Information
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Patent Grant
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6625292
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Patent Number
6,625,292
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Date Filed
Thursday, November 15, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, September 23, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 181 145
- 181 155
- 181 189
- 181 184
- 181 156
- 181 154
- 181 199
- 381 349
- 381 86
- 381 335
- 381 350
- 381 160
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International Classifications
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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 patent 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. One embodiment of this invention involves 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 a space is formed therebetween. This space provides a port along which sound emanating from the back of the speaker is directed toward the aperture. 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 embodiment of this invention described above is referred to as a “ported” enclosure 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 walls 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 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; and
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of the baffle structure of the bandpass enclosure of this invention.
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 Figures, 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. 7-9
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.
While 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 figures, all of the panels of the housings
10
,
50
and
92
as well as the visible surfaces of the baffles
12
and
66
, and baffle structure
108
, 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.
While 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 at least one loudspeaker which radiates sound in a first direction and in a second direction generally opposite to the 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, one of said panels being formed with an aperture; a baffle mounted within a hollow interior of said housing, said baffle including a first wall oriented generally parallel to and spaced from said front panel, a second wall mounted to one end of said first wall which extends substantially perpendicular to said first wall and is spaced from one of said side panels, and a third wall mounted to the other end of said first wall which extends substantially perpendicular to said first wall and is spaced from the other of said side panels, said front wall being adapted to mount the at least one loudspeaker in a position to direct sound radiating from the at least one loudspeaker in said first direction toward said aperture, said space between said first wall and said front panel and said spaces between second wall, said third wall and respective side panel collectively forming a port for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from the at least one loudspeaker to said departure.
- 2. The enclosure of claim 1 in which said baffle is adapted to mount one loudspeaker in alignment with said aperture.
- 3. The enclosure of claim 1 in which said front panel is formed with said aperture, said first wall of said baffle including a common wall connected to a first loudspeaker mounting section and to a second loudspeaker mounting section, each of said first and second loudspeaker mounting sections being adapted to mount one loudspeaker in position to direct sound radiating in said first direction toward said aperture.
- 4. The enclosure of claim 1 in which at least a portion of said baffle is visible through said aperture in said one panel, at least said visible portion of said baffle and said exterior surface of each of said panels being covered with a carpet material.
- 5. An enclosure for use with a loudspeaker which radiates sound in a first direction and in a second direction generally opposite to the 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 mounted within said hollow interior of said housing which includes a first wall spaced from said front panel of said housing, a second wall spaced from said first wall and opposed third and fourth walls each connected between said first wall and said second wall, a closed cavity being formed by said first wall, said second wall and said opposed third and fourth walls of said baffle structure and said top and bottom panels of said housing, said baffle structure being oriented with respect to said opposed side panels, said front panel and said back panel of said housing form a port communicating with said aperture in said front panel of said housing; said baffle structure being adapted to mount the loudspeaker within said hollow interior of said housing such that sound radiating in said first direction from the the loudspeaker enters said closed cavity and sound radiating in said second direction from the the loudspeaker enters said port for transmission to said aperture.
- 6. The enclosure of claim 5 in which said front wall of said baffle structure is formed with an opening covered with a transparent plate.
- 7. The enclosure of claim 5 in which each of said third and fourth walls of said baffle structure are spaced from respective ones of said opposed side panels of said housing, said space between said first wall and said front panel and said spaces between said third and fourth walls and said opposed side panels collectively forming said port.
- 8. The enclosure of claim 7 in which said baffle structure further includes a pair of back walls each mounted to one of said third and fourth walls of said baffle structure, said back walls being spaced from said back panel of said housing to form a portion of said port.
- 9. The enclosure of claim 5 in which at least a portion of said baffle is visible through said aperture in said one panel, at least said visible portion of said baffle and said exterior surface of each of said panels being covered with a carpet material.
- 10. An enclosure for use with a loudspeaker which radiates sound in a first direction and in a second direction generally opposite to the 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, including: (i) a front wall spaced from said front panel of said housing; (ii) an intermediate wall spaced from and oriented generally parallel to said front wall, said intermediate wall being adapted to mount a loudspeaker; (iii) a pair of side walls each connected substantially perpendicular to said front wall and to said intermediate wall, said front wall, said intermediate wall and said opposed side walls forming a closed cavity with said top panel and bottom panel of said housing, said closed cavity receiving sound radiating in a first direction from the loudspeaker; said baffle structure being oriented relative to said opposed side panels, said front panel and said back panel of said housing to form a port therebetween for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from the loudspeaker to said aperture in said front panel of said housing.
- 11. The enclosure of claim 10 in which said front wall of said baffle structure is formed with an opening covered with a transparent plate.
- 12. The enclosure of claim 10 in which each of said opposed side walls of said baffle structure are spaced from respective ones of said opposed side panels of said housing, said space between said front wall of said baffle structure and said spaces between said opposed side walls and opposed side panels collectively forming said port.
- 13. The enclosure of claim 12 in which said baffle structure further includes a pair of back walls each mounted to one of said side walls, said back walls being spaced from said back panel of said housing to form a portion of said port.
- 14. The enclosure of claim 10 in which at least a portion of said baffle is visible through said aperture in said one panel, at least said visible portion of said baffle and said exterior surface of each of said panels being covered with a carpet material.
- 15. An enclosure for use with at least one loudspeaker which radiates sound in a first direction and in a second direction generally opposite to the 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, one of said panels being formed with an aperture; a baffle mounted within said hollow interior of said housing, said baffle including a common wall connected to a first loudspeaker mounting section and to a second loudspeaker mounting section, each of said first and second loudspeaker mounting sections including a first wall adapted to mount the loudspeaker in position to direct sound radiating in said first direction toward said aperture and a second wall connected to said first wall, said baffle being oriented within said hollow interior to form a port for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from the loudspeakers to said aperture.
- 16. The enclosure of claim 3 in which each of said first and second loudspeaker mounting sections has a tapered portion adapted to support the loudspeaker and an intermediate portion oriented generally parallel to said front panel.
- 17. The enclosure of claim 16 in which said first wall of each of said first and second loudspeaker mounting sections of said baffle is spaced from said front panel of said enclosure, and said second wall of each of said first and second loudspeaker mounting sections of said baffle is spaced from one of said side panels of said enclosure, said port including a first port formed by said spaces between said walls of said first loudspeaker mounting section of said baffle and said panels of said housing for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from one of the loudspeakers to said aperture and a second port formed by said spaces between said walls of said second loudspeaker mounting section of said baffle and said panels of said housing for the transmission of sound radiating in said second direction from the other of the loudspeakers to said aperture.
- 18. The enclosure of claim 15 in which at least a portion of said baffle is visible through said aperture in said one panel, at least said visible portion of said baffle and said exterior surface of each of said panels being covered with a carpet material.
US Referenced Citations (13)