Standing wave reducing

• US 7,269,270 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Holl, Timothy, Freeman, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/272,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20040076304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 381/337, 381/338, 381/345, 381/346, 381/349, 381350-354, 381/165, 381/160, 381/348, 181/146, 181/156, 181/182, 181/198, 181/199, 181/155, 181/145, 181/181
• US Class Current: 381/346
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

The frequency at which standing waves occur in a loudspeaker enclosure may be reduced by the addition of an internal barrier to the enclosure in order to lengthen the effective length of an internal dimension of the enclosure. Additionally, the internal barrier may be configured such that it forms a resistive coupling between two sides of the barrier. By configuring the internal barrier to form a resistive coupling, aberrations in the frequency response of the loudspeaker caused by certain standing waves may be dampened.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker enclosure for reducing standing waves occurring at one or more frequencies, wherein the enclosure has an inner surface defining a cavity, the enclosure comprising:

a first end;

a second end;

a first sidewall;

an internal barrier having a first side and a second side attached to the inner surface of the enclosure along the first sidewall of the enclosure, partially extending into the cavity of the enclosure and extending from the first end of the enclosure to the second end of the enclosure, wherein the internal barrier forms a resistive coupling between the first and second sides.

2. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 1, wherein the barrier includes at least one hole disposed between the first and second side.

3. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 2, wherein at least one hole is filled with damping material.

4. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 3, wherein the damping material comprises foam.

5. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 1, wherein the internal barrier forming a resistive coupling comprises a barrier formed of rigid, open-cell foam.

6. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 1, wherein the internal barrier forming a resistive coupling comprises a barrier formed of material of sufficient flexibility such that is may flex under normal play operations.

7. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 6, wherein the internal barrier has a plurality of holes formed across its first and second side.

8. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 2, wherein the hole has a non-circular cross-section.

9. The loudspeaker enclosure of claim 1, wherein the barrier forming a resistive coupling comprises a barrier formed of mesh.

10. The loudspeaker of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of barriers, each barrier having a first side and a second side and attached to the inner surface of the enclosure, wherein each barrier is configured to form a resistive coupling between its first and second side and is positioned such that a standing wave at a given frequency would create a pressure differential across two sides of the barrier if the barrier was not configured to form a resistive coupling.

11. An apparatus for reducing standing waves in a loudspeaker, the apparatus comprising:

an enclosure having a first end, a second end and a first sidewall, wherein the enclosure defines a channel; and

a resistive coupling attached to the enclosure along the first sidewall of the enclosure and located within the channel, the resistive coupling extending from the first end of the enclosure to the second end of the enclosure and having a first substantially planar surface and a second substantially planar surface which is substantially parallel to the first substantially planar surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the resistive coupling comprises a rigid, porous foam material.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resistive coupling comprises a flexible, non-porous material.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resistive coupling includes a plurality of holes disposed between the first and second substantially planar surfaces.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resistive coupling is positioned at a location which reduces a pressure differential created by a standing wave across the first and second substantially planar surfaces.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the resistive coupling further comprises a third substantially planar surface, wherein the third substantially planar surface is substantially perpendicular to the first and second substantially planar surfaces of the resistive coupling.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the channel has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length of the enclosure between the first and second end, and wherein the cross-sectional shape is annular.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the enclosure further comprises a second sidewall, a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the channel has a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length of the enclosure between the first and second end, and wherein the cross-sectional shape is rectangular.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the enclosure further includes an opening which is open to a medium of transmission.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein one or more of the plurality of holes is filled with damping material.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the damping material comprises foam.

23. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resistive coupling comprises a material of sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape during normal play operations and of sufficient porosity to partially reduce a pressure differential that occurs across the first and second substantially planar surfaces.

24. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resistive coupling comprises a material of sufficient flexibility to flex during normal play operations such that the resistive coupling at least partially reduces a pressure differential across the first and second substantially planar surfaces by flexing away from a high pressure and toward a low pressure.

25. A method for reducing standing waves in the frequency response of a loudspeaker having a driver at least partially enclosed by an enclosure having internal dimensions and external dimensions, the method comprising:

increasing the effective length of at least one internal dimension of the enclosure without changing the external dimensions of the enclosure; and

forming a resistive coupling between two ends of a standing wave by providing a barrier comprised of a flexible material capable of resistively flexing during normal play operations.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein increasing the effective length of at least one internal dimension includes providing a barrier within the enclosure.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein forming a resistive coupling between two ends of a standing wave includes providing at least one hole in the resistive coupling.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein forming a resistive coupling between two ends of a standing wave further includes filling the at least one hole with damping material.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein forming a resistive coupling comprises providing a barrier comprised of material having sufficient porosity to cause viscous damping when air is allowed to pass through the barrier.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein forming a resistive coupling comprises providing a barrier comprised of open-celled foam material.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein forming a resistive coupling comprises providing a barrier comprised of closed cell, semi-rigid foam.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein forming a resistive coupling comprises providing a barrier comprised of fine-screen mesh.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein forming a resistive coupling comprises providing a barrier comprised of flexible plastic.