Underfloor Foundation Sound Path for Compact Back-Loaded Horn Speakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing speaker systems face challenges in creating a realistic sound field without increasing the size of the speaker, particularly with back-loaded horn speakers, which require a large tubular structure behind the unit, and wooden enclosures cause sound distortion in the low tone range.
Innovation Solution
A sound amplification structure is integrated into the underfloor foundation of a building, using a tubular sound path surrounded by concrete peripheral walls, allowing for a back-loaded horn speaker system without a heavyweight enclosure on the floor, and incorporating a subwoofer installation part for enhanced low-pitched sound reproduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a back-loaded horn speaker system is used to achieve high sound efficiency and realistic sound field reproduction, then the sound quality is improved, but a large tubular structure must be provided behind the speaker unit making the enclosure huge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the tubular sound amplification structure from the horizontal space behind the speaker to the vertical underfloor space. The sound path extends downward through the building foundation into the ground, utilizing the third dimension (vertical depth) to accommodate the required tubular length without increasing the horizontal footprint of the speaker enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the tubular sound path from the speaker enclosure itself and places it in the building foundation structure. This separates the sound amplification function from the speaker housing, allowing the enclosure to remain compact while the tubular structure exists independently in the underfloor space.
2Ease of manufacture
If a wooden enclosure is used for the speaker, then the manufacturing is easy and cost is reduced, but sound distortion occurs in the low tone range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the enclosure from wood to concrete. Concrete has different physical properties including higher rigidity and lower resonance in the low frequency range, which eliminates the sound distortion problem while still being manufacturable through standard concrete pouring processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses concrete, a composite material consisting of cement, aggregates, and water, to construct the enclosure. This composite material provides the necessary acoustic properties for accurate low-frequency reproduction while remaining practical for construction.
3Power
If the speaker enclosure size is increased to accommodate a back-loaded horn structure, then the sound amplification is improved, but the floor space requirement and withstand load are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the sound amplification structure from the horizontal plane to the vertical dimension by extending the tubular sound path into the underfloor space and ground. This allows the speaker enclosure to remain compact on the floor while achieving the required sound amplification through the vertical extension of the horn structure.
4Reliability
If a tubular structure of a few meters length is provided behind the speaker unit for sound amplification, then the low-pitched sound reproduction is improved, but the enclosure becomes huge and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tubular sound path from the speaker enclosure and places it in the building foundation. This separation simplifies the enclosure structure to only what is needed for housing the speaker unit, while the complex tubular structure exists independently in the underfloor space, integrated with the building's existing foundation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the tubular sound path with the building foundation structure, allowing the foundation to serve dual purposes: structural support for the building and acoustic amplification for the speaker system. This multi-functionality reduces overall complexity by combining two structures into one.
Data Source
AI summary
A sound amplification structure includes a sound path that is formed by an underfloor foundation of a building and a concrete peripheral wall formed by standing up approximately vertically from the underfloor foundation. One end of the sound path (a speaker unit communication section) is able to communicate with a floor speaker unit placed in a room of the building. A width of the sound path widens from the one end toward other end of the sound path. The other end of the sound path (an output unit) is able to output sounds that are emitted from the floor speaker unit and amplified through the sound path. A length of the sound path is 4 m or longer. Preferably, the sound path is U-shaped, Z-shaped, or a zig-zag shaped. The concrete peripheral wall preferably doubles as a building foundation structure.