Patent Grant
11285885
This invention relates in general to sound bars, and more specifically to sound bars for mounting on recreational land vehicles or on recreational marine vessels.
Successfully adopting a sound bar for attachment to various recreational land vehicles, particularly off-road vehicles such as an ATV, dune buggies and similar land vehicles, as well as marine vessels such as ski boats, off-shore recreational fishing boats, party barges and similar watercraft, requires overcoming various problems unique to these land vehicles and watercraft. Because these land vehicles and watercraft are traveling over bumpy terrain such as dusty or muddy trails or over choppy water, the sound bar will undergo vigorous physical shaking and jolting requiring very secure attachment to the land vehicle or watercraft, as well as being constructed to withstand significant mechanical impact. At the same time the sound bar electrical components must remain both dustproof and watertight to prevent damage from splashed water, mud, rain or waves.
In addition because the sound bar will in many instances broadcast in open air while the land vehicle or watercraft is moving and not in a closed environment such as a home TV room. As a result it is difficult to achieve the desired directionality of the sound broadcast by the speakers. This requires that the position and directionality of the speakers be easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate changes in the listening environment. In many cases this difficulty is compounded because of the location where the sound bar must be mounted. Still further, because much of the broadcasting is into large open spaces there are many competing and uncontrollable sounds that interfere with the quality of the broadcast sound. Also, if the land vehicle or watercraft is moving during the broadcasting additional competing noises are created by the land vehicle or watercraft and by the wind passing over the moving various parts of the land vehicle or watercraft. The sound bar must be able to not only overcome these competing noises, but also maintain a high perception of sound quality from the listeners. As a result adjustments may be needed to the sound producing components. However in many instances, the position of the secured sound bar may make manual adjustments of the sound producing components difficult.
A further problem with prior art sound bars is they do not mount mid-range and tweeter speakers in both the front and rear sides of the sound bar housing middle section. Nor do they mount bass speakers in the opposing end sections of the sound bar housing such that the broadcast sound can be directed outward from the ends and generally perpendicular to the direction of sound being emitted from the other speakers in the speaker array assembly. Still further, prior art sound bars do not provide mounting assemblies attached across the open ends of the housing end section that can enable the mounting assemblies to be rotated up to 360 degrees after the sound bar has been mounted to a recreational land vehicle or watercraft.
Another problem is the difficulty in modifying the broadcast (e.g., volume, sound source, etc.) during the operation of the land vehicle and watercraft. This modification is made even more difficult at night when there may be limited light for the sound bar operator to make such modifications.
Attempts have been made to construct sound bars to be mounted to various types of recreational vehicles and marine vessels. For example, the sound bar described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,469,254 is directed to a sound system for mounting on off-road land vehicles, such as ATVs, motorcycles, and watercraft. Although such prior art devices have addressed some of the prior art problems, there remains a need in the industry for a positional and directional adjustable multi-range sound bar operational in the dust and wet conditions encountered by an off-road vehicle or watercraft that can better reduce or eliminate these prior art problems, as well as to control the functions of the sound bar.
An object of the invention to provide a sound bar constructed to meet mechanical impact resistance standards that when secured to a recreational vehicle or watercraft can undergo vigorous shaking and jolting without becoming damaged.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sound bar having electrical and electronic components that are sealed to limit or eliminate dust ingress and water ingress within the sound bar to the extent not to damage or interfere with the functions of the speakers or their controls.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a mounting system for the sound bar, including its broadcasting components, that can easily and quickly be adjusted to provide the desired position and directionality of the speakers, as well as to change or modify the different functions of the sound bar and to sufficiently overcome extraneous noise to produce an acceptable sound quality for the listeners.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting system for the sound bar permitting the sound bar to be rotated and affixed at any point in the 360° rotation about the longitudinal axis of the sound bar.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sound bar mounting assemblies positioned at opposite ends of the sound bar and constructed not to interfere with the quality of the sound being broadcast from the opposite ends of the sound bar.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sound bar that includes a lighting assembly while maintaining the desired dust and water ingress prevention standards desired.
A still further objective of the invention is to provide a sound bar control module that is hardwired to a control panel affixed to the sound bar housing, or is RF and/or Bluetooth enabled to communicate with a control panel affixed to the vehicle or watercraft or control panel which is handheld, and is RF and Bluetooth enabled to communicate with a smart phone app speaker control panel providing control signals to operate the speakers and lights of the sound bar.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious from the drawings and written description of the preferred embodiments of the invention set forth below.
Accordingly, a sound bar for attachment to a recreational vehicle or watercraft comprising an elongated hollow housing having a generally circular or polygon cross-section along a central longitudinal axis, and including a first end section and an opposite second end section separated by a middle section; the sections forming an interior passageway sized to contain (i) a first array assembly of mid-range and tweeter speaker units positioned in the middle section to emit sound in a direction outward from the central longitudinal axis, (ii) a first bass speaker unit positioned in the first end section to emit sound outward from a first end opening of the first section of the housing in a first direction generally along the central longitudinal axis, and (iii) a second bass speaker unit positioned in the second end section to emit sound outward from a second end opening of the second section of the housing in a second direction generally along the central longitudinal axis and opposite the first direction; a first grill member attached to the first end section and extending over the first end opening, the first grill member constructed having a center hub area affixed to an outer perimeter section of the first grill member by spokes defining open spaces in the first grill member to permit sound to emit from the first bass speaker unit and out of the first end opening; and a second grill member attached to the second end section and extending over the second end opening, the second grill member constructed having a center hub area affixed to an outer perimeter section of the second grill member by spokes defining open spaces in the second grill member to permit sound to emit from the second bass speaker unit and out of the second end opening. In a preferred embodiment the sound bar further includes a second array assembly having mid-range and tweeter speaker units positioned in the middle section to emit sound in a direction outward from the central longitudinal axis and opposite from the direction of sound emitted by the first array assembly.
In another preferred embodiment the sound bar further includes a first ring of lights affixed to an inside surface of the first center hub area and operatively connectable to a power source, as well as a LED lighting strip operatively affixed to housing outer surface.
In another preferred embodiment the sound bar includes a mounting strip operatively mounted to the exterior housing surface area and which includes a blind insert assembly having an insert threaded both internally and externally for attaching the mounting strip to the housing wall and for attaching the sound bar to a recreational vehicle or watercraft. In another preferred embodiment the sound bar includes a first generally L-shaped leg member rotatable affixed to the first center hub area and a second generally L-shaped leg member rotatable affixed to the second center hub area; each L-shaped leg member comprising an elongated plate member having a hub receiving area positioned at a top end section of the elongated plate member, shaped to affix to its corresponding center hub area and having a shorter plate member affixed generally perpendicularly to the bottom end section of the elongated plate member. It is preferred that each of the center hub areas comprises a centrally located threaded opening surrounded by a raised shoulder having an upper surface formed having a ring of ridges separated a predetermined distance; each of the hub receiving areas comprises a centrally located opening surrounded by a first ring of ridges separated by the predetermined distance; and a bolt for each of the center hub areas sized to extend through the centrally located opening and into the centrally located threaded opening to operatively affix the hub receiving area to the center hub area when the bolt is screwed into the centrally located threaded opening.
In yet another preferred embodiment the sound bar includes a control module operatively attachable to a power source, the control module also being operatively connected to the speaker units to control the volume of sound emitted by the speaker units, the control module having RF and Bluetooth enabled electronic components to receive operating signals from a remote control panel. It is preferred the RF and Bluetooth enabled electronic components transmit information signals to the remote control panels.
Referring now to
The housing middle section 5 is provided with one or more openings 14 to accommodate positioning a speaker array assembly 15. Speaker array assembly 15 includes a face plate 16 sized to fit over opening 14 and be sealing attached thereto by a series of screws 17. In a preferred embodiment the housing outer surface 18 will be constructed of a compressible material to form a watertight and dust proof seal between housing outer surface 18 and face plate 16.
As seen in
It is preferred that each middle section speaker array assembly 15 include one or more mid-range speaker units 20 having a frequency range of 250-3,000 megahertz, and a tweeter speaker unit 21 having a frequency range of 3,000-20,000 megahertz. It is preferred the bass speaker units 10, 12 positioned in the opposing housing end sections 3, 4, respectively, will each have a frequency range of 37-250 megahertz, preferably 70-250 megahertz.
Positioning the bass speaker units 10, 12 in the opposing end sections 3, 4, respectively, increases the volume of air that will be compressed within the housing passageway 6 by the operation of the bass speakers 10, 12. This decreases the pressure on the housing internal wall surfaces 26 and permits the construction of a lighter housing 2. However, in this configuration it is preferred that the rear area 27 of the mid-range speaker units 22 be housed within a covering cap 28 to minimize interference by the back pressure of the operating bass speaker units 10, 12 positioned in the end sections 3, 4, respectively, of the sound bar housing 2. In a preferred embodiment the diameter of the bass speaker units 10, 12 is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the housing 2 to facilitate obtaining a proper dust proof and watertight seal between the housing interior wall surface 26 and the outer perimeter wall surfaces 29, 30 of the bass speaker units 10, 12.
National standards have been established to indicate the degree of sealing against dust and similar solid particles, as well as sealing against water ingress into a product. In addition there are national standards relating to the mechanical impact resistance of a product. One such standard is the IEC standard 60529. Utilizing this standard it is desired the sound bar 1 of this invention have a solid particle rating of 4, preferably a rating of 5, and most preferably a rating of 6. It is further desired the sound bar 1 of this invention have a water ingress rating of 4, preferably a rating of 5 and more preferably a rating of 7. It is also desired that the sound bar 1 have a mechanical impact resistance rating of 5, preferably a rating of 7, and most preferably a rating of 9, particularly, if the sound bar 1 is to be mounted on an ATV or similar off-road vehicle.
The number and combination of tweeter speaker units 21 and mid-range speaker units 22 in an array assembly 15 may vary. The number of array assemblies 15 depends on the combination of speakers in each array assembly 15, the overall size of the sound bar 1 (as dictated by the land vehicle or watercraft in which the sound bar 1 is to be mounted) and the size of the selected tweeter and mid-range speaker units. For use in an off-road vehicle or recreational watercraft, it has been found in each array assembly 15 the use of one or two mid-range speaker units 22 to each tweeter speaker unit 21 provides a desired sound quality and volume when two to four array assemblies 15 are utilized. If the array assemblies 15 are to be positioned with each speaker unit facing in the same direction from the central longitudinal axis 7, then, as illustrated in
Referring to
As illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment illustrated in
Referring now to
In an alternate preferred embodiment LED light strip 76 may be positioned on housing outer surface 18 such as illustrated in
Referring to
The controller module 81, and in turn speaker units 10-11 and 20-21, LED lighting strips 73, 76, are operatively attached to a power source (not shown), such as the battery of the land vehicle or watercraft. In a preferred embodiment the sound bar 1 is also provided with electrical connections 82 to permit the controller module 81 to be operatively attached to an external power source that may be located on a pier or at a camp where the watercraft is docked or where the land vehicle is parked.
In another novel feature of this invention control of sound bar 1 is achieved by three independent control devices that permit control of the sound bar 1 regardless of the environmental and/or physical constraints might be present when sound bar 1 is used with a recreational vehicle or watercraft.
The first control panel system 83 (see
The second control panel system 84 (see
The third control panel system 85 is a handheld RF, Bluetooth equipped remote controller or a smart phone in which a control app has been downloaded having the capabilities of transmitting desired function control signals to the controller module 81. In addition control panel system 85 is programmed to both transmit operating function control signals to controller module 81, but also to receive desired information from controller module 81. Controller systems 84 and 85 will each have multiple function control buttons 86 to control the sound source selection, sound volume, LED lights, and any other device that may be operatively attached to plugs 88 that are operatively connected to control module 81. In an alternative embodiment it may be provided with screen 87 to display information related to the operation of controller 84 or 85, or any other desired information.
In another preferred embodiment the electronic controller module 81 is mounted within the housing passageway 6 and operatively attached to the speaker units and any LED lighting strips that have been incorporated in the sound bar 1. The controller module 81 is designed to receive control signals from a keypad panel having operating function control buttons 83 affixed to the external surface 26 of the housing 2. The controller module 81 is further designed to receive RF control signals from a remote device that is mounted to the land vehicle or watercraft or is handheld. In an alternate preferred embodiment the remote device, such as control panel systems 84 and 85, may be Bluetooth enabled in order to have two-way communications with the controller module 81. Still further the controller module 81 is designed to receive Bluetooth control signals from a smart phone app and to communicate back to the smart phone app or remote device that it has received and executed the desired instructions. Messages from the controller module 81 may be displayed on a screen 87 or otherwise viewed. This controller module 81 combination provides significant benefits to the ATV/watercraft sound bar. Because of the limited mounting positions the sound bar 1 may be affixed to the ATV or watercraft in positions where it is difficult to reach manual control buttons 83 located on the sound bar housing 2. In these situations the smart phone app and the remote RF/Bluetooth devices provide alternate means to operate the sound and light controls of the sound bar 1. However, in severe weather or where the ATV or watercraft is traveling through rough water or muddy terrain the risk that the operator may drop and/or damage a smart phone, the relatively inexpensive remote device 85 allows the operator to safely store the cell phone and still operate the sound bar 1 by the remote device 85.
When the sound bar 1 is to be used in low light or dark conditions it is preferable that the sound bar 1 also be operatively equipped with lighting strips, such as LED lighting strips 73, operatively attached to the power source. These lighting strips can be positioned on the exterior surface 26 of the housing 2, and, if desired, also within the hub 35 of the grill members 33. In these positions the lighting strips can provide light as a decorative feature or to illuminate the speaker controls positioned on the exterior surface of the housing. The lighting strips (preferably LED strips) are operatively connected to the control module 81. If the lighting strips are hardwired directly to the controller module 81, then the wiring at the point of entering the housing passageway 6 are sealed by known means to maintain the dust proof and watertight construction. It is preferred to use a connector to a known PCB arrangement that allows for complete waterproofing and less mess. One such known arrangement utilizes spring loaded pins to maintain the connection. Another such arrangement would include plug and socket connecters.
The invention further includes a method of installing a sound bar 1 and mounting assembly 31 to a structure comprising selecting a structure to which the sound bar 1 is to be attached; loosely affixing with threaded bolt 49 a L-shaped mounting member 39 to a first housing end grill member 33; loosely affixing a second L-shaped mounting member 39 to a second housing end grill member 33; affixing the first L-shaped mounting member 39 to the structure; affixing the second L-shaped mounting member 39 to the structure; rotating the housing 2 about its horizontal axis 7 to a desired position; tightening the first L-shaped mounting member 39 to the first housing end grill member 33 an amount necessary to prevent further rotation of the housing 2; and tightening the second L-shaped mounting member 39 to the second housing end grill member 33 an amount necessary to secure the housing 2 to the L-shaped mounting member 39 and prevent further rotation of the housing 2.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/860,872 filed on Jan. 3, 2018 claiming benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/442,245 filed on Jan. 4, 2017, all of which applications are hereby incorporated in their entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5191177 | Chi | Mar 1993 | A |
| 9877096 | Harms | Jan 2018 | B2 |
| 10471903 | Jordan | Nov 2019 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62442245 | Jan 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15860872 | Jan 2018 | US |
| Child | 16599438 | US |
