Patent Publication Number: US-6658131-B2

Title: Loudspeaker concealment system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to loudspeaker concealment systems, and more particularly to simulated book enclosures for facilitating the visual concealment of loudspeakers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Music and audiovisual entertainment systems, for home or office, include at least one (and often as many as five or more) audio channels each of which require a loudspeaker for full audio enjoyment. Many persons find typical loudspeakers to be visually obtrusive and/or not compatible with a particular decor. Such persons desire to enjoy the accurate reproduction of music and home theater audio, but they do not want their living and work spaces to look like the sound rooms of their local audio dealers. 
     A popular speaker is the so-called bookshelf speaker in which one or more loudspeakers are housed in a cabinet, generally designed for being situated on a bookshelf. Speaker cabinets are of boxlike configuration of generally rectangular sides, and contain at least one loudspeaker (typically a mid-range speaker, a tweeter and/or a woofer) forwardly facing and which may be covered by a substantially rectangular grille of sound transmissible fabric. The perceived obtrusiveness of bookshelf speakers arranged around a room, whether on bookshelves or on furniture or mounted on walls, has resulted in various devices for concealing such speakers from direct view. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS 
     The present invention employs a modular approach for concealing a loudspeaker, in which frame modules simulating books are juxtaposed for forming a housing for the speaker. The housing appears as a row or stack of books, and the quantity of frame modules or simulated books may be adjusted for accommodating speakers of different widths or heights. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, apparatus is provided for concealing a loudspeaker, such apparatus comprising the combination of: a generally rectangular individual first frame having a forward wall representing the spine of a first book, a rear wall representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the first book, a top wall representing the top edges of the leaves of the first book, a bottom wall representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the first book, and a left side wall representing the back cover of the first book; a generally rectangular individual second frame having a forward wall representing the spine of a second book, a rear wall representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the second book, a top wall representing the top edges of the leaves of the second book, a bottom wall representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the second book, and a right side wall representing the front cover of the second book; at least one generally rectangular individual third frame, each of the at least one third frame having a sound-transmissible forward wall representing the spine of another book, a rear wall representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the other book, a top wall representing the top edges of the leaves of the other book, and a bottom wall representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the other book; the individual frames adapted to be juxtaposed with the at least one third frame between the first frame and the second frame to form a housing for the loudspeaker. The outer surface of the forward wall of each of the at least one third frame is covered with a sound transmissible fabric for simulating the spine of the other book, and the forward wall of each of the first and second frames is covered with fabric for simulating the spines of the first and second books. The outer surfaces of the top, rear and bottom walls of each of the first and second frames, and of each of the at least one third frame, may be decorated to simulate the leaves of the first, second and other books, which decoration may take the form of a fabric covering. The outer surface of the side walls of each of the first and second frames are preferably covered with fabric for simulating the back cover of the first book and the front cover of the second book. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for concealing a loudspeaker comprises the combination of: a plurality of generally rectangular first frames each having a sound transmissible forward wall simulating the spine of a book, a top wall and a bottom wall each perpendicularly extending from the second wall, and a rear wall parallel to the forward wall, each of the first frames including an opening within the boundaries of the walls, the frames adapted to be juxtaposed with the openings aligned to form a housing for the loudspeaker. The apparatus preferably further includes: a generally rectangular second frame having a forward wall simulating the spine of another book, a top wall and a bottom wall each perpendicularly extending from the forward wall, a rear wall parallel to the forward wall, and a right side wall simulating the front cover of the other book, the second frame including an opening within the boundaries of the forward, top, rear and bottom walls of the second frame, the second frame adapted to be juxtaposed with the first frames with the openings aligned to form the housing. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a generally rectangular third frame having a forward wall simulating the spine of a further book, a top wall and a bottom wall each perpendicularly extending from the forward wall, a rear wall parallel to the forward wall, and a left side wall simulating the back cover of the further book, the third frame including an opening within the boundaries of the forward, top, rear and bottom walls of the third frame, the third frame adapted to be juxtaposed with the first frames and with the openings aligned to form the housing. The third frame may also be juxtaposed with the first frames between the second and third frames and with the openings aligned to form the housing. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, apparatus for concealing a loudspeaker comprises the combination of: a first frame having a generally rectangular opening, the first frame including a forward wall representing the spine of a first book and a left side wall closing the opening; a second frame having a generally rectangular opening, the second frame including a forward wall representing the spine of a second book and a right side wall representing the front cover of the second book closing the opening; at least one third frame, each of the at least one third frame having a generally rectangular opening and a sound transmissible forward wall representing the spine of another book; the frames adapted to be juxtaposed with the at least one third frame between the first frame and the second frame and with the openings aligned to form a housing for the loudspeaker. The first frame preferably includes a top wall representing the top edges of the leaves of the first book; the second frame preferably includes a top wall representing the top edges of the leaves of the second book; and each of the at least one third frame preferably includes a top wall representing the top edges of the leaves of the other book. The first frame of such apparatus preferably includes a rear wall representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the first book and a bottom wall representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the first book; the second frame preferably includes a rear wall representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the second book, and a bottom wall representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the second book; and the at least one third frame preferably includes a rear wall representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the other book, and a bottom wall representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the other book. The frames are preferably generally rectangular. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of concealing a loudspeaker comprising: providing a plurality of intermediate frames each having a rectangular opening and simulating the spine and leaf edges of a book; and juxtaposing the plurality of intermediate frames with their openings aligned to form a tunnel for containing the loudspeaker. The method further includes: providing the loudspeaker; and placing the loudspeaker in the tunnel. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the method of concealing a loudspeaker comprises: providing a left side frame having a rectangular opening and simulating the back cover, the spine and the leaf edges of a book; providing a right side frame having a rectangular opening and simulating the front cover, the spine and the leaf edges of a book; providing a plurality of intermediate frames each having a rectangular opening and simulating the spine and leaf edges of a book; providing the loudspeaker; juxtaposing the plurality of intermediate frames with their openings aligned to form a tunnel; placing the loudspeaker in the tunnel; and placing one of the side frames on a side of the tunnel with the openings aligned. The method may further include: placing the other one of the side frames on the other side of the tunnel with the openings aligned for enclosing the loudspeaker. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features believed to be characteristic of the invention, together with further advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 is a front/right side perspective representation of a preferred embodiment of a loudspeaker concealment apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an example of a conventional bookshelf loudspeaker that may be used with the embodiment of the loudspeaker concealment apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front/right side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of one of the frame modules shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded front/side perspective view of the frame module of FIG. 3, showing the frame components thereof. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of a housing  10  is shown, for concealing a loudspeaker such as the loudspeaker  12  shown in FIG.  2 . The loudspeaker  12  is a typical example of a bookshelf speaker, which may include one or more speakers  14  (such as a woofer  14   a , a mid-range speaker  14   b  and a tweeter  14   c ) housed in a cabinet  16 ; the speakers  14  and their cabinet  16  are referred to herein simply as a bookshelf speaker or the loudspeaker  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the bookshelf speaker  12  has six rectangular sides, including a front side  18  to which the speakers  14  are attached and from which the speakers&#39; sound may project. The loudspeaker  12  has a height dimension h, a width dimension w, and a depth dimension d as noted in FIG.  2 . 
     Returning to FIG.  1  and considered along with FIG. 3, the loudspeaker concealment housing  10  is modular in construction, the modules comprising a left side frame  20 , a right side frame  22 , and at least one intermediate frame  24 , juxtaposed to simulate a plurality of books and forming the housing  10  having an interior chamber defined by the lines  26 . The dimensions of the chamber  26  are slighter greater than the dimensions of the loudspeaker  12  such that the loudspeaker  12  may be contained within the chamber  26  with the loudspeaker&#39;s front side  18  facing forwardly. 
     One of the intermediate frame modules  24  is shown in FIG. 3, and may be constructed of sheet metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, or of a plastic. Each intermediate rectangular frame  24  simulates a book having a rectangular passage or opening  40  therethrough. 
     Each intermediate frame  24  includes a forward wall  30  representing the spine of a book; the forward wall  30  may be flat or slightly curved to more closely simulate the book&#39;s spine. The forward wall  30  of frame  24  is sound transmissible; in the example of FIG. 3, the forward wall  30  includes perforations  32  therethrough for permitting sound generated by a contained loudspeaker  12  to be transmitted through the forward wall  30 . Rearwardly extending from the top and bottom of the forward wall  30  are arms or longitudinal members  34  terminating with a longitudinal connecting member  36  perpendicular to the members  34 , the outer edges of the members  34 ,  36  representing the upper, lower and right edges of each book&#39;s front and back covers. The inner edges  38  of the members  34 ,  36 , in addition to edges  38  of the frame  24  along or adjacent to the forward wall  30 , define the rectangular opening  40  through the frame  24 . 
     The preferred embodiment of the intermediate frame module  24  further includes a top wall  42  rearwardly extending substantially perpendicularly from the forward wall  30 , the top wall  42  representing the top edges of the leaves of the book. In addition, the frame  24  may include a rear wall  44  substantially parallel to the frame&#39;s forward wall  30 , the rear wall  44  representing the fore-edges of the leaves of the book. A bottom wall  46  may further be included, rearwardly extending substantially perpendicularly from the forward wall  30  and representing the bottom edges of the leaves of the book. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates one manner of fabricating the preferred embodiment of the intermediate frame module  24 . A first frame component  48  comprises the perforated spine  30  and the members  34 ,  36 , and is preferably manufactured in one piece, e.g. the members  34 ,  36  may be of perforated sheet metal or plastic since the spine  30  is of perforated sheet metal or plastic. A second frame component  50  includes the top wall  42 , the rear wall  44  and the bottom wall  46 , and is inserted between the members  34 ,  36  and with its forward edges  52  against or in proximity to the inner surface of the forward wall  30 . The first and second frame components  48 ,  50  are fastened to one another when in this position, such as by securing the longitudinal members  34 ,  36  of the first frame component  48  to longitudinal tabs  54  depending along each long side of the top, rear and bottom walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  of the second frame component  50 . In a preferred example for providing such fastening, inwardly extending tabs  56  formed from U-shaped cutouts  58  in the members  34 ,  36  of the first frame component  48 , are inserted into correspondingly positioned slots  60  in the longitudinal tabs  54  of the second frame component  50 . After such insertion, the tabs  56  are bent toward the longitudinal tabs  54 , resulting in the first and second frame components  48 ,  50  being secured to one another as shown in FIG.  3 . Other attachment devices, such as screw fasteners inserted in apertures in the members  34 ,  36  and in the longitudinal tabs  60 , may alternatively be utilized. 
     Returning to FIG. 1 considered along with FIG. 3, the left side frame  20  is preferably identical to the intermediate frame  24 , except that the left side frame  20  includes a left side wall  62  in place of the members  34 ,  36 , the left side wall  62  representing the back cover of a book. Similarly, the right side frame  22  is preferably identical to the intermediate frame  24 , except that a right side wall  64  replaces the right side elements  34 ,  36  of the intermediate frame  24 , the right side wall  64  representing the front cover of the book. Although sound transmissibility is preferred, the forward walls  30  of the left side frame  20  and the right side frame  22  need not be sound transmissible and may alternatively be constructed of non-perforated material. 
     The outer surfaces of the forward walls  30  of the preferred embodiments of the frame modules  20 ,  22 ,  24  are covered with fabric  66  to better simulate the spines of books, and the outer surface of the left side wall  62  and of the right side wall  64  is adheredly covered with fabric to better simulate the back and front covers of books. At least with respect to the intermediate frame modules  24 , the fabric  66  covering the spines is sound transmissible, such as conventional speaker cloth. It is noted that in FIG. 1 the fabric  66  is shown partially removed from the spine  30  and right side wall  64  of the right side frame module  22  in order to better show these features for the purpose of explanation. 
     Although the forward, left side and right side walls  30 ,  62 ,  64  are shown as perforated, slots or other types of openings or skeletal structures may be utilized, care being taken to assure that sufficient substrate is available for adequately supporting the fabric coverings. 
     The outer surfaces of the top, rear and bottom walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  may be decorated to better simulate the upper edges, fore-edges and bottom edges of the leaves of the books. As examples, such decoration may be implemented with paint or dyes, or by covering the walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  with suitable fabric. The walls  42 ,  44 ,  46  need not be solid or continuous, but may be perforated or have slots or other openings therethrough. 
     The completed loudspeaker concealment housing  10  is represented in FIG.  1 . The frames  20 ,  22 ,  24  are arranged on a support, such as a bookshelf or the top surface of a piece of furniture such as an end table, and are juxtaposed with one or more intermediate frames  24  between the left side frame  20  and the right side frame  22  with their openings  40  aligned to form the rectangular chamber  26  defined by the inner edges  38  of the longitudinal members  34 ,  36  and extending between the inner surfaces of the left side wall  62  and the right side wall  64 . The dimensions of the inner edges  38  of the longitudinal members  34 ,  36  in each of the frame modules  20 ,  22 ,  24  are such that the chamber  26  formed when the frame modules  20 ,  22 ,  24  are arranged as just described is greater than the dimensions of the loudspeaker  12  to be installed within the chamber  26  with the speaker&#39;s front side  18  facing the forward walls  30  for permitting the speaker sound to be transmitted through the sound transmissible forward walls  30 . 
     A bookshelf speaker  12  having a height h less than the inner edges  38  of the vertical members  36  may be vertically installed in the housing  10 , provided the depth dimension d of the speaker  12  is less than the length of the edges  38  of the lower longitudinal members  34 . In such installation, the width dimension w of the loudspeaker  12  will determine the quantity of intermediate frame modules  24  to be inserted between the left side frame module  20  and the right side frame module  22 . For example, if the width dimension w of the speaker  12  is 6 inches, and the width dimension of the top walls  42  (i.e. its dimension parallel to the forward wall  30 ) is 1¾ inches, then a simple calculation will reveal that a minimum of four modules would be appropriate, i.e. at least two intermediate frame modules  24  would be juxtaposed between a left side frame module  20  and a right side frame module  22 . 
     Alternatively, and likely more commonly, the speaker  12  may be horizontally placed within the housing  10 . In a horizontal orientation, the speaker&#39;s left or right side (as viewed in FIG. 2) may rest upon the inner edges  38  of the lower members  34 , with the speaker&#39;s front side  18  facing the forward walls  30  of the frame  20 ,  24 ,  22 , provided the speaker&#39;s width dimension w is less than the length of the inner edges  38  of the vertical members  36  and the speaker&#39;s depth dimension d is less than the inner edges  38  of the horizontal members  34 . The quantity of intermediate frame modules  24  to be inserted between the left and right side frame modules  20 ,  22 , will be determined by the height h of the speaker  12  which is now horizontally disposed between the left and right side walls  62 ,  64 . For example, if the height dimension h of the speaker  12  is 12 inches, and each of the frame modules  20 ,  24 ,  22  has an interior width (i.e., the dimension of the top edge  42  parallel to the forward wall  30 ) of 1¾ inches, then a total of six frame modules would appropriately be juxtaposed so that four intermediate frame modules  24  would be interposed between the left side frame module  20  and the right side frame module  22 . 
     When the speaker  12  is inserted within the chamber  26  and is resting upon the lower longitudinal members  34 , the speaker  12  serves the added function of maintaining the juxtaposed modules  20 ,  24 ,  22  in place. Accordingly, the modules  20 ,  24 ,  22  need not be secured to one another, although if desired they may be so secured by conventional fastening devices. Although an aperture in one of the walls of one or more of the modules may be provided for accommodating speaker and/or electrical wiring, such an aperture is not necessary since the wiring may be positioned between any two adjacent modules. 
     In an example of the process of setting up the modular housing for concealing the loudspeaker  12 , the intermediate frame modules  24  may be juxtaposed to form a tunnel produced by the successive openings  40 . The loudspeaker may then be placed in the tunnel, and the left side frame module  20  and the right side frame module  24  may be placed on the left and right side of the tunnel, respectively, thereby enclosing the loudspeaker within the juxtaposed frames  20 ,  24 ,  22 . The resulting enclosure  10  will simulate a row of side-by-side books. 
     It may be appreciated that at least one of the side frame modules  20 ,  22  need not be utilized, so that the loudspeaker  12  may be housed within the aligned openings  40  of a plurality of juxtaposed intermediate frame modules  24 . In such case, an open side of the juxtaposed intermediate frame modules  24  may face and be in proximity with a vertical wall of the bookcase holding the bookshelf upon which the loudspeaker housing is supported, or one or both of the side openings may be closed by a genuine book. 
     As an alternative to arranging the juxtaposed frame modules  20 ,  24 ,  22  with their forward walls  30  vertically disposed as shown in FIG. 1, the frame modules  20 ,  24 ,  22  may be juxtaposed with the longitudinal dimension of their forward walls  30  (i.e. the spines of the simulated books) horizontally disposed, with the speaker  12  contained within the chamber  26 . In such orientation, the left side wall  62  may rest upon a horizontal surface such as a table top or bookshelf (or the left side frame module  20  may be omitted entirely) and the housing  10  would give the appearance of a plurality of stacked books with the right side wall  64  upwardly facing and simulating the front cover of the uppermost book. 
     In one example of frame modules  20 ,  24 ,  22  for being juxtaposed to produce a loudspeaker concealment housing  10 , the inner edges  38  of the vertical members  36  were each approximately 7¼ inches, the inner edges  38  of the horizontal members  34  were each approximately 9½ inches, and the width dimension of each of the top walls  42  was approximately 1¾ inches. With a speaker  12  horizontally disposed in the chamber  26 , the housing  10  of this example will permit concealment of speakers  12  having a width dimension w of up to nominally 7 inches, a depth dimension d of up to nominally 9 inches, and of unlimited height dimension h. 
     Thus, there has been shown a preferred embodiment of a housing for concealing a loudspeaker comprising frame modules which, when juxtaposed, appear as a row or stack of books, and wherein the quantity of frame modules may adjusted for accommodating speakers of different widths or heights. Other embodiments of the present invention, and other configurations of the embodiment shown herein, may be developed without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. For example, although bookshelf loudspeakers have been specifically described as the object of concealment, other types of loudspeakers may be placed as well within the concealment housing of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention should be limited only by the scope of the claims listed below.