Retrofit bracket for wall mount speakers

• US 5,292,092 A
• Filed: 04/26/1993
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dana Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dana Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Curtis, Jerry, Malzahn, Walter, Struthers, Scott, Kindel, William J., Spencer, Geoffrey L., Huebscher, F. Hendrik, Maurer, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSS, J
• Application Number:
  US08/054,082
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 248/906, 248/27.1, 248/27.3, 248/56, 312/7.1, 361/427, 361/422, 220/3.9, 381/188, 362/365
• US Class Current: 248/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture

Abstract

A retrofit bracket for wall mount speakers has a support surface configured for mounting at least one speaker thereto and a pair of elongate clamping bars extending across to opposite sides of the rear of the support surface and adjustably attach thereto such that a wall covering is clampably capturable intermediate the support surface and the bars. An adjustment means facilitates varying of the distance between the support surface and the bars to accommodate various wall covering thicknesses. The elongate bars are sufficiently flexible to provide spring tension against the wall covering captured intermediate the bars and the support surface. A foot is formed upon each end of the elongate bars for distributing the force applied by the bars over an increased surface area. The use of feet to spread the force of the bars over an increased surface area mitigates the potential for compression of the wall covering captured therebeneath. The use of bars which are sufficiently flexible to provide spring tension against the wall covering provide for continued tension of the feet against the wall covering as the wall covering compresses. Thus, the retrofit bracket for wall mount speakers of the present invention provides a means whereby speakers mounted to a wall covering are not susceptible to loosening due to compression of the wall covering and consequently are not susceptible to the degradation of performance and appearance caused thereby.

Claims

1. A retrofit bracket for wall mount speakers comprising:

(a) a support surface configured for mounting at least one speaker thereto;

(b) at least two elongate bars attached to said support surface such that a wall covering is clampably capturable intermediate said support surface and said bars, each of said bars having a foot formed at each end thereof;

(c) adjustment means for varying the distance between said support surface and said bars;

(d) at least one cross-member interconnecting adjacent feet of the two bars; and

(e) frusto-conical male members formed upon said cross-member and complimentary frusto-conical female members formed within said feet to facilitate attachment of the cross-member to the feet;

(f) wherein said adjustment means facilitates the accommodation of various wall covering thicknesses.

2. The bracket as recited in claim 1 wherein said bar is sufficiently flexible to provide spring tension against the wall covering captured intermediate said bar and said support surface.

3. The bracket as recited in claim 1 wherein said bar is bowed to provide spring tension against the wall covering captured intermediate said bars and said support surface.

4. The bracket as recited in claim 1 wherein said elongate bars are generally parallel.

5. The bracket as recited in claim 1 wherein said foot distributes the force applied by said bar over an increased surface area.

6. The bracket as recited in claim 1 wherein said support surface further comprises:

(a) an insertion member which is insertable through a hole formed in the wall covering; and

(b) a bezel which remains upon the wall covering.

7. The bracket as recited in claim 1 wherein said bars are sufficiently flexible to maintain spring tension against the wall covering upon compression of the wall covering.

8. A retrofit bracket for wall mount speakers comprising:

(a) a support surface configured for mounting at least one speaker thereto;

(b) at least two elongate bars attached to said support surface such that a wall covering is clampably capturable intermediate said support surface and said bars, each of said bars having a foot formed at each end thereof;

(c) adjustment means for varying the distance between said support surface and said bars;

(d) at least one cross-member interconnecting adjacent feet of the two bars; and

(e) first connectors formed upon said cross-member and second connectors formed upon said feet, said first and second connectors being mateably engageable to facilitate attachment of the cross-member to the feet;

(f) wherein said adjustment means facilitates the accommodation of various wall covering thicknesses.

9. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein said bar is sufficiently flexible to provide spring tension against the wall covering captured intermediate said bar and said support surface.

10. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein said bar is bowed to provide spring tension against the wall covering captured intermediate said bars and said support surface.

11. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein said foot distributes the force applied by said bar over an increased surface area.

12. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein said support surface further comprises:

(a) an insertion member which is insertable through a hole formed in the wall covering; and

(b) a bezel which remains upon the wall covering.

13. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein said elongate bars are generally parallel.

14. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein one of said first and second connectors comprise male connectors and the other of said first and second connectors comprise female connectors.

15. The bracket as recited in claim 8 wherein said bars are sufficiently flexible to maintain spring tension against the wall covering upon compression of the wall covering.

16. A method for attaching speakers to a wall, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) attaching at least one speaker to a support surface;

(b) attaching at least one elongate bar to the support surface such that the bar extends across two opposite sides thereof;

(c) forming an opening in a wall covering;

(d) inserting the bar through the hole;

(e) adjusting the distance between the bar and the support surface such that the wall covering is captured intermediate the bar and the support surface.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the step of adjusting the distance between the bar and the support surface comprises adjusting the distance such that the bar resiliently deforms to apply spring tension to the wall covering captured between the bars and the support surface.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of adjusting the distance between the bar and the support surface comprises adjusting the distance between feet formed at both ends of the bar and the support surface, the feet distributing the force applied by the bar over an increased surface area.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising the step of inserting an insertion member formed upon the support surface into the opening after inserting the bar therethrough.

20. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of adjusting the distance between the bar and the support surface maintains spring tension upon the wall covering upon compression of the wall covering and mitigates degradation of speaker performance caused by such compression.