Integrated Loudspeaker Waveguide for Cross-Frequency Wavefront Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing loudspeaker designs struggle to create a consistent wavefront at all frequencies, which is crucial for uniform directivity, power response, and smooth crossover transitions, especially in full-range loudspeakers.
Innovation Solution
A waveguide design featuring a plurality of entrances, a contoured surface, integrators with solid and perforated portions, and acoustic openings that align high-frequency and lower-frequency transducers to form a unified wavefront, allowing for consistent sound propagation across different frequencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If discrete waveguides are used for high-frequency and low-frequency drivers separately, then each frequency range can be optimized independently, but the overall wavefront consistency across all frequencies deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the waveguide structures for high-frequency and low-frequency drivers into a single integrated waveguide system. Multiple entrances are positioned at different locations on the waveguide, allowing both high-frequency and low-frequency transducers to couple to the same waveguide structure. This integration ensures that both frequency ranges share a common wavefront formation mechanism, improving overall wavefront consistency while reducing the complexity of managing separate waveguide systems.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple transducers are placed close together to improve driver/source density, then output sound pressure level increases within a smaller package, but geometric alignment and time synchronization become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide acts as an intermediary element that receives sound from multiple transducers at different locations and transforms their combined output into a unified wavefront. By positioning multiple entrances at different locations on the waveguide structure, the system can accommodate high driver/source density while the waveguide's geometry ensures proper phase alignment and time synchronization of the sound waves as they propagate through the common wavefront formation region.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional separate waveguides are used for different frequency ranges, then each waveguide can be optimized for its specific frequency, but the directivity behavior and crossover transitions deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated waveguide structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a waveguide for both high-frequency and low-frequency drivers, provides a common wavefront formation region for both frequency ranges, and enables unified directivity control. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain frequency-specific optimization while achieving smooth crossover transitions and consistent directivity behavior across all frequencies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a unified wavefront and high driver/source density, enabling improved directivity and power response with exact time alignment of transducers, maintaining consistent directivity angles and sound pressure levels.
Implementation Method 1
A waveguide for use with a loudspeaker includes a plurality of entrances positioned at a first axial end of the waveguide and aligned along a first plane, each entrance configured to overlay a high-frequency transducer, a mouth disposed at a second axial end of the waveguide opposite the plurality of entrances, a contoured surface extending between the entrances and the mouth defining a cavity of the waveguide
Implementation Method 2
The waveguide essentially eliminates surface discontinuities thereby resulting in the reduction of diffraction of the wavefront travelling through the phase plug device
Data Source
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AI summary
A loudspeaker may include a full-range waveguide for creating a unified wavefront. The waveguide for use with a loudspeaker includes a plurality of entrances positioned at a first axial end of the waveguide and aligned along a first plane, each entrance configured to overlay a highfrequency transducer, a mouth disposed at a second axial end of the waveguide opposite the plurality of entrances, a contoured surface extending between the entrances and the mouth defining a cavity of the waveguide, the contoured surface defined by at least a first pair of walls positioned opposite one another, at least one integrator disposed between adjacent entrances and extending transversely between the first pair of walls, each integrator tapering towards the mouth to form a pointed edge along the direction of extension of the integrator, wherein each integrator has a pair of integrator surfaces angled with respect to one another, wherein each integrator surface including a solid portion and a perforated portion, and wherein the solid portion of each integrator surface is disposed adjacent the first pair of walls, wherein the solid portion and the perforated portion are separated by a straight line extending between the first pair of walls to form two trapezoidal regions, at least one acoustic opening disposed in each of the first pair of walls between a pair of integrators, the at least one acoustic opening overlaying at least a portion of a radiating surface of the at least one lower frequency transducer, and a contoured surface including at least one slot along the first pair of walls to receive the at least one integrator.