Abstract:
A sound enhancer for use with a speaker assembly having front and rear sides, comprising an enclosure forming first and second hollow portions, the enclosure defining a cradling zone to receive the speaker assembly in an angularly cradled position; the first hollow portions defining an inlet to directly receive sound transmitted from the rear side of the speaker assembly, in a direction opposite to sound transmission from the front side of the speaker assembly; and the enclosure hollow portions having walls to re-direct sound received by the enclosure first hollow portion into the enclosure second hollow portion, and then toward an outlet defined by enclosure second hollow portions. A doubled-up, series megaphone effect is achieved.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of loud speaker equipment and more particularly to a sound enhancing speaker cabinet for removable speaker assemblies. 
     Portable speaker equipment, particularly amplifiers for electronic amplification of musical instruments, have been produced with acoustical speakers mounted in speaker enclosures. Of particular concern are guitar amplifiers used to amplify electric guitar music. These amplifiers or speaker assemblies are often two to three feet high and are positioned on the ground or on the stage behind a musician. The front of the speaker enclosure generally has an opening through which the speaker transmits or directs the primary portion of the acoustic energy and a substantially open rear wall through which a secondary portion of the acoustical energy is directed. Normally the speaker assembly directs the sound along a horizontal axis toward or pointed at the audience; while the secondary portion of the acoustical energy is directed away from the audience with this energy being essentially lost or wasted. 
     A frequent problem for the performing musician is that it is difficult to hear oneself playing with the typical loud speaker equipment. Since the speaker assemblies are generally two to three feet tall and are placed on the ground level behind the musician, the primary portion of the sound is directed horizontally about the knee-level of the musician. This results in too little sound reaching the height of the musician&#39;s ears for monitoring. 
     The present invention is a speaker cabinet for positioning a typical speaker assembly having such an open back. The present speaker cabinet captures the secondary portion of the acoustical energy and redirects it in the desired direction. Additionally, the speaker assembly is slanted upwardly to allow the performing musician to better hear himself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention redirects the secondary portion of an audio output from a removable speaker assembly of the type having a speaker housing or enclosure with a front side though which a primary portion of the audio output from at least one acoustic device or speaker enclosed in the housing is directed and with a substantially open rear side opposite the front side through which the secondary portion of the audio output is transmitted. An enclosure is formed having front and back sides, upper and lower sides, and side walls. The enclosure has a substantially hollow interior. Positioning means with the front side of the enclosure removably maintains the rear side of the removable speaker assembly adjacent a first side of the front side of the enclosure. Sound transmitting means with the first area of the front side of the enclosure communicates the secondary portion of the audio output from the removable speaker assembly into the hollow interior of the enclosure. Redirecting means communicates with the hollow interior of the enclosure for directing the secondary portion of the audio output from the interior essentially in the direction of the primary portion of the audio output from the removable speaker assembly. The speaker assembly is typically cradled above hollow interiors of the enclosure that form successively divergent sound transmitting zones to re-direct sound with a doubled-up series megaphone effect. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 
    
    
     DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention with a removable speaker assembly; and 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A sound enhancing cabinet C is adapted to redirect a secondary portion S of an audio output from a removable speaker assembly A of the type having a speaker housing  10  with a front side  10   f  through which side  10   f  a primary portion P of the audio output from at least one acoustic device  12  enclosed in the housing  10  is directed. The sound enhancing cabinet C includes an enclosure E formed to have a front side F and back side B, an upper side U and lower side L, and side walls or panels  14   r  and  14   l . The enclosure E has a substantially hollow interior I. Positioning means N together with the front side F of the enclosure E removably maintains a rear side  10   r  of the speaker assembly A adjacent a first area  16  of the front side F of the enclosure E. Sound transmitting means T with the first area  16  of the front side F communicates the secondary portion S of the audio output from the removable speaker assembly A into the hollow interior I. Redirecting means R communicates with the hollow interior I for directing the secondary portion S of the audio output from the interior I toward a desired direction. 
     The removable speaker assembly or amplifier A typically has a speaker housing or enclosure  10  with a front side  10   f  and a rear side  10   r . At least one acoustical device or speaker  12  is mounted within the speaker housing  10  and when energized directs a primary portion P of the audio output through the front side  10   f  of the speaker housing  10 . The rear side  10   r  is substantially open and a secondary portion S of the audio output passes through the opening  10   n  in a direction generally opposite that of the primary portion P. 
     The speaker assembly A includes an electronic amplifier  10   a  with adjusting knobs  10   k  to amplify the electrical signals from musical instruments. Feet lot may be provided for support of the speaker assembly A. The front  10   f  of the speaker assembly  10   a  may be covered with a grille-cloth  10   q  to cover the speaker  12  while allowing the passage of the audio energy through the cloth without substantial degradation of the audio output. 
     The sound enhancing cabinet C includes the enclosure E formed to have panels defining a front side F, back side B, upper side U, lower side L and two side walls  14   r  and  14     1   . The enclosure E has a substantially hollow interior I. 
     The positioning means N with the front side F of the enclosure E removably maintains the rear side  10   r  of the speaker assembly A adjacent a first area  16  of the front side E of the enclosure E. Preferably, positioning means N maintains the removable speaker assembly A in a slanted or cradled position whereby the speaker assembly A directs the primary portion P of the audio output above a horizontal axis H. Referring to FIG. 2 the arrow H shows the horizontal axis relative to the sound enhancing cabinet C, and the arrow P generally depicts the direction in which the speaker  12  points or directs the primary portion P of the audio output. 
     The sound transmitting means T (FIG. 2) with the first area  16  of the front side F of the enclosure E communicates the secondary portion S of the audio output from the removable speaker assembly A into the hollow interior I of the enclosure E. Preferably the narrowed upper extent of the sound transmitting means T is an aperture or opening  24  formed in the first area  16  of the front side  10   f  of the enclosure E. Aperture  24  and opening  10   n  of speaker assembly A are of complementary sizes such that when speaker assembly A is cradle-positioned on the sound enhancing cabinet C, essentially all of the secondary portion of the audio output is communicated rearwardly and downwardly into the interior I of the enclosure E. A strip  26  attached to the side of the first area  16  adjacent speaker assembly A extends around opening  24  to cushion the speaker assembly A against the front side F of the enclosure E. The strip  216  also acts as a sound seal between the enclosure E and the speaker assembly A. 
     The redirecting means R communicates with the hollow interior I of the enclosure E for directing the secondary portion S of the audio output from the interior I essentially in the direction of the primary portion P of the audio output from the removable speaker assembly A. Rear wall panel B reflects sound downwardly and forwardly, toward bottom wall panel L from which sound waves are directed forwardly to exit at  20   f . Referring to FIG. 2, the arrow  5  representing the secondary portion of the audio output exiting from the redirecting means R is essentially parallel to the horizontal axis H, and generally in the same direction as the primary audio output portion P, although it is to be recognized that the primary portion may point or be directed above the horizontal axis H. 
     Preferably, the positioning means N is a shelf  18  extending from the front side F of the enclosure E. The shelf  18  should be of suitable dimensions and angled to adequately support the speaker assembly A while positioning the speaker assembly A in the desired placement adjacent the first area  16  of the front side F of the enclosure E. Angular cradling of the assembly A causes weight exertion against cushion strip  26  about the opening  24 , for sound sealing. In FIG. 1, redirecting means R is a duct  20  having panel sides  20   a, b, c  and  d  for channeling the secondary portion S of the audio output from the interior I through narrowed rear opening  20   r  and enlarged front opening  20   f . The shelf  18  may form the upper side  20   d  of the duct  20 . Alternatively, if shelf  18  and upper side  20   d  are separate, face plate  20   f  forms a frontal piece bridging the gap between shelf  18  and upper side panel  20   b . Upper side  20   d  may be formed either curved or straight. In FIG. 2, the lower side L is shown extended to form the bottom wall  20   b  of duct  20 . Duct interior  20   c  diverges forwardly from a narrowed region to provide a megaphone sound effect. Note also that the hollow interior X of enclosure first portion Y diverges downwardly from a narrowed region Z to produce a first megaphone effect, and that coupled with the megaphone effect of duct interior  20   c  produces a doubled-up, and series megaphone, sound enhancing effect. Angled stabilized cradling of the speaker assembly A contributes to enclosure panel formation of megaphone regions X and  20   c.    
     Handle  22  is shown attached to side  141  enclosure E in FIG. 1 to assist in transporting the present invention. 
     In construction of the present invention, it is contemplated to employ sheet or panel material for the wall elements and while this sheet material may be a variety of types, including plastic materials, it is preferred to employ a relatively thin plywood of the order of ⅛ to ½ inch thickness. The construction further contemplates that all the joints may be adhesively bonded, for instance with epoxy type adhesive. The strip  26  generally is a felt cloth stripping, or equivalent, affixed to the side of first area  16  adjacent the speaker assembly A. 
     Although some openings other than openings  24 ,  20   r  and  20   f  could be provided in the enclosure, it is preferred to provide an enclosure which has substantially no other openings. 
     The present invention may be arranged to accommodate speaker assemblies of various kinds and sizes. Preferably the dimensions of aperture  24  and shelf  18  are suitable for the selected speaker assembly A. 
     Operation 
     In operation of the present invention a selected speaker assembly A is placed upon shelf  18  with the rear side  10   r  of the speaker assembly adjacent the first area  16  of the front side F of the enclosure E. The opening  10   n  in speaker assembly A should be adjacent the aperture  24  in the first area  16  of the enclosure E. The primary portion P of the audio output generated by the speaker  12  is pointed in the desired direction determined by the angle at which support shelf  18  is slanted above the horizontal axis H. The secondary portion S of the audio output is communicated first through the opening  10   n  in the rear side  10   r  of the speaker assembly A then through the aperture  24  into the interior I of enclosure E. The secondary portion S of the audio output is then reflected in the interior I against the various walls such as the back B, and sides  14   l  and  14   r . The secondary portion S of the audio output is then communicated through the rear opening  20   r  of the duct  20  and finally exits forwardly from opening  20   f  of duct  20  being directed in generally the same direction as the primary portion P of the audio output. As referred to, a doubled, i.e. sequential series dual megaphone effect is achieved, associated with positioning, such as angular cradling, of the speaker assembly. A sound amplification enhancement effect can thereby be achieved. From the foregoing, it will be noted that the hollow interior of the enclosure or cabinet includes or defines first and second hollow portions defining sequentially related megaphones; each megaphone flaring from a narrow region; the narrow region of one megaphone (region Z, for example) located adjacent the sound input opening  24 ; and the one megaphone flaring toward the narrow region of the other megaphone ( 20   c  for example). A shelf  18  is enabled to be above the narrowed region of megaphone  20   c , and with angularity due to that narrowed region to provide cradling for the speaker assembly adjacent both megaphones, for a highly compact, and sound producing efficient, assembly. 
     Alternative Embodiment 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show the redirecting means R beneath the positioning means N. Alternatively, redirecting means may be placed or located above or to either side of the amplifier or speaker assembly A as long as the sound enhancing cabinet C captures the secondary portion S of the audio output from the speaker assembly A and redirects the secondary portion S in the desired direction. 
     Yet another alternative embodiment is forming a bulbous or rounded shaped back side B of the enclosure E which would function as the upper side U and the back B. Such a bulbous back B may also be formed to include the side walls  14   l  and  14   r  in a single curved segment. 
     With the present invention, the secondary portion S of the audio output which has heretofore been lost is now captured and redirected toward the desired location, such as toward an audience. Having the speaker assembly A maintained in a slanted position improves the level of the sound being transmitted fowardly and upwardly to the musical performer, for monitoring the speaker assembly A without sound loss to the audience direction or volume. 
     By placing an amplifier or speaker assembly A onto the sound enhancing cabinet C of the present invention, the lower and higher frequency responses are expanded for detection. 
     The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention.