Mounting foot device for hi-fi equipment

• US 6,155,530 A
• Filed: 01/12/1998
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terje Borgen
• Original Assignee: Terje Borgen
• Inventors: Borgen, Terje
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAXTER, GWENDOLYN WRENN
• Application Number:
  US08/981,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 248/638, 248/632, 248/633, 248/634, 248/188.8, 248/188.9, 381/386, 381/388, 381/392, 381/333, 181/207, 181/209, 16/42 R
• US Class Current: 248/638
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings

Abstract

A mounting foot device for hi-fi equipment to prevent or limit acoustic feedback, comprising: an anchor bolt for affixing to said equipment, the bolt including a downward facing end face provided with a projecting spike; a housing which partially surrounds the bolt, and wherein the bolt has axial, but limited, movability in relation to the housing; a contact plate, either fixedly mounted in the housing or mounted with limited axial mobility in relation to the housing, and including an upper face and a lower face wherein the upper face is positioned facing toward the end face of the anchor bolt and the projecting spike, and is adapted to form a point contact with the spike and wherein when the bolt is under the weight of the hi-fi equipment, the bolt moves toward the contact plate.

Claims

1. A mounting foot device for hi-fi equipment to prevent or limit acoustic feedback, comprising:

an anchor bolt for affixing to said equipment, the bolt including a downward facing end face, the end face provided with a projecting spike, the projecting spike having a first angle of taper;

a housing which partially surrounds the bolt, and wherein the bolt has axial, but limited, movability in relation to the housing;

a contact plate being one of (1) fixedly mounted in the housing and (2) mounted with limited axial mobility in relation to the housing, and including an upper face and a lower face wherein the upper face is positioned facing toward the end face of the anchor bolt and the projecting spike, the projecting spike engaging the upper face of the contact plate in a point contact when the bolt is under the weight of the hi-fi equipment.

2. A device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the upper face of the contact plate includes a depression for receiving the spike, the depression having a second angle of taper that is greater than the first angle of taper of the bolt'"'"'s spike.

3. A device as disclosed in claim 2, further including a support plate securely fixed in the housing, the support plate defining a non-through cavity with a bottom surface, and wherein the contact plate is arranged to fit slidably, with limited axial movability, into the non-through cavity, said contact plate being provided on the lower face thereof with three projecting spikes adapted to form a point contact with the bottom surface of the cavity when under said weight of the hi-fi equipment.

4. A device as disclosed in claim 3, wherein the cavity has a depth and the contact plate has a height, and the cavity depth is approximately equal to the contact plate height.

5. The device as disclosed in claim 3, wherein the support plate is comprised of metal.

6. The device as disclosed in claim 5, wherein the support plate is comprised of one of brass and zinc.

7. A device as disclosed in claim 2, further including a support plate securely fixed in the housing, the support plate defining an opening with sides having a third angle of taper, and wherein the contact plate is arranged to fit concentrically and slidably, with limited axial movability, into the opening in the support plate, said contact plate being conical in form with a fourth angle of taper equal to the third angle of taper for said opening, but having a smaller cross section than the cross section of the opening, so that when under the weight of the hi-fi equipment, the contact plate will remain in a position of radial clearance in relation to the support plate.

8. The device as disclosed in claim 7, wherein the support plate is comprised of metal.

9. The device as disclosed in claim 8, wherein the support plate is comprised of one of brass and zinc.

10. A device as disclosed in claim 2, further including a cap, the cap attached to the housing, and wherein the contact plate is retained adjacent to the mounting foot housing with the aid of the cap.

11. A device as disclosed in claim 2, further including

a cap attached to the housing;

a bushing having an upper end and a lower end and defining an annular space, and the bushing arranged between the housing and the cap and below the end face of the bolt; and

a support plate arranged to fit concentrically within the annular space of the bushing and having an upper surface and a lower surface, the support plate lower surface in contact with the cap;

a stop means located between the upper end of the bushing and the housing; and

wherein the contact plate is arranged to fit concentrically and with limited axial movability within the annular space of the bushing and below the stop means, and the stop means is located adjacent to the upper end of the bushing to limit the movability of the contact plate toward the end face of the bolt, and where the lower face of the contact plate includes three projecting spikes adapted to make a point contact with the upper surface of the support plate.

12. The device as disclosed in claim 11, wherein the support plate is comprised of metal.

13. The device as disclosed in claim 12, wherein the support plate is comprised of one of brass and zinc.

14. A device as disclosed in claim 1, further including a cap, the cap attached to the housing, and wherein the contact plate is retained adjacent to the mounting loot housing with the aid of the cap.

15. A device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the anchor bolt has an upper end and a lower end, and further includes one of a contact surface and a threaded section located at the upper end of the anchor bolt.

16. A device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the bolt includes a portion which is movable within the housing and said portion has a substantially conical form with at least one angle of taper, and wherein said housing defines an internal cavity arranged with a shape corresponding to that of the bolt and having the same at least one angle of taper of the substantially conical portion of the bolt.

17. A device as disclosed in claim 16, wherein the bolt portion which is movable within the housing has a stepped configuration.

18. A device as disclosed in claim 16, further including a bushing, the bushing located within the internal cavity defined by the housing and between the bolt and the housing.

19. A device as disclosed in claim 1, further including a protective facing located on the lower face of the contact plate facing away from the bolt.

20. A device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the spike consists of a spiked insert piece embedded in the anchor bolt, and wherein the contact plate is provided with a spike counterplate which is fixed in the upper face of the contact plate.

21. A device as disclosed in claim 20, wherein the spiked insert piece and the counterplate are made of a first hard material, while the anchor bolt and the contact plate are made of a second less-hard material.

22. A device as disclosed in claim 21, wherein the spiked insert piece and the counterplate are comprised of steel.

23. A device as disclosed in claim 21, wherein the anchor bolt and the contact plate are comprised of zinc.

24. A device as disclosed in claim 1, further including

a cap attached to the housing;

a bushing having an upper end and a lower end and defining an annular space, and the bushing arranged between the housing and the cap and below the end face of the bolt; and

a support plate arranged to fit concentrically within the annular space of the bushing and having an upper surface and a lower surface, the support plate lower surface in contact with the cap;

a stop means located between the upper end of the bushing and the housing; and

wherein the contact plate is arranged to fit concentrically and with limited axial movability within the annular space of the bushing and below the stop means, and the stop means is located adjacent to the upper end of the bushing to limit the movability of the contact plate toward the end face of the bolt, and where the lower face of the contact plate includes three projecting spikes adapted to make a point contact with the upper surface of the support plate.

25. A device as disclosed in claim 24, wherein the support plate is fixed in the housing with the aid of the cap.

26. The device as disclosed in claim 24, wherein the support plate is comprised of metal.

27. The device as disclosed in claim 26, wherein the support plate is comprised of one of brass and zinc.

28. The device as disclosed in claim 1, wherein the contact plate is comprised of metal.

29. The device as disclosed in claim 28, wherein the contact plate is comprised of one of brass and zinc.