WIDE COVERAGE SPEAKER
A wide coverage speaker is provided that includes an enclosure having a top, a bottom, a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and a low frequency cavity therein. An inner sound assembly situated within the enclosure and having an assembly central axis therethrough is also provided, which includes a downward facing woofer positioned within the low frequency cavity and centered about the assembly central axis, an upper chamber situated below the woofer, a tuned low-frequency absorber situated below and in fluid communication with the upper chamber, a plurality of upper-frequency drivers facing outwards in a circular array that is centered about the assembly central axis and situated below the tuned low-frequency absorber, and a cylindrical low-frequency outlet port centered about the assembly central axis and extending downward from the upper chamber and encircled by the circular array.
1 . A wide coverage speaker comprising:
an enclosure having a top, a bottom, a central longitudinal axis extending therethrough, and a low frequency cavity therein; and
an inner sound assembly situated within the enclosure and having an assembly central axis therethrough, the inner sound assembly comprising:
a woofer positioned facing downward within the low frequency cavity and centered about the assembly central axis;
an upper chamber situated below the woofer;
a tuned low-frequency absorber situated below and in fluid communication with the upper chamber;
a plurality of upper-frequency drivers facing outwards in a circular array that is centered about the assembly central axis and situated below the tuned low-frequency absorber; and
a cylindrical low-frequency outlet port centered about the assembly central axis and extending downward from the upper chamber and encircled by the circular array.
2 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit assembly including a crossover, for directing lower frequency signals to the woofer and upper frequency signals to the plurality of upper-frequency drivers.
3 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 1 , wherein the central longitudinal axis and the assembly central axis are coincident.
4 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 3 , wherein a directional driver center line passing through at least one of the plurality of upper-frequency drivers extends at a downward angle from a horizontal plane that intersects perpendicular to the assembly central axis.
5 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 4 , further comprising at least one low-frequency port in fluid communication with the low frequency cavity.
6 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 5 , further comprising an acoustically absorptive bottom directivity disk situated below the circular array and centered along the assembly central axis.
7 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 5 , wherein the tuned low-frequency absorber includes a lower chamber and a first cylindrical neck extending from the upper chamber into the lower chamber such that the lower chamber and the upper chamber are in fluid communication.
8 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 7 , wherein the tuned low-frequency absorber includes a second cylindrical neck situated opposite the first cylindrical neck.
9 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 7 , wherein the at least one low-frequency port includes two low-frequency ports symmetrically situated about the central longitudinal axis on opposing sides of the inner sound assembly and in fluid communication with the low frequency cavity.
10 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 7 , wherein the inner sound assembly further comprises an upper frame having an upper chamber floor from which an upper cylindrical wall extends upwards, the woofer being mounted facing downwards atop the upper cylindrical wall, wherein the upper chamber floor, the upper cylindrical wall, and the woofer combine to form the upper chamber.
11 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 10 , wherein the inner sound assembly further comprises a lower frame that includes a plurality of faceted windows having apertures into which the plurality of upper-frequency drivers are secured.
12 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 11 , wherein the lower frame includes a lower frame top and a lower frame bottom, which are both circular and centered on the assembly central axis, with the plurality of faceted windows connecting the lower frame top to the lower frame bottom, wherein the lower frame top has a larger circumference than the lower frame bottom.
13 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 12 , wherein the inner sound assembly further comprises a center plate secured between the upper frame and the lower frame, and wherein the center plate forms a lower chamber floor.
14 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 13 , further comprising an acoustically absorptive bottom directivity disk situated below the circular array and centered along the assembly central axis, wherein the acoustically absorptive bottom directivity disk is comprised of material that is acoustically absorptive above about 1 kHz and includes a central disk aperture extending therethrough.
15 . The wide coverage speaker of claim 5 , wherein the woofer is an eight-inch woofer; the plurality of upper-frequency drivers are each two-inch cone drivers; an exit diameter of the cylindrical low-frequency outlet port is about four inches; the directional driver center line extending through at least one of the plurality of upper-frequency drivers is at about a thirty degree angle from the horizontal plane; a circuit assembly is provided that includes a second-order passive crossover electrically coupled to integrate the woofer and the plurality of upper-frequency drivers to provide a flat overall response; the tuned low-frequency absorber is a Helmholtz absorber; and an acoustically absorptive bottom directivity disk is provided that is comprised of material that is acoustically absorptive above 1 kHz.