Patent Grant
7570778
Various embodiments of the invention pertain to speaker mountings and housings. More particularly, at least one embodiment of the invention relates to a device, system, and method for a speaker assembly that permits adjusting the dispersion axis of a recessed speaker.
In order to save space and/or for aesthetic reasons it is often desirable to mount speakers within a wall or ceiling cavity or recess. A mounting assembly is commonly used to secure the speakers to the wall or ceiling. Various types of frames and fasteners are often used for the purpose of securing the speaker to the wall or ceiling cavities.
A speaker mounted in a wall or ceiling using a conventional frame assembly typically has a sound dispersion axis that is perpendicular to the plane formed by the mounting surface, e.g., wall or ceiling. However, speakers with sound dispersion axes directed at the floor or an opposing wall often do not provide an environment with optimum sound quality. Thus, when installing one or more speakers in a room, it is often desirable to adjust the angle of one or more of the speakers to provide a better sound quality or effect.
It is often necessary or desirable to adjust the direction in which, for instance, a ceiling-mounted speaker radiates sound. For example, when providing a surround sound effect with one or more recessed speakers, the sound dispersion axis of the speakers is adjusted to provide optimum sound quality at a given point or location in the room.
However, conventional speaker mounting systems make it difficult to adjust the sound dispersion axis of a speaker to provide an optimum sound quality. For example, many conventional speakers are fixedly mounted in a wall or ceiling recess and cannot be adjusted. Additionally, even when adjustments to the speakers are possible, prior art mounting mechanisms are typically restricted to a limited number of positions. This may not always permit directing a speaker's sound dispersion axis to obtain the best sound quality in a particular room or environment.
Even when the speakers can be adjusted, they are often difficult and/or cumbersome to readjust at a later time. This may be necessary, for instance, in a surround sound speaker configuration that has been setup for optimal sound quality at a first location and now the optimal sound quality is desired at a second location. Such is the case, for example, when a couch is moved from a first location to a second location in a room. Readjusting conventional speakers is typically requires removal and reinstallation of the speaker and/or speaker mounting assembly which is undesirable and costly.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a speaker mounting assembly including a speaker frame defining a housing to receive a speaker. The speaker frame has a first plane along the face of the speaker frame. The speaker frame includes a flange around the perimeter of the speaker frame, the flange defines a second plane that is at an angle to the first plane. The speaker frame also includes a baffle which defines an interior opening to receive the speaker frame and a third plane along the face of the baffle. The baffle includes an angled ridge along the perimeter of the interior opening, the ridge defining a fourth plane that is at an angle to the third plane, the ridge defining a perimeter that is smaller than the perimeter defined by the flange. The ridge to support the flange when the speaker frame is coupled to the baffle. A clamp frame is coupled to the baffle to secure the speaker frame between the baffle and the clamp frame while permitting the speaker frame to rotate about a first axis perpendicular to the first plane. The angle of the first plane of the speaker frame, relative to the third plane of the baffle, being adjustable within a range by rotating the speaker frame about the first axis.
The speaker mounting assembly includes a groove that is formed by the clamp frame and the ridge when the clamp is coupled to the baffle. The flange slides within this groove when the speaker frame is rotated about the first axis. The baffle further includes a grooved channel along a first section defining the interior opening, the grooved channel to receive a stop pin coupled to the flange and limit the rotation of the speaker frame to the first section.
As a result of this construction, the speaker frame assembly is capable of being adjusted to any angle, relative to the third plane of the baffle, between a minimum angle and a maximum angle by rotating the speaker frame assembly about the first axis.
In the following description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, one skilled in the art would recognize that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the invention.
In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of one or more embodiments of the invention. For instance, “fastener” and “retainer” are interchangeably used to refer to any type of securing mechanism. The term “speaker” is used to refer to any type of sound-generating device such as audio electronic equipment, loudspeakers, audio speakers, woofers, subwoofers, audio mixers, tweeters, and acoustic transducers. The term “manually” refers to a motion or task performed by hand and without the aid of a tool.
One aspect of the invention provides a speaker mounting assembly that permits positioning the sound dispersion axis of a recessed speaker in any direction and at any desired angle within a range of angles. Another aspect of the invention permits manually readjusting the direction and angle of a speaker without removal of the speaker.
The ridge 202 protrudes from the vertical wall 208 such that opening 108 has a slightly smaller diameter at the baffle 102 face than at the rear portion of the baffle 102. The opening 108 has a diameter large enough to permit the speaker frame 104 to be mounted therein. The ridge 202 slightly reduces the diameter of the opening 108 such that the speaker frame 104 rests on the ridge 202. This causes the speaker frame 104 to rest on the ridge 202 when the speaker mounting assembly is assembled. When resting against the ridge 202, the speaker frame 104 is able to slide on the ridge 202 and rotate within the baffle 102. The speaker frame 104 may include a flange 210, around the circumference of the frame, which slides against the ridge 202.
The speaker frame clamp 106 secures the frame assembly 104 to the baffle 102. One implementation of the speaker frame clamp 106 includes a securing ring 212 through which fasteners 214 may be placed to fixedly couple the frame clamp 106 to the baffle 102.
The speaker frame 104 also includes an angled flange 210 along the perimeter of a vertical wall 406. In one implementation of the invention the flange 210 is angled by making he vertical wall 406 higher at one than at a second end. Consequently, the plane defined by the flange 210 is at an angle relative to the plane defined by the speaker frame's face plane 408.
In one implementation, the angled flange 210 has the same angle as the ridge 202, (e.g., nine (9) degrees) relative to the face plane 408 of the speaker frame 104. When assembled, the speaker frame 104 is inserted into the baffle 102 so that the flange 210 sits on the ridge 202.
The speaker frame clamp 106 is then inserted into the baffle 102. In one implementation of the invention, the speaker frame clamp 106 includes an angled wall 410 with the same angle as the angled flange 210 of the speaker frame 104. When assembled, the speaker frame clamp 106 is inserted into the baffle 102 to retain the speaker frame 104 within the baffle 102. The angled wall 410 and the ridge 202 form a groove in which the speaker frame flange 210 can slide. One or more fasteners 411 serve to couple the speaker frame clamp 106 to the baffle 102.
In the
As a result of the angled ridge 202 and angled flange 210, the speaker frame 104 can be adjusted to any angle within a range, e.g., zero degrees and a maximum angle, by rotating the speaker frame 104. This permits adjusting the sound dispersion axis 518 to any angle within the range. The maximum angle that can be achieved being dependent on the sum of the relative angle of the ridge and the relative angle of the flange.
By forming a groove or channel between the angled ridge 202 and the vertical wall 410, the speaker frame flange 210 is able to slide in this groove. In this manner, the speaker frame 104 can be rotated to direct the sound dispersion axis 518 of a speaker mounted thereon to a desired location within a room or environment. The ease with which the speaker frame 104 can be turned is adjusted by slightly increasing or reducing the size of the groove so as to create a looser or tighter fit with the flange 210. As previously noted, this can be accomplished by loosening or tightening the fasteners 411 to adjust the separation between the frame clamp's vertical wall 410 and baffle's angled ridge 202.
According to one implementation of the invention, the speaker frame 104 can rotate within the groove when the fasteners 411 are loosened slightly. Once adjusted to a desired position, the fasteners 411 are tightened, thereby reducing the size of the groove formed by the angled wall 410 and ridge 202, to prevent any further rotation of the speaker frame 104.
Another aspect of the invention provides a way to limit the rotation of the speaker frame 104. This prevents speaker wires from being torn or tangled if a speaker frame 104 is rotated many times in one direction.
According to one implementation of the invention, illustrated in
In other implementations of the invention the stop pin is coupled to the speaker frame flange 210 and positioned facing the frame clamp 106. The groove may be part of the frame clamp 106. In yet another implementation of the invention, the stop pin may be directed toward a grooved channel in the vertical wall 208 of the baffle. In yet other embodiments, the grooved channel is part of the speaker frame 104 and engages a stop pin that is part of either the baffle 102 or frame clamp 106.
The tool-less fastening system includes a primary mounting frame 902 and a retaining frame 904. According to one implementation of the invention, the primary mounting frame 902 is substantially circular and defines a cavity or opening through which a speaker baffle 102 may be mounted. The primary mounting frame 902 may include a border flange 906 that may serve as an external trim once the primary mounting frame 902 is mounted within a ceiling or wall recess. The primary mounting frame also includes a plurality of posts on which the retaining frame may be coupled by a pressure fit or one or more fasteners.
The primary mounting frame 902 may also include one or more ratcheting retainers or fasteners 908. Each ratcheting retainer 908 is movably coupled to the primary mounting frame 902. The retaining frame is coupled to one or more posts to secure the tool-less fasteners or retainers between the primary frame 902 and retaining frame 904. Each ratcheting retainer 908 is adapted to be manually rotated and slid to secure the primary mounting frame 902 to a mounting surface. The border flange 906 and the ratcheting retainers 908 sandwich the mounting surface to secure the primary mounting frame 902 to the mounting surface.
The primary frame 902 also includes a plurality of flexible fingers 910 that help to align and secure the baffle frame 102 that is inserted into the opening. The plurality of flexible fingers 910 are inclined or disposed toward the opening of the primary mounting frame 902.
The baffle frame 102 is configured to fit snug through the primary mounting frame opening. The fingers 910 on the primary frame 902 flex back as the baffle frame 102 is inserted into the opening.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the baffle frame 102 includes a plurality of fasteners that secure the baffle 102 to the primary mounting frame 902. The fasteners pass from the face of the baffle 102 to the rear of the baffle to secure the baffle to the primary mounting frame 902. The fasteners can be manually rotated to slide a securing foot over the retaining fingers 910 and secure the baffle 102 in place.
Even when the fasteners secure the baffle 102 to the primary mounting frame 902, the baffle frame 102 can freely rotate three hundred and sixty degrees as the fastener footings slide over the retaining fingers 910. This permits two ways in which to adjust the sound dispersion axis of a speaker mounted in a speaker frame within the baffle 102.
First, as previously discussed, the speaker frame 104 can be rotated to adjust the angle of the sound dispersion axis of a speaker, or any other sound transducer device, mounted therein. The rotation of the speaker frame 104 relative to the baffle causes the angle of the speaker 104 to change within a certain range of angles, thus changing the angle of the sound dispersion axis of the speaker relative to the mounting surface.
Secondly, once the dispersion angle has been adjusted, the baffle 102 can be rotated relative to the primary mounting frame 902 to adjust the direction of the sound dispersion axis. Thus, sound from a speaker can be directed to a desired location within a room.
By using the angle and direction adjusting speaker frame described, a plurality of recessed speakers can be easily and quickly arranged to provide a desired sound quality in a room. For instance, a plurality of speakers may be adjusted to direct sound to a particular location in a room thus improving the sound quality at that location.
Various embodiments of the invention may be implemented using parts, fasteners, frames, baffles, etc., constructed from one or more materials, or combination of material, including plastic, metal, polymers, and/or any other material.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications are possible. Those skilled, in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
This non-provisional United States (U.S.) Patent Application claims the benefit of provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/497,752, filed Aug. 26, 2003, and is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/871,069 filed on Jun. 18, 2004 by inventor Doug S. Wright, titled “Snap-In and Lock Baffle”, and is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/871,112 filed on Jun. 18, 2004 by inventor Doug S. Wright, titled “Tool-less Frame Fastening System.”
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 60497752 | Aug 2003 | US |
