Wide range speaker system

Claim 2

A wide range speaker system comprising: a base member defining an air chamber which is acoustically sealed except for an upwardly facing opening; mounted over said opening, a cone type woofer having a downwardly facing cone with attached cylindrical voice coil, a magnetic structure forming a cylindrical magnetic gap providing a radial polarizing field for said voice coil and a relatively open basket structure extending upwardly from said opening for supporting said magnetic structure, said cone being flexibly connected to said basket structure around the periphery of said cone; supported by said basket structure, diffuser means providing a reflecting surface for midrange acoustic components radiated from the back side of said cone, said surface being generally in the shape of an inverted cone which curves outwardly in radial section as it rises from said woofer; and a circular array of outwardly facing tweeter elements mounted around the periphery of said diffuser just above said reflecting surface.

Claim 3

A speaker system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tweeter elements are electrostatic radiators.

Claim 4

A speaker system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base member is essentially box-like in configuration and contains acoustic fiberglass damping material.

Claim 5

A speaker system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said diffuser means comprises a central cavity which fits closely over said magnet structure so that the diffuser means and said tweeter elements are supported by said basket structure through said magnetic structure.

Claim 6

A speaker system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said diffuser means is a plastic part comprising, in addition to said reflecting surface, a central cavity for receiving the woofer magnetic structure and an annular rim around the periphery of said reflecting surface.

Claim 7

A speaker system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said diffuser is a vacuum molded plastic part.

Claim 8

A speaker system as set forth in claim 5 further including a flat disk-like cover bridging the diffuser across said rim.

Claim 9

A wide range speaker system comprising: a box-like base member defining an air chamber which is acoustically sealed except for an upwardly facing circular opening; mounted over said opening, a cone type woofer having a downwardly facing cone with attached cylindrical voice coil, a generally cylindrical magnetic structure forming a circular magnetic gap providing a radial polarizing field for said voice coil and a relatively open basket structure extending upwardly from said opening for supporting said magnetic structure, said cone being flexibly connected to said basket structure around the periphery of said cone; above said woofer, diffuser means providing a reflecting surface for midrange acoustic components radiated from the back side of said cone, said surface being generally in the shape of an inverted cone which curves outwardly in radial section as it rises from said woofer, said diffuser means comprising a vacuum molded plastic part providing, in addition to said reflecting surface, a central cavity for receiving said magnetic structure and a rim extending upwardly from the periphery of said reflecting surface; and mounted in respective apertures in said rim, a circular array of outwardly facing electrostatic radiators mounted around the periphery of said diffuser.

Claim 10

A wide range speaker system comprising: a box-like base member defining an air chamber which is acoustically sealed except for an upwardly facing circular opening; mounted over said opening, a cone type woofer having a downwardly facing cone with attached cylindrical voice coil, a generally cylindrical magnetic structure forming a circular magnetic gap providing a radial polarizing field for said voice coil and a relatively open basket structure extending upwardly from said opening for supporting said magnetic structure, said cone being flexibly connected to said basket structure around the periphery of said cone; above said woofer, diffuser means providing a reflecting surface for midrange acoustic components radiated from the back side of said cone, said surface being generally in the shape of an inverted cone which curves outwardly in radial section as it rises from said woofer, said diffuser means comprising a vacuum molded plastic part providing, in addition to said reflecting surface, a central cavity for receiving said magnetic structure and a rim extending upwardly from the periphery of said reflecting surface; and mounted in respective apertures in said rim, a circular array of outwardly facing electrostatic radiators mounted around the periphery of said diffuser.