Seat having sound system with acoustic waveguide

A combination, comprising:

• a vehicle for movement along a path;
• and
• a seat for carrying an occupant in the vehicle, wherein the seat comprises:
• a substantially horizontal seating member upon which the occupant may sit;
• a sound source for generating sound to be conveyed to the occupant's ears;
• and
• a back rest member connected to and extending upwardly from the seating member for direct contact with the occupant, wherein the back rest member comprises an acoustic waveguide coupled to the sound source for conveying sound from the sound source to the occupant, such that a virtual sound source is located in close proximity to the occupant's ears, wherein the seat further comprises:
• a front back rest member, a rear back rest member spaced from the front back rest member, and a pair of flared side members extending substantially between the front back rest member and the rear back rest member, the flared side members being spaced apart from each other by a relatively small distance to form a narrow base coupled to the sound source, and being spaced apart from each other by a progressively wider distance as the side members extend away from the sound source, and wherein the cross-sectional area of the waveguide is substantially constant in the axial direction from the narrow base to the aperture.

A seat, comprising:

• a substantially horizontal seating member upon which two occupants may sit;
• a first sound source and a second sound source;
• a first acoustic waveguide coupled to the first sound source, wherein the first acoustic waveguide has a first output for conveying sound from the first sound source to one of said two occupants and a second output for conveying sound from the first sound source to the other of said two occupants;
• and
• a second acoustic waveguide coupled to the second sound source, wherein the second acoustic waveguide has a first output for conveying sound from the second sound source to said one of said two occupants and a second output for conveying sound from the second sound source to said other of said two occupants.

A seat, comprising:

• a substantially horizontal seating member upon which two occupants may sit;
• a first sound source and a second sound source;
• a first acoustic waveguide coupled to a first sound source, wherein the first acoustic waveguide has a single output for conveying sound from the first sound source to each of said two occupants;
• and
• a second acoustic waveguide coupled to the second sound source, wherein the second acoustic waveguide has a first output for conveying sound from the second sound source to one of said two occupants and a second output for conveying sound from the second sound source to the other of said two occupants.

A seat, comprising:

• a substantially horizontal seating member upon which an occupant may sit;
• a sound source for generating sound to be conveyed to the occupant's ears;
• and
• a back rest member extending upwardly from the seating member, wherein the back rest member comprises an acoustic waveguide having a front back rest member, a rear back rest member spaced from the front back rest member, and a pair of flared side members extending substantially between the front back rest member and the rear back rest member, the flared side members being spaced apart from each other by a relatively small distance to form at one end of the acoustic waveguide a narrow base coupled to the sound source, and the flared side members being spaced apart from each other by a progressively wider distance to form at the other end of the acoustic waveguide an aperture in close proximity to the occupant's ears, wherein the cross-sectional area of the waveguide is substantially constant in the axial direction from the narrow base to the aperture.