Effects speaker system

• US 5,212,732 A
• Filed: 03/05/1992
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Langer Electronics Corp.
• Original Assignee: Langer Electronics Corp.
• Inventors: Stokes, Stephen R., Hipps, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US07/848,672
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 381/24, 381/88, 381/89, 381/90, 381/188, 381/205
• US Class Current: 381/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/227 using transducers reproducing the same frequency band
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/14 Cross-over networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a loudspeaker system of the dipole type, particularly for use in surround sound, reverberation and similar applications. An exemplary embodiment of the speaker system comprises a pair of woofers having dual voice coil drivers mounted on oppositely facing baffles (e.g., front and rear facing). Preferably, each baffle also includes a high frequency speaker mounted thereon. On a first baffle (e.g., front), both voice coils of the dual voice coil driver and the voice coil of the high frequency speaker are driven in-phase, and on the other baffle (e.g., rear), the second voice coil of the dual voice coil driver and the voice coil of the high frequency speaker are driven out-of-phase from those from the first baffle but in-phase with one another. The coils of the speakers are driven from suitable filter circuits.

Claims

1. A speaker system, such as for use in "surround" sound and other applications, comprising

a speaker enclosure having first and second baffles generally intended to serve as respective front and rear baffles to be directed at and away from a viewing screen, the baffles each being adapted to have a loudspeaker mounted in an opening thereof,

first and second dual voice coil speakers for providing mid-frequency and low frequency response, a first voice coil of each speaker being connected in an in-phase circuit and the second voice coil of each speaker being connected in an out-of-phase circuit,

a low pass filter connected with the in-phase circuit to supply low frequency signals to the first voice coils,

a bandpass filter connected to the out-of-phase circuit to provide mid-range frequency signals to the second voice coils,

a pair of high frequency speakers respectively mounted to the first and second baffles and having voice coils connected together out-of-phase, and

a high pass filter connected to the voice coils of the high frequency speakers.

2. A speaker system as in claim 1 wherein

the low pass filter passes signals below approximately two hundred hertz, the high pass filter passes signals above approximately four thousand hertz, and the bandpass filter passes signals approximately between two hundred and four thousand hertz,

(a) the first and second voice coils of the first dual voice coil speaker, the first voice coil of the second dual voice coil speaker, and the voice coil of one of the high frequency speakers are all connected in-phase with each other, and

(b) the second voice coil of the second dual voice coil speaker and the voice coil of the other high frequency speaker are connected in-phase with each other but out-of-phase with the coils of (a) above.

3. A speaker system as in claim 1 wherein the dual voice coil speakers each comprise a four inch polypropylene woofer, and

the high frequency speakers each comprise a one-half inch polycarbonate dome speaker.

4. A speaker system as in claim 3 wherein the low pass filter passes signals below approximately two hundred hertz, the high pass filter passes signals above approximately four thousand hertz, and the bandpass filter passes signals approximately between two hundred and four thousand hertz.

5. A speaker system such as for use in "surround" sound and other applications comprising

a speaker enclosure having first and second baffles generally intended to serve as respective front and rear baffles to be directed at and away from a viewing screen, the baffles each being adapted to have a loudspeaker mounted therein, first and second dual voice coil speakers for providing mid-frequency and low frequency response, a first voice coil of each speaker being connected in an in-phase circuit and the second voice coil of each speaker being connected in an out-of-phase circuit,

a low pass filter connected with the in-phase circuit to supply low frequency signals to the first voice coils, and

a second filter connected to the out-of-phase circuit to provide at least mid-range frequency signals to the second voice coils.

6. A speaker system as in claim 5 wherein the low pass filter passes signals below approximately two hundred hertz, and the second filter passes signals above approximately two hundred hertz.

7. A speaker system as in claim 5 further including

a pair of high frequency speakers respectively mounted to the first and second baffles and having voice coils connected together out of phase,

a high pass filter connected to the voice coils of the high frequency speakers, and

the second filter is a bandpass filter.

8. A speaker system comprising

a speaker enclosure having first and second oppositely facing baffles with each being adapted to have a loudspeaker mounted in an opening thereof,

first and second dual voice coil speakers for providing mid-frequency and low frequency response being mounted on respective first and second baffles, a first voice coil of each speaker being connected together in an in-phase circuit and the second voice coil of each speaker being connected together in an out-of-phase circuit,

a low pass filter connected with the in phase circuit to supply low frequency signals to the first voice coils, and

a bandpass filter connected to the out-of-phase circuit to provide mid-range frequency signals to the second voice coils.

9. A speaker system as in claim 8 including

a pair of high frequency speakers respectively mounted to the first and second baffles and having voice coils connected together out-of-phase, and

a high pass filter connected to the voice coils of the high frequency speakers.

10. A speaker system as in claim 9 wherein the low pass filter passes signals below approximately two hundred hertz, the high pass filter passes signals above approximately four thousand hertz, and the bandpass filter passes signals approximately between two hundred and four thousand hertz.

11. A speaker system as in claim 9 wherein the speaker enclosure has essentially a wedge shape with the first and second baffles forming oppositely facing walls of the enclosure.

12. A dipole speaker system having a radiation pattern with a null to allow a listener to be positioned in the vicinity of the null comprising

a speaker enclosure having first and second oppositely facing baffles with each being adapted to have loudspeakers mounted in openings thereof,

first and second dual voice coil speakers for providing mid-frequency and low frequency response being mounted on respective first and second baffles, a first voice coil of each speaker being connected together in an in-phase circuit and the second voice coil of each speaker being connected together in an out-of-phase circuit,

a low pass filter connected with the in phase circuit to supply low frequency signals to the first voice coils,

a bandpass filter connected to the out-of-phase circuit to provide mid-range frequency signals to the second voice coils,

a pair of high frequency speakers respectively mounted to the first and second baffles and having voice coils connected together out-of-phase, and

a high pass filter connected to the voice coils of the high frequency speakers.

13. A dipole speaker system having a radiation pattern with a null to allow a listener to be positioned in the vicinity of the null comprising

a speaker enclosure having first and second oppositely facing baffles with each being adapted to have loudspeakers mounted in openings thereof,

first and second dual voice coil speakers for providing mid-frequency and low frequency response being mounted on respective first and second baffles, each of said dual voice coil speakers having first and second voice coils,

first and second high frequency speakers respectively mounted to the first and second baffles, and each having a voice coil,

the first and second coils of the first dual voice coil speaker, the first coil of the second dual voice coil speaker, and the coil of the first high frequency speaker all being in-phase with each other and out-of-phase with the second coil of the second dual voice coil speaker and coil of the second high frequency speaker, the second coil of the second dual voice coil speaker and coil of the second high frequency speaker being in-phase with each other,

a low pass filter connected to supply low frequency signals to the first voice coils of the first and second dual voice coil speakers,

a bandpass filter connected to provide mid-range frequency signals to the second voice coils of the first and second dual voice coil speakers, and

a high pass filter connected to the voice coils of the high frequency speakers.

14. A speaker system as in claim 13 wherein the low pass filter passes signals below approximately two hundred hertz, the high pass filter passes signals above approximately four thousand hertz, and the bandpass filter passes signals approximately between two hundred and four thousand hertz.

15. A speaker system as in claim 14 wherein the dual voice coil speakers each comprise a four inch polypropylene woofer, and

the high frequency speakers each comprise a one-half inch polycarbonate dome speaker.