Protective piece for a curved surface enclosure

Abstract

Protective piece (14), arranged to be assembled with an acoustic box (11) which includes a first portion of a side box (20) and a first portion of an end box (18), the first portion of an end box (18) including a first external convex surface (33) and extending from the first portion of a side box, the protective piece comprising: - a lateral protection portion and an end protection portion, the end protection portion including a first internal concave surface, complementary to the first external convex surface, and extending from the lateral protection portion; - a positioning device arranged to guide the protective piece into a predefined position on the acoustic box.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the field of acoustic enclosures. BACKGROUND

[0002] We are considering designing a speaker enclosure with curved external surfaces, specifically one shaped like a capsule. This enclosure may include a stand allowing it to be positioned vertically on a flat surface (such as a piece of furniture). The enclosure can also be placed directly horizontally on this flat surface.

[0003] The speaker is, for example, a so-called "satellite" speaker designed to be connected to a device configured to play audio content, such as a set-top box (or STB, for Set-Top Box ) . The decoder box itself may include one or more speakers.

[0004] Such a speaker typically includes an acoustic enclosure. This is a sealed box containing one or more loudspeakers. The enclosure can be made from a single piece or assembled from several pieces.

[0005] The acoustic enclosure, which also has a shape similar to that of a capsule, defines the technical volume necessary for implementing the audio functions of the speaker. The enclosure delimits the acoustic volume and integrates the drivers and the connections that carry the audio signals to them. This technical volume can also be used to integrate components implementing "transferable" functions: control, communication (Wi-Fi interface, for example), power supply, etc.

[0006] The speaker enclosure also includes one or more protective pieces mounted on the cabinet that cover (at least) the speaker diaphragms to protect them from external damage. These protective pieces have openings to allow the sound generated by the speakers to escape. These protective pieces also contribute to the enclosure's aesthetic appeal. A fabric sometimes covers the protective pieces entirely or partially, and in this case, the fabric also serves as a support for the fabric.

[0007] With reference to the figure 1 We know of such a capsule-shaped enclosure 1, which comprises two protective half-shells 2a, 2b, assembled on the front face of the acoustic box. The acoustic box includes a plurality of loudspeakers 3, each with its diaphragm positioned on the front face of the box. The protective half-shells 2a, 2b have holes 4 located opposite the diaphragms of the loudspeakers 3, and serve both a protective and an aesthetic function.

[0008] Generally speaking, on a capsule-shaped speaker enclosure, assembling and disassembling the protective parts is quite complex, primarily due to their curved surfaces. Furthermore, each protective part is designed for a very specific acoustic configuration and cannot be adapted to other acoustic configurations, particularly different speaker layouts. This forces the speaker manufacturer to completely redesign the protective parts when changing the enclosure's acoustic configuration. Moreover, users cannot easily personalize their speakers by replacing the protective parts with others that have a different appearance. OBJECT

[0009] The invention relates to a protective piece for an acoustic enclosure having curved external surfaces, which can be easily adapted to different acoustic configurations of the enclosure, and which can be easily mounted and dismounted. SUMMARY

[0010] To achieve this goal, a protective piece is proposed, arranged to be assembled with an acoustic enclosure which includes a first lateral enclosure portion and a first extremity enclosure portion, the first extremity enclosure portion comprising a first convex external surface and extending from the first lateral enclosure portion, the protective piece comprising: a lateral protection portion and an extreme protection portion, the extreme protection portion comprising a first concave internal surface, complementary to the first convex external surface, and extending from the lateral protection portion; a positioning device arranged to guide the protective piece into a predefined position on the acoustic enclosure when the protective piece is assembled with the acoustic enclosure, and to maintain the protective piece in this predefined position; the protective piece being arranged so that when assembled with the acoustic enclosure, the lateral protection portion and the extreme protection portion of the protective piece respectively cover the first lateral enclosure portion and the first extreme enclosure portion of the acoustic enclosure.

[0011] The protective piece therefore includes a lateral protection portion which covers the first lateral box portion and an extreme protection portion which covers the first extreme box portion of the acoustic box.

[0012] The protective piece can therefore protect at least one speaker whose diaphragm is located at the first side section of the enclosure, and / or at least one speaker whose diaphragm is located at the first outer section of the enclosure. The protective piece may include holes allowing sound to escape from the enclosure, positioned opposite the speaker diaphragms.

[0013] The protective piece can therefore be very easily adapted to different acoustic configurations of the enclosure by adding holes in suitable locations.

[0014] Thanks to the positioning device, the protective piece is guided to its "final" position during assembly. The protective piece can therefore be mounted and dismounted very easily.

[0015] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, in which the extreme protective portion extends so that, when the protective piece is assembled with the acoustic box, the extreme protective portion also covers a part of a second lateral box portion of the acoustic box, opposite the first lateral box portion.

[0016] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, in which the lateral protective portion extends so that, when the protective piece is assembled with the acoustic box, the lateral protective portion also covers a part of a second extremity box portion of the acoustic box, opposite the first extremity box portion.

[0017] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, the first portion of the side box of the acoustic box comprising a second external convex surface, the lateral protective portion of the protective piece comprising a second internal concave surface complementary to the second external convex surface.

[0018] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, the acoustic box comprising a central cylindrical part and two hemispherical ends, the first lateral box portion belonging to the central part and the first extremity box portion to one of the ends.

[0019] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, the positioning device comprising at least one magnet which is positioned on an internal wall of the lateral protective portion and which is located near an edge of the lateral protective portion.

[0020] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, comprising a first magnet positioned near an edge of a free end of the lateral protective portion, and two second magnets each positioned near a distinct lateral edge of the lateral protective portion and near the extremal protective portion.

[0021] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, the positioning device further comprising at least one pin arranged to center the protective piece on the acoustic box during the assembly of the protective piece and the acoustic box, the at least one pin being positioned near an edge of a free end of the extreme portion of protection, and being arranged to be assembled by elastic interlocking in a complementary hole formed on the acoustic box.

[0022] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, further comprising a fixing device arranged to fix and lock the protective piece onto the box, the fixing device comprising at least one tab extending from an edge of a free end of the extreme protective portion and intended to be fixed to a second lateral box portion of the acoustic box, opposite the first lateral box portion.

[0023] We also propose a protective piece as previously described, in which at least one of the lateral protective portions and the extreme protective portion includes holes intended to vent outwards sounds generated by at least one loudspeaker of the acoustic box having a diaphragm positioned opposite said holes.

[0024] We also propose an acoustic enclosure comprising an acoustic box and a protective piece as previously described.

[0025] We also propose an acoustic enclosure as previously described, the acoustic box including at least one first loudspeaker having a diaphragm positioned at the level of the first portion of the side box.

[0026] We also propose an acoustic enclosure as previously described, the acoustic box including at least a second loudspeaker having a diaphragm positioned at the level of the first extreme portion of the box.

[0027] The invention will be better understood in light of the following description of a particular, non-limiting embodiment of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Reference will be made to the attached drawings, among which: [ Fig. 1 ] there figure 1 is a perspective view of an enclosure from the earlier art; [ Fig. 2 ] there figure 2 is a perspective view of an enclosure including the protective piece; [ Fig. 3 ] there figure 3 is an exploded view of this enclosure; [ Fig. 4 ] there figure 4 is a perspective view and a view of the back of the protective piece; [ Fig. 5 ] there figure 5 is a perspective view and a rear view of the acoustic enclosure assembled with the protective piece; Fig. 6 ] there figure 6 represents side views of the speaker and its stand, before and after the stand was mounted on the speaker, in a so-called "tabletop stand" mounting configuration; Fig. 7 ] there figure 7 is a figure similar to the figure 6 , according to a mounting configuration known as "wall mount"; [ Fig. 8 ] there figure 8 represents a front view of the support in the "table leg" configuration, and a front view of the support in the "wall mount" configuration; [ Fig. 9 ] there figure 9 represents views of the support according to a particular embodiment, before and after the folding of the curved part; [ Fig. 10 ] there figure 10 represents several views illustrating the support according to a particular embodiment, in which the curved part is butted onto the base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] With reference to figures 2 And 3 , the acoustic speaker 10 here is a portable speaker which includes curved external surfaces and which more precisely has the shape of a “capsule”.

[0030] The 10-inch acoustic enclosure includes: an acoustic box 11; a first shell 12; a second shell 13; a protective piece 14; a support 15.

[0031] In its nominal operating position, the enclosure 10 is positioned vertically. All positioning terms used here should be interpreted assuming that the enclosure 10 is in this nominal operating position.

[0032] The acoustic box 11 comprises a central part 16 and two hemispherical ends 17a, 17b.

[0033] The end 17a forms an upper face 18 of the box 11. The end 17b forms an lower face 19 of the box 11. The central part 16 includes lateral faces comprising a front face 20, a rear face 21, a left face 22 and a right face 23 of the box 11.

[0034] The acoustic box 11 also has the general shape of a capsule, but which is flattened at the front face 20 and the rear face 21. All external surfaces of the box 11 are curved surfaces.

[0035] Two initial 25mm speakers are integrated here into the acoustic enclosure 11 (the speaker diaphragms are visible on the figure 3 The 25a speaker is a type Woofer. This is a loudspeaker that reproduces low frequencies, for example between 100 Hz and 2 kHz. This type of loudspeaker is also called a bass speaker.

[0036] The 25b speaker is a type Tweeter. This is a loudspeaker that reproduces high frequencies, for example, between 2 kHz and 20 kHz. This type of loudspeaker is also called a tweeter. The diameter of the diaphragm of loudspeaker 25a is larger than that of the diaphragm of loudspeaker 25b.

[0037] The loudspeaker 25a is integrated into the acoustic enclosure 11 so that its diaphragm is positioned, for example, at a lower portion of the front face 20 of the acoustic enclosure 11. The loudspeaker 25b is integrated into the acoustic enclosure 11 so that its diaphragm is positioned, for example, at an upper portion of the front face 20 of the acoustic enclosure 11. The first shell 12 is intended to protect the left face 22 and the right face 23 of the enclosure 11. The first shell 12 is attached to the enclosure by screws 27.

[0038] The second shell 13 is intended to protect the rear face 21 and the lower face 19 of the box 11. The second shell 13 is fixed to the box by screws 28.

[0039] The protective piece 14 is intended in particular to protect the front face 20 and the top face 18 of the casing 11.

[0040] Support 15 will be described further down in this description.

[0041] We are now focusing more specifically on the protective part 14 and how it is assembled with the casing 11.

[0042] The box 11 comprises a first portion of the lateral box 20 and a first portion of the extreme box 18. The first portion of the extreme box 18 extends from the first portion of the lateral box 20.

[0043] The first portion of the lateral box 20 is here the front face 20 of the box 11, and the first portion of the extremity box 18 is here the upper face 18 of the box 11 (hemispherical in shape, as previously mentioned). The first portion of the extremity box 18 therefore includes a first convex external surface 33, due to the hemispherical shape of the upper end 17a of the box 11. The first portion of the lateral box 20, for its part, includes a second convex external surface 34, because the front face 20 of the box 11 is curved forward.

[0044] With reference to figures 4 And 5 The protective part 14 comprises a lateral protection portion 40 and an end protection portion 41. The end protection portion 41 extends from the lateral protection portion 40. The end protection portion 41 includes a first concave internal surface 42, which is complementary to the first convex external surface 33 of the first end box portion 18 of the box 11. The lateral protection portion 40 of the protective part 14 includes a second concave internal surface 43, which is complementary to the second convex external surface 34 of the first lateral box portion 20 of the box 11.

[0045] Thus, when the protective piece 14 is assembled with the acoustic enclosure 11, the lateral protective portion 40 and the extreme protective portion 41 of the protective piece 14 respectively cover the first lateral enclosure portion 20 and the first extreme enclosure portion 18 of the acoustic enclosure 11. The lateral protective portion 40 thus forms a front face of the acoustic enclosure 10 and the extreme protective portion 41 thus forms a top face of the acoustic enclosure 10.

[0046] Here, the extreme protective portion 41 of the protective piece 14 extends so that, when the protective piece 14 is assembled with the acoustic enclosure 11, the extreme protective portion 41 also covers part of a second side enclosure portion 21 of the enclosure 11, opposite the first side enclosure portion 20. The second side enclosure portion 21 is here the rear face 21 of the enclosure 11. As can be clearly seen on the figure 5 , the extreme protective portion 41 also covers an upper part of this rear face 21.

[0047] Similarly, the lateral protection portion 40 of the protection piece 14 extends so that, when the protection piece 14 is assembled with the acoustic box 11, the lateral protection portion 40 extends to also cover part of a second end box portion 19 opposite the first end box portion 18. The end protection portion 40 also covers part of the lower face 19 of the box 11.

[0048] The edge 44 of the protective piece 14 includes, over the entire circumference of the protective piece 14, a bearing surface 45 and a chamfer 46 which connects the inner wall of the protective piece 14 and the bearing surface 45.

[0049] When the protective piece 14 is mounted on the box 11, the bearing surface 45 rests on the first shell 12.

[0050] The edge 48 of the free end 49 of the lateral protection portion 40 of the protective part 14 has a semi-circular shape. The lateral edges 50 of the central part of the lateral protection portion 40 are straight. The lateral edges 51 of the extreme protection portion 41 have a semi-circular shape. The edge 52 of the free end 53 of the extreme protection portion 41 has a straight central part and rounded ends.

[0051] The protective piece 14 further includes a positioning device 55, which allows the protective piece 14 to be guided into a predefined position on the acoustic box 11 during the assembly of the protective piece 14 with the box 11, and to maintain the protective piece 14 in this predefined position.

[0052] The positioning device 55 includes at least one magnet 56 which is positioned on the inner wall 47 of the lateral protection portion 40 of the protective part 14, and which is located near an edge of the lateral protection portion 40.

[0053] The positioning device 55 here comprises a first magnet 56a positioned near the central part of the edge 48 of the free end 49 of the lateral protection portion 40, and two second magnets 56b, 56c each positioned near a separate lateral edge 50 of the lateral protection portion 40 and near the extremity protection portion 41. The two second magnets 56b, 56c are therefore located in an upper part of the inner wall 47 of the lateral protection portion 40.

[0054] The positioning device 55 includes three cylindrical plastic pads 57, which extend from the inner wall 47 of the side protection portion 40. Each magnet 56a, 56b and 56c also has a cylindrical shape (washer shape) and is inserted into one of the pads 57.

[0055] In the central part of each stud 57, there is a plastic pin 58 which is intended to fix the associated magnet 56 by riveting.

[0056] By definition, the riveting of a plastic part is the equivalent of riveting and allows two parts to be joined together by deforming the material. In the case of plastic, the deformation is achieved by applying heat or ultrasound.

[0057] The riveting method is advantageous because it eliminates the need for additional parts during assembly, thus preventing vibration and reducing bulk compared to existing fastening techniques. Furthermore, riveting ensures a very robust connection.

[0058] Each magnet 56 could be fixed differently in its pad 57, by gluing for example.

[0059] The housing 11 also includes magnets, not visible in the figures. These magnets comprise two magnets positioned at the lateral edges of the front face 20 of the housing, and one magnet positioned at the bottom face 18 of the housing 11. These magnets are integrated within the thickness of the housing 11.

[0060] When an individual (factory technician, after-sales service technician, customer, etc.) assembles the protective part 14 with the housing 11, they bring the lateral protective portion 40 of the protective part 14 close to the front face 18 of the housing 11. The attraction between the magnets 56 and the magnets of the housing 11 brings the protective part 14 into a predefined position on the housing 11. This position is the position visible on the figures 2 And 5 .

[0061] The magnets 56 both facilitate the assembly of the protective piece 14, and ensure perfect positioning of the protective piece 14 on the casing 11.

[0062] The positioning device 55 further includes at least one pin 61 extending from the inner wall 42 of the extreme protection portion 41, which is positioned near the edge 52 of the free end 53 of the extreme protection portion 41, and which is arranged to be inserted into a complementary hole formed on the acoustic box 11.

[0063] Here, the positioning device 55 includes two centering pins 61a, 61b positioned at the rounded ends of the edge 52 of the free end 53 of the extreme protection portion 41. The additional holes, not visible in the figures, are formed on the upper face of the acoustic box 11.

[0064] Each pin 61 comprises a base 63, a central portion 64, and a ball-shaped end 65. The central portion 64 is thinner than the base 63 and the end 65, thus forming a groove. The groove and the end 65 allow the pin 61 to be assembled into the corresponding complementary hole in the housing 11 by means of a spring fit.

[0065] The centering pins 61 allow the extreme protective portion 41 of the protective piece 14 to be centered on the upper face 18 of the housing 11, and therefore the protective piece 14 on the housing 11. The magnets 56 and the pins 61 thus allow the protective piece 14 to be perfectly positioned and centered, even if it is manufactured with relatively large manufacturing tolerances.

[0066] The centering pins 61 also allow the protective piece 14 to be held in position on the housing 11, but without locking it.

[0067] The centering pins 61 also prevent the protective piece 14 from vibrating when the loudspeakers 25 are operating, and thus prevent the generation of parasitic noise linked to this vibration phenomenon.

[0068] The protective piece 14 also includes here a fixing device 70 arranged to fix the protective piece 14 onto the casing 11.

[0069] The fastening device 70 includes at least one fastening tab 71 which extends from the edge 52 of the free end 53 of the extreme protective portion 41, and which is intended to be fixed to the second side box portion 21 of the box 11 - that is to say to its rear face 21.

[0070] Here, the fixing device 70 includes two tabs 71a, 71b which extend longitudinally from the central part of the edge 52 and in the mounting direction of the protective piece 14 on the acoustic box 11.

[0071] Each tab 71 has at its free end a hole 72 adapted to cooperate with a screw 73. The screws 73 therefore pass through the holes 72 and are screwed into the rear face 21 of the acoustic box 11, which makes it possible to fix and lock the protective piece 14 to the acoustic box 11. The screws 73 form two points of securing the protective piece 14 to the acoustic box 11.

[0072] The fixing tabs 71 and the rest of the fixing part 14 form a single part obtained by molding using a single mold.

[0073] However, it should be noted that the fixing tabs 71 are not required.

[0074] If the fixing tabs 71 are not present, the magnets 56 and centering pins 61 allow the protective piece 14 to be held and fixed to the housing 11, but without locking it. The protective piece 14 can then be very easily positioned and fixed to the housing 11, but also removed from the housing 11, without requiring tools. Thus, the protective piece 14 can be easily assembled at the factory or during a maintenance operation (for example, in after-sales service). The protective piece 14 can also be very easily replaced by the user ( customisation ) .

[0075] If the fixing tabs 71 are present, the protective piece 14 is locked onto the housing 11 and the user cannot easily replace it himself.

[0076] It is noted that the positioning device 55 and the fixing device 70 are particularly advantageous because, unlike other means of assembly, these allow the protective piece 14 to be positioned and fixed on the box 11 without impacting the usable volume of the box.

[0077] For example, a sliding assembly solution could have been considered. During assembly, the protective piece is positioned above the enclosure, then slides down the track until it covers the top, part of the back, the front, and part of the bottom. This solution is less practical because to allow for vertical assembly by sliding the protective piece vertically onto the enclosure, it would have been necessary to cut away a significant portion of the front of the enclosure to allow the lower end of the protective piece to pass through.

[0078] The lateral protection portion 40 of the protective piece 14 includes holes 75 which pass through said lateral protection portion 40 and which are intended to allow sounds generated by the loudspeakers 25 of the acoustic enclosure 11 to exit outside the enclosure 10, each of which has its diaphragm positioned at the front face 20 of the enclosure 11 and therefore opposite said holes 75. The holes 75 are, for example, arranged in a honeycomb pattern, which makes it possible to maximize the number of holes 75 while stiffening the lateral protection portion 40 at the level of the holes 75.

[0079] Optionally, a fabric can cover the protective piece 14 entirely or partially, which then also serves as a support for said fabric. Preferably, the fabric covers the holes 75, thus preventing foreign bodies from entering the enclosure 10.

[0080] Protective part 14 is very advantageous.

[0081] In the embodiment described here, the enclosure 11 includes at least one first loudspeaker 25 (two in this case) having a diaphragm positioned at the level of the first portion of the side enclosure 20. The side protection portion 40 therefore has holes 75 to allow sound to pass through, while the extreme protection portion 41 does not have any.

[0082] The acoustic enclosure 11 could, however, also include, for example, at least one second loudspeaker with its diaphragm positioned at the level of the first extreme portion of the enclosure (upper face 18 - up- configuration). firing ) . In this case, the outermost protective portion of the guard may also have holes. Holes could also be formed across the entire guard.

[0083] The enclosure can of course include both one or more first speakers, and one or more second speakers.

[0084] The second speaker 26 is shown schematically on the figure 3 .

[0085] It is therefore sufficient to add holes in the protective piece 14 to adapt it to different acoustic configurations of the enclosure.

[0086] The protective piece 14 thus protects the first speaker (here the first speakers 25a, 25b) and the second speaker 26 of the acoustic enclosure.

[0087] The protective piece 14 can therefore be easily adapted to different configurations or types of speakers, and for example to speakers designed to reproduce: an audio channel on two audio channels (for example, a speaker) Tweeter and a speaker Woofer ) in the case where the speaker has two front speakers, as is the case in the embodiment described here; two audio channels with one channel per channel (for example in configuration Surround And up-firing ) ; or an upward channel (configuration up-firing ) .

[0088] We are now focusing more specifically on support 15 of speaker 10.

[0089] We know that there are different types of speaker stands on the market. Some stands only allow the speaker to be placed on a horizontal surface (for example on a table) while other stands only allow the speaker to be attached to a vertical surface (for example wall mounting).

[0090] However, the same support does not allow the speaker to be positioned on a horizontal surface (for example on a piece of furniture) or on a vertical surface (for example against a wall).

[0091] Therefore, there is a need to design a versatile speaker stand, that is, a single stand capable of mounting / fixing a speaker on different types of external surfaces (horizontal or vertical). In particular, the speaker stand must fulfill the following two functions: the so-called "table stand" function for positioning the speaker on a horizontal surface; the so-called "wall mount" function for positioning the speaker on a vertical surface.

[0092] The support must also have a shape adapted to the capsule cavity and its curved external surfaces.

[0093] The stand must ensure aesthetic consistency with the shape of the speaker, particularly in the case of a capsule-shaped speaker, i.e., one with curved surfaces.

[0094] With reference to figures 6 And 7 The 15-inch speaker stand for the 10-inch speaker includes: a base 100; a curved part 101.

[0095] The base 100 is generally flat and includes a first face 102 and a second face 103. The first face 102 is intended to be in contact with an external support (for example a table, a wall).

[0096] The curved portion 101 extends from the second face 103. The curved portion 101 comprises a first end 105 connected to the base 100 and a second, free end 106. The curved portion 101 extends radially from the base 100, from its first end 105, to its second end 106.

[0097] Preferably, the curved part 101 includes a flat surface 107, oriented perpendicular to the base 100, and including means for fixing the flat surface 107 to a surface of the enclosure 10. Here, the flat surface 107 of the curved part 101 is located at the second end 106 of the curved part 101.

[0098] There figure 6 illustrates the first mounting configuration of the stand on the speaker. This configuration is called "table stand".

[0099] In this configuration, the first face 102 of the base 100 of the support 15 is placed on a flat horizontal surface (of a table for example), and the attachment of the curved part 101 to the speaker 10 is done from the rear of the speaker 10. The flat surface 107 is therefore attached to the rear face of the speaker 10.

[0100] There figure 7 illustrates the second mounting configuration of the bracket 15 on the enclosure 10. This configuration is called "wall mount".

[0101] In this configuration, the first face 102 of the base 100 of the support 15 is attached to the wall and the attachment of the curved part 101 to the enclosure 10 is made below the enclosure 10. The flat surface 107 is therefore attached to the lower face of the enclosure 10.

[0102] We can see on the figure 8 front views of support 15 in the "table leg" configuration (left drawing) and in the "wall attachment" configuration (right drawing).

[0103] Preferably, the base 100 and the curved part 101 of the support 15 are formed in a monobloc fashion (i.e. in one piece, for example in aluminium).

[0104] For example, the surface of the base 100 is dimensioned to ensure the stability of the enclosure 10, when it is fixed to the curved part 101 of the support 15, particularly in the "wall mount" configuration.

[0105] The base 100 includes fasteners for attaching the bracket to an external surface (for example, by screwing the bracket 15 to a wall). For example, these fasteners include one or more tapped holes formed in the thickness of the base and intended to receive a screw or screw head. These fasteners are not shown here.

[0106] The base 100 is arranged so that, when the enclosure 10 and the support 15 are assembled, the axis of revolution X of the enclosure 10 coincides with the center of the base 100. Also, the surface of the base 100 of the support 15, in contact with the table, is dimensioned so that the projection of the center of gravity of the enclosure 10 is inscribed within said surface.

[0107] Preferably, the curved part 101 has a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the curved external surface of the capsule enclosure 10, so that the curved part 101 follows the curved shape of the enclosure 10 without, however, being as likely to come into contact with it.

[0108] The flat surface 107 of the second end 106 of the curved portion 101 includes fastening means for attaching the bracket to the speaker enclosure, either to the rear face of the enclosure according to the first mounting configuration, or to the lower part of the enclosure according to the second mounting configuration. The fastening means include, for example, one or more holes or openings 110, each intended to receive a screw or tightening knob. Here, the fastening means include a single hole 110.

[0109] Therefore, the capsule enclosure 10 includes one or more threaded hole(s) arranged opposite the hole(s) or opening(s) 110 of the flat surface 107.

[0110] The flat surface 107 of the second end 106 of the curved part 101 further includes a lug 111, visible on the figure 6 and on the figure 8 This lug 111 is designed to fit into a hole (not shown) formed on one face of the enclosure 10, so as to secure the enclosure 10 in its vertical position when it is fixed to the support. Thus, there is no risk of the enclosure 10 pivoting around the screw passing through the opening 110 formed through the flat surface 107 of the curved part 101. This is advantageous during the step of fixing the enclosure 10 to its support 15 (i.e., during installation), but also prevents the enclosure 10 from pivoting due to vibrations emitted during its operation.

[0111] Here, the curved part 101 has a thickness of between 3mm and 6mm, preferably 5mm. Thus, the support 15 is robust enough to hold the speaker 10 vertically and prevent it from tilting under its own weight, and without causing the speaker 10 to oscillate on the support when a user handles it or due to vibrations emitted during operation.

[0112] It is possible to make the curved part 101 out of plastic. However, there is a risk that the support 15 for the speaker 10 will not be rigid enough and will vibrate with the speaker 10.

[0113] To improve the rigidity of the support and limit the vibrations of the speaker / support assembly when the speaker 10 is operating, several embodiments are advantageous.

[0114] In one embodiment, the curved part 101 is made of metal (for example, aluminum) rather than plastic. In another embodiment, the entire support is made of metal, for example, the same metal as that used for the base 100 (for example, aluminum), in which case the support 15 is a single piece of metal (which has the advantage of being robust and limiting vibrations compared to plastic).

[0115] In a second embodiment, the curved portion 101 is made of plastic but also includes a rib on the back of the curved portion. In a particular embodiment, the entire part is made of plastic, preferably in one piece, in which case the rib can be easily formed in the curved portion 101.

[0116] In a third embodiment, visible on the figure 9 The support 115 can be made by folding a cut piece of metal sheet (for example, aluminum). Advantageously, the support 115 is formed from a single piece.

[0117] The drawing on the left of the figure 9 Figure 115 represents the support before folding, and the drawing on the right represents the support 115 after folding. Again, the support 115 comprises a base 116 and a curved portion 117 having at its free end a flat surface 118, provided with a fixing hole 119, onto which the enclosure is fixed.

[0118] In a fourth embodiment, visible on the figure 10 The support 215 can be split into two separate parts. The support 215 then comprises, for example, a plastic base 216 and a curved metal part 217. The first end 218 (tab) of the curved metal part 217 (for example, aluminum) is riveted to the bottom 220 of the first face 221 of the base.

[0119] The riveting is particularly advantageous for fixing the curved part 217 onto the base 216 for the same reasons as previously indicated (i.e. no additional parts, no risk of vibration, reduced bulk, very robust connection).

[0120] Plastic pegs 222 extend vertically from the bottom 220 of the first face 221 of the base 216. The base 216 also includes a slot 223.

[0121] The first end 218 of the curved portion 217 includes a flat surface 224, which extends orthogonally to the flat surface 225 of the second end 226 of the curved portion. The flat surface 225 is in the shape of a circular disc. The flat surface 224 includes holes 228 and slots 229 formed in the edges of the flat surface 224. Here, the flat surface 224 is square; the holes 228 are located in the corners of the flat surface 224, and the slots 229 are located at the midpoints of the three free edges of the flat surface 224.

[0122] The flat surface 224 is inserted into the slot 223 and then applied against the bottom 220 of the first face 221 of the base 216, so that the pins 222 are inserted into the holes 228 and the slots 229. The flat surface 224 is then fixed by riveting to the bottom 220 of the first face 221 of the base 216.

[0123] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described but encompasses any variant falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0124] The enclosure containing the protective piece does not necessarily have the shape of a capsule and, therefore, the curved surfaces of the protective piece may differ from those described here.

[0125] The outermost portion of the enclosure, covered by the protective piece, is not necessarily the top face of the enclosure. It could be either the left or right side of the enclosure. Similarly, the lateral portion of the enclosure, covered by the protective piece, could be a different face, such as the rear.

[0126] The positioning and fastening devices could differ from those described here. In particular, the number and position of the magnets, pins, and tabs could be different. For example, the tabs could be replaced by elastic interlocking elements, the pins could have a different shape, as could the magnets, and so on.

Claims

1. Protective piece (14), arranged to be assembled with an acoustic enclosure (11) comprising a first side enclosure portion (20) and a first end enclosure portion (18), the first side enclosure portion (20) being a front face and the first end enclosure portion (18) being a top face of the acoustic enclosure, the first end enclosure portion (18) comprising a first convex external surface (33) and extending from the first side enclosure portion, the first side enclosure portion (20) of the acoustic enclosure (11) comprising a second convex external surface (34), the acoustic enclosure being able to comprise a first loudspeaker (25a, 25b) having its diaphragm positioned at the level of the first side enclosure portion and a second loudspeaker having its diaphragm positioned at the level of the first end enclosure portion,the protective piece comprising: - a lateral protective portion (40) and an end protective portion (41), the end protective portion comprising a first concave internal surface (42), complementary to the first convex external surface, and extending from the lateral protective portion, the lateral protective portion (40) comprising a second concave internal surface (43) complementary to the second convex external surface; - a positioning device (55) arranged to guide the protective piece into a predefined position on the acoustic enclosure during assembly of the protective piece with the acoustic enclosure, and to maintain the protective piece in this predefined position; the protective piece (14) being arranged so that when assembled with the acoustic enclosure,The lateral protection portion (40) and the extreme protection portion (41) of the protective piece respectively cover the first lateral box portion (20) and the first extreme box portion (18) of the acoustic enclosure, the protective piece being thus arranged to protect the first loudspeaker and the second loudspeaker of the acoustic enclosure.

2. Protective piece according to claim 1, in which the extreme protective portion (41) extends so that, when the protective piece (14) is assembled with the acoustic box (11), the extreme protective portion also covers a part of a second side box portion (21) of the acoustic box (11), opposite the first side box portion.

3. Protective piece according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lateral protective portion (40) extends so that, when the protective piece (14) is assembled with the acoustic box (11), the lateral protective portion (40) also covers a part of a second end box portion (19) of the acoustic box (11), opposite the first end box portion.

4. Protective piece according to any one of the preceding claims, the acoustic box (11) comprising a central part (16) of cylindrical shape and two ends (17a, 17b) of hemispherical shape, the first lateral box portion (20) belonging to the central part and the first extremal box portion (18) at one of the ends.

5. Protective piece according to any one of the preceding claims, the positioning device (55) comprising at least one magnet (56) which is positioned on an internal wall (47) of the lateral protective portion (40) and which is located near an edge of the lateral protective portion (40).

6. Protective piece according to claim 5, comprising a first magnet (56a) positioned near an edge (48) of a free end (49) of the lateral protective portion, and two second magnets (56b, 56c) each positioned near a distinct lateral edge (50) of the lateral protective portion (40) and near the extremal protective portion (41).

7. Protective piece according to any one of the preceding claims, the positioning device (55) further comprising at least one pin (61) arranged to center the protective piece on the acoustic box during the assembly of the protective piece and the acoustic box, the at least one pin being positioned near an edge (52) of a free end (53) of the extremity protective portion (41), and being arranged to be assembled by elastic interlocking in a complementary hole formed on the acoustic box.

8. Protective piece according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a fastening device (70) arranged to fix and lock the protective piece on the enclosure, the fastening device comprising at least one tab (71) extending from an edge (52) of a free end (53) of the extreme protective portion (41) and intended to be fixed to a second side enclosure portion (21) of the acoustic enclosure (11), opposite the first side enclosure portion.

9. Protective piece according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the lateral protective portions (40) and extremal protective portion (41) comprises holes (75) intended to vent outwards sounds generated by at least one loudspeaker (25) of the acoustic enclosure having a diaphragm positioned opposite said holes.

10. Acoustic enclosure (10) comprising the acoustic box (11) and a protective piece (14) according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. Acoustic enclosure according to claim 10, the acoustic enclosure comprising at least one first loudspeaker (25a, 25b) having a diaphragm positioned at the level of the first portion of the side enclosure (20).

12. Acoustic enclosure according to claim 10 or 11, the acoustic enclosure comprising at least a second loudspeaker having a diaphragm positioned at the level of the first extremity portion of the enclosure (18).

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