Toroidal Loudspeaker with Liquid Metal Housing for Aircraft Weight Reduction

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional loudspeakers are too large and heavy for aircraft, compromising sound quality and posing installation challenges due to weight and size restrictions, forcing a trade-off between high-fidelity sound and weight/size requirements.

Innovation Solution

A low-profile, toroidal-shaped loudspeaker with multiple drivers positioned within arcuate enclosures, utilizing a split toroidal housing and annular openings to optimize sound transmission and confinement, constructed from liquid metal for reduced weight and enhanced heat dissipation, allowing for high-fidelity sound in limited spaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional loudspeaker designs are used, then high-fidelity sound quality is achieved, but weight and size increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesound qualityVSAvoidloudspeaker weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The loudspeaker is divided into multiple independent drivers (woofers, mid-range, tweeters) housed in separate arcuate enclosures arranged in a toroidal configuration. This segmentation allows each driver to be optimized for its frequency range while reducing the overall size and weight compared to a single large conventional loudspeaker.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The loudspeaker transitions from a conventional planar design to a three-dimensional toroidal configuration with drivers arranged in a circular pattern. This dimensional change allows sound to propagate in multiple directions simultaneously, achieving high-fidelity omnidirectional sound coverage while maintaining a compact footprint suitable for aircraft installations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If conventional loudspeaker designs are used, then high-fidelity sound quality is achieved, but the loudspeaker size becomes too large for aircraft installation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesound qualityVSAvoidloudspeaker size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The loudspeaker is divided into multiple independent drivers (woofers, mid-range, tweeters) housed in separate arcuate enclosures arranged in a toroidal configuration. This segmentation allows each driver to be optimized for its frequency range while reducing the overall size and weight compared to a single large conventional loudspeaker.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The loudspeaker transitions from a conventional planar design to a three-dimensional toroidal configuration with drivers arranged in a circular pattern. This dimensional change allows sound to propagate in multiple directions simultaneously, achieving high-fidelity omnidirectional sound coverage while maintaining a compact footprint suitable for aircraft installations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Weight of moving object

If lightweight materials are used to reduce weight, then weight constraints are met, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveloudspeaker weightVSAvoidheat dissipation

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The loudspeaker housing combines aluminum material with high thermal conductivity for the heat sink components and structural elements requiring strength, while using lighter materials for non-critical parts. This composite approach maintains overall weight reduction while ensuring adequate heat dissipation from the voice coils and electronic components through the aluminum heat sink pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 solution provides high-fidelity sound while meeting aircraft weight and size constraints, with improved heat dissipation and power handling, enabling efficient use in compact environments like aircraft without significant increases in fuel consumption.

Implementation Method 1

the housing is constructed of liquid metal material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS8170254B2Low profile loudspeaker

Publication Date: 2012.05.01 TRACY DENNIS A

AI summary

A loudspeaker includes a toroidal shaped housing and at least one driver positioned within the housing. The driver is mounted within an arcuate enclosure such that a forward portion of the driver transmits sound beyond the enclosure and the rearward portion of the driver is substantially confined within the enclosure.