Speaker Cover

Abstract

An audio speaker cover that can remain on the speaker while in use comprising: a storage compartment with an opening; said opening configured to receive an audio speaker; said storage compartment configured to enclose an audio speaker; said storage compartment further comprising a front panel; said front panel comprising an outer cover and a sound radiating panel; said outer cover removably attached to said storage compartment and configured to cover said sound radiating panel; said sound radiating panel configured to cover the radiating side of the speaker.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/295,397, filed Jan. 15, 2010. All subject matter set forth in provisional application No. 61/295,397 is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE-INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to covers for audio speakers.

2. Description of the Related Art

Speaker covers are useful for protecting audio speakers during transport and from the elements. There are a variety of speaker covers in the prior art that are useful for protecting speakers when the speakers are not in use.

An example of a prior art speaker cover is Applicant's GPA-SCVR450-515 speaker cover that, as of the date of the filing of this application, can be found at http://gatorcases.mercurynewmedia.com/Default.aspx?Section=Products&Page=Details& CategoryID=4461&CatalogID=9895. Other examples of protective speaker covers exist in the prior art, such as rolling speaker bags for large and heavy speakers, and a variety of protective covers and bags. All of the prior art speaker covers and bags are useful to enclose and protect the speaker during transport and storage, but they must be removed when the speaker is in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The known speaker covers are not useful to protect the speaker when the speaker is in use. It would be advantageous to provide a speaker cover that can protect the speaker from the elements and not have to be removed to use the speaker.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a protective speaker cover that need not be removed and can protect the speaker while the speaker is set up and used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There are shown in the drawings certain exemplary embodiments of the invention including those as presently preferred. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed as examples, and is capable of variation within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a speaker cover according to the present invention, shown with the front panel in the rolled up position and the radiating side facing out.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION INCLUDING PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, speaker covers of the present invention are now described. FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the speaker cover 1 without a speaker inside. The speaker cover 1 has a storage compartment 2 defined by the various sides (3a-3c) of the cover, the radiating side front panel 4 (shown with outer cover 7 rolled up in FIG. 1) (hereinafter “front panel”), and the top 5. The bottom is an opening 6 defined by the bottom edges of the sides (3a-3c), and the bottom edge of the front panel 4. In this embodiment, the bottom opening 6 can be slid over the top of the speaker to enclose the speaker within the storage compartment 2.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that other opening arrangements can be used for enclosing the speaker within the speaker cover 1. For example, the back side (3b) could be left open, though this would compromise the protection offered by the cover. Alternatively, one of the sides (3a or 3c), the back 3b, or bottom 6 could be removably secured to the cover by zipper, Velcro, or other suitable means. The invention herein is not limited to any particular manner of providing an opening for receiving the speaker.

The storage compartment 2 is of the appropriate size and shape to accommodate the speaker to be enclosed, and thus the shape, dimensions, and number of sides of a speaker cover 1 according to the present invention may vary depending upon the size and shape of the speaker to be enclosed. For example, if the speaker to be enclosed were triangular in shape looking down at it, there would be a triangular shaped top, two sides, a front panel that forms the base of the triangle, and a bottom opening, all of which would be sized to accommodate the speaker in the storage compartment 2. Typical speakers are square or rectangular, dictating the shape depicted in FIG. 1.

The speaker cover 1 can be fabricated of waterproof nylon, or any other suitable material. A type of nylon known in the art as waterproof 440-D Nylon is used in the FIG. 1 embodiment. Waterproof nylon is a durable material that is light, flexible, and protects against moisture, but those skilled in the art will recognize that other materials can be used as well, including materials that are more rigid and heavier if desired. Padding can be added for more protection if desired.

According to the invention, the speaker is oriented inside the speaker cover 1 such that the side of the speaker from which the sound radiates (radiating side of the speaker) is aligned with the front panel 4. The front panel 4 is comprised of the outer cover 7 (shown rolled up in FIG. 1), and the mesh panel 8, which covers the entire front panel 4. The mesh panel 8 in FIG. 1 is permanently secured to the speaker cover 1 on all sides. It can also be removably secured on one or more sides if desired within the scope of the invention. The mesh panel 8 or grill can be fabricated of any type of material that has sufficient openings or other qualities to allow sound to radiate through it without muffling or undue distortion, such as extruded polypropylene net. The outer cover 7 rolls down to completely cover the mesh panel 8 when the speaker is not in use. When it is time to use the speaker, the outer cover 7 is rolled up to reveal the mesh panel 8 and allow sound to project through the mesh panel 8 without undue distortion.

The outer cover 7 is removably secured to sides 3a and 3c and the bottom 6 in the FIG. 1 embodiment and permanently secured to the top 5 so that it can be rolled up and away from the radiating side of the speaker during use. The outer cover 7 could also be completely removable if desired, so that padding or a more protective rigid material can be utilized to protect the radiating side of the speaker during transport. The outer cover 7 could be permanently secured to one of the sides (3a or 3c) so it can roll away to the left or right instead of up; or it could be permanently secured to the bottom 6 instead of the top 5 so it can be rolled down, all within the scope of the invention. Those in the art of speaker cover manufacturing will realize that variations in the direction that the outer cover 7 is rolled away from the radiating side of the speaker, i.e. rolling up vs. rolling to the right or left side vs. rolling down can be utilized and the best configuration will depend upon the typical orientation of the type of speaker during use. The invention is also not limited to rolling, and any manner of folding or moving the outer cover 7 away from the radiating side of the speaker can be utilized, as well as completely removing it.

Zippers 9 are utilized in the FIG. 1 embodiment to removably secure the outer cover 7 to sides 3a and 3c (mating portion of zippers on the outer cover 7 edges not visible in FIG. 1 because outer cover is depicted in rolled up configuration), but any suitable means of removable attachment can be utilized in accordance with the speaker cover 1 material that is being used within the scope of the invention. A Velcro strip 10 runs across the bottom edge of the mesh panel 8 and there is a corresponding strip of Velcro on the corresponding bottom edge of the outer cover 7 (not visible in FIG. 1) to removably secure the outer cover 7 in the rolled down and closed position when the speaker is not in use. The invention is not limited to any particular means of removably securing the sides of the outer cover 7 to the speaker cover 1.

The speaker cover 1 can be further equipped with a variety of other useful features such as access openings for speaker cabinet handles and pole mounts. (Some speakers are designed to be used in multiples. The bottom speaker, typically a subwoofer, has a receptacle on the top for receiving a pole upon which to mount an additional speaker overhead, and this is what is meant by pole mount.) A useful arrangement for many speaker models is as depicted in FIG. 1, with two handle access openings 11 (one on each side or whatever arrangement corresponds to the handles on the speaker), and a pole mount access opening 12 on top to correspond to the location of the pole receptacle on the speaker. The openings 11 and 12 in the speaker cover 1 can be any shape or size so as to allow access to the handles or pole receptacles. In the FIG. 1 embodiment they are square shaped. Flaps (not depicted) or completely removable access opening covers (not depicted) can be used to secure these openings (11 and 12) in the speaker cover 1 when access for lifting or using the speaker is not needed. The use of flaps or covers for access openings (11 and 12) will provide greater protection for the speaker from moisture and the elements. The flaps or covers would be sized and shaped to completely cover the corresponding access openings for maximum protection from the elements. FIG. 1 depicts a Velcro strip arrangement that can be used to secure the flap end of access opening (11 and 12) cover flaps (not shown) to the speaker cover 1, but any Velcro, zipper, snap, or the like arrangement can be used.

The back side 3b of the speaker cover 1 (not visible in FIG. 1) can have one or more access openings to allow access to the input/output panel connections and any electrical connections needed to operate the speaker. These access openings (not visible) would be located to correspond to the locations of the connection panels on the speaker, and can have flaps or covers and can be in all respects similar to the access openings for Poles and handles (11 and 12) discussed above. Modifications and variations of the present invention that would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A speaker cover comprising:

A storage compartment with an opening;

said opening configured to receive an audio speaker;

said storage compartment configured to enclose an audio speaker;

said storage compartment further comprising a front panel;

said front panel comprising an outer cover and a sound radiating panel;

said outer cover removably attached to said storage compartment and configured to cover said sound radiating panel;

said sound radiating panel configured to cover the radiating side of the speaker.

2. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein said opening is oriented such that it slides over the top of the audio speaker as the speaker rests on its base.

3. A case as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sound radiating panel is made of extruded polypropylene net, and wherein the remainder of said storage compartment is made of waterproof nylon.

4. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein said outer cover is permanently attached to said storage compartment at one end and is removably attached to said storage compartment on all other sides, and wherein said outer cover is further made of a material that is flexible enough to roll away from said radiating panel while the speaker is in use.

5. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 4, wherein said outer cover is made of water proof nylon and is removably attached to said storage cover with zippers and Velcro.

6. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 5, wherein said outer cover and said storage compartment further comprise one or more mating Velcro strips to secure said speaker cover away from said radiating panel after it is rolled away.

7. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 1 further comprising access openings that correspond to the speaker handles, pole mounts, and input/output and electrical connection points.

8. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 7, further comprising flaps to secure the said access openings when the speaker is not in use.

9. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 2, wherein said outer cover is permanently attached to said storage compartment at one end and is removably attached to said storage compartment on all other sides, and wherein said outer cover is further made of a material that is flexible enough to roll away from said radiating panel while the speaker is in use.

10. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 9, wherein said sound radiating panel is made of extruded polypropylene net, and wherein the remainder of said storage compartment is made of waterproof nylon.

11. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 10, wherein said outer cover is removably attached to said storage cover with zippers and Velcro.

12. A speaker over as set forth in claim 11, wherein said outer cover and said storage compartment further comprise one or more mating Velcro strips to secure said speaker cover away from said radiating panel after it is rolled away.

13. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 12, further comprising one or more access openings that correspond to the speaker handles, pole mounts, and input/output and electrical connection points.

14. A speaker cover as set forth in claim 13, further comprising flaps to secure the said access openings when the speaker is not in use.

15. A speaker cover comprising:

A storage compartment with an opening;

said opening configured to receive an audio speaker;

said opening oriented such that it slides over the top of the audio speaker as the speaker rests on its base;

said storage compartment configured to enclose an audio speaker;

said storage compartment made of waterproof nylon and further comprising a front panel;

said front panel oriented to align with the radiating side of the speaker;

said front panel comprising an outer cover and a sound radiating panel, wherein said sound radiating panel is made of extruded polypropylene net that allows the sound from the speaker to radiate through said sound radiating panel during use, and wherein said outer cover is made of waterproof nylon;

said outer cover permanently attached to said storage compartment at one end and removably attached to said storage compartment on all other sides with zippers and Velcro so that said outer cover can be rolled away from said radiating panel when the speaker is in use;

said outer cover and said storage compartment further equipped with corresponding mating Velcro strips to allow said rolled away outer cover to be secured to the exterior of said storage compartment while the speaker is in use;

said storage compartment further comprising one or more access openings that correspond to the speaker handles, pole mounts, and input/output and electrical connection points;

said storage compartment further comprising flaps to cover one or more of said access openings.