Abstract:
The present invention provides a system and method for mounting an electrical device on a wall. The electrical device has a mount and a base. The base connects to an electrical outlet on a surface, and has a first electrical connector, and a magnetic face plate. The electrical device has a magnet and a second electrical conductor that are positioned so that the magnet mates with the magnetic face plate, and the second electrical connector mates with the first electrical connector.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The field of the invention is surface mounting devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    It is known to mount electronic devices on walls, ceilings, bookcases, entertainment systems, stadium walkways, automobile trunks, and all manner of other surfaces. Mounting systems are usually semi-permanent, using screws, nails, and so forth. 
         [0003]    Semi-permanent installations, however, can create numerous difficulties. Often, the electrical connection box is installed in a crooked manner, and the mounting system fails to allow sufficient leeway for correction. Removal and reinstallation of the connection box to correct the alignment can be extremely time consuming. Even properly installed devices can pose problems if the device needs to be removed for repair, replacement, cleaning, or other purposes. 
         [0004]    One solution to resolving crooked installations is to employ a rotatable coupling between the mounted device and the connection box. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,027 to Lee (September 2006) teaches a speaker mounting system in which the speaker mount is adjusted for speaker placement by rotation around an anchor screw. U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,409 to Baron et al. (March 1998) teaches a mounting system in which a speaker is rotated upon a mounting bracket. These and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. 
         [0005]    There are magnetic mounting systems that overcome the problems associated with semi-permanent mounts, but they don&#39;t allow the mount to rotate, at least not in the plane of the wall, ceiling or other structure upon which the mount is being mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,097 to Tucker (November 1974), for example, teaches a telephone mounting system in which magnets on the mount engage a striker plate of the outlet for convenient installation and removal of the mount to/from the outlet. 
         [0006]    Still further the known magnetic mounting systems and the rotatable coupling systems have no automatic coupling of the electrical connectors. Thus, what is still needed in the art is a mounting system in which the mount is magnetically coupled to the base, and at least one pair of electrical connectors automatically mate as the mount is mounted upon the base. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides apparatuses, systems and methods in which a mounting system includes a mount magnetically coupled to the base, and having at least one pair of electrical connectors that mate when the base is mounted upon the outlet box. 
         [0008]    Although the base can be connected to a wall, ceiling, bookcase, entertainment system, stadium walkway, automobile trunk or other structure in any suitable manner, the base is preferably coupled to an outlet box using screws. The base preferably has a substantially planar surface, at least some portion of which includes a magnetically attractable material. To provide sufficient area for magnetic attraction, the planar surface preferably has a surface area of at least 25 cm 2 . 
         [0009]    The magnetic mounting can include any suitable number of magnets, placed on the mount, the base or both, in any suitable size, configuration and so forth. In preferred embodiments at least three magnets are glued into magnet seats circumferentially disposed about a center of the mount, on the surface facing the base. 
         [0010]    Preferred embodiments also have a mechanism that allows the mount to rotate relative to the base. That feature is especially useful when the mount is rectangular, oval, or in some other way is not rotatably symmetrical. 
         [0011]    All suitable mounts are contemplated, including especially mounts that comprise a speaker, a light, a control box, semiconductor display, or other electrical apparatus. 
         [0012]    Banana plug and jack electrical connectors are especially preferred because they provide a convenient and robust way of making and breaking the electrical connections when fitting the mount to the base. In such instances the male plug can be advantageously carried on the mount. 
         [0013]    Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a mount, base, and outlet. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the mount and base of  FIG. 1 , coupled together. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3A-E  are front perspective views of various mounts, with the covers removed to show a speaker, a light, a display, a control panel, and a generic other device, respectively. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    In  FIG. 1  a mounting system  100  generally includes a base  110  and a mount  120 . 
         [0018]    Base  110  generally comprises two flat pieces, an inner piece  112  that is rotatably coupled to an outer piece  114 . Two female electrical connectors  118 A,  118 B are attached to the inner piece  112  with bolts  116  and are labeled with polarity indicators  119 . Base through holes  115  are used to attach the base to an outlet box (not shown). 
         [0019]    Inner piece  112  preferably comprises steel because it provides a high degree of durability when rotated against the outer piece  114 . Inner piece  112  need not be especially strong because it is not weight supporting, and can an alternatively be constructed of hard plastic or another other suitable material. Although not shown in the figures, inner piece  112  is preferably constructed of opposing members that are screwed together about a circumferential lip (not shown) extending inwardly from the outer piece  114 . In  FIG. 1  the inner piece  112  is about 6.5 cm in diameter, and about 3 mm in thickness. In other contemplated embodiments the inner piece can be larger or smaller, and can have any other suitable dimensions. 
         [0020]    Outer piece  114  needs to be relatively strong because it supports the weight of the mount  120 . Steel is again currently preferred, not only for its strength but also because it is magnetically attractable. It is contemplated that plastic or non-ferrous metals could be used instead of steel, but in that case outer piece  114  should include ferrous or other magnetic contact areas that match magnets  126 . 
         [0021]    Outer piece  114  also contains base through holes  115  for coupling with an electrical outlet box. In  FIG. 1 , six base through holes  115  are positioned to couple with a standard outlet box popular in the USA, but all other orientations, numbers and positions of base through holes  115  that would couple to alternative outlet boxes are also contemplated. 
         [0022]    In  FIG. 1  outer piece  114  is approximately 18.5 cm in diameter, and again about 3 mm in thickness. In other contemplated embodiments outer piece  114  can be larger or smaller, and can have any other suitable dimensions. The major surface of outer piece  114  is preferably substantially flat so that magnets  126  of mount  120  can properly attach to any point on the major surface of outer piece  114 . 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 1  the female electrical connectors  118 A,B are female banana jacks, held to the inner piece  112  by nuts  116 . Banana couplings are preferred because they provide a particularly robust connection, and it is relatively easy to orient the plug to the jack. Of course, one could use a single plug and jack provided that a proper electrical pathway is established, for example, an RF connector. All other suitable types of connectors are also contemplated, including for example inductive connections (not shown), simple bent wire or other bump connectors (not shown), loudspeaker connectors (not shown), D-sub connectors (not shown), and combinations thereof. In this embodiment, where there are separate connectors for positive (+) and negative (−) polarities, one can optionally include polarity designators  119 . 
         [0024]    Mount  120  generally comprises a box structure  122  that may contain any electrical/electronic device, for example a speaker, lighting, display, or control panel. Mount  120  also includes a mounting surface  124 , magnets  126 , male electrical connectors  128 A,B, and polarity designators  129 . 
         [0025]    Box structure  122  can be any suitable size or shape as appropriate to the electrical/electronic device(s) being operated therein. In  FIG. 1  box  122  is approximately square with a side of 31 cm on its mounting surface  124 , and slopes in two dimensions from a height of about 2 cm at the corners, to 6 cm at the midpoint of the sides, to about 7 cm at the apex (all figures including the grill). Box  122  is preferably made of hard plastic, although metal, wood and other materials are also contemplated. It is preferred that the materials used would be durable, scratch resistant, and capable of including or being colored or patterned. 
         [0026]    Mounting surface  124  preferably has a flat area  124 A that would abut a wall, ceiling or other surface upon which the mount is being placed, and a depression  124 B sized and dimensioned to receive the base  110 . The depression  124 B includes a plurality of magnet seats  124 C (in this case  12  such seats), some of which hold magnets  126 . The precise number, size, and orientation of the magnet seats  124 C and magnets  126  are largely a design choice, informed by the amount of weight to be held, and the distribution of weight of mount  120 . 
         [0027]    Mounting surface also has feet  124 D to cushion the mount  120  when coupled against the base  110 , and a plurality of mount through holes  124 E that provide access to screws that couple the mounting surface  124  to the mount  122 . 
         [0028]    The male electrical connectors  128 A,B are banana plugs, which are sized, spaced, and oriented to mate with the female electrical connectors  118 A,B, respectively, as the mount  120  is being mounted on the base  110 . In this embodiment, where there are separate connectors for positive (+) and negative (−) polarities, one can optionally include polarity designators  129 . 
         [0029]    Regardless of the type of connectors and manner of providing the electrical connections, it is preferred that the electrical connection is a substantially automatic. As the mount is mounted on the base, the female electrical connectors  119 A,B should mate with the male electrical connectors  128 A,B without a separate act. In  FIG. 1 , as mount  120  is placed near base  110 , the magnetic force of magnets  126  upon outer surface  114  pull male electrical connectors  128 A,B into female electrical connectors  119 A,B. Forcing the user to manually mate the connectors in a separate act, whether with a wire nut or otherwise, is thought to be much less preferable. 
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the mount and base of  FIG. 1 , coupled together. Mount  200  includes a cover  202 , electrical device  204 , feet  206 , and mount through holes  208 . Base  210  has outer piece  220  with base through holes  222 , and inner piece  230  with electrical connectors  232  and screws  234 . 
         [0031]    Mount  200  has a cover  202  which can be removed for cleaning or replaced for functional or aesthetic reasons. Cover  202  is preferably attached to electrical device  204  without the use of hand tools, so as to aid in a quick and easy replacement. 
         [0032]    Mount  200  also has feet  206  to cushion mount  200  when it abuts a surface. Feet  206  are made of an elastic plastic, but can be of any suitable material. Mount through holes  208  provide access to screws that couple the mounting surface  124  to the box  122 . 
         [0033]    Mount  200  is attached to base  210  via a magnetic force (not shown). Mount  200  can be detached from base  210  by exerting a force greater than the magnetic force. 
         [0034]    Outer piece  220  can be attached to an outlet box with through holes  222 . Inner piece  230  can be attached to an outlet using electrical connectors  232 . Electrical connectors  232  have holes (not shown) where wires can be threaded so as to create an electrical connection. Other suitable methods of connecting electrical connectors are contemplated, for example splice taps, clips, RF connectors, banana connectors, D-sub connectors, or even simple wire twists. Screws  234  hold inner piece  230  in place on a circumferential lip (not shown) extending inwardly from the outer piece  114 . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 3A-E  are front perspective views of various mounts to show a speaker, a light, a display, a control panel, and a microphone transmitter, respectively. 
         [0036]    It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.