Underwater subwoofer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10771892-B1
Application number	US-201916459875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2019
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A submersible sound system may include a housing, an end piece, an elastic membrane, an end cap affixed to the elastic membrane, and a subwoofer speaker system disposed within the housing and supported by a speaker support. A bubble sound source may be defined by the speaker support, the speaker diaphragm, an anterior end of the housing, the elastic membrane, and the end cap. The housing, end piece, and a posterior surface of the speaker support may form a sealed enclosure. The sound system may include a tuning pipe disposed between the sealed enclosure and the bubble sound source. A Helmholtz resonator may be disposed anteriorly of the speaker system. Multiple sound system may be assembled to form a cluster. The cluster may be defined by the vertices of regular polyhedron. The sound systems may be controlled to maintain the speaker systems within acceptable thermal limits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A submersible sound system comprising:
a housing;
a housing end piece in mechanical communication with a posterior end of the housing;
an elastic membrane in mechanical communication with an anterior end of the housing;
an end cap in mechanical communication with the elastic membrane;
a resonator end wall in mechanical communication with the anterior end of the housing;
a resonator throat disposed within the resonator end wall; and
a subwoofer speaker system disposed within the housing, the subwoofer speaker system comprising:
a magnet assembly disposed within the posterior end of the housing;
a frame in mechanical communication with the magnet assembly;
a voice coil;
a diaphragm in mechanical communication with the frame and configured to be driven by the voice coil;
a subwoofer speaker support in mechanical communication with the frame and an interior portion of the housing; and
a tuning pipe disposed within the subwoofer speaker support;

wherein the housing, the housing end piece, and a posterior surface of the subwoofer speaker support together form a posterior enclosure,
wherein an anterior surface of the resonator end wall, the anterior end of the housing, the elastic membrane, and the end cap together define a sealed cylindrical bubble sound source,
wherein the anterior surface of the diaphragm, an anterior surface of the subwoofer speaker support, an anterior portion of the housing, the resonator end wall, and the resonator throat together define a Helmholtz resonator,
wherein the resonator throat is configured to permit fluidic communication between the Helmholtz resonator and the cylindrical bubble sound source, and
wherein the tuning pipe extends between the posterior enclosure and the Helmholtz resonator and is configured to permit fluidic communication between the posterior enclosure and the Helmholtz resonator.

2. The submersible sound system of claim 1 , wherein the tuning pipe and the posterior enclosure together comprise a second Helmholtz resonator.

3. The submersible sound system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control system comprising:
a processor;
a memory unit in data communication with the processor;
a controllable power source in electrical communication with the voice coil; and
an interface configured to receive sensor input data from the subwoofer speaker system;
wherein the memory unit stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive the sensor input data from the subwoofer speaker system; and
control the power source based on the received sensor input data, an output voltage of the power source, and an output current of the power source.

4. The submersible sound system of claim 3 , wherein the subwoofer speaker system comprises a first temperature sensor of a first temperature of fluid surrounding the magnet assembly and a second temperature sensor of a second temperature of the voice coil.

5. The submersible sound system of claim 4 , wherein the second temperature sensor is an IR temperature sensor.

6. The submersible sound system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor input data are received from one or more of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.

7. The submersible sound system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a sensor of the output current of the power source; and
a sensor of the output voltage of the power source,
wherein the memory unit stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
receive current data from the sensor of the output current;
receive voltage data from the sensor of the output voltage; and
control the power source based on the received current data and the received voltage data.

Assignees

• Teledyne Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Morozov Andrey K

Classifications

• G10K2200/11

  Underwater, e.g. transducers for generating acoustic waves underwater · CPC title

• G10K11/008

  Arrays of transducers (seismic streamers, see G01V1/20) · CPC title

• G10K9/22

  Mountings; Casings · CPC title

• Y02A90/30

  Assessment of water resources · CPC title

• H04R1/2826

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title