Methods and systems for acoustically treating material are described. Acoustic energy is emitted into a waveguide having a wall with a shape that tapers away from the acoustic source. The wall may have a substantially conical or parabolic shape. When emitted therein, the waveguide causes convergence of the acoustic energy so as to form an acoustic focal zone at a vessel. In some embodiments, a substantial portion of the acoustic focal zone is located outside of the internal volume defined by the waveguide.

Methods and systems for acoustically treating material are described. Acoustic energy is emitted into a waveguide having a wall with a shape that tapers away from the acoustic source. The wall may have a substantially conical or parabolic shape. When emitted therein, the waveguide causes convergence of the acoustic energy so as to form an acoustic focal zone at a vessel. In some embodiments, a substantial portion of the acoustic focal zone is located outside of the internal volume defined by the waveguide.

There is provided a sound system comprising: a first reflector arranged overhead and to reflect sound into a listening environment, a sound emitting device comprising a sound source and a second reflector, the sound source being configured to direct a sound beam with a first beam angle into the second reflector, the sound emitting device being any of a horn or parabolic loudspeaker. The second reflector is shaped to reflect the sound beam with a second beam angle towards the first reflector, and the first reflector is shaped such as it reflects the sound beam back to the listening environment with a third beam angle. The second beam angle is less than the first beam angle, and the third beam angle is greater than the second beam angle. There is further provided a sound system wherein three of more reflectors are used to reflect sound back down to the listening environment. Additionally, at least one sound absorbing device of a three dimensional shape is positioned in between the overhead reflectors.

There is provided a sound system comprising: a first reflector arranged overhead and to reflect sound into a listening environment, a sound emitting device comprising a sound source and a second reflector, the sound source being configured to direct a sound beam with a first beam angle into the second reflector, the sound emitting device being any of a horn or parabolic loudspeaker. The second reflector is shaped to reflect the sound beam with a second beam angle towards the first reflector, and the first reflector is shaped such as it reflects the sound beam back to the listening environment with a third beam angle. The second beam angle is less than the first beam angle, and the third beam angle is greater than the second beam angle. There is further provided a sound system wherein three of more reflectors are used to reflect sound back down to the listening environment. Additionally, at least one sound absorbing device of a three dimensional shape is positioned in between the overhead reflectors.

A curved phononic waveguide. In some embodiments, the curved phononic waveguide includes a sheet including a plurality of standard reflectors and a plurality of divergent reflectors. Each of the standard reflectors is associated with a respective grid point of a grid defined by a plurality of intersecting lines, each grid point being a respective intersection of two of a plurality of intersecting lines, the grid being locally periodic to within 5%, and having a local grid spacing. Each of the standard reflectors has a center separated from the respective grid point of the standard reflector by at most 1% of the grid spacing. The divergent reflectors define a waveguide among the standard reflectors, each of the divergent reflectors being an absent reflector or a reflector that is smaller than one of the standard reflectors.

A curved phononic waveguide. In some embodiments, the curved phononic waveguide includes a sheet including a plurality of standard reflectors and a plurality of divergent reflectors. Each of the standard reflectors is associated with a respective grid point of a grid defined by a plurality of intersecting lines, each grid point being a respective intersection of two of a plurality of intersecting lines, the grid being locally periodic to within 5%, and having a local grid spacing. Each of the standard reflectors has a center separated from the respective grid point of the standard reflector by at most 1% of the grid spacing. The divergent reflectors define a waveguide among the standard reflectors, each of the divergent reflectors being an absent reflector or a reflector that is smaller than one of the standard reflectors.

An interior component of a vehicle comprises a carrier having a front face directed toward a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an opposite rear face; a speaker including an at least partially transparent diaphragm and a transducer coupled to the diaphragm. Movement of the transducer causes vibration of the diaphragm to generate sound by vibration of the diaphragm, the diaphragm having a front face directed towards the passenger compartment and an opposite rear face. The carrier provides a support along at least part of the periphery of the diaphragm where the diaphragm is attached to the carrier where the front face and the rear face of the diaphragm are free of the carrier across a part of the diaphragm surface so that the diaphragm is suspended in the carrier of the interior component.

A panel is provided for attenuating noise. This panel includes a first skin, a second skin and a core, which forms a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin. The core includes a first wall, a second wall, a first baffle, a second baffle and a first septum. The cavities include a first cavity formed laterally between the first wall and the second wall and longitudinally between the first baffle and the second baffle. The first septum is longitudinally between the first baffle and the second baffle and divides the first cavity into fluidly coupled sub-cavities. The first septum is angularly offset from the first wall by an acute angle. One or more perforations in the first skin are fluidly coupled with the first cavity.

A panel is provided for attenuating noise. This panel includes a first skin, a second skin and a core, which forms a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin. The core includes a first wall, a second wall, a first baffle, a second baffle and a first septum. The cavities include a first cavity formed laterally between the first wall and the second wall and longitudinally between the first baffle and the second baffle. The first septum is longitudinally between the first baffle and the second baffle and divides the first cavity into fluidly coupled sub-cavities. The first septum is angularly offset from the first wall by an acute angle. One or more perforations in the first skin are fluidly coupled with the first cavity.

A speaker device for reproducing sound within a predetermined audio spectrum is provided. The speaker device comprises: a housing including a top, a bottom, and a side surface; at least one speaker disposed within the housing, the at least one speaker including a speaker flange facing towards the bottom; a waveguide including at least a first surface defining at least one sound channel for conducting a given sound produced by the at least one speaker, and the at least one channel includes a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone sequentially defined along a length thereof to provide for sound reproduction from 100 Hz to 20000 Hz.