Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This specification describes a ceiling mount bracket for a loudspeaker. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    In one aspect a ceiling mount bracket for a loudspeaker includes a mounting plate; an assembly including yaw and pitch adjustments for the loudspeaker; and an assembly to receive electrical signals and to provide the signals to the speaker. The assembly to receive electrical signals includes a wiring block including terminals to connect to signal transmission wires; a pre-wired electrically conductive path from the wiring block to a receptacle for a loudspeaker plug; and a mounting position for a ceramic connector and thermal fuse. The terminals may include a first terminal designated for 70/100 volt operation and a second terminal designated for 8 ohm operation and the pre-wired electrically conductive path may include an electrically conductive path from the first terminal to a first pin of the receptacle and an electrically conductive path from the second terminal to a second pin of the receptacle. The ceiling mount bracket may include a yaw position maintaining screw for the yaw adjustment position and a pitch position maintaining screw for the pitch adjustment position. The yaw position maintaining screw and the pitch position maintaining screw may be on the same side of the ceiling mount bracket. The ceiling mount bracket may include a strain relief device. The mounting position may include a threaded hole to accommodate a corresponding threaded extension of the ceramic connector and thermal fuse. The ceiling mount bracket may further include a cover enclosing a volume of greater than 200 cubic centimeters. The cover may enclose a volume of 240 cubic centimeters. The ceiling mount may further include visual indicators of the front of the bracket and the direction in which a mounted speaker should be placed. The yaw adjustment may include a rotatable mounting arm and the wiring block and the rotatable mounting arm may be configured to rotate together. One of the wiring block and the rotatable mounting arm may include bosses and the other of the wiring block and rotatable mounting arm may include openings to accommodate the bosses. 
         [0003]    In another aspect, a ceiling mount bracket for a loudspeaker includes a mounting plate and an assembly to orient the loudspeaker. The assembly to orient the loudspeaker includes a mounting arm comprising bosses. The ceiling mount further includes an assembly to receive audio signals and to provide the audio signals to the speaker. The assembly to receive audio signals and to provide the audio signal to the loudspeaker includes a wiring block including terminals to connect to signal transmission wires. The wiring block includes a first terminal designated for 70/100 volt operation; a second terminal designated for 8 ohm operation; and holes to mate with the bosses. The ceiling mount bracket further includes an electrically conductive path from the first terminal to a first pin of the receptacle and an electrically conductive path from the second terminal to a second pin for the receptacle. The ceiling mount bracket also includes a mounting position for a ceramic connector and thermal fuse. The position may include a threaded hole to accommodate a corresponding threaded extension of the ceramic connector and thermal fuse and a cover enclosing more than 200 cubic centimeters. 
         [0004]    Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in connection with the following drawing, in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0005]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 C are isometric views of an assembled ceiling mount bracket for a loudspeaker; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the ceiling mount bracket of  FIGS. 1A-1C ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a ceiling plate; and 
           [0008]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  and  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are wiring diagrams. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show in assembled form and in exploded form, respectively, a ceiling mount bracket for a loudspeaker. The bracket includes a ceiling plate  10 , a cover  12 , a mounting arm  14 , a speaker arm  16 , two single pole terminals  18 A and  18 B, two dual pole terminals  20 A and  20 B, and an electronics mount  22 . 
         [0010]    A typical installation of the ceiling mount bracket could include two phases, which can be performed one immediately after the other, or separated in time. In a first phase, the ceiling plate  20  and the mounting arm  14  could be installed first. Ceiling plate holes  24  are slotted, to permit some variation in the placement of fasteners, such as screws, bolts, and the like. If the external wiring is in the ceiling, the wiring is pulled through center hole  26  and connected to the terminals  18 A,  18 B,  20 A,  20 B as will be described below. If the external wiring is surface mounted on the ceiling, it is connected directly to the to the terminals  18 A,  18 B,  20 A,  20 B. A strain relief  48  enables the locking down of the wiring to help prevent the wire from being disconnected from the terminals or pulled out of the bracket if the wire is pulled on. If desired or required by local regulations, a ceramic connector and thermal fuse  32  may be installed at position  34 , which has pre-formed raised ridges and a threaded hole  36  to accommodate the installation of the ceramic connector and thermal fuse. Electronics mount  22  is free to rotate relative to the ceiling plate  10 . Bosses  66  on the mounting arm  14  mate with holes  68  in the electronics mount  22 . 
         [0011]    In a second phase, the speaker arm is attached. The loudspeaker may then be attached to the speaker arm through the hole  30  in the cover  12 , and the mounting arm and speaker arm adjusted to provide the desired orientation of the loudspeaker, and the loudspeaker may then be plugged in to a receptacle  28 . The cover  12  may then be adjusted, as will be described below. 
         [0012]    The assembled ceiling plate  10 , electronics mount  22 , and terminals  18 A,  18 B,  20 A, and  20 B are shown in  FIG. 3 . Two pole terminal  20 A is identified as a “70/100 volt” terminal. Two pole terminal  20 B is identified as an “8Ω” (8 ohm) terminal. One pole terminals  18 A and  18 B are identified as “comm” (common). The terminals are electrically coupled to the pins  38 A- 38 D as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . The pins mate with a speaker connector. Wiring hole  60  permits the use of additional wires and/or the use of large diameter fire rated wire if required for installation of the ceramic conductor. Arrows  64  indicate the front of the bracket and the direction in which the speaker should point. 
         [0013]    The wiring of the pins and the speaker connector is shown diagrammatically in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . Terminals  20 A,  20 B,  18 A, and  18 B are electrically coupled to pins  38 A- 38 D, respectively to receive electrical signals, for example audio signals and to transmit the signals to pins  38 A- 38 D. The four pins  38 A- 38 D are configured to detachably mate with jacks  39 A- 39 D, respectively, in a loudspeaker connector  58 . Jacks  39 A and  39 B are electrically coupled to the loudspeaker circuitry. Jacks  39 C and  39 D are shorted in the connector  58  and are electrically coupled to the loudspeaker circuitry. 
         [0014]    In the implementation of  FIG. 4A , the ceiling mount bracket and the loudspeaker are configured for a 70/100 volt system. An external wiring hot (designated by “+”) “in” wire is connected by the installer to a pole of terminal  20 A. A common (designated by “−”) “in” wire is connected by the installer to terminal  18 A. If the loudspeaker is an intermediate speaker of a chain of speakers, a hot “out” wire is connected by the installer to the other pole of terminal  20 A, and a common “out” wire is connected by the installer to terminal  18 B. 
         [0015]    In the implementation of  FIG. 4B , the ceiling mount bracket and the loudspeaker are configured for an 8 ohm system. An external wiring hot “in” wire is connected by the installer to a pole of terminal  20 B. A common “in” wire is connected by the installer to terminal  18 A. If the loudspeaker is an intermediate speaker of a chain of speakers, a hot “out” wire is connected by the installer to the other pole of terminal  20 B, and a common “out” wire is connected by the installer to terminal  18 B. 
         [0016]    In the implementation of  FIG. 5A , the ceiling mount bracket and the loudspeaker are configured for 70/100 volt operation in a system employing a ceramic connector  32  and thermal fuse  62  installed at position  34  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The external wiring hot “in” wire and the external wiring common “in” wire, and the hot “out” wire and the common “out” wire, if present, are connected by the installer to appropriate terminals of the ceramic connector  32 . The ceramic connector  32  is connected by the installer to terminal  18 A through thermal fuse  62  to terminal  20 A. 
         [0017]    In the implementation of  FIG. 5B , the ceiling mount bracket and the loudspeaker are configured for 8 ohm operation in a system employing a ceramic connector and thermal fuse  32  installed at position  34  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The external wiring hot “in” wire and the external wiring common “in” wire, and the hot “out” wire and the common “out” wire, if present, are connected to appropriate terminals of the ceramic connector and thermal fuse  32 . The ceramic connector  32  is connected to terminal  18 A through thermal fuse  62  and to terminal  20 B. 
         [0018]    The wiring arrangement described above is advantageous because it greatly simplifies the wiring during installation. As stated above, installing the ceiling plates and attaching the external wiring to the terminals can be done at one time, for example during a rough wiring phase, and installation and connection of the loudspeakers can be done later, for example in a finish phase. The loudspeakers are not at risk of damage during construction, and electrically connecting the loudspeakers does not need to be done by skilled electricians. If ceramic connector and thermal fuses are used, they can be simply inserted at the provided position  34  and wired during the initial wiring stage, and require no separate electrical box. The fact that the comm. terminals  18 A and  18 B are not shorted, but rather the jacks  39 C and  39 D are shorted in the loudspeaker connector  58  means that if the loudspeaker is not connected properly to the bracket, the system supervisory function (typically a monitoring system in the firebox), will detect a break in the chain. 
         [0019]    The ceiling mounting bracket permits adjusting of both pitch and yaw. Yaw is adjusted by rotating the mounting arm  14  as indicated by arrow  40  and tightening yaw position maintaining screw  42 . Since electronics mount  22  is free to rotate relative to ceiling plate  10 , and since bosses  66  in mounting arm  14  mate with holes  68  in electronics mount  22 , the electronics mount  22  retains alignment with the mounting arm  14  so that conductors are not stressed during realignment. Pitch is adjusted by rotating speaker arm  16  as indicated by arrow  44  and tightening pitch position maintaining screw  46 , which is located on the same side of the ceiling mounting bracket as yaw position maintaining screw  42 , and which has the same screw head as the yaw position maintaining screw  42 . This is advantageous, because frequently the installation and adjustment of ceiling speakers must be done on ladder or from scaffolding, and it may be inconvenient or even dangerous to have to reach across the bracket to reach a position maintaining screw. 
         [0020]    A next step is the securing of the cover  12  to the ceiling mount bracket, by tightening a cover position maintaining screw  50  in a hole  52  in the cover  12 . The cover position maintaining screw  50  screws into a trough  64  in the ceiling plate  10 . If the wiring is surface mounted on the ceiling, one of four wire hole covers  54  (only one shown) may be removed from one of the wire holes  56  to accommodate the surface mounted wiring. The trough  64  provides for the cover to be rotated 45 degrees. Since there are four wire holes, positioned at 90 degrees relative to each other, this arrangement permits surface mounted wiring to be inserted into the ceiling mount bracket from any direction without the need for a bend in the surface mount wiring. The cover may be sized to enclose a suitable volume to be in compliance with electrical codes. For example, according to one current electrical code provision, the volume allowance for electrical conductors is at least 49.6 cubic centimeters for any wire gauge 8 or smaller, so it would be advisable for the cover to enclose a volume of at least 200 cubic centimeters. In one implementation, the cover  12  encloses a volume of about 245 cubic centimeters. 
         [0021]    Numerous uses of and departures from the specific apparatus and techniques disclosed herein may be made without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features disclosed herein and limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: 5