Speaker assembly with clamping subassemblies

• US 9,438,974 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audio Components International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Audio Components International, Inc.
• Inventors: Marcum, Bryan Thomas, Stitzer, Joshua William
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKinney, Angelica M
• Application Number:
  US14/600,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 381/332, 381/386, 381/334, 181/199, 239/289
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/029 Manufacturing aspects of enclosures transducers

Abstract

A speaker assembly has a speaker housing and one or more clamping subassemblies, with each subassembly including a drive dog, a clamping dog with a dogleg, a compression spring, and a dog screw, and with each subassembly capable of transitioning between four positions. In a parked position, the entire clamping subassembly is housed in the speaker housing with the compression spring in a compressed state between drive dog and the clamping dog. By rotating the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned to a ready-to-release position where the dogleg of the clamping dog extends out of the speaker housing. By pushing the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned to a released position, where the compression spring forces the clamping dog away from the drive dog. By further rotating the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned to a clamped position, where the compression spring returned to the compressed state.

Claims

1. A speaker assembly, comprising:

a speaker housing; and

one or more clamping subassemblies housed in the speaker housing, each of said clamping subassemblies including

a drive dog,

a clamping dog with a dogleg,

a compression spring extending between the drive dog and the clamping dog, and

a dog screw extending through the drive dog and through the clamping dog;

wherein, in a parked position, the drive dog is engaged with the clamping dog with the dogleg of the clamping dog housed in a recess defined by the speaker housing, and the compression spring is in a compressed state;

wherein, through an initial rotation of the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned from the parked position to a ready-to-release position, in which the dogleg of the clamping dog extends out of the speaker housing, while the compression spring remains in the compressed state;

wherein, through actuating the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned from the ready-to-release position to a released position, with the drive dog rotating relative to the clamping dog, causing the drive dog to disengage the clamping dog, such that the compression spring is released and moves the clamping dog relative to the speaker housing; and

wherein, through further rotation of the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned from the released position to a clamped position, with the drive dog advancing along the length of the dog screw and returning the compression spring to the compressed state.

2. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the initial rotation of the dog screw is about a one-quarter turn.

3. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the speaker housing defines a channel that extends along the speaker housing adjacent and parallel to the clamping subassembly, and wherein the drive dog includes a tab which extends in a substantially perpendicular orientation from an outer surface of the drive dog, such that, when the clamping subassembly is in the released position, the tab is located in the channel defined by the speaker housing preventing the drive dog from rotating as the drive dog is advancing along the length of the dog screw.

4. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein, when the drive dog is engaged with the clamping dog, the drive dog is substantially contained within a cavity defined by the clamping dog.

5. The speaker assembly of claim 1, wherein the dog screw includes threads that frictionally engage the drive dog, but do not engage the clamping dog, such that rotation of the dog screw results in rotation of the drive dog, but not the clamping dog.

6. The speaker assembly of claim 1, and further comprising one or more dog tower caps attached to the speaker housing adjacent to each of the one or more clamping subassemblies, wherein each drive dog includes one or more projections which extend downward from the drive dog and are configured to engage each dog tower cap, such that, upon the initial rotation of the dog screw, the one or more projections of the drive dog engage the dog tower cap causing the dog screw to rise relative to the speaker housing.

7. The speaker assembly of claim 1, further comprising a dog grip positioned on an upper portion of the dogleg and configured to engage a back side of a mounting surface when the clamping subassembly is in the clamped position.

8. The speaker assembly of claim 1, and further comprising a leaf spring having a fixed end, along with a distal end opposite the fixed end, wherein the leaf spring is configured to bias the clamping subassembly into the parked position.

9. The speaker assembly of claim 4, wherein the clamping dog includes one or more supports positioned in the cavity defined by the clamping dog, and wherein the drive dog includes one or more detents that project from an outer surface of the drive dog, such that, when the drive dog is engaged with the clamping dog, each of the one or more detents of the drive dog is engaged with a respective support of the clamping dog.

10. The speaker assembly of claim 4, wherein the clamping dog includes one or more supports positioned in the cavity defined by the clamping dog, and wherein the drive dog defines a helical surface, such that, as the drive dog is advancing along the length of the dog screw, the helical surface of the drive dog engages one of the one or more supports causing the drive dog to rotate in relation to the clamping dog and reengage the clamping dog.

11. The speaker assembly of claim 5, wherein the dog screw is a threaded rolling screw.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 6, wherein the dog screw is actuated by applying a force to the dog screw, such that the one or more projections of the drive dog engage the dog tower cap, thus causing the drive dog to rotate relative to the speaker housing and the clamping dog.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 6, and further comprising a leaf spring having a fixed end connected to the dog tower cap, along with a distal end opposite the fixed end and operably connected to the clamping subassembly, the leaf spring configured to bias the clamping subassembly into the parked position.

14. The speaker assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more supports of the clamping dog include an upper seat, and wherein the one or more detents of the drive dog include a lower surface with two angled sides that form an apex configured to engage the upper seat of the one or more supports and resist rotation of the drive dog relative to the clamping dog.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein a lower inclined surface of the one of the one or more supports of the clamping dog engages the helical surface defined by the drive dog.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 13, wherein the distal end of the leaf spring is operably connected to the clamping subassembly by a bushing positioned within a hole defined by the dog tower cap and including a lip which prevents the bushing from passing completely through the hole defined by the dog tower cap.

17. A clamping assembly for a speaker housing, comprising:

a drive dog;

a clamping dog with a dogleg;

a compression spring extending between the drive dog and the clamping dog; and

a dog screw extending through the drive dog and through the clamping dog;

wherein, in a parked position, the drive dog is engaged with the clamping dog with the dogleg of the clamping dog housed in a recess defined by the speaker housing, and the compression spring is in a compressed state;

wherein, through an initial rotation of the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned from the parked position to a ready-to-release position, in which the dogleg of the clamping dog extends out of the speaker housing, and the dog screw is raised relative to the speaker housing, while the compression spring remains in the compressed state;

wherein, through actuating the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned from the ready-to-release position to a released position, with the drive dog rotating relative to the clamping dog, causing the drive dog to disengage the clamping dog, such that the compression spring is released; and

wherein, through further rotation of the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned from the released position to a clamped position, with the drive dog advancing along the length of the dog screw and returning the compression spring to the compressed state.