Speaker assembly with aiming device

• US 7,367,423 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QSC, LLC
• Original Assignee: QSC Audio Products LLC (QSC Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Godfrey, Francois, Brodie, John, Ferrell, Barron, Hawkins, Bernie
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin; Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US10/973,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20060086562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 181/187, 181/30, 381/387, 381/304, 381/300, 381/332, 332/86
• US Class Current: 181/187
• 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 assembly aimable relative to a remote target. The speaker assembly comprising a sound generating device configured to project sound in a sound pattern about a sound axis. A speaker aiming device is coupled to the sound generating device for use in visually aiming the sound generating device relative to the remote target. The speaker aiming device having first and second aiming portions spaced apart from each other and positioned along an aiming axis in a fixed orientation relative to the sound axis. The first and second aiming portions being positioned to allow a user to visually see along the aiming axis past the first and second portions aiming device to the remote target.

Claims

1. A loudspeaker assembly aimable relative to a remote target, comprising:

a sound generating device having a horn portion configured to project sound in a sound pattern about a sound axis; and

a speaker aiming device coupled to the sound generating device for use in visually aiming the horn portion relative to the remote target such that the sound pattern is positioned to cover a listening area, the speaker aiming device having first and second aiming portions spaced apart from each other and positioned along an aiming axis in a fixed orientation relative to the sound axis, the first and second aiming portions being positioned to allow a user to visually see along the aiming axis past the first and second aiming portions to the remote target.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sound generating device includes at least one of a high-frequency speaker and a mid-frequency speaker.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the first aiming portion has a viewing hole therethrough coaxially aligned with the aiming axis.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the second aiming portion is a viewing hole through the horn portion coaxially aligned with the aiming axis.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sound generating device includes a driver, the first aiming portion is coupled to the driver and the second aiming portion has a viewing hole through the horn portion.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second aiming portions include cross-hairs intersecting at the aiming axis.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the speaker aiming device is a tube substantially coaxially aligned with the aiming axis.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second aiming portions includes a notch substantially aligned with the aiming axis, and the other of the first and second aiming portions has a projection substantially aligned with the aiming axis.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sound generating device is a first sound generating device, the sound pattern is a first sound pattern, and the sound axis is a first sound axis, and the assembly further comprising a second sound generating device configured to project sound in a second sound pattern about a second sound axis, the first and second sound generating devices being oriented so the first and second sound axes converge and intersect at a point substantially on the aiming axis.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the sound generating device is a first sound generating device, the sound pattern is a first sound pattern, and the sound axis is a first sound axis, and the assembly further comprising a second sound generating device configured to project sound in a second sound pattern about a second sound axis, the first and second sound generating devices being oriented so the first and second sound axes converge and intersect at a position away from the aiming axis.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the aiming device includes a mirror in alignment with the aiming axis.

12. A loudspeaker assembly aimable relative to a remote target, comprising:

a first sound generating device positioned to project sound toward the remote target about a first sound axis;

a second sound generating device positioned to project sound toward the remote target about a second sound axis; and

a speaker aiming device coupled to the first and second sound generating devices for use in visually aiming the first and second sound generating devices relative to the remote target for projecting broad sound patterns that cover a listening area, the speaker aiming device having first and second aiming portions spaced apart from each other and defining an aiming axis, the aiming axis being in a fixed orientation relative to the first and second sound axes, the first and second aiming portions being configured to allow a user to see along the aiming axis past the first and second portions aiming device to a location relative to the remote target.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the first sound generating device is attached to the second sound generating device.

14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein one of the first and second aiming portions includes a viewing hole extending through a portion of the first or second sound generating devices.

15. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the sound generating device includes a driver and a horn portion, the first aiming portion is coupled to the driver and the second aiming portion has a viewing hole through the horn portion.

16. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the first aiming portion has a first viewing hole facing toward a horn portion of one of the first or the second sound generating devices, and the second aiming portion has a second viewing hole through the horn portion that allows a user to see along the aiming axis through the horn portion.

17. The assembly of claim 12 wherein at least one of the first and second aiming portions includes cross-hairs intersecting at the aiming axis.

18. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the speaker aiming device is a tube substantially coaxially aligned with the aiming axis.

19. The assembly of claim 12 wherein one of the first and second aiming portions includes a notch substantially aligned with the aiming axis, and the other of the first and second aiming portions has a projection substantially aligned with the aiming axis.

20. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the first and second sound generating devices are oriented so the first and second sound axes converge and intersect at a point substantially on the aiming axis.

21. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the first and second sound generating devices are oriented so the first and second sound axes converge and intersect at a position away from the aiming axis.

22. A cinema screen and loudspeaker system for use in a cinema having a viewing area, comprising:

a perforated cinema screen;

a speaker assembly aimable relative to a remote target and facing toward the viewing area with the cinema screen therebetween, the speaker assembly comprising;

a first sound generating device positioned to project sound through the perforated cinema screen in a first sound pattern about a first sound axis;

a second sound generating device positioned to project sound through the perforated cinema screen in a second sound pattern about a second sound axis, the second sound generating device being connected to the first sound generating device in an aimable array; and

a speaker aiming device connected to the aimable array and positioned relative to the first and second sound generating devices for use in visually aiming the first and second sound generating devices relative to the remote target such that the first and second sound patterns are positioned to cover the viewing area, the speaker aiming device having first and second aiming portions spaced apart from each other and positioned along an aiming axis in a fixed orientation relative to the first and second sound axes, the first and second aiming portions being positioned to allow a user to visually see along the aiming axis past the first and second portions and through the perforated cinema screen to the remote target.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the first sound generating device includes a high-frequency speaker and the second sound generating device includes a mid-frequency speaker.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein one of the first or second aiming portions includes a viewing hole extending through a portion of one of the first or second sound generating devices.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein one of the first and second sound generating devices includes a driver and a horn, the first aiming portion is coupled to the driver and the second aiming portion has a viewing hole through the horn.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the aiming axis is substantially coplanar with the first and second sound axes.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein at least one of the first and second aiming portions includes cross-hairs at the aiming axis.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the speaker aiming device is a tube substantially aligned with the aiming axis.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the second aiming portion has an aligning peg with an edge substantially at the aiming axis, and the first aiming portion has a notch aligned with the aiming axis.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the first and second sound axes converge and intersect at a remote aiming point on the aiming axis.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein the first and second sound axes converge and intersect at a remote aiming point away from the aiming axis.

32. The system of claim 22 wherein the first and second sound generating devices are oriented so at least one of the first or second sound axes converge and intersect the aiming axis at the remote target.

33. A cinema loudspeaker assembly, comprising:

a first sound generating device positioned to project sound in a first sound pattern about a first sound axis;

a second sound generating device coupled to the first sound generating device and positioned to project sound in a second sound pattern about a second sound axis that converges and intersects with the first sound axis at an aiming point remote from the first and second sound generating devices, the first and second sound generating devices being movable as a unit to move the aiming point to a selected position remote from the cinema speaker assembly; and

an aiming device for use in visually aiming the first and second sound generating devices relative to the aiming point such that the first and second sound patterns are positioned to cover a listening area, the aiming device having first and second aiming portions that define an aiming axis and through which a user can look toward the aiming point.

34. The assembly of claim 33 wherein the first sound generating device includes a first driver and a high-frequency horn, and the second sound generating device includes a second driver and a mid-frequency horn.

35. The assembly of claim 33 wherein the first and second sound axes intersect at a remote location in the range of approximately 25-100 feet from the first sound generating device.

36. The assembly of claim 33 wherein the first and second sound axes intersect at a remote location in the range of approximately 40-60 feet from the first sound generating device.