Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to loudspeakers. More particularly, the present invention relates to loudspeakers having a reversible grill attachment configured to cover a coupling hole and a speaker mounting hole on a speaker basket rim.
2. Related Art
Conventional loudspeakers are generally defined by a front face and a back section. Features of a loudspeaker typically visible on the front face include such components as a cone, a dust cap, and a surround which suspends the cone. The surround is typically fixed to a rim of a basket, which may also be visible on the front face. Features visible from the back section include such components as a magnet, the back side of the cone, a spider, terminals for connecting the speaker to an electrical signal source, and the wall and base portions of the basket.
Loudspeakers are typically mounted to other structures such as enclosures, walls, automotive wall structures, and the like. The surfaces of such structures are generally referred to in the art as baffles, and the loudspeakers are mounted thereto for stability, for directing the generated sound waves, and for improved acoustical characteristics. The sound waves generated by the loudspeaker in the direction of the front face is out of phase with the sound waves generated in the reverse direction of the front face, leading to the cancellation of the in-phase sound wave. It has been recognized that the baffle prevents such interference produced by the out-of-phase sound wave.
The shape and configuration of baffles may be considerably varied depending on the application, but are typically planar and define a front side and a back side. The baffle typically defines a hole having a sufficient diameter such that the back section of the loudspeaker fits through the hole and is positioned on the back side of the baffle. Further, the diameter of the hole will be less than that of the front face of the loudspeaker, thereby preventing the entirety of the loudspeaker to slide through the hole. In conventional configurations, the loudspeaker is mounted to the baffle in the aforementioned manner, where the front face of the loudspeaker is positioned on the front side of the baffle, and the back side of the loudspeaker is positioned on the back side of the baffle, with the loudspeaker being inserted through the hole.
Subwoofers, which are loudspeakers optimized for the generation of sound in the lowest range of the audio spectrum, are frequently utilized in car audio systems for improved bass characteristics. Subwoofers are typically mounted in the aforementioned manner, with the front face is positioned on the front side of the baffle. In most consumer settings the subwoofer is placed in the trunk and away from view, but in certain enthusiast circles, it is desirable to display and showcase the subwoofer, along with other speakers making up the car audio system. In this regard, elaborate, thematically consistent decorative elements have been utilized, often being incorporated into the design of the speakers. One such element is the grill. It is recognized that the term “grill” may also refer to a meshed structure substantially covering the entire front face; however, as used herein, a grill refers to the structure covering the basket rim. Another term which may reference this structure may be, for example, “mounting ring.”
In some situations, as will be appreciated by those in the aforementioned enthusiast circles, it has been desirable to mount the subwoofer in a reverse direction, in which the front face is positioned to face the front side of the baffle, with the back section projecting therefrom. To accommodate both mounting techniques, a grill which could be attached to either the front face or the back section of the loudspeaker was developed.
Conventional grills, and the basket capable of accommodating them, whether reversible or not, were deficient. Specifically, the grill was attached to the speaker using the same screw used to mount the speaker to the baffle. While this configuration improved the connection between the grill and the speaker, the designs capable of being incorporated into the grill were significantly limited. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an alternative loudspeaker configuration overcoming the aforementioned deficiencies.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a loudspeaker including a speaker basket. The speaker basket may include a basket rim, a speaker mounting hole, and a coupling hole disposed through the basket rim. Additionally, there may be a first grill coupling engaged with the coupling hole. Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a grill which may be removably attached to the basket rim via the first grill coupling. The grill may also define a solid surface portion which completely covers the speaker mounting hole and the coupling hole. The first grill coupling may be interposed between the basket rim and the grill. There may also be a second grill coupling which is engaged to the first grill coupling. The present invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. It is to be understood that the use of relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, proximal and distal, and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity from another entity without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities.
With reference to
Generally, the loudspeaker 1 may be defined by a front face 30 and a back section 32. When viewed from angle F, visible on the front face 30 is the cone 18, the dust cap 20, the surround 24, and the grill 26. Referring to
The mounting configuration illustrated in
The mounting configuration illustrated in
Having discussed the forward mounting configuration and the reverse mounting configuration with respect to the loudspeaker 1 and the baffle 12, further details relating to the specifics of the grill 26 and its mounting mechanisms according to several embodiments will now be considered. With reference to
The first grill coupling in accordance with the first embodiment is a fastener 50. The fastener 50 is defined by a lower body section 52 and an upper head section 54, with an inner collar 56 dividing the fastener into the respective sections. The inner collar 56 is in an abutting relationship with the rim 23. More particularly, the rim 23 includes a top rim surface 23a adjacent to the inner collar 56, and an opposed bottom rim surface 23b adjacent to the baffle top surface 16. Further, portions of the surround 24 may include a notch 25 which provides clearance for the fastener 50 to be inserted through the coupling hole 48. The lower body section 52 may also include threading 58 to facilitate a locking relationship with the baffle 12, and the upper head section 54 includes a driver head 60 for receiving a screwdriver. It will be appreciated that any particular driver head may be utilized, including, but not limited to, Phillips type, flathead type, and hex type.
The first grill coupling is engaged to a second grill coupling. According to the first embodiment, the second grill coupling is a cap 62. Thus, as illustrated in
Referring to
As indicated above, the loudspeaker 1 may be attached to the baffle 12 in either the forward mounting configuration or the reverse mounting configuration. The grill 26 may be attached to the rim 23 so as to cover, in the aforementioned manner, the speaker mounting holes 46 and the coupling holes 48 in either configuration. With particular regard to the reverse mounting configuration and the configuration of the grill 26, when attached to the rim 23 and viewed from angle R as in
It is understood that the grill 26 may be constructed of plastic or other like material having sufficient flexibility to grip the cap 62 via the attachment member 72. It is contemplated that the cap 62 is constructed of rubber so that it may easily slide over the upper head section 54 of the fastener 50. In order to be screwed into the baffle 12, it will be appreciated that the fastener 50 is constructed of metal or other sufficiently rigid material. Generally, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the existence of a wide range of materials and variations thereof for the fabrication of the aforementioned components, and one material may be readily substituted with another without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Having considered the first embodiment in which the speaker mounting hole 46 and the coupling hole 48 are referred to as equivalent structures and the first grill coupling is a unitary structure operative to mate the grill 26 to the basket 22 and the basket 22 to the baffle 12, second and third embodiments will now be discussed. With reference to
According to the second embodiment, there is also provided an alternative basket configuration, including a rim 92 having a coupling hole 94. The rim 92 defines a top rim surface 92a, and a bottom rim surface 92b. Extending through the rim 92 from the top rim surface 92a to the bottom rim surface 92b is the coupling hole 94. Portions of the rim 92 are recessed, defining a countersink 98. The body portion 85 is inserted through the coupling hole 94, and the flange 86 is received within the countersink 94. Thus, the proximal flange surface 98 is coplanar with the bottom rim surface 92b. It is understood that the bottom rim surface 92a and the top rim surface 92b both include the respective countersink 98. As illustrated in
With regard to the second grill coupling,
Referring to
It will be understood that the loudspeaker 2 of the second embodiment may be mounted to the baffle 12 in the reverse mounting configuration. The rim 92 is positioned to face the baffle bottom surface 16, and the loudspeaker 2 is attached to the baffle 14 in a similar fashion as described above in relation to the forward mounting configuration. In further detail, the proximal end 82 is coplanar with the top rim surface 92a. The pin 80 is again disposed inside the cap 62, which is in turn mated to the attachment member 106 of the grill 100.
As discussed in relation to the grill 26, the grill 100 will also cover the rim 92 in the same manner as discussed above. Further, the grill may be constructed of plastic or other suitable material capable of gripping the cap 62 with the corresponding attachment member 106. With respect to the cap 62, it is understood to be constructed of rubber to readily slide over and engage the pin 80, which may also be constructed of rubber. However, selection of more rigid materials such as plastic or metal is not precluded. Generally, any suitable material for any of the aforementioned mounting mechanisms may be utilized. Relevant to the selection criteria, however, will be vibration absorbing characteristics of the material. With respect to the grill 100, it is understood that the solid surface portion 102 increases the surface area in which decorative elements may be incorporated, and is unimpeded by protruding fastening elements and structures. Further, as illustrated in
With reference to
The first grill coupling is a grommet 120 having a flanged upper end 122 and a flanged lower end 124. The flanges are mated to the offsets 118a, 118b, such that the grommet 120 is flush with the top and bottom rim surfaces 114a, 114b. The grommet further defines an interior eyelet 126. By way of example only and not of limitation, the grommet 120 is shaped to match the coupling hole 116. In this regard, the coupling hole 116 is typically cylindrical, and so the grommet 120 is likewise cylindrical.
Similar to the first and second embodiments, the third embodiment of the loudspeaker 3 may likewise be attached to the baffle 12 in the forward mounting configuration as well as the reverse mounting configuration. Illustrated in
In the third embodiment, a grill 128 having an alternative structure is provided. More particularly, the grill 128 defines solid surface portion 130, a finger 132 having material continuity with the grill 128. In other words, the finger 132 is integrally formed with the grill 128. The finger 132 may be constructed of rubber or any other suitable material, but due to its integral construction with the grill 128, the material selected should generally be suitable for both components. The finger 132 is generally opposed to the solid surface portion 130, and is engaged to the eyelet 126 of the grommet 120, attaching the grill 128 to the rim 114 of the basket 112. In order to minimize misalignment problems during insertion, the finger 132 may be tapered.
The grill 128 may also define a side wall portion 134 which may extend towards the baffle 12 to which the rim 114 is attached, and be flush with the baffle 12. Though as discussed in relation to the first and second embodiments of the loudspeaker 1 and 2, respectively, the grill may be shaped in any desirable fashion. It is understood, however, that like the grills 26, 100 of the first and second embodiments, respectively, the grill 128 is sized and configured to cover all of the coupling holes 116 and the speaker mounting holes 136. In other words, with reference to
The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3952834 | Soma et al. | Apr 1976 | A |
4326599 | Thompson et al. | Apr 1982 | A |
4331841 | Castagna | May 1982 | A |
4503292 | Johnson et al. | Mar 1985 | A |
4546850 | Litner | Oct 1985 | A |
4974698 | Smith | Dec 1990 | A |
4993511 | Hiraki et al. | Feb 1991 | A |
5619585 | Grasso | Apr 1997 | A |
6273656 | Cleland et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6305892 | Qiao | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6505705 | Espiritu et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
6661902 | Ziegler et al. | Dec 2003 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070274554 A1 | Nov 2007 | US |