U.S. patent number 3,859,480 [Application Number 05/367,392] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-07 for loudspeaker and attachment fitting.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH. Invention is credited to Udo Birkner, Gunter Fritsch.
United States Patent |
3,859,480 |
Birkner , et al. |
January 7, 1975 |
LOUDSPEAKER AND ATTACHMENT FITTING
Abstract
To secure a loudspeaker in the sound opening of a sound board,
particularly when the loudspeaker must be mounted from locations
accessible only with difficulty, for example in automobile
receivers, a bowed thin springy sheet metal diaphragm is formed
with projecting clips, projecting from the rearwardly bowed, that
is, convexly bowed surface to be engaged by the loudspeaker, and
with hook-like projections, projecting from the concavely bowed
surface, to permit slipping one hook into the edge of the sound
opening of the sound board, hooking the speaker into the clip, and
then flattening the bowed diaphragm against spring pressure until
the second hook engages around another side of the sound opening,
of the sound board, the loudspeaker being then snapped in holding
position on the diaphragm strip by another clip; the first clip can
be replaced by deformable holding flaps or the like.
Inventors: |
Birkner; Udo (Heinde,
DT), Fritsch; Gunter (Hildesheim, DT) |
Assignee: |
Blaupunkt-Werke GmbH
(Hildesheim, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5849430 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/367,392 |
Filed: |
June 6, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/152; 381/389;
181/171 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R
1/02 (20130101); H04R 1/025 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04R
1/02 (20060101); H04r 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;179/178
;181/31R,31B |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Brown; Thomas W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Flynn & Frishauf
Claims
We claim:
1. A fitting to secure a loudspeaker (6) to a sound board (7)
formed with a sound opening (8), comprising
a sheet (2) of thin, springy sheet material which, in unstressed
state, is bowed, and when stressed and flattened has an outline
extending at least in part to the outline of the cage of the
loudspeaker, the sheet having a sound opening zone similar to the
sound opening of the sound board;
means securing said sheet (2) to two opposed lateral sides of the
loudspeaker (6) including at least one outer spring clip (3)
projecting away from the convex surface of the bowed sheet and at
the side of the sheet which extends parallel to the bend axis of
the bowed sheet;
and means to attach said sheet (2) to the sound board (7) including
at least one inner hook (4) projecting away from the concave
surface of the bowed sheet at the sound opening zone and located
nearest to said side of the sheet which extends parallel to the
bend axis of the bowed sheet, the hook (4) being bent over said
sheet and away from said sound zone to permit fitting of the bowed
sheet, with the concave surface against the sound board (7) and
engagement of the hook through the sound opening (8) of the sound
board (7) and over the edge (9) thereof and upon stretching and
flattening of the sheet by contact of the convex surface with the
loudspeaker cage, engagement of the edge of the cage of the
loudspeaker with the clip (3).
2. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least two spring
clips (3) are provided, one each located at opposite sides of the
sheet.
3. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is generally
rectangular and wherein the clip (3) is located at a marginal edge
of the sheet.
4. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the sheet (2) is formed
with locating projections (5) fitting matching holes (14) in the
loudspeaker cage to locate the speaker in position on the
sheet.
5. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is formed with
gripping means (13) projecting from the convex surface of the sheet
and located to engage the loudspeaker cage (15) through holes (14)
formed in the cage.
6. A fitting according to claim 5, wherein the gripping means (13)
comprises deformable projecting flaps.
7. A fitting according to claim 5, wherein the convex surface of
the sheet has one clip (3) located at one side thereof and the
gripping means are located at opposite sides thereof;
and two hooks (4) are located at opposite sides, and projecting
from the concave surface of the sheet.
8. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the clip has a first
spring portion extending from the side of the sheet towards the
sound zone thereof, and a second end portion reversely bent with
respect to the spring portion to permit snap catch engagement of
the loudspeaker cage with the clip.
9. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least two hooks (4)
are provided, one each located at opposite sides of the sound zone
and having end portions extending away from each other and spaced
from the sheet when the sheet is flattened, by about the thickness
of the sound board (7).
10. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the clip or clips and
the hook or hooks are bent-away portions shaped from the material
of the sheet and unitary therewith.
11. A loudspeaker having a speaker cage, being formed with an edge
rim and an attachment fitting to attach the loudspeaker to a sound
board having a sound opening comprising the combination of
a stressed, substantially flat strip of spring material which, when
unstressed, is convexly bowed towards the speaker cage, said flat
strip lying flat against the speaker cage;
means projecting from the surface facing the loudspeaker on the
flat strip to secure the flat spring material strip to the cage at
one side thereof;
a resilient spring clip, projecting from the surface facing the
loudspeaker on said strip to resiliently engage over the edge of
the speaker cage at the other side thereof, said means and spring
clip being located at opposite sides of the axis about which the
strip bows when unstressed;
and at least two hooks projecting from the surface which is
concavely bowed when the spring is unstressed, the hooks having end
portions facing away from said axis and engaging around the edge of
the sound opening of the sound board.
12. Combination according to claim 11, wherein said securing means
comprises another clip.
13. Combination according to claim 11, wherein said cage has
attachment holes and said securing means comprises deformable flaps
extending through said holes and being deformed to hold the
loudspeaker and the strip together and in aligned position.
Description
The present invention relates to a loudspeaker attachment fitting
to attach loudspeakers to sound boards, and more particularly to
permit attachment of loudspeakers in positions where accessibility
is severely limited, such as, for example, in the dashboard
assembly of automobiles.
It is usually customary to secure a loudspeaker on a sound board by
means of screws. This leads to difficulties if the sound board is
so shaped or located with respect to other structures that
accessibility of both sides to the sound board is limited, as is
frequently the case when loudspeakers are to be installed in
automobile radios. Securing loudspeakers, therefore, is often
difficult and in any event is time-consuming
It is an object of the present invention to provide a loudspeaker
and more particularly a loudspeaker attachment fitting construction
which permits rapid installation of loudspeakers in locations where
accessibility is impaired.
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Briefly, a strip or sheet, or diaphragm of springy material, which
is bowed, is formed with projecting hooks adapted to engage over
the edge of the rim of the sound opening in the sound board. At the
convex side of the bowed sheet or strip, or diaphragm, a
snap-connection to the loudspeaker is formed, for example by a pair
of spring clips, or by one spring clip and deformable attachment
flaps or the like. The loudspeaker may be preliminarily secured to
the strip, for example by one clip, or the attachment flaps. The
bowed diaphragm, or strip is then inserted, from behind, such that
the hooks will overlap the edge of the sound board opening (for
example an opening, or punched holes in the dashboard or similar
structure of an automobile), and the loudspeaker is then pressed
towards the sound board, thus flattening the bowed strip to provide
for secure engagement of the hooks over the edge of the sound
board, and snapping the loudspeaker into the remaining spring
clip.
The invention will be described by way of example with reference to
the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the loudspeaker attachment fittings;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the loudspeaker attachment fittings,
taken from the side of the speaker;
FIG. 3 is a combination view illustrating the fitting and a
loudspeaker before assembly;
FIG. 4 is a view of the loudspeaker with the fitting assembled to
the sound board;
FIG. 5 is a side view of a further embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a top view of a further embodiment; and
FIG. 7 is a rear view of the loudspeaker attached to a sound
board.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a sheet or diaphragm 2 having a sound
opening 1 formed therein. The diaphragm is curved, so as to have a
convex surface at the upper side of FIG. 1, and a concave surface
at the lower side of FIG. 1. Projections are formed on the
diaphragm 2, for example by being punched from the diaphragm
material. The projections are located at sides of the loudspeaker
roughly parallel to the axis of bowing, or bend of the spring
material. These projections are in form of clips 3, projecting form
the convex side, and hooks 4, projecting from the concave side. The
clips 3 are generally S-shaped and are so dimensioned with respect
to the loudspeaker that when the diaphragm is stressed against its
bend, that is, is flattened, the clips 3 will snap over the edge of
the cage of the loudspeaker to be held. The hooks 4 are generally
U-shaped and dimensioned to fit around the edge of the sound
opening 1 of the sound board 2. They project outwardly, that is, in
the direction opposite to the clips 3. The diaphragm is further
formed with projections 5 which are dimensioned and placed on the
diaphragm to fit into remaining attachment holes usually present in
loudspeaker cages, and to properly locate the loudspeaker cage on
the diaphragm.
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, which illustrate the use of the
fitting of the present invention: A loudspeaker 6 is secured to the
sound board 7, for example, by first loosely inserting the
diaphragm 2 in the sound board opening as illustrated in FIG. 3.
This can be done, for example, by hand or by loosely attaching the
loudspeaker 6 to one of the clips 3. The hooks 4 extend around the
edges 9 of the sound board opening 8. As the speaker 6 is then
pressed towards the sound board 7, the edge 11 of the loudspeaker
cage, usually having a ring of compressible material 10 such as
foamed plastic or the like placed thereon, causes stressing of the
bowed strip or diaphragm 2. The hooks 4 will slip behind the edges
9 of the opening 8 in the sound board, and clips 3 will snap around
the edge 11 of the loudspeaker cage. The loudspeaker cage is thus
securely held against the sound board 7.
The diaphragm can be formed of an essentially rectangular sheet
element (wherein "rectangular" is deemed to include the special
case where all sides are equal, that is, square), may be round, or
have any other suitable shape fitting the loudspeaker. The sound
opening 1 of the diaphragm 2 need not be an entire opening but can
be in the form of a grille, punched grid, or the like; likewise,
the sound opening 8 in sound board 7 may already have the form of a
grille, provided only that openings of sufficient size are formed
near the edge 9 to permit the hooks 4 to slip thereover. Such
partial openings are to be deemed to be within the scope of the
term "sound opening" herein referred to.
The modification according to FIGS. 5-7 is particularly suitable
where mounting space is limited or highly impeded. The diaphragm 12
is essentially similar to the diaphragm 2, but differs in that one
side is not formed with a clip 3 but rather is formed with flaps 13
which are located to fit through the lateral attachment holes 14 of
the loudspeaker cage of loudspeaker 15. The loudspeaker 15 is
pre-assembled with the diaphragm 12 by threading flaps 13 through
two matching attachment holes 14 of the loudspeaker 15, and then
deforming the flaps to securely hold the diaphragm and the
loudspeaker together. The pre-assembled sub-assembly of
loudspeaker-diaphragm is then placed in position, for example
behind or beneath the dashboard of an automobile, permitting
installation with one hand only, by slipping hooks 4 around the
edge 9 of the sound board, as before, and snapping the left side of
the loudspeaker (with reference to FIGS. 5-7) into the spring clip
3, so that the loudspeaker will be held in position as seen in FIG.
7.
The sound zone, that is, the region from where the sound is
projected covers the sound hole, or opening, and as referred to
above, may be partially obstructed, for example by being formed
with grillwork or the like.
The diaphragm can be made as a flat sheet with a sound opening as
shown in FIGS. 2, 6, or as a strip, with suitable perforations, or
suitably shaped to permit attachment of the loudspeaker thereto
through one or more of its attachment holes, or by spring
clips.
The arrangement in accordance with the present invention permits
mounting of a loudspeaker in locations which are accessible only
with great difficulty. The attachment requires no additional
screws, rivets, or any auxiliaries which require the use of tools,
and can be entirely carried out by hand and without any tools
whatsoever. It does not require any drilling or modification of the
usually existing sound openings in the sound board.
Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of
the invention concept.
* * * * *