Abstract:
A speaker aiming system in accordance with one embodiment includes a speaker portion movable relative to a support portion, and a rotation adjustment device coupled to the speaker portion for rotation of the speaker portion relative to the support portion in first and second directions. The rotation adjustment device has first and second arcuate guides spaced apart from each other and rear rotation guide with first and second portions. The first arcuate guide and the first portion of the rear rotation guide are positioned along a common first arc that defines a first center of rotation. The second arcuate guide and the second portion of the rear rotation guide are positioned along a common second arc that defines a second center of rotation spaced apart from the first center of rotation.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/622,109, entitled Support Assemblies with Rotation Adjustment and Associated Methods, filed Oct. 25, 2004, and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward support assemblies with rotation adjustment and associated methods, for example, support assemblies supporting audio and/or visual components.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Audiovisual components often are placed in selected locations for operation and/or storage. In many cases, it is desirable to orient these components in certain directions and/or to adjust the orientation of the components periodically. For example, it is often desirable to orient speakers so that the sound is directed in a selected direction and/or to orient video displays for viewing from selected locations. Orienting these components in a certain direction can be difficult and time consuming, especially when the components are large and/or located in areas with limited space (e.g., when rotating a component that is proximate to a wall).  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a support system with a rotation adjustment device used to support a speaker system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the support system shown in  FIG. 1  where the speaker system has been rotated to a first side.  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the support system shown in  FIG. 1  where the speaker system has been rotated to a second side.  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is a partially schematic isometric rear view of the support system shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 5  is partially schematic illustration of the rotation adjustment device of the support system shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 6  is a close-up view of a portion of the support system shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 7  is a close-up view of a portion of the support system shown in  FIG. 1 , shown from different perspective. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]     Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward support assemblies with rotation adjustment and associated methods. Several specific details of the invention are set forth in the following description,  FIGS. 1-7  to provide a thorough understanding of certain embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, and that other embodiments of the invention may be practiced without several of the specific features described below. For example, the support system assemblies discussed below are discussed with reference to a speaker system and/or other audiovisual components. It will be understood that the support system can be used on any component where having a rotational adjustment is desirable.  
         [0012]     For example,  FIG. 1  is an illustration of a speaker system  120  supported by a support system  100  in a center facing position, in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the speaker system  120  (a first speaker system) includes two speakers  122 . In other embodiments, the speaker system  120  can include more or fewer speakers  122 , and/or the speaker system  120  can be a sub-system (or portion) of a larger speaker system. In other embodiments, the support system  100  can support another type of component (e.g., a display and/or other audiovisual component(s)). In the illustrated embodiment, the support system is positioned on top of a second speaker system  150 , and the first speaker system  120  and the second speaker system  150  are both sub-systems of a larger speaker system (e.g., the first speaker system  120  transmits mid and high frequency sound waves and the second speaker system  150  transmits low frequency sound waves). In other embodiments, the support system  100  can be positioned on another surface (e.g., a floor or a surface of another component).  
         [0013]     In  FIG. 2 , the support system  100  is shown rotated to the right, so that the speaker system  120  is aimed or pointed toward the right. In  FIG. 3 , the support system  100  is shown rotated to the left, so that the speaker system  120  is aimed or pointed toward the left. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the support system  100  rotates the speaker system  120  about a different center of rotation depending on the direction in which the speaker system  120  is rotated away from the center facing position (shown in  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0014]     As the speaker system  120  is rotated from the center facing position (shown in  FIG. 1 ) toward a right facing position (shown in  FIG. 2 ), the speaker system  120  is rotated about a center of rotation that is located proximate to the right side of the speaker system  120 . Accordingly, the left front corner of the speaker system  120  swings forward and arcs to the right. The right front corner of the speaker system  120  moves a much smaller amount as it moves slightly to the rear. Similarly, as the speaker system  120  is rotated from the center facing position (shown in  FIG. 1 ) toward a left facing position (shown in  FIG. 3 ), the speaker system  120  is rotated about a center of rotation that is located proximate to the left side of the speaker system  120 . Accordingly, the right front corner of the speaker system  120  swings forward and arcs to the left. The left front corner of the speaker system  120  moves a much smaller amount as it moves slightly to the rear. This feature can be especially useful when a side of the component carried by the support system  100  is located next to a wall or partition.  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  shows the support system  100 , shown in  FIG. 1 , viewed from the rear. The support system  100  includes a rotation adjustment device  110  having a base  111  and three guides  112  that engage three anchors  114 . In the illustrated embodiment, the three guides are shown as a left guide  112 L that engages a left anchor  114 L, a right guide  112 R that engages a right anchor  114 R, and a centerline guide  112 C that engages a centerline anchor  114 C. In the illustrated embodiment, the left anchor  114 L and the left guide  112 L are in a forward left corner area of the support system  100 , and the right anchor  114 R and the right guide  112 R are in a forward right corner area. The centerline anchor  114 C and the centerline guide  112 C are located in the rear portion of the support system  100  and located substantially on its centerline. The anchors are fixed to the upper surface of the second speaker system  150  and the guides  112  are slots which engage the anchors. The guides  112  allow the base to move relative to the anchors  114  as the base and first speaker system  120  is rotated to the left or the right.  
         [0016]     In other embodiments, the anchors  114  can be coupled to a platform and the base can move relative to the platform. In other embodiments, the anchors  114  can be coupled to other surfaces (e.g., the ground, a surface of another component, or the floor). In certain embodiments, a slippery material can be positioned between a portion of the base  111  and a portion of the surface coupled to the anchors  114  to facilitate movement of the base  111  relative to the surface. In other embodiments, bearings can be used between the base  111  and the surface coupled to the anchors  114  to facilitate movement of the base  111 . In still other embodiments, a locking system can be used to lock the support system  100  in certain positions. For example, in one embodiment, the anchors  114  can include bolts that are tightened against the guides  112  once the support system  100  is moved to a selected position. In other embodiments, other locking devices can be used (e.g., a pin that is inserted through the base and the upper surface of the second speaker system  150 ). In still other embodiments, the support system  100  can include more or fewer guides and/or anchors (e.g., the centerline guide  112 C and centerline anchor  114 C can be eliminated). In yet other embodiments, different arrangements of guides, anchors, and/or bases can be used. For example, the anchors  114  can include a rolling device coupled to the base  111  and the anchors  114  can roll in guides  112  coupled to the upper surface of the second speaker.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a partially schematic illustration of the rotation adjustment device  110  of the support system  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . The guides  112  are configured to allow movement relative to the anchors  114  when the base  111  is rotated about certain centers of rotation. For example, the left guide  112 L and the right portion of the centerline guide  112 C are configured to move relative to the left anchor  114 L and the centerline anchor  114 C (as indicated by arrows/arcs A R ) when the right anchor  114 R is in the forward portion of the right guide  112 R and the base  111  is rotated about the right anchor  114 R. Accordingly, solid lines show the base  111  in a forward facing position and dotted lines show the location of the base  111  and the guides  112  after the base and speaker system (shown in  FIG. 4 ) have been rotated to the right as indicated by arrow M R .  
         [0018]     When rotating the base  111  from the forward facing position to the right, the right anchor  114 R remains in a forward portion of the right guide  112 R and defines a first pivot point or center of rotation about which the base  111  rotates. The left guide  112 L and the right portion of the centerline guide  112 C are configured to allow an arcing movement about this center of rotation. This arcing motion allows the base  111  to move relative to the left and centerline anchors  114 L and  114 C, respectively, as the base  111  is rotated to the right.  
         [0019]     Similarly, when the base  111  is rotated from the forward facing position to the left, the left anchor  114 L remains in a forward portion of the left guide  112 L and defines a second pivot point or center of rotation about which the base  111  rotates. The right guide  112 R and the left portion of the centerline guide  112 C are configured to travel in an arcing motion about this second center of rotation. This can allow the base  111  to move relative to the right anchor  114 R and the centerline anchor  114 C as the base  111  is rotated to the left. When the base  111  is rotated from the right through the center facing position to the left, the base  111  travels through the forward facing position and the center of rotation changes from first center of rotation to the second center of rotation. Similarly, when the base  111  is rotated from the left through the forward facing position to the right, the center of rotation changes from the second center of rotation to the first. Accordingly, the speaker system  120  has dual pivot axes at the corner areas. Other embodiments can have more or fewer centers of rotation and/or the centers of rotation can be located in other areas (e.g., further aft and/or closer to the corners).  
         [0020]     A feature of embodiments described above is that the base  111  can have one or more centers of rotation that are not located at the center of the base. This can allow one side of the base  111  to move a substantial amount when the base  111  is rotated, while the other side does not move or moves only a small amount. An advantage of this feature is that the base (and speaker system) can be rotated to the left or right without hitting a wall  160  (e.g., a wall of a building or a wall of a cabinet/entertainment center) located proximate to the sides of the base  111  (as illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) and without the wall blocking the transmission of sound from the speaker system. This is unlike current systems where the speaker is generally rotated about its center. As shown by the dotted line in  FIG. 5 , if the base  111  were rotated about its center C, the right front corner of the base (shown by the dotted lines) would impact the wall  160  preventing full rotation of the base (and speaker system) and/or causing the wall  160  to interfere with the sound transmission of the speaker. Embodiments of the invention provide similar advantages for other systems. For example, when the support system  100  carries a video display, the display can be rotated without hitting an adjacent wall and without the viewing angle of the display being blocked by the wall.  
         [0021]     Another feature of embodiments discussed above is that a component supported by a support system can be quickly and easily rotated to a desired position. Additionally, the component can be securely supported in the selected position. An advantage of this feature is that components can be easily and quickly rotated to selected positions to obtain desired performance (e.g., better viewing angles and/or better sound dispersion).  
         [0022]     In other embodiments, the support system  100  can have other arrangements. For example, in certain embodiments the support system  100 , shown in  FIG. 5 , can be configured to rotate in only one direction (e.g., the right guide  112 R and right anchor  114 R can simply be a fixed pivot point and the base  111  is configured to only rotate to the right). In still other embodiments, the support system can have centers of rotation that work in combination with one another (e.g., as the rotation adjustment device is rotated in a selected direction away from the center facing position, the device rotates about a first center of rotation until reaching a specified point and then rotates about a second center of rotation as the device continues to rotate in the selected direction). In yet other embodiments, the rotation adjustment device can have other arrangements for moving the center of rotation (e.g., pivot points coupled to sliding arms).  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a scale or index can be provided proximate to and/or on the support system  100  (e.g., next to a guide  112 ) to provide a reference for selecting various positions. In other embodiments, the scale or index can be included on other portions of the support system  100  or the component carried by the support system  100 . In certain embodiments, in addition to the rotation adjustment device discussed above, the support system  100  can also include other adjustment devices (e.g., a tilt adjustment as disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/622,153, entitled SUPPORT ASSEMBLIES WITH TILT ADJUSTMENT AND ASSOCIATED METHODS, Attorney Docket No. 29671-8010US, which was filed on Oct. 25, 2004, and which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) and/or other devices (e.g., an aiming device for aiming a speaker system similar to the sight holes and sight line shown in  FIG. 1  and as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/973,649, entitled SPEAKER ASSEMBLY WITH AIMING DEVICE, Attorney Docket No. 29671-8009US, which was filed on Oct. 25, 2004, and which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety).  
         [0024]     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, aspects of the invention described in the context of particular embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Although advantages associated with certain embodiments of the invention have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages. Additionally, none of the foregoing embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.