Directional loudspeaker

• US 3,903,989 A
• Filed: 05/20/1974
• Issued: 09/09/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benjamin B. Bauer
• Original Assignee: Benjamin B. Bauer
• Inventors: Bauer, Benjamin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tomsky, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US05/471,267
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 181/145,148,175,143,144
• US Class Current: 181/144
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/025 Transducer mountings or cabinet supports enabling variable orientation of transducer of cabinet

Abstract

A loudspeaker system having a cabinet with two compartments, a first of which contains a low-frequency loudspeaker for producing an omnidirectional radiation pattern, and the second compartment, above the first, containing a rotationally adjustable vertically oriented baffle on which are supported additional loudspeaker motors designed to cover the mid- and high-frequency bands of the audio frequency spectrum. The baffle is so shaped and the additional loudspeaker motors located in positions thereon that they operate as high-efficiency gradient or dipole loudspeakers over a significant portion of their respective frequency ranges, whereby the directivity of the loudspeaker system can be controlled by adjustment of the position of the baffle relative to the cabinet.

Claims

1. A directional loudspeaker system comprising:

a cabinet having a substantially closeD lower compartment having a baffle board at the front thereof and a separate generally open-sided upper compartment, a first loudspeaker driver for the low frequency range mounted on the front baffle board of said lower compartment to cause sound emanating therefrom to be essentially omnidirectional, a generally planar baffle having substantially parallel upper and lower edges of unequal length joined by side edges supported vertically within said upper compartment and mounted for rotational adjustment relative to the cabinet about a generally vertical axis, and at least a second loudspeaker driver for a frequency range above the frequency range of said first loudspeaker driver mounted on said baffle at a location as to constitute with a portion of the baffle a dipole radiator having an angle of directivity generally perpendicular to the plane of said baffle, whereby the angle of directivity of said second loudspeaker driver can be varied relative to the cabinet as desired.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the side edges of said baffle are symmetrically spaced from said vertical axis, and wherein said second loudspeaker driver is for the lower mid-range of frequencies and is mounted on said baffle centrally between the side edges and generally adjacent the longer of the other two edges, and a third loudspeaker driver for the upper midrange of frequencies is mounted on said baffle between the side edges and generally adjacent the shorter of the other two edges.

3. The system of claim 2 further including fourth and fifth loudspeaker drivers for the high range of frequencies mounted on said baffle one on each side of said second loudspeaker and generally adjacent the longer of said other two edges.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the upper edge of said baffle is longer than the lower edge.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the upper edge of said baffle is longer than the lower edge.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the lower edge of said baffle is longer than the upper edge.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the lower edge of said baffle is longer than the upper edge.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the side edges of the baffle joining the upper and lower edges are curved so as to define with the shorter edge a first generally rectangular zone having dimensions such that said third loudspeaker driver together with said first zone of the baffle functions as a dipole radiator at the upper mid-range of frequencies, and to define with the longer edge a second generally rectangular zone having dimensions such that said second loudspeaker driver together with said second zone of the baffle functions as a dipole radiator at the lower mid-range of frequencies.

9. The system of claim 8 further including fourth and fifth loudspeaker drivers for the high range of frequencies mounted on said baffle in said second zone one on each side of said second loudspeaker driver.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the upper edge of said baffle is longer than the lower edge.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the lower edge of said baffle is longer than the upper edge.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for supporting said baffle comprises an open frame mounted for rotational adjustment about a generally horizontal axis, and means for pivotally supporting said baffle on said frame for rotational adjustment about a generally vertical axis.