Seat electroacoustical transducing

• US 8,045,743 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Barker, Charles R. III, Aylward, J. Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey; Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/510,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 181/151, 181/171, 181/199, 381/86, 381/151, 381/301, 381/302, 381/333, 381/336, 381/365, 381/374, 381/386, 381/388, 381/389
• US Class Current: 381/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/403 loud-speakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

An acoustic device, including an acoustic enclosure and a first electroacoustical transducing apparatus comprising a motor structure providing mechanical vibration, the vibration having a direction of vibration, mounted in the acoustic enclosure. The acoustic device is constructed and arranged so that first pressure waves are radiated from a first radiation point and second pressure waves are radiated from a second radiation point and so that the first pressure waves and the second pressure waves destructively interfere at observation points relatively equidistant from the first and second radiation points. The acoustic device is further constructed and arranged to be structurally combined with a seating device so that the first radiation point is relatively close to the head of an occupant of the seating device and so that the second radiation point is relatively far from the head of the occupant. The acoustic device is further constructed and arranged to transmit the mechanical vibration to the seat back.

Claims

1. An acoustic device, comprising:

an acoustic enclosure;

a first electroacoustical transducer, mounted in the acoustic enclosure;

the acoustic device constructed and arranged so that first pressure waves are radiated from a first radiation point and second pressure waves are radiated from a second radiation point and so that the first pressure waves and the second pressure waves destructively interfere at observation points relatively equidistant from the first and second radiation points;

the acoustic device further constructed and arranged to be structurally combined with a seating device so that the first radiation point is relatively close to the head of an occupant of the seating device and so that the second radiation point is relatively far from the head of the occupant.

2. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 1, the electroacoustical transducing apparatus comprising a vibratile diaphragm having a first radiating surface and an opposed second radiating surface, the acoustic enclosure comprising a first chamber acoustically coupling the first radiating surface with the first radiation point, the electroacoustical transducing apparatus further comprising a second chamber acoustically coupling the second radiating surface with the second radiation point.

3. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second radiation point is constructed and arranged to be below the head of an occupant of the seating device.

4. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second radiation point is positioned near the bottom of the seat back.

5. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 1, the electroacoustical apparatus wherein the first transducing apparatus is operationally coupled to an audio signal source and positioned adjacent the first radiation point to radiate the first pressure waves, the acoustic device further comprising a second transducing apparatus operationally coupled to the audio signal source with reversed polarity relative to the first transducer, positioned adjacent the second radiation point to radiate the second pressure waves.

6. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first transducing apparatus is constructed and arranged to radiate first pressure waves in the bass frequency range, the apparatus further comprising a directional loudspeaker, constructed and arranged to radiate sound in a non-bass frequency range.

7. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first electroacoustical transducing apparatus is constructed and arranged to radiate bass frequencies and to not radiate frequencies above the bass frequency range and wherein the directional loudspeaker is constructed and arranged to radiate frequencies above the bass frequency range.

8. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the acoustic device is constructed and arranged to radiate bass frequencies and to not radiate frequencies above the bass frequency range.

9. An acoustic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electroacoustical transducing apparatus is constructed and arranged to radiate bass frequencies and to not radiate frequencies above the bass frequency range.

10. Apparatus comprising:

a seating device comprising a seat back;

a transducer constructed and arranged to be structurally combined with the seating device,

the transducer comprising a pressure wave radiating diaphragm having a first surface and a second surface to radiate acoustic energy,

the seating device further comprising an acoustic enclosure having a first radiation point and a second radiation point wherein the transducer is mounted in the acoustic enclosure so that pressure waves radiated by a first diaphragm surface leave the enclosure through the first radiation point and so that the pressure waves radiated by a second diaphragm surface leave the enclosure through the second radiation point.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a directional loudspeaker, constructed and arranged to radiate sound so that the direction typically occupied by the head of an occupant of the seat is a high radiation direction.

12. A vehicle seat, comprising:

an acoustic apparatus comprising

a first electroacoustical transducer in an acoustic enclosure for radiating acoustic energy into the acoustic enclosure;

the acoustic enclosure comprising

a first exit point close to the position typically occupied by the head of an occupant of the vehicle seat for radiating acoustic energy of a first phase to the environment; and

a second exit point removed from the position typically occupied by the head of an occupant of the vehicle seat for radiating acoustic energy of a second phase, opposite to the first phase, to the environment.

13. A vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein the first electroacoustical transducer is for radiating acoustic energy in the bass frequency range, the acoustic apparatus further comprising a second electroacoustical transducer for radiating acoustic energy in the non-bass frequency range.

14. A vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein the second electroacoustical transducer is a directional loudspeaker.

15. A vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein the second exit is near the bottom of the vehicle seat.

16. A vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein the electroacoustical transducer comprises an acoustic driver having a first surface acoustically coupled to the first exit and a second radiating surface acoustically coupled to the second exit.

17. A vehicle seat according to claim 12,

wherein the electroacoustical transducer comprises:

a first acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the first exit to radiate acoustic energy of the first phase; and

a second acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the second exit to radiate acoustic energy of the second phase.