GB2488442A

GB2488442A - Retaining loudspeaker on stand when adjusting speaker angle or tilt

Info

Publication number: GB2488442A
Application number: GB1203331.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kiyosei Shibata
Original assignee: Denso Ten Ltd
Current assignee: Denso Ten Ltd
Priority date: 2011-02-28
Filing date: 2012-02-27
Publication date: 2012-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-27
Also published as: JP2012182513A; CN102651830B; GB2488442B; GB2488442B8; GB201203331D0; CN102651830A; JP5688994B2

Abstract

To avoid or prevent dropping the loudspeaker, the speaker body and a supporting leg or stand are not separated even when the speaker body is unfastened from the leg on the occasion of adjusting an angle of the speaker body. The fixing portion 4 includes a speaker body fitting portion 41 at one end and a leg fitting portion 42 at the other end. The speaker body fitting portion 41 is captive in a hollow 22 in the speaker body and allows changes to the relative angle of the speaker body to the leg by motion along a groove 23. The leg fitting portion 42 is also captive 34, 35. A fastening portion 37 regulates movement of the speaker body by its being screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 42. The captive nature of the two fitting portions 41, 42 retains the speaker body and the leg together even when the fastening portion 37 is unscrewed.

Description

SPEAKER DEVICE

FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a speaker device.

BACKGROUND

[0002] There has hitherto been known a speaker of which a position, an angle and a height are adjusted for configuring a favorite acoustic space of a user. For example, there are developed a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 1) by which a radiating direction of sound waves is varied by changing an angle of a baffle plate with respect to a speaker box to an arbitrary angle and a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 2) of freely setting a height position of a stay on the basis of a number of stages of block bodies by fastening and fixing a speaker unit with a bolt and a nut via the stay in such a state that the block bodies disposed at both ends of the stay abut on a rear surface of a speaker fitting portion.

Developed further a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 3) of setting non-stepwise a height of a speaker cabinet by fixedly fastening a screw for fixing the speaker cabinet in an arbitrary height position of the stay and a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 4) of preventing a speaker casing from dropping down due to vibrations of a vehicle by winding a fixing band around a pillar etc of the vehicle and fixing a bracket supporting the speaker casing to the pillar.

[0003] In addition to these technologies, there are developed a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 5) of easily adjusting a sound emitting direction with respect to a rotating direction and an oscillating direction of the speaker device in a way that supports the speaker device byuse of a ball joint anda technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 6) of adjusting a speaker attaching angle in a way that is equipped with an angle adjusting mechanism at a portion where a joint fixed to a speaker body is joined to an arm or a stand installed corresponding to an installation position of a car.

Developed still further are a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 7) of finely adjusting an elevation angle of a display unit body by rotationally operating the display unit body with respect to a base with a connecting means serving as rotational center by operating a lift, a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 8) of adjusting a direction of the speaker by adjusting pressing force of a speaker pressing means in accordance with an operation of the speaker pressing means that is accepted via an operation accepting unit and a technology (refer to, e.g., Patent document 9) of adjusting the direction of the speaker by screwing a screw into a screw hole formed in the stand.

[Document of Prior Art]

[Non-Patent document] [0004] [Patent document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No.H05-63l93 [Patent document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No.H02-l45889 [Patent document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2005-236711 [Patent document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2005-79742 [Patent document 5] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No.H05-65l91 [Patent document 6] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.H04-20098 [Patent document 7] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2009-171459 [Patent document 8] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2010-154180 [Patent document 9] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2002-46538 [Patent document 10] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2004-304736

SUMMARY

[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a structure of a conventional speaker device 100 as viewed from under. The conventional speaker device 100 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a speaker body 101, a leg 102 which supports the speaker body 101, and a fixing portion 103 which fastens the leg 102 to the speaker body 101. The fixing portion 103 includes a bolt 104, a washer 105 and a nut 106. A head of the bolt 104 is inserted into a slit 107 formed in a bottom of the speaker body 101, and a shank of the bolt 104 protrudes downward from the bottom of the speaker body 101. The leg 102 is formed with a hole 108 penetrating the leg 102 downward from upward and enabled to receive insertion of the shank of the bolt 104. The shank of the bolt 104 is inserted into the hole 108 fromabove, the washer and the nut 106 are secured to the shank of the bolt 104 from under the hole 108 via the leg 102, and the bolt 104 and the nut 106 are fastened, thus joining the speaker body 101 and the leg 102 together. In this conventional speaker device 100, when adjusting an angle of the speaker body 101, an angle adjustment screw 109 provided on the bottom of the speaker body 101 and the nut 106 are slackened to make slide-movements of the speaker body 101 along the slit 107 in back-and-forth directions of the speaker body 101 with the bolt 104 serving as an axle, thereby changing a relative angle of the speaker body 101 with respect to the leg 102 and thus enabling the angle of the speaker body 101 to be arbitrarily adjusted within a predetermined range.

In this conventional speaker device 100, however, upon slackening the nut 106, the nut 106 and the washer 105 come off the bolt 104, with the result that the speaker body 101 and the leg 102 become easily separated ftom each other.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic view depicting a state of how the conventional speaker device 100 is fitted to a ceiling. In the case of fitting the conventional speaker device 100 to the ceiling, the speaker body 101 is installed in a way that disposes the leg 102 upward and the speaker body 101 downward. The adjustment of the angle of the speaker body 101 is performed by slackening the angle adjustment screw 109 and the nut 106 illustrated in FIG. 1, it might therefore happen that the nut 106 and the washer come off the bolt 104, the speaker body 101 and the leg 102 get separated from each other to cause the speaker body 101 to drop down onto the floor etc, and there is a possibility that the speaker body 101 might be damaged.

This being the case, such specifications (method) are adopted that even when the speaker body 101 and the leg 102 get separated from each other, in order for the speaker body 101 not to drop down, the speaker body 101 is connected to a wire 110, of which a tip is secured to the ceiling by a screw 111. In this case, though an occurrence frequency is extremely small, there is a possibility that an unstable state occurs, in which when the speaker body 101 and the leg 102 get separated from each other, the speaker body 101 connected to the wire 110 hangs down from the ceiling.

[0007] Under such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a speaker device configured not to cause a speaker body and a leg to get separated from each other even in such a case that fastening between the speaker body and the leg is slackened when adjusting an angle of the speaker body.

[0008) The present invention, for solving the problems described above, contrives a structure of a fixing portion which fixes a speaker body and a leg together. With this contrivance, it is feasible to provide a speaker device in which the speaker body and the leg are not separated from each other when adjusting an angle of the speaker body.

(0009] To be specific, a speaker device according to the present invention includes: a speaker body including a hole; a speaker holding portion to hold the speaker body; a leg to engage with the hole, to be provided on the speaker holding portion and to support the speaker body; and a fixing portion to fix the speaker body and the leg together, and the fixing portion includes: a speaker body fitting portion to be provided at one end and accommodated in the speaker body and to make changeable a relative angle of the speaker body to the leg by making a relative movement within the speaker body with respect to the speaker body; a leg fitting portion to be provided at the other end and inserted into the hole; and a fastening portion to regulate a movement of the speaker body fitting portion within the speaker body by its being screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion and to fix the speaker body and the leg together, wherein the leg fitting portion regulates, when the screw-fastening of the fastening portion is canceled, separation of the leg from the speaker body by regulating removal of the fixing portion from the hole.

(0010] In the speaker device according to the present invention, the speaker body fitting portion moves relatively to the speaker body within the speaker body, whereby a relative angle of the speaker body to the leg becomes changeable. The relative angle contains an angle in a horizontal direction and an angle in a vertical direction. For example, the speaker body is formed with a hole, a shank of the fixing portion is inserted into this hole, and the speaker body is formed larger than a diameter of the shank, in which case the speaker body is capable of adjusting the angle in the horizontal direction by canceling the screw-fastening. Moreover, a surface of the speaker body on the side of the leg is formed as a curved surface, the hole is formed along the curved surface, and the speaker body fitting portion is configured in the same way as described above, in which case the speaker body is capable of adjusting the angle in the vertical direction.

Then, the fastening portion regulates the movement of the speaker body fitting portion within the speaker body.

Namely, the fastening portion is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion, and the movement of the speaker body fitting portion within the speaker body is thereby regulated, resulting in fixing the speaker body and the leg together. Furthermore, in the speaker device according to the present invention, when the leg fitting portion cancels the screw-unfastening of the fastening portion, removable of the fixing portion from the hole is regulated, and separation of the speaker body from the leg is also regulated. Namely, in the speaker device according to the present invention, when changing the relative angle of the speaker body to the leg, the speaker body fitting portion is fitted to the speaker body, and the leg fitting portion is caught by the hole, thereby preventing the speaker body from being separated from the leg. Hence, in the speaker device according to the present invention, even when fitted to a ceiling, the speaker body does not come off the leg because of the speaker body being connected to the leg by the fixing portion, and hence it is feasible to prevent the speaker body from dropping down onto a floor etc and being thus damaged and also prevent a user from being touched by the speaker body. Note that the "state of being screw-fastened" connotes a state in which the fastening portion is fastened to the leg fitting portion.

On the other hand, the "state of the screw-fastening being canceled" is a state other than being screw-fastened and includes, in addition to a state where the fastening of the fastening portion with respect to the leg fitting portion is slackened, also a state in which the fastening portion is separated from the leg fitting portion.

[0011) Herein, in the speaker device according to the present invention, the fastening portion may include a fastening groove to be provided along a periphery of a side face of the fastening portion and to have a predetermined width in a fastening direction as an axial direction of the fixing portion, and the fixing portion may further includes a regulating portion to regulate the movement of the fastening portion in the fastening direction within the predetermined width when the screw-fastening is canceled by getting its front edge accommodated in the fastening groove.

[0012) In the in the speaker device according to the present invention, when canceling the screw-fastening of the fastening portion, the movement of the fastening portion is regulated. That is, even when slacking the fastening portion, a wall of the fastening groove is brought into contact with a front edge of the regulating portion, thereby disabling the fastening portion from being fastened any further. As a result, the speaker body and the leg are prevented from being separated.

[0013] Further, in the speaker device according to the present invention, the leg may further include a removal hole to be provided continuously to the hole, to be larger than a diameter of the leg fitting portion and to enable the leg fitting portion to be removed from the leg.

[0014] The removal hole has a diameter larger than a diameter of the leg fitting portion, and hence the leg fitting portion is moved from the continuous hole, whereby the leg fitting portion can be removed from the leg.

Specifically, the regulation of the regulating portion is canceled, in other words, the front edge of the regulating portion is retreated from the fastening groove, further the screw-fastening of the fastening portion is canceled to separate the fastening portion from the leg fitting portion, and the leg fitting portion is slide-moved up to the removal hole from the hole, whereby the leg fitting portion comes off the removal hole. Note that the speaker body fitting portion remains in the state of being fitted to the speaker body. As a result, the speaker device according to the present invention can be separated into the speaker body catching the speaker body fitting portion and the leg. With the operations described above, the speaker device according to the present invention is capable of easily detaching the speaker body and the leg.

It is to be noted that in the case of fixing the speaker body and the leg which have been separated, the operations reversed to the operations described above may be performed.

[0015] Still further, a speaker device according to the present invention includes: a speaker body; a leg to support the speaker body; a fixing portion to fix the speaker body and the leg together; and a joining portion to join, when the fixation between the speaker body and the leg by the fixing portion is canceled, the speaker body and the leg together.

(0016] The speaker device according to the present invention includes the speaker body, the leg, the fixing portion and the joining portion. The speaker body is supported by the leg and fixed to the leg by the fixing portion. Further, even when the fixation between the speaker body and the leg by the fixing portion is canceled, the speaker body and the leg are joined by the joining portion, and therefore the speaker body is not detached from the leg. Hence, in the speaker device according to the present invention, even when fitted to the ceiling, the speaker body does not come off the leg, and hence it is feasible to prevent the speaker body from dropping down onto the floor etc and being thus damaged and also prevent the user from being touched by the speaker body.

(0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide the speaker device in which the speaker body and the leg are not separated from each other even if the fastening between the speaker body and the leg is s1ackned when adjusting the angle of the speaker body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(0018] FIG.l is a schematic view illustrating a conventional speaker device as viewed from under; -10 -FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the conventional speaker device which is secured to a ceiling; FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a speaker device according to a first working example of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an enlarged view depicting some parts of a speaker body groove and a fixing portion of the speaker device according to the first working example of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a periphery of the fixing portion of the speaker device according to the first working example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view partially illustrating an upper part of the leg of the speaker device according to the first working example of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating how an angle of the speaker body of the speaker device according to the first working example of the present invention is adjusted; FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which the speaker body and the leg of the speaker device according to the first working example of the present invention are separated from each other; FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a sequence of removing respective parts in order to separate the speaker body and the leg from each other; -11 -FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a sequence of fitting the respective parts in order to join the speaker body and the leg, which have been separated; FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view of the speaker device according to a second working example of the present invention; FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a periphery of a fastening portion of the speaker device according to the second working example of the present invention; FIG. 15 is a schematic view illustrating an upper part of the leg of the speaker device according to the second working example of the present invention; and FIG. 16 is a schematic sectional view of the speaker device according to the second working example of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Herein, a speaker device according to working examples of the present invention will hereinafter be described based on the drawings. The working examples, which will be given as follows, are exemplifications, and the present invention is not limited to these working

examples.

[First Working Example] [0020] A speaker device 1 according to a first working example includes a speaker body 2, a leg 3 and a fixing portion 4. The respective components will be tangibly described based on the drawings. Note that the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the -12 -present invention is to be installed, unless described otherwise, in a state of disposing the speaker body 2 upward and the leg 3 downward.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention. FIG. 3 depicts a structure of the speaker device 1 as viewed so that the left side corresponds to the front of the speaker device 1, while the right side corresponds to the rear of the speaker device 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating a speaker body groove 23 formed in the speaker body 2 and a part of the fixing portion 4. FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a periphery to the fixing portion 4 in a state of disposing the speaker device 1 so that the left side corresponds to the front of the speaker device 1, while the right side corresponds to the rear of the speaker device 1. The speaker body 2 has, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a built-in speaker 21 and is configured to take a substantially spherical shape in external appearance. Note that the speaker 21 serves to convert electric signals into sounds (voices), and a description of an internal structure of the speaker 21 is omitted. The speaker body 2 is fixed to the leg 3 by the fixing portion 4 and is thus supported and held by the leg 3. Further, a hollowed portion 22 is, as depicted in FIG. 5, provided downward of an interior of the speaker body 2. The hollowed portion 22 is a space which accommodates a speaker body fitting portion 41 of the fixing portion 4 and has a length enabling the speaker body 2 to make slide-movements in back-and-forth directions of the -13 -speaker body 2 with the speaker body fitting portion 41 serving as an axle. A bottom surface of the hollowed portion 22, as illustrated in FIG. 3, forms a curved surface along a circular arc having a radius indicated by a symbol R with a symbol A being centered. Further, the bottom surface of the hollowed portion 22 is, as depicted in FIG. 4, provided with the speaker body groove 23 that is a groove extending in the back-and-forth directions of the speaker body 2. A width P of the speaker body groove 23 in right-and-left directions of the speaker body 2 is smaller than a diameter Q of the speaker body fitting portion 41, whereby the speaker body fitting portion 41 is caught by the speaker body groove 23.

(0022] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a part of the upper portion of the leg 3. FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 6 and illustrating the leg 3 as viewed in a direction of the front.

FIG. B is a schematic sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 6 and illustrating the leg 3 as viewed in the direction of the front. The leg 3 is, as depicted in FIG. 3, fixed to the speaker body 2 by the fixing portion 4 and supports and holds the speaker body 2. The leg 3 includes a base 31 and a neck 32. The base 31 takes a disc-like shape and is installed on a flat surface of a floor etc, thereby enabling the speaker body 2 to be stably held. Further, the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention can, with the base 31 being fitted to the ceiling, be thereby used in the state of disposing the leg 3 upward and the speaker body 2 downward. The neck -14 - 32 is installed so as to extend upward in a central direction of the base 31 from an edge of the upper surface of the base 31, and is fixed to the speaker body 2 by the fixing portion 4, thus supporting the speaker body 2. Moreover, the neck 32 is provided with a conical projection 33 in the periphery fixed by the fixing portion 4. The projection 33 abuts on the curved surface of a lower portion of the speaker body 2, thereby supporting the speaker body 2. Further, the neck 32 is, as depicted in FIGS. 5 through 8, formed with a hole 34 and a removal hole 35 each penetrating the neck 32 in a vertical direction. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the hole 34 is formed on the upper side of the neck 32, while the removal hole 35 is formed on the lower side of the neck 32. Still further, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the hole 34 is continuous to the removal hole 35 to have a predetermined length forwardly and backwardly of the leg 3. Yet further, the hole 34 includes holes having different diameters in the right-and-left directions of the leg 3 upwardly and downwardly, in which an upper hole 341 is smaller than a diameter of a leg fitting portion 42, and a lower hole 342 is larger than the diameter of the leg fitting portion 42 and a diameter of a fastening portion 43. Accordingly, the leg fitting portion 42 is slide-movable in the back-and-forth directions of the leg 3 in a way that keeps the state of being caughtbythehole 34. Ontheotherhand, the removal hole 35 includes, as depicted in FIG. 8, holes having equal diameters in the right-and-left directions of the leg 3 upwardly and downwardly, in which each hole -15 -is larger than the diameter of the leg fitting portion 42 but smaller than the diameter of the fastening portion 43.

The removal hole 35 is continuous to the hole 34, and the leg fitting portion 42 oaught by the hole 34 is slide-moved to the removal hole 35 and pulled upward, thereby enabling the leg fitting portion 42 to be removed from the removal hole 35. Note that the lower hole 342 has a size capable of receiving the insertion of the fastening portion 43 from under.

[0023] Moreover, the neck 32 includes, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a regulating portion insertion hole 36 into which a regulating portion 37 in inserted toward the removal hole 35. The regulating portion 37 is, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a screw having a head 371 and a shank 372. The regulating portion insertion hole 36 is larger than a diameter of the shank 372 but smaller than a diameter of the head 371. Hence, a structure is such that the shank 372 is inserted into the regulating portion insertion hole 36, the head 371 is caught by an aperture of the regulating portion insertion hole 36, and the regulating portion 37 is not inserted any further into the regulating portion insertion hole 36. Moreover, the shank 372 has a length enough to penetrate the regulating portion insertion hole 36 and to protrude up to the removal hole 35. Furthermore, a groove 38 (see FIG. 6) is formed in the rear portion of the neck 32 in a way that extends from the aperture of the regulating portion insertion hole 36 to facilitate the insertion of the regulating portion 37 into the regulating portion insertion hole 36 by a user.

-16 - [0024] The fixing portion 4 fixes the leg 3 to the speaker body 2. The fixing portion 4 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the speaker body fitting portion 41, the leg fitting portion 42, the fastening portion 43, a fastening groove 44 and the regulating portion 37. The speaker body fitting portion 41 is continuous to the leg fitting portion 42 via the shank 46 and is larger than a diameter of the shank 46. The speaker body fitting portion 41 is caught by the speaker body groove 23 formed in the speaker body 2 and is thereby fitted to the speaker body 2. Further, the speaker body fitting portion 41 is slide-movable in the back-and-forth directions of the speaker body 2 along the speaker body groove 23. Note that a surface at which the speaker body fitting portion 41 gets contiguous to the bottom surface of the hollowed portion 22 includes a curved surface 47 formed as a curved surface having the same diameter as a diameter of the curved surface of the bottom surface of the hollowed portion 22. As a result, the speaker body fitting portion 41 becomes easy to make the slide-movement along the speaker body groove 23. Further, the speaker body fitting portion 41 includes, as depicted in FIG. 4, linear portions 48 and curved portions 49 and takes such a shape that a circle is partially cut off. A diameter, which connects (extends between) the face-to-face linear portions 48 of the speaker body fitting portion 41, is slightly smaller than a width of the hollowed portion 22 in a lateral direction but larger than a width of the speaker body groove 23 in the lateral direction.

On the other hand, a diameter, which connects the -17 -face-to-face curved portions 49 of the speaker body fitting portion 41, is larger than the width of the hollowed portion 22 in the lateral direction. As a result, as depicted in FIG. 4, the linear portions 48 of the speaker body fitting portion 41 are disposed in a face-to-face relationship with the side faces of the hollowed portion 22 in the slide direction, and the speaker body fitting portion 41, if rotated in the state of being caught by the speaker body groove 23, abuts on the side faces of the hollowed portion 22, thereby making it feasible to prevent the speaker body fitting portion 41 from rotating.

[0025] The leg fitting portion 42 is, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, caught by the hole 34 of the leg 3 and is this fitted to the leg 3. The leg fitting portion 42 is continuous to the speaker body fitting portion 41 via the shank 46 and is larger than the diameter of the shank 46.

Further, the leg fitting portion 42 is slide-movable along the hole 34. Moreover, the leg fitting portion 42 makes the slide-movement up to the removal hole 35 from the hole 34, gets pulled in the direction of the speaker body 2, i.e., in the upper direction and can be thereby removed from the removal hole 35. Further, the leg fitting portion 42 is inserted from the removal hole 35, then slide-moved up to the hole 34 and is thereby caught by the hole 34.

Still further, the leg fitting portion 42 includes a helical groove (unillustrated) that is cut in an external surface thereof and thus performs a role of a male thread.

E0026] The fastening portion 43 includes a helical groove (unillustrated) that is cut in an internal surface so as -18 -to fit to (screw with) the groove formed in the external surface of the leg fitting portion 42, and thus performs a role of a female thread. The fastening portion 43 is, as depicted in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, inserted from the lower hole 342 and is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 42 protruding downwardly of the hole 34, thereby fixing the leg 3 to the speaker body 2. The fastening portion 43 is screw-unfastened from the leg fitting portion 42, whereby the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 are unfastened from each other, and the fixation thereof is thus canceled.

Moreover, the fastening portion 43 is formed with a fastening groove 44 in the periphery of the side faces of the fastening portion 43. The fastening groove 44 accommodates a front edge of the regulating portion 37 inserted from the regulating portion insertion hole 36, thereby enabling, when released from the screw-fastening, the movement of the fastening portion 43 in the fastening direction to be regulated within the width of the fastening groove 44. As a result, the fastening portion 43 can be prevented from slackening to a greater degree than required.

Note that the slack may be regulated by abutting the regulating portion 37 on the side faces of the fastening portion 43 without forming the fastening groove 44.

(0027) In the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, even when the fastening portion 43 is screw-unfastened from the leg fitting portion 42, the fastening portion 43 is held by the leg 3. Further, the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, when the -19 -fastening portion 43 is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 42 again from the state in which the fastening portion 43 has been screw-unfastened from the leg fitting portion 42, is easy to be handled because of the fastening portion 43 being held by the leg 3. Still further, the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, even when the fastening portion 43 is screw-unfastened from the leg fitting portion 42 in the state of being fitted to the ceiling, is easy to be handled without the drop-down of the fastening portion 43 because of its being held by the leg 3. Note that when removing the fastening portion 43 from the leg 3, the fastening portion 43 can be removed from the lower hole 342 by taking the regulating portion 37 out of the regulating portion insertion hole 36.

[00281 Next, a method of adjusting the angle of the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, will be described. FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating how the angle of the speaker body 2 is adjusted. In the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, as depicted in FIG. 3, the leg 3 is fixed to the speaker body 2 by the fixing portion 4, and a relative angle of the speaker body 2 with respect to the leg 3 is fixed. When adjusting the angle of the speaker body 2, at first, the fastening portion 43 is unfastened from the leg fitting portion 42 by rotating the fastening portion 43 in the direction reversed to the direction of being screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 42, whereby the -20 -speaker body 2 and the leg 3 are released from the fixation thereof. On this occasion, the regulating portion 37 inserted from the regulating portion insertion hole 36 is fitted in the fastening groove 44, whereby the fastening portion 43 is held by the leg 3. Next, the speaker body 2 slide-moves along the speaker body groove 23 in the back-and-forth directions of the speaker body 2 with the speaker body fitting portion 41 serving as an axle, thereby changing the relative angle to the leg 3. FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating how the speaker body 2 slide-moves along the speaker body groove 23 in the backward direction of the speaker body 2 with the speaker body fitting portion 41 serving as the axle. The speaker body 2 slide-moves in the backward direction of the speaker body 2, i.e., the speaker body fitting portion 41 slide-moves in the fcrward direction of the speaker body groove 23, whereby the speaker body 2 is, as illustrated in FIG. 9, directed downward obliquely at an angle a. On the other hand, the speaker body 2 slide-moves along the speaker body groove 23 in the forward directions of the speaker body 2 with the speaker body fitting portion 41 serving as the axle, i.e., the speaker body fitting portion 41 moves in the backward direction of the speaker body groove 23, whereby the speaker body 2 is directed in the upper direction (unillustrated) . After adjusting the speaker body 2 at the predetermined angle, the fastening portion 43 held by the leg 3 through the regulating portion 37 is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 42, thereby fixing the relative angle of the speaker body 2 with respect -21 -to the leg 3.

[0029] During a series of angle adjusting processes in the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, such a state is kept that the speaker body fitting portion 41 is caught by the speaker body groove 23 formed in the speaker body 2, while the leg fitting portion 42 is caught by the hole 34 formed in the leg 3. Therefore, in the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, even when the fastening between the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 is slackened on the occasion of adjusting the angle of the speaker body 2, the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 are not separated from each other, whereby the speaker body 2 can be prevented from dropping down. Further, in the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, even when fitted to the ceiling, the speaker body 2 does not come off the leg 3, and hence it is feasible to prevent the speaker body 2 from dropping down onto the floor etc and being thus damaged and also prevent the user from being touched by the speaker body 2.

[0030] Next, a way of how the leg 3 is removed from the speaker body 2 will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic view depicting a state in which the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 are separated from each other. FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating a sequence of removing the parts in order to separate the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 from each other.

In the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, as described above, when -22 adjusting the angle of the speaker body 2, the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 are in the state of being joined by the fixing portion 4. There is, however, a case of desiring to separate the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 from each other for repairing the speaker body 2. In this case, as depicted in FIG. 11, first of all, the regulating portion 37 fitted in the fastening groove 44 of the fastening portion 43 is taken out of the regulating portion insertion hole 36, and the fastening portion 43 is released from the state of being held by the leg 3. Secondly, the fastening portion 43 is rotated in the direction reversed to the direction of being fastened to the leg fitting portion 42 and is thereby detached from the leg fitting portion 42, thus taking out the fastening portion 43 outside the leg 3 from the lower hole 342. Thirdly, the leg fitting portion 42 slide-moves to the removal hole 35 from the hole 34 and is pulled in the direction of the speaker body, whereby the leg fitting portion 42 is detached from the leg 3. With the operations described above, the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention can be easily separated into the speaker body 2 catching the speaker body fitting portion 41 and the leg 3.

[0031] Next, a way of how the speaker body 2 and the leg 3, which have been separated, are fitted together will be explained. FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a sequence of attaching the respective parts in order to join the speaker device land the leg 3, which have been separated from each other. In the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, as depicted -23 -in FIG. 12, first of all, the leg fitting portion 42 is inserted from the removal hole 35 and is slide-moved up to the hole 34. Secondly, the fastening portion 43 is inserted from the lower hole 342 and is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 42. Thirdly, the regulating portion 37 is inserted from the regulating portion insertion hole 36 and is fitted in the fastening groove 44 of the fastening portion 43. As a result, the fastening portion 43 is held by the leg 3. Note that before the leg fitting portion 42 is slide-moved up to the hole 34, the screw-fastening is canceled (the fastening portion 43 is loosely screw-fitted to the leg fitting portion 42) when the leg fitting portion 42 is inserted from the removal hole 35, then the leg fitting portion 42 is slide-moved up to the hole 34, and thereafter the screw-fastening may be done (the fastening portion 43maybe firmly screw-fitted to the leg fitting portion 42) . With the operations described above, in the speaker device 1 according to the first working example of the present invention, the speaker body 2 and the leg 3 can be easily attached together.

[Second Working Example] [0032] A speaker device 10 according to a second working example of the present invention will be described. The speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention includes a speaker body 20, a leg 30, a fixing portion 40 and a joining portion 500. The respective configurations (components) will be tangibly explained based on the drawings. It is to be noted that the speaker device 10 according to the second working -24 -example of the present invention is, unless described otherwise, installed in a state where the speaker body 20 is disposed upward, while the leg 30 is disposed downward.

Further, the descriptions of the same configurations as those in the first working example are omitted, and the discussion will be focused on different points.

[0033] FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional view of the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a periphery of the joining portion 500 of the speaker device according to the second working example of the present invention. FIGS. 13 and 14 each illustrate a structure of the speaker device 10 as viewed so that the left side corresponds to the front of the speaker device 10, while the right side corresponds to the rear of the speaker device 10. FIG. 15 is a schematic view illustrating an upper part of the leg 30 of the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention. The speaker body 20 has, as depicted in FIG.l3, the same configuration as that of the speaker body 2 in the speaker device 1 according to the first working example, and hence its description is omitted. The leg 30 supports and holds the speaker body 20. The leg 30 includes a base 310 and a neck 320. The leg 30 is, as depicted in FIGS. 13 and 14, formed with a hole 340 penetrating the neck 320 in the vertical direction on the side of the speaker body 20. The hole 340 includes holes having different diameters upwardly and downwardly, in which an upper hole 341 has a size enabled to receive insertion of a leg fitting portion -25 - 420 of the fixing portion 40 and is smaller than a fastening portion 430. Alowerhole 342 has a size enabled to receive insertion of the fastening portion 430. Further, the leg includes, in an upper part of the neck 320, a joining portion fitting groove 390 in which the joining portion 500 is fitted and a joining portion fitting hole 391 penetrating the neck 320 so as to traverse the joining portion fitting groove 390 in the right-and-left directions.

[0034] The fixing portion 40 fixes the leg 30 to the speaker body 20. The fixing portion 40 includes, as depicted in FIGS. 13 and 14, a speaker body fitting portion 410, a leg fitting portion 420 and the fastening portion 430. The speaker body fitting portion 410 is larger than adiameterofthe leg fittingportion 420. The speaker body fitting portion 410 is caught by a speaker body groove 230 formed in the speaker body 20 and is thereby fitted to the speakerbody20. Further, the speakerbodyfittingportion 410 is slide-movable along the speaker body groove 230 in the back-and-forth directions of the speaker body 20. Note that the joining portion 500 is provided between the speaker body fitting portion 410 and a bottom surface of a hollowed portion 220. The leg fitting portion 420, which is continuous to the speaker body fitting portion 410, is inserted into the hole 340 of the leg 30 and protrudes from under the hole 340. Moreover, the leg fitting portion 420 includes a helical groove (unillustrated) that is cut in an external surface thereof and thus performs a role of a male thread. The fastening portion 430 includes a -26 -helical groove (unillustrated) that is cut in an internal surface so as to fit in the groove formed in the external surface of the leg fitting portion 420, and thus performs a role of a female thread. The fastening portion 430 is inserted from under the hole 340 and is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 420 protruding downwardly of the hole 340, thereby fixing the leg 30 to the speaker body 20. The fastening portion 430 is screw-unfastened from the leg fitting portion 420, thereby unfastening the speaker body 20 and the leg 30 from each other and thus canceling the fixation thereof.

[0035] The joining portion 500 joins the speaker body 20 and the leg 30 together. The joining portion 500 includes a speaker body joining portion 501, a leg joining portion 502, a shank 503 via which the speaker body joining portion 501 is continuous to the leg joining portion 502, and a fixing screw 504 that is fixed to the leg 30. The speaker body joining portion 501 is mounted between the speaker body fitting portion 410 caught by the speaker body groove 230 and the bottom surface of the hollowed portion 220 of the speaker body 20 and is so provided as to surround the lower part of the speaker body fitting portion 410. As a result, the speaker body joining portion 501 is caught by the speaker body groove 230 but is not thus detached from the speaker body 20. Note that a surface at which the speaker body joining portion 501 gets contiguous to the bottom surface of the hollowed portion 220 includes a curved surface 505 formed as a curved surface having the same diameter as a diameter of the curved surface of the bottom -27 -surface of the hollowed portion 220. As a result, the speaker body fitting portion 410 becomes easy to make the slide-movement along the speaker body groove 230. The leg joining portion 502 is fitted in the joining portion fitting groove 390 (see FIG. 15) of the leg 30. Further, a fixing screw insertion hole 506 is formed in a central part of the leg joining portion 502. The fixing screw 504 is inserted through the joining portion fitting hole 391 and the fixing screw insertion hole 506, thereby fixing the leg joining portion 502 to the leg 30. Still further, the speaker body joining portion 501 is movable without any restriction in an axial rotating direction, in which the leg joining portion 502 fixed by the fixing screw 504 serves as an axle. Moreover, the fixation between the leg joining portion 502 and the leg 30 is easily canceled by unscrewing the fixing screw 504. Note that in the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, the speaker body joining portion 501 may be provided outside the hollowed portion 220 so as not to be detached from the speaker body 20.

[0036] Next, a method of adjusting the angle of the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, will be described. In the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, as depicted in FIG. 13, the leg is fixed to the speaker body 20 by the fixing portion 40, and a relative angle of the speaker body 20 with respect to the leg 30 is fixed. When adjusting the angle of the speaker body 20, at first, the fastening portion 430 is -28 -unfastened from the leg fitting portion 420 by rotating the fastening portion 430 in the direction reversed to the direction of being screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 420, whereby the fixation between the speaker body and the leg 30 is canceled. Next, the speaker body 20 slide-moves along the speaker body groove 230 in the back-and-forth directions of the speaker body 20 with the speaker body fitting portion 410 and the speaker body joining portion 501 each serving as the axle, whereby the relative angle to the leg 30 changes. After adjusting the speaker body 20 at a predetermined angle, the fastening portion 430 is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 420, thereby fixing the relative angle of the speaker body to the leg 30.

[0037] During a series of angle adjusting processes in the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, the speaker body joining portion 501 is caught by the speaker body groove 230 and is thus secured to the leg 30, and therefore the speaker body 20 and the leg 30 are joined by the joining portion 500. Hence, in the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, even when the fastening between the speaker body 20 and the leg 30 is slackened or canceled on the occasion of adjusting the angle of the speaker body, the speaker body 20 and the leg are not separated from each other, whereby the speaker body 20 can be prevented from dropping down. Further, in the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, even when fitted to the -29 -ceiling, the speaker body 20 does not come off the leg 30, and hence it is feasible to prevent the speaker body 20 from dropping down onto the floor etc and being thus damaged and also prevent the user from being touched by the speaker body 20.

[0038] Next, a way of how the leg 30 is removed from the speaker body 20 will be described. FIG. 16 is a schematic view depicting a state in which the fast3 is unfastened from the leg fitting portion 420. In the speaker device according to the second working example of the present invention, as described above, when adjusting the angle of the speaker body 20, the speaker body 20 and the leg are in the state of being joined by the joining portion 500. There is, however, a case of desiring to separate the speaker body 20 and the leg 30 from each other for repairing the speaker body 20. In this case, as depicted in FIGS. 14 through 16, first of all, the fixing screw 504 is removed from the joining portion fitting hole 391 and the fixing screw insertion hole 506. Secondly, the fastening portion 430 is rotated in the direction reversed to the direction of being fastened to the leg fitting portion 420 and is thereby unfastened from the leg fitting portion 420, thus taking out the fastening portion 430 outside the leg 30 from the lower hole 342. Note that the first and second procedures may be reversed. Thirdly, the leg fitting portion 420 is taken out of the hole 340 of the leg 30 by pulling the speaker body 20 upward, and the fixing portion is thus detached from the leg 30. As a result, the speaker device 10 according to the second working example -30 -of the present invention can be easily separated into the speaker body 20 catching the fixing portion 40 and the joining portion 500, and the leg 30.

[0039] Next, a way of how the speaker body 20 and the leg 30, which have been separated, are fitted together will be explained. In the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, first of all, the leg fitting portion 420 is inserted into the hole 340 of the leg 30. Secondly, the leg joining portion 502 of the joining portion 500 is £nserted into the joining portion fitting groove 390 of the leg 30, and the fixing screw 504 is inserted into the joining portion fitting hole 391 and the fixing screw insertion hole 506. Thirdly, the fastening portion 430 is screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 420 in the fastening direction, thus fixing the leg 30 to the speaker body 20. On this occasion, the speaker body joining portion 501 is so provided as to surround the lower part of the speaker body fitting portion 410 and is movable within the hollowed portion 220 without any restriction in the axial rotating direction, in which the leg joining portion 502 fixed by the fixing screw 504 serves as the axle. As a result, the speaker body fitting portion 410 does not run away within the hollowed portion 220, and the joining portion 500 is easy to be screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion 420. With the operations described above, in the speaker device 10 according to the second working example of the present invention, the speaker body 20 and the leg 30 are easily attached together.

-31 -

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: I. A speaker device comprising: a speaker body including a hole; a speaker holding portion to hold the speaker body; a leg to engage with the hole, to be provided on the speaker holding portion and to support the speaker body; and a fixing portion to fix the speaker body and the leg together, the fixing portion including: a speaker body fitting portion to be provided at one end and accommodated in the speaker body and to make changeable a relative angle of the speaker body to the leg by making a relative movement within the speaker body with respect to the speaker body; a leg fitting portion to be provided at the other end and inserted into the hole; and a fastening portion to regulate a movement of the speaker body fitting portion within the speaker body by its being screw-fastened to the leg fitting portion and to fix the speaker body and the leg together, wherein the leg fitting portion regulates, when the screw-fastening of the fastening portion is canceled, separation of the leg from the speaker body by regulating removal of the fixing portion from the hole.
2. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the fastening portion' includes a fastening groove to be -32 -provided along a periphery of a side face of the fastening portion and to have a predetermined width in a fastening direction as an axial direction of the fixing portion, and the fixing portion further includes a regulating portion to regulate the movement of the fastening portion in the fastening direction within the predetermined width when the screw-fastening is canceled by getting its front edge accommodated in the fastening groove.
3. The speaker device according to claim 1, wherein the leg further includes a removal hole to be provided continuously to the hole, to be larger than a diameter of the leg fitting portion and to enable the leg fitting portion to be removed from the leg.
4. A speaker device comprising: a speaker body; a leg to support the speaker body; a fixing portion to fix the speaker body and the leg together; and a joining portion to join, when the fixation between the speaker body and the leg by the fixing portion is canceled, the speaker body and the leg together.-33 -