Description:As Enclosed , Claims:1. An acoustic waveguide for use with a driver that generates high-frequency sound signals, the acoustic waveguide comprising:
a mounting location at a rear surface of the acoustic waveguide and configured to couple the driver to the acoustic waveguide;
a plurality of openings in a front surface of the acoustic waveguide; and
a plurality of sound channels coupled to the mounting location and the plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of sound channels are configured to carry the high-frequency sound signals from the driver to the plurality of openings, wherein each sound channel of the plurality of sound channels at least partially defines a sound path having an acoustic length, and wherein at least one of the sound paths of the plurality of sound channels has a bend angle that exceeds 180 degrees.
2. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acoustic length of each sound path of the plurality of sound channels is substantially equal to the acoustic lengths of the sound paths of the other sound channels of the plurality of sound channels.
3. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sound channels has a first portion adjacent to an opening in the mounting portion and having a first channel width and has a second portion adjacent to a respective one of the plurality of openings, wherein each of the second portions flares to a second channel width greater than the first channel width.
4. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output frequency of the driver is greater than 500Hz.
5. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of openings is acoustically coupled to a corresponding sound channel of the plurality of sound channels such that each of the plurality of sound channels is acoustically coupled to an independent opening.
6. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acoustic waveguide is mirror symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the rear surface and bisecting the plurality of sound channels, and wherein the plane is positioned vertically such that a vector across the width of the acoustic waveguide is normal to the plane.
7. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driver is a first driver and the mounting location is a first mounting location, and wherein the acoustic waveguide further comprises:
a second mounting location at a top surface of the acoustic waveguide and configured to connect to a second driver that generates midrange sound signals.
8. An acoustic waveguide for use with a driver, the acoustic waveguide comprising:
a waveguide body having a first and second surfaces, wherein the first surface is configured to receive the driver,
the waveguide body having:
an input aperture in the first surface adjacent to the driver;
first and second openings in the second surface;
first and second sound channels, wherein—
the first sound channel is acoustically coupled between the input aperture and the first opening,
the second sound channel is laterally outward from the first sound channel and is acoustically coupled between the input aperture and the second opening, and
the first sound channel has a bend angle that exceeds 180 degrees.
9. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 8, wherein the driver is configured to generate high-frequency sound signals.
10. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second sound channels carry the high-frequency sound signals to the first and second openings.
11. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 28, wherein the first and second sound channels have substantially the same path length.
12. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 8 wherein:
the first sound channel defines a first sound path having a first path length substantially equal to the length of the first sound channel,
the second sound channel defines a second sound path having a second path length substantially equal to the length of the second sound channel, and
the first path length is substantially equal to the second path length.
13. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and second sound channels are configured to receive the high-frequency sound signal from input aperture such that the high-frequency sound signal travels through the first and second sound channels along the respective first and second sound paths towards the respective first and second openings, and wherein the first and second openings are configured to emit the high-frequency sound signal.
14. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 8, wherein the acoustic waveguide is mirror symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the first surface and bisecting the inlet aperture, and wherein the plane is positioned vertically such that a vector across the width of the acoustic waveguide is normal to the plane.
15. A speaker assembly, comprising:
a waveguide housing having a front surface and a rear surface, the waveguide housing having a plurality of sound channels connected to an opening in the rear surface, the plurality of sound channels being configured to receive high-frequency sound signals; and
a driver coupled to the waveguide housing at the rear surface and configured to generate a high-frequency sound signal;
wherein the waveguide housing is configured to receive the high-frequency sound signal from the driver through the opening, wherein the waveguide housing is configured to emit the high-frequency sound signal from the front surface, and wherein at least one of the sound channels has a bend angle that exceeds 180 degrees.
16. The speaker assembly as claimed in claim 15, the waveguide body further comprising:
a plurality of openings in the front surface, wherein-
each of the plurality of sound channels is coupled between a given one of the openings and the opening in the rear surface, and
the waveguide housing is configured to emit the high-frequency sound signal from each of the plurality of openings.
17. The speaker assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein:
each of the plurality of sound channels defines one of a plurality of sound paths along which the high-frequency sound signal travels, and
each of the plurality of sound paths has a path length substantially equal to path lengths of the other sound paths of the plurality of sound channels.
18. The speaker assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the waveguide housing is mirror symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the rear surface and bisecting the opening, and wherein the plane is positioned vertically such that a vector across the width of the waveguide housing is normal to the plane.
19. An acoustic waveguide for a use with a first driver that generates first sound signals in a first range of frequencies and a second driver that generates second sound signals in a second range of frequencies, the acoustic waveguide comprises:
a first mounting portion that connects to the first driver in a first orientation;
a second mounting portion spaced apart from the first mounting portion and that connects to the second mounting location in a second orientation not parallel with the first orientation;
a first sound channel coupled to a front portion of the acoustic waveguide and to the first mounting portion, wherein the first sound channel is configured to carry the first sound signals from the first driver to the front portion of the acoustic waveguide; and
a second sound channel coupled to the front portion and to the second mounting portion, wherein the second sound channel is isolated from the first sound channel and is configured to carry the second sound signals from the second driver to the front portion of the acoustic waveguide, wherein the first and second sound signals exit the waveguide through the front portion of the acoustic waveguide.
20. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a sound port below the first mounting portion, wherein the first sound channel is coupled to the sound port.
21. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of sound channels that include the first sound channel, wherein the plurality of sound channels are coupled to the front portion of the acoustic waveguide and to the first mounting portion, wherein each sound channel of the plurality of sound channels has a path length substantially equal to the path lengths of the other sound channels of the plurality of sound channels.
22. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first sound channel has a first portion adjacent to an opening in the first mounting portion and has a first channel width, and the first sound channel has a second portion adjacent to the front portion, wherein the second portion flares to a second channel width greater than the first channel width.
23. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 22 wherein the second sound channel has a third portion adjacent to the second mounting portion and has a third channel width, and the second sound channel has a fourth portion adjacent to front portion, wherein the fourth portion flares to a fourth channel width greater than the third channel width.
24. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 23 wherein the second width is equal to the fourth width.
25. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first sound channel is connected to a first opening in the front portion, and the second sound channel is connected to a second opening in the front portion and adjacent to the first opening.
26. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 25 wherein the first opening is separated from and immediately adjacent to the second opening.
27. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of sound channels that include the first sound channel, wherein the plurality of sound channels are coupled to the front portion of the acoustic waveguide and to the first mounting portion, wherein the second sound channel is interleaved within the plurality of sound channels.
28. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 27 wherein each sound channel of the plurality of sound channels has a path length substantially equal to the path lengths of the other sound channels of the first plurality of sound channels.
29. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a plurality of sound channels that include the second sound channel, wherein the plurality of sound channels are coupled to a front portion of the acoustic waveguide and to the second mounting portion, wherein each sound channel of the plurality of sound channels has a path length substantially equal to the path lengths of the other sound channels of the plurality of sound channels.
30. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first sound channel has a first path length, and second sound channel has a second path length different than the first path length of the first sound channel.
31. The acoustic waveguide assembly as claimed in claim 19 wherein the acoustic waveguide adjacent to the front portion is configured to attach to a speaker horn.
32. An acoustic waveguide assembly, comprising:
a first driver that generates first sound signals;
a second driver that generates second sound signals;
an acoustic waveguide comprising:
a housing;
a first mounting portion on the housing and configured to connect to and support the first driver at a first orientation;
a second mounting portion on the housing spaced apart from the first mounting portion and configured to connect to and support the second driver at a second orientation different than the first orientation;
a first sound channel in the housing coupled to the first mounting portion and configured to carry the first sound signals away from the first driver; and
a second sound channel in the housing coupled to the second mounting portion and configured to carry the second sound signals away from the second driver, wherein the second sound channel is isolated from the first sound channel.
33. The acoustic waveguide assembly as claimed in claim 32 wherein the housing has a sound port adjacent to the first mounting portion, and the first sound channel is coupled to the sound port.
34. The acoustic waveguide assembly as claimed in claim 32, further comprising a plurality of sound channels that include the first sound channel, wherein the plurality of sound channels are coupled to a front portion of the housing and to the first mounting portion, wherein each sound channel of the plurality of sound channels has a path length substantially equal to the path lengths of the other sound channels of the plurality of sound channels.
35. The acoustic waveguide as claimed in claim 34 wherein the first sound channel is connected to a first opening in the front portion, and the second sound channel is connected to a second opening in the front portion and adjacent to the first opening.
36. A method of making an acoustic waveguide for use with a first driver that generates first sound signals and a second driver that generates second sound signals, the method comprising:
forming a first mounting portion configured to connect to the first driver in a first orientation;
forming a second mounting portion spaced apart from the first mounting portion and configured to connect to a second mounting location in a second orientation not parallel with the first orientation; and
forming a body portion coupled to the first and second mounting portions, wherein the body has:
a first sound channel coupled to a front portion of the body portion and to the first mounting portion, wherein the first sound channel is configured to carry the first sound signals from the first driver to the front portion; and
a second sound channel coupled to the front portion and to the second mounting portion, wherein the second sound channel is isolated from the first sound channel and is configured to carry the second sound signals from the second driver to the front portion, wherein the first and second sound signals exit the waveguide through the front portion of the acoustic waveguide.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, further comprising connecting the first driver to the first mounting portion.
38. The method as claimed in claim 36, further comprising connecting the second driver to the second mounting portion.
39. The method as claimed in claim 36, further comprising connecting a speaker horn to the front portion of the acoustic waveguide.
40. A method of directing sound through a waveguide, comprising:
directing first sound signals from a first driver into a first inlet aperture of the waveguide, wherein the first sound signals are within a first range of frequencies;
directing second sound signals from a second driver into a second inlet aperture of the waveguide, wherein the second sound signals are within a second range different than the first range of frequencies, and wherein the second inlet aperture is spaced apart from the first inlet aperture;
directing the first sound signals through a first sound channel coupled to the first inlet aperture and to a first outlet opening;
directing the second sound signals through a plurality of second sound channels coupled to the second inlet aperture and to a plurality of second outlet openings, wherein first outlet opening is interleaved with the plurality of second outlet openings, and wherein the first sound channel is interleaved with the plurality of second sound channels; and
substantially simultaneously directing the first sound signals out of the acoustic waveguide through the first outlet opening and directing the second sound signals out of the acoustic waveguide through the plurality of second outlet openings.