Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Electro-acoustic audio transducer – Driven diverse static structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-10-16
Woo, Stella (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Electro-acoustic audio transducer
Driven diverse static structure
C381S386000, C381S398000, C381S431000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304661
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to loudspeakers and more particularly to loudspeakers comprising panel-form acoustic radiating elements.
BACKGROUND ART
It is known from GB-A-2262861 to suggest a panel-form loudspeaker comprising:
a resonant multi-mode radiator element being a unitary sandwich panel formed of two skins of material with a spacing core of transverse cellular construction, wherein the panel is such as to have ratio of bending stiffness (B), in all orientations, to the cube power of panel mass per unit surface area (&mgr;) of at least 10;
a mounting means which supports the panel or attaches to it a supporting body, in a free undamped manner;
and an electro-mechanical drive means coupled to the panel which serves to excite a multi-modal resonance in the radiator panel in response to an electrical input within a working frequency band for the loudspeaker.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,925 of WARNAKA discloses what purports to be a low frequency resonant panel loudspeaker mounted in a chassis and excited by an electromechanical transducer mounted on the chassis.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention use members of nature, structure and configuration achievable generally and/or specifically by implementing teachings of our co-pending application Ser. No. 08/707,012. Such members thus have capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in operative area(s) extending transversely of thickness often but not necessarily to edges of the member(s); are configured with or without anisotropy of bending stiffness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said area(s) beneficially for acoustic coupling with ambient air; and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means, particularly operationally active or moving part(s) thereof effective in relation to acoustic vibrational activity in said area(s) and signals, usually electrical, corresponding to acoustic content of such vibrational activity. Uses are envisaged in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/707,012 for such members as or in “passive” acoustic devices without transducer means, such as for reverberation or for acoustic filtering or for acoustically “voicing” a space or room; and as or in “active” acoustic devices with transducer means, such as in a remarkably wide range of sources of sound or loudspeakers when supplied with input signals to be converted to said sound, or in such as microphones when exposed to sound to be converted into other signals.
This invention is particularly concerned with active acoustic devices in the form of loudspeakers.
Members as above are herein called distributed mode acoustic radiators and are intended to be characterised as in the above copending parent application and/or otherwise as specifically provided herein.
The invention is a panel-form loudspeaker comprising a member having a periphery and having capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in at least one operative area extending transversely of thickness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said at least one area and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means and having a transducer mounted on said member at one of said locations or sites to vibrate the member to cause it to resonate forming an acoustic radiator which provides an acoustic output when resonating, a frame supporting the radiator round its periphery, the transducer being coupled between the radiator and the frame and resilient suspension means coupled between the frame, and the radiator periphery whereby the radiator is capable of pistonic movement and resonant behaviour, and wherein the transducer (
9
) is adapted to move the radiator pistonically. The frame may have a portion surrounding the radiator. The resilient suspension may be of an elastomeric material. The frame may comprise a floor stand having a ground engaging portion, a substantially upright portion extending from the ground engaging portion and a plurality of arms extending from the upright portion, the distal ends of which arms connect to the frame portion surrounding the radiator. The radiator may be rectangular, and the arms may extend near to the corners of the radiator. The transducer may be mounted on or adjacent to the upright portion of the frame. The transducer may be mounted on a lug projecting from the upright portion. A balancing pair of transducers may be provided. The radiator may comprise a lightweight core separating a pair of high modulus lightweight skins.
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patent: WO 92/03024 (1992-02-01), None
Azima Henry
Colloms Martin
Harris Neil John
Foley & Lardner
New Transducers Limited
Ni Suhan
Woo Stella
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