Mountable loudspeaker assemblies and clamps

• US 8,568,162 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wet Sounds, Inc. (Patrick Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wet Sounds, Inc. (Patrick Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: White, Timothy John, Triola, Brett A., Kiliszewski, Lawrence C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne, Jean F
• Application Number:
  US13/108,376
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 439/577, 439/55, 439571-573, 439578-584, 439595-603
• US Class Current: 439/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/06 Arranging circuit leads; Relieving strain on circuit leads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/025 Transducer mountings or cabinet supports enabling variable orientation of transducer of cabinet

Abstract

Loudspeaker clamps and assemblies are disclosed which include base and mounting clamps having respectively engageable electrical connectors, wherein the electrical connectors include distinct electrical contacts for audio signal transmission, ground connection, and optionally light signal transmission. In some cases, the structure of the base clamp may be rotatable relative to the structure of the mounting clamp when the electrical connectors are engaged. In some embodiments, the base and mounting clamps may each include an annular structure surrounding their respective electrical connectors, wherein one of the annular structures is nestable within the other encircling structure and the nestable structure includes an outer circumferential groove. Such embodiments of clamps and assemblies further include a fork having two prongs which are dimensionally configured to slide through first and second through holes of the encircling structure and into opposing sides of the outer circumferential groove when the base and mounting clamps are engaged.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:

a loudspeaker;

a base clamp comprising;

a first plurality of electrical connectors in electrical communication with signal transmission wires of the loudspeaker; and

a first clamp structure surrounding the first plurality of electrical connectors and coupled to the loudspeaker; and

a mounting clamp comprising;

a second plurality of electrical connectors engageable with the first plurality of electrical connectors, wherein either the first plurality of electrical connectors or second plurality of electrical connectors are electrical pins, and wherein the other of the first and second plurality of electrical connectors are electrical pin receptacles configured to receive the electrical pins; and

a second clamp structure surrounding the second plurality of electrical connectors, wherein the assembly comprises a means to rotate the first clamp structure relative to the second clamp structure when the first and second plurality of electrical connectors are engaged.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of electrical connectors are part of a first electrical connector assembly which is rotatably arranged within the first clamp structure, and wherein the second plurality of electrical connectors are part of a second electrical connector assembly which is fixedly arranged with the second clamp structure.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of electrical connectors are part of a first electrical connector assembly which is fixedly arranged within the first clamp structure, and wherein the second plurality of electrical connectors are part of a second electrical connector assembly which is rotatably arranged with the second clamp structure.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second clamp structures each comprise a rotation stop configured to come into contact with each other when the first and second plurality of electrical connectors are engaged and the first clamp structure is being rotated.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of electrical connectors comprise an engageable pair of electrical connectors for audio signal transmission and another engageable pair of electrical connectors for ground connection.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first and second plurality of electrical connectors further comprise an engageable pair of electrical connectors for light signal transmission.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the first and second plurality of electrical connectors comprise multiple engageable pairs of electrical connectors for light signal transmission, and wherein each of the multiple engageable pairs of electrical connectors for light signal transmission are for respectively different colors of light.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical pins are part of an electrical pin assembly which further comprises an annular barrier surrounding the electrical pins, wherein the electrical pin receptacles are part of an electrical pin receptacle assembly which further comprises a cylindrical support structure surrounding the electrical pin receptacles, wherein the cylindrical support structure is nestable within the annular barrier, and wherein the annular barrier comprises a notch which is configured to received a protrusion arranged along the cylindrical support structure.

9. An assembly, comprising:

a loudspeaker;

a base clamp coupled to the loudspeaker, wherein the base clamp comprises a first electrical connector in electrical communication with signal transmission wires of the loudspeaker;

a mounting clamp comprising a second electrical connector engageable with the first electrical connector, wherein the base clamp and the mounting clamp each comprise an annular sidewall surrounding the respective first and second electrical connectors, wherein one of the annular sidewalls is nestable within the other encircling annular sidewall, wherein the nestable annular sidewall comprises an outer circumferential groove, and wherein the encircling annular sidewall comprises;

first and second through holes arranged along the circling annular sidewall such that the first and second through holes are aligned with opposing sides of the outer circumferential groove of the nestable annular sidewall when the annular sidewalk are nested; and

a threaded third through hole arranged along the encircling annular sidewall such that the threaded third through hole exposes a portion of the nestable annular sidewall when the first and second through holes are aligned with opposing sides of the outer circumferential groove of the nestable annular sidewall;

a fork comprising two prongs dimensionally configured to slide through the first and second through holes and into the opposing sides of the outer circumferential groove when the first and second through holes are aligned with opposing sides of the outer circumferential groove of the nestable annular sidewall; and

a locking screw dimensionally configured to fit through the threaded third through hole of the encircling annular sidewall and abut against the exposed portion of the nested annular sidewall.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the fork comprises a threaded screw hole between the two prongs, wherein the threaded third through hole of the encircling annular sidewall is arranged between the first and second through holes such that when the two prongs are inserted into the first and second through holes the threaded screw hole is arranged in alignment with the threaded third through hole, and wherein the locking screw is configured to additionally fit through the threaded screw hole.

11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the two prongs and the first and second through holes are dimensionally configured such that distal ends of the two prongs can touch an interior surface of the encircling annular sidewall when the two prongs are inserted into the first and second through holes.

12. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the base clamp comprises the encircling annular sidewall.

13. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the mounting clamp comprises the encircling annular sidewall.

14. The assembly of claim 9, wherein a span between outer surfaces of the two prongs is shorter than an inner diameter of the encircling annular sidewall.

15. A clamp for mounting a speaker, wherein the clamp comprises:

a base sub-clamp;

a fastener for affixing the base sub-clamp to a speaker which has audio and light signal transmission wires; and

a mounting sub-clamp engageable with the base sub-clamp, wherein the base sub-clamp and the mounting sub-clamp each comprise a first electrical contact for audio signal transmission, a second electrical contact for ground connection, and a third electrical contact for light signal transmission, wherein the first, second and third electrical contacts of either of the base sub-clamp or the mounting sub-clamp are electrical pins, and wherein the first, second and third electrical contacts of the other sub-clamp are electrical pin receptacles configured to receive the electrical pins.

16. The clamp of claim 15, wherein the base sub-clamp and the mounting sub-clamp each comprise multiple electrical contacts for light signal transmission, and wherein each of the multiple electrical contacts are for respectively different colors of light.

17. The clamp of claim 15, wherein the mounting sub-clamp comprises:

a tubular mounting unit; and

a fastener for affixing the tubular mounting unit around a cylindrical object.

18. The clamp of claim 17, wherein the tubular mounting unit comprises drainage holes within its bottom portion.

19. The clamp of claim 15, wherein the mounting sub-clamp comprises:

a mounting plate having a substantially flat surface; and

a fastener for affixing the substantially flat surface against a support structure.

20. The clamp of claim 19, wherein the mounting sub-clamp further comprises:

a tubular mounting unit;

a fastener for affixing the tubular mounting unit around a cylindrical object; and

a means for affixing the mounting plate to the tubular mounting unit, wherein the mounting plate and tubular mounting unit comprise alignment markers for joining.