Acoustic radiating

• US 7,584,820 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Parker, Robert Preston, Potter, Dewey
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips; Forrest M
• Application Number:
  US10/914,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: 181/148, 181/155, 181/196, 181/199, 181/156, 181/145, 181/296, 181/197, 381/337, 381/338, 381/339, 381/352, 381/160, 381/349, 381/350, 381/351, 381/302, 381/86, 381/389, 381/342
• US Class Current: 181/155
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/22 for conducting sound through hollow pipes, e.g. speaking tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2857 for loudspeaker transducers

Abstract

An apparatus includes an acoustic device comprising a waveguide having a sound opening at one end facing a space, an audio source, an acoustic driver at another end of the waveguide, the acoustic driver facing a listening area, and structure supporting the acoustic device, the audio source, and the acoustic driver, as an integrated audio system, the acoustic driver and the opening in the waveguide facing in substantially different directions from the structure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising an acoustic device, the apparatus comprising

a trunk waveguide having a sound opening at a first end facing a space,

an audio source,

a first acoustic driver at a first end of a first branch waveguide, a second end of the first branch waveguide being connected to a second end of the trunk waveguide, the first acoustic driver facing a listening area,

a second acoustic driver at a first end of a second branch waveguide, a second end of the second branch waveguide being connected to the second end of the trunk waveguide, and

structure supporting the acoustic device, the audio source, and the acoustic drivers as an integrated audio system,

the first acoustic driver and the opening of the waveguide facing in substantially different directions from the structure,

the first and second acoustic drivers facing in substantially the same direction;

and

wherein lengths of the first and second branch waveguides are substantially the same.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the first acoustic driver and the sound opening of the waveguide face in substantially opposite directions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the sound opening of the waveguide does not face the listening area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which sound radiated by the open end of the waveguide has a different frequency spectrum from sound radiated from the acoustic drivers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the integrated audio system comprises a radio.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which opening at the end of the waveguide is flared.

7. An apparatus comprising

an audio source,

an acoustic driver supported by a housing and facing a listening area,

an acoustic device comprising a waveguide having one end driven by the acoustic driver and a second, open end, and

the housing supporting the audio source, the acoustic driver, and the acoustic device in an integrated audio system,

the housing having an aperture facing in a direction different from the listening area, the aperture comprising two or more openings, the second, open end of the acoustic device being separated by a space from and facing the aperture of the housing and oriented with respect to the aperture so that sound radiated from the open end passes through the aperture.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the aperture comprises a grille.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the aperture comprises slots in the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the acoustic device comprises a folded waveguide.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the space is at least large enough to substantially reduce distortion caused by the aperture of the housing in sound radiated from the acoustic device.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the acoustic driver and the open end of the acoustic device face in substantially opposite directions.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the open end of the acoustic device does not face the listening area.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the acoustic device comprises a waveguide having a trunk and branches coupled to the trunk.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 in which each of the branches has a corresponding acoustic driver.

16. The apparatus of claim 7 in which sound radiated by the open end of the acoustic device has a different frequency spectrum from sound radiated by the acoustic driver.

17. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the integrated audio system comprises a radio.

18. An apparatus comprising

an audio source,

an acoustic driver facing a listening area,

a housing supporting the audio source and the acoustic driver in an integrated audio system,

the housing comprising an aperture, the aperture comprising two or more openings,

an acoustic device comprising a waveguide having one end driven by the acoustic driver and a second, open end, the second, open end of the acoustic device being separated by a space from and facing the aperture of the housing and oriented with respect to the aperture so that sound radiated from the open end passes through the aperture.

19. The apparatus of claim 7 or 18 in which the second, open end of the acoustic device is flared.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the aperture comprises a grille.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the aperture comprises slots in the housing.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the acoustic device comprises a folded waveguide.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the space is at least large enough to substantially reduce distortion caused by the aperture of the housing in sound radiated from the acoustic device.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the acoustic driver and the open end of the acoustic device face in substantially opposite directions.

25. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the open end of the acoustic device does not face the listening area.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the acoustic device comprises a waveguide having a trunk and branches coupled to the trunk.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 in which each of the branches has a corresponding acoustic driver.

28. The apparatus of claim 18 in which sound radiated by the open end of the acoustic device has a different frequency spectrum from the sound radiated by the acoustic driver.

29. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the apparatus comprises a radio.