Waveguides for side-firing audio transducers
AssigneeSonos, Inc.
InventorPaul Peace
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A playback device includes an enclosure having a front face substantially normal to a first direction, a side-firing audio transducer facing a second direction that is angled with respect to the first direction, and a waveguide in fluid communication with the side-firing transducer. The waveguide includes a first chamber extending along a first axis and a second chamber extending along a second axis. The first and second central axes diverge along the second direction away from the side-firing transducer. The waveguide can be adjustable to vary the relative dimensions and/or orientations of the first and second chambers.
Claims20
A playback device comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a first side-firing audio transducer disposed within the enclosure and oriented to face a first lateral direction;
- a second side-firing audio transducer disposed within the enclosure and oriented to face a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction;
- a first waveguide body portion in fluid communication with the first side-firing audio transducer, the first waveguide body portion configured to direct a first portion of acoustic energy from the first side-firing audio transducer along the first lateral direction and a second portion of acoustic energy from the first side-firing audio transducer along a first forward-propagating direction;
- and
- a second waveguide body portion in fluid communication with the second side-firing audio transducer, the second waveguide body portion configured to direct a first portion of acoustic energy from the second side-firing audio transducer along the second lateral direction and a second portion of acoustic energy from the second side-firing audio transducer along a second forward-propagating direction.
A playback device comprising:
- an enclosure having a front face substantially normal to a forward axis;
- a first audio transducer disposed within the enclosure and facing a first direction that is angled with respect to the forward axis;
- a second audio transducer disposed within the enclosure and facing a second direction that is angled with respect to the forward axis, the second direction being on an opposite side of the forward axis from the first direction;
- a first waveguide body coupled to the first audio transducer, the first waveguide body configured to direct a first set of sound waves from the first audio transducer along a first side-propagating axis and to direct a second set of sound waves from the first audio transducer along a first forward-propagating axis;
- and
- a second waveguide body coupled to the second audio transducer, the second waveguide body configured to direct a third set of sound waves from the second audio transducer along a second side-propagating axis and to direct a fourth set of sound waves from the second audio transducer along a second forward-propagating axis,
A method of playing back audio via a playback device having a first side-firing audio transducer and a second side-firing audio transducer, the method comprising:
- driving the first side-firing audio transducer to produce first acoustic energy;
- directing, via a first waveguide body coupled to the first side-firing audio transducer, a first portion of the first acoustic energy along a first lateral direction and a second portion of the first acoustic energy along a first forward-propagating direction;
- driving the second side-firing audio transducer to produce second acoustic energy;
- and
- directing, via a second waveguide body coupled to the second side-firing audio transducer, a first portion of the second acoustic energy along a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction and a second portion of the second acoustic energy along a second forward-propagating direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.