Automotive vehicle sound distribution system

Claim 1

A sound distribution system for an automotive vehicle having front seat and rear seat passenger areas, comprising: an audio signal source; first and second grounded speakers each having the same given resistance for servicing the front seat and rear seat passenger areas, respectively; switching means manually operable between a deactuated condition and an actuated condition, the switching means having a first set of contacts which are closed in the deactuated condition and which are opened in the actuated condition, the switching means having a second set of contacts which are opened in the deactuated condition and which are closed in the actuated condition; a first fader including first and second relatively movable members, the first member including a resistor portion having first and second ends, the second member including first and second wipers mounted for contacting with the resistor portion of the first member, the first end of the resistor portion connected to the second speaker indirectly through the first set of contacts, the first and second wipers connected to the audio signal source directly, the first and second movable members of the first fader manually operable from the front seat passenger area to move the first wiper across the resistor portion toward the second end to increase the resistance presented between the first speaker and the audio signal source thereby to fade the overall sound level of the first speaker and to move the second wiper across the resistor toward the first end to increase the resistance presented between the second speaker and the audio signal source thereby to fade the overall sound level of the second speaker when the switching means is in the deactuated condition; a second fader including first and second relatively movable members, the first member including a resistor portion having first and second ends, the second member including a wiper mounted for contacting with the resistor portion of the first member, the first end of the resistor portion connected to the second speaker directly, the wiper connected to the audio signal source indirectly through the second set of contacts, the first and second members of the second fader manually operable from the rear seat passenger area to move the wiper over the resistor toward the second end to increase the effective resistance presented between the second speaker and the audio signal source thereby to fade the overall sound level of the second speaker when the Switching means is in the actuated condition; and a grounded resistor having the same given resistance as the first and second speakers connected to the second end of the resistor portion of the second fader such that the given resistance represents the maximum load to which the audio signal source is subjected regardless of the operation of the first and second faders.