GB2529974A

GB2529974A - Speaker stand

Info

Publication number: GB2529974A
Application number: GB1522308.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Hannath; Anthony Jones
Original assignee: Janson Computers PLC
Current assignee: Janson Computers PLC
Priority date: 2015-12-17
Filing date: 2015-12-17
Publication date: 2016-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2035-12-17
Also published as: GB201522308D0; WO2017102604A1; GB2529974B

Abstract

The speaker stand comprises a speaker support 2 for accommodating a speaker 15 and comprising a first coupling section 10. A base 1 is provided having a second coupling section 9. An axle (4, fig 3) pivotably connects the first and second coupling sections 9, 10 allowing the speaker support 2 to tilt relative to the base 1. Silicone rubber pads prevent the loudspeaker 15 and the base 1 from slipping. The axle (4, fig 2) is housed within the first and second coupling sections. A washer 6 is located between the first and second coupling sections and comprises a washer formation which, when the speaker support is tilted, engages with a coupling formation provided on the first or second coupling sections to limit the range of tilting movement.

Description

SPEAKER STAND

[001j The present invention concerns e speaker stand for supporting a speaker above a surface, such as a desk or shelf and, in particular, concerns a tiltable speaker stand for a wireless speaker unit, a small loudspeaker/monitor loudspeaker or bookshelf speaker, allowing the speaker to be tilted downwardly or upwardy to direct sound to the user depending on where the speaker has been located.

[002J Conventional speaker stands are used to dampen vibrations from the speaker's body and to elevate the speaker above the floor so that it may better direct sound to a user. As such, a user of a home Hi-fi or TV system may position their speakers on stands directing them towards where they might normally be seated when listing to Hi-Fi or TV audio.

[003j Whilst conventional speaker stands may be effective for traditional audio applications, the advent of portable media devices, such as smart phones, tablets and MP3 players, means that many users now make use of independent wireless speaker units, small loudspeakers/monitor loudspeakers or bookshelf speakers that may receive audio content for output from a number of different devices. A consequence of this is that users are no longer tied to listing to audio in a single location and may therefore wish to reposition their speakers depending on where they are currently located. For instance, a user might place their speakers on a desk while working, but if they move the speaker to a different room, they may wish to place the speaker on a shelf. However, conventional speaker stands are unsuitable for this variety of uses since they are typically customised for a particular usage location, such as a user's living room. For instance, such stands may be relatively tall and have a large footprint to stabilise them, meaning that the stand would be unsuitable for placement on a desk or shelf. Equally, such stands may angle the speaker inappropriately if the speaker needs to be used in an alternative position. Furthermore, since there was traditionally no need for conventional speakers to be moved regularly, many conventional speaker stands fix the speaker in place using screws or clamping mechanisms. This type of fixing is therefore unsuitable for a wireless speaker unit, a small loudspeaker/monitor loudspeaker or bookshelf speaker that may need to be regularly moved from its stand to allow use in different locations or for recharging where the wireless speaker unit has a built-in rechargeable power source.

[004j The present invention therefore seeks to address the above issues with conventional speaker stands.

[O05J According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a speaker stand comprising: a speaker support for accommodating a speaker and comprising a first coupling section; a base comprising a second coupling section; an axle pivotably connecting the first and second coupling sections for allowing the speaker support to tilt relative to the base, the axle at least partially housed within the first and second coupling sections; a washer located between the first and second coupling sections, the washer comprising one or more washer formations which, when the speaker support is tilted, are engageable with one or more coupling formations provided on the first or second coupling sections for limiting the range of tilting movement.

[006J In this way, the speaker support may be held in a tilted position relative to the base though frictional engagement at the washer, with the range by which the speaker support may be tilted relative to the base being restricted by engagement between washer formations and the coupling formations. As such, vibrations from the speaker rransmitted through to the speaker support 2 may be dampened by the washer because, throughout the tiltable range of the stand, engagement between the washer and the associated coupling section maintains the position of the speaker support.

[007J Preferably, the one or more washer formations comprise a tilt washer formation formed on a first washer face, and wherein the one or more coupling formations comprise a tilt coupling formation provided on the coupling section adjacent to the tilt washer formation, wherein, when the speaker support is tilted, the tilt washer formation and the tilt coupling formation are moveable into engagement for preventing further rotation between the washer and the respective coupling section. In this way, the mechanism for limiting the tilting range of the stand is achieved through formations in the washer, which may be easily manufactured on the washer, particularly where the washer is moulded from a polymer material, such as nylon.

[008j Preferably, the one or more washer formations further comprise a locking washer formation formed on a second washer face, and wherein the one or more coupling formations comprise a locking coupling formation provided on the coupling section adjacent to the locking washer formation, wherein engagement between the locking washer formation and locking coupling formation prevents relative rotation between the washer and the respective coupling section. In this way, the washer may be held in place by mechanical locking between locking formations on the washer and those on the respective coupling section, without the need for additional fixings.

[009j Preferably, one of the tilt washer formation and tilt coupling formation comprises a channel and the other of the tilt washer formation and tilt coupling formation comprises a follower moveably engaged within the channel, wherein the ends of the channel define limits to the range of relative rotation between the washer and the respective coupling section. In this way, rotation of the respective coupling formation is guided by relative movement of the follower through the channel and is restricted by the length of the channel. This allows for a smooth and supported movement throughout the range of rotation, as well as secure limits at the ends of the range.

[00l0J Preferably, the washer is compressed between the first and second coupling sections for frictionally holding the tilt position of the speaker support relative to the base. In this way, the washer is resiliently compressible for, in the absence of a manual tilting force applied by a user, maintaining the frictional engagement at the interface between the washer and the respective coupling section for holding a speaker supported by the speaker support in a fixed tilted position.

[OOllJ Preferably, the washer is formed of a polymer, and more preferably, the washer is formed of nylon.

[00l2J Preferably, the speaker stand further comprises a nut engaged with a screw thread provided on the axle, the nut for compressing the washer between the first and second coupling sections.

[0013J Preferably, the torgue applied to the nut adjusts the compression of the washer for controlling the frictional hold of the speaker support relative to the base. In this way, the frictional hold can be adjusted at assembly to accommodate, for example, different size and weights of speaker.

[0014J Preferably, the nut is & nyloc nut. This enables the nut to avoid loosening with movements of the axle by resisting turning of the nut.

[0015J Preferabiy, the washer oomprises a bearing surface surrounding the axle. In this way, the washer can provide a smooth bearing surface about the axle.

[0016J Preferably, the speaker stand further comprises first and second bearing bushes located at the first and second coupling sections, respectively, for supporting the axle. In this way, the bearing bushes provide a smooth bearing surface over the adjacent parts of the base and speaker support, thereby providing manufacturing tolerance at the bearing.

This is particularly advantageous in embodiments where the base and speaker support are formed of metal.

[0017J Preferably, the range of dcwnward tilt of the speaker support relative to the base is limited to prevent a front edge of the speaker support from touching the base. In this way, the damping effect of the stand is maintained, even at maximum downward tilt, since any vibrations applied to the speaker support are delivered to the coupling, rather than though contact between the surfaces of the base and speaker support.

[0018J Preferably, the range of upward tilt of the speaker support relative to the base is limited to prevent a rear edge of the speaker support from touching the base. In this way, the damping effect of the stand is maintained, even at maximum upward tilt, since any vibrations applied to the speaker support are delivered to the coupling, rather than though contact between the surfaces of the base and speaker support.

[0019J Preferably, the range of tilt of the spea:cer support relative to the base is limited to an angle between 7-13 degrees downward and an angle between 12-18 degrees upward.

These angles are preferred for ensuring that a speaker standing on speaker support does not slip off the speaker support platform when tilted to either extreme.

[0020J Preferably, the speaker support comprises a speaker platform for supporting a bottom of a speaker.

[0021J Preferably, the speaker platform comprises a high friction region for preventing the bottom of the speaker from slipping.

[0022J Preferably, the base comprises a base platform for placement on a supporting surface.

[0023J Preferably, the base platform comprises a high friction region for preventing the base platform from slipping on the support surface. In this way, the speaker may be held in place without the need for additional fixings to lock it to the support surface.

[0024J Preferably, the high friction region is formed of silicone rubber.

[0025J Preferably, the first and second coupling sections comprise substantially tubular bodies, the tubular bodies being located adjacent one another along a common axis defined by the axle. In this way, the first and second coupling sections effectively define a continuous cylindrical shape throughout their range of rotation relative to one another.

[0026J Preferably, the substantially tubular bodies of the first and second coupling sections span a width of the speaker support and/or the base. In this way, the speaker support can be supported across the width of the coupling mechanism, increasing the rigidity of the support platform.

[0027J According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a speaker stand comprising: a base platform comprising an upper surface having a first cylindrical projection; a speaker platform comprising an upper surface for supportinc a speaker and a lower surface having a second cylindrical projection, the first and second cylindrical projections being rotatably connected along a common axis for enabling the speaker platform to pivot about the axis relative to the base platform; and a rotation limiting member located at the connection between the first and second cylindrical projections and configured to engage therewith for limiting the range of rotational movement there between.

[0028J An illustrative embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a speaker stand according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of the speaker stand; Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the speaker stand; Figure 4 shows a top down cross sectional view of the speaker stand though the coupling; and Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the speaker stand when supporting a speaker.

[0029J Figures 1 to 5 show a speaker stand according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the speaker stand comprises a base 1 and a speaker platform 2 linked together by their respective coupling sections 9 and 10. A washer 6 is provided between coupling sections 9 and 10. Plastic caps 7 are provided at the ends of the coupling sections 9 and 10 to hide the internal coupling mechanism.

[0030J The base 1 provides a lower platform or foot for supporting the stand on a surface, such as a table or self.

The base 1 is preferably formed of metal and, in this embodiment, is formed of aluminium anodised to provide a black or silver surface finish. Two silicone rubber strips 3 are provided on the bottom surface of the base 1, towards the front and rear of the stand and traversing the width of the stand's footprint. The silicone rubber strips 3 on the base 1 provide a high friction region for resisting lateral slippage of the stand once it is placed on a surface.

[003lJ The speaker platform 2 provides an upper support for supporting the speaker. The speaker platform 2 is preferably formed of metal and, in this embodiment, is formed of aluminium anodised to provide a black or silver surface finish. The speaker platform 2 mirrors the dimensions of the base 1 and is similarly provided with silicone rubber strips 3. The silicone rubber strips 3 on the speaker platform 2 are provided on the upper surface, towards the front and rear of the stand and traversing the width of the stand. Again, these silicone rubber strips 3 provide a high friction region, in this instance for resisting lateral slippage of a speaker once it is placed on the speaker platform 2.

[0032J The exploded view of Figure 3 and the cross sectional view of Figure 4 show more detail of the components of the speaker stand.

[0033J The base 1 is provided with its respective coupling section 9 projecting upwardly as a cylindrical tube formation spanning substantially half its width. The remainder of the width of the base 1 adjacent to coupling section 9 is cut away to define a cavity for receiving coupling section 10 of the speaker support 2. The base 1 is provided with a front and rear foot on opposing sides of coupling section 9, which together form the lower platform for supporting the stand.

The speaker support 2 has a corresponding construction, with its respective coupling section 10 projecting downwardly as a cylindrical tube formation spanning substantially half its width, on the opposing side of the stand. Again, the remainder of the width of the speaker support 2 that is adjacent to its coupling section 10 is cut away to define a cavity for receiving coupling section 9 of the base 1. The speaker support 2 is provided with a front and rear arm on opposing sides of coupling section 10, which together form the upper platform for supporting a speaker.

[0034J The coupling sections 9 and 10 are connected together by axle 4, which is preferably formed as a metal rod and, in this embodiment is formed from zinc plated steel. Axle 4 has one end with a bolt head, a smooth middle section, and a screw threaded section at its distal end and thereby functions as a bolt. The threaded section connects with a nyloc nut 5, which is tightened to reduce the length of the axle between the nut 5 and the bolt head, thereby compressing bushes 8 and forcing the coupling sections 9 and 10 towards one another.

[0035J The axle 4 is housed within the coupling sections 9 and 10 and bushes 8 are used to provide a bearing surface between the axle 4 and the respective coupling section.

Bushes 8 are preferably formed from a polymer and, in this embodiment are formed from nylon.

-10 - [0036J Washer 6 fits around axle 4 and is provided at the junction between the coupling sections 9 and 10. washer 6 is preferably formed from a polymer and, in this embodiment is formed from nylon. When connected together by the axle 4, the coupling sections 9 and 10 are positioned along a common axis such that they substantially define a cylinder spanning the width of the stand's footprint, with the cylinder being split in the middle by washer 6.

[0037J The washer 6 has two faces, the first face facing the base's coupling section 9 and the second face facing the speaker support's coupling section 10. The first face is provided with locking projections 14 formed on its surface which key into a locking formation 13 provided on the interior bore of the coupling section 9. Engagement between the locking projections 14 and locking formation 13 prevents relative rotation between the washer and the coupling section 9. The second face of the washer 6 is provided with tilt projections 11 which form followers that fit into corresponding guide channel formations 12 provided on the opposing face of coupling section 10. When the washer 6 is compressed between the coupling sections 9 and 10, the tilt projections 11 fit and may be moved within the guide channel formations 12 for allowing the coupling section 10 to be rotated about the axle 4 relative to the washer 6. The extent of movement that the tilt projections 11 may make within the guide channel formations 12 limits the extent of rotation of the coupling section 10 relative to the washer 6.

[0038J When assembled, nyloc nut 5 is tightened to force the coupling sections 9 and 10 towards one another, thereby compressing the washer 6 between them. This acts to rotationally lock the washer 6 relative to coupling section 9, whilst permitting the relative rotation of coupling -11 -section 10 about axle 4 through movement of tilt projections 11 within the guide channel formations 12. The rotation of the coupling section 10 relative to coupling section 9 thereby allows the speaker support 2 to be tilted forward and rearward about the coupling. A predetermined torque is applied to the axle 5 to tighten the nyloc nut 5 so as to adjust the compression of the washer 6 to thereby control the frictional hold of the coupling section 10 relative to the washer 6. The frictional hold is set to a level which allows the speaker support 2 to hold a speaker in a tilted position relative to the base 1, until a user manually adjusts the tilt position by applying a tilting force sufficient to overcome the frictional hold.

[0039J As mentioned above, the extent of the rotation of the coupling section 10 relative to coupling section 9 is limited by the movement of the tilt projections 11 within the guide channel formations 12. This thereby controls the extent to which the speaker platform 2 may be tilted relative to the base 1, with the angle of tilt being limited such that the front and rear edges of the speaker platform 2 are prevented from contacting the upper surface of the base 1. This helps to damp vibrational forces being transmitted through the speaker support 2 by avoiding contact between the metal surfaces, with any vibrations being absorbed by the washer through its engagement with the speaker platform's coupling section 10. In this embodiment, the tilting movement of the speaker platform 2 is limited to 10 degrees forward for angling the speaker downwardly and 15 degrees back for angling the speaker upwardly. These angles are preferred for ensuring that a speaker standing on speaker support 2 does not slip off this platform when tilted to either extreme.

[0040J Figure 5 shows the speaker stand of this embodiment with a speaker 15 mounted on speaker support 2. In this -12 -illustration, the speaker support 2 has been tilted back for angling the speaker 15 upwardly for use, for example, when the speaker 15 is positioned on a table below a user. A user is also able to manually tilt the speaker 15 down by tilting the speaker support 2 forward for use, for example, when the speaker 15 is positioned on a shelf above a user. Once a user moves the speaker unit 15 to a desired tilted position, the friction at the washer 6 then resists further movement of the speaker support 2. Furthermore, the washer 6 also acts to dampen vibrational movements of the speaker unit 15 that may arise from the audio output.

[0041J As the maximum tilt of the speaker support 2 is restricted, the speaker 15 may be held in place merely through frictional contact with the rubberised strips 3 on speaker support 2. As such, fixed mountings are not necessary for retaining the speaker in position. A user is therefore able to detach the speaker 15 simply by lifting it off the stand, without needing a screw driver and without having to alter their set tilt positioning. As such, the speaker unit may be easily removed and remounted.

[0042J In addition to providing the above functionality, the disclosed stand arrangement has a very slim design and compact footprint since the base 1, coupling sections and speaker support are located vertically above one another.

This allows for a particularly slim line stand, which is also

highly adjustable.

[0043J It will be understood that the embodiment illustrated above shows applications of the invention only for the purposes of illustration. In practice the invention may be applied to many different configurations, the detailed embodiments being straightfcrward for those skilled in the art to implement.

Claims

-13 -CLAIMS1. A speaker stand comprising: a speaker support for accommodating a speaker arid comprising a first coupling section; a base comprising a second coupling section; an axle pivotably connecting the first and second coupling sections for allowing the speaker support to tilt relative to the base, the axle at least partially housed within the first and second coupling sections; a washer located between the first and second coupling sections, the washer comprising one or more washer formations which, when the speaker support is tilted, are engageable with one or more coupling formations provided on the first or second coupling sections for limiting the range of tilting movement.
2. A speaker stand according to claim 1, wherein the one or more washer formations comprise a tilt washer formation formed on a first washer face, and wherein the one or more coupling formations comprise a tilt coupling formation provided on the coupling section adjacent to the tilt washer formation, wherein, when the speaker support is tilted, the tilt washer formation and the tilt coupling formation are moveable into engagement for preventing further rotation between the washer and the respective coupling section.
3. A speaker stand according to claim 2, wherein the one or more washer formations further comprise a locking washer formation formed on a second washer face, and wherein the one or more coupling formations comprise a locking coupling formation provided on the coupling section adjacent to the locking washer formation, -14 -wherein engagement between the locking washer formation and looking coupling formation prevents relative rotation between the washer and the respective coupling section.
4. A speaker stand according to claim 2 or 3, wherein one of the tilt washer formation and tilt coupling formation comprises a channel and the other of the tilt washer formation and tilt coupling formation comprises a follower moveably engaged within the channel, wherein the ends of the channel define limits to the range of relative rotation between the washer and the respective coupling section.
5. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the washer is compressed between the first and second coupling sections for frictionally holding the tilt position of the speaker support relative to the base.
6. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the washer is formed of a polymer.
7. A speaker stand according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a nut engaged with a screw thread provided on the axle, the nut for compressing the washer between the first and second coupling sections.
8. A speaker stand according to claim 7, wherein the torque applied to the nut adjusts the compression of the washer for controlling the frictional hold of the speaker support relative to the base.
9. A speaker stand according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the nut is a nyloc nut.
10. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein -13 -the washer comprises a bearing surface surrounding the axle.
11. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, further comprising first and second bearing bushes located at the first and second coupling sections, respectively, for supporting the axle.
12. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the range of downward tilt of the speaker support relative to the base is limited to prevent a front edge of the speaker support from touching the base.
13. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the range of upward tilt of the speaker support relative to the base is limited to prevent a rear edge of the speaker support from touching the base.
14. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the range of tilt of the speaker support relative to the base is limited to an angle between 7-13 degrees downward and an angle between 12-18 degrees upward.
13. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the speaker support comprises a speaker platform for supporting a bottom of a speaker.
16. A speaker stand according to claim 15, wherein the speaker platform comprises a high friction region for preventing the bottom of the speaker from slipping.
17. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the base comprises a base platform for placement on a supporting surface.
18. A speaker stand according to claim 17, wherein the base -16 -platform comprises a high friction region for preventing the base platform from slipping on the support surfaoe.
19. A speaker stand according to claim 16 or 18, wherein the high friction region is formed of silicone rubber.
20. A speaker stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second coupling sections comprise substantially tubular bodies, the tubular bodies being located adjacent one another along a common axis defined by the axle.
21. A speaker stand according to claim 20, wherein the substantially tubular bodies of the first and second coupling sections span a width of the speaker support and/or the base.
22. A speaker stand comprising: a base platform comprising an upper surface having a first cylindrical projection; a speaker platform comprising an upper surface for supporting a speaker and a lower surface having a second cylindrical projection, the first and second cylindrical projections being rotatably connected along a common axis for enabling the speaker platform to pivot about the axis relative to the base platform; and a rotation limiting member located at the connection between the first and second cylindrical projections and configured to engage therewith for limiting the range of rotational movement there between.
23. A speaker stand substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.