Portable vocal booth

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable vocal booth (1) comprising a hood (2) that comprises a top (3), side walls (6), a front wall (4) and a rear portion (5) and is adapted to freely enclose a singer's head. The hood (2) comprises a rear part (R), which is intended to accommodate the singer's head and is open forwards and downwards and otherwise limited by the top (3), the side walls (6) and the rear portion (5), and a front part (F), which is intended to be in front of the singer's head and at the back is open towards the rear part (R) and is otherwise limited by the top (3), the side walls (6), the front wall (4) and a bottom wall (8), wherein a sound absorbing insert (16) is provided in the front part (F) inside the front wall (4). In the front part (F) between the sound absorbing insert (16) and the rear part (R) of the hood (2) a partition wall (17) of a sound absorbing material is arranged, and between the sound absorbing insert (16) and the partition wall (17) a gap (18) is provided.

Claims

1. A portable vocal booth comprising a hood that comprises a top, side walls, a front wall and a rear portion and is adapted to freely enclose a singer's head, wherein the hood comprises a rear part, which is intended to accommodate the singer's head and is open forwards and downwards and otherwise limited by the top, the side walls and the rear portion, and a front part, which is intended to be in front of the singer's head and at the back is open towards the rear part and otherwise is limited by the top, the side walls, the front wall and a bottom wall, wherein a sound absorbing insert is provided in the front part inside of the front wall, characterized in that a partition wall made of a sound absorbing material is arranged in the front part between the sound absorbing insert and the rear part of the hood, and that a gap is provided between the sound absorbing insert and the partition wall, wherein the bottom wall is layered, comprising from outside inwards: at least one outer layer consisting of a solid material, a first sound absorbing layer, a sound insulating layer, a second sound absorbing layer, and a sound reflecting layer.

2. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein a size of the gap is variable by use of partition walls of different thicknesses.

3. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein a size of the gap is variable by placing the partition wall closer to or further from the sound absorbing insert.

4. The portable vocal booth according to claim 3, wherein the partition wall with respect to a total length of the bottom wall is placeable in a middle range extending from about to about of said length.

5. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein the gap is completely filled with air.

6. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall on a side facing towards the rear part comprises a sound reflecting film coating.

7. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein the sound absorbing insert with respect to a total length of the bottom wall extends a maximum of about inwards from the front wall.

8. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein the side walls and the top are layered, comprising from outside inwards at least an outer layer comprising a solid material, and a sound absorbing layer.

9. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the hood comprises an opening, which is closable by a sound absorbing curtain.

10. The portable vocal booth according to claim 1, wherein the front wall is made of a solid material.

11. A portable vocal booth comprising a hood that comprises a top, side walls, a front wall and a rear portion and is adapted to freely enclose a singer's head, wherein the hood comprises a rear part, which is intended to accommodate the singer's head and is open forwards and downwards and otherwise limited by the top, the side walls and the rear portion, and a front part, which is intended to be in front of the singer's head and at the back is open towards the rear part and otherwise is limited by the top, the side walls, the front wall and a bottom wall, wherein a sound absorbing insert is provided in the front part inside of the front wall, characterized in that a partition wall made of a sound absorbing material is arranged in the front part between the sound absorbing insert and the rear part of the hood, and that a gap is provided between the sound absorbing insert and the partition wall, wherein a vent hole is provided in the hood to let ambient air into the gap, and wherein a duct is provided in the partition wall to lead the ambient air into the rear part of the hood.

12. A portable vocal booth comprising a hood that comprises a top, side walls, a front wall and a rear portion and is adapted to freely enclose a singer's head, wherein the hood comprises a rear part, which is intended to accommodate the singer's head and is open forwards and downwards and otherwise limited by the top, the side walls and the rear portion, and a front part, which is intended to be in front of the singer's head and at the back is open towards the rear part and otherwise is limited by the top, the side walls, the front wall and a bottom wall, wherein a sound absorbing insert is provided in the front part inside of the front wall, characterized in that a partition wall made of a sound absorbing material is arranged in the front part between the sound absorbing insert and the rear part of the hood, and that a gap is provided between the sound absorbing insert and the partition wall, wherein a vent hole is provided in the hood to let ambient air into the gap, and wherein a number of orifices are provided in the partition wall to lead the ambient air into the rear part of the hood.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings show a preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a portable vocal booth obliquely from behind;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view with portions broken away and shows obliquely from behind a singer inside the portable vocal booth;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view with portions broken away and shows the portable vocal box obliquely from the front;

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the portable vocal booth from behind;

(6) FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view with portions broken away of a second embodiment of a portable vocal booth obliquely from the front;

(7) FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view with portions broken away of a third embodiment of a portable vocal booth obliquely from the front;

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view with portions broken away of the second embodiment of the portable vocal booth obliquely from behind; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of the second or third embodiment of the portable vocal booth.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(10) The portable vocal box 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention comprises a hood 2, which is substantially box-shaped. The hood 2 comprises a top 3, which spans arcuately from a vertical front wall 4 of the hood 2 to a vertical rear portion 5 thereof with a crest about midway between the front wall 4 and the rear portion 5. The hood 2 also comprises two vertical side walls 6, 7, which extend in parallel from the front wall 4 to the rear portion 5 on each side of the hood 2. At the top, the side walls are sealed to the top 3 and thus have an upper edge which is curved corresponding to the arcuately spanning top 3.

(11) According to the invention, the hood 2 is divided into a rear part, which hereinafter is generally designated R, and in a front part, which hereinafter is generally designated F. The rear part R includes said rear portion 5 and portions of the top 3 and the side walls 6, 7 and is adapted to freely enclose head of a singer S in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein freely enclose in this context means that the rear part R of the hood 2 is to be that spacious that a singer S shall be able to turn his or her head unhindered inside the hood. The front part F of the hood 2 comprises the front wall 4, portions of the top 3 and the side walls 6, 7 and a bottom wall 8, which extends rearwards from the front wall 4 along straight lower edges of the side walls 6, 7 towards the rear part R to a bottom opening 9 thereof.

(12) The bottom opening 9 extends between the side walls 6, 7 and from the bottom wall 8 all the way to said rear portion 5. The latter comprises a vertical opening 10, which connects to the lower opening 9 and is closable by means of a sound absorbing curtain 11, which preferably comprises a textile composite of wool and polyester. The curtain 11 is flexible and, if desired, it can be folded up on the top 3 to make it easier for a singer S to insert his or her head into the lower opening 9 of the hood's 2 rear part R but also to render it possible to use the portable vocal booth 1, for example, together with a wind instrument. Besides the drawings clearly show that the side walls 6, 7 adjacent to the bottom opening 9 have recesses 12, 13 formed at the bottom which are to fit a singer's S shoulders and thus to help a singer S to take a correct position in relation to the portable vocal booth 1.

(13) The top 3 and the walls 4, 6-8 comprise on the outside of the hood 2 a solid board material, such as HDF, which is preferably thicker in the top 3 and the bottom wall 8 than in the other walls 4, 6-7. Thus, the top 3 and the bottom wall 8 can form a solid body of the hood 2 and otherwise unnecessary weight be saved, which is positive, because the vocal booth 1 according to the invention is meant to be portable. The bottom wall 8 may also advantageously be used to connect the portable vocal booth 1 to a floor stand 14 and for secure attachment of a microphone 15 within the hood's 2 front part F.

(14) Inside of the solid surface layers, the top 3 and the side walls 6, 7 comprise a sound absorbing layer which preferably comprises polyester fibers and preferably recycled textile and towards the hood's 2 inside a fabric coating.

(15) The bottom wall 8 is layered and comprises from outside inwards the solid surface layer, a first sound absorbing layer, which preferably comprises cellular polyether, a sound insulating layer, preferably including EPDM (bitumen), a second sound absorbing layer, which preferably comprises cellular polyether, and a sound reflecting layer, which comprises a polyurethane film and is fabric coated on the inside of the hood 2.

(16) To improve sound characteristics, at the portable vocal booth 1 according to the invention, first, a sound absorbing insert 16 is arranged in the front part F of the hood 2 inside the front wall 4, which comprises only said solid board material. The insert 16 comprises a block of cellular polyether and has a shape adapted to inner space of the hood 2 inside the front wall 8. With respect to the overall length L of the bottom wall 8, the insert 16 fills said inner space to a maximum of about starting from the front wall 8 and backwards.

(17) Second, to improve sound characteristics a partition wall 17 of a sound absorbing material is also arranged in the front part F of the hood 2 between the sound absorbing insert 16 and the rear part R of the hood 2, wherein the partition wall 17 is spaced apart from the sound absorbing insert 16, so that a gap 18 remains between the sound absorbing insert 16 and the partition wall 17. The partition wall 17 is layered and comprises from the gap 18 and backwards towards the rear part R of the hood 2 a layer of sound absorbing cellular polyether and thereon a sound reflecting PU film, which is coated with a decorating fabric.

(18) In a preferred embodiment of the invention the partition wall 17 in the front part F of the hood 2 is movable closer to or away from the sound absorbing insert 16. The range within which this movement is possible ranges in relation to the overall length L of the bottom wall from about to about of said length L, that is, the current range is limited to a middle range of said length L.

(19) Tests made by the applicant with a portable vocal booth 1 according to the preferred embodiment have shown that the main task of the portable vocal booth, namely to prevent sound from escaping to the environment, is met in a satisfactory manner with the structure described even when a singer S that uses the portable vocal booth 1 has a very strong voice. Moreover, it has shown that even the task to produce a nice sound environment inside the portable vocal booth 1 for both singers S with strong and weak voices can be resolved in a most satisfactory manner thanks to the combination of the sound absorbing insert 16, the movable partition wall 17 and the gap 18, the size of which is influenced by movement of the partition wall 17.

(20) Second and third embodiments of the invention are illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, wherein like references are used for like details as in FIGS. 1-4.

(21) According to the second and third embodiments of the portable vocal booth 1 a vent hole 19 leading into gap 18 is provided in the top 3 of the hood 2. A fan 20, which is illustrated only schematically in FIG. 8, is provided in the vent hole 19 and arranged to blow ambient air into the gap 18. The fan 20 can for example comprise an axial fan of a kind known to produce minimum noise, such as axial fans used to cool high-end stationary computers.

(22) As indicated, the fan 20 in both the second (cf. FIGS. 5 and 7) and the third (cf. FIG. 6) embodiment is arranged to blow ambient air A into the gap 18 between the sound absorbing insert 16 and the partition wall 17. By this noise from the fan 20 is on the one hand attenuated by the sound absorbing insert and on the other hand kept away from the rear part R of the hood 2 by the partition wall 17. Thus, fan noise in said rear part R is silenced to a minimum level and does therefore not cause any disturbances to the sound perceived by a singer S or recorded by means of a microphone 15 inside the portable vocal booth 1.

(23) According to the second embodiment ambient air A is led from the gap 18 through a duct 21 in the partition wall 17 into the rear part R of the hood 2, and according to the third embodiment ambient air A is instead led from the gap 18 into the rear part R of the hood 2 through a number of orifices 22 in the partition wall 17. By this breathing atmosphere inside the hood 2 is improved significantly and temperature held down to a level that does not significantly exceed ambient temperature of the portable sound booth 1.