Patent ID: 7903834

Claim:
Sound generating apparatus comprising: front and back panel members, the front and back panel members having a generally rectangular form and being shaped along their axes of elongation to conform to a curve of a uniform radius or a curve of progressively varying radii; the front and back panel members being disposed substantially adjacent one another along a major surface of each; rectangular apertures through the front and back panel members extending in the direction of elongation of the front and back panel members; and a diaphragm positioned between the front and back panel members, the diaphragm having major surfaces in contact with the major surfaces of the front and back panel members, the major surfaces of the diaphragm being bent to conform to the curve of the front and back panel members, and with the diaphragm being substantially aligned with the apertures through the front and back panels for forming a planar loudspeaker for emitting sound; and diaphragm braces extending across the rectangular apertures in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the rectangular apertures, the diaphragm braces depending from the front and back panel members and abutting the diaphragm along both major faces to divide the diaphragm into sections which can vibrate independently of one another and which stepwise conform to the curve of uniform radius or of progressively varying radii.