US3814857A — Two-way loudspeaker system with two tandem-connec…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 361 words

In a two-way loudspeaker system of the type having a crossover network to divide the loudspeaker systems entire frequency coverage between a low-frequency speaker and highfrequency speaker means, the improvement wherein said highfrequency speaker means comprises a two-speaker array incorporating two basically identical widerange dynamic loudspeakers, each having a curvilinear cone with a voice coil coaxial with the apex of the cone, said loudspeakers being equal to each other in size and construction throughout, with the exception that in one of them a dust cap covers the voice coil at the apex area, and that in the other loudspeaker there is no dust cap there, but instead there are means for shifting sound energy from a small circular area to a relatively large radiating surface to produce an abrupt increase in acoustic output in said other loudspeaker in a restricted frequency range, said means comprising a thin lightweight dome which covers the voice coil at the apex area, said dome being positioned so that its perimeter makes contact with the curvilinear cone at a circular line describing the approximate perimeter of its apex area to transfer onto the dome the sound energy in said restricted frequency range which would normally respond to mechanical resonances found at said circular line, the speaker having the dust cap cover having the entire radiating surface of its curvilinear cone exposed, said dust cap being attached directly over its said voice coil, the two speakers forming the two-speaker array being connected in parallel so that both speakers are driven together simultaneously to cover the same high-frequency range assignment in said two-way loudspeaker system, said two speakers of said array being equally efficient in that region of their common high frequency assignment where their equal output is affected by their equally constructed and equally exposed cone surfaces, but being unequal in efficiency in the higher region of this same common assignment where their differences in output are due to the stated differences in construction at their apex areas such that the individual outputs of said high-frequency speakers are complementary and their combined output produces a substantially uniform level of acoustic output throughout their commonly assigned frequency range.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 361 words

In a two-way loudspeaker system of the type having a crossover network to divide the loudspeaker systems entire frequency coverage between a low-frequency speaker and highfrequency speaker means, the improvement wherein said highfrequency speaker means comprises a two-speaker array incorporating two basically identical widerange dynamic loudspeakers, each having a curvilinear cone with a voice coil coaxial with the apex of the cone, said loudspeakers being equal to each other in size and construction throughout, with the exception that in one of them a dust cap covers the voice coil at the apex area, and that in the other loudspeaker there is no dust cap there, but instead there are means for shifting sound energy from a small circular area to a relatively large radiating surface to produce an abrupt increase in acoustic output in said other loudspeaker in a restricted frequency range, said means comprising a thin lightweight dome which covers the voice coil at the apex area, said dome being positioned so that its perimeter makes contact with the curvilinear cone at a circular line describing the approximate perimeter of its apex area to transfer onto the dome the sound energy in said restricted frequency range which would normally respond to mechanical resonances found at said circular line, the speaker having the dust cap cover having the entire radiating surface of its curvilinear cone exposed, said dust cap being attached directly over its said voice coil, the two speakers forming the two-speaker array being connected in parallel so that both speakers are driven together simultaneously to cover the same high-frequency range assignment in said two-way loudspeaker system, said two speakers of said array being equally efficient in that region of their common high frequency assignment where their equal output is affected by their equally constructed and equally exposed cone surfaces, but being unequal in efficiency in the higher region of this same common assignment where their differences in output are due to the stated differences in construction at their apex areas such that the individual outputs of said high-frequency speakers are complementary and their combined output produces a substantially uniform level of acoustic output throughout their commonly assigned frequency range.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

The loudspeaker system of claim 1 wherein said dome is thin lightweight aluminum.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 162 words

The loudspeaker system of claim 2 wherein the perimeter of the aluminum dome is positioned at the circular line which substantially describes the perimeter of the apex area of its said speaker''s curvilinear cone, whereby said domed speaker produces a relative increase in its acoustic output over the same frequency region where the other said speaker in said two-speaker array exhibits a loss in output, the circular line of contact being made between the thin lightweight dome and curvilinear cone of one of these two speakers at the locus where it simultaneously arrests any further undue losses in acoustic output and resolves any undue peak in output as may be due principally to inadequacies in the resonating properties at the apex areas of either of the two speakers, thereby establishing a total level of acoustic output from both speakers that is substantially more uniform than either of the two speakers in said two-speaker array can produce independently throughout the same high-frequency assignment.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 352 words

An improved two-speaker high-frequency array, comprising two wide-range dynamic loudspeakers, driven together and connected in parallel to cover the same high-frequency range assignment in a two-way loudspeaker system, each said loudspeaker in said array having a curvilinear cone and a moving voice coil coaxial with the apex of said cone, both said loudspeakers being identical in size and construction throughout, with the exception that only one of these two speakers has a centrally located paper dust cap and the other one only utilizes a thin lightweight dome, larger in size than said centrally located dust cap, which it replaces in that speaker, said dome being forward-looking in shape and being positioned to substantially cover the sharp conical section at the apex area of this speaker''s curvilinear cone, whereas the first named said loudspeaker of said two-speaker array has no such dome and its said dust cap lies directly over its said voice coil, this loudspeaker''s entire curvilinear cone being exposed, said two loudspeakers being different in construction only at their apex areas, with the result that their polar responses differ from each other only in that higher frequency region of their common assignment where their acoustic output is affected by their differences in construction at their apex areas, thus establishing two separate but combined angular patterns of sound radiation emanating from the combination of the dome at the apex of one said loudspeaker and the sharp angular section of the exposed apex area of the other said loudspeaker, their dispersion pattern as well as the efficiency of said two Loudspeakers remaining equal to each other in the region of their common assignment where their acoustic output is affected by their identically exposed curvilinear cone surfaces, but their dispersion patterns and their efficiency being different from each other only in the higher region of their common assignment where their acoustic output is affected by differences in construction that exist between them at their apex areas, whereby the individual outputs of said high-frequency speakers are complementary and their combined output produces a substantially uniform level of acoustic output throughout their commonly assigned frequency range.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 352 words

An improved two-speaker high-frequency array, comprising two wide-range dynamic loudspeakers, driven together and connected in parallel to cover the same high-frequency range assignment in a two-way loudspeaker system, each said loudspeaker in said array having a curvilinear cone and a moving voice coil coaxial with the apex of said cone, both said loudspeakers being identical in size and construction throughout, with the exception that only one of these two speakers has a centrally located paper dust cap and the other one only utilizes a thin lightweight dome, larger in size than said centrally located dust cap, which it replaces in that speaker, said dome being forward-looking in shape and being positioned to substantially cover the sharp conical section at the apex area of this speaker''s curvilinear cone, whereas the first named said loudspeaker of said two-speaker array has no such dome and its said dust cap lies directly over its said voice coil, this loudspeaker''s entire curvilinear cone being exposed, said two loudspeakers being different in construction only at their apex areas, with the result that their polar responses differ from each other only in that higher frequency region of their common assignment where their acoustic output is affected by their differences in construction at their apex areas, thus establishing two separate but combined angular patterns of sound radiation emanating from the combination of the dome at the apex of one said loudspeaker and the sharp angular section of the exposed apex area of the other said loudspeaker, their dispersion pattern as well as the efficiency of said two Loudspeakers remaining equal to each other in the region of their common assignment where their acoustic output is affected by their identically exposed curvilinear cone surfaces, but their dispersion patterns and their efficiency being different from each other only in the higher region of their common assignment where their acoustic output is affected by differences in construction that exist between them at their apex areas, whereby the individual outputs of said high-frequency speakers are complementary and their combined output produces a substantially uniform level of acoustic output throughout their commonly assigned frequency range.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 172 words

The high-frequency array of claim 4 wherein said thin lightweight dome is positioned at a circular perimeter line of contact describing within it the greater part of the apex area of its said loudspeaker''s curvilinear cone, thereby causing its said loudspeaker to produce an increase in output in its independent operation resulting from the dome''s position, whereas the other speaker of said high-frequency array, having no dome at the apex of its curvilinear cone, exhibits a characteristic loss in output in its independent operation; the increase in output caused by the dome of one said loudspeaker occurring over the same frequency range as when a loss in output is exhibited by the other speaker''s exposed and less efficient conical apex area, whereby through the combination of the independent characteristics of both said loudspeakers a confluence of two sound radiating sources produces a smoother level of acoustic output as well as a broader pattern of dispersion than either of these two loudspeakers could produce independently within the same frequency range under equal conditions.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 64 words

The two-speaker high-frequency array of claim 4 wherein both said loudspeakers are mounted in a plane on a flat baffle, so that sound waves emanating from their identically exposed and identically constructed cone surfaces are simultaneously radiated in substantially identical angular patterns, whereas the sound waves emanating from their differently exposed and differently constructed apex areas are simultaneously radiated in substantially different angular patterns.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 113 words

The two-speaker high-frequency array of claim 4 wherein both said loudspeakers are identically constructed except at their apex areas thereby retaining equal efficiency, equal polar response, and equal frequency response for both speakers in the lower frequency region of their common assignment, where all of these performance characteristics for both of these loudspeakers are adequate, but wherein the unique differences at their apex areas distinguish them differently from each other in their efficiency, polar response, and frequency response for the higher region of their common frequency assignment where their adequate performance is dependent only upon differences made in construction between them as are required and as are therefore confined to their apex areas.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-06-03	1977-12-03	1978-06-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-06-03	1981-12-03	1982-06-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-06-03	1985-12-03	1986-06-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Two-way loudspeaker system with two tandem-connected high-range speakers

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