Manifold for a horn loudspeaker and method

A manifold for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of a horn of a horn loudspeaker, said manifold comprising

• an input end having at least one input port for receiving acoustic power from at least one acoustic driver,
• an output end for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of the horn, said output end having multiple aligned output ports, and
• an acoustic power waveguide associated with each of the aligned output ports and connecting said output ports to said at least one input port, such that acoustic power received by said input port is divided between said acoustic waveguides and such that the acoustic power divided between said acoustic power waveguides is delivered to said aligned output ports to simulate a line array of acoustic power sources,
• the acoustic path lengths of said acoustic power waveguides from said at least one input port to said aligned output ports being relatively short in relation to the wavelength of the acoustic power passing through the manifold at the highest operating frequency range of the horn loudspeaker and being approximately equal such that acoustic power divided at said at least one input port arrives at the aligned output ports approximately in phase, and each of said approximately equal length waveguides having a defined cross-sectional area which increases from said input port to the output port associated with each said waveguide.

A manifold for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of a horn of a horn loudspeaker, said manifold comprising

• an input end having at least one circular input port for receiving acoustic power from at least one acoustic driver,
• an output end for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of the horn, said output end having multiple aligned rectangular output ports, and
• acoustic power waveguides for connecting said aligned rectangular output ports to said at least one circular input port, the acoustic path lengths of said acoustic power waveguides from said at least one input port to said aligned output ports being relatively short in relation to the wavelength of the acoustic power passing through the manifold at the highest operating frequency range of the horn loudspeaker, and each of said acoustic power waveguides transitioning from a partially circular first end to a rectangular second end which has a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of said first end, the second end of each said acoustic power waveguides forming one of said aligned rectangular output ports and the partially circular first ends of said acoustic power waveguides meeting at the input end of the manifold to form said at least one circular input port and permitting acoustic power received by said circular input port to be divided approximately equally between said acoustic power waveguides, wherein the approximately equally divided acoustic power is delivered through said waveguides to said aligned rectangular output ports to simulate a line array of acoustic power sources which simulates a ribbon driver.

A manifold for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of a horn of a horn loudspeaker, said manifold comprising

• an input end having at least one circular input port for receiving acoustic power from at least one acoustic driver,
• an output end for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of the horn, said output end having multiple aligned rectangular output ports, including two outer ports and at least one inner port, which form a line array of rectangular output ports,
• two outer acoustic power waveguides for connecting the outer ports of said line array of rectangular output ports to said at least one circular input port, said two outer waveguides having substantially straight and approximately equal length acoustical paths and transitioning from a partially circular first end to a rectangular second end, and
• at least one inner acoustic power waveguide for connecting the at least one inner port of said line array of rectangular output ports to said at least one circular input port, said inner waveguide having a curved acoustical path approximately equal in length to the straight acoustical path lengths of said outer waveguides, and transitioning from a partially circular first end to a rectangular second end,
• the rectangular second ends of said outer acoustic power waveguides forming the outer ports of said line array of output ports,
• the rectangular second end of said inner acoustic power waveguides forming the at least one inner port of said line array of output ports,
• the partially circular first ends of said acoustic power waveguides meeting at the input end of the manifold to form said at least one circular input port, and
• the acoustic path lengths of said acoustic rower wave guides from said at least one input port to said multiple aligned rectangular output ports being relatively short in relation to the wavelength of the acoustic power passing through the manifold at the highest operating frequency range of the horn loudspeaker.

A manifold for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of a horn of a horn loudspeaker, said manifold comprising

• an input end having at least two input ports for receiving acoustic power from at least two acoustic drivers,
• an output end for delivering acoustic power to the throat end of the horn, said output end having multiple aligned output ports including two outer ports and at least one inner port associated with each input port, said outer and inner ports forming a line array of output ports,
• two outer acoustic power waveguides for each input port for connecting the outer ports of said line array of output ports to the input port with which the outer ports are associated, said two outer waveguides having substantially straight and approximately equal length acoustical paths, and
• at least one inner acoustic power waveguide for connecting the at least one inner port of said line array of rectangular output ports to the input port with which said inner port is associated, said inner waveguide having a curved acoustical path approximately equal in length to the substantially straight acoustical path lengths of said outer waveguides,
• the acoustic path lengths of said acoustic power waveguides from said at least two input ports to said multiple aligned output ports being relatively short in relation to the wavelength of the acoustic power passing through the manifold at the highest operating frequency range of the horn loudspeaker.

A method of providing control over the dispersion characteristics of a horn loudspeaker comprising

• providing loudspeaker horn having an elongated throat opening,
• providing a source of acoustic power,
• dividing the acoustic power produced by the acoustic power source between at least two acoustical paths, and
• propagating the divided acoustic power along the at least two acoustical paths to separate aligned outputs at the elongated throat opening of the horn so as to simulate a line array of acoustic power sources at and in the direction of said elongated throat opening, said acoustical paths being relatively short in relation to the wavelength of the acoustic power delivered to the throat opening of the horn at the highest operating frequency range of the horn loudspeaker.

A method of providing control over the dispersion characteristics of a horn loudspeaker comprising

• providing loudspeaker horn having an elongated throat opening,
• providing a source of acoustic power,
• dividing the acoustic power produced by the acoustic power source between multiple acoustical paths having approximately equal acoustic path lengths, and
• propagating the divided acoustic power along the multiple acoustical paths to separate aligned outputs at the elongated throat opening of the horn so as to simulate a line array of acoustic power sources at and in the direction of the elongated throat opening, said multiple acoustical paths being relatively short in relation to the wavelength of the acoustic power delivered to the throat opening of the horn at the highest operating frequency range of the horn loudspeaker.