Adjustable speaker box for the sports bar of a vehicle

• US 20030076964A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bestop Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bestop Incorporated
• Inventors: Stickles, George C., Borke, Frank A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,690,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A speaker box for a sport utility vehicle. The speaker box is pivotally mounted to the sports bar of the vehicle and can be selectively pivoted relative to the bar to a plurality of positions. In one position, the sound from the speakers of the speaker box is directed downwardly as in convention designs. However, unlike conventional designs, the speaker box and its sound can also be directed rearwardly of the vehicle for parties and other gatherings such as at campsites or on the beach. Further, the speaker box and its sound can be directed slightly forward toward the front of the vehicle if desired. In doing so, a saddle or cutout is provided in the middle of the speaker box so as not to unduly inhibit the driver'"'"'s vision through the rear view mirror.

Claims

1. In a vehicle having a sports bar, the improvement including a speaker box mountable to the sports bar for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis between at least two positions.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said speaker box is directed substantially downwardly when said speaker box is in a first of said at least two positions and directed substantially rearwardly of the vehicle in a second of said at least two positions.

3. The improvement of claim 1 further including an adjustable mechanism to allow said speaker box to be selectively moved between said at least two positions.

4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said adjustable mechanism includes first and second members, said first member being fixedly attached to said sports bar and said second member being mounted to said speaker box for selective movement with said speaker box relative to said first member about said horizontal axis.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said first and second members are selectively engagable and disengagable with each other wherein said first and second members can be engaged with each other to secure said speaker box in a first of said at least two positions and disengaged from each other to move said speaker box from said first of said at least two positions to a second of said at least two positions.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said first and second members are selectively engagable with each other to secure said speaker box in said second of said at least two positions.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein one of said first and second members includes at least two holes spaced from each other about an axis and the other of said first and second members includes at least one hole spaced from an axis and selectively alignable with each of the holes of the one member.

8. The improvement of claim 7 further including at least one detent selectively receivable in said aligned holes to secure said speaker box selectively in each of said at least two positions.

9. The improvement of claim 6 wherein one of said first and second members includes at least two holes spaced from each other about an axis and the other of said first and second members includes at least one detent selectively receivable in each of said at least two holes.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein said one of said first and second members includes a plate and the other of said first and second members includes a rod slidably mounted for movement along the longitudinal axis thereof.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein the other of said first and second members further includes a cross piece attached to said rod to extend outwardly of said rod and the longitudinal axis thereof, said cross piece having said detent thereon, said detent being spaced from said longitudinal axis and being selectively receivable in each of said at least two holes of said first plate by sliding said rod and cross piece attached thereto along said longitudinal axis toward and away from said plate to selectively engage and disengage the detent with the holes in said plate.

12. The improvement of claim 10 further including a handle mounted to said rod and extending outwardly of the longitudinal axis of said rod wherein said handle can be manually operated to move the rod along the longitudinal axis thereof.

13. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said first and second members are biased to engage one another.

14. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said adjustable mechanism includes third and fourth members, said third member being fixedly attached to said sports bar and said fourth member being mounted to said speaker box for selective movement with said speaker box relative to said third member about said horizontal axis.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said third and fourth members are selectively engagable and disengagable with each other wherein said third and fourth members can be engaged with each other to secure said speaker box in said first of said at least two positions and disengaged from each other to move said speaker box from said first of said at least two positions to said second of said at least two positions and wherein said third and fourth members are selectively engagable with each other to secure said speaker box in said second of said at least two positions

16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein one of said first and second members and one of said third and fourth members respectively include a rod member slidable mounted for movement along the respective longitudinal axis of said rod wherein said longitudinal axes of said rods are collinear.

17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein said rods are longitudinally spaced from each other along said collinear axis and are biased apart from each other along said collinear axis.

18. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said speaker box is mounted to said sports bar for pivotal movement about said horizontal axis among at least three positions.

19. The improvement of claim 18 wherein said speaker box is directed downwardly in a first of said at least three positions, directed rearwardly of the vehicle in a second of said at least three positions, and directed at least slightly toward the front on the vehicle in a third of said at least three positions.

20. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the pivotal movement of said speaker box about said horizontal axis is remotely controlled.

21. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the pivotal movement of said speaker box about said horizontal axis is remotely controlled by an electronic actuator.

22. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said vehicle has a cabin and the pivotal movement of said speaker box about said horizontal axis is remotely controlled by an actuator positioned in said cabin.

23. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the pivotal movement of said speaker box about said horizontal axis is remotely controlled by an electromagnetic wave actuator.

24. The improvement of claim 23 wherein the volume of said speaker box is remotely controlled by said electromagnetic wave actuator.

25. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said speaker box is further mounted for pivotal movement relative to said sports bar about a substantially vertical axis.

26. The improvement of claim 25 wherein said pivotal movement about said vertical axis is remotely controlled.