Patent Publication Number: US-10334337-B2

Title: Speaker

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to speakers. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,634,100 discloses a side frame for a loudspeaker rigging system with a frame structure mountable to the side of a loudspeaker. Links associated with the frame structure link together the corners of the frame structures of vertically adjacent side frames. The links associated with each side frame structure include a pivot link and splay adjustment link, each of which has a top extended end and a base end with a seating edge. Guide channels, which are located in the top corner regions of the frame structure to receive the base ends of a pivot link and splay adjustment link associated with a vertically adjacent side frame, have seating surfaces that conform to the seating edges at the base ends of the pivot and splay adjustment link. 
     When base ends of these links seat in the guide channels, pin holes in the base end of the links self-align with pin holes in the corners of the frame structure for easy insertion locking pins. The extended end of the splay adjustment link further includes at least two, and preferably an array of pin holes which can selectively be matched with one pin hole within a row of pin holes in a bottom corner region of the side frame to permit adjustments of the splay angle over a range of angles. Suitably, two rows of pin holes are provided in the top extended end of the splay adjustment link to permit multiple and incrementally small splay angle adjustments. In the preferred embodiment, the frame structure is comprised of an assembly of parts comprised of a center core structure sandwiched between two side plates. 
     An issue with this arrangement is that the locking pins  42 - 46  project from a side of the speaker and can become damaged or snagged, or injure a person when they unintentionally come into contact with an object or person. Additionally, the speaker cannot be placed on its side (which may be desirable during transport, setup or breakdown of a speaker system) because the locking pins may become damaged. Finally, the frame structure  12  covers only roughly half of the side of the speaker which can allow the uncovered side portion of the speaker to get damaged if it is unintentionally struck with another object. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a speaker includes a housing, a member secured to the housing, and a locking pin which passes through a first portion of the speaker. The member substantially covers at least two sides of the locking pin. The member thus provides some protection against the locking pin unintentionally coming into contact with another object. The member has two or more feet which are secured to the member and which can support the speaker on a substantially horizontal surface when the speaker is oriented such that the member is facing the surface 
     Implementations may include one of the following features, or any combination thereof. The member is releasably secured to a side portion of the housing. The member defines a handle which is unitary and integral with the member and which can be gripped by a human hand to lift the speaker. The member defines a pair of handles which can alternately be gripped by a human hand, depending on the orientation of the speaker, to lift the speaker. The member covers a substantially major portion of an exterior surface of a panel of the housing to protect the panel from damage. The locking pin passes through one of a plurality of through holes in an adjustable second portion of the speaker. 
     In another aspect, an end cap for a speaker includes a member which can be secured to a speaker housing. The member substantially covers at least two sides of a locking pin which passes through a first portion of the speaker when the member is secured to the housing. The member thus provides some protection against the locking pin unintentionally coming into contact with another object. The locking pin passes through one of a plurality of through holes in an adjustable second portion of the speaker. 
     Implementations may include one of the above features, or any combination thereof. 
     In yet another aspect, an end cap for a speaker includes a member which can be secured to a side of a speaker housing. Two or more feet are secured to the member and can support the speaker on a substantially horizontal surface when the speaker is oriented on its side such that the member is facing the surface. 
     Implementations may include one of the above features, or any combination thereof. 
     All examples and features mentioned above can be combined in any technically possible way. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a partial perspective view of a first example of a speaker with a pair of end caps secured to the speaker; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a partial perspective view of a second example of a speaker with an end cap secured to the speaker; and 
         FIG. 4  is a partial top view of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The description below describes a speaker in which end caps are secured to the speaker in order to protect portions of the speaker from unintentionally coming into contact with other objects. These other objects could become snagged on the speaker and/or damage the speaker. The end caps include feet which allows the speaker to be stood on its side without damaging the speaker side. In one example the end cap defines a handle which can be gripped in order to lift the speaker. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a speaker  10  includes a housing  12 , and end caps in the form of members  14 , preferably made of plastic, which are secured to the housing. In this example the speaker  10  is a sub-woofer. A locking pin (e.g. a quick pin)  16  passes through a first portion  18  of the speaker  10  and through one of a plurality of through holes in an adjustable second portion of the speaker in the form of an attachment bar  19 . The bar  19  is used to connect the speaker  10  to another object such as another speaker or a frame. 
     The member  14  substantially covers at least two sides of the locking pin  16 . In this case, surfaces  20  and  22  of the member  14  cover respective sides of the locking pin  16 . In other examples a member can be constructed to cover three or all four sides of the locking pin. In this way the member  14  provides some protection against the locking pin  16  unintentionally coming into contact with another object. 
     Each member  14  is releasably secured to a side portion  24  of the housing  12  by, for example, a set of three screws  26 . The members  14  are used when the speaker  10  will be moved around a lot (e.g. with a traveling band). That is because there is higher risk of the locking pins unintentionally contacting another object. If the speaker  10  will be set up permanently in one location, the members  14  can be removed from the speaker and stored as the risk is lower that the locking pins will unintentionally contact another object. In this case, the width of the speaker is reduced, thereby allowing the speaker to fit into smaller and tighter spaces (particularly if lower profile locking pins are used). 
     A pair of feet  28  are secured to each member  14  and can support the speaker  10  on a substantially horizontal surface when the speaker is oriented such that the member  14  is facing the surface (i.e. when the speaker  10  is placed on its side). The feet help to prevent damage to the members  14  and the speaker  10  when the speaker is laying on its side. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , another example of a speaker with an end cap will be described. In this example a speaker  30  is smaller than the speaker  10  and is designed to emit sound waves in the middle and high frequency ranges of human hearing. The speaker  30  includes a housing  32 , and an end cap in the form of a member  34 , preferably made of plastic, which is secured to the housing. Two substantial differences between the member  34  and each member  14  is that the member  34  (a) defines a pair of handles  35   a  and  35   b  which are unitary and integral with the member  34  and which can be gripped by a human hand to lift the speaker  30  (the speaker can be lifted right side up or upside down), and (b) covers a substantially major portion of an exterior surface  37  of a side panel of the speaker housing to protect the panel from damage. 
     A locking pin (e.g. a quick pin)  36  passes through a first portion 38  of the speaker  30  and through one of a plurality of through holes in an adjustable second portion of the speaker in the form of an attachment bar  39 . The bar  39  is used to connect the speaker  30  to another object such as another speaker or a frame. 
     The member  34  substantially covers at least two sides of the locking pin  36 . In this case, surfaces  40  and  42  of the member  34  cover respective sides of the locking pin  36 . In other examples a member can be constructed to cover three or all four sides of the locking pin. In this way the member  34  provides some protection against the locking pin  36  unintentionally coming into contact with another object. 
     The member  34  is releasably secured to the exterior surface  37  of the housing  32  by, for example, a set of four screws  46 . The member  34  is used when the speaker  30  will be moved around a lot (e.g. with a traveling band). That is because there is higher risk of the locking pins unintentionally contacting another object. If the speaker  30  will be set up permanently in one location, the member  34  can be removed from the speaker and stored as the risk is lower that the locking pins will unintentionally contact another object. 
     A set of four feet  48  are secured to the member  34  and can support the speaker  30  on a substantially horizontal surface when the speaker is oriented such that the member  34  is facing the surface (i.e. when the speaker  30  is placed on its side). The feet  48  help to prevent damage to the member  34 , the locking pins, and the housing surface  37  of the speaker  30  when the speaker is laying on its side. 
     A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that additional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts described herein, and, accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.