Speaker Enclosure with Inclined Reflective Surface for Standing Wave Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional speaker enclosures struggle to effectively eliminate standing waves, which distort low and low-mid frequency sound integrity due to the reflection of low-frequency sound waves within the enclosure, leading to resonances and reduced sound quality.
Innovation Solution
A speaker enclosure design featuring acoustically reflective surfaces positioned in inclined planes within the interior corners and a tuned port to redirect standing waves for exit, eliminating the need for absorption materials and enhancing sound dispersion and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If absorption and dampening materials are used to eliminate standing waves, then standing wave effects are reduced, but the device complexity and material requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of absorbing standing wave energy with dampening materials, the patent inverts the approach by using acoustically reflective surfaces to redirect the energy. The reflective surfaces bounce standing waves toward tuned ports, converting the harmful reflected energy into useful output that exits through the ports, thereby eliminating standing waves without adding absorption materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful standing wave energy into a beneficial effect by redirecting it through reflective surfaces toward tuned ports. The energy that would normally be trapped and cause resonance is instead channeled to exit the enclosure, transforming the harmful resonance into useful sound output.
2Loss of energy
If acoustically reflective surfaces are used to redirect standing waves, then standing wave energy is utilized, but the enclosure design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the acoustic parameters of the enclosure by introducing acoustically reflective surfaces with specific orientations and inclinations. These surfaces are positioned at calculated angles to redirect standing waves toward tuned ports, transforming the acoustic field distribution within the enclosure to eliminate resonances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a dimensional aspect to standing wave control by introducing inclined reflective surfaces that operate in three-dimensional space. These surfaces redirect waves across multiple dimensions, creating a more complex spatial distribution of acoustic energy that effectively eliminates standing waves through geometric redirection rather than simple absorption.
3Ease of manufacture
If dampening materials are removed from the enclosure, then manufacturing simplicity increases, but standing wave elimination effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical absorption system (dampening materials) with an acoustic redirection system using reflective surfaces and tuned ports. This substitution eliminates the need for bulky absorption materials while achieving standing wave elimination through geometric acoustic principles, simplifying manufacturing and reducing material requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the dampening materials from the enclosure design, replacing them with a cleaner geometric solution. By taking out the absorption materials and substituting them with reflective surfaces and tuned ports, the design achieves standing wave elimination without the complexity and material burden of traditional dampening approaches.
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
This approach effectively reduces standing wave distortions, improving sound quality by increasing power efficiency, sonic accuracy, and eliminating the need for dampening materials, while allowing for greater volume with lesser electric power and improved acoustical integrity.
Implementation Method 1
at least one corner contains an element mounted thereto having an acoustically reflective surface... providing a tuned port within the body of the speaker enclosure for allowing standing waves redirected from the acoustically reflective surface to exit therethrough
Implementation Method 2
These resonances are often called standing waves and are the result of modes of vibration associated with resonance in extended objects like strings and air columns... providing a tuned port within the body of the speaker enclosure for allowing standing waves redirected from the acoustically reflective surface to exit therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A speaker enclosure and method of building same is provided for redirecting standing waves outside the enclosure. The enclosure includes an exterior and an interior comprised of a body having six interior surfaces defining the interior. One of the surfaces has a speaker opening and another of the surfaces has a tuned port opening and defines four corners opposite the speaker opening. An element having an acoustically reflective surface faces the interior and is positioned in a plane that intersects and is inclined with respect to each of the interior surfaces that form the corner. A handle system that includes an attachment means is mounted to the exterior of the enclosure. A rotatable and detachable handle is mounted to the attachment means.