This invention provides a radiation boundary integrator ("RBI") for
integrating sound radiation from mid-range and high-frequency sources in
multi-way loudspeakers. The RBI is a substantially solid boundary that is
placed over the mid-range speakers to provide smooth, wave-guiding side
walls to control the angular radiation of the high-frequency sound waves
emanating from the high-frequency sound sources. To allow the mid-range
frequency sound waves generated from mid-range sound sources to pass
through the RBI, the RBI is designed with openings. To further prevent
the possibility of having high-frequency sound radiate through the
openings in the RBI, the RBI may be designed with porous material in the
openings of the RBI. The porous material would be transparent to the
mid-range sound radiation, but would prevent the high-frequency sound
radiation from being disturbed by the openings in the RBI. As such, the
RBI provides an outer or front surface area that forms an acoustical
barrier to high frequencies radiating across the front surface, yet is
acoustically transparent to mid-range frequencies radiating through
openings in the RBI. The RBI may also serve as a volume displacement
device to compression-load the mid-range sound sources by contouring the
back side of the RBI to the shape of the mid-range sound sources thus
reducing the space between the RBI and the mid-range sound sources and
loading the mid-range sound sources to generate greater mid-range sound
energy.