Loudspeaker with improved mounting structure for the surround

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6568503
  • Patent Number
    6,568,503
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, September 13, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 27, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A loudspeaker is provided including a frame formed with an upper end having a seat which receives the outer edge of a surround. The surround is retained within the seat by the combination of an o-ring in contact with the surround, and a C-shaped clamp having an upper arm which engages the o-ring and a lower arm releasably mounted to the upper end of the frame.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates to loudspeakers, and, more particularly, to a loudspeaker having the combination of an o-ring and C-clamp for removably mounting the outer end of the surround of the loudspeaker to the frame.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Loudspeakers generally comprise a frame, a motor structure, a diaphragm, a lower suspension or spider and a surround. In one common type of speaker, the motor structure includes a permanent magnet mounted between a top plate and a back plate, a pole piece centrally mounted on the back plate and a voice coil axially movable with respect to the pole piece. The voice coil includes a hollow, cylindrical-shaped former having an outer surface which receives a winding of wire.




One end of the diaphragm is connected to the surround or upper suspension, which, in turn, is mounted to the upper end of the frame. The lower suspension or spider is connected at one end to a seat formed in the frame at a point between its upper and lower ends. The free ends of the diaphragm and spider are mounted to the voice coil and support it within an air gap between the pole piece and top plate of the motor structure, with the former of the voice coil concentrically disposed about the pole piece. In some speaker designs, a dust cap is mounted to the diaphragm in position to overlie the voice coil and pole piece to protect them from contaminants.




In the course of operation of a speaker of the type described above, electrical energy is supplied to the voice coil causing it to axially move relative to the pole piece and within the air gap formed between the top plate and pole piece. The spider and surround move with the excursion of the voice coil and function to maintain the voice coil centered to avoid rocking or rubbing against the pole piece of the motor.




Surrounds are typically constructed from materials such as rubber, compressed foam rubber, corrugated cloth, paper, plastic and other materials. In many speaker designs, surrounds are also referred to as a “roll” and comprise a semi-circular corrugation formed of rubber. These types of surrounds or rolls have a radially outwardly extending outer edge which is conventionally glued to a flat extension or rim formed at the upper end of the frame of the loudspeaker which also acts as the mounting flange for the speaker. This construction sacrifices a significant amount of diaphragm area, compared to the overall, outside diameter of the speaker, and a reduction in diaphragm area adversely affects the output and efficiency of the speaker.




Another issue with the construction of loudspeakers having the surround glued to the frame involves difficulties in repairing or replacing one or more of the moving parts. Conventionally, the surround, spider and diaphragm are cut away, and the frame and motor are stripped down with chemicals or hand scraped to remove adhesive residue. The new diaphragm, voice coil, surround and spider are then glued together and secured to the loudspeaker frame. This operation requires precise alignment and is usually performed by skilled technicians employing specialized gauges or alignment spacers. Additionally, care must be taken to replace the worn, damaged or outdated moving parts with ones which match the existing motor structure and frame, and can perform the intended task of the speaker, e.g. concert sound reinforcement, automotive sub-bass, home theater and the like.




U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,687,247 and 5,949,898 to Proni address many of the deficiencies of surround construction noted above. In these designs, the surround is removably attached to the outer edge of the upper end of the frame thus allowing a larger diameter surround to be used compared to the prior art. In turn, the effective area and linear displacement of the diaphragm is increased allowing for the design of long-excursion loudspeakers with enhanced performance characteristics. The method of attachment of the surround in the two Proni patents noted above includes, in some embodiments, the use of a flexible o-ring which engages an outer portion of the surround and forces it into contact with a recess formed in the outer edge of the frame. One advantage of this construction is that no adhesive is required, and the surround can be readily removed to permit access to the other elements of the speaker for repair or replacement.




Notwithstanding the improvements obtained with the design disclosed in the Proni patents noted above, some limitations remain. It has been found that the recess formed in the outer edge of the frame to receive the surround may have rough edges which can cause the surround to tear when it is forced into place by the o-ring or during operation of the speaker. Additionally, the o-ring is susceptible to being dislodged from its position against the surround and within the recess in the frame. It is a flexible, resilient circular-shaped member, not unlike a rubber band, and is completely exposed on the exterior of the speaker. Particularly during installation of loudspeakers which incorporate the surround mounting structure of the Proni patents, such as subwoofers in automotive sound systems, the exposed o-ring may be dislodged from its position on the frame. In addition to physical contact with the o-ring, it can also be moved or dislodged during operation of the speaker especially in applications where the o-ring is used in high excursion speakers mounted within a box or enclosure. Substantial pressures are generated within the box interior in the course of speaker operation, and the o-ring must create an effective seal between the surround and frame for the speaker to function properly. These high pressures could result in sufficient movement of the o-ring to compromise the seal at the surround and frame and/or allow the surround itself to move, both of which would have significant negative effects on the performance and sound quality of the speaker.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore among the objectives of this invention to provide a loudspeaker having a secure but removable attachment between the surround and frame, which is easy to install and remove for repair or replacement of the moving parts of the speaker.




These objectives are accomplished in a loudspeaker including a frame formed with an upper end having a seat which receives the outer edge of a surround. The surround is retained within the seat by the combination of an o-ring in contact with the surround, and a C-shaped clamp having an upper arm which engages the o-ring and a lower arm releasably mounted to the upper end of the frame.




In one presently preferred embodiment, the outer edge of the surround is formed with a foot portion connected to an end segment, both of which rest against surfaces of the seat in the upper end of the frame. The o-ring engages the surround at the juncture of the foot portion and upper segment, forcing it against the frame seat. With the o-ring in place, the C-clamp is then installed such that its upper arm overlies the o-ring and the lower arm bears against a horizontally extending ledge forming part of the seat. Much of the clamping force exerted against the outer edge of the surround is provided by the o-ring, but the clamp also forces the o-ring against the foot portion of the surround. Additionally, the clamp completely covers the o-ring which protects it from being dislodged by contact during installation or transport of the loudspeaker, or during high excursion operation.




In an alternative embodiment, the continuous, annular C-clamp is replaced with a number of individual clamp segments each having the same cross section as the C-clamp but extending only part way along the circumference of the o-ring. A number of clamp segments are employed to retain the o-ring in place, and at least partially cover it, which are spaced from one another as desired.




Whether a continuous C-clamp or clamp segments are employed, a still further embodiment of this invention involves the addition of a channel structure at the upper or top end of the clamp(s). This channel structure is formed by an inner, annular lip and an outer ring which are spaced from one another to form a channel sized to receive a grill via an interference fit. The grill is a generally semi-circular shaped section of wire mesh which functions to cover and protect the surround and diaphragm from impact during use of the speaker.











DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:





FIG. 1

is a cross sectional view of a loudspeaker incorporating the surround attachment of this invention;





FIG. 2

is an enlarged, cross sectional view of the surround attachment structure employed in the loudspeaker shown in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is an enlarged, cross sectional view of the circled portion of

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 4

is a view similar to

FIG. 3

except showing a further alternative embodiment of the clamp with a grill mounted to the clamp; and





FIG. 5

is a plan view depicting an alternative embodiment of the clamp employed herein.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to Figs., a loudspeaker


10


is illustrated which generally comprises a motor structure


12


, a frame


14


mounted to the motor structure


12


, a diaphragm


16


, a lower suspension or spider


18


and an upper suspension or surround


20


. Conventionally, the motor structure


12


includes a top plate


22


and a back plate


24


which are spaced from one another and mount a permanent magnet


26


therebetween. A pole piece


30


having a throughbore


31


is integrally formed with and extends upwardly from the back plate


24


into a central bore


28


formed in both the magnet


26


and top plate


22


. An air gap


29


is located between the top plate


22


and the pole piece


30


, as shown. A voice coil


32


is also provided which includes a hollow, cylindrical-shaped former


34


, having an inner surface


35


and an outer surface


37


which receives a wire winding


36


. The former


34


is concentrically disposed about the pole piece


30


, and the voice coil


32


is axially movable within the air gap


29


during operation of the speaker


10


.




The voice coil


32


is held in place with respect to the pole piece


30


by the diaphragm


16


, spider


18


and surround


20


. One end of the diaphragm


16


is affixed to the former


34


by adhesive or the like, and its opposite end connects to the inner edge


39


of the surround


20


. The outer edge


41


of the surround


20


, in turn, is mounted to the upper end


38


of the frame


14


as described in detail below. The diaphragm


16


and surround


20


collectively provide support for the voice coil


32


, in addition to the lower suspension or spider


18


. As shown in the Figs., one end of the spider


18


connects to the former


34


, and its opposite end mounts to a seat


15


formed in the frame


14


.




A dust cap


44


is mounted to the diaphragm


16


in position to overlie the voice coil


32


and pole piece


30


in order to protect such elements from dirt, dust and other contaminants. A dust cap cavity


46


is therefore formed in the area defined by the lower portion of the diaphragm


16


, the dust cap


44


, the voice coil


32


and the pole piece


30


. In response to the input of electrical energy to the wire winding


36


, the voice coil


32


is moved axially with respect to the fixed motor structure


12


. Because the diaphragm


16


, spider


18


, surround


20


and dust cap


44


are operatively connected to the former


34


, such elements also move with the excursion of the voice coil


32


.




For purposes of the present discussion, the term “upper” or “top” refer to the vertically upward direction of the speaker


10


in its orientation as depicted in

FIG. 1

, while “lower” or “bottom” refer to the opposite direction. “Outer” refers to a radially outward direction in relation to the longitudinal axis of the voice coil


32


and pole piece


30


, whereas “inner” means the opposite direction.




With reference to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, the attachment of the surround


20


to the upper end


38


of the frame


14


is shown in detail. In the presently preferred embodiment, the outer end


41


of the surround is formed with a foot portion


50


which extends generally perpendicularly to an end segment


52


. The upper end


38


of the frame


14


includes a generally vertically extending annular ring


54


connected to a horizontal ledge


56


having an upper surface


58


and a spaced, lower surface


60


. The annular ring


54


and ledge


56


collectively form a seat


62


. The seat


62


is positioned to receive the outer end


41


of the surround


20


such that the foot portion


50


rests atop the upper surface


58


of the ledge


56


, and the end segment


52


bears against the annular ring


54


.




In the embodiment of

FIGS. 2 and 3

, the outer end


41


of the surround


20


is maintained in place within the seat


62


by the combination of an o-ring


64


and a continuous, annular C-shaped clamp


66


having an upper arm


68


, a lower arm


70


and a center section


72


extending between the arms


68


,


70


. Preferably, the o-ring


64


is formed of a comparatively stiff material such as metal, and the clamp


66


is made of a deformable material such as a thin sheet of extruded aluminum. Initially, the o-ring


64


is installed such that it engages the outer end


41


of the surround


20


at the juncture of the foot portion


50


and the end segment


52


. The o-ring


64


exerts a force which urges the outer end


41


in a generally radially inward and downward direction, holding the end segment


52


tightly against the annular ring


54


of the upper end


38


of the frame


14


. With the o-ring


64


in place, the clamp


66


is then snap-fit into place in the position depicted in

FIGS. 2 and 3

. The upper arm


68


of the clamp


66


has an arcuate, inner surface


74


which at least generally matches the contour of the o-ring


64


. As shown, the upper arm


68


engages the o-ring


64


while the lower arm


70


of the clamp


66


bears against the lower surface


60


of the horizontal ledge


56


of seat


62


. The vertical distance between the upper portion of the o-ring


64


and the lower surface


60


of the ledge


56


is such that the arms


68


and


72


force or squeeze the o-ring


64


into the relatively plaint material of the surround


20


thus causing the arms


68


,


72


to “snap-fit” into place. As a result, the o-ring


64


is urged in a vertically downward direction into tight engagement with the upper surface


58


of the ledge


56


of the seat


62


. This ensures that the outer end


41


of the surround


20


is completely sealed and tightly engaged with the outer end


38


of the frame


14


.




In addition to the clamping force exerted by the clamp


66


, is should be understood that the clamp


66


is dimensioned to completely cover the o-ring


64


after installation. With the o-ring


64


unexposed, it is not as susceptible to being dislodged or otherwise moved from its position relative to the upper end


38


of the frame


14


.




Referring now to

FIGS. 4 and 5

, alternative embodiments of the clamp


66


shown in

FIGS. 2 and 3

are illustrated. As noted above, the C-shaped clamp


66


is annular in shape and extends continuously around the circumference of the frame


14


and o-ring


64


. In the embodiment of

FIG. 5

, the clamp


66


is replaced by a number of individual clamp segments


80


, one of which is illustrated in FIG.


5


. Each of the clamp segments


80


extend only along a limited extent of the circumference of the upper end


38


of the frame


14


and the o-ring


64


. The clamp segments


80


have the same construction as clamp


66


, i.e. an upper arm


68


, lower arm


70


and center section


72


therebetween, and connect to the upper end


38


of frame


14


as described above in connection with a discussion of clamp


66


. As such, the clamp segments


80


maintain the o-ring


64


securely in position within seat


62


, in the same manner as clamp


66


, but they do not completely cover the entire circumferential extent of the o-ring


64


.




A still further embodiment of a clamp


82


according to this invention is shown in FIG.


4


. The clamp


82


is formed with the same upper arm


68


, lower arm


70


and center section


72


as clamp


66


, and mounts to the upper end


38


of frame


14


in the same fashion, but further includes structure for mounting a grill


84


schematically depicted in FIG.


4


. The grill


84


is a generally semi-circular shaped section of metal mesh material which covers the front of the loudspeaker


10


to protect the surround


20


and diaphragm


16


from impact with objects during use of the speaker


10


. The mounting structure for the grill


84


comprises an inner lip


86


, and an outer ring


88


which is radially spaced from the inner lip


86


to form a channel


90


between the two. The grill


84


is received and mounted within this channel


90


via an interference fit.




While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. For example, while the mounting structure for the grill


84


is shown as being formed at the top or upper end of clamp


82


, which is otherwise identical to clamp


66


, it is contemplated that the inner lip


86


and outer ring


88


could be incorporated in the clamp segments


80


to form a channel


90


for mounting of the grill


84


.




Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A loudspeaker, comprising:a motor structure having a movable voice coil; a frame having an upper end and a lower end connected to said motor structure, said upper end of said frame being formed with a seat; a surround having an inner end and an outer end; a diaphragm connected between said inner end of said surround and said voice coil; a lower suspension connected between said frame and said voice coil; a mounting assembly including an o-ring which engages said outer end of said surround and a clamp which contacts said o-ring, said o-ring and said clamp retaining said outer end of said surround within said seat at said upper end of said frame.
  • 2. The loudspeaker of claim 1 in which said upper end of said frame is formed with an annular ring and a ledge extending at an angle from said annular ring, said ledge and said annular ring forming said seat.
  • 3. The loudspeaker of claim 2 in which said outer end of said surround includes a foot portion which rests atop said ledge of said seat and an end segment connected to said foot portion, said end segment resting against said annular ring of said seat.
  • 4. The loudspeaker of claim 3 in which said o-ring contacts said outer end of said surround at the juncture of said foot portion and said end segment.
  • 5. The loudspeaker of claim 4 in which said clamp includes an upper arm, a lower arm and a center section extending between said upper and lower arms, said upper arm contacting said o-ring and said lower arm bearing against said ledge of said seat opposite said foot portion of said surround.
  • 6. The loudspeaker of claim 5 in which said clamp is annular and extends continuously about said o-ring.
  • 7. The loudspeaker of claim 5 in which said clamp comprises a number of individual clamp segments each extending along a portion of said o-ring.
  • 8. The loudspeaker of claim 1 in which said o-ring is formed of a rigid material which exerts a force against said outer end of said surround to retain it in place within said seat of said frame.
  • 9. A loudspeaker, comprising:a motor structure having a movable voice coil; a frame having an upper end and a lower end connected to said motor structure, said upper end of said frame having a seat formed by an annular ring and a ledge extending at an angle from said annular ring; a surround having an inner end and an outer end, said outer end being formed with a foot portion connected to an end segment; a diaphragm connected between said inner end of said surround and said voice coil; a lower suspension connected between said frame and said voice coil; a mounting assembly including an o-ring and a clamp, said o-ring engaging said outer end of said surround at the juncture of said ledge and said end segment and said clamp contacting said o-ring, said o-ring and said clamp retaining said foot portion of said surround against said ledge and said end segment thereof against said annular ring of said seat in said frame.
  • 10. The loudspeaker of claim 9 in which said clamp includes an upper arm, a lower arm and a center section extending between said upper and lower arms, said upper arm contacting said o-ring and said lower arm bearing against said ledge of said seat opposite said foot portion of said surround.
  • 11. The loudspeaker of claim 10 in which said clamp is annular and extends continuously about said o-ring.
  • 12. The loudspeaker of claim 10 in which said clamp comprises a number of individual clamp segments each extending along a portion of said o-ring.
  • 13. The loudspeaker of claim 1 in which said o-ring is formed of a rigid material which exerts a force against said outer end of said surround to retain it in place within said seat of said frame.
  • 14. A loudspeaker, comprising:a motor structure having a movable voice coil; a frame having an upper end and a lower end connected to said motor structure, said upper end of said frame being formed with a seat; a surround having an inner end and an outer end; a diaphragm connected between said inner end of said surround and said voice coil; a lower suspension connected between said frame and said voice coil; a mounting assembly including an o-ring which engages said outer end of said surround and a clamp which contacts said o-ring, said o-ring and said clamp retaining said outer end of said surround within said seat at said upper end of said frame; said clamp having an upper end formed with a channel adapted to receive and mount a grill.
  • 15. The loudspeaker of claim 14 in which said upper end of said clamp is formed with an inner lip and an outer ring spaced from said inner lip to form said channel therebetween.
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Number Name Date Kind
1778693 Semple, Jr. Oct 1930 A
2755343 Levy Jul 1956 A
3684052 Sotome Aug 1972 A
3892289 Rollins Jul 1975 A
4122314 Matsuda et al. Oct 1978 A
4565905 Nation Jan 1986 A
5099949 Mitobe Mar 1992 A
5111510 Mitobe May 1992 A
5115474 Tsuchiya et al. May 1992 A
5371805 Saiki et al. Dec 1994 A
5687247 Proni Nov 1997 A
5949898 Proni Sep 1999 A