Abstract:
The disclosure relates to a satellite speaker system wherein the horn mouth of a main speaker, typically of a folded horn design, is divided by braces into satellite speaker storage chambers. This allows the satellite speakers to be placed into the storage chambers for storage and transportation, and then easily removed and placed into their remote locations for a show, performance or gig.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a speaker system, such as those used for live performances, wherein the main speaker includes storage compartments for the satellite speakers, so that the speaker system can be easily transported.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     In the prior art, speaker systems for live performances are well known. These systems typically include at least one main speaker along with a plurality of smaller satellite speakers. As these speaker systems are typically used for mobile or “on the road” applications, these speaker systems are frequently set up before a performance and, several hours later, packed up after the performance for transportation to the site of a subsequent performance. This can be an unwieldy and time-consuming process and, under the worst circumstances, can result in the satellite speakers becoming separated and misplaced from the main speaker. Additionally, these speaker systems have typically been large and unwieldy, and therefore difficult to transport in motor vehicles.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a speaker system which can quickly be set up before a performance and quickly collapsed and packed up after a performance.  
         [0006]     It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a speaker system with a design which conserves space and is therefore less difficult to handle and transport.  
         [0007]     It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a speaker system wherein the satellite speakers are stored and transported with the main speaker system, so that the satellite speakers do not become separated therefrom.  
         [0008]     These and other objects are attained by providing a main speaker with lower storage compartments, typically in the horn mouth, into which the satellite speakers fit during storage and transportation. When the satellite speakers are removed from the main speaker for the performance, the space into which the satellite speakers are otherwise stored serves as a horn mouth for the folded horn configuration of the main speaker.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the main speaker of the present invention, shown with a single satellite speaker in the storage location.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front plan view of the main speaker of the present invention, shown with the front cover removed to expose the woofer baffle.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of plane  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 , further shown with a satellite speaker in an exploded phantom configuration.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side cross sectional view of a satellite speaker of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a front plan view of the satellite speaker of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a rear plan view of the satellite speaker of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the satellite speaker of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, one sees that  FIGS. 1-3  are various views of the main or primary speaker  10  of the present invention. Main speaker  10  is bounded by top wall  12 , bottom wall  14 , side walls  16 ,  18  and rear wall  20 . Main speaker  10  is typically of a folded horn design with an upper chamber  22  bounded by removable cover  24  which comprises top cover portion  26  and bottom cover portion  28 . Removable cover  24  is secured in place by cleats. Upper chamber  22  is further bounded by chamber bottom panel  30  which is a relatively permanent part of the structure. Woofer baffle  32  diagonally bisects upper chamber  22  from inwardly of the forward edge of top surface  12  and further includes an oval-shaped aperture  34  for the woofer speaker (not shown). Woofer baffle  32  extends to second baffle  40  which is oriented in accordance with the folded horn design. Downward of upper chamber  22  is horn mouth  42  through which a substantial portion of the sound from the woofer main speaker  10  is directed outwardly. Upper rear diagonal panel  44  is formed at the rear corner  46  where top panel  12  and rear panel  20  meet. Additionally, amplifier  48  may be inserted in the space between upper diagonal panel  44  and rear corner  46 . Amplifier  48  receives electrical or electronic signals from microphones, musical instruments or other devices (not shown) and increases the voltage level in order to provide signals to the various speakers. Amplifier  48 , additionally, could include analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converters. Lower rear diagonal panel  50  is formed in place of the corner between rear wall  20  and bottom wall  14 . Upper and lower rear diagonal panels  44 ,  50  help direct the sound from upper chamber  22  through horn mouth  42 .  
         [0018]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , horn mouth  42  is bounded on a portion of its upper side by horizontal horn mouth brace  52 . Similarly, horn mouth  42  is bisected by vertical horn mouth brace  54  which extends diagonally from a forward edge of lower panel  14  to chamber bottom panel  30 .  
         [0019]     Horizontal and vertical horn mouth braces  52 ,  54  therefore form two satellite speaker storage chambers  60 ,  62  in horn mouth  42 .  
         [0020]     Satellite or secondary speaker  70  is shown in  FIGS. 4-7 , as well as in phantom in  FIG. 3 . Satellite speakers  70  typically come in pairs, but various applications may require various numbers of satellite speakers  70 .  
         [0021]     Satellite speakers  70  include top wall  72 , bottom wall  74 , side walls  76 ,  78 , rear wall  80  and front wall  82 . Additionally, rear beveled wall  84  is formed in place of a corner between top wall  72  and rear wall  80 . Front wall  82  includes grill cleats  85 ,  86  on the top and bottom edges thereof for retaining grill  87  (see  FIG. 4 ) thereto. Additionally, front wall  82  includes top aperture  88  for retaining a coaxial driver  90  and a bottom aperture  92  for retaining a neodymium driver  94 . In the illustrated embodiment, both the coaxial driver  90  (with a compression driver therebehind) and the neodymium driver  94  (which is typically non-coaxial) can be chosen as having an eight inch diameter. This typically results in performance which is comparable to a single ten-inch driver, but in a narrower configuration of satellite speaker which is advantageous in reducing the required width of the satellite speaker storage chambers  60 ,  62 . Likewise, the use of a neodymium driver  94  reduces the weight of the magnets which may otherwise be disadvantageous in a dual driver design. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various driver configurations are available for various applications, and may be chosen for such considerations as conservation of both weight and space.  
         [0022]     The exterior of bottom wall  74  includes pole mount  96  and handle  98 . Pole mount  96  is used for mounting satellite speaker  70  onto a pole stand (not shown) as is well known to those skilled in the art. Handle  98  is used to insert and withdraw satellite speakers  70  into satellite speaker storage chambers  60 ,  62  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 .  
         [0023]     As can be seen from  FIG. 3 , when satellite speakers  70  are stored in satellite speaker storage chambers  60 ,  62 , rear beveled wall  84  of satellite speakers  70  abut lower rear diagonal panel  50  of main speaker  10 . Likewise, horizontal horn mouth brace  52  is spaced from bottom wall  14  of main speaker  10  to accommodate the depth of satellite speaker  70  and vertical horn mouth brace  54  is spaced from side walls  16 ,  18  to accommodate the width of satellite speakers  70 .  
         [0024]     Therefore, in the stored position, the satellite speakers  70  are in the position shown in  FIG. 1 . The musician or his crew grabs the handle  98  to withdraw the satellite speaker  70  from main speaker  10 . The satellite speaker  70  is then placed in its appropriate remote location, typically mounted on a pole stand (not shown). After the performance, show, or gig is over, the musician or his crew can easily re-insert satellite speakers  70  into satellite speaker storage chambers  60 ,  62  and the speakers are ready for storage and/or transportation.  
         [0025]     Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.