High fidelity loudspeaker system

• US 4,031,318 A
• Filed: 11/21/1975
• Issued: 06/21/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innovative Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pitre, Lester M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stellar, George G.
• Application Number:
  US05/634,239
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1 E, 179/1 GA, 179/1 D, 181/144, 181/145, 181/146, 181/147, 181/148, 181/149, 181/150, 181/151, 181/152, 181/153, 181/154, 181/155, 181/156, 181/175, 181/177, 181/178, 181/179, 181/191, 181/195 , 181/196, 181/197, 181/199, 333/28 R, 333/28 T
• US Class Current: 381/386
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/20 Arrangements for obtaining desired frequency or directional characteristics for stereophonic purpose H04R5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A high fidelity loudspeaker system involving a multidriver, semi-omnidirectional, full range, electrodynamic loudspeaker including two, separate but complementary, closed box-like enclosures, an upper unit containing an array of mid-range speakers around three sides and a lower unit containing arrays of low and high frequency speakers around three sides. The low frequency speakers (woofers) on their interior sides include a series of tubes opening into the closed interior of the speaker enclosure, having various lengths in accordance with certain relative, locational relationships. Although the low and high frequency speakers include a single crossover frequency circuit, the "mid-range" speakers are not included in any crossover network but are driven throughout the total frequency input range, although a capacitor can be included to cut off the very low frequencies to the mid-range speakers. The number of speakers in the arrays in each unit can be varied, but in the lower unit the over-all speaker panel sizes remain the same with the speaker locations on each panel being made asymmetrical about the horizontal center-line, allowing for alternative, up-or-down placement. A protective outer case about the cabinet can be included having hinged wall sections, which also serve when opened out as reflective surfaces, providing a "built-in corner" (FIG. 10). For easy mobility, a handle and rollers can be provided on the back of the unit (FIG. 9). Terminal strip and electrical hook-ups are provided on the exterior of the speaker allowing flexible application and use (FIGS. 7-7C).

Claims

1. A high fidelity loudspeaker system comprising:

an enclosed airtight speaker cabinet having three operative panels each having openings therein into the interior of said enclosure and speakers located within said openings closing them off with the backs of said speakers being exposed to said interior through said openings, at least some of said speakers having tubes surrounding them on their back, interior sides extending into said interior, the lengths of at least some of said tubes being substantially different, said tubes serving as anti-resonance decoupling means for said speakers.

2. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 1 wherein there is included at least two horizontal rows of said speakers, at least two like speakers on each panel, at least all of said like speakers except one having said tubes, no one of which has the same axial length.

3. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 2 in which said tubes at least generally follow the relative axial length ratio of 0-1-2-3-4-5.

4. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 3 wherein a first one of said rows includes the ratios of 0-3-4 and the other row includes the ratios of 2-1-5.

5. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 4 wherein the relative ratio length of the tubes on a panel occupies the same relative position in said two ratios, the tubes on one panel having the ratios "0" and "2", the tubes on second panel having the ratios of "3" and "1", and the tubes on the last panel having the ratios of "4" and "5".

6. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 1 wherein said three operative three panels are orthogonally located with respect to one another and there is further included orthogonally located back, top and bottom panels which are completely closed and have no operative speaker elements therein, all of said panels together forming a complete enclosure.

7. A high fidelity loudspeaker system comprising:

a vertically extended speaker column having three, vertical, operative speaker panels with speakers therein and a fourth back panel; and

an outer, built-in protective casing for said three panels comprising two hinged wall sections each hinged to opposite side edges of said back panel which when closed cover all three panels and when open form two diagonally disposed sound reflecting surfaces, providing the reflective acoustic effect of said speaker column being located in a corner.

8. A high fidelity loudspeaker system comprising:

a first air-tight, closed cabinet having an array of woofer and tweeter speakers contained therein for reproducing low and high frequencies, respectively; and

a second, air-tight, closed but complementary cabinet physically separate from said first cabinet having an array of mid-range speakers contained therein for reproducing at least the mid-range frequencies, said two cabinets placeable together in juxtaposition one on top of the other, outside the enclosure of the other;

the speakers in both said cabinets being driven to reproduce complementary sounds.

9. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 8 wherein said cabinets each are box-shaped having a square cross-section, three of the vertical panels forming each said cabinets having speakers therein, the other vertical panel and the top and bottom panels having no operative speakers therein, said second, complementary cabinet being located on top of said first cabinet.

10. The high fidelity loudspeaker system of claim 9 wherein the speaker array on each operative panel in each cabinet are substantially identical and arrayed on each said operative panel in an identical pattern.

11. A high fidelity loudspeaker system comprising:

an array of woofer, mid-range and tweeter speakers, having low, medium, and high frequency response respectively, wherein said woofers and tweeters include a single frequency cross-over electronic circuit means between them for feeding the low frequency signals only to said woofers and the high frequency signals only to said tweeters, respectively, for the driving thereof, and wherein said mid-range speakers include no frequency cross-over means between them and said woofers and wherein tweeters, said mid-range speakers being driven over at least substantially all of the full spectrum of audio frequencies, said woofers, tweeters and mid-range speakers being generally simultaneously driven to reproduce complementary sounds.