Harman International Industries, Inc.

William J Gelow

Bernard M Werner

David H Cox

Michael J Whelan

A sound-damping structure is provided for use as part of a sound-directing component of a loudspeaker. The structure includes a first structural layer, a second structural layer, and a core layer enclosed between the first and second structural layers. The first and second structural layers include a generally rigid material, and the core layer includes a sound-damping material. The first structural layer includes an outside surface facing an exterior of the sound-directing component. The second structural layer includes an inside surface having an interior of the sound-directing component through which sound energy is directed.

Sound-damping laminate for loudspeaker structure

A full-frequency-range cinema loudspeaker system intended or deployment in limited space behind a perforated cinema screen is configured as three modules: (1) a high-frequency module having a compression driver working into a horn-shaped waveguide that is specially shaped to compensate for beam-spreading effects of the perforated screen, (2) a midrange module providing a specially shaped waveguide with a multiple throat portion that mounts four cone-type drivers in a vertical array, the four individual throat regions merging into a common mouth portion of the waveguide that flares out to the front of the module, and (3) a vented-port low-frequency module with two cone-type low-frequency loudspeaker units. The three modules are stacked with the high-frequency module on top and the low-frequency module at bottom; The modules are all made to have a uniform width and a depth of under eighteen inches. Each module is designed to provide uniform sound coverage throughout its designated audio frequency range and throughout a target auditorium area of the theater, including smooth and seamless crossovers between the ranges. In the midrange module, vertical beamwidth is held substantially constant by signal processing provided by an electrical filter network that results in a constant vertical polar response pattern independent of frequency To provide optimal coverage, the waveguides in the high-frequency and midrange modules are specially shaped and directed downwardly at a selected angle of 5 degrees. Additionally, mechanism is provided for tilting the midrange and high-frequency modules if necessary to accommodate a tilted screen.

Full-range loudspeaker system for cinema screen

A high-frequency cinema loudspeaker module for deployment behind a perforated cinema screen is configured with a waveguide to compensate for the beam-spreading effects of the perforated screen at the high end of the frequency range and to facilitate and co-ordinate integration with a complementary midrange module of a total sound system in providing defined coverage in a theater. A compression driver is coupled to a waveguide that is specially shaped to narrow the horizontal beamwidth at the higher frequencies affected by the perforated screen, and thus provide compensation that results in a more uniform overall defined sound coverage in the theater within the designated high-frequency range. The module is configured with the driver and waveguide axes inclined downwardly at an angle of 6 degrees from horizontal to facilitate overall coverage.

High-frequency loudspeaker module for cinema screen

Method and apparatus for obtaining curved array performance from an array of loudspeakers suspended within a simple vertical framework in which each loudspeaker system is suspended within a separate frame structure with a tilting mechanism that allows the loudspeaker sound-emitting access to be changed in a vertical plane to a desired position.

Growing community of inventors

Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

William J Gelow