Wind/breath screen for a microphone

• US 4,570,746 A
• Filed: 06/30/1983
• Issued: 02/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Das, Subrata K., Dixon, Norman R., Gluck, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Brian W.
• Application Number:
  US06/509,824
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 181/242, 181/DIG. 1, 181/30, 181/295, 179/184, 179/187, 179/188, 179/178
• US Class Current: 381/359
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens

Abstract

An effective wind/breath screen for a microphone is described. The wind/breath screen includes a rigid perforated structure for enclosing the microphone. The microphone being physically isolated from the rigid perforated structure by a surrounding pad of air therebetween. A porous layer is utilized to enclose the rigid perforated structure thereby creating a pad of dead air between the microphone and the porous layer, whereby the speech signal reaches the microphone without substantial attenuation, and the wind/breath noise is suppressed. The present wind screen for a microphone is optimized for, and is particularly effective for voice data entry applications.

Claims

1. A wind screen for use with a microphone element, the wind screen comprising:

a rigid perforated structure dimensioned to enclose the microphone element;

a porous material forming a layer on and surrounding said rigid perforated structure;

said layer on and surrounding said perforated structure being dimensioned to create a pad of dead air therein which, when the microphone element is enclosed, extends between said perforated structure with the porous layer thereon and the microphone element to isolate the microphone element from air turbulence outside said porous layer without substantially attenuating a speech signal directed to the microphone element from outside said porous layer;

wherein said microphone is supported by a connecting attachment through said rigid perforated structure, said connecting attachment being isolated from said rigid perforated structure by resilient means;

wherein said rigid perforated structure is a perforated plastic sphere; and

wherein said porous material is latex foam.

2. A wind screen for a microphone as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient means is a rubber grommet.

3. A microphone apparatus for suppressing air turbulence noise without attenuating a speech signal, comprising:

a microphone element for receiving said speech signal;

a rigid perforated structure for enclosing said microphone element in substantially the center of said perforated structure;

said microphone element being physically isolated from said rigid perforated structure by a pad of air therebetween the pad of air surrounding said microphone;

a porous material enclosing said rigid perforated structure thereby creating a pad of dead air between said microphone element and said porous material;

whereby said speech signal reaches said microphone element without substantial attenuation, and said air turbulence noise is suppressed by said porous material enclosing said rigid perforated structure and the pad of dead air;

wherein said microphone element is supported by a connecting attachment through said rigid perforated structure, said connecting attachment being isolated from said rigid perforated structure by resilient means;

wherein said rigid perforated structure is a perforated plastic sphere; and

wherein said porous material is latex foam.

4. A microphone apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said resilient means is a rubber grommet.

5. In combination with a microphone, a wind screen which permits a speech signal to reach the microphone without substantial attenuation while air turbulence noise is suppressed, the wind screen comprising:

a single rigid perforated structure for surrounding the microphone; and

a layer of porous material formed on the exterior surface of said single rigid perforated structure;

said rigid perforated structure being spaced from the microphone to form a pad of air extending between the microphone and said single rigid perforated structure with the porous layer thereon when said perforated structure surrounds the microphone;

said layer of porous material being characterized in that it, together with the perforated structure, makes the pad of air a pad of dead air surrounding the microphone;

wherein said layer of porous material comprises foam.

6. A wind screen for use with a microphone, as in claim 5, further comprising:

means for resiliently coupling the microphone through said rigid perforated structure, the microphone being isolated from the rigid perforated structure by said coupling means.