WO1990011667A1

WO1990011667A1 - Speaker mounting arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO1990011667A1
Application number: PCT/GB1990/000447
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robin Bruce Collins
Original assignee: Eurotec (E.M.) International Electronics Limited
Priority date: 1989-03-23
Filing date: 1990-03-23
Publication date: 1990-10-04
Also published as: ZA902270B; GB2248363B; GB9119968D0; GB2248363A; GB8906749D0

Abstract

A speaker mounting arrangement particularly for mounting a speaker in a motor car comprises a mounting member with a flange (4) and a tubular portion (5). The speaker (100) is located in the mounting member and fastened in place e.g. by an adhesive. The tubular portion (5) of the mounting member can be externally threaded to receive an internally threaded securing member (13) which has spring fingers (14). The whole assembly with the securing member (13) screwed in place can then be passed from the outside through an aperture in a mounting panel (200). The spring fingers (14) are deflected inwardly but then spring outwards again to engage behind the mounting panel. The assembly can be secured in position by rotating the flange part (4) of the assembly whilst ensuring the fingers (14) interfere with the rear of the panel until the panel (200) is firmly secured between the flange (4) and the fingers (14).

Description

SPEAKER MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT

This invention relates to a speaker mounting arrangement, and particularly to a speaker mounting arrangement for use in mounting a speaker in an automobile.

Conventionally speakers for use with radio and cassette players in automobiles are mounted in an automobile by means of bolts passing through apertures in a flange on the speaker and through holes in a panel to which the speaker is to be mounted, and secured by nuts engaged with the bolts.

Such known arrangements are relatively complex and thus expensive, requiring the speakers to have a flange with apertures to receive the bolts, and also requiring the provision of a corresponding number of apertures in the panel of the automobile. Further, it is also often difficult to assemble the arrangement, with access to the rear of the panel of the automobile being necessary for engagement of the nuts on the securing bolts after they have been passed through the aligned apertures in the speaker flange and the panel.

According to this invention there is provided a speaker mounring arrangement comprising a mounting member adapted to be secured about the periphery of a speaker and comprising a tubular portion for receipt in an aperture in a panel and a flange portion for engagement with a face of the panel when the tubular portion is secured about a speaker and received in the aperture in the panel, and securing means serving in use to urge the flange portion of the mounting member into engagement with the face of the panel thereby to secure the mounting member and speaker in the aperture in the panel.

This invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mounting member for use in an arrangement according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view cf the mounting member of Figure 1 engaged on a speaker;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through an arrangement according to the invention including a different mounting member from that shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a front view of the arrangement of Figure 3 with the grille removed;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modification of the embodiments of Figures 1 to 4;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view through another arrangement according to the invention; and

Figure 7 is a front view of the arrangement of Figure 5 with part of the grille broken away.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 , these show an elongate mounting member 1 comprising a plastics material disc 2 formed over a central region with a plurality of holes 3 and having an unapertured peripheral flange portion 4, and a plastics material tubular portion 5, shown in an unassembled condition, comprising two parts 5A and 5B each providing part of the cross-section of the tubular portion. The two parts 5A and 5B of the tubular portion 5 can be secured together by means of co-operating hook portions 6 at their ends to form the complete tubular portion 5 (Figure 3). The outer surface of the tubular portion 5 is formed with a screw thread 7. As shown in Figure 2, the tubular portion 5 is formed with an inwardly facing groove 8 which receives a peripheral flange 101 on the front face of a speaker 100 whereby the tubular portion 5 can be mounted on the speaker 100 as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2 to remain in position when the ends of the parts 5A and 5B are secured together by the hook portions 6. The disc 2 is formed with a plurality of spaced projections 9 which serve to locate the disc 2 centrally on the front of the speaker 100 with the tubular member 5 mounted thereon.

Although as shown the parts 5A and 5B of the tubular portion 5 are initially completely separate they can otherwise be hingedly connected together at one end for example by use of a separate hinge pin engaged in holes in the parts or by means of an integrally fromed hinge portion.

When the tubular portion 5 and flange portion 4 of the mounting member 1 are located on the speaker 100 as necessary they are secured thereto by means of a suitable adhesive.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, these show an arrangement according to the invention including a mounting member different from that shown in Figures 1 and 2, but which utilises a securing means that can be used with the mounting member of Figures 1 and 2. In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 the mounting member comprises a flange portion 4 and a tubular portion 5 which are integrally formed from plastics material rather than being initially separate members. The flange portion 4 is in the form of an annulus, and the tubular portion 5 provides an annular shoulder 10 facing and within the hole in the flange portion 4. With this mounting member the speaker 100 is inserted into the mounting member through the hole in the flange portion 4 until the peripheral flange 101 on the speaker 100 engages the shoulder 10 to limit insertion and is secured in this position by means of a suitable adhesive. The mounting member is recessed to receive a grille 11 which has projections (not shown) which engage in keyhole slots 12 in the recess in the mounting member thereby to secure the grille 11 to the mounting member, with the grille 11 then covering the front face of the speaker 100. Otherwise the grille 11 can be secured in position by means of a suitable adhesive.

Although in Figures 3 and 4 the mounting member is shown as being of one-piece construction, it will be appreciated that it can otherwise be formed as a plurality of parts secured together and possibly including hinges as described for the mounting member of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 3 shows a securing means 13 which can be used with mounting member as shown in Figures 1 and 2 or in Figures 3 and , and which comprises an internally threaded annular plastics material member for engagement with the thread 7 on the tubular portion 5 of the mounting member and sized for receipt through an aperture in a panel 200 to which the speaker 100 is to be mounted when so engaged. The internally threaded member 13 has a plurality of outwardly directed spring fingers 14 (only one shown) spaced about its periphery, with the free ends of the fingers 14 being directed towards the flange portion 4 of the mounting member. The free ends of the fingers 14 define a circle larger in diameter than that of the aperture in the panel 200.

To assemble the arrangement, the internally threaded member 13 is mounted on the tubular portion 5 of the mounting member, and the sub-assembly thus formed is then inserted into the aperture in the panel 200 from the front thereof (left-hand side in Figure 3) until the flange portion engages the front face of the panel 200 to limit such insertion. During such insertion the spring fingers 14 are deflected inwardly to pass through the aperture in the panel 200 and then spring out to the position shown in Figure 3 where the free ends of the fingers 14 can engage the rear face of the panel 200. If a mounting member as shown in Figures 1 and 2 is being used then the speaker 100 will be inserted into the aperture in the panel 100 with the mounting member, but if a mounting member as shown in Figures 3 and 4 is being used then the speaker 100 is inserted into the mounting member from the front after insertion cf the mounting member into the aperture in the panel 200 and secured in position with adhesive, with the grille 11 subsequently being mounted thereon.

The arrangement is then either pulled away from the front face of the panel 200 or tilted in the aperture therein until the free ends of one or more of the fingers 14 engage the rear face of the panel 200 to prevent rotation of the securing member

13 relative to the panel 200, and the mounting member is then rotated relative to the panel 200 and the securing member 13 until the panel 200 is gripped between the free ends of the fingers 14 and the flange portion 4 of the mounting member.

Arrangements as described above have the particular advantages that they do not require any apertures in any flange on the speaker, and require only a single aperture in the panel, and the mounting of the speaker to the panel is carried out from the front of the panel without any access to the rear of the panel being required.

Referring to Figure 5, a modified version of the embodiments of Figures 1 to 4 as illustrated using the same reference numbers to indicate corresponding parts. In this version the securing member 13 has its internal thread broken at four locations about its periphery to receive the spring fingers

14 when deflected to pass through the aperture in the panel. Similarly the external thread 7 of the tubular portion 5 has matching cut away portions 20 to receive the depressed fingers when the securing member 13 is mounted on the tubular portion 5 and appropriately rotationally aligned. With this arrangement the fingers can be made thicker and more easily deflected inwards when the speaker sub-assembly is passed through the panel aperture. It is of course necessary that the fingers 14 spring outwards, when the assembly is properly located in the panel, sufficiently to avoid obstructing the external thread 7 of the cylindrical portion when the mounting member is being screwed into the securing member 13 for final fixing.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, in the arrangement here shown the flange portion 4 and the tubular portion 5 of the mounting member are integrally formed as in Figures 3 and 4, but the tubular portion 5 is not threaded. The flange 101 of the speaker 100 is received in a groove 8 in the mounting member, and the speaker 100 is secured to the mounting member by means of a suitable adhesive. The securing means comprises a plurality of substantially U-shaped metal clip members 15 spaced around and over the free end of the tubular portion 5 of the mounting member, with the free end of the outer arms 16 of each clip member 15 engaging the rear face (left-hand face in Figure 6) of the panel 200. The bight 17 of each clip member 15 is either formed as a spire nut or has a nut secured thereto. A plurality of bolts 18 are respectively associated with the clip members 15 and pass through respective apertures in the flange portion 4 of the mounting member to engage with the bight of the associated clip member 15. On tightening of the bolts 15 the free ends of the outer arms 16 of the clip members 15 are urged into engagement with the rear face of the panel 200 and the panel 200 is gripped between the flange portion 4 of the mounting member and the free ends of the outer arms 16 of the clip members 15.

As shown a grille 11 can be secured over the speaker 100 by means of the bolts 18 passing through apertures at the periphery of the grille 11. Otherwise the grille 11 can be secured by means of a non-hardening adhesive to cover the heads of the bolts 18 and the speaker 100.

Claims

1. A speaker mounting arrangement comprising a mounting member adapted to be secured about the periphery of a speaker and comprising a tubular portion for receipt in an aperture in a panel and a flange portion for engagement with a face of the panel when the tubular portion is secured about a speaker and received in the aperture in the panel, and securing means serving in use to urge the flange portion of the mounting member into engageme'nt with the face of the panel thereby to secure the mounting member and speaker in the aperture in the panel.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, in which the mounting member has a groove which receives a peripheral flange on the speaker.

3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the mounting member is formed of a plurality of parts adapted to be secured together about the periphery of the speaker.

4. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the mounting member is formed of a plurality of parts which are hingεdly connected together.

5. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, in which the flange portion and the tubular portion of the mounting member are formed separately and subsequently secured together on the speaker.

6. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 5, in which the portions of the mounting member are secured together on the speaker by means of an adhesive.

7. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which the flange portion of the mounting member is a peripheral portion of a disc member.

8. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 7, in which the disc member and the tubular portion of the mounting member have co-operating locating means.

9. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 8, in which the locating means comprises a plurality of spaced projections on the disc member.

10. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, in which the flange portion and the tubular portion of the mounting member are integrally formed with the flange portion being in the form of an annulus, the tubular portion providing a shoulder facing and within the hole in the flange member whereby the speaker can be inserted into the mounting member through the hole in the flange portion until a peripheral flange on the speaker engages the shoulder in the tubular portion.

11. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 10, in which the mounting member is adapted to have a grille secured thereto to cover the speaker.

12. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 11, in which the mounting member is recessed to receive the grille.

13. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 12, in which the grille has projections which engage in key-hole slots in the recess in the mounting member thereby to secure the grille to the mounting member.

14. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the tubular portion of the mounting member is externally threaded, the securing means comprising an internally threaded member for engagement with the threaded tubular portion of the mounting member and sized for receipt through the aperture in the panel when so engaged, the internally threaded member having a plurality of outwardly directed spring fingers spaced about its periphery with the free ends of the fingers being directed towards the flange portion of the mounting member whereby the panel can be gripped between the flange portion of the mounting member and the free ends of the fingers.

15. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 14 wherein the internal thread of the securing means is broken away to receive the spring fingers when deflected inwardly by passage through the aperture in the panel, and the external thread of the tubular portion is correspondingly cut away to receive the deflected fingers when the securing means screwed onto the tubular portion and appropriately rotationally aligned.

16. An arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 13, in which the mounting means comprises a plurality of substantially U-shaped clip members adapted to be received over the free end of the tubular portion of the mounting member with the free end of the outer arm of each clip member engaging the face of the panel opposite to that engaged by the flange portion of the mounting member, and a plurality of bolts respectively associated with the clip members and passing through apertures in the flange portion of the mounting member to engage in the bight of the associated clip member whereby tightening of the bolts urges the free ends of the outer arms of the clip members into engagement with the panel such that the panel is gripped between the flange portion of the mounting member and the free ends of the outer arms of the clip members.

17. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 16, as dependent upon Claim 11 or Claim 12, in which the grille has apertures through which the securing bolts pass.

18. A speaker mounting arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3 and 4, or Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.