Method of making a lightweight speaker enclosure

• US 6,206,999 B1
• Filed: 05/10/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clair Brothers Audio Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Southern California Sound Image, Inc.
• Inventors: Adams, Michael, Ritto, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): AFTERGUT, JEFFRY H
• Application Number:
  US09/309,241
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 156/245, 156/285, 156/286, 156/307.3, 264/257, 264/258, 181/148, 181/151, 181/199, 181/290, 181/292
• US Class Current: 156/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075

Abstract

A speaker enclosure having a substantially seamless rigid outer skin, a middle sound absorbing layer, and a substantially seamless flexible inner skin. The speaker enclosure is comprised of two basic parts, a box section and a baffle section where each of these sections include the rigid outer skin, the middle sound absorbing layer and the seamless flexible inner skin and are made according to the same method. The outer skin is formed from multiple layers of resin impregnated carbon fiber, the middle sound absorbing layer includes pieces of honeycomb material and the inner layer is formed from multiple layers of resin impregnated fiberglass. The layers of material are arranged in a substantially seamless manner into a mold and then cured by vacuum bagging and heating thereby producing a strong, lightweight speaker enclosure made of materials which dampen the transmission of errant sound waves in the enclosure and thereby minimize distortion of the sound signal produced by the speaker.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a speaker enclosure comprising the steps of:

positioning a first resin impregnated material into a female mold configured to form a box section of said speaker enclosure so that said first resin impregnated material forms a continuous substantially seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a sound absorbing material in said female mold on top of said seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a second resin impregnated material in said female mold on top of said sound absorbing material so that said second resin impregnated material forms a continuous substantially seamless layer of said second material;

curing said box section of said speaker enclosure so that said first layer of material forms a substantially seamless rigid outer skin of said speaker enclosure, and said second layer of material forms a substantially seamless flexible inner skin of said material with said layer of sound absorbing material interposed therebetween; and

attaching a baffle section to said box section which is formed after said curing step, wherein said baffle section includes an opening for a diaphragm of a speaker positioned inside said speaker enclosure defined by said box section and said baffle section.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of positioning a first resin impregnated material into a female mold comprises the steps of:

coating said mold with one or more release agents; and

positioning pieces of resin impregnated carbon fiber into said mold so that there are three layers of resin impregnated carbon fiber in said mold and wherein said three layers of resin impregnated carbon fibers respectively have weaves of 0/90, +/−

45 and 0/90.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of positioning a sound absorbing material in said female mold comprises the steps of:

positioning a layer of film adhesive on the top layer of said layers of carbon fiber; and

positioning a plurality of pieces of honeycomb material on said layer of film adhesive.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said honeycomb material comprises cells of approximately ¼

″

in cross section and has a density of approximately 4.8 Lbs.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of positioning a second resin impregnated material into said female mold comprises the steps of:

positioning one or more layers of film adhesive onto said layer of sound absorbing material; and

positioning a plurality of pieces of resin impregnated fiberglass onto said layers of film adhesive such that said plurality of resin impregnated fiberglass pieces are arranged into a plurality of substantially seamless layers of resin impregnated fiberglass.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said plurality of pieces of resin impregnated fiberglass are comprised of schedule 7781 E-glass.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of curing said box section comprises the steps of:

positioning a layer of release fabric in said mold containing said layers of carbon fiber, sound absorbing material and fiberglass;

positioning a layer of release film over said layer of release fabric;

positioning a layer of air weave over said layer of release film;

vacuum bagging said mold containing said layers of carbon fiber, sound absorbing material and fiberglass; and

heating said mold containing said layers of carbon fiber, sound absorbing material and fiberglass.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of heating said mold comprises the steps of:

pre-heating an oven to a temperature in the range of about 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit;

positioning said mold into said oven;

increasing said temperature in said oven to approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit at a rate of increase of no more than about 1 degree per minute;

heating said mold in said oven at a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 2 hours; and

cooling said mold to room temperature at a cooling rate of no more than about 4 degrees Fahrenheit per minute.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resin in said resin impregnated carbon fiber and in said fiberglass cures at about 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of manufacturing said baffle section, wherein said manufacturing step comprises the steps of:

positioning a first resin impregnated material into a male mold configured to form a baffle section of said speaker enclosure so that said first resin impregnated material forms a continuous substantially seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a sound absorbing material in said male mold on top of said substantially seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a second resin impregnated material into said male mold on top of said sound absorbing material so that said second resin impregnated material forms a continuous substantially seamless layer of said second material;

curing said baffle section of said speaker enclosure so that said first layer of material forms a substantially seamless rigid outer skin of said baffle section of said speaker enclosure, and said second layer of material forms a substantially seamless flexible inner skin of said material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said baffle section is bonded to a front face of said box section.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of manufacturing said baffle section, wherein said manufacturing step comprises the steps of:

positioning a first resin impregnated material into a male mold configured to form a baffle section of said speaker enclosure so that said first resin impregnated material forms a continuous substantially seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a sound absorbing material in said male mold on top of said substantially seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a second resin impregnated material into said male mold on top of said sound absorbing material so that said second resin impregnated material forms a continuous substantially seamless layer of said second material;

curing said baffle section of said speaker enclosure so that said first layer of material forms a substantially seamless rigid outer skin of said baffle section of said speaker enclosure, and said second layer of material forms a substantially seamless flexible inner skin of said material.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said baffle section is bonded to a front face of said box section.

12. A method of manufacturing a speaker enclosure comprising the steps of:

positioning pieces of a first resin impregnated material into a female mold configured to form a box section of said speaker enclosure so that said pieces of said first resin impregnated material overlap to form a continuous substantially seamless layer of said first material;

positioning a sound absorbing material in said female mold on top of said seamless layer of said first material;

positioning pieces of a second resin impregnated material in said female mold on top of said sound absorbing material so that said pieces of said second resin impregnated material overlap to form a continuous substantially seamless layer of said second material;

curing said box section of said speaker enclosure so that said first layer of material forms a substantially seamless rigid outer skin of said speaker enclosure, and said second layer of material forms a substantially seamless flexible inner skin of said material with said layer of sound absorbing material interposed therebetween; and

attaching a baffle section to said box section which is formed after said curing step, wherein said baffle section includes an opening for a diaphragm of a speaker positioned inside said speaker enclosure defined by said box section and said baffle section.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of positioning a first resin impregnated material into a female mold comprises the steps of:

coating said mold with one or more release agents; and

positioning pieces of resin impregnated carbon fiber into said mold so that there are three layers of resin impregnated carbon fiber in said mold and wherein said three layers of resin impregnated carbon fibers respectively have weaves of 0/90, +/−

45 and 0/90.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of positioning a sound absorbing material in said female mold comprises the steps of:

positioning a layer of film adhesive on the top layer of said layers of carbon fiber; and

positioning a plurality of pieces of honeycomb material on said layer of film adhesive.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said honeycomb material comprises cells of approximately ¼

″

in cross section and has a density of approximately 4.8 Lbs.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of positioning a second resin impregnated material into said female mold comprises the steps of:

positioning one or more layers of film adhesive onto said layer of sound absorbing material; and

positioning a plurality of pieces of resin impregnated fiberglass onto said layers of film adhesive such that said plurality of resin impregnated fiberglass pieces are arranged into a plurality of substantially seamless layers of resin impregnated fiberglass.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of pieces of resin impregnated fiberglass are comprised of schedule 7781 E-glass.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of curing said box section comprises the steps of:

positioning a layer of release fabric in said mold containing said layers of carbon fiber, sound absorbing material and fiberglass;

positioning a layer of release film over said layer of release fabric;

positioning a layer of air weave over said layer of release film;

vacuum bagging said mold containing said layers of carbon fiber, sound absorbing material and fiberglass; and

heating said mold containing said layers of carbon fiber, sound absorbing material and fiberglass.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of heating said mold comprises the steps of:

pre-heating an oven to a temperature in the range of about 140 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit;

positioning said mold into said oven;

increasing said temperature in said oven to approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit at a rate of increase of no more than about 1 degree per minute;

heating said mold in said oven at a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 2 hours; and

cooling said mold to room temperature at a cooling rate of no more than about 4 degrees Fahrenheit per minute.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the resin in said resin impregnated carbon fiber and in said fiberglass cures at about 250 degrees Fahrenheit.