least in part intermediate the inlet port and the outlet port of the housing. The ultrasonic horn is operable at an ultrasonic frequency to ultrasonically energize liquid flowing within the housing. An ultraviolet light source emits ultraviolet light into the interior space of the housing to treat liquid flowing therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Allen Janssen, John G. Ahles, Robert A. Cool, Thomas David Ehlert, John Gavin MacDonald, Earl C. McCraw, Jr., Patrick Sean McNichols, Paul W. Rasmussen, Steve J. Roffers
  • Publication number: 20140270308
    Abstract: An acoustic transformer includes at least one outer boundary wall. A plurality of inner walls are disposed within the outer boundary wall. The outer boundary wall and the inner walls define a substantially annular input opening divided by at least some of the inner walls into a plurality of circumferentially-spaced input sections. Each of the input sections has an inner circumferential side and an outer circumferential side. A substantially rectangular output opening is divided by at least some of the inner walls into a plurality of output sections. Each of a plurality of acoustic paths interconnects a respective one of the input sections with a respective one of the output sections. The acoustic paths maybe identical or individually unique in order to change the both the shape of the acoustic wavefront at the output and the energy distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Matthew A. Donarski
  • Patent number: 8824718
    Abstract: A loudspeaker apparatus has at least one sound generator wherein an at least partially sound-conducting channel is arranged in a sound radiation direction of the sound generator and is suitable for directing sound emerging from the sound generator along the course of the sound-conducting channel such that the sound emerges from the loudspeaker apparatus at a second end of the sound-conducting channel, which end is in the form of a sound outlet opening, at a radiation angle which defined by the sound outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Frank Held
  • Patent number: 8824717
    Abstract: A horn assembly for high frequency acoustic speakers. In an array of speakers, a spacing between adjacent speakers needs to be less than the wavelength of sound being emitted in order to combine effectively. For high frequency sound, a relatively small wavelength imposes a limitation on such a spacing. Such limitations are sometimes physically difficult to implement. A horn assembly increases the exit dimensions of the small speaker to larger desired dimensions by utilizing one or more plugs that divide a larger horn cavity into smaller horn cavities and creating similar pathlengths thereto. The similar pathlengths and the smaller horn cavities having desired dimensions allow the exiting sound to combine effectively. The overall dimensions of the exit portion of the horn assembly can be selected to match the dimensions of larger bass speakers, thus allowing improved arraying of the high frequency speakers with respect to other larger speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: QSC Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Adams
  • Publication number: 20140233780
    Abstract: The invention discloses diaphragms for use in air horns or similar noise-producing devices. The diaphragms may have concave or convex non-linear shapes, wherein protrusions are included in the body of the rigid or semi-rigid diaphragm. The diaphragms made be made of any relevant materials and keep their non-flat shapes during and without application of compressed gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventors: NETANEL RAISCH, Nir Bloch
  • Patent number: 8798303
    Abstract: A horn amplifier comprises a horn and at least one speaker member with at least one spherical sound source; wherein the horn has one throat portion and one voice port opened from the throat portion toward outside, the bottom surface of the inner side of the throat portion of the horn has an open, the spherical sound source of the speaker member connects with the open, the inner side of the throat portion has at least one S-type sound-guide board, the sound-guide board is made as a plurality of paths in order to let spherical sound waves from the spherical sound source of the speaker member enter into the paths, then the spherical sound waves are transformed into plane sound waves, the plane sound waves are delivered to outside through the inner structure of the horn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Jazz Hipster Corporation
    Inventors: Yueh-Hua Hsu Huang, Yuji Itabashi
  • Patent number: 8781145
    Abstract: In a low frequency transducer system a multi-compression chamber, an inverse horn structure is employed in combination with a resonance-distortion filter chamber. The filter chamber effectively expands the effective enclosure volume at low frequencies and connected to one of the compression chambers filter parasitic resonances and distortion and allowing the system to more efficiently reproduce low frequencies while being able to use smaller diameter transducers and maintaining good system sensitivity. Compression chambers are organized for constant or continuous compression on a section-by-section basis throughout the inverse horn system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Inventor: Philip R. Clements
  • Publication number: 20140185854
    Abstract: An acoustic horn arrangement including an acoustic horn, a first sound driver operable to drive the acoustic horn and a second sound driver further operable to drive the acoustic horn. The acoustic horn arrangement also including an interface region where sound from the second sound driver transfers into the acoustic horn to combine with sound from the first sound driver, wherein the interface region is adapted to reduce changes in a beam angle measure of the acoustic horn as a function of frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: KRIX LOUDSPEAKERS PTY LTD
    Inventor: David John Murphy
  • Patent number: 8761425
    Abstract: An acoustic transformer includes at least one outer boundary wall. A plurality of inner walls are disposed within the outer boundary wall. The outer boundary wall and the inner walls define a substantially annular input opening divided by at least some of the inner walls into a plurality of circumferentially-spaced input sections. Each of the input sections has an inner circumferential side and an outer circumferential side. A substantially rectangular output opening is divided by at least some of the inner walls into a plurality of output sections. Each of a plurality of acoustic paths interconnects a respective one of the input sections with a respective one of the output sections. Each of the paths has a substantially equal path length and a substantially equal expansion rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Matthew A Donarski
  • Patent number: 8751106
    Abstract: A directional horn may include at least one group of a plurality of speakers or audio emitters. The audio emitters may each emit and audio signal at a same frequency. A processor may control a relative phase difference and relative gain difference between each audio signal, based on a determined direction. The directional horn may be positioned on a vehicle. The determined direction may be based on a direction indicated by a driver controlling the vehicle, external environmental factors, vehicle dynamics, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Guy Raz, Eli Tzirkel-Hancock
  • Patent number: 8737660
    Abstract: An electric horn (1) has a coil bobbin (4) in a casing (2). A fixed iron core (3) is fixed in a hole (4f) in the coil bobbin (4) and is magnetized to define an exciting coil (C). A moving iron core (10) is at the center of a diaphragm (9) at the open end of the casing (2) and faces the fixed iron core (3). The moving iron core (10) is displaced relative to the fixed iron core (3) by a power supply of the exciting coil (C); thus beeping an alarm. The moving iron core (10) has an end face toward the fixed iron core (3) that strides over a reference position (N) within the amplitude (W) of the moving iron core (10). The end portion on the moving iron core (10) side of the wound portion (4e) of the exciting coil (C) is the reference position (N).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hidefumi Takahashi, Toshio Takahashi, Yoshihiro Murakoshi
  • Patent number: 8718310
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for waveguide structures and speaker assemblies. In one embodiment, a waveguide may include an input aperture configured to receive a sound signal from a sound source, and a plurality of isolated sound paths having substantially equal path lengths. Each isolated sound path may be formed within a housing of the waveguide and formed with a curved path to reduce the depth of the waveguide. The waveguide may include a plurality of plugs, wherein each plug divides an output of one of the isolated sound paths into a plurality of output sound paths and defines a plurality of output apertures of the waveguide. Each output sound path is characterized by a reduced width relative to the output of the isolated sound path, the plurality of output apertures configured to output a combined sound signal based, at least in part, on the plurality of sound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: QSC Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Adams
  • Publication number: 20140119588
    Abstract: An acoustical horn is disclosed which is configured to re-direct spherical acoustic wave fronts radiated from a transducer with a minimum amount of distortion. The acoustical horn includes top and bottom portion which are asymmetrically-shaped with respect to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Emanuel LaCarrubba, David Moulton
  • Publication number: 20140112513
    Abstract: A horn amplifier comprises a horn and at least one speaker member with at least one spherical sound source; wherein the horn has one throat portion and one voice port opened from the throat portion toward outside, the bottom surface of the inner side of the throat portion of the horn has an open, the spherical sound source of the speaker member connects with the open, the inner side of the throat portion has at least one S-type sound-guide board, the sound-guide board is made as a plurality of paths in order to let spherical sound waves from the spherical sound source of the speaker member enter into the paths, then the spherical sound waves are transformed into plane sound waves, the plane sound waves are delivered to outside through the inner structure of the horn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: JAZZ HIPSTER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yueh-Hua HSU HUANG, Yuji ITABASHI
  • Publication number: 20140093111
    Abstract: An acoustic horn. In one implementation, the horn includes at least four wall sections, defining a passageway. The cross-sectional area of the mouth is at least ten times the cross sectional area of the throat. The wall sections are dimensioned so that at least one wall section has a dimension at the throat at least ten times a dimension at the throat of a second wall section. In another implementation the cross-section at the mouth is elongated and is be bounded by a continuous curve defining a geometric figure having a major axis at least ten times a minor axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Joseph Jankovsky, Sarah M. Heile, John H. Wendell
  • Publication number: 20140093112
    Abstract: An electropneumatic horn system including a monolithic rigid housing member having a receiving opening for removably housing, in a sealed and secure manner, an acoustic sound generator and compressor member, thereby preventing unintended separation and providing improved reliability of the electropneumatic horn system. The acoustic sound wave generator includes an acoustic duct chambering system associated throughout with the monolithic rigid housing member, and receives compressed air from the compressor member to produce sound and propagate the same externally. A horn mounting system enables ready attachment of the system to a consumer-desired surface either mechanically, magnetically, adhesively, or via any other known attachment or mounting system. Optional weather and water resistant systems prohibit unintended water access to the electric horn system enabling use of the system in exposed weather conditions for improved user convenience.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: WOLO MFG. CORP.
    Inventor: Stanley SOLOW
  • Patent number: 8687835
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved diaphragm securing mechanism in a sound wave generator system for an electric horn system that includes a monolithic rigid housing member having a receiving opening for fixably housing, in an non-removable and secure manner following assembly, a compressor member, thereby preventing unintended separation and improving a reliability of the electric horn system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Wolo Mfg. Corp.
    Inventor: Stanley Solow
  • Patent number: 8666104
    Abstract: A lighting and communication system with a horn enclosure for recessed ceiling panel or wall mounting, including a speaker with a horn expansion area to direct sound waves from the speaker to a horn enclosure front, at least one light enclosure located within the horn enclosure, the light enclosure defining a light cavity which is separated from said horn expansion area, with a light source inside the light cavity. The light source can be an LED array, which is capable of displaying text, colors or patterns in response to a control system signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Mitek Corp., Inc.
    Inventors: Loyd Ivey, Bruce Marlin, Alan Cross, Brad Diedrich
  • Publication number: 20140056458
    Abstract: An acoustic transducer may comprise a sound source, a throat connected to the sound source, and a horn connected to the throat. The horn may be arranged on a wall, wherein the throat is designed such that a path of the sound from the sound source to an interface between the throat and the horn is shorter in a region close to the wall than at a region that is remote from the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventor: Frank Bothe
  • Patent number: 8649544
    Abstract: A phasing plug for a compression driver includes a base portion and a hub portion. The base portion includes a first side, a second side, and a plurality of apertures extending between the first and second sides. The hub portion extends from the base portion along an axis. The hub portion includes an outer surface and a plurality of ribs disposed on the outer surface. A plurality of recesses are defined by the outer surface and respective pairs of adjacent ribs. At least one aperture fluidly communicates with at least one of the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Alexander Voishvillo
  • Patent number: 8588450
    Abstract: An acoustic transformer includes at least one outer boundary wall. A plurality of inner walls are disposed within the outer boundary wall. The outer boundary wall and the inner walls define an input opening divided by at least some of the inner walls into a plurality of input sections. A substantially annular output opening is divided by at least some of the inner walls into a plurality of circumferentially-spaced output sections. Each of the output sections has an inner circumferential side and an outer circumferential side. Each of a plurality of acoustic paths interconnects a respective one of the input sections with a respective one of the output sections. Each of the paths has a substantially equal path length and a substantially equal expansion rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Matthew A Donarski
  • Publication number: 20130279731
    Abstract: A docking station for sound amplification and sound quality enhancement is provided. The docking station includes a support structure for holding a mobile terminal having an internal speaker to sustain the posture of the mobile terminal, and a body for supporting the support structure, and for physically contacting the speaker to increase the volume of sound output from the speaker. The body includes a collecting hole for contacting the speaker to collect sound waves, and a guide hole that extends from the collecting hole through the body to the outside along an extension direction, is divided into two branches within the body to guide the collected sound waves along different paths, and has a horn shape whose cross section increases along the extension direction. Hence, the docking station can increase the volume of audible sound and sound quality without separate supply of power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Jun Tai KIM, Byoung-Hee LEE, Jang Hoon KANG, Joon Rae CHO, Jung Eun HAN, Ki Won KIM, Tae Eon KIM, Sun Young LEE
  • Patent number: 8548184
    Abstract: This invention provides an acoustic waveguide with a continuous least-energy-surface formed from an upper vertical control curve, a lower vertical control curve, right horizontal control curve and a left horizontal control curve. In addition, a circular throat end and a non-elliptical closed control curve form a mouth such that the continuous least-energy-surface is coincident with the six control curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Bernard M. Werner