Baffle for line array loudspeaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9860633-B2
Application number	US-201615172568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A loudspeaker baffle that provides variable sound patterns is described. The baffle may support non-low frequency sound sources and a waveguide to provide varying sound beam patterns. The baffle may include a center mount adapted to receive a plurality of audio outputs and a plurality of low frequency apertures to receive a plurality low frequency output. The waveguide may be formed from a front face of the baffle. The front face may be intermediate the center mount and the low frequency apertures. The front face may include a continuously varying waveguide surface with a first waveguide portion adjacent a first audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a first sound pattern and a second waveguide portion adjacent a second audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a second sound pattern that is different than the first sound pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A baffle comprising:
a plurality of audio outputs;
a front face adjacent the plurality of audio outputs, the front face including a varying waveguide surface with a first waveguide portion adjacent a first audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a first sound beam pattern and a second waveguide portion adjacent a second audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a second sound beam pattern that is different than the first sound beam pattern, the front face includes a transition from the first waveguide portion to the second waveguide portion, with the transition being continuously variable; and
a plurality of low frequency apertures extending into the front face at the first waveguide portion to provide a wider horizontal sound pattern than the second waveguide portion, and wherein the low frequency apertures do not extend into the front face at the second waveguide portion.

2. The baffle of claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide portion has a first continuously varying gradation, and
wherein the second waveguide portion has a second continuously varying gradation with the transition from the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion being continuously varying.

3. The baffle of claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion provide a generally constant sound pressure level at different distances from the baffle.

4. The baffle of claim 1 , wherein the second waveguide portion provides a laterally wider pattern relative to the first waveguide portion.

5. The baffle of claim 1 , wherein the transition is configured to provide a uniform transition from the first waveguide portion to the second waveguide portion.

6. The baffle of claim 1 , further comprising a center mount that is coaxial with compression drivers providing the plurality of audio outputs and woofers providing a low frequency output.

7. The baffle of claim 1 , further comprising a center mount adapted to receive the plurality of audio outputs and to extend into both the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion.

8. The baffle of claim 1 , wherein the varying waveguide surface varies continuously in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, about a center mount configured to mount the plurality of audio outputs, which includes drivers, wherein the drivers are aligned along the center mount.

9. A baffle comprising:
a plurality of audio outputs;
a front face adjacent the plurality of audio outputs, the front face including a varying waveguide surface with a first waveguide portion adjacent a first audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a first sound beam pattern and a second waveguide portion adjacent a second audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a second sound beam pattern that is different than the first sound beam pattern, the front face includes a transition from the first waveguide portion to the second waveguide portion, with the transition being continuously variable; and
wherein the first waveguide portion has a first center longitudinal axis and is asymmetrical horizontally about the first center longitudinal axis, and wherein the first waveguide portion includes a wall that extends at different angles.

10. The baffle of claim 9 , wherein the second waveguide portion has a second center longitudinal axis and is asymmetrical horizontally about the second center longitudinal axis,
wherein the second waveguide portion includes a first side with a shorter dimension than a second side, and
wherein the first waveguide portion has a third side with a shorter dimension than the first side of the second waveguide portion.

11. The baffle of claim 10 , wherein the first waveguide portion has a fourth side with a dimension that is the same as the second side of the second waveguide portion.

12. A line array loudspeaker comprising:
an elongate cabinet to house woofers aligned therein, the cabinet including a front side; and
a baffle mounted to the front side of the cabinet and spaced in front of the woofers, the baffle including
a center mount adapted to receive a plurality of audio outputs;
a plurality of low frequency apertures to receive a plurality low frequency outputs from the woofers mounted behind the baffle; and
a front face intermediate the center mount and the low frequency apertures, the front face including a continuously varying waveguide surface with a first waveguide portion adjacent a first audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a first sound beam pattern and a second waveguide portion adjacent a second audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a second sound beam pattern that is different than the first sound beam pattern, wherein the second waveguide portion extends outwardly relative to the first waveguide portion in both a lateral direction and a depth direction.

13. The line array loudspeaker of claim 12 , wherein the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion provide a generally constant sound pressure level at different distances from the baffle.

14. The line array loudspeaker of claim 12 , wherein the second waveguide portion extends outwardly relative to the first waveguide portion.

15. The line array loudspeaker of claim 12 , wherein the front face is continuously variable from the first waveguide portion to the second waveguide portion.

16. The line array loudspeaker of claim 12 , wherein the center mount is coaxial with compression drivers providing the audio output and woofers providing the low frequency output.

17. A line array loudspeaker comprising:
an elongate cabinet to house woofers aligned therein, the cabinet including a front side; and
a baffle mounted to the front side of the cabinet and spaced in front of the woofers, the baffle including
a center mount adapted to receive a plurality of audio outputs;
a plurality of low frequency apertures to receive a plurality low frequency outputs from the woofers mounted behind the baffle; and
a front face intermediate the center mount and the low frequency apertures, the front face including a continuously varying waveguide surface with a first waveguide portion adjacent a first audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a first sound beam pattern and a second waveguide portion adjacent a second audio output of the plurality of audio outputs providing a second sound beam pattern that is different than the first sound beam pattern, wherein the low frequency apertures extend into the front face at the first waveguide portion that provides a wider horizontal sound beam pattern than the second waveguide portion and the low frequency apertures do not extend into the front face at the second waveguide portion.

18. The line array loudspeaker of claim 17 , wherein the first waveguide portion and the second waveguide portion provide a constant sound pressure level at different distances from the baffle, wherein the second waveguide portion extends outwardly relative to the first waveguide portion, and wherein the front face is continuously variable from the first waveguide portion to the second waveguide portion.

19. The line array loudspeaker of claim 17 , wherein the center mount is coaxial with compression drivers providing the audio output and woofers providing the low frequency output.

20. A line array loudspeaker comprising:
an elongate cabinet to house woofers aligned therein, the cabinet including a front side; and
a baffle mounted to the front side o

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind
• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Button Douglas J
• Kamlet Richard D

Classifications

• H04R1/403

  loud-speakers · CPC title

• H04R1/30

  Combinations of transducers with horns, e.g. with mechanical matching means {, i.e. front-loaded horns}(horns in general G10K; {transducer enclosures or mountings using a back-loaded horn H04R1/2861; application of horns as guiding means to obtain a predetermined directivity characteristic H04R1/345}) · CPC title

• H04R2201/403

  Linear arrays of transducers · CPC title

• H04R2203/12

  Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays · CPC title

• H04R1/345 Primary

  for loudspeakers · CPC title