Ported loudspeaker enclosure

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6744902
  • Patent Number
    6,744,902
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, July 10, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 1, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
An enclosure for one or more loudspeakers includes a housing having a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel and opposed end panels collectively defining a hollow interior which is open at an aperture formed in one of the panels. A baffle is mounted within the housing interior which supports one or more loudspeakers and forms a port to direct sound radiating from the back of the speakers to the aperture. All of the panels, and at least the portion of the baffle which is visible through the aperture, are covered with carpeting to provide a finished appearance for mounting of the enclosure within the interior of a vehicle.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to enclosures for loudspeakers, and, more particularly, to a ported enclosure for one or more loudspeakers in which sound emanating from opposite ends of the loudspeaker(s) is transmitted to an aperture by a baffle which mounts the loudspeaker(s) in the enclosure and forms a port with the panels of the enclosure. Each of the panels, and at least a portion of the baffle which can be seen through the aperture, are covered with carpeting to provide a finished appearance for mounting in the interior of a vehicle.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Audio systems are standard equipment in most vehicles, and they typically include a radio, compact disc player and a number of loudspeakers such as tweeters, mid-range speakers and woofers. The quality of the sound obtained from vehicle audio systems is dependent, in large part, on the loudspeakers which are used in the system. More expensive vehicles tend to be provided with upgraded speakers and more of them, while comparatively inferior speakers are used as standard equipment in other vehicles.




Many individuals, and particularly those with good home audio systems, have come to insist on improved sound quality in their vehicle audio systems so that the music they listen to in a truck or car sounds reasonably close to the way it does at home. This demand has fueled the development of after market audio systems for vehicles in which many of the original components of the vehicle's audio system, and especially the loudspeakers, are replaced with better quality components. Additionally, new components are introduced in many after market systems such as subwoofer loudspeakers which are intended to reproduce low frequency sound thus freeing the woofers and mid-range speakers of the system to reproduce only the higher frequencies for which they are primarily designed.




The addition of subwoofers to vehicle audio systems has improved overall sound quality but also presented some difficulties, particularly in how such speakers are located in the vehicle. Because subwoofers are ordinarily not included as part of original vehicle audio systems, there is usually no location within the vehicle which has been specifically designed by the manufacturer to mount same. As a result, enclosures or cabinets for subwoofers have been developed which for some vehicles have a custom configuration to fit a particular space, and for other vehicles are constructed to mount in the trunk area or the like. In either case, most enclosures for subwoofers have panels whose exterior surfaces are covered with carpeting to provide a durable finish and blend well with the vehicle environment.




One method of fabricating enclosures for subwoofers or other speakers is known as the “wrap” method. It is designed to simplify the attachment of carpeting to the enclosure panels while making it easy to connect the panels to one another. The wrap method generally comprises initially cutting out four side panels, e.g., the top, bottom, front and back sides of the enclosure, and forming beveled edges along the length of each one. The ends of the side panels are also formed with grooves or dados to mount the end panels of the enclosure as described below. The side panels are affixed by glue or the like to a continuous length of carpeting so that their beveled edges are located adjacent to one another. The panels are then “folded” together, with glue introduced along their beveled edges, to form a rectangular shape which is held in place by the carpeting. Before the rectangular shape is closed, the end panels are affixed by glue within the grooves at the ends of the side panels. When the last side panel is folded into place, the two edges that border the carpet ends are glued and nailed together. As such, only one seam is mechanically fastened, while all of the other seams or panel connections are held in place by the glue and carpeting.




Loudspeaker enclosures made with the wrap method or by other techniques sometimes include a “port” or vent consisting of a duct or length of pipe inserted within the enclosure interior which causes the volume of air inside the enclosure to acoustically resonate at a particular frequency. This resonance frequency is determined by the internal volume of the enclosure and the diameter and length of the port. Ports are usually constructed from lengths of plastic pipe, or a duct can be built into the structure of the enclosure itself. The cross sectional area of the port must be chosen to pass sufficient volume of air in and out of the enclosure without creating turbulence which can contaminate the sound output.




In high power applications, larger port cross sections are often needed to pass increased volumes of air. In turn, it is often necessary to increase the length of the port to maintain the same system resonance frequency with a larger port cross section. The overall length of the port is limited by the depth of the enclosure since the inwardly extending end of the port must be spaced from the rear enclosure boundary so that flow is not restricted and the port resonates properly. Consequently, ports are often constructed with a bend in the pipe or a duct built into the enclosure. Both of these alternatives add time, complexity and cost to the enclosure construction.




One particular type of ported loudspeaker enclosure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,885 to Froeschle. This enclosure is rectangular in cross section having a front wall, back wall, top wall, bottom wall and opposed end walls collectively defining a hollow interior which is divided into front and rear chambers by a partition. The partition mounts a loudspeaker in position to face the front wall, and also mounts a first port tube which extends between the two chambers. A second port tube is mounted in the front wall of the enclosure which extends into the front chamber.




Ported enclosures of the type disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,885 are commonly referred to as “band pass” enclosures because the front chamber and front port, through which all radiation from the loudspeaker must pass, acoustically filter the high frequency output of the system. Such effect occurs since the front port, coupled to the front chamber, resonates at a given frequency thus allowing only certain frequencies to pass from the enclosure into the listening environment. The front port is therefore specifically designed to act as a resonance-tuning device in the frequency range of interest.




Regardless of the method of fabricating a ported loudspeaker, or whether or not it is considered to constitute a band pass enclosure, it is necessary to “dress” or finish the appearance of the inside of the enclosure in the area of the port because one can see directly into the enclosure interior through the port. The appearance of unfinished wood within the enclosure interior is aesthetically unacceptable. Although attempts have been made to cosmetically treat this area, such as with the use of paint or a laminated covering, these solutions add expense and additional time to the enclosure construction.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore among the objectives of this invention to provide an enclosure for a loudspeaker which is visually acceptable in the environment of a vehicle, which is economical to fabricate, and which effectively transmits sound produced by loudspeakers mounted therein externally of the enclosure.




These objectives are accomplished in an enclosure for one or more loudspeakers which includes a housing having a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel and opposed end panels collectively defining a hollow interior which is open at an aperture formed in one of the panels. A baffle is mounted within the housing interior which supports one or more loudspeakers to form a port which directs sound radiating from both the front and back of the loudspeaker(s), or only the back of such speaker(s), to the aperture. All of the panels, and the baffle, are covered with carpeting to provide a finished appearance for mounting of the enclosure within the interior of a vehicle.




In the presently preferred embodiment, the wrap method described above is used to cover the top, bottom, front, back and opposed ends of the housing of the enclosure with carpeting. A baffle structure, which mounts one or more speakers within the housing interior, is covered with carpeting in a separate operation and then connected to the top or bottom panel before the panels of the housing are “folded” together. This ensures that the portion of the enclosure interior which can be seen through the aperture also has a finished appearance. When the panels are interconnected as described above, the baffle structure is affixed between the top and bottom panels such that the loudspeaker(s) mounted thereto are positioned to direct sound from the front and back of the loudspeaker, or only the back thereof, toward the aperture formed in the housing.




As is well known, movement of the diaphragm of a loudspeaker in an axial direction produces sound waves which propagate in opposite directions, i.e., toward the “front” of the speaker where the diaphragm is mounted and toward the motor structure at the “back” of the speaker. Some embodiments of this invention involve the construction and orientation of a baffle within the interior of the enclosure so that the sound produced in both the front and back directions is transmitted to the aperture. Preferably, the baffle mounts one or more speakers in position relative to the aperture so that sound emanating from the front of the speaker(s) is directed to the aperture. Additionally, the baffle is located with respect to the panels of the enclosure so that spaces are formed therebetween. These spaces form a port along which sound emanating from the back of the speaker is directed toward the aperture. In alternative embodiments, the spaces which form the port are located between the side panels of the housing and the baffle, or between the top panel of the housing and the baffle. Consequently, the sound produced by the diaphragm in both the front and back directions is combined in the area of the aperture and exits the speaker enclosure together to enhance the overall sound produced by the speaker.




The embodiments of this invention described above are referred to as “ported” enclosures in view of the formation of a port for transmitting sound emanating from the back of the loudspeaker to an aperture at the front of the enclosure. In enclosures of this general type, a “roll-off” or decrease in sound pressure level occurs at a particular low frequency, depending upon the specific construction of the port and enclosures, whereas the sound pressure level remains essentially constant at higher frequencies. The term “sound pressure level” as used herein refers to what would be perceived as loudness by a user of the speaker. A “band-pass” enclosure, on the other hand, exhibits a roll-off in sound pressure levels at both a particular low frequency and high frequency. As such, the sound pressure level is maximized over a predetermined frequency range which is chosen for a particular speaker and application.




In an alternative embodiment of this invention, a band-pass enclosure is provided in which a baffle structure supporting one or more speakers is mounted within the enclosure interior forming a closed cavity at the front of the speaker and a flow path defined by the baffle and panels of the enclosure within which sound propagating from the back of the speaker is transmitted to an aperture at the front of the enclosure. Sound produced at the front of the speaker is confined by the closed cavity. The baffle structure includes a transparent section, visible through the aperture at the front of the enclosure, which forms part of the closed cavity. Additionally, other portions of the baffle structure which are visible are covered with carpeting employing the wrap method noted above.











DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of one embodiment of a ported enclosure of this invention;





FIG. 2

is a view similar to

FIG. 1

, except with the top panel removed;





FIG. 3

is a schematic plan view of

FIG. 1

with the top panel and rear panel removed, which depicts a baffle mounting a single loudspeaker;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a ported enclosure according to this invention;





FIG. 5

, is a view similar to

FIG. 4

, except with the top panel removed;





FIG. 6

is a schematic plan view of

FIG. 1

with the top panel and back panel removed, which depicts a baffle mounting two loudspeakers;





FIG. 7

is a perspective view of one embodiment of a band-pass enclosure according to this invention;





FIG. 8

is a view similar to

FIG. 7

except with the top panel removed;





FIG. 9

is a plan view of

FIG. 8

with the front panel and back panel removed;





FIG. 10

is a perspective view of the baffle structure of the band-pass enclosure shown in

FIG. 7

;





FIG. 11

is a perspective view of a still further embodiment of a ported enclosure according to this invention;





FIG. 12

is a cross sectional view of the enclosure shown in

FIG. 11

;





FIG. 13

is a perspective view, in cross section, of the ported enclosure of

FIG. 11

;





FIG. 14

is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a band-pass enclosure herein; and





FIG. 15

is a perspective view, in cross section, of the enclosure of FIG.


14


.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring initially to

FIGS. 1-3

, one embodiment of a ported enclosure for a loudspeaker according to this invention comprises a housing


10


and an internal baffle


12


which mounts a single loudspeaker


14


. The housing


10


includes a top panel


16


, a bottom panel


18


, a front panel


20


, a back panel


22


and opposed end panels


24


and


26


all interconnected by the wrap method described above to form a hollow interior. For purposes of the present discussion, the term “top” refers to the vertically upward direction as the housing


10


is oriented in the Figs., while “bottom” refers to the opposite direction. The front panel


20


is formed with an opening or aperture


28


as shown.




In the embodiment of

FIGS. 1-3

, the baffle


12


is generally U-shaped and includes a front wall


30


which is connected at one end to a side wall


32


and at the opposite end to a side wall


34


. Each of the walls


30


,


32


and


34


are mounted to the bottom panel


18


of the housing and extend upwardly to the top panel


16


where they are also affixed. As best seen in

FIG. 3

, the front wall


30


of baffle


12


mounts a single loudspeaker


14


directly in alignment with the aperture


28


formed in the front panel


20


of housing


10


. Sound propagating from the “front” of the speaker


14


, i.e., where the diaphragm (not shown) is located, is thus transmitted directly out of the housing


10


through the aperture


28


. As noted above, sound is also produced by the loudspeaker


14


in a direction toward the “back” of the speaker


14


where the motor structure


36


is located as schematically depicted in FIG.


3


. In order to transmit this sound to the aperture


28


, the baffle


12


is spaced from the panels of the housing


10


to form a port


43


therebetween. Specifically, the front wall


30


of baffle


12


is separated by a space


38


from the front panel


20


of housing


10


, a space


40


is provided between the side wall


32


of the baffle


12


and the end panel


24


, and, the end wall


34


and end panel


26


are separated by a space


42


. The spaces


38


,


40


and


42


collectively form a port


43


to direct sound emanating from the back of the speaker


14


to the aperture


28


in front panel


20


for combination with the sound propagating from the front of the speaker


14


. See arrows


44


in FIG.


3


. In this manner, the overall sound production of the speaker


14


is enhanced.




Referring now to

FIGS. 4-6

, an alternative embodiment of a ported enclosure according to this invention is shown in which two loudspeakers


14


are mounted within the interior of the enclosure. Preferably, the enclosure comprises a housing


50


having a top panel


52


, a bottom panel


54


, a front panel


56


, a back panel


58


and opposed end panels


60


,


62


all interconnected by the wrap method described above to form a hollow interior. The front panel


56


is formed with an opening or aperture


64


.




In order to mount a pair of speakers


14


within the housing


50


, a baffle


66


is provided which differs in construction from the baffle


12


depicted in

FIGS. 1-3

. Preferably, the baffle


66


comprises a first speaker mounting section


68


and a second speaker mounting section


70


which meet at a common wall


72


connected at one end to the back panel


58


of the housing


50


. Each of the speaker mounting sections


68


and


70


are essentially identical in construction, and therefore only section


68


is described in detail with the same reference numbers being used to identify the same structure in section


70


with the addition of a “′”.




The first speaker mounting section


68


includes a tapered wall


74


extending from the common wall


72


, an end wall


76


oriented generally parallel to and spaced from the end panel


60


of the housing


50


, and, an intermediate wall


78


connected between the tapered wall


74


and end wall


76


in position spaced from and generally parallel to the front panel


56


of the housing


50


. Each of the walls


74


,


76


and


78


of the first speaker mounting section


68


, as well as the common wall


66


, extend between the top panel


52


and bottom panel


54


of the housing


50


where they are connected by glue or the like.




The tapered wall


74


mounts the speaker


14


in position generally opposite the aperture


64


formed in the front panel


56


to direct sound propagating from the front of speaker


14


toward the aperture


64


. In order to direct the sound emanating in a direction toward the back of speaker


14


to the aperture


64


, a port


85


is formed between each of the speaker mounting sections


68


,


70


and the panels of the housing


50


. As best seen in

FIG. 6

, the common wall


66


effectively divides the interior of housing


50


into two compartments, one for the first speaker mounting section


68


and its speaker


14


and the other for the second speaker mounting section


70


and speaker


14


′. The end wall


76


of first speaker mounting section


68


is separated from the end panel


60


of housing


50


forming a space


80


, and a space


82


is provided between the intermediate wall


78


of first speaker mounting section


68


and the front panel


56


of the housing


50


. These spaces


80


and


82


of first speaker mounting section


68


, as well as the corresponding spaces


80


′ and


82


′ of the second speaker mounting section


68


, collectively form ports


85


and


85


′ from the back of speakers


14


,


14


′ to the aperture


64


. See arrows


84


,


84


′ in FIG.


3


. The sound transmitted along such ports


85


,


85


′ is combined with the sound produced from the front of the speakers


14


,


14


′ to enhance to overall sound quality.




A still further embodiment is shown in

FIGS. 7-10

in which a band pass enclosure


91


according to this invention is depicted. The enclosure


91


comprises a housing


92


having a top panel


94


, a bottom panel


96


, a front panel


98


, a back panel


100


and opposed end panels


102


,


104


all interconnected by the wrap method noted above to form a hollow interior. The front panel


98


is formed with an aperture


106


through which the hollow interior of the enclosure


91


can be viewed, and from which sound exits the enclosure


91


as described below.




As best seen in

FIG. 10

, a baffle structure


108


is mounted within the hollow interior of the enclosure


91


to support a loudspeaker


14


and form a flow path for the transmission of sound from the speaker


14


to the aperture


106


in the front panel


98


. The baffle structure


108


comprises a front wall


112


, an intermediate wall


114


spaced from the front wall


112


and a pair of side walls


116


,


118


connected to the ends of each of the front wall


112


and intermediate wall


114


. A pair of back walls


120


and


122


are also shown in the Figs., which extend from the side walls


116


,


118


, respectively, and are spaced from one another. The entire baffle structure


108


is secured within the hollow interior of enclosure


91


by grooves or dados (not shown) formed in the top panel


94


and bottom panel


96


, i.e., the top and bottom edges of each wall


112


,


114


,


116


,


118


,


120


and


122


are received within and preferably glued to a separate groove in the top and bottom panels


94


,


96


. As viewed in

FIGS. 8 and 9

, a space


124


is formed between the back walls


120


,


122


of the baffle structure


108


and the back panel


100


of the enclosure


91


, a space


126


is formed between each of the side walls


116


,


118


of the baffle structure


108


and respective end panels


102


,


104


of the enclosure


91


and a space


128


is formed between the front wall


112


of the baffle structure


108


and the front panel


98


of the enclosure


91


. These spaces


124


,


126


and


128


collectively define a flow path or port leading to the aperture


106


in the front panel


98


of the enclosure


91


.




The intermediate wall


114


of the baffle structure


108


is formed with an opening to mount a loudspeaker


14


such that the front of the loudspeaker


14


faces the front wall


112


and its back is located in the space between the back walls


120


,


122


of the baffle structure


108


. The front wall


112


of the baffle structure


108


is formed with an opening, but it is closed with a transparent cover


130


such as a section of Plexiglas or the like. See FIG.


10


. The transparent cover


130


allows the loudspeaker


14


to be viewed from outside of the enclosure


91


through the aperture


106


in the front panel


98


. Because each of the front wall


112


, intermediate wall


114


and side walls


116


,


118


of the baffle structure


108


extend completely between the top and bottom panels


94


,


96


of the enclosure


91


, a closed cavity


132


is formed in the area between the front wall


112


and intermediate wall


114


. The sound propagating from the front of the loudspeaker


14


is therefore captured and confined within the closed cavity


132


, and not allowed to exit the enclosure


91


.




Sound propagating from the back of the loudspeaker


14


is transmitted along the port formed by the spaces


124


,


126


and


128


between the panels of the enclosure


91


and the baffle structure


108


, as described above, and exits the enclosure


91


through the aperture


106


in the front panel


98


. The cross sectional area of the port is chosen to create a band pass effect in which a relatively high sound pressure level is obtained from the loudspeaker


14


within a predetermined frequency range, and a drop off in the sound pressure level occurs at both a certain lower frequency and higher frequency.




Referring now to

FIGS. 11-13

, a still further embodiment of a ported enclosure


140


according to this invention is shown. The enclosure


140


includes a housing


142


having a top panel


144


, a bottom panel


146


, a front panel


148


, a back panel


150


and opposed side panels


152


,


154


all interconnected by the wrap method described above to form a hollow interior. The front panel


148


is formed with an aperture


156


, as seen in FIG.


11


.




A baffle


158


is located within the hollow interior of the housing


142


which comprises a front wall


160


, a back wall


162


, a top wall


164


and a bottom wall


166


having an upturned end


168


. In the presently preferred embodiment, the front wall


160


is mounted within a groove or dado


170


formed in the bottom panel


146


of the housing


142


by glue or the like, and within dados (not shown) in the side panels


152


and


154


. The front wall


160


is adapted to mount at least one loudspeaker


14


in position to direction sound radiating from the “front” of the loudspeaker


14


toward the aperture


156


in the front panel


148


of the housing


142


. The top wall


164


extends between and is connected to the front wall


160


and back wall


162


, and both the top wall


164


and back wall


162


are mounted at opposite ends within dados (not shown) formed in the side panels


152


,


154


of the housing


142


.




In the embodiments shown in

FIGS. 1-6

, the ports


43


and


85


are defined by spaces formed between the baffles


12


or


66


and the side panels of the enclosures


10


and


50


. As best seen in

FIGS. 12 and 13

, a different flow path for sound radiating from the “back” of loudspeaker


14


is provided by the enclosure


140


of this embodiment. Preferably, a first space


172


is formed between the bottom wall


166


and bottom panel


146


, a second space


174


is formed between the back wall


162


and back panel


150


, and, a third space


176


is formed between the top wall


164


and top panel


144


. Consequently, sound radiating from the “back” of loudspeaker


14


travels along a flow path or port


178


defined by the three spaces


172


,


174


and


176


and shown by arrows


179


to the aperture


156


in the front panel


148


of the housing


142


. In effect, the sound travels over the top portion of the baffle


158


of this invention instead of along the sides as in the previous embodiments.




With reference now to

FIGS. 14 and 15

, a band pass enclosure


180


according to the present invention is shown. Except as described below, the enclosure


180


employs the same housing


142


described above in connection with a discussion of

FIGS. 11-13

, and therefore the same reference numbers are used to denote like structure in such Figs.




In this embodiment, a baffle


182


is located within the interior of the housing


142


which comprises a front wall


184


spaced from the front panel


148


of the housing


142


, a back wall


186


located near the back panel


150


, an intermediate wall


188


between the front and back walls


184


,


186


, a bottom wall


190


having an upturned end


192


, and, a top wall


194


which mounts to each of the front wall


184


, back wall


186


and intermediate wall


188


. All of the walls


184


,


186


,


188


,


190


and


194


extend between the side panels


152


and


154


of the housing


142


where they are mounted in dados (not shown) by glue or the like. As seen in

FIG. 15

, the front wall


184


and intermediate wall


188


are also mounted to the bottom panel


146


of the housing


142


within dados


196


and


198


, respectively.




The intermediate wall


188


of the baffle


180


is formed with an opening


193


to mount a loudspeaker (not shown) such that the front of the loudspeaker


14


faces the front wall


184


and its back faces the back wall


186


of the baffle


180


. In the presently preferred embodiment, the front wall


184


of the baffle


182


is formed with an opening


200


. A seat


202


surrounds the opening


200


in position to mount a transparent cover


204


, such as a section of Plexiglass or the like, which closes the opening


200


. As a result, a closed chamber


206


is formed within the interior of the housing


142


of enclosure


180


located between the front wall


184


, intermediate wall


188


, top wall


194


, and the end panels


152


,


154


and bottom panel


146


of the housing


142


. Sound propagating from the front of loudspeaker


14


therefore enters the closed clamber


206


and is prevented from exiting the enclosure


180


through the aperture


156


in the housing


142


, or otherwise.




The port


208


of enclosure


180


is defined by a first space


210


formed between the bottom wall


190


and bottom panel


146


, a second space


212


formed between the back wall


186


and back panel


150


, and, a third space


214


formed between the top wall


194


and top panel


144


. Sound radiating from the back of the loudspeaker


14


flows along the port


208


formed by these spaces


210


,


212


and


214


to the aperture


156


in the front panel


148


. In a manner similar to the band-pass enclosure


91


of

FIGS. 7-10

, the cross sectional area of the port


208


is chosen to create a band pass effect in which a relatively high sound pressure level is obtained from the loudspeaker


14


within a predetermined frequency range, and a drop off in the sound pressure occurs at both a certain lower frequency and higher frequency.




Although the “wrap” method of fabrication forms no part of this invention, it is noted that in each of the embodiments of this invention shown in the Figs., all of the panels of the housings


10


,


50


,


92


and


142


as well as the visible surfaces of the baffles


12


,


66


,


108


,


158


and


182


, are covered with carpeting to provide a durable and finished appearance. Selected areas of carpeting


90


are shown in the Figs. for purposes of illustration.




Although the invention has been described with referenced to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. An enclosure for use with a loudspeaker which radiates sound in a first direction and in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction, comprising:a housing including a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel and opposed side panels interconnected to collectively form a hollow interior, said front panel being formed with an aperture; a baffle structure located within said hollow interior of said housing, including: (i) a front wall connected to said bottom panel and to each of said side panels of said housing, said front wall being spaced from said front panel of said housing and being adapted to mount at least one loudspeaker in a position to direct sound radiating therefrom in said first direction toward said aperture; (ii) a back wall located between said front wall and said back panel of said housing, said back wall extending between said side panels of said housing; (iii) a top wall connected to said front wall and said back wall, said top wall extending between said side panels and being spaced from said top panel of said housing; said baffle forming a port for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from the at least one loudspeaker to said aperture in said front panel of said housing.
  • 2. The enclosure of claim 1 in which a first space is formed between said back wall of said baffle and said back panel of said housing, and a second space is formed between said top wall of said baffle and said top panel of said housing, said first and second spaces forming said port.
  • 3. The enclosure of claim 2 in which said baffle further includes a bottom wall connected to said back wall and extending between said side panels of said housing.
  • 4. The enclosure of claim 3 in which a third space is formed between said bottom wall of said baffle and said bottom panel of said housing, said first, second and third spaces forming said port.
  • 5. An enclosure for use with a loudspeaker which radiates sound in a first direction and in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction, comprising:a housing including a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a back panel and opposed side panels interconnected to collectively form a hollow interior, said front panel being formed with an aperture; a baffle structure located within said hollow interior of said housing, including: (i) a front wall connected to said bottom panel and to each of said side panels of said housing, said front wall being spaced from said front panel of said housing; (ii) a back wall spaced from said back panel and extending between said side panels of said housing; (iii) an intermediate wall connected to said bottom panel and located between said front wall and said back wall, said intermediate wall being adapted to mount at least one loudspeaker in a position to direct sound radiating therefrom in a first direction toward said front wall; (iv) a top wall connected to said front wall, said intermediate wall and said back wall and extending between said side panels of said housing, a closed cavity being formed by said top wall, front wall, intermediate wall, opposed side panels and bottom panel which receives sound radiating in said first direction from the at least one loudspeaker; said baffle forming a port for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from the at least one loudspeaker to said aperture in said front panel of said housing.
  • 6. The enclosure of claim 5 in which a first space is formed between said back wall of said baffle and said back panel of said housing, and a second space is formed between said top wall of said baffle and said top panel of said housing, said first and second spaces collectively forming said port.
  • 7. The enclosure of claim 6 in which said baffle further includes a bottom wall connected to said back wall and extending between said side panels of said housing.
  • 8. The enclosure of claim 7 in which a third space is formed between said bottom wall of said baffle and said bottom panel of said housing, said first, second and third spaces collectively forming said port.
Parent Case Info

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/991,192, filed Nov. 15, 2001 in the name of Lucio Proni entitled “Ported Loudspeaker Enclosure,” which is assigned to the same assignee as this invention.

US Referenced Citations (13)
Number Name Date Kind
3727719 Yando Apr 1973 A
5004066 Furukawa Apr 1991 A
5025885 Froeschle Jun 1991 A
5111905 Rodgers May 1992 A
5189706 Saeki Feb 1993 A
5197103 Hayakawa Mar 1993 A
5266752 Cussans Nov 1993 A
5432860 Kasajima et al. Jul 1995 A
5637840 Kim Jun 1997 A
5825900 Jeon Oct 1998 A
5975236 Yamamoto et al. Nov 1999 A
6104823 Tanaka Aug 2000 A
6625292 Proni Sep 2003 B2
Continuation in Parts (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 09/991192 Nov 2001 US
Child 10/193948 US