SPEAKER SHELF

Abstract

Disclosed Is an apparatus for supporting an object such as a speaker above a video display having substantially parallel front and rear planar surfaces. The apparatus comprises a top platform having at least one front lip adapted to engage the front planar surface of the video display and at least one adjustable rear gripping device suspended from the top platform adapted to selectively engage the rear planar surface of the video display. The at least one front lip and at least one rear gripping device cooperate to clamp the video display therebetween.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to supporting devices above a video display in general and in particular to a device for supporting a speaker above a flat panel television.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well know that modern home theater systems typically include a video display such as a television, an input source such as a DVD or VHS player, a processing device such as an audio visual receiver, and a plurality of speakers. One of the plurality of speakers typically includes a center channel speaker. The center channel speaker is known to be important for locating dialogue and other sounds associated with a corresponding image displayed on the television.

In designing and setting up home theater systems, it is known that the position and orientation of the center channel speaker is important for ensuring accurate reproduction of the required audio signals. It is known that the center channel speaker is desirably located vertically centered in relation to the screen and either below or above the screen. It is also often desirable to locate the front of the speaker co-planar with the screen. Accordingly, it has previously been common to place the center channel speaker resting on the top of the television cabinet.

Due to advances in television technology, flat panel televisions such as plasma or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel televisions have become more prevalent in home theater systems. Flat panel televisions disadvantageously have a reduced depth on top of the television cabinet on which to rest a speaker. The depth of such flat panel televisions is typically less than 4 inches.

Conversely, many center channel speakers have cabinet depths which are substantially greater than 4 inches. Accordingly, it is often not possible to place a center channel speaker directly upon a flat panel television.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an apparatus for supporting an object above a video display. The video display has a front planar surface and a rear planar surface substantially parallel to the front planar surface and a top edge therebetween. The apparatus comprises a top platform having at least one front lip, and at least one adjustable rear gripping device suspended from the top platform. The at least one front lip is adapted to engage the front planar surface of video display. The at least one rear gripping device is adapted to selectively engage the rear planar surface of the video display. The at least one front lip and at least one rear gripping device cooperate to clamp the video display therebetween.

The object may comprise a speaker. The apparatus may further comprising two rear gripping devices.

The at least one rear gripping device may each be supported by at least one bracket suspended from the top platform. The at least one bracket may comprise a common bracket for supporting all of the at least one rear gripping device. The at least one bracket may comprise one bracket for each of the at least one rear gripping devices. The at least one brackets may comprise a planar member suspended substantially perpendicularly from the top platform. The top portion may include a front edge having the at least one front lip and a back end wherein the at least one bracket is suspended from a position between the front and back ends. The at least one bracket may be suspended from a position substantially half way between the front and back ends.

The rear gripping device may comprise a selectively positionable member having an end pad adapted for engaging the rear planar surface of the video display, wherein the selectively postionable member may be adapted to selectively extend relative to the bracket in a plane substantially parallel to the top platform. The positionable member may comprise a threaded rod. The bracket may include at least one bore for receiving the threaded rods. The bores may have threading corresponding to the threading on the threaded rods. The threaded rods may include nuts for retaining the threaded rods at a desired position relative to the bracket.

The apparatus may further comprising a single lip extending substantially the width of the top platform. The apparatus may further comprising two front lips arranged in parallel spaced apart relation to each other.

Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view,

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a flat panel television having an apparatus for supporting a speaker thereon according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 applied to a flat panel television without the end pad engaged against the rear surface of the television.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 applied to a flat panel television, with the end pad engaged against the rear surface of the television.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an apparatus for supporting a speaker 9 above a television 4 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at 10. The television 4 has front and rear surfaces 6 and 8, respectively and a top surface 7 extending therebetween. The junction of the front and top surfaces defines a front top edge 6a. The junction of the rear surfaces defines a rear top edge 8a.

Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, a perspective view of the speaker shelf 10 is illustrated. The apparatus or speaker shelf 10 comprises a top platform 12, a front lip 14 and a rear grip 16. The top platform comprises a planar member having front and back ends 18 and 20, respectively and extending between first and second side edges 22 and 24, respectively. The first and second side edges 22 and 24 maybe parallel to or angled with respect to each other. It will be appreciated that other shapes of the top platform 12 maybe useful as well. The front lip 14 extends substantially perpendicularly from and in a downward direction relative to the front end 18. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the front lip 14 and top platform 12 maybe formed of a continuous sheet of material having a 90 degree bend 26 therein wherein the bend 26 defines the boundary between the top platform 12 and the front lip 14. The front lip 14 may comprise a single lip as illustrated in FIG. 2 or more than one lip 14a and 14b as illustrated in FIG. 1. The bend 26 may also be selected from a range of between 80 and 120 degrees. It will be appreciated that the front lip 14 should have a length sufficient to engage a portion of the front surface 6 of the television 4. It is also desirable that the front lip 14 not extend over and obstruct the screen (not shown) of the television 4. It has been found a length of between ½ and 1½ inch for the front lip has been useful although it will be appreciated that other lengths may be useful for different television designs as well.

As illustrated, the speaker shelf 10 may optionally include a sheet of cushioning material 32 applied to the bottom 28 of the top platform 12 and the rear surface 30 of the front lip 14. The cushioning material 32 may comprise an elastomeric material such as, for example, rubber, butyl rubber or polychloropene which is often sold under the trade name Neoprene™.

The rear grip 16 comprises an elongate threaded rod 34 threadably received within a bracket 36. The threaded rod 34 includes an end pad 42 for resiliently engaging the rear surface 8 of the flat panel television 4. The end pad 42 maybe rotatably affixed to the threaded rod 34. The bracket 36 is an elongate member extending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom 28 of the top platform 12. The bracket 36 maybe secured to the top platform 12 by means of screws 38 or other suitable fastening methods as are commonly known in the art. The bracket 36 includes a threaded bore 40 adapted to threadably receive the rod 34 therein. Each bracket 36 may include a plurality of bores 40 for receiving the threaded rod 34 at a plurality of locations. The bore 40 is spaced apart from the top platform 12 by a distance sufficient to permit the end pad 42 to engage the rear surface 8 of the flat panel television 4 so as to avoid any edge bevel of the rear surface. It has been found that spacing the bore 40 from the top platform by a distance of approximately 3 to 8 inches has been sufficient. The rod 34 may also include a nut 44 for locking the rod at a selected location relative to the bracket 36. It will be appreciated that a nut 44 may also be applied to both sides of the bracket as illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 5.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the rear grip may include a plurality of brackets 36 each having a threaded rod 34. The two brackets maybe spaced apart in a common plane to each other such that each bracket 36 is located adjacent to one of the first or second side edges 22 or 24 of the top platform 12. It will also be appreciated that a single bracket 36 may be utilized wherein the threaded rod 34 is centred between the first and second side edges 22 and 24. In other embodiments a single bracket 36 may substantially span the width between the first and second side edges 22 and 24 and may include a plurality of threaded rods 34, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The top platform 12, front lip 14 and bracket 36 may be formed of any suitable rigid material. It has been found that aluminium has been useful as well as other types of metal such as steel and stainless steel. It will be appreciated that other materials may also be useful such as, by way of non-limiting example, wood and rigid plastics sufficient to permit the speaker shelf to support the weight of a speaker as will be readily understood by those of skill in the art.

In operation, the speaker shelf 10 may be applied to a flat panel television 4 by placing the top platform 12 upon the top surface 7 of the television with the front lip extending over the front top edge 6a to engage the front surface as illustrated in FIG. 4. Thereafter the threaded rods 34 may be extended into firm engagement with the rear surface 8 of the television 4 so as to secure the speaker shelf 10 to the television as illustrated in FIG. 5. A sheet of anti-slip material 50, such as, by way of non-limiting example, rubber as rubber impregnated fabric may be applied to the top surfaces of the top platform 12. A speaker 9 or other object may thereafter be placed upon the speaker shelf 10 or anti-slip material.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting an object above a video display, the video display having a front planar surface and a rear planar surface substantially parallel to the front planar surface and a top edge therebetween, the apparatus comprising: a top platform having at least one front lip, said at least one front lip being adapted to engage the front planar surface of the video display; andat least one adjustable rear gripping device suspended from said top platform being adapted to selectively engage the rear planar surface of the video display,wherein said at least one front lip and said at least one rear gripping device cooperate to clamp the video display therebetween.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said object comprises a speaker.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising two rear gripping devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one rear gripping devices are each supported by at least one bracket suspended from said top platform.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said at least one bracket comprises a common bracket for supporting all of said at least one rear gripping device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said at least one bracket comprises one bracket for each of said at least one rear gripping devices.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said at least one brackets comprise a planar member suspended substantially perpendicularly from said top platform.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said top portion includes a front edge having said at least one front lip and a back end wherein said at least one bracket is suspended from a position between said front and back ends.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said at least one bracket is suspended from a position substantially half way between said front and back ends.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rear gripping device comprise a selectively positionable member having an end pad adapted for engaging the rear planar surface of said video display, wherein said selectively postionable member is adapted to selectively extend relative to said bracket in a plane substantially parallel to said top platform.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said positionable member comprises a threaded rod.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said bracket includes at least one bore for receiving said threaded rods.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said bores have threading corresponding to said threading on said threaded rods.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said threaded rods include nuts for retaining said threaded rods at a desired position relative to said bracket.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one front lip is a single lip extending substantially the width of said top platform.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least two front lips comprises two front lips arranged in parallel spaced apart relation to each other.