Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »
Advanced Patent Search | Web History | Sign in

Patents

A sound transmitting system has a large speaker mounted in a chamber formed in an article of furniture under the thorax area of a person resting on the article of furniture. A pair of arcuate members are mounted on the article of furniture at the person's head and have four distinct loudspeaker chambers enclosed therein for directing multichannel or single channel sound into the ears of the person. Each semicircular arcuate portion has a pair of speakers separated by an internal bulkhead mounted in the chambers thereof.

Inventor: Charles J. Abbeloos
Current U.S. Classification: 297/217.4; 5/904; 297/391; 297/452.17; 312/7.1
International Classification: A47C 742

View patent at USPTO
Search USPTO Assignment Database

Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US3124389Sep 7, 1961Mar 10, 1964 MI KAN
US3156500Jan 14, 1963Nov 10, 1964DENTAL CHAIR COMPONENT
US3397286Sep 17, 1964Aug 13, 1968FOUR-SPEAKER ADJUSTABLE STEREO SOUND SYSTEM
US3922034Apr 9, 19751975ARMORED HEADREST

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US4507816Dec 21, 1983Apr 2, 1985Waterbed with sound wave system
US4660561Oct 26, 1984Apr 28, 1987Solana, Inc.Fixture for skin tanning by selective light source
US4683888May 19, 1986Aug 4, 1987Audio sound system for a tanning system
US4757548Dec 2, 1985Jul 12, 1988Speaker system and dome-shaped enclosure therefor
US4790593Oct 23, 1986Dec 13, 1988Protective support assembly for an occupant of a vehicle
US5097821Aug 31, 1988Mar 24, 1992Somatic musical exposure system
US5141285Feb 24, 1989Aug 25, 1992Relaxation chair
US5143055Oct 3, 1991Sep 1, 1992Somatic acoustic chair
US5216769Sep 3, 1992Jun 8, 1993Foldable bed
US5368359Aug 31, 1992Nov 29, 1994Acoustical chair with sound enhancing hood
US5684879Jan 19, 1996Nov 4, 1997Combination head mounted speaker assembly and multi-channel audio processing system
US5887071Aug 7, 1996Mar 23, 1999Harman International Industries, IncorporatedDipole speaker headrests
US6544165Jul 23, 1999Apr 8, 2003Method and apparatus for applying frequency vibrations therapeutically
US6991289Jul 31, 2003Jan 31, 2006Harman International Industries, IncorporatedSeatback audio system
US7035422Apr 12, 2000Apr 25, 2006Soundtube Entertainment, Inc.Wearable speaker garments
US7153249May 24, 2002Dec 26, 2006Narrow weight training bench for full shoulder movement and with injury preventing spine conforming contour
US7418108Feb 18, 2005Aug 26, 2008So Sound Solutions, LLCTransducer for tactile applications and apparatus incorporating transducers
US7440581Apr 24, 2006Oct 21, 2008Soundtube Entertainment, Inc.Backpack with integrated speakers
US7466832Jul 31, 2003Dec 16, 2008Harman International Industries, IncorporatedSeatback audio controller
US7654949Nov 27, 2006Feb 2, 2010Apparatus, system, and method for creating an individually balanceable environment of sound and light
US7753163Sep 13, 2002Jul 13, 20109168-1478 Quebec Inc.Multi-frequency acoustic vibration transmission method and system
US7846084Jul 18, 2007Dec 7, 2010Apparatus, system, and method for creating an individually balanceable environment of sound and light
US7981064Aug 9, 2006Jul 19, 2011So Sound Solutions, LLCSystem and method for integrating transducers into body support structures
US8077884Jun 13, 2008Dec 13, 2011So Sound Solutions, LLCActuation of floor systems using mechanical and electro-active polymer transducers
US8117699Jan 29, 2010Feb 21, 2012Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Sound conditioning system
USRE41384Apr 27, 2009Jun 22, 2010Harman International Industries, IncorporatedDipole speaker headrests

Claims

1. A sound transmitting system for entertaining and relaxing a person resting on an article of furniture from an outside audio source, said person having a body with a thorax, a head and ears on the head and said article of furniture having a surface supporting the person and a chamber formed therein under the area of the thorax of the person, said sound transmitting system comprising

a thorax speaker mounted in the chamber formed in the article of furniture and positioned to broadcast sound toward the thorax of the person on the surface of said article of furniture;
a pair of arcuate members substantially coplanarly mounted on said article of furniture at the head of the person but spaced therefrom, said arcuate members being of essentially semicylindrical configuration each extending at a corresponding side of the person's head, said arcuate members having free ends spaced from each other above the head of the person and spaced therefrom, each of said arcuate members having chambers formed therein; and
a plurality of speakers mounted in the arcuate members and positioned to broadcast sound toward the ears of the person, the plurality of speakers and the thorax speaker being electrically connected to the outside audio source whereby the person hears stereophonic sound including high and low frequencies from said plurality of speakers and feels low frequency sound via the thoracic region of the body.

2. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said arcuate members has a pair of independent airtight chambers therein and a speaker is mounted in each of said airtight chambers.

3. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article of furniture comprises a couch, sofa, reclining chair, and the like.

4. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article of furniture comprises a seat in a public place.

5. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the article of furniture is a seat in a vehicle, craft, vessel, and the like.

6. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arcuate members are removably affixed to said article of furniture.

7. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the chambers of each of said arcuate members is in a first portion of said arcuate member close to said article of furniture and the other of said chambers is in a second portion of said arcuate member in the area of the free end thereof, and further comprising a pair of bulkheads each separating the chambers in a corresponding one of said arcuate members.

8. A sound transmitting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the speaker in the chamber of the first portion of each of said arcuate members is angled upward to an ear of the person and the speaker in the chamber of the second portion of each of said arcuate members is angled downward to an ear of said person.

Drawings