Open line source speaker system

• US 4,940,108 A
• Filed: 02/24/1989
• Issued: 07/10/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John L. Selby
• Original Assignee: John L. Selby
• Inventors: Selby, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Application Number:
  US07/314,807
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 181/144-147, 181/156, 181/199, 381/24, 381/89, 381/90, 381/159, 381/182, 381/184, 381/186, 381/205
• US Class Current: 181/145
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges

Abstract

An open line source speaker system includes a first columnar cabinet enclosing a plurality of midrange or woofer speakers arranged in the cabinet in a vertical line and a second columnar cabinet enclosing a plurality of tweeters arranged in the cabinet in a vertical line, with the first and second cabinets being spaced a predetermined distance from each other by a pair of spacing elements and the base portion of the speaker system supporting the first and second cabinets. The vertical height of the speakers will be such as to offer a large listening window of approximately floor height to well above the listener'"'"'s head. All frequencies of the music originate from the same plane as positioned from the listener thus maintaining correct time/phase relationship and correct stereo image in both the horizontal and vertical planes regardless of musical frequency. Each column is constructed as to minimize early reflections, therefore is either baffleless in the case of the tweeter column, or absolute minimum, which is the case of the midrange or woofer column.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker system comprising:

a first vertical loudspeaker housing having a front, means mounting a first plurality of loudspeakers in a vertical column on the front of the first housing, the first plurality of loudspeakers including an uppermost loudspeaker and a lowermost loudspeaker in the column, the uppermost loudspeaker being at least four and one-half feet above the lowermost loudspeaker;

a second vertical loudspeaker housing having a front, the first and second housings being substantially equal in height, and means mounting a second plurality of loudspeakers in a vertical column on the front of the second housing, the second plurality of loudspeakers being equal in number to the first plurality of loudspeakers; and

spacer means connected between the first loudspeaker housing and the second loudspeaker housing, to maintain the first and second loudspeaker housings spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

2. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 comprising:

the spacer means connected between the first loudspeaker housing and the second loudspeaker housing fixing the front of the first housing stationary and at a desired orientation relative to the front of the second housing.

3. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 comprising:

the first plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front of the first housing being arranged in a single vertical line; and

the second plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front of the second housing being arranged in a single vertical line.

4. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 comprising:

the loudspeakers mounted on the front of the first housing being adapted to produce sounds in a first range of sound frequencies, and the loudspeakers mounted on the front of the second housing being adapted to produce sounds in a second range of sound frequencies substantially different from the first range of sound frequencies.

5. The loudspeaker system of claim 4 comprising:

the loudspeakers mounted on the front of one of the housings being tweeters, and the loudspeakers mounted on the front of the other of the housings being midrange loudspeakers.

6. The loudspeaker system such as claim 1 comprising:

first means arranged to supply electric signals to each loudspeaker of the first plurality of loudspeakers in the first housing, each loudspeaker of the first plurality of loudspeakers being adapted to produce sounds in a high frequency range in response to said electric signals; and

said first means being arranged to supply said electric signals to each loudspeaker of the second plurality of loudspeakers in the second housing, each loudspeaker of the second plurality of loudspeakers being adapted to produce sounds in a low frequency range in response to said electric signals;

whereby the first and second plurality of loudspeakers produce a total range of sounds in both high and low frequencies throughout the vertical alignment of the loudspeakers, and the total range of sounds produced is perceived by a listener at various vertical heights between an uppermost loudspeaker and a lowermost loudspeaker of each of the first and second pluralities of loudspeakers, giving the listener a full range of sound frequencies in both horizontal and vertical planes.

7. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 comprising:

the spacer means connected between the first loudspeaker housing and the second loudspeaker housing being arranged to maintain a fixed predetermined spaced distance between the loudspeakers mounted on the front of the first housing and the loudspeakers mounted on the front of the second housing.

8. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 comprising:

the first plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front of the first housing being equal in number to the second plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front of the second housing.

9. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 comprising:

each of the loudspeakers mounted on the front of the first housing being horizontally aligned with one of the loudspeakers mounted on the front surface of the second housing.

10. The loudspeaker system comprising:

a first loudspeaker housing having a front vertical surface, and a first plurality of loudspeakers mounted vertically on the front surface of the first housing;

a second loudspeaker housing separated from the first loudspeaker housing by a predetermined spaced distance and having a front vertical surface, and a second plurality of loudspeakers mounted vertically on the front surface of the second housing;

signal supply means arranged to supply electric signals to each loudspeaker of both the first and second pluralities of loudspeakers;

each loudspeaker mounted on the front surface of the first housing being adapted to produce sounds in a first range of sound frequencies in response to said electric signals supplied from the signal supply means; and

each loudspeaker mounted on the front surface of the second housing being adapted to produce sounds in a second range of sound frequencies, substantially different from the first range of sound frequencies, in response to said electric signals supplied from the signal supply means.

11. The loudspeaker system of claim 10 comprising:

each loudspeaker of the first plurality of loudspeakers being a midrange speaker; and

each loudspeaker of the second plurality of loudspeakers being a tweeter.

12. The loudspeaker system of claim 10 comprising:

at least one spacer element connected between the first housing and the second housing, the spacer element maintaining the predetermined spaced distance separating the first and second housings.

13. The loudspeaker system of claim 10 comprising:

spacer means connected between the first loudspeaker housing and the second loudspeaker housing, the spacer means being arranged to maintain a predetermined spaced distance between the first plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front surface of the first housing and the second plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front surface of the second housing.

14. The loudspeaker system of claim 10 comprising:

spacer means connected between the first loudspeaker housing and the second loudspeaker housing, the spacer means being arranged to fix the front surface of the first housing stationary and at a predetermined orientation relative to the front surface of the second housing.

15. The loudspeaker system of claim 10 comprising:

each of the first plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front surface of the first housing being horizontally aligned with one of the second plurality of loudspeakers mounted on the front surface of the second housing.

16. A loudspeaker system comprising:

a loudspeaker housing having a bottom member, a top member, a left sidewall, and a right sidewall;

the left and right sidewall being connected between the top and bottom members of the housing in spaced, mutually opposed positions, the spacing of the sidewalls defining an open front and an open back of the housing;

a plurality of loudspeakers, each having a front and a back; and

means mounting the plurality of loudspeakers in the open front of the housing with the front of each loudspeaker facing in a first direction, and the back of each loudspeaker being exposed through the open back of the housing.

17. The loudspeaker system of claim 16 comprising:

the means mounting the plurality of loudspeakers in the open front of the housing dividing the housing open front into several separate segments, with some of the segments of the open front being covered by the mounting means, and adjacent covered segments of the open front being spaced apart and separated by open segments of the open front.

18. The loudspeaker system of claim 16 comprising:

the means mounting the plurality of loudspeakers in the open front of the housing arranging the plurality of loudspeakers spatially in a single vertical line, with portions of the open front of the housing separating adjacent loudspeakers.

19. The loudspeaker system of claim 16 comprising:

the plurality of loudspeakers being substantially identical tweeter loudspeakers.

20. The loudspeaker system of claim 16 comprising:

the plurality of loudspeakers being mounted in the open front of the housing in a single vertical line with an uppermost one of the plurality of loudspeakers being mounted at least four and one-half feet above a lowermost one of the plurality of loudspeakers.

21. The loudspeaker system of claim 16 comprising:

each loudspeaker of the plurality of loudspeakers being adapted to produce sounds in a substantially identical limited range of sound frequencies.

22. The loudspeaker system of claim 16 comprising:

the mounting means including a plurality of horizontal members connected between the opposed sidewalls of the housing, the horizontal members being vertically spaced in the open front of the housing.