Speaker enclosure

• US 5,111,905 A
• Filed: 09/20/1990
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard Rodgers
• Original Assignee: Rogersound Labs Incorporated
• Inventors: Rodgers, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOH, JAE
• Application Number:
  US07/585,489
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 181/152, 181/156, 181/144, 181/199, 181/194
• US Class Current: 181/152
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2819 for loudspeaker transducers

Abstract

A loudspeaker enclosure accommodates at least one speaker in the front wall of the enclosure. The interior of the enclosure is divided into at least two smaller chambers by means of a partition inclined with respect to the front and rear walls. One such chamber is adjacent to the speaker, while a second or rear chamber is separated from the front chamber by the partition. Below the speaker is a vent or port in communication with the rear chamber. Sound waves emanating from the rear of the speaker are reflected by the inclined partition and are reflected upwardly toward the top of the speaker enclosure. The partition does not extend to the top wall of the enclosure, thereby allowing sound waves to reflect off of the top wall and enter the rear chamber. The sound waves then exit the enclosure through the port below the speaker. The rear waves are thus delayed with respect to the front waves from the speaker to achieve the desired tuning of the speaker system. Furthermore, the arrangement of the interior partition creates regions of decreasing cross-sectional area, thereby increasing the effective acoustic delay and further improving low frequency response.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker system comprising:

a loudspeaker having front and rear surfaces for radiating sound waves;

an enclosure for said loudspeaker including a first wall having a first aperture therethrough for receiving the loudspeaker such that said front surface is external to said enclosure and said rear surface is internal to said enclosure, said enclosure having a second aperture therethrough;

an at least partially inclined partition disposed within said enclosure defining a folded acoustic path between said rear surface of said loudspeaker and said second aperture, said folded acoustic path having a region of decreasing cross-sectional area proximate to said second aperture, wherein said partition comprises a first generally horizontal portion abutting said first wall, a second inclined portion contiguous with said first portion, and a third inclined portion abutting said first and second portions so as to define a generally "Y"-shaped partition.

2. The loudspeaker system of claim 1 wherein said generally "Y"-shaped partition is a first partition and further comprising a second generally horizontal partition proximate to said second aperture and disposed in a spaced apart relationship with said first portion of said first partition.

3. A loudspeaker system comprising:

a loudspeaker having front and rear surfaces for radiating sound waves;

an enclosure for said loudspeaker including a front wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls, said front wall having a first aperture therethrough for receiving the loudspeaker, said enclosure having a second aperture therethrough;

an at least partially inclined partition abutting said front wall below said first aperture and extending between said side walls dividing said enclosure into a plurality of acoustically coupled chambers, including a first chamber associated with said first aperture in which sound waves radiated from the rear surface of the loudspeaker are deflected upwardly towards said top wall, a second chamber in which sound waves reflected downwardly by said top wall are directed towards said bottom wall and a third chamber, communicating with said second aperture through a region of decreasing cross-sectional area, in which sound waves reflected upwardly by said bottom wall are directed towards said second aperture.

4. The loudspeaker system of claim 3 wherein said partition comprises a first generally horizontal portion abutting said first wall, a second inclined portion extending upwardly from said first portion and a third inclined portion extending downwardly from said first portion so as to define a generally "Y"-shaped partition.

5. The enclosure of claim 4 wherein said second portion of said generally "Y"-shaped partition terminates at an upper edge approximately equidistant from said front, top and rear walls and said third portion of said partition terminates at a lower edge approximately equidistant from said front, bottom and rear walls.

6. The loudspeaker system of claim 4 wherein said partition is a first partition and further comprising a second generally horizontal partition disposed in a spaced apart relationship with said first portion of said first partition so as to define a narrow acoustic passage coupled to said third chamber.

7. The loudspeaker system of claim 6 wherein said narrow acoustic passage terminates at said second aperture.

8. An enclosure for a loudspeaker comprising:

a front wall having a first aperture therethrough for receiving the loudspeaker;

a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls coupled to said front wall to form a generally box-like structure enclosing an interior volume, said box-like structure having a second aperture therethrough;

an at least partially inclined partition abutting said front wall below said aperture and extending between said side walls, said partition disposed so as to define a folded acoustic path within said interior volume between said first and second apertures, said folded acoustic path having a region of decreasing cross-sectional area proximate to said second aperture, wherein said partition comprises a first generally horizontal portion abutting said front wall, a second inclined portion extending upwardly from said first portion, and a third inclined portion extending downwardly from said first portion so as to define a generally "Y"-shaped partition.

9. The enclosure of claim 8 wherein said second portion of said generally "Y"-shaped partition terminates at an upper edge approximately equidistant from said front, top and rear walls and said third portion of said partition terminates at a lower edge approximately equidistant from said front, bottom and rear walls.

10. The loudspeaker system of claim 8 wherein said generally "Y"-shaped partition is a first partition and further comprising a second generally horizontal partition proximate to said second aperture and disposed in a spaced apart relationship with said first portion of said first partition.

11. An enclosure for a loudspeaker having front and rear surfaces for radiating sound waves comprising:

a front wall having a first aperture therethrough for receiving the loudspeaker;

a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls coupled to said front wall to form a generally box-like structure enclosing an interior volume, said box-like structure having a second aperture therethrough;

an at least partially inclined partition abutting said front wall below said first aperture and extending between said side walls dividing said interior volume into a plurality of acoustically coupled chambers, including a first chamber associated with said first aperture in which sound waves radiated from the rear surface of the loudspeaker are deflected upwardly towards said top wall, a second chamber in which sound waves reflected downwardly by said top wall are directed towards said bottom wall and a third chamber, communicating with said second aperture through a region of decreasing cross-sectional area, in which sound waves reflected upwardly by said bottom wall are directed towards said second aperture.

12. The loudspeaker system of claim 11 wherein said partition comprises a first generally horizontal portion abutting said first wall, a second inclined portion extending upwardly from said first portion and a third inclined portion extending downwardly from said first portion so as to define a generally "Y"-shaped partition.

13. The enclosure of claim 12 wherein said second portion of said generally "Y"-shaped partition terminates at an upper edge approximately equidistant from said front, top and rear walls and said third portion of said partition terminates at a lower edge approximately equidistant from said front, bottom and rear walls.

14. The loudspeaker system of claim 12 wherein said generally "Y"-shaped partition is a first partition and further comprising a second generally horizontal partition disposed in a spaced apart relationship with said first portion of said first partition so as to define a narrow acoustic passage coupled to said third chamber.

15. The loudspeaker system of claim 14 wherein said narrow acoustic passage terminates at said second aperture.