Abstract:
An audio speaker ( 10, 76 ) has a housing ( 12, 78 ) with a front panel ( 14, 80 ) secured thereto, and with a grille ( 18 ) removably mounted to the front panel ( 14, 80 ). A series of combined connection assemblies ( 20, 84 ) serve to connect both the panel ( 14, 80 ) to the housing ( 12, 78 ) and the grille ( 18 ) to the panel ( 14, 80 ). The assemblies ( 20, 84 ) include a socket ( 50 ) which is seated within a panel opening ( 34 ), with couplers ( 62 ) securing the panel ( 14, 80 ) to the housing ( 12, 78 ). An insert ( 70 ) is threadably received within the socket ( 50 ). Connectors ( 42 ) secured to the grille frame ( 38, 82 ) include a bifurcated resilient ball ( 68 ) which is frictionally received within an associated insert ( 70 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is broadly concerned with combined connection assemblies designed for use with high quality audio speakers in order to provide a secure yet aesthetically pleasing connection between the speaker housing, front panel and removable grille. More particularly, the invention pertains to such connection assemblies and the associated speakers, wherein the connection assemblies include a socket received within the speaker front panel and secured to the underlying speaker housing, with a concentric insert within the socket designed for receiving a grille mounted friction connection member. In this way, the grille can be readily removed without the need for tools, and the appearance of the front panel and speaker housing is preserved. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Expensive, high-end audio speakers are a source of pride and satisfaction to their owners. Accordingly, every effort is made to enhance both the functional utility and appearance of such speakers. Conventionally, speakers of this type include a housing with a front panel secured over the housing and supporting a variety of individual speakers. When these speakers are equipped with a large sub-woofer speaker, it is necessary to make the front panel easily removable to gain access to the sub-woofer for installation and maintenance. 
     These speakers also typically include a decorative grille located over the front panel that protects the individual speakers from dust and other debris. In the past, separate connection assemblies have been required for attaching the speaker front panel to the housing, and for the removable attachment of the grille to the front panel. This requires separate openings for attaching the three components, which detracts from the appearance of the speaker, particularly when the grille is removed. 
     There is accordingly a need in the art for an improved connection assembly which combines the function of separate prior art connectors in order to mount both the speaker front panel and grille without extraneous openings or the like in the front panel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and provides an audio speaker in the form of a housing and a front panel with aligned connector-receiving openings formed therein, with a grille removably attached to the front panel. The speaker is improved by provision of combined connection assemblies serving to interconnect the front panel and grille to the housing. Each connection assembly includes a socket received within the front panel opening with a coupler extending from the socket and into the housing opening in order to secure the panel to the housing. Additionally, an insert is received within the socket and is retained therein by a mechanical interlock connection (e.g., a bayonet latch or a threaded connection, with the latter being preferred), and a connection member secured to the grille is received within the insert in a non-threaded, friction-fit manner. In this fashion, the grille may be manually removed from the front panel by separation of each grille connection member from its associated insert. 
     Preferably, the socket is in the form of a tubular member presenting an apertured base and an outwardly extending flange. When seated within the front panel opening, the flange engages the panel, while the base aperture is in alignment with the adjacent housing opening. The coupler is preferably an elongated bolt passing through the socket base aperture and into an associated threaded member secured to the speaker housing. 
     The insert is likewise tubular and essentially coaxial with the socket, presenting a smooth internal wall surface. The grille connection member is preferably in the form of a ball screw secured to the grille frame, with the ball being insertable into the adjacent socket insert in a friction fit manner. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upright audio speaker in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but illustrating the front grille removed from the speaker; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view illustrating the combined connection assembly used in securing the front panel and grille of the speaker housing; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in vertical section illustrating the preferred connection assembly with the speaker front panel and grille attached to the speaker housing; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6, but illustrating the manner in which the grille may be removed from the speaker front panel; 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but depicting another embodiment in accordance with the invention, where a front panel and grille are mounted to the housing of a recessed audio speaker; and 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the connection assembly used in the context of the recessed speaker of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, a high quality, upright, free standing audio speaker  10  is depicted. The speaker  10  includes an upright speaker housing  12 , a front panel  14  secured to the housing  12  and supporting one or more audio speakers  16 , and a removable grille  18  attached to the front panel  14 . A plurality of combined connection assemblies  20  are employed to secure panel  14  to housing  12 , and also to permit the detachable securement of the grille  18 . 
     The housing  12  includes a base  22  upright side and rear walls  24 , and top wall  26 . The base  22  and walls  24 ,  26  are typically formed of high grade wood to give the speaker  10  an enhanced visual appearance. As best seen in FIG. 3, the front rails  28  of housing  12  have recessed connector-receiving recesses  30  at the top and bottom thereof, for a total of four essentially corner-mounted recesses  30 . An elongated passageway  31  is also provided concentric with each recess  30 , together with an enlarged, concentric opening  31  a formed in the rearmost segment of the side rail  28  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     The front panel  14  is adapted to support the speakers  16 , and is further configured to overlie the front of housing  12 . Again, the panel  14 , and particularly the beveled side margins  32  thereof, is formed of high grade wood matching that of the housing walls. In addition, and again referring to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the panel  14  is equipped with four through openings  34  at the corners thereof. When the panel  14  is properly positioned over the housing front, the panel openings  34  are in registry with the recesses  30 . Referring to FIG. 4, note that the openings  34  have an circular offset region  36  adjacent the outer margin of the panel  14 . 
     The grille  18  is configured to overlie the main portion of front panel  14  inboard of the beveled side margins  32 . The grille is made up of a circumscribing frame  38  with soft, sound-transmitting material  40  such as low density foam covering the frame  38 . The frame has, at each corner thereof, a synthetic resin ball connector  42  in the form of a threaded shank  44  received by the frame with a circular reinforcement  46  adjacent the inner surface of the frame and a resilient synthetic resin bifurcated connector ball  48  presenting opposed, shiftable segments  49 . The connectors  42  are strategically located so that, when the grille  18  is properly disposed over the panel  12 , the connectors are essentially concentric with the panel openings  34 . 
     A connection assembly  20  is located at each of the aligned openings  34  and recesses  30 . In particular, each such assembly  20  includes an elongated, generally cup-shaped socket  50  formed of metal or hard synthetic resin material, having a sidewall  52  which is internally threaded as at  54 , and a base  56  having a central aperture  57  therethrough. The outermost end of socket  50  has a laterally extending annular flange  58 . Each socket  50  is seated within an aligned opening presented by a panel opening  34  and recess  30 , with the flange  58  seated within offset  36  and with the aperture  57  in alignment with the passageway  31 . 
     An elongated coupler in the form of a bolt  62  extends through base opening  56 , along passageway  31 , and into opening  31   a . A nut  64  threadably receives the end of the bolt shank. The nut  64  has an annular base  66 , and a circular, forwardly extending retainer tooth  68  which extends into the rearmost wooden segment of the side rail  28 . 
     Each overall assembly  20  additionally has an annular, externally threaded, synthetic resin insert  70  which is received within socket  50  and mated with threading  54 ; the outer end of the insert  70  includes a flange  71  having circumferentially spaced openings  71   a  which seats against socket flange  58 . The insert  70  has a smooth internal sidewall surface  72  and defines an elongated, cylindrical chamber  74 . The chamber  74  is designed to receive the bifurcated connector ball  48  of a grille connector  42  as illustrated in FIG.  4 . The ball  48 , when pressed into the associated chamber  74 , slightly deforms owing to the bifurcated construction thereof (i.e., the segments  49  contract inwardly) to yield a tight frictional fit of the grille  18  to the panel  14 . However, the grille may be removed by simply pulling the corners thereof so as to separate the balls  48  from their associated chambers  74 . This separation operation is shown in FIG. 5, for example. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an alternative embodiment in accordance with the invention wherein a recessed speaker  76  is employed. In such a case, the speaker has a housing  78 , front panel  80  and a covering grille including peripheral frame  82 . As before, the panel  80  is designed to cover the front of housing  78 , while the grille is removably mounted to the panel  80 . A plurality of connector assemblies  84  are used to secure both the panel  80  and grille in place. The assemblies  84  are for the most part identical with the previously described assemblies  20 , and therefore like parts are shown with the same reference numerals. 
     As best shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment the housing  78  is equipped with corner-mounted, internally threaded annular standoffs  86  which are secured to the back wall of the housing via screws  88 . The panel  80  has four stepped openings  90  formed in the corners thereof, which are aligned with the standoffs  86 . Each assembly  84  includes the socket  50  seated within opening  80 . The bolt  62  is seated within the socket  50  as shown and is threadably received by the associated standoff  86 . The insert  70  is threadably received within the socket  50  and presents the chamber  74 . The grille frame  82  has corner-mounted connectors  42  including bifurcated balls  48 . The latter are frictionally removably secured within the associated insert chambers  74 .