1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sound reproduction, and more particularly to loudspeaker design.
2. Background and Related Art
A loudspeaker is a device that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. Loudspeakers commonly use electroacoustic transducers or drivers that use an alternating current applied to a voice coil in conjunction with a permanent magnet to cause an attached diaphragm to move back and forth, pushing on air to create sound waves. The transducers of loudspeakers are commonly housed in an enclosure that helps control the quality of the sound reproduced by the various speaker components. In many instances, a loudspeaker may have multiple individual transducers or drivers reproducing different frequencies of sound. Loudspeakers are used to reproduce sound for music, movies, events, and many other purposes. Ongoing efforts continue to design loudspeakers that are better able to reproduce the sounds they are intended to reproduce.
Implementations of the invention provide loudspeakers having favorable characteristics for sound reproduction. According to certain implementations, an exemplary loudspeaker includes a first vertically disposed array of drivers contained in a first enclosure, a second vertically disposed array of drivers contained in a second enclosure, and a third vertically disposed array of drivers contained in a third enclosure, wherein the third enclosure is located horizontally between the first and second enclosures.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may be directed off-axis from a primary direction or axis of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. For example, the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of between about fifteen degrees and about thirty degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. As another example, the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of between about twenty degrees and about twenty-five degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. As another example, the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of about twenty-two and one-half degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers.
The third vertically disposed array of drivers may be recessed relative to the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers to cause impulses from the first, second, and third vertically disposed arrays of drivers to arrive at an on-axis listening position simultaneously.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers such as midrange drivers or mid-bass drivers. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers such as tweeters or super tweeters.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may all be drivers of a single type and size. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may include a single vertically centered super tweeter and equal numbers of a single type and size of tweeters above and below the super tweeter.
The loudspeaker may include a subwoofer located below the first, second, and third vertically disposed arrays of drivers.
The first and second enclosures may be ported. The first and second enclosures may each include a generally outward-firing port for each of the drivers contained in the first and second enclosures. The first and second enclosures may each include dividers between each of the drivers in the respective vertically disposed array of drivers.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each include an equal number of drivers from two to eight drivers per array, and the third vertically disposed array of drivers may include a number of drivers from four to seventeen drivers. The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers having a first, lower fundamental frequency, while the third vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers having a second fundamental frequency that is higher than the first, lower fundamental frequency. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may include a number of drivers having the second fundamental frequency that is equal to a sum of the drivers having the first, lower fundamental frequency in the first and second vertically disposed array of drivers. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may further include a driver having a third fundamental frequency that is higher than the second fundamental frequency.
According to further implementations of the invention, a loudspeaker includes a first vertically disposed array of drivers, a second vertically disposed array of drivers, and a third vertically disposed array of drivers disposed in a vertically oriented space horizontally located between the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers, wherein the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers are directed off-axis from a primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of between about fifteen degrees and about thirty degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of about twenty-two and one-half degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers.
The objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
A description of embodiments of the present invention will now be given with reference to the Figures. It is expected that the present invention may take many other forms and shapes, hence the following disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not limiting, and the scope of the invention should be determined by reference to the appended claims.
Embodiments of the invention provide loudspeakers having favorable characteristics for sound reproduction. According to certain embodiments, an exemplary loudspeaker includes a first vertically disposed array of drivers contained in a first enclosure, a second vertically disposed array of drivers contained in a second enclosure, and a third vertically disposed array of drivers contained in a third enclosure, wherein the third enclosure is located horizontally between the first and second enclosures.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may be directed off-axis from a primary direction or axis of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. For example, the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of between about fifteen degrees and about thirty degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. As another example, the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of between about twenty degrees and about twenty-five degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. As another example, the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of about twenty-two and one-half degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers.
The third vertically disposed array of drivers may be recessed relative to the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers to cause impulses from the first, second, and third vertically disposed arrays of drivers to arrive at an on-axis listening position simultaneously.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers such as midrange drivers or mid-bass drivers. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers such as tweeters or super tweeters.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may all be drivers of a single type and size. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may include a single vertically centered super tweeter and equal numbers of a single type and size of tweeters above and below the super tweeter.
The loudspeaker may include a subwoofer located below the first, second, and third vertically disposed arrays of drivers.
The first and second enclosures may be ported. The first and second enclosures may each include a generally outward-firing port for each of the drivers contained in the first and second enclosures. The first and second enclosures may each include dividers between each of the drivers in the respective vertically disposed array of drivers.
The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each include an equal number of drivers from two to eight drivers per array, and the third vertically disposed array of drivers may include a number of drivers from four to seventeen drivers. The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers having a first, lower fundamental frequency, while the third vertically disposed array of drivers may include drivers having a second fundamental frequency that is higher than the first, lower fundamental frequency. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may include a number of drivers having the second fundamental frequency that is equal to a sum of the drivers having the first, lower fundamental frequency in the first and second vertically disposed array of drivers. The third vertically disposed array of drivers may further include a driver having a third fundamental frequency that is higher than the second fundamental frequency.
According to further embodiments of the invention, a loudspeaker includes a first vertically disposed array of drivers, a second vertically disposed array of drivers, and a third vertically disposed array of drivers disposed in a vertically oriented space horizontally located between the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers, wherein the first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers are directed off-axis from a primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of between about fifteen degrees and about thirty degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers. The first vertically disposed array of drivers and the second vertically disposed array of drivers may each be directed at opposite angles from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers at an angle of about twenty-two and one-half degrees from the primary direction of the third vertically disposed array of drivers.
The outward orientation of the first and second vertical arrays of drivers and enclosures creates a central void or space that receives the third vertical array of drivers, and allows the third vertical array of drivers to be recessed relative to the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers, allowing for sounds produced by the various arrays of drivers to be time-aligned at a listening position for the loudspeaker 10, such as at an on-axis listening position. While in this example, the first and second arrays of drivers are directed outward at an angle of approximately twenty-two and one-half degrees, the angle selected may be varied based on characteristics of the various selected drivers, such as the on-axis frequency response and the directivity of the selected drivers in the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers.
In the illustrated loudspeaker 10, each of the drivers in the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers is of a same type and size. In this example, each of the drivers in the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers is a six and one-half inch mid-bass driver, and there are six such drivers in each array. Meanwhile, the third vertically disposed array of drivers includes a centrally located compression diaphragm super tweeter (otherwise known as a bullet super tweeter), with twelve one-inch soft-dome tweeters—six above and six below the super tweeter. The subwoofer is a single eighteen-inch driver.
The subwoofer enclosure 18 in this example has an internal volume of approximately nine cubic feet. The overall height of the loudspeaker 10 is seventy-two inches, the width of the loudspeaker is twenty-three inches, and the depth is twenty-six inches. The enclosures for each of the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers are approximately forty-two inches by eight inches by eleven inches, and there are generally outward-firing vents for each of the mid-bass drivers. The enclosure for the third vertically disposed array of drivers is about four and one-half inches wide, approximately thirty-eight inches tall, and approximately one inch deep. The exemplary loudspeaker 10 has crossover frequencies of 300 Hz, 3 kHz, and 12 kHz. The loudspeaker 10 of this example is capable of achieving 138 dB with no compression.
As may be seen in
The setting of the mid-bass drivers off-axis widens the horizontal coverage pattern of the loudspeaker 10. Simultaneously, the loudspeaker achieves a very linear on-axis response because the mid-bass drivers are directional and are more linear off-axis.
As may be recognized from
While embodiments of the invention have been described wherein each vertically disposed array of drivers is located within its own enclosure, it should be recognized that various arrays of drivers may optionally share enclosures.
As discussed above, each of the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers in the first and second enclosures 12, 14 are mid-bass drivers 24. In this example, each of the first and second vertically disposed arrays of drivers includes six mid-bass drivers 24, so there are a total of twelve mid-bass drivers 24 in each loudspeaker 10. As may be appreciated, this number of mid-bass drivers 24 matches the number of tweeters 22 in the loudspeaker, though the mid-bass drivers 24 are divided into two separate vertically disposed arrays that are horizontally spaced apart and outwardly directed as discussed above. In contrast, the tweeters 22 are essentially divided into two separate vertically disposed subarrays that are vertically spaced apart (and separated by the super tweeter 20) instead of being horizontally spaced apart, and the subarrays are on-axis with a primary axis of the loudspeaker 10.
As discussed above, the subwoofer enclosure 18 houses a single subwoofer 26, which in this example is oriented facing forward. As is known in the loudspeaker art, low-frequency sound is less directional than is high-frequency sound, and in some embodiments of the invention, the subwoofer 26 is oriented in a different direction, such as downward, rearward, or to one of the sides.
The ports 30 are more easily visible in
The specific characteristics of the exemplary loudspeaker 10 and other versions discussed herein are provided by way of example only. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/280,621, filed Jan. 19, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62280621 | Jan 2016 | US |