FR2520573A1 - Variable size loudspeaker assembly - comprises stacking set of speaker boxes with interlocking grooves on outside surfaces - Google Patents

Abstract

The loudspeaker assembly is made up from a number of individual boxes which may be joined together. Each loudspeaker is built into a box, having a grill over its front surface. The sides of the box have dovetail grooves and projections arranged to fit into a similar dovetail pattern on an adjoining box. The loudspeakers may thus be built up to any chosen size to give a partic. volume. Individual boxes may also house amplifier modules, impedance matching transformers or other necessary components. The grill dividing ribs are of half thickness at the edge of each box so that when the two are joined together the joint is concealed.

Description

 The present invention relates to the field of boxes for loudspeakers and relates more specifically to a new arrangement and combination system of receptacles for loudspeakers making it possible to produce loudspeakers of variable dimensions at will.

 When it is desired to add sound to large volumes - such as large surface stores where advertising messages, music or various information are broadcast - it is often necessary to install several acoustic assemblies which are then produced by stacking various loudspeakers fixed in their respective boxes. These stacks are unstable when they are not subject to fixed points and, moreover, if it is desired to secure them, the boxes must necessarily be provided with connecting means and therefore degrade the walls of the latter. On the other hand, it is sometimes necessary to install very large speakers, to avoid the abovementioned difficulties of stacking, but this then leads to other drawbacks, in particular with regard to cost and aesthetics.

 The invention overcomes these drawbacks and aims to propose a new realization of loudspeakers in unitary assemblies whose dimensions can be, at any time, adapted to the need without it being necessary to provide connecting means individuals and installation specially studied.

 According to the general characteristic of the invention, the acoustic unit is constituted by the assembly in a unitary block of parallelepiped boxes with complementary sockets of which only one face is provided open, each box being provided with a fixed speaker whose grid protection coincides with said open face.

 According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, all the faces of a box, with the exception of course of that reserved for the introduction of the loudspeaker and then for the installation of the protective grid, are provided with interlocking means complementary so as to be able to produce monoblock assemblies by simple assembly of series of modules in all directions from a module or basic cabinet.

 It has already been known for a long time, of course, to produce nesting housings comprising for example, on one or more of their faces, longitudinally alternating series of ribs and recessed areas so that several housings can be connected together by matching the projections and recesses and sliding one or more receptacles on an adjacent receptacle.

Various applications are thus described such as: packaging of pharmaceutical articles (see French patent N 1,370,622), lockers or drawers for storing various common objects (French patent
N 1.125.6O9, American patent N 3.514.170 ...) etc.

 However, it does not seem that any suggestion has already been made of the use of receptacles of this type for the installation of fixed elements, ie not- (nt loudspeakers, for which special adaptation is required and which corresponds to a real new application, not obvious to those skilled in the art given the state of the art aaterleare.

To better understand the various characteristics and the multiple advantages of the acoustic assemblies obtained thanks to the invention, an embodiment will be described below with limitation, with reference to the appended schematic drawings which illustrate
. Figure 1: a housing with built-in speaker according to the principle of the invention
. Figure 2: a partial view of a one-piece assembly of built-in unit boxes to form an acoustic enclosure;
. Figure 3: a partial view, in projection on a horizontal plane, of connection modes between several adjacent boxes to form a unitary assembly.

 As shown in the figures, a receptacle A for loudspeaker comprises on all its faces, including the rear face (not visible here) longitudinal projecting elements 1 and recessed 2 which can be complementary to two types of receptacles or housings so as to produce, by sliding (according to arrow F, FIG. 2) the walls of two adjacent housings, assemblies such as the partial one illustrated in FIG. 2 to constitute loudspeakers of variable volume at leisure. It is thus possible to mount speaker columns according to infinite variants.

 Stacking clips for loudspeakers can be installed as such, independently, in places of use, such as very large commercial or other premises. Alternatively, one can ensure at one or more points the fixing of a given assembly by providing on a support wall, for example a wall or a ceiling, the installation of profiles with recesses and / or projections in which may come slide in the corresponding elements of one or more boxes. According to another variant, not shown, the faces (or some) of the housings can be provided with hooking means, such as for example a screw nut embedded capable of corresponding to a female screws installed on the positioning wall.

 In practice, each loudspeaker is enclosed in a housing described above with installation on the rear face of female input and output plugs. Connecting cords between H.P. are delivered in a "kit" system to set up the acoustic enclosure of given size. In addition, according to a particularity, it is advantageous to provide in the production of an assembly, such as that of FIG. 2, one or more boxes intended for the incorporation of amplifier modules, boxes of impedance transformers and other equipment. intended for the control of certain loudspeakers.

 In accordance with another characteristic, visible on the connection between the modules A and C of FIG. 2, the grids 3 of the loudspeakers are advantageously designed so that, thanks to the thickness and the spacing of their bands vertical 4, they cover the spacing 5 between two adjacent boxes, thus giving the visual impression of the existence of a single loudspeaker - for the entire acoustic assembly installed.

 Of course, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment but extends to the various other variants of equivalent function. For example, the walls of the boxes or modules can assume any configuration other than that, without limitation, of the figures provided that the principle of nesting by sliding, pressure or any other means, of the receptacles between them is kept.

Claims (4)

- CLAIMS  1. Acoustic enclosure with several speakers, characterized in that it is constituted by the assembly into a unitary block of parallelepiped boxes with complementary fittings and of which only one face is open, each box being provided with a fixed speaker of which the protective grid coincides with said face.  2. Enclosure according to claim 1, characterized in that all the faces, with the exception of the open one, of a box are provided with means, known per se, to obtain on the one hand the complementary nesting of several boxes in all directions and, on the other hand, the possibility of hooking a multi-unit block, from the rear of these, to a fixed wall such as a wall or the like.  3. Enclosure according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the vertical lines of each grid of the speakers have between them a spacing slightly greater than the total thickness of two adjacent boxes fitted.  4. Enclosure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that all the faces, except the open one, of a box are provided with a screw nut.