JPH05199582A - Speaker system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a high-fidelity speaker usable outdoors by radiating sounds toward the inside of cavity formed by combining a speaker cabinet and a chamber formed under the ground. CONSTITUTION: This outdoor speaker is formed from weather resistant materials and provided with drivers 32 and 34 for the low frequency arranged while facing each other. This exterior container 30 includes a base 54 having an opening 56. An internal cavity 36 and a cavity 58 on a holding plane are mutually communicated through the opening 56 and a single large cavity is formed. Therefore, low frequency speakers 32 and 34 are operated toward the large cavity and a woofer response expanded rather than a response provided only through the exterior container 30 can be provided. The base 54 of the exterior container 30 is almost flat and positioned on the holding plane (such as the surface of ground or the floor surface of a terrace made of bricks or concrete) so as to cover the cavity 58 formed on that holding plane.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a speaker system for audio applications, and more particularly to an outdoor speaker system having an improved bass response.

[0002]

A typical speaker system generally consists of one or more drivers mounted in a cabinet. In general, different drivers (diaphragm drive units) are provided for different frequency ranges. In the bass range, drivers (usually called woofers)
A dynamic driver including a conical diaphragm. The cabinet structure may be completely enclosed (acoustic suspension type) or may be equipped with one or more ports to form a resonance chamber and broaden the bass response (bass reflex type).

In both the acoustic suspension type speaker and the bass reflex type speaker, the bass response characteristic is greatly affected by the capacity of the speaker cabinet. A typical box-type speaker system is shown in FIG. The system includes a cabinet 10, a medium / high frequency speaker 12 and a woofer 14. A broader bass response is generally obtained by using a relatively large capacity cabinet. Woofer 14
Is attached to the surface of the cabinet 10, has a sound emitting portion directly on the front outer surface of the cabinet, and has a rear surface facing a cavity formed in the cabinet.
Speaker designers have generally faced a contradiction between reducing cabinet size and extending bass response. In many applications, the large cabinets needed to give a deep bass response are unacceptable for individual equipment. Also, the cost of speaker systems typically increases as cabinet size increases.

Some low frequency speakers, commonly referred to as subwoofers, are located in a cabinet that is similar to a side desk with the driver facing the floor. Such a system is shown in FIG. Cabinet 20 is separated from the floor by feet 22 and a driver 24 is mounted on the bottom surface 26 of the cabinet. This configuration is somewhat different from the configuration shown in FIG. 1 in that it uses a downward emitting driver, but it is similar in that it uses a cabinet forming a cavity and a driver having a rear surface facing the cavity. Therefore, even in a subwoofer, low frequency performance is greatly influenced by the size of the cabinet.

[0005]

Speakers used outdoors have become popular recently. Such speakers are described in Berger's paper "Outdoor Speakers", Stereo Review,
Discussed in August 1990, 53-55. Such speakers include weatherproof cabinets and other components. The problem of getting a proper bass response is even greater for outdoor speakers than for indoor speakers. This is because outdoor speakers work towards free space and there are no bass enhancers as provided by the floor, ceiling and walls of a closed room. Also, since the outdoor speaker is sized relatively small for aesthetic purposes, the bass response of the outdoor speaker is generally relatively weak.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to high fidelity speakers, particularly speakers used outdoors. That is, according to the present invention, in a speaker used in combination with a support surface having a cavity formed therein, a first surface having a plurality of surfaces including an inner cavity and a flat bottom surface having an opening adjacent to the cavity is formed. Of the external container, the flat bottom surface is placed substantially flush with the support surface, and a driver supported on a surface other than the flat bottom surface is provided in the first external container. The driver has an inner surface facing the inner cavity and an outer surface emitting sound to the listening area.

[0007]

The speaker has a unique cabinet configuration that provides improved bass response despite the use of a relatively small cabinet. That is, the speaker cabinet includes an opening in the bottom surface that is coupled to the chamber formed in the ground. A driver is located on the surface of the cabinet other than the bottom surface and operates into the cavity formed by the combination of the speaker cabinet and the chamber formed in the ground. In this way, a cavity or resonance chamber for the low-frequency loudspeaker is obtained, which is significantly larger than the volume allowed by the dimensions of the cabinet itself. With proper design of the loudspeaker and the underground chamber associated with it, extended bass performance can be achieved.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is given for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is limited by the description of the claims.

Referring to FIG. 3, the outdoor speaker of the present invention includes an outer container (cabinet) 30 formed of a weather resistant material. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer container is formed by DuPont's Corian®. Corian is an EI du Pont de Nemours and C manufacturer located in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
is a registered trademark of the material sold by o. The material is a hard, non-porous surface forming material in which a natural mineral and a hardened acrylic resin are homogeneously mixed.
The material also has excellent acoustic quality and is very suitable for outdoor use.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outer container 30 is provided with low frequency (or full range) drivers (diaphragm drive units) 32 and 34 which are arranged opposite to each other. Each of these drivers has an inner surface 32a and 34a, respectively, which faces the internal cavity 36 formed by the outer container 30. An exterior container (cabinet) 40 for the high-frequency speaker is located above the exterior container 30, separated from the exterior container 30 by four spacer elements 42, and an empty space 40 is left therebetween. High frequency speaker 4
6 is supported in the outer container 40 adjacent to the recess 48 and emits sound toward the opening (empty space) 44. In this way, the high frequency sound is dispersed and emitted outward along all directions.

The outer container 30 includes a decorative protrusion 50, and the outer container 40 includes a light fixture having a protruding acrylic lens 52. One or more lamps 53 are attached to the outer container 4
It can be provided within 0. It will be readily appreciated that many different types of outer packaging configurations may be used.

As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the outer container 3
0 includes a bottom surface 54 having an opening 56. The bottom surface 54 is substantially flat and is positioned on a support surface (typically the ground or a terrace floor such as brick or concrete) to cover holes or chambers 58 formed in the support surface. Internal cavity 3
It will be readily understood that 6 and the support surface cavity 58 communicate with each other through the opening 56 to form a single large cavity. Therefore, the low frequency speaker 3
2 and 34 can act towards a large cavity 58 to provide an extended bass response compared to that obtained with the outer container 30 alone.

The speaker system may be movably mounted on the cavity 58 or may be permanently fixed by setting it in cement, rubber sealant, caulking material or the like. A lower collar or gasket 60 made of a flexible material such as rubber may be provided to provide a good seal between the cabinet (exterior container) and the support surface even without permanent mounting.

It will be readily apparent that the walls of the cavity 58 are substantially free of resonance as they are made of soil, concrete or the like. Large cabinets are generally more prone to flexing and can therefore cause resonance problems. In the present invention, the problem is that an outer container in which a significant part of the speaker cavity does not resonate at all,
That is, it can be avoided by being contained in the ground or concrete. Further, the cavity 58 can be easily formed by excavating the soil or by freely forming a concrete wall or the like, but the top opening box 62 as shown in FIG. The embedding also allows for more precise control of the cavity volume. In this way, optimum volume specifications for sound quality can be easily obtained.

Although the present invention is suitable for use in combination with a cavity formed in the support surface below the speaker,
It should be noted that the use of loudspeakers in combination with cavities is not an absolute requirement. The speaker system operates whether or not the support surface cavity is used. The speaker, when used by itself, only has a low bass response with less expansion than when combined with an additional cavity. Also,
It should also be noted that different numbers and sizes of openings can be formed in the bottom surface of the speaker cabinet. The present invention is
It is not limited to a single opening as shown. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a bass reflex type speaker system, in which case a port is provided in the outer container to emit low frequency sound toward the listening area.

Although the present invention has been described in relation to an outdoor speaker, it can be used indoors, especially if a floor such as concrete is used and therefore a cavity under the floor is provided.

While this invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments illustrated, but only by the claims.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, a cavity (resonance chamber) for a low frequency speaker, which is significantly larger than the volume possible due to the size of the cabinet itself, is obtained. Bass performance is improved by a suitable design of.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional speaker including two drivers.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional subwoofer having a lower sound emitting driver.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the speaker of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30 First Exterior Container 32, 34 Low Frequency Driver (Vibration Plate Drive Unit) 32a, 34a Low Frequency Driver Inner Surface 36 Inner Cavity of First Exterior Container 40 Second Exterior Container 46 High Frequency Driver 54 Bottom 56 Opening 58 Cavity of Support Surface 60 Sealing means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. In a loudspeaker system for use in combination with a support surface having a cavity formed therein: a first surface having a plurality of surfaces forming an inner cavity and including a flat bottom surface with an opening adjacent said cavity. An outer container, wherein the flat bottom surface is placed substantially flush with the supporting surface; and a driver supported on a surface other than the flat bottom surface in the first outer container. ,
A speaker system in which the driver has an inner surface facing the inner cavity and an outer surface that emits sound to a listening area. 2. The speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the driver is a low frequency driver that reproduces a sound having a relatively low frequency, and further includes a high frequency driver that reproduces a sound having a relatively high frequency. 3. A second exterior container is provided above the first exterior container and is separated from the first exterior container, and the high frequency driver is supported in a second exterior container facing the first exterior container. The speaker system according to claim 2. 4. The speaker system according to claim 1, further comprising sealing means located on the bottom surface and providing a seal against the support surface. 5. The first outer container includes a substantially vertical portion having opposed surfaces and further includes a second driver, one driver disposed on one of the opposed surfaces and the other driver. 2. The speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the speaker system is arranged on the other facing surface. 6. A support base including a support surface having an opening formed therein and a first cavity extending into the base; forming a second cavity therein and adjoining the first cavity. An outer container having a flat bottom surface having an opening is provided, the flat bottom surface is placed substantially flush with the support surface, and is located on the first cavity, and the first and second cavities are A speaker system that cooperates to form a driver cavity; and further comprises a transducer that is supported within the outer container and that includes a sound emitting surface that faces away from the bottom surface.