SOUNDPROOF CHAMBER WITH INTERCHANGEABLE SIDE PANELS
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- VN · VN
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FOCAL JMLAB(SA)
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-01
Smart Images
Figure VN1202602123_0
Abstract
Description
[0001] ACOUSTIC ENCLOSURE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE SIDE PANELS
[0002] Technical field
[0003] The present invention relates to the technical field of sound diffusion speakers, also called acoustic speakers.
[0004] More specifically, it relates to an acoustic enclosure comprising removable and interchangeable covering walls.
[0005] Prior art
[0006] Loudspeaker enclosures generally comprise a body that supports the sound generation means, including one or more loudspeakers. This body has an acoustic function, that of separating the front acoustic wave and the rear acoustic wave emitted by the loudspeaker(s). For aesthetic reasons, this body may be covered with external trim panels, such as a lid, a front panel, or side panels.
[0007] Traditionally, it is not possible to customize a speaker and the external casing elements of the speaker are merged with the body of the speaker. It is the same part.
[0008] However, today's consumers are increasingly demanding customization of their technological equipment, including the ability to change and / or repair certain components of the speaker without having to replace everything. This behavior requires manufacturers to provide a wide range of possible finishes for their speakers, with different materials, shapes, and colors for the enclosure panels. However, this multiplication of references is problematic and costly for manufacturers. It complicates speaker manufacturing and complicates inventory management.
[0009] It would therefore be interesting for manufacturers to have a single speaker body model, on which a multitude of different covering panels could be fixed indifferently according to the consumer's desire for personalization.
[0010] Furthermore, loudspeakers, especially high-end loudspeakers, are expensive, and consumers have an interest in keeping them as long as possible. To still have a sense of renewal, consumers would also like to be able to change the appearance of their loudspeaker, one or more times during the lifetime of this equipment, for example to match it to a new interior design. It would therefore be beneficial if the trim panels were removable and interchangeable.
[0011] In the prior art, most speakers do not have trim panels and the body provides the external aesthetic appearance. This is particularly always the case when the speakers have a large body and / or have curved or non-flat lines.
[0012] However, some models of speakers with removable and interchangeable sides have been proposed, such as the CHAMELEON™ speaker marketed by the company SONUS FABER™ or the speakers described in documents CN 207 218 975 or DE 31 27226. However, these models only allow limited customization of the speaker. Indeed, the interchangeable sides only cover a limited portion of the speaker. They are also flat in shape and are all made of the same material, for example a rigid plastic or wood with a lacquered paint.
[0013] These sides are fixed to the body of the enclosure by means of a set of pins and clips which engage in openings associated with them by a translational movement. However, such a fastening system is not suitable for large cladding panels, because the clips and pins would be very far from each other and could no longer be opposite the corresponding openings due to manufacturing tolerances. This fastening system is also incompatible with cladding panels which have complex non-planar shapes, in particular curved shapes, with which it is impossible to engage the clips and pins by a simple translational movement.
[0014] There is therefore a need for an enclosure comprising removable covering cheeks, easily interchangeable by the user, and which could be large and thus cover a large part of the body of the enclosure, and present complex aesthetic shapes, in particular curves.
[0015] For greater customization, it would also be desirable for the various compatible cladding panels to be available in a variety of materials, including wood, plastic, metal, linen, carbon fiber, or even, for example, "Formfleece" felt. However, these materials each have different weight and rigidity characteristics. No satisfactory attachment system has yet been proposed that is compatible with all of these materials and is also suitable for large, non-flat cladding panels.
[0016] Furthermore, the replacement of the trim cheeks should be simple and quick, regardless of the shape, material and size of these trim cheeks, so that it can be carried out easily by the user himself.
[0017] Furthermore, it is desirable that the replacement trim cheeks continue to ensure satisfactory aesthetics of the visible part of the enclosure, particularly when the enclosure has several of them, as well as good alignment at the front of the enclosure of the replaced cheeks, even if these are of complex shape.
[0018] Finally, as they are intended for acoustic speakers, these removable covering cheeks and their means of attachment must preferably be neutral in terms of sound, that is to say they must not hinder the production and diffusion of sound, nor be the source of parasitic noise which would reduce the quality of the sound produced by said speakers.
[0019] All these conditions mean that this need has remained unsatisfied until now.
[0020] There is therefore a technical problem of obtaining an acoustic enclosure with at least one removable and interchangeable covering cheek in a simple and rapid manner, suitable for large and non-planar covering panels, preferably neutral on a sound level and correctly aligned at the front of the enclosure.
[0021] Presentation of the invention
[0022] To address this technical problem, the present invention proposes an acoustic enclosure comprising a body and at least one removable and interchangeable covering cheek, which comprises a rear portion and a front portion extending over at least one plane.
[0023] According to the invention, this covering cheek is fixed to the body of the enclosure by means of a fixing device comprising:
[0024] - at least one hinge for connecting and positioning the front portion of the covering cheek, said hinge comprising:
[0025] . a male part with a projecting stem, and
[0026] . a female part with a housing for receiving the projecting rod, and - at least one assembly for connecting the rear portion of the covering cheek to the body, said connecting assembly comprising at least one attachment part capable of cooperating with the body despite a variable relative positioning between the body and the rear portion of the covering cheek.
[0027] Advantageously, the rear portion and the front portion extend along a straight or curved plane.
[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the front portion is a frontal portion covering a front face of the body while the rear portion is a lateral portion covering a lateral face of the body.
[0029] The enclosure covering cheek according to the invention is removable and interchangeable, even if it is of complex shape because it is not flat. Its original fixing system, by pivoting hinge at the front and connection assembly accepting tolerances at the rear, allows it to be easily dismantled and replaced by another of identical or different material which is easily reassembled by the user.
[0030] The trim cheek may be formed to cover only one side face of an enclosure with a non-planar shape. In this embodiment, the front portion of the trim cheek corresponds to the portion closest to the front of the enclosure while the side portion corresponds to the portion furthest from the front of the enclosure.
[0031] Preferably, the front portion covers a front face of the body while the side portion covers a side face of the body.
[0032] The connecting and positioning hinge allows the front portion of the trim cheek to be fixed with precise positioning on the body, which ensures satisfactory aesthetics in the front part of the body, i.e. the most visible part of the enclosure.
[0033] The connecting assembly only fixes the side portion of the trim cheek to the body, without positioning it precisely. It thus compensates for the problems of relative positioning between the attachment parts, linked to manufacturing tolerances and the inherent deformation of cheeks made of flexible or large material, without this being visible to the user because any appearance defects are relegated to the rear of the speaker. The connecting assembly also allows the hinges to be locked.
[0034] Preferably, the hinge also comprises a first elastomer interface element, inserted between the protruding rod and the receiving housing so as to avoid direct contact between them. With this embodiment, the fixing device is perfectly suited to an acoustic enclosure, because the elastomer interface element, inserted between the protruding rod and the receiving housing of the hinges, avoids parasitic noises which can result from direct contact between them, eliminates play and absorbs micro-vibrations. It is therefore neutral in terms of sound, while remaining easy to engage and disengage.
[0035] According to one embodiment of this enclosure, the projecting rod of the male part is of a substantially hemispherical shape, which gives the connecting and positioning hinge the character of a ball joint.
[0036] This feature facilitates the assembly or disassembly of the trim cheek on the body of the enclosure, because the protruding rod of the male part of the hinge can be more easily engaged or removed from the receiving housing of the female part, even if the trim cheek is slightly inclined and the protruding rod is not exactly in the axis of the receiving housing. This is all the more advantageous when the enclosure has several hinges that must be assembled or disassembled simultaneously.
[0037] The first interface element may be an elastomer coating on the protruding rod of the male part or in the receiving housing of the female part, or an independent element which engages on the protruding rod of the male part or in the receiving housing of the female part.
[0038] Preferably, the hinge is adjustable in at least two directions, so that the position of the front portion of the trim cheek on the body can be adjusted.
[0039] It is thus possible to precisely adjust the positioning of the front portion of the trim cheeks at the front of the body and in particular the parallelism of the edges of the two trim cheeks located on either side of the enclosure, for an optimal aesthetic result.
[0040] According to one embodiment, the male part or the female part of the hinge which is located on the body, comprises a mounting plate pierced with several oblong holes, oriented perpendicular to the pivot axis of the hinge, oblong holes through which the mounting plate is screwed onto the body.
[0041] The mounting plate can thus be moved along the axis of these oblong holes, to laterally adjust each of the hinges independently and thus optimize the positioning of the front portion of the trim cheeks at the front of the enclosure.
[0042] According to one embodiment, the male part of the hinge further comprises a tubular support, internally tapped and open at at least one of its ends, and in that the projecting rod of said male part is extended by a threaded axis which is engaged and screwed into said tubular support, the tubular support and the threaded axis being oriented along the pivot axis of the hinge.
[0043] The threaded shaft can thus be screwed more or less into the tubular support so as to raise or lower the protruding rod and its collar, thus allowing each of the hinges to be adjusted vertically independently to optimize the positioning of the front portion of the cladding cheeks at the front of the enclosure.
[0044] According to a variant of this embodiment, the male part of the hinge may further comprise a collar, located between the projecting rod and the threaded axis, as well as a spacer arranged between the tubular support and said collar.
[0045] The spacer that is wedged between the collar and the edge of the tubular support makes it possible to materialize and maintain the nominal adjustment position of the hinge defined in the design. This spacer is advantageously removable to allow the projecting rod to be adjusted to a position lower than the nominal position. In addition, it is possible to adjust the projecting rod to a position higher than the nominal position by removing the spacer.
[0046] According to one embodiment, the male part or the female part of the hinge is located on the inner face of the front portion of the covering cheek, and preferably comprises a mounting plate pierced with several holes which is glued to the inner face of the front portion of the covering cheek.
[0047] The hinge is thus hidden behind the front portion of the trim cheek.
[0048] With regard to the rear retention of the covering cheek, in one embodiment, said connecting assembly comprises a loop strip and a hook strip of a hook-and-loop tape.
[0049] For the purposes of the invention, a loop strip and a hook strip of a hook-and-loop tape may correspond to a “dual lock” type tape. These “dual lock” tapes are generally in the form of a strip of plastic and / or foam having a smooth adhesive surface on one side and a hook-and-loop surface on the other side. On this type of tape, the hook-and-loop surface is in the form of small plastic mushrooms. In this case, the loop strip and the hook strip are of identical mushroom shape which cooperate by interlocking. The surface density of these mushrooms can advantageously vary from one strip to another in order to modify the assembly strength of the two tapes. “Dual lock” tapes are often used in applications where a solid attachment is necessary, but where it is also important to be able to easily disassemble the object without damaging it.They are often used in industry to hold electronic components in place, to secure car accessories, to hold billboards in place, and for many other applications.
[0050] Such a connection assembly is economical and simple for the user. It allows for satisfactory support of trim cheeks of limited weight, while accepting positioning tolerances in two directions.
[0051] According to another embodiment, said connecting assembly comprises a tab pierced with an oblong hole and fixed on the lateral portion of the covering cheek, the tab being able to be inserted into a cavity of the body so that a cylindrical rod engages in said oblong hole to hold the lateral portion on the body.
[0052] Such a connection assembly allows the cladding cheeks of greater rigidity to be satisfactorily held, while accepting positioning tolerances in two directions and remaining simple for the user.
[0053] Preferably, a second elastomer interface element is interposed between the oblong hole and the cylindrical rod so as to avoid direct contact between them.
[0054] The second elastomer interface element, which is inserted between the oblong hole and the cylindrical rod, absorbs micro-vibrations, eliminates play and prevents unwanted noise in the link assembly that could result from direct contact between the oblong hole and the cylindrical rod. The link assembly is therefore noise-neutral, while remaining easy to engage and disengage.
[0055] According to one embodiment, the acoustic enclosure may further comprise at least one foam spacer arranged on the lateral face of the body or on the inner face of the lateral portion of the covering cheek, and extending respectively towards the inner face of the lateral portion of the covering cheek or the lateral face of the body until it comes into contact with the latter when the at least one connecting assembly locks the pivoting of the covering cheek relative to the body.
[0056] These foam spacers thus create a connection between the trim cheek and the side face of the body, making it possible to limit the free surfaces of the cheek, which could be liable to vibrate and generate unwanted sounds.
[0057] According to a variant of this embodiment, the acoustic enclosure may further comprise at least one composite acoustic insulation block, arranged opposite said foam spacer, on the lateral face of the body when the foam spacer is on the inner face of the lateral portion of the covering cheek or on the inner face of the lateral portion of the covering cheek when the foam spacer is on the lateral face of the body, and which compresses the foam spacer when the at least one connecting assembly locks the pivoting of the covering cheek relative to the body.
[0058] According to another embodiment, the composite sound insulation block is arranged directly on the cladding cheek.
[0059] Acoustic insulation blocks thus reinforce the effectiveness of foam spacers. Indeed, these acoustic insulation blocks help to dampen and offset the resonances inherent in the trim panels made of rigid materials, such as wood and certain plastics.
[0060] Advantageously, the covering cheek of the enclosure according to the invention can be made of wood, linen, carbon fibers, thermoformed plastic or formed felt known as “formfleece”.
[0061] It can also be large and / or curved.
[0062] According to a preferred embodiment, the acoustic enclosure comprises two covering cheeks and two hinges per covering cheek, and the covering cheeks cover the lateral faces of the part of the body containing the loudspeaker for bass sounds ("woofer") and optionally extend to also cover the lateral faces of the part of the body containing the loudspeaker for treble sounds ("tweeter"). Thus, the covering cheek comprises an extension intended to cover the upper part of the lateral face of the body, said upper part containing another loudspeaker, for example a loudspeaker of the "tweeter" type.
[0063] According to another embodiment, the enclosure comprises, in addition to the covering cheek, a complementary covering cheek intended to cover the upper part of the lateral face of the body, said upper part containing another loudspeaker, for example of the "tweeter" type. The complementary covering cheek is independent of said covering cheek and the maintenance of said complementary covering cheek on the upper part of the lateral face is ensured by a complementary fixing means.Preferably, in this embodiment, the enclosure comprises a device for positioning the complementary covering cheek, for example a projecting element located on the inner face of the complementary covering cheek or on the lateral face of the body, and a cavity provided to receive the projecting element and arranged opposite, respectively in the lateral face of the body or in the inner face of the complementary covering cheek, the engagement of the projecting element in the cavity serving as a reference for the positioning of the complementary covering cheek.
[0064] According to a variant of this embodiment, the acoustic enclosure may further comprise, for each covering cheek, a linear stiffening element, which is located on the inner face of the front portion of said covering cheek, close to the male or female parts of the two hinges located on the inner face of the front portion of said covering cheek, and which extends in a direction substantially parallel to that connecting these two male or female parts of the two hinges.
[0065] Brief description of the figures
[0066] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, a description made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
[0067] [Fig 1] is a general perspective view of an example of an acoustic enclosure according to the invention which comprises a body and side covering cheeks;
[0068] [Fig 2] is a general perspective view of the body of a first embodiment of an acoustic enclosure according to the invention;
[0069] [Fig 3] is a perspective view of the inner face of a trim cheek intended to be mounted on the body of Figure 2;
[0070] [Fig 4] is a cross-sectional view at the height of the hinges of the body of Figure 2 on which the trim cheek of Figure 3 is mounted;
[0071] [Fig 5] is a general perspective view of the body of a second embodiment of an acoustic enclosure according to the invention;
[0072] [Fig 6] is a cross-sectional view at the height of the hinges of the body of Fig. 5 on which the trim cheek of Fig. 7 is mounted;
[0073] [Fig 7] is a perspective view of the inner face of a trim cheek intended to be mounted on the body of Figure 5;
[0074] [Fig 8] is an enlargement of the detail inset B at the top left of Figure 7;
[0075] [Fig 9] is an enlargement of the detail inset A at the top right of Figure 7;
[0076] [Fig 10] is a general perspective view of the body of a third embodiment of an acoustic enclosure according to the invention; [Fig 11] is a perspective view of the inner face of a covering cheek intended to be mounted on the body of figure 10;
[0077] [Fig 12] is an exploded perspective view of the attachment part of the inner face of the lateral portion of the covering cheek of figures 7 and 11 and of a second elastomer interface element;
[0078] [Fig 13] is a perspective view of the attachment piece complementary to that of figure 12;
[0079] [Fig 14] is a perspective view, respectively exploded, before and after mounting of the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, of the different elements of an example of a hinge which can be used for an acoustic enclosure according to the invention;
[0080] [Fig 15] is a perspective view, respectively exploded, before and after mounting of the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, of the different elements of an example of a hinge which can be used for an acoustic enclosure according to the invention;
[0081] [Fig 16] is a perspective view, respectively exploded, before and after mounting of the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, of the different elements of an example of a hinge which can be used for an acoustic enclosure according to the invention;
[0082] [Fig 17] is a cross-sectional view of the front area of an enclosure according to the invention, illustrating a sequence of mounting the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, the cheek being respectively in the mounting position spaced from the side face of the body in Figure 17, then in the folded position against the side face of the body after pivoting around the hinges in Figure 18;
[0083] [Fig 18] is a cross-sectional view of the front area of an enclosure according to the invention, illustrating a sequence of mounting the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, the cheek being respectively in the mounting position spaced from the side face of the body in Figure 17, then in the folded position against the side face of the body after pivoting around the hinges in Figure 18;
[0084] [Fig 19] is a cross-sectional view of the rear lateral part of an enclosure according to the invention, illustrating a sequence of mounting the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, the cheek being respectively in the mounting position spaced from the lateral face of the body in Figure 19, in the folded position against the lateral face of the body after pivoting around the hinges in Figure 20, then in the locked position on the lateral face of the body by engagement of the attachment parts of the fixing element in Figure 21;[Fig 20] is a cross-sectional view of the rear lateral part of an enclosure according to the invention, illustrating a sequence of mounting the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, the cheek being respectively in the mounting position spaced from the lateral face of the body in Figure 19, in the folded position against the lateral face of the body after pivoting around the hinges in Figure 20, then in the locked position on the lateral face of the body by engagement of the attachment parts of the fixing element in Figure 21;
[0085] [Fig 21] is a cross-sectional view of the rear lateral part of an enclosure according to the invention, illustrating a sequence of mounting the covering cheek on the body of the enclosure, the cheek being respectively in the mounting position spaced from the lateral face of the body in Figure 19, in the folded position against the lateral face of the body after pivoting around the hinges in Figure 20, then in the locked position on the lateral face of the body by engagement of the attachment parts of the fixing element in Figure 21;
[0086] [Fig 22] is a perspective view of the inner face of an additional covering cheek intended to be mounted on the upper part of the side face of the body of Figure 2 or Figure 5 in order to also cover the part of the body containing the loudspeaker for high-pitched sounds ("tweeter");
[0087] [Fig 23] is a cross-sectional view of the body of Figure 2 or Figure 5 on which the complementary covering cheek of Figure 22 is mounted, section taken at the height of this complementary covering cheek;
[0088] [Fig 24] is a cross-sectional view of the body of figure 10 on which the covering cheek of figure 11 is mounted, section taken at the height of the extension of the covering cheek covering the upper part of the lateral face of the body containing the loudspeaker for high-pitched sounds (“tweeter”);
[0089] [Fig 25] is a cross-sectional view at the height of the hinges of a fourth embodiment of an acoustic enclosure according to the invention; and
[0090] [Fig 26] is a cross-sectional view at the height of the hinges of a fifth embodiment of an acoustic enclosure according to the invention. Detailed description of the invention
[0091] The acoustic enclosure according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 26. The equivalent elements shown in the different figures will bear the same numerical references.
[0092] In Figure 1, an example of an acoustic enclosure 1 according to the invention is shown. This enclosure comprises a substantially parallelepipedal body 2 which has a front face 3, a rear face 4 and two side faces 5. The body 2 of the enclosure 1 contains a certain number of acoustic elements allowing the generation of sound and in particular four “woofer” type loudspeakers for bass sounds hidden under fabrics 5a and opening onto the side faces 5 of the body 2, a “midrange” type loudspeaker 6 for medium sounds and a “tweeter” type loudspeaker 7 for high sounds which both open onto the front face 3 of the body 2. Alternatively, it is possible to use all possible configurations for the acoustic enclosure 1, for example with a single wideband or coaxial loudspeaker on the front or with a “midrange” type loudspeaker associated with a “tweeter” type loudspeaker.
[0093] The acoustic enclosure 1 shown also comprises two covering cheeks 8 which each cover a lateral face 5 and a portion of the front face 3 of the body 2 of the enclosure. For this purpose, each of these covering cheeks 8 comprises a lateral portion 9 and a front portion 10 which respectively cover the corresponding lateral face 5 and a portion of the front face 3 of the body 2.
[0094] Alternatively, the person skilled in the art could also envisage a covering cheek comprising a lateral portion 9 and two frontal portions 10, in order to cover both a portion of the front face 3 and a portion of the rear face 4 of the body 2 in addition to the corresponding lateral face 5. Furthermore, a curved covering cheek 8 may extend only over one lateral face 5.
[0095] According to another exemplary embodiment, the lateral portion 9 and the front portion 10 of the cheek 8 extending over at least two different planes, they are joined by at least one junction zone 11 which can be either angular or curved.
[0096] The front portions 10 of the covering cheeks 8 shown cover for example approximately half of the front face 3 of the body 2 and have cutouts 12 of a shape adapted for the technical elements of the body 2 which must not be covered or which must remain accessible, such as for example the loudspeakers 6 and 7 and the start button or operating indicator light 13 of the speaker.
[0097] In the example of Figure 1 and in the variants of Figures 2 to 9, the covering cheeks 8 do not extend completely to the top of the lateral faces 5 of the body 2. To complete them, the acoustic enclosure 1 also comprises two complementary covering cheeks 14, independent of the covering cheeks 8, which cover the upper part of the lateral faces 5 of the body 2 which contain the “tweeter” loudspeaker 7.
[0098] Alternatively, as for example in the embodiment of figures 10 and 11, the covering cheeks 8 can extend in one piece upwards by an extension 15 which covers the top of the lateral faces 5 of the body 2 and thus for example the part of the body 2 containing the “tweeter” type loudspeaker 7.
[0099] The covering cheeks 8 are fixed to the body 2 of the enclosure 1 by means of a fixing device which is preferably located between the covering cheeks 8 and the body 2 so as not to be visible to the user once the covering cheeks 8 are in place. This fixing device comprises one or more connecting and positioning hinges 17 which make it possible to connect with precise positioning the front portion 10 of the covering cheek 8 to the front face 3 of the body 2. The number of hinges 17 depends on the size of the acoustic enclosure 1 and the height of the covering cheek 8. It is generally between one for small enclosures and three for very large ones, and preferably equal to two as shown in the figures for medium-sized enclosures.
[0100] This hinge 17 comprises a male part 18 with a projecting rod 19 and a female part 20 with a hollow receiving housing 21 in which the projecting rod 19 of the male part 18 is intended to be received.
[0101] For better understanding, a particular example of such a hinge 17 has been specifically illustrated in Figures 14 to 16.
[0102] In this example, the female part 20 is intended to be fixed, preferably by gluing, against the inner face 22 of the front portion 10 of the covering cheek 8. For this, it comprises a mounting plate 23 of rectangular shape for example, pierced with several holes 24, which is intended to be glued against the inner face 22. From this plate 23 rises a holding structure 25, terminated by a tubular element 26 preferably open at its two ends and whose cylindrical bore 27 constitutes the receiving housing 21 of the female part 20.
[0103] A first interface element 28, made of elastomer and also of tubular shape, engages in the cylindrical bore 27 of the female part 20 and is retained there by its two circular end edges 29.
[0104] Alternatively, this first interface element 28 could not be produced in the form of an independent part, but could be directly overmolded inside the bore 27 of the female part 20.
[0105] According to other possible variants not shown, this first interface element could also be an independent part mounted on the projecting rod 19 of the male part 18, or even an elastomer coating directly overmolded on the projecting rod 19.
[0106] In all cases, this first interface element 28 makes it possible to eliminate any play existing between the projecting rod 19 and the receiving housing 21, while avoiding direct contact between these two parts. The adjustment between the projecting rod 19 and the receiving housing 21 can thus be provided side by side, or even slightly tight, thanks to this interface element 28 which makes it possible to adjust the two parts of the hinge one inside the other. Thus, the play, which always exists between the male part and the female part of conventional hinges, and which could generate parasitic micro-vibrations which are particularly annoying in the case of an enclosure, because they are audible during operation of the enclosure, is avoided thanks to this interface element 28 made of elastomer which absorbs the micro-vibrations.
[0107] In the example shown, the male part 18 of the hinge 17 is advantageously made in three parts so that it can be adjusted in two directions.
[0108] It thus comprises a mounting plate 30 pierced with three oblong holes 31 which are oriented perpendicularly to the pivot axis of the hinge, that is to say to the general direction of the projecting rod 19 and the cylindrical housing 21. This plate 30 is intended to be screwed onto the front face 3 of the body 2 by means of screws passing through these oblong holes 31. Thanks to these oblong holes 31, it is thus possible to adjust the positioning of the mounting plate 30 and thus of the male part 18 of the hinge 17 on the front face 3 of the body 2, by sliding it in the direction of orientation of the oblong holes 31, that is to say substantially horizontally.
[0109] This mounting plate 30 is extended by an extension 32, terminated by a tubular support 33 which is open at at least one and preferably both of its ends 34, in order to provide access to its cylindrical internal bore 35 which is internally tapped. This tubular support 33 is oriented along the pivot axis of the hinge and is designed to receive the part of the male part 18 comprising the projecting rod 19.
[0110] The projecting rod 19 is in fact mounted at the end of a threaded shaft 36 which can be screwed into the tapped bore 35 of the tubular support 33, until the collar 37, which extends radially between the projecting rod 19 and the threaded shaft 36, comes to rest against the end 34 of the tubular support 33.
[0111] By modifying the engagement height of the threaded axis 36 in the tapped bore 35 by simply screwing or unscrewing this axis, the user can easily modify the height of the projecting rod 19 and thus adjust the hinge 17 in a second direction corresponding to that of its pivot axis, that is to say in a substantially vertical direction.
[0112] A spacer 38 is preferably inserted between the collar 37 and the end 34 of the tubular support 33 and thus materializes and guarantees a nominal positioning of the projecting rod 19, as set in the factory during the manufacture of the hinge 17. This spacer 38 can obviously be removed if it is desired to reduce or increase the height of the projecting rod 19.
[0113] Thanks to these two possibilities of adjustment of the male part 18 of the hinge 17, by means of oblong holes 31 on the one hand and the screwing of the threaded axis 36 into the tapped bore 35 on the other hand, it is possible to obtain a particularly precise positioning of the front portion 10 of the covering cheek 8 on the front face 3 of the body 2 of the enclosure 1. The user can thus obtain a mounting of the two covering cheeks 8 on the front face of the enclosure 1, with perfectly parallel edges and of the same height, which is particularly interesting from an aesthetic point of view.
[0114] Advantageously, all the parts of the hinge 17 are made symmetrically so that they can be turned, either from right to left or from top to bottom, so that they can be used indifferently to fix the right or left covering cheek 8 of the enclosure 1.
[0115] Furthermore, as shown in the figures, the projecting rod 19 is very short and has a virtually hemispherical shape. It can thus be easily engaged in the housing 21 of the female part 20, even if its axis is inclined relative to that of the housing 21. This characteristic gives the hinge 17 the character of a ball joint connection and not a simple pivot connection. The assembly of the covering cheeks 8 is thus significantly facilitated for the user, in particular when they comprise several hinges 17 to be fitted simultaneously over the entire height of the covering cheek.
[0116] The male part 18 and the female part 20 may be made of any suitable material, identical or different from each other, for example metal or plastic, and in particular ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) preferably reinforced with glass fibers.
[0117] The fixing device also comprises one or more connecting assemblies 39 which make it possible to fix the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 to the corresponding lateral face 5 of the body 2 and thus to lock the pivoting of the covering cheek 8 relative to the body 2. Each connecting assembly 39 comprises at least one attachment part capable of cooperating with the body 2 despite a variable relative positioning between the body 2 and the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8.
[0118] Thus, these attachment parts are chosen so as to be able to accept the tolerances relating to their respective positioning. Indeed, depending on the size of the covering cheek 8 which may be large and depending on the material constituting it which may be more or less flexible, two complementary attachment parts of the connecting assembly 39 are not necessarily perfectly positioned opposite each other. Despite this, the two attachment parts of the connecting assembly 39 are able to cooperate with each other despite this variable relative positioning of the two attachment parts within the limits of the manufacturing tolerances.
[0119] Several embodiments of these attachment parts can be envisaged by those skilled in the art, two of which have been shown in the attached figures.
[0120] A first embodiment has been illustrated in Figures 2 to 4. In this embodiment, the two attachment parts of the connecting assembly 39 comprise a loop strip 42 and a hook strip 43 of a self-gripping tape 44, for example of the Velcro™ type. Of course, the positioning between the hook strip 43 and the loop strip 42 on the inner face 41 of the lateral portion of the cheek 2 and the lateral face 5 of the body 2 respectively, can be reversed with respect to the configuration shown.
[0121] The self-gripping strip 44 preferably extends over substantially the entire height of the covering cheek 8 and over a corresponding height on the lateral face 5 of the body 2. Thus, due to the significant height of the self-gripping tape 44 and the width of the loop 42 and hook 43 strips, the two attachment pieces can cooperate with each other even if they are not perfectly opposite each other, the self-gripping tape 44 ensuring its fixing function, even if the loop 42 and the hook 43 strip are offset relative to each other in height and / or width, provided that a portion of the hook 43 strip is engaged with a portion of the loop 42 strip. The relative positioning tolerances of the two complementary attachment pieces are thus absorbed.
[0122] The aesthetic positioning of the covering cheek 8 on the body 2 of the enclosure is ensured at the front by the adjustable hinges 17 which precisely position the front of the cheek 8 on the front face 3 of the body 2. At the rear, the self-gripping tape 44 only locks the pivoting of the cheek 8 relative to the body 2 and holds the covering cheek 8 against the body 2 without precise positioning, the appearance defects linked to this imprecise positioning not being bothersome for the user because they are limited to the rear, less visible, of the enclosure. This makes the operation of mounting the covering cheek 8 on the body 2 very easy for the user,
[0123] This embodiment of the connecting assembly 39 based on self-gripping tape 44 is simple and economical. It is perfectly suited to small-sized trim cheeks 8 and / or those made of a lightweight material, in particular those made of felt or formed carpet “formfleece”.
[0124] With such trim cheeks made of flexible materials, it may be advantageous to stiffen the front portion 10 of the cheek to ensure precise relative positioning of the hinge elements 17 secured thereto. For this, a linear stiffening element 45 may advantageously be provided on the inner face 22 of the front portion 10 of the cheek 8. This linear stiffening element 45 preferably extends close to and in a direction substantially parallel to that connecting the two hinge elements 17 attached to the inner face 22.
[0125] When the covering cheek 8 is larger and / or made of a heavier and more rigid material, for example curved wood or a thermoformed rigid plastic, connecting assemblies 39 such as those shown in FIGS. 5 to 12 and 19 to 21 can advantageously be used. In this embodiment, three connecting assemblies 39 are preferably used to connect the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 to the corresponding lateral face 5 of the body 2. These connecting assemblies 39 are preferably regularly distributed over the height of the covering cheek 8, and each comprises two complementary attachment pieces which, for better understanding, have been shown in isolation in FIGS. 12 and 13.
[0126] The first of these attachment parts is shown in the enlargement of Figure 9 and in Figure 12. It is a latch 70 which is secured to the inner face 41 of the lateral portion 9 of the cheek 8. For this, the latch 70 preferably comprises a mounting plate 46 pierced with holes 47, which is intended to be glued against the inner face 41, for example in a recess 48 thereof. From this mounting plate 46, rises a tab 49, possibly reinforced by stiffening ribs 50, and the end of which is pierced with an oblong hole 51. When the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 comes to cover the lateral face 5 of the body 2 by pivoting the covering cheek 8 around the hinge 17, the tab 49 of the latch 70 is directed towards the lateral face 5 of the body 2 and comes to engage in a cavity 52 located opposite in the lateral face 5 of the body 2.Its oblong hole 51 is then found inside this cavity 52, as shown in figure 20.
[0127] The second attachment part of this connecting assembly 39 is shown in Figure 13. It is a headless screw 53 which has a smooth end 54, forming a cylindrical rod 55, and a threaded end 56. This headless screw 53 is intended to be introduced into a tapped insert 57 of the body 2 which opens into the cavity 52 so that the smooth end 54 of the screw 53 can extend into the cavity 52 more or less deeply depending on the level of screwing or unscrewing of the threaded end 56 of the screw 53 in the tapped insert 57. In a degraded embodiment, the headless screw 53 can be screwed directly into a tapped opening of the body 2, that is to say without using an insert.
[0128] When the tab 49 of the latch 70 is present in the cavity 52, the cylindrical rod 55 of the screw 53 can be engaged in the oblong hole 51 of the tab 49 by a translational movement in its longitudinal direction, obtained by simply screwing the headless screw 53. By this engagement of the cylindrical rod 55 in the oblong hole 51, the tab 49 is blocked in the cavity 52, thus connecting the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 to the lateral face 5 of the body 2 and simultaneously locking the pivoting of the covering cheek 8 relative to the body 2, as shown in Figure 21.
[0129] This connection and this locking are perfectly reversible and can be very easily removed by simply unscrewing the screw 53 which causes a translation in the opposite direction of the cylindrical rod 55, thus releasing the tab 49 and its oblong hole 51, and allowing the user to easily disassemble the covering cheek 8 to replace it with another. In one embodiment, in order to avoid any micro-vibrations and shocks between the two attachment parts during operation of the enclosure 1, which could generate annoying parasitic noises because they are audible, a second interface element 58 made of elastomer is interposed between the edges of the oblong hole 51 and the cylindrical rod 55 in order to avoid any direct contact between them. In the example shown, this second interface element 58 is an independent element which engages and mounts on the edges of the oblong hole 51.It could obviously be a coating directly overmolded on the edges of the oblong hole 51 or on the wall of the cylindrical rod 55.
[0130] Furthermore, the headless screw 53 could be threaded over its entire length and therefore also along the cylindrical rod 55. But it is preferably smooth at its end 54 which engages in the oblong hole 51 in order to avoid premature wear of the second elastomer interface element 58, which could otherwise occur due to friction of the thread against the elastomer interface element 58.
[0131] As in the previous embodiment, these connecting assemblies 39 accept positioning tolerances. Indeed, by screwing the headless screw 53 as far as it will go into the threaded insert 57, it is possible to correct for poor longitudinal positioning of the tab, i.e. towards the front or rear of the body 2. Similarly, due to the oblong shape of the hole 51 of the tab 49, the cylindrical rod 55 of the headless screw can engage in the oblong hole 51 even if there is a positioning offset between these two elements in the direction of the axis of the oblong hole 51. A clearance is therefore obtained in two directions, which allows the two attachment parts of the connecting assembly 39 to cooperate with each other despite a variable relative positioning within the limits of the manufacturing tolerances.
[0132] Furthermore, and despite this positioning tolerance, thanks to the presence of the second interface element 58 made of elastomer, the engagement of the cylindrical rod 55 in the oblong hole 51 is done without play, which makes it possible to avoid micro-vibrations which could otherwise be communicated to the entire body of the enclosure.
[0133] Furthermore, in order to avoid any resonance of possible vibrations generated by the movements of the covering cheek 8, the enclosure 1 may advantageously also comprise one or more spacers 59 preferably made of foam, which may be melamine, for example rectangular in shape, arranged between the lateral face 5 of the body 2 and the inner face 41 of the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 and preferably distributed over at least part of the height and width of the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8.
[0134] As shown, these spacers 59 can be secured, preferably by adhesives or gluing, inside a recess 60 formed in the lateral face 5 of the body 2. These spacers 59 project outside these reinforcements 60 and extend towards the inner face 41 of the covering cheek 8, so as to come into contact with it when the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 covers the lateral face 5 of the body 2 after pivoting of the hinge 17 and the connecting assembly 39 locks this pivoting. Obviously, an inverted configuration, in which the spacers 59 would be secured to the inner face 41 of the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 and would extend towards the lateral face 5 of the body 2, is also conceivable.
[0135] Advantageously, a composite sound insulation block 61 is arranged directly on the cladding cheek 8.
[0136] As shown in Figure 26 and in order to reinforce the effectiveness of these foam spacers 59, one or more composite acoustic insulation blocks 61 can be added to the inner face 41 of the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 so as to offset the natural resonances of the covering cheeks 8.
[0137] These sound insulation blocks 61 are preferably made of a material of the EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl-Acetate) type or of the thermoplastic polyolephine type or of the composite type composed for example of a Butyl-Aluminum-Foam (BAM) structure. They are secured, preferably by means of adhesives or by gluing, on the inner face 41 of the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8. Such sound insulation blocks 61 can advantageously be used when the covering cheeks 8 are made of a rigid material, in particular wood or thermoformed rigid plastic, because these materials provide limited natural damping and resonate strongly. Damping of the natural resonances of the covering cheeks 8 more effective than that provided by the foam spacers 59 alone may then be necessary.When the covering cheek 8 is made of a flexible and naturally shock-absorbing material, for example thermoformed felt of the “formfleece” type, the foam spacers 59 may be sufficient.
[0138] When the covering cheek 8 includes an extension 15 intended to cover the upper part of the lateral face 5 of the body 2 which contains a loudspeaker, for example of the “tweeter” type 7, an additional fixing means 62 can be provided at this level.
[0139] It may simply be a self-gripping strip or, as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 24, portions of self-gripping tape 44, preferably two in number, each formed from a portion of loop strip 42, for example attached by gluing to the lateral face 5 of the body 2, and a portion of hook strip 43, for example attached by adhesives and / or gluing to the inner face 63 of the extension 15, or vice versa.
[0140] The covering cheek 8 being precisely positioned on the front face 3 of the body 2 thanks to the hinges 17, the complementary fixing means 62 therefore does not need to ensure precise positioning of the extension 15 which extends in the extension of the cheek 8. Portions of self-gripping tape 44 therefore constitute a particularly advantageous complementary fixing means, because they are economical, simple to use for the user and accept the relative positioning tolerances of their two complementary attachment parts as explained above. However, and although not shown, other complementary fixing means 62 could also be used, in particular fixing means comprising a tab 49 and a headless screw 53.
[0141] In the case where the enclosure 1 comprises a complementary covering cheek 14 separate from the covering cheek 8, as in the embodiments shown in figures 1, 5, 22 and 23, a complementary fixing means 62 must also be used to ensure the maintenance of this complementary covering cheek 14 on the upper part of the lateral face 5 of the body 2.
[0142] Since the complementary covering cheek 14 is small in size and therefore not very heavy, the complementary fixing means 62 can, as previously, be formed of portions of self-gripping tape 44, preferably two in number, preferably attached by adhesives and / or gluing and / or stapling and arranged near the lateral edges of the complementary covering cheek 14, over substantially their entire height. One of the attachment parts of these portions of self-gripping tape 44, for example a portion of loop strip 42, is attached to the lateral face 5 of the body 2, while the other attachment part is attached opposite on the inner face 64 of the complementary covering cheek 14.
[0143] The complementary covering cheek 14 being independent of the covering cheek 8, it is necessary to ensure correct positioning of the latter on the lateral face 5 of the body 2. When the complementary fixing means 62 does not perform this function, as is for example the case with the portions of self-gripping tape 44 of the embodiments shown, the enclosure 1 can advantageously comprise a device 65 for positioning the complementary covering cheek 14.This positioning device 65 is for example constituted by a projecting element 66, indifferently located on the inner face 64 of the complementary covering cheek 14 or on the lateral face 5 of the body 2, and a cavity 67 provided to receive the projecting element 66 and arranged opposite, respectively in the lateral face 5 of the body 2 or in the inner face 64 of the complementary covering cheek 14, the engagement of the projecting element 66 in the cavity 67 serving as a reference for the positioning of the complementary covering cheek 14.
[0144] This projecting element 66 may be an added element or be made in one piece, for example by molding, with the wall from which it rises. In the embodiment of Figures 22 and 23, the projecting element 66 is for example a cleat 68 of substantially parallelepipedal shape which is glued against the inner face 64 of the complementary covering cheek 14 and which extends substantially vertically near a portion of self-gripping tape 44. To ensure correct positioning of the complementary covering cheek 14, this cleat 68 cooperates with a cavity 67 provided opposite in the lateral face 5 of the body 2 in which it engages when the complementary covering cheek 14 is fixed to the body 2 by means of self-gripping tape 44, as shown in Figure 23.
[0145] The complementary covering cheeks 14 being interchangeable, the body 2 of the enclosure 1 can advantageously have a cavity 67 even when the complementary covering cheek 14 or the extension 15 does not include a projecting element 66 as shown in FIG. 24. It can thus adapt to any type of complementary covering cheek 14 which could be put in place by the user.
[0146] In the same way, as shown in Figure 4, the lateral face 5 of the body 2 preferably comprises a cavity 52 and a threaded insert 57 in which a headless screw 53 is engaged, even if the covering cheek 8 initially mounted on the enclosure 1 is fixed there by means of a self-gripping tape 44.
[0147] For the description to be complete, a sequence for mounting an example of a covering cheek 8 on the body 2 of an enclosure 1 has been shown in figures 17 to 21.
[0148] To carry out this assembly, the user begins by mounting the front portion 10 of the covering cheek 8 on the front face 3 of the body 2. To do this, he engages the housing 21 of the female parts 20 on the projecting rod 19 of the male parts 18. This engagement is facilitated by the advantageous configuration of the projecting rods 19 which are short and substantially hemispherical and which thus make it easy to carry out this engagement for all of the hinges 17 simultaneously over the entire height of the enclosure 1, even if the front portion 10 is slightly inclined. The lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 is then spaced from the lateral face 5 of the body 2 as shown in Figures 17 and 19.
[0149] The user then pivots the covering cheek 8 by means of the hinges 17 to bring its lateral portion 9 closer to the lateral face 5 of the body 2 as shown in Figures 18 and 20. During this pivoting, the tabs 49 of the latches 70 located on the inner face 41 of the lateral portion 9 of the cheek 8 engage in the cavities 52 located opposite in the lateral face 5 of the body 2. The oblong holes 51 of the tabs 49 are then substantially opposite the smooth end 54 of the headless screws 53.
[0150] The user then screws the headless screws 53 to translate them into the threaded inserts 57 of the body 2 until their cylindrical rods 55 engage in the oblong holes 51 and pass through them. In this configuration, shown in Figure 21, the lateral portion 9 of the covering cheek 8 is fixed to the lateral face 5 of the body 2 by the connecting assemblies 39 and the pivoting of the covering cheek 8 by means of the hinges 17 is prevented. The assembly of the covering wall 8 is then complete.
[0151] The invention thus makes it possible to obtain an acoustic enclosure with at least one removable and interchangeable covering cheek in a simple and rapid manner, suitable for large covering panels of non-planar shape, made of wood, ABS, "Formfleece" or others, neutral on a sound level, and correctly aligned at the front of the enclosure. In addition, the attachment system thus described is compatible with these different materials insofar as it can adapt to the different mechanical constraints applied by the covering cheek 8 on the body 2.
Claims
CLAIMS 1. Acoustic enclosure (1) comprising a body (2) and at least one covering cheek (8), removable and interchangeable, characterized in that this covering cheek (8) comprises a rear portion and a front portion extending over at least one plane, and in that this covering cheek (8) is fixed to the body (2) of the enclosure (1) by means of a fixing device comprising: - at least one hinge (17) for connecting and positioning the front portion of the covering cheek (8), said hinge (17) comprising: . a male part (18) with a projecting rod (19), and . a female part (20) with a receiving housing (21) for the projecting rod (19); and - at least one connecting assembly (39) of the rear portion of the covering cheek (8) on the body (2), said connecting assembly (39) comprising at least one attachment part capable of cooperating with the body (2) despite a variable relative positioning between the body (2) and the rear portion of the covering cheek (8).
2. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to claim 1, in which the rear portion and the front portion extend along a straight or curved plane.
3. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to claim 1, in which the front portion is a frontal portion (10) covering a front face (3) of the body (2) while the rear portion is a lateral portion (9) covering a lateral face (5) of the body (2).
4. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the projecting rod (19) of the male part (18) is of a substantially hemispherical shape, which gives the connecting and positioning hinge (17) a ball joint character.
5. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the hinge (17) also comprises a first interface element (28) made of elastomer, interposed between the projecting rod (19) and the receiving housing (21) so as to avoid direct contact between them.
6. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to claim 5, in which the first interface element (28) is an elastomer coating on the projecting rod (19) of the male part (18) or in the receiving housing (21) of the female part (20), or an independent element which engages on the projecting rod (19) of the male part (18) or in the receiving housing (21) of the female part (20).
7. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the hinge (17) is adjustable in at least two directions and so as to be able to adjust the position of the front portion (10) of the covering cheek (8) on the body (2).
8. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the male part (18) or the female part (20) of the hinge (17), located on the body (2), comprises a mounting plate (30) pierced with several oblong holes (31), oriented perpendicular to the pivot axis of the hinge, oblong holes (31) through which the mounting plate (30) is screwed onto the body (2).
9. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the male part (18) of the hinge (17) further comprises a tubular support (33), internally tapped and open at least one of its ends (34), and in that the projecting rod (19) of said male part (18) is extended by a threaded axis (36) which is engaged and screwed into said tubular support (33), the tubular support (33) and the threaded axis (36) being oriented along the pivot axis of the hinge (17).
10. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the male part (18) of the hinge (17) further comprises a collar (37), located between the projecting rod (19) and the threaded shaft (36), and a spacer (38) arranged between the tubular support (33) and said collar (37).
11. An acoustic enclosure (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein said connecting assembly (39) comprises a loop strip (42) and a hook strip (43) or a hook-and-loop tape (44).
12. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to claim 3, wherein said connecting assembly (39) comprises a latch (70) comprising a tab (49) pierced with an oblong hole (51) and fixed on the lateral portion (9) of the covering cheek (8), the tab (49) being capable of being inserted into a cavity (52) of the body (2) so that a cylindrical rod (55) engages in said oblong hole (51) to hold the lateral portion (9) on the body (2).
13. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to claim 12, in which a second interface element (58) made of elastomer is interposed between the oblong hole (51) and the cylindrical rod (55) so as to avoid direct contact between them.
14. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of claims 3, 12, or 13, in which at least one foam spacer (59) is arranged on the lateral face (5) of the body (2) or on the inner face (41) of the lateral portion (9) of the covering cheek (8), and extending respectively in the direction of the inner face (41) of the lateral portion (9) of the covering cheek (8) or of the lateral face (5) of the body (2) until coming into contact with the latter when the at least one connecting assembly (39) locks the pivoting of the covering cheek (8) relative to the body (2).
15. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to the preceding claim, in which at least one composite acoustic insulation block (61) is arranged on the inner face (41) of the covering cheek (8) so as to limit the specific resonances of the covering cheeks (8), which are made of rigid materials.
16. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, in which the covering cheek (8) comprises an extension (15) intended to cover the upper part of the lateral face (5) of the body (2), said upper part enclosing another loudspeaker.
17. Acoustic speaker (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, in which it comprises at least one complementary covering cheek (14) intended to cover the or an upper part of the lateral face (5) of the body (2), said upper part enclosing another loudspeaker, said complementary covering cheek (14) being independent of said covering cheek (8), the maintenance of said complementary covering cheek (14) on the upper part of the lateral face (5) being ensured by a complementary fixing means (62).
18. Acoustic enclosure (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the enclosure (1) comprises a positioning device (65) for the complementary covering cheek (14), for example a projecting element (66) located on the inner face (64) of the complementary covering cheek (14) or on the lateral face (5) of the body (2), and a cavity (67) provided to receive the projecting element (66) and arranged opposite, respectively in the lateral face (5) of the body (2) or in the inner face (64) of the complementary covering cheek (14), the engagement of the projecting element (66) in the cavity (67) serving as a reference for the positioning of the complementary covering cheek (14).