EP2758705A1

EP2758705A1 - An assembly of a multi media device and a utility element

Info

Publication number: EP2758705A1
Application number: EP12762251.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ejnar Johannesen
Original assignee: Bang and Olufsen AS
Current assignee: Bang and Olufsen AS
Priority date: 2011-09-20
Filing date: 2012-09-11
Publication date: 2014-07-30
Also published as: WO2013041410A1

Abstract

An assembly or a platform including a mounting frame that enables easy configuring of functional features and utilities applied to enhance the usability of multi media players. A multifunctional device offers the user several new features when listening to - and viewing multimedia information with emphasis of comfortable viewing options, when listening to quality sound and operating of the multimedia device. The multimedia device has front (1) and back (2) plates defining a pinned hinge, and the utility element, such as a mount, extends into the ends of the hinge.

Description

AN ASSEMBLY OF A MULTI MEDIA DEVICE AND A UTILITY ELEMENT

The present invention relates to an assembly or a platform comprising a mounting frame that enables easy configuring of functional features and utilities applied to enhance the usability of multi media players. More and more multimedia devices are present at the market.

Devices like mobile phones, smart phones, media players, and book readers with specific product examples like the iPod, iPad, iTouch, and iPhone are characterized as being small and very effective types of products, in relation to digital data handling and accessing media information. Providing the information to the user normally requires bigger external screens and loudspeaker systems to present the audio-video (A/V) in a convenient way and in a reasonable quality. For the comfort of the user, flexibility in placement of the A/V equipment is a demand. Placement in this term is the positioning of the equipment for the user to obtain the most optimal position in viewing angle and listening position. Thus, there is a huge demand for equipment that has multifunctional position options that allows a high flexibility in configuring the physical positioning of the A/V equipment.

Different types of technology of this type may be seen in US2005/239307, US2004/000029, US2002/071550 and WO2008/057092.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system/assembly that fulfills this demand. A first object of the invention is described in claim 1. Interesting embodiments are mentioned in the dependent claims.

In general, the assembly may be a multifunctional frame arrangement configured with different utility elements, the frame arrangement may be characterized by:

• a first object that constitutes a front plate is being connected to a second object that constitutes a back plate;

• connection means for the first object is configured on at least one edge of the first object; • connection means for the second object is configured on at least one edge of the second object;

• connection means supports the assembly of the first object to the second object by tapped means in a hinge principle;

· the connection means hinge is placed along at least one common edge of the first object and the second object;

• the splitter pin of the hinge is fully or partly exchangeable with a utility device.

The assembly or frame arrangement as described is suitable as a very flexible platform for A/V equipment that might be configured according to certain functional specifications.

More specifically the assembly/platform can be configured as:

• an audio system including means, such as an antenna or a network connection, for receiving digital audio information like e.g. DAB and/ or net radio, optionally including loudspeaker means with amplifiers and filters;

· a sound provider optionally including one or more loudspeakers, amplifiers and/or filters;

• a video system including means, such as an antenna, a media player (DVD player, Blueray player or the like) or a net connection, for receiving digital video information like e.g. DVB and/ or net TV, optionally including one or more loudspeakers, such as comprising amplifiers and/or filters;

• a combined A/V system including any of the means mentioned above;

• controller/processor means, storage/player means (flash, disk, RAM, ROM), external connections (wireless or cabled network), and data communication means (WiFi, IR, RF or the like);

· each of the configurations may have a utility element functioning as a support stand, a shelf, a connector, a loudspeaker, a lamp or the like.

Thus, miscellaneous standalone apparatus may be configured, such as, but not limited to, as:

• a TV set including loudspeakers where the utility element is a supporting stand;

· a TV set including loudspeakers where the utility element is a supporting wall

mounting;

• a TV set including loudspeakers where the utility element supports the TV hanging from the ceiling;

• a TV set where the utility element comprises a loudspeaker;

· a loudspeaker where the utility element is a supporting stand; Summary of the features are:

• Flexibility in configuring with different utility elements for a number of different

options in placement of the configured apparatus or multi media device.

options in attached external equipment to the configured apparatus or multi media device.

• Flexible platform and compartment for electronic circuits and modules, easy to mount with simple access to the inner portions (plugs, connectors or the like) of the assembled apparatus or multi media device.

· Very simple assembly of front plate and back plate, which simplifies initial production and servicing the apparatus or multi media device.

• Very easy to exchange of one utility element with another utility element.

In one embodiment of the invention, the pinned hinge comprises a pin having a cross section of any geometrical shape like circle, square, triangle, ellipse rectangle or multi angled.

Furthermore, the frame may be configured with tapped means as hinges, such as a pinned hinge, along two parallel edges of the frame, where the tapped means of the first object and the second object fits together and to the geometry of a pin such that a certain friction is obtained between the frame and the pin. Another embodiment relates to a utility element which fully or partly acts as one or more pins placed into the knuckles/barrels or tapped means of the first object/front plate and the second object/back plate; the utility element may comprise tubes, rods and fittings like bolts, nuts, and inserts like treaded holes and threaded pipes or the like.

The utility element may be attached to or close to each of the four corners of the frame. Furthermore, the utility element, when configured, may act as supporting means for the positioning of the multi media device, the positions including : standing, tilted, wall mounted, or ceiling mounted.

A third embodiment of the invention relates to a situation where the frame or multi media device is configured with recesses for external connectors like HDMI, USB, RCA, and BNC. This simplifies mounting of auxiliary devices successively according to functional demand raised by the user. In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 displays the concept of the invention.

Figure 2 displays a perspective view of an example of one embodiment including a utility device.

Figure 3 displays the example of one embodiment including a utility device.

Figure 4 displays details in the connection principles of one embodiment.

Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment including the primary objects that constitutes the embodiment; the illustration in figure la is a front view, figure lb is a top view, figure lc is a side view, and figure Id is a perspective view.

A front plate (1) is connected to a back plate (2) via a hinge principle (5). The connection means being two flanges into a tapped principle assembled to each other by a pin arrangement (3) as a pinned hinge. Flexibility in the connection principle allows the pin arrangement to be configured into different modes of applications. This enables for the end user application to be configured with different support devices, e.g. stands, mounts for hanging from the ceiling, wall mounts and the like.

Depending to the type of application, the device may be configured with different functional components (6) such as power supplies, video screens, loudspeaker units, control means, memory means and the like. Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment being a standalone multi media device. The support means constitutes a stand (4) and is attached to the device as part of the pin arrangement (3) in the hinge. This point of fixture may be implemented simply as an insert mechanism and with a certain friction between the two objects i.e. between the hinge and the object (3) that constitutes the pin of the hinge. Alternative insert means, such as screws, threaded pipes, nuts, bolts, expandable rubber, and nylon or like, may be applied for the fixation of the support means to the hinge.

Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which a multi media device is placed in an arrangement in which the device may hang from the ceiling, and where the device may have the tilting of the front plate (1) adjusted to obtain a suitable viewing/listening angle. The support means comprises an eye (7), attached to the wire (8) and an element (3) forming part of the pin arrangement (3) in the hinge. This point of fixture may be

implemented simply as an insert mechanism and with a certain friction against the two objects i.e. between the hinge and the object (3) that constitutes at least part of the pin of the hinge. Alternative insert means may be applied for the fixation of the support tool to the hinge, means like screws, threaded pipes, nuts, bolts, expandable rubber, and nylon or the like. The device is hanging, supported by the wires (8) and a wheel (9) mechanism fixed to the wall/ceiling.

Figure 4 illustrates details in the hinge principle in one embodiment of the invention. The front plate (1) is connected to the back plate (2) via a hinge principle, where a support pin (12) is part of the means that assembles and fixes a knuckle/barrel (10) of the front plate and a knuckle/barrel (12) of the back plate (2) together. Naturally, the front and back plates may have any number of knuckels/barrels. The connection means being two flanges in a pinned hinge. Flexibility in the connection principles allows the pin arrangement to be configured into different modes of applications. This is obtained by supplemental or alternative means by:

• Supplemental or alternative objects may be inserted into a cavity (13) in the support pin (12); these objects being means like screws, threaded pipes, nuts, bolts, expandable rubber, and nylon or the like; the objects may act as supporting tools, e.g. stands, for the device in question. Then, instead of replacing or constituting all of or part of the pin, the utility element may be fixed to the existing pin.

• Part(s) of the pin of the hinge, or the complete pin of the hinge, may be replaced by supplemental utility elements and configured to act as connection means and in addition to act as supporting means, or be able to adopt miscellaneous supporting means; these objects being means like screws, threaded pipes, nuts, bolts, expandable rubber, and nylon or the like; the utility elements may act as supporting tools, e.g. stands, for the device in question.

This enables the end user application to be configured with different support devices, e.g. stands, hangs, wall mounts and the like.

A preferred embodiment is one in which the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) constitutes a configured device in which there is a space (6) for electronics - and mechanical means to build an end user device. Standard means may be integrated into the device, such as: Power supply means to support all electrical objects provided in the platform. Sound filtering - and amplifier means for supporting all sound providers placed in the platform.

Control means supporting man-machine-interaction and wireless data transmission and a remote control in the platform.

The preferred embodiment relates to a platform including a mounting frame that enables easy configuring of functional features and utilities applied to enhance the usability of multi media players. Thus disclosed is a frame arrangement, wherein an assembly including the first object and the second object in common constitutes a mechanical platform for multi media devices, the devices may fully or partly comprise: power supply, control means, storage means, communication means, audio providing means and video providing means.

Specifically, the preferred embodiment relates to a multifunctional device offering the user several new features when listening to - and viewing - multimedia information with emphasis on comfortable viewing options, when listening to quality sound and operating the multi media device.

The preferred embodiment is applicable as a platform for e.g. TV sets, tablet PC's, laptops, audio-video equipment, loudspeaker and systems including sound providers.

OBJECTS:

1. A multifunctional frame arrangement that may be configured with different utilities the frame arrangement characterized by: a a first object that constitutes a front plate is being connected to a second object that constitutes a back plate;

b connection means for the first object is configured on at least one edge of the first object;

c connection means for the second object is configured on at least one edge of the second object;

d connection means supports the assembly of the first object to the second object by tapped means in a hinge principle;

e the connection means hinge is placed along at least one common edge of the first object and the second object; f. the splitter pin of the hinge is fully or partly exchangeable with a utility device.

A frame arrangement according to object 1, wherein the splitter pin of the hinge is an object having a cross section of any geometrical shape like circle, square, triangle, ellipse rectangle or multi angled.

A frame arrangement according to object 1, wherein the frame is configured with tapped means as hinges along two parallel edges of the frame.

A frame arrangement according to object 4, wherein the tapped means of the first object and the second object fits together and to the geometry of a splitter pin such that a certain friction is obtained between the frame and the splitter pin.

A frame arrangement according to object 5, wherein a utility device fully or partly acts as one or more splitter pins placed into the tapped means of the first object and the second object.

A frame arrangement according to object 6, wherein the utility means includes tubes, rods and fittings like bolts, nuts, and inserts like treaded holes and threaded pipes.

A frame arrangement according to object 6, wherein the utility means are attached to or close to each of the four corners of the frame.

A frame arrangement according to object 7, wherein the utility means when configured act as supporting means for the positioning of the multimedia device, the positions including: standing, tilted, wall mounted, ceiling mounted.

A frame arrangement according to object 6, wherein the frame is configured with recesses for external connectors like HDMI, USB, RCA, BNC. A frame arrangement according to all objects, wherein an assembly including the first object and the second object in common constitutes a mechanical platform for multi media apparatus means, the means including fully or partly: power supply, control means, storage means, communication means, audio means and video means.

Claims

1. An assembly of a multi media device and a utility element, wherein the multi media device comprises a front plate and a back plate each having knuckles or barrels forming a pinned hinge having two ends, - the utility element has elements extending into the knuckels/barrels at both ends of the hinge.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the front and back plates each has knuckels or barrels at two opposite, parallel sides thereof, forming two pinned hinges at opposite sides of the multi media device, and wherein the utility element has elements extending into the knuckels/barrels at both ends of both hinges.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the utility element is a support for the multi media device for supporting the multi media device when standing on a surface, in a tilted fashion, mounted on a wall, and/or hanging from a ceiling.

4. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the utility element comprises a loudspeaker.

5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the utility element comprises a lamp.

6. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a pin extending through knuckles/barrels of both the front and back plates.

7. An assembly according to claim 6, wherein the pin has a geometry providing a

predetermined friction between the front and back plates and the pin.

8. An assembly according to claim 6, wherein the extending elements extend into the pin.