Sound Innovation Speaker System

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to acoustical speaker systems, and more particularly, to manipulations of the sound waves reproduced by acoustical speaker systems.

2. Discussion of the Background Art

The use of quality loud speaker systems in both home and business is often limited to the compound use of the speakers, sound reflectors for the speakers, avoidance of absorption of the back sound wave from the speakers, and the unbiasing the vibrator of the speakers by blowing air.

A conventional speaker generally contains no sound wave absorbing materials to decrease the sound wave back pressure to the cone paper vibrator which is reflected by its housing or case. A conventional conic paper vibrator of a speaker is more or less reluctant to vibrate freely because it is entirely trapped by both the damper and the edge of the conic paper forming the vibrator, and also by a biasing system enabling air passage.

Mostly, conventional speaker system designs have addressed the process of fine quality sound reproduction; U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,801 issued 17 Jun. 1986, however suggested a coupled dual cone velocity driver speaker with two cone vibrators, but with one voice coil and bobbin. Another system suggested in Japanese Utility Model No. HEI2-12799 issued Apr. 10, 1990, addressed the prevention of magnetic flux leakage.

It is therefore, a general object of this invention to provide a coupled speaker system with two conventional speaker units that are symmetrically and oppositely coupled together to face with one another along an imaginary central axis in order to resonantly compound two sound waves ideally.

It is a still more specific object to provide a multi-coupled speaker system with two low, two middle, and two high frequency range conventional speaker units that are symmetrically and oppositely coupled in a configuration of low and low, middle and middle, and high frequency range speaker units, respectively, and each of these three pairs of symmetrically and oppositely coupled speakers being arranged in either parallel or in series configurations.

It is a yet more specific object to provide sound reflectors for coupled speaker systems.

It is still yet another object to provide a speaker system with a back sound wave absorber disposed between the vibrator and the enclosure.

It is a further another object to provide a speaker system with an approximately equal, substantially constant distance between the enclosure for a speaker and the body of the vibrator of that speaker.

It is a still further and important object of this invention to provide a speaker system enabling air breathing to bias the: vibrator unit formed by a vibrator, bobbin, and voice coil.

These and other objects may be achieved with a speaker system constructed using a pair of speaker cases, a pair of speaker units each having a conic vibrator exhibiting a central axis and an aperture, with each of the pair of speaker units positioned within an interior of a corresponding different one of the pair of speaker cases, two ducts extending from an interior to an exterior of corresponding ones of the: speaker cases, and four coupling bars connecting the speaker cases together with the: pair of speaker units being coaxially and symmetrically coupled in spaced-apart, facing opposition with each central axis being coaxially aligned.

Other and further advantageous features of the present invention will hereinafter more fully appear in connection with a detailed description of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a conventional speaker system.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention using a coupled speaker system formed by two conventional speakers units.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3--3' of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention with three pairs of speakers coupled in parallel.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention with three pairs of speakers coupled in series.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of a parabolic channel reflector with a conventional speaker.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a coupled speaker system constructed with an equidistance enclosure and sound absorbing materials perforated by cone-shaped holes.

FIG. 8 is a perspective detailed view of a cone shaped hole of the type shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a speaker system of the present invention constructed to enable air blowing.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional speaker is generally not made of any sound wave absorbing materials comprising soft sponge or like porosity materials, with cone-shaped holes in order to decrease the sound wave back pressure to the cone paper vibrator which is reflected by the case. Moreover, a conventional conic paper vibrator of a speaker is more or less reluctant to vibrate freely because it is entirely trapped by both the damper and the edge of the conic vibrator, and also by a biasing system enabling air passage for increasing the forward sound wave power while decreasing backward sound wave power.

Generally, two typical conventional speakers are remotely and separately located relative to an audience that ordinarily is distributed horizontally. In this example, a plane built up by the points which are at same distance from both of the speaker units, is acoustically resonant and generally vertical where it is best location to listen, but where it is unfortunately horizontally narrow. Eventually, in a hall, the very few people among the audience who are seated along the vertical resonant plane could have the privilege of being blessed by reception of the loud and resonant sound which is nearly the same as the original sound emanating from the speaker. In another case however, in a room for example, a listener must be seated at the resonant plane zone in order to have this privilege.

The disadvantage of these two speakers' location is that the vertical resonant plane does not give the privilege to all listeners every where.

The following is a description of the best, presently contemplated mode of carrying out the principles of my invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, and is not intended to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is therefor, best determined by the appended claims.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a coupled speaker system 1--1 of the present invention is constructed with two oppositely facing and symmetrically coupled conventional speaker units 4, 4' held spaced apart by the coupling bars 5. The axes of their conic-shaped vibrator paper (not shown in the figures) of speaker units 4, are coaxially located and aligned on a co-axis 4. Ducts 6, 6' are located on a side of the speaker enclosure 1, 1' of the speaker unit 4, 4' III and III' are view lines for the cross section of speaker system 1--1. This cross sectional view is shown in FIG. 3.

In the case where the speaker system 1--1 is vertically positioned, the co-axis A (shown in FIG. 3) is vertical, then the resonant plane (not shown in the figures) of the sound waves of the coupled speaker units 4, 4', which is perpendicular to the co-axis, is horizontal, and wider than that of two speaker units separately installed in a room, or hall, or in the open air. The horizontally resonant plane sound wave travels broadly to all members of an audience around the speaker system 1--1 regardless of whether the audience is assembled in a hall, in the open air, or in a room.

In the FIG. 4, a parallel multi-speaker system 2--2 which is coupled by multi-speaker enclosures 1, 1' comprising high, middle, and low frequency range speakers 2, 3, 4 and 2', 3' 4' respectively, where each range of frequency speakers 2, 2'; 3, 3'; 4, 4' are matched in frequency characteristics, and are coupled together in parallel, along different co-axes (not shown in the figure) by reflecting walls 7, 7', 7" and reflector 8. In one embodiment reflector 7 separates the pair of lower frequency range speakers 4, 4' from the pairs of high and middle frequency range speakers 2, 2' and 3, 3'. In effect, in that embodiment, spaced apart reflecting walls 7, 7', 7" and reflector 8 form two adjoining chambers for speaker units 4, 4' and for 2, 2' and 3, 3' respectively, separated by reflecting wall 7, with reflector 8 closing one end of both chambers, while reflecting walls 7' and 7, and 7" and 7 define the apertures of these two chambers. Separating and reflecting walls 7, 7', 7" and reflector 8 could, in an alternative embodiment, be replaced by connecting bars (not shown).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a series multi-speaker system 3--3 may be constructed, for example, with the speaker enclosures 1, 1', 1", 1'" connected by connecting bars 5. Enclosure 1 contains a low frequency range speaker unit 4; enclosure 1' contains a low frequency range speaker unit 4' and middle frequency range speaker unit 3; enclosure 1" contains a middle frequency range speaker unit 3' and high frequency range speaker unit 2; and enclosure 1'" contains only high frequency range speaker unit 2'. Each pair of oppositely facing speakers 2, 2'; 3, 3'; and 4, 4' may be aligned along their respective co-axes. Alternatively, all six speaker units could be aligned along a single co-axis extending through the imaginary axes of each of the conic vibrators.

A variable angle parabolic channel-shaped reflector such as the variable parabolic-shape reflector 18 in FIG. 6, could be installed in this series multi-speaker system 3--3.

In FIG. 7, the coupled speaker system 4--4 may be constructed with two conventional speaker units 10, 10' coupled together symmetrically and positioned to oppositely face one another along a co-axis of speakers 10, 10' held spaced apart by spaces 12, 12'. Except for their open apertures, both speakers 10, 10' are encased in spherical cases 15, 15', respectively. The sound wave absorbing materials 13, 13' perforated with cone-shaped holes 14, 14' extending between the enclosure 15 and speaker unit 10, have a sponge like porosity materials. The shapes of cone-shaped holes 14 are shown enlarged in FIG. 8. Also, the distances between the speakers 10, 10' and their spherical cases 15, 15' that is, the lengths of the conic recesses, or holes 14, 14', are substantially the same in length because the cases 15, 15' are made in a generally spherical-shape. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, a sound wave generated by speaker 10 spreads forward (i.e., toward speaker 10') and backward. The backward sound wave will be attenuated and gradually fade, by the absorbing materials 13 (and 13') and their cone-shaped recesses 14 (and 14'). The remainder of the sound wave which has not yet been absorbed, will be reflected back to the speaker unit 10 and will homogeneously influence the speaker unit 10 because the travelling distances between spherical cases 15, 15' are mostly the same. In other words, in an ideal embodiment, every point on the exterior surfaces of speakers 10, 10' are separated by, and equidistantly spaced from, the inner periphery of spherical cases 15, 15', respectively.

Turning now to FIG. 9, the speaker assembly 21 is shown with a voice coil 20 arranged symmetrically about a center pole 22, yoke 23, permanent magnet 24, plate 25, damper 26 and bobbin 27 driving a conic-shaped vibrating medium 28 having the underside of its outer circumference supporting a soft gasket 34 made of a resilient, pliable material mounted upon a receiving soft gasket 35 made of a resilient, pliable material positioned along the inner periphery of a speaker housing 45. Air, or other gaseous phase substance may be introduced via air inlet 32 to flow through air paths 31, 33 extending between inlet 32 and through a solid, vibration free material 47 interposed between interior surfaces of housing 45 and the assembly of voice coil 20, center pole 22, yoke 23, magnet 24, plate 25, damper 26, bobbin 27 and vibrator medium 28. Inner air path 31 extends between air inlet 32 and air outlet 29, with air outlet 29 symmetrically positioned between the imaginary apex of the conic surface formed by vibrator or medium 28. The distal ends of the plurality of air paths 33 disposed outwardly from the central axis of speaker unit 21 terminate in arrays of air branch paths 37 adjacent to, but spaced apart by medium 47 from vibrator medium 28. Consequently, as vibrator medium 28 is driven at acoustic frequencies by voice coil 20 and the associated center pole 22, yoke 23, magnet 24, plate 25 and bobbin 27, gaseous phase atmospheric air 41 introduced under moderate pressure into air paths 31, 33 via air inlet 32 biases vibrator media 28 somewhat outwardly away from voice coil 20 and center pole 22. The symmetric disposition of the air branch paths 37 assures a uniformity in the application of the air bias.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the cone (e.g., constructed of paper) vibrator edge (not shown in the figure) is cut like a ladder off along the circumferential rim of the speaker frame (not shown in the figure), in order to decrease the reluctancy. Also, the damper 26 is, as the edge, cut for the same purpose.

In order to bias the vibrating unit of cone paper vibrator 28, its edge (not shown in the figure), bobbin 27 with voice coil 20 wound thereon, and damper 26, are outwardly subjected to a flow of air 41 introduced through the air inlet 32, and along, air paths 31 and 33, air outlet 29, and air path branches 37 from an air blower (not shown in the figure). A biasing effect that is attributable to the pressure of air introduced into passages 31, 33 increases the forward sound wave power and decreases the backward sound wave power. Air passages 31, 33 and 37 are formed in a vibration free solid material interposed between conic-shaped vibrator 28 and the walls of speaker unit 21. Soft gaskets 34, 35 of pliable materials, are interposed between the under circumferential outermost rim of vibrator 28 and the inner, upper periphery of the enclosure of speaker unit 21.

In FIG. 1

1: Conventional Speaker Enclosure

2: High Frequency Range Speaker Unit

3: Middle Frequency Range Speaker Unit

4: Low Frequency Range Speaker Unit

In FIGS. 2 & 3

1--1: Coupled Speaker System of the Present Invention

4, 4': Conventional Speaker Units

5: Coupling Bars

1, 1': Speaker Enclosures

6, 6': Ducts

In FIG. 4

2--2: Parallel Multi-speaker System

1, 1': Conventional Speaker Enclosures

2, 2': High Frequency Range Speaker Units

3, 3': Middle Frequency Range Speaker Units

4, 4': Low Frequency Range Speaker Units

7, 7' & 7": Separating and Reflecting Wall

8: Reflector

In FIG. 5

3--3: Series Multi-speaker system

1, 1', 1", 1'": Series Coupled Speaker Enclosures

2, 2': High Frequency Range Speaker Units

3, 3': Middle Frequency Range Speaker Units

4, 4': Low Frequency Range Speaker Units

5: Coupling Bars

In FIG. 6

1: Conventional Speaker Unit

17: Crest of the reflector

18: Variable Angle Parabolic Reflector

In FIG. 7

4--4: Coupled Speaker System

10, 10': Conventional Speaker Units

12, 12': Coupling Bars

13, 13': Sound Wave Absorbing Materials

14, 14': Cone-Shaped Air Holes

15, 15': Spherical Enclosures

In FIG. 8

14: Cone-Shaped Air Holes

In FIG. 9

20: Voice Coil

21: Speaker Unit

22: Center Pole

23: Yoke

24: Magnet

25: Plate

26: Damper

27: Bobbin

28: Cone-Shaped Vibrator

29: Air Outlet

31, 33: Air Path

32: Air Inlet

34: Soft Gasket

35: Soft Gasket

37: Air Branch Path

41: Breezing Air