GB2315187A

GB2315187A - Loudspeaker basket with integral or attached fixing means

Info

Publication number: GB2315187A
Application number: GB9713775A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giancarlo Stevani; Tiziano Nil
Original assignee: Ask Industries SpA
Current assignee: Ask Industries SpA
Priority date: 1996-07-08
Filing date: 1997-07-01
Publication date: 1998-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-01
Also published as: PL320992A1; BR7701533U; TR199700580A3; ITRE960030U1; ES1037670U; DE29711895U1; IT241927Y1; FR2751502A1; ES1037670Y; GB2315187B; TR199700580A2; FR2751502B1; GB9713775D0; PL188909B1

Abstract

A loudspeaker basket 1, preferably of flexible material comprises of attached or integral quick-hooking means 6 with which to allow a quick and easy pre-assembly of the whole into the standardised hole 4 provided in the body or part of the same 5 of motor cars, watercraft and the like. The basket may also comprise of a truing means 7. The pre-assembly of the loudspeakers provided with the basket of the invention is preferably by pressure, with snap-hooking, exploiting the elasticity of said means 6, once they are located in the standardised holes 4, the operators can complete the connection of loudspeakers 2 by means of conventional screws, in parallel holes 10, on bodies and the like. The operation is simple and quick and allows movement freedom to the operators who do not need to support the parts with the hand any longer.

Description

LOUDSPEAKER BASKET The invention relates to a loudspeaker basket or a support frame.

The present industrial policies of assembly and/or fitting such as, for instance, those concerning the assembly of motor cars and the like, require that the equipment related to car radios and loudspeakers be always present and standardised.

For this reason studies of feasibility and economy on the matter are being carried on. In particular, there exists the need for installing by hand loudspeakers in special standardised holes, provided in the bodies of cars in general and the like, in an easy and safe way, in a short time and without special equipment and/or manpower requirements.

An object of this invention is to satisfy the above requirements. The invention provides a loudspeaker basket provided with peripheral elements integral or fitted on, either elastic or not, which can be interfitted by coupling to the edges of a standardised hole for housing a loyEsKpeaker on the body of a motor car or the like, according to a selXositioning engagement. The basket preferably including truing means, such as pins, coupled to corresponding holes obtained in bodies. The basket includes peripheral holes that constitute the conventional screw connections of loudspeakers.

The advantages achieved by the present invention lie essentially in that the loudspeakers provided with the present type of basket are pressure applicable, in a simple, quick and economical way, without the use of special accessories, directly into the standardised holes provided for this purpose, serially realised on specific parts of vehicles' bodies in general.

A further aim of the invention is to allow the quick self-positioning of loudspeakers in their specific housings, and to facilitate the subsequent connection on the same by means of screws, without the need of supporting them by hand or special accessories, in a quick and simple way, with drastic reduction in fitting times.

The invention will be described and illustrated hereafter according to embodiments suggested only by way of non limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the basket only, before the final fitting, with the part that forms the real loudspeaker; Figure 2 is the corresponding perspective view of the loudspeaker provided with the basket, and the quick hooking means; Figures 3 and 4 are back and side views of the same complete loudspeaker of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the loudspeaker with the quick hooking means, applied to a pre-punched plate; Figure 6 is a simpiified section of a basket with quick hooking means of a different type; Figures 7 and 8 are side and front views of an accessory conversion ring of conventional loudspeaker baskets into baskets provided with selfpositioning means, according to the technology of the present invention; and Figure 9 shows the same ring of the preceding Figures, from a perspective view.

The Figures show the loudspeaker basket with self-positioning means, essentially comprising as a conventional support, engagement and restrain element 1 for a basic structural part 2 of the loudspeaker. The basket comprises, in its peripheral region 3 elastic elements 6 for coupling with the standardised holes 4 provided on body parts 5, such as for instance car doors or other specific parts.

Preferably but not limitedly, basket 1 is from elastic material, such as plastic material, sheet steel and the like.

In its complete structure, i.e. the active part 2 and the basket I,the loudspeaker can be pressure-applied into the standardised holes 4. To do this, it suffices to align the back part of the basket 1 in touch with the peripheral surface of a hole 4 until the elastic elements 6 get in touch with the same. Afterwards, it suffices to exercise a pressure on the loudspeaker to cause an elastic deformation of the elastic elements 6 so that they snapfit into engagement behind the peripheral surface of the hole 4.

A truing pin 7, possibly conical, is aligned to a corresponding hole 8, provided on the body part 5. In this way, during the pressure action which fits basket 2 into hole 4, pin 7 engages in the complementary hole 8, causing the whole to take on the desired orientation.

In this way, the loudspeaker is pre-assembled on the bearing structure in a simple and quick manner, with no need for special devices, such as equipment or supporting hand tools.

The so positioned loudspeakers can go on to the subsequent fastening stage, which is carried out by applying screws into holes 9 of the basket, aligned to those 10 provided on the bearing structure 5. Given the provided self-positioning, also the screw-connection stage is very simple and quick and does not require the use of special equipment or the mechanical and/or manual support of the details, with a marked reduction in working times and a marked money saving.

The back part of basket 1 may or may not comprise an upper cover or lid 11, useful to protect the loudspeaker from possible drippings, especially for applications on car doors.

In the versions where the basket is made from plastic material such as ABS, polycarbonate, ABS and polycarbonate, and the like, the elastic elements 6 may be formed from the same material as the basket 1 and be integral with the same. In alternative, they may be formed from different materials, such as stainless steel, aluminium and the like, integral with the basket through moulding or fitted in the same with other known means.

There exists the further possibility of realising the basket 1 from another elastic material, such as sheet steel or the like.

According to another embodiment, the hooking elements, instead of being elastic, may be constituted by fixed and rigid teeth, of which at least one, preferably the upper one 6', has a greater extension and an underlying deep channel 12, so as to allow the introduction of the basket in hole 4 through the fitting of said tooth with basket rotation, then the insertion of its lower part in the same, until the lower teeth 6" are overcome, and lastly the slight lowering of the basket, so that also said lower teeth 6" engage with the edge of said hole; also in this case there may be at least a truing pin 7.

Figures 7 to 9 show, instead, an accessory annular element 1 3 whose function is to allow the quick transformation of conventional loudspeakers or of loudspeakers without self-positioning means, into loudspeakers provided with said means, essentially corresponding to those described above and illustrated in Figures 1 to 6.

The accessory ring 1 3 is so configured as to be easily fitted, from the back side, onto a conventional loudspeaker 2 and coupled, as a section, to the flange of the basket of the conventional loudspeaker.

Coupiing may be through forced fitting of the central hole 1 3 peripheral surface 14, of ring 1 3 on the complementary circumferential edge of the conventional loudspeaker basket.

Coupling may also be through gluing or riveting of the same ring 13 on the flange of the conventional loudspeaker basket.

Preferably but not limitedly, the accessory ring 13 is provided with ears 1 5 with hole 9' alignable to holes 9 of the conventional basket. The peripheral elastic elements 6, 6' are integral with the same and identical and corresponding to those described and illustrated for the integral type solution.

It is obvious that, once the accessory ring 13 is applied to a conventional loudspeaker, also the latter is provided with self-positioning means, integral and available for the intended use, according to what has already been described.

In all of the described solutions, suggested only by way of non limiting example, the simple, direct and quick self-positioning of the loudspeakers into the standardised holes provided for them, is sure and efficient.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated according to some embodiments suggested by way of example, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes in the form, type, arrangement and structure of the basket and the hooking means can be introduced, without falling outside the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A loudspeaker basket provided with peripheral elements integral or fitted on, either elastic or not, which can be interfitted by coupling to the edges of a standardised hole for housing a loudspeaker on the body of a motor car or the like, according to a self-positioning engagement.
2. The loudspeaker according to Claim 1, made from elastic material and formed integrally with retaining elements arranged to engage with the edges of the standardised hole as a snap fit.
3. The loudspeaker according to Claim 1, characterised in that the elements, either elastic or not, are applied peripherally with respect to the basket by moulding, fitting, mechanical connection or the like.
4. The loudspeaker basket according to any of Claims 1 to 3, including at least one truing and alignment pin for engagement with a corresponding hole in the body having said standardised hole.
5. The loudspeaker basket according to any of Claims 1 to 4, having holes for engagement by means of locking screws with aligned corresponding holes provided near to an in co-ordination with said standardised hole, when the basket is self-positioned in the body.
6. The loudspeaker basket according to any of Claims 1 and 3 to 5, in which the elements are constituted by fixed and rigid teeth, of which at least one thereof has a greater extension and a deep underlying channel than smaller ones thereof, with the possibility of hooking the teeth behind the coupling edge of the standardised hole by raising and lowering the basket.
7. The loudspeaker basket according to Claims 1 to 6, including an upper lid against drippings.
8. A conventional loudspeaker basket, characterised in that it comprises an accessory additional ring which engages, connects and trues the circumferential edge and the flange of said basket; said ring being provided with elastic elements pressure- or fitting-coupleable on the edges of standardised holes provided for the coupling of loudspeakers on bodies of motor vehicles and the like, according to a self positioning engagement.
9. An accessory additional ring according to Claim 8, characterised in that it may or may not comprise ears with holes alignable with holes of the conventional loudspeaker basket.
10. The accessory additional ring according to Claim 9, characterised in that it is rigidly coupleable to the basket of conventional loudspeakers by fitting the peripheral surface of its central hole, on the complementary circumferential edge of the basket of said loudspeakers, or also by means of gluing or riveting on the flange of said basket.
11. The loudspeaker basket with self-positioning means as described, with the reservation expressed in the last period of the descriptive part, as illustrated according to embodiments suggested by way of non limiting example, according to the preceding Claims and for the purpose specified.

1 2. A loudspeaker basket or accessory therefor substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.