Patent Publication Number: US-8526661-B2

Title: Articulating speaker

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present exemplary embodiment relates to vehicle sound systems. It finds particular application in conjunction with articulating speakers, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications. 
     Minivans and sport utility vehicles, among other types of vehicles, are often used at sporting events, concerts, and other gatherings for tailgating. Tailgating often includes opening a tailgate or rear door of a vehicle. The rear of the vehicle is often used as a central platform for carrying out the tailgating activities including the provision of food and beverages, seating, etc. Often, music or other audio will be played through the vehicle&#39;s stereo system for the enjoyment of the tailgate participants. 
     Vehicle stereo systems typically are configured to provide the interior of the vehicle with the best sound possible. Accordingly, the speakers of the stereo system are generally directed towards the interior of the vehicle and, in particular, placed at strategic positions to provide the best sound to occupants seated inside the vehicle. Thus, when using the stereo system in a tailgate setting, the volume of the stereo system is often turned to a relatively high level so that the sound emanating from the speakers of the stereo system is audible by the tailgate participants outside of the vehicle. This can result in uncomfortable sound levels to any person inside of the vehicle, and in some cases, depending on the stereo system, may cause the audio signal to be at least somewhat distorted. The need to increase the volume level is at least in part due to the orientation of the speakers towards the interior of the vehicle. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
     An articulating speaker assembly for a sound system of a vehicle includes a speaker that is mounted in a trim panel of the vehicle and is movable from a first stowed position corresponding to a typical vehicle speaker location to a deployed position wherein the speaker is configured to direct sound towards an exterior of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the articulating speaker is generally flush with the trim panel when it is in the stowed position, and when it is in the deployed position, is rotated approximately 90° and spaced apart from the trim panel. 
     In accordance with one aspect, a vehicle comprises a trim panel, an opening in a surface of the trim panel, a speaker including a speaker housing, and a pivoting support arm mounted adjacent the opening of the surface of the trim panel. The pivoting support arm supports the speaker housing for movement between a stowed position where at least a portion of the speaker housing is received in the opening of the trim panel, and a deployed position where the speaker housing is spaced apart from the opening and the surface of the trim panel. 
     The pivoting support arm can extend transversely from the trim panel and supports the speaker housing in spaced relation to the surface of the trim panel in the deployed position. A locking mechanism for locking the pivoting support arm in a position corresponding to at least one of the stowed and deployed positions of the speaker housing can be provided. The trim panel can further include a support arm recess, wherein the support arm is received in the support arm recess when the speaker housing is in the stowed position. The pivoting support arm can be hingedly attached to the trim panel and the trim panel can include at least one interference protrusion extending from an edge of the support arm recess for restricting movement of the pivoting support arm from the pivoting support arm recess. The support arm recess can be an elongated shape and the interference protrusion can include a necked down portion of an opening to the support arm recess. 
     When the speaker housing is in the stowed position, a face of the speaker can be substantially flush with the surface of the trim panel surrounding the opening. Further, when the speaker housing is in the stowed position, a face of the speaker can be substantially coplanar with the surface of the trim panel surrounding the opening, and when the speaker housing is in the deployed position, the face of the speaker can be substantially orthogonal and spaced apart from the surface of the trim panel surrounding the opening. 
     The pivoting support arm can include a telescoping portion thereof whereby the speaker housing, when in the deployed position, can be spaced apart from the trim panel a variable distance. The opening in the surface of the trim panel can be defined by edges of a recess in the surface of the trim panel. The pivoting support arm can be formed integrally with the housing of the speaker. 
     In accordance with another aspect, an articulating speaker assembly for a vehicle comprises a trim panel mountable to a vehicle and including an opening, a speaker having a housing adapted to be at least partially received in the opening of the trim panel, a pivoting support arm mounted to the trim panel adjacent the opening in the trim panel and operatively coupled to the speaker for supporting the speaker for movement between a stowed position where at least a portion of the housing is received in the recess of the trim panel and a deployed position where the housing is spaced apart from the opening and the surface of the trim panel. 
     The pivoting support arm can extend transversely from the trim panel and supports the speaker housing in spaced relation to the surface of the trim panel in the deployed position. The assembly can further include a locking mechanism for locking the pivoting support arm in a position corresponding to at least one of the stowed and deployed positions of the speaker housing. The trim panel can include a support arm recess wherein the support arm is received in a support arm recess when the speaker housing is in the stowed position. The pivoting support arm can be hingedly attached to the trim panel, and the trim panel can include at least one interference protrusion extending from the edge of the support arm recess, the interference protrusion restricting movement from the pivoting support arm from the pivoting support arm recess. The support arm recess can be elongated in shape and the interference protrusion can include a necked-down portion of an opening to the support arm recess. The pivoting support arm can be formed integrally with the housing of the speaker. The opening in the surface of the trim panel can be defined by edges of a recess in the surface of the trim panel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary vehicle including a pair of articulating speaker assemblies in a stowed position in accordance with the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vehicle of  FIG. 1  with the articulating speaker assemblies shown in a deployed position; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of an exemplary articulating speaker assembly in a stowed position in accordance with the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the articulating speaker assembly of  FIG. 3  in a deployed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an exemplary vehicle  10  including an articulating speaker assembly  12  is illustrated. The vehicle generally includes a body  16  having a plurality of body panels and windows, supported on a frame (not shown) and a plurality of wheels  18 . The body  16  generally defines an interior space  22  (e.g., a cabin) of the vehicle  10  in which, as is conventional, a stereo system (not shown) is provided. 
     A typical stereo system includes a head unit located in a dashboard of the vehicle and a plurality of speakers located throughout the cabin of the vehicle. In a typical passenger vehicle stereo system, at least a pair of speakers are installed in the front driver/passenger doors, and often a pair of rear speakers are installed in the trim panels (also referred to as garnish) in the rear portion of the cabin. In the past, the speakers were “hard-mounted” within the vehicle and not repositionable. 
     In accordance with the present disclosure, the illustrated embodiment includes a pair of articulating rear speakers  30  mounted in respective trim panels  34  of the right and left sides of the vehicle  10 . In  FIG. 1 , only one speaker  30  (the rear right side speaker) is visible and is shown in a stowed position. In the stowed position, the rear speakers  30  are received in recesses in their respective trim panels  34  and are generally flush with an interior facing surface of the trim panels  34 . In this position, the speakers  30  are not unlike typical hard-mount speakers used in the past. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the articulating speakers  30  are illustrated in a deployed position wherein they have been rotated approximately 90° from their stowed position of  FIG. 1  and now face the rear of the vehicle  10 . In the position shown in  FIG. 2 , the speakers  30  now direct sound towards the exterior of vehicle  10 , which can enhance the quality of sound for listeners exterior to the vehicle  10 . The speakers  30  are moveable between the stowed and deployed position whenever it is desired to direct sound towards the rear/exterior of the vehicle  10 . 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the details of an articulating speaker assembly  12  will be described. The articulating speaker assembly  12  generally includes a trim panel, such as trim panel  34  and the speaker  30  which is supported in a speaker housing  40 . The speaker housing  40  is adapted to be at least partially received in an opening  44  in the trim panel  34 . To this end, the opening  44  and the housing  40  have a corresponding shape and, in the illustrated embodiment, this shape is circular. Of course, other shape speaker/openings could be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The opening  44  can be a hole in an interior facing surface  46  of the trim panel  34 . In another embodiment, the opening  44  can be an opening to a recess or depression in the surface  46  of the trim panel  34  (e.g., merely a depression in the surface  46  of the trim panel and not a hole extending completely through the trim panel). The interior of the recess or depression can have a finish similar or the same as that of the interior surface  46  of the trim panel  34 , such that when the speaker  30 /speaker housing  40  is not in the stowed position, the trim panel  34  still provides a finished look to the interior of the cabin. 
     The speaker  30  and speaker housing  40  are supported for movement by a pair of pivoting support arms  48  that are mounted to the trim panel  34  adjacent the opening  44 . The pivoting support arms  48  support the speaker housing  44  for movement between the stowed position ( FIG. 3 ) where at least a portion of the speaker housing  40  is received in the opening  44  in the trim panel  34 , and a deployed position ( FIG. 4 ) where the speaker housing  40  is spaced apart from opening and/or the trim panel  34 . In the deployed position, the pivoting support arms  48  extend transversely from the trim panel  34  and support the speaker housing  40  in spaced relation to the trim panel  34 . In one embodiment, the speaker housing  40  and the pivoting support arms can be formed together as a unitary structure made of plastic or the like. Although two support arms are illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, in some applications a single support arm may be preferred. 
     To movably support the speaker housing  40  for movement between the stowed and deployed positions, each pivoting support arm  48  is hingedly secured to the trim panel  34  via hinge members  52  that permit the pivoting support arms to swing away from the trim panel. The hinge members  52  can be a post and socket hinge, ball and socket hinge, or any other suitable hinge member. A ball and socket hinge could be used in some embodiments to permit the speaker housing  40  to be moved vertically as well as horizontally. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the trim panel  34  includes support arm recesses  56  that are adapted to receive the pivoting support arms  48  when the speaker housing  40  is in the stowed position thus providing a generally flush and finished appearance to the trim panel  34  and/or articulating speaker assembly  12  when the speaker is stowed. The support arm recesses  56  are generally elongated recesses that have a shape and size adapted to accommodate the pivoting support arms  48 . As will be appreciated, a single recess large enough to accommodate both pivoting support arms  48  could be provided. To this end, the pivoting support arm recesses  56  could be made integral with a speaker recess defined by opening  44  and, thus, a single larger and appropriately shaped recess could be provided for accommodating the speaker housing  40  along with the pivoting support arms  48 . 
     As will now be appreciated, the present disclosure provides a speaker  30  that is moveable between at least two positions (e.g., stowed and deployed) depending on the needs of the user. In some instances, it may be desirable to lock or otherwise restrict movement of the speaker  30 . For example, it may be useful to lock or otherwise secure the speaker assembly in the stowed and/or deployed positions to avoid the speaker housing  40  from swinging during operation of the vehicle  10 . 
     Accordingly, the exemplary articulating speaker assembly  12  further includes a locking mechanism for locking the pivoting support arms  48  in the stowed and/or deployed positions. The locking mechanism in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a pair of interference protrusions  60  provided on the trim panel  34  at each support arm recess  56 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , each pair of interference protrusions  60  act to secure the respective pivoting support arm  48  within the support arm recess  56  when the speaker housing  40  is in the stowed position. That is, when the pivoting support arms  48  are received within the support arm recesses  56 , the interference protrusions  60  partially surround and/or capture the support arms  48  thereby restricting movement of the pivoting support arms  48  from the pivoting support arm recesses  56 . 
     Similarly, with reference to  FIG. 4 , when the speaker housing  40  is moved to the deployed position, the interference protrusions  60  of each pivoting support arm recess  56  engage the respective pivoting support arm  48  and restrict movement of the pivoting support arms  48  from their deployed position. As will be appreciated, the interference protrusions  60  therefore both secure the speaker housing  40  in the stowed position as well as secure the speaker housing  40  in the deployed position. 
     The interference protrusions  60  can be formed integrally as part of the trim panel  34 . In this regard, the protrusions  60  can be a necked-down portion of a given support arm recess  56 . The protrusions  60  can be resilient so as to deflect and allow the support arm  48  to enter/exit the support arm recess  56  when sufficient force is applied to the support arm  48  and/or speaker housing  40 . 
     In one embodiment, the pivot support arms  48  can include first and second parts  70  and  72  that telescope together to allow the speaker housing  40  to be spaced apart from the trim panel a desired amount. The telescoping support arms can also reduce the overall size of the articulating speaker assembly by reducing the length of the pivot arms when in the stowed position to a minimum. For example, the pivoting support arms  48  are illustrated in a retracted position in  FIG. 3 , and an extended position in  FIG. 4 . 
     The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.