IP Library Granted Patent US 7,540,460
Granted Patent B2
US 7,540,460 · App. 11/454,961 · Granted Jun 2, 2009

Mounting assembly

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,540,460
App. No.
11/454,961
Granted
Jun 2, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mounting assembly for mounting a fixture such as a loudspeaker speaker in-wall or in-ceiling includes a bracket assembly to mechanically couple wall or ceiling and speaker to the supporting studs or joists on both sides of the hole in which the loudspeaker will be mounted. The bracket assembly may comprise two halves, each of which includes a bracket plate, a left bracket slider and a right bracket slider, and associated fasteners. Each half of the bracket is sized so that it will pass easily through the opening made in the partition for receiving the loudspeaker. Once inside the partition, the two bracket sliders expand to reach the nearby studs or joists where they are coupled to the studs or joists using fasteners such as screws. Once the bracket sliders are attached, they are secured to the bracket plate with fasteners such as thumbscrews, thereby making a rigid structure. This is repeated for the other half of the bracket assembly. The loudspeaker is then inserted into the hole and secured using the clamping dog fixtures integral to the loudspeaker. These clamps sandwich the loudspeaker frame, partition and bracket assembly into one rigid structure.

Claims (50)

1. A mounting assembly for mounting a device in a partition comprising:

a first bracket assembly including,

a first bracket plate adapted to be mounted against an interior surface of the partition;

a first sliding bracket coupled to said first bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to a first member supporting the partition; and

a second sliding bracket coupled to said first bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to a second member supporting the partition; and

a second bracket assembly including,

a second bracket plate adapted to be mounted against the interior surface of the partition;

a third sliding bracket coupled to said second bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to the first member supporting the partition; and

a fourth sliding bracket coupled to said second bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to the second member supporting the partition.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fastener for coupling together said first bracket plate, said first sliding bracket, and said second sliding bracket.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 2 , wherein said fastener comprises a threaded stud extending from said first bracket plate, said stud extending through a first slot in said first sliding bracket and a second slot in said second sliding bracket, and a nut adapted to be inserted onto said threaded stud for tightening.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first sliding bracket and said second sliding bracket are adapted for sliding movement relative to each other and relative to said bracket plate.

5. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first bracket plate includes a lip for engaging a hole in the partition.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising

a first fastener for coupling together said first bracket plate, said first sliding bracket, and said second sliding bracket of said first bracket assembly; and

a second fastener for coupling together said second bracket plate, said third sliding bracket, and said fourth sliding bracket of said second bracket assembly.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 6 , wherein said first fastener comprises a first threaded stud extending from said first bracket plate, said first threaded stud extending through a first slot in said first sliding bracket and a second slot in said second sliding bracket, and a first nut adapted to be inserted onto said first threaded stud for tightening, and wherein said second fastener comprises a second threaded stud extending from said second bracket plate, said second threaded stud extending through a third slot in said third sliding bracket and a fourth slot in said fourth sliding bracket, and a second nut adapted to be inserted onto said second threaded stud for tightening.

8. A mounting system comprising:

a first bracket assembly including,

a first bracket plate adapted to be mounted against an interior surface of a partition;

a first sliding bracket coupled to said first bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to a first member supporting the partition; and

a second sliding bracket coupled to said first bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to a second member supporting the partition;

a second bracket assembly including,

a second bracket plate adapted to be mounted against the interior surface of the partition;

a third sliding bracket coupled to said second bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to the first member supporting the partition; and

a fourth sliding bracket coupled to said second bracket plate and adapted to be coupled to the second member supporting the partition; and

a loudspeaker including a lip and a clamp, wherein said loudspeaker is adapted to be inserted into a hole in the partition such that said first bracket assembly and the partition are sandwiched between said clamp and said lip.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said loudspeaker includes a plurality of clamps, wherein said loudspeaker is adapted to be inserted in the hole the partition such that said first bracket assembly and the partition are sandwiched between at least one of said clamps and said lip and said second bracket assembly and the partition are sandwiched between at least one of said clamps and said lip.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the partition is a ceiling.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the partition is a wall.

12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a first fastener for coupling together said first bracket plate, said first sliding bracket, and said second sliding bracket; and

a second fastener for coupling together said second bracket plate, said third sliding bracket, and said fourth sliding bracket.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said first fastener comprises a first threaded stud extending from said first bracket plate, said first threaded stud extending through a first slot in said first sliding bracket and a second slot in said second sliding bracket, and a first nut adapted to be inserted onto said first threaded stud for tightening, and wherein said second fastener comprises a second threaded stud extending from said second bracket plate, said second threaded stud extending through a third slot in said third sliding bracket and a fourth slot in said fourth sliding bracket, and a second nut adapted to be inserted onto said second threaded stud for tightening.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein said first bracket plate includes a first lip for engaging the hole in the partition and said second bracket plate includes a second lip for engaging the hole in the partition.

15. A method of mounting a loudspeaker in a partition, comprising the steps of:

inserting a first bracket assembly into a hole in the partition, the first bracket assembly including a first bracket plate, a first sliding bracket coupled to the first bracket plate, and a second sliding bracket coupled to the first bracket plate;

coupling the first sliding bracket to a first member supporting the partition;

coupling the second sliding bracket to a second member supporting the partition;

inserting a second bracket assembly into the hole in the partition, the second bracket assembly including a second bracket plate, a third sliding bracket coupled to the second bracket plate, and a fourth sliding bracket coupled to the second bracket plate;

coupling the third sliding bracket to the first member;

coupling the fourth sliding bracket to the second member;

inserting the loudspeaker into the hole, wherein the loudspeaker includes a lip and a clamp;

clamping the bracket assembly and the partition between the clamp and the lip.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the clamp comprises a plurality of mounting dogs, and wherein the step of clamping the bracket assembly comprises extending the mounting dogs from a position substantially parallel to an exterior surface of the loudspeaker to a position substantially perpendicular to the exterior surface, and moving the mounting dogs towards the lip to sandwich the bracket assembly and the partition between the mounting dogs and the lip.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein a diameter of the hole is smaller than a diameter of the loudspeaker at the lip.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first bracket plate and the second bracket plate are installed flush against an interior surface of the partition, and wherein the first bracket plate and the second bracket plate each include a lip for engaging the hole in the partition.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first bracket assembly further includes a first fastener for coupling together the first bracket plate, the first sliding bracket, and the second sliding bracket; and

wherein the second bracket assembly further includes a second fastener for coupling together said second bracket plate, said third sliding bracket, and said fourth sliding bracket.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first fastener comprises a first threaded stud extending from the first bracket plate, the first threaded stud extending through a first slot in the first sliding bracket and a second slot in the second sliding bracket, and a first nut adapted to be inserted onto the first threaded stud for tightening, and wherein the second fastener comprises a second threaded stud extending from the second bracket plate, the second threaded stud extending through a third slot in the third sliding bracket and a fourth slot in the fourth sliding bracket, and a second nut adapted to be inserted onto the second threaded stud for tightening.

Assignments (16)
MERGER Recorded Jul 16, 2024
From: BRITANNIA INVESTMENT CORPORATION
To: POLK AUDIO, INC.
Reel/Frame 068002/0334 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL (REEL/FRAME 056193/0230) Recorded Apr 12, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENEN ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA, LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUD SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
Reel/Frame 060003/0212 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL (REEL/FRAME 056193/0207) Recorded Apr 12, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENEN ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA, LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUD SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
Reel/Frame 059988/0637 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Feb 14, 2022
From: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS AGENT
To: DIRECTED, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M EUROPE B.V.; B & W GROUP LTD; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; B & W LOUDSPEAKERS LTD; D&M HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 059127/0278 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2021
From: BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENON ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUND SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056193/0230 →
ABL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2021
From: BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; SOUND UNITED, LLC; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; THE SPEAKER COMPANY; DENON ELECTRONICS (USA), LLC; MARANTZ AMERICA LLC; D & M SALES & MARKETING AMERICAS LLC; D&M DIRECT, INC.; D&M PREMIUM SOUND SOLUTIONS, LLC; EQUITY INTERNATIONAL LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056193/0207 →
NOTICE OF SECURITY INTEREST - PATENTS Recorded Oct 9, 2020
From: DEI SALES, INC.; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.; D&M EUROPE B.V.; POLK AUDIO, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; B & W GROUP LTD
To: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS THE COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054300/0611 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 8, 2017
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (AS SUCCESSOR AGENT TO FS INVESTMENT CORPORATION)
To: POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
Reel/Frame 041912/0880 →
NOTICE OF SECURITY INTEREST -- PATENTS Recorded Mar 8, 2017
From: POLK AUDIO, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; SOUND UNITED, LLC; D&M HOLDINGS U.S. INC.; BOSTON ACOUSTICS, INC.
To: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041909/0611 →
PATENT RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 6, 2017
From: ANTERES CAPITAL LP (AS SUCCESSOR BY ASSIGNMENT TO GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION)
To: VIPER BORROWER CORPORATION, INC.; VIPER HOLDINGS CORPORATION; VIPER ACQUISITION CORPORATION; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; DEI INTERNATIONAL, INC.; DEI HEADQUARTERS, INC.; POLK HOLDING CORP.; POLK AUDIO, INC.; POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
Reel/Frame 041895/0565 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 25, 2015
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION
To: ANTARES CAPITAL LP
Reel/Frame 036687/0711 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2014
From: POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS US AGENT
Reel/Frame 032631/0742 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2014
From: POLK AUDIO, LLC; BOOM MOVEMENT, LLC; DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY, LLC; DIRECTED, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 032632/0548 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2014
From: POLK AUDIO, INC.
To: POLK AUDIO, LLC
Reel/Frame 032502/0989 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 13, 2011
From: VIPER BORROWER CORPORATION; VIPER HOLDINGS CORPORATION; VIPER ACQUISITION CORPORATION; DEI SALES, INC.; DEI HOLDINGS, INC.; DEI INTERNATIONAL, INC.; DEI HEADQUARTERS, INC.; POLK HOLDING CORPORATION; POLK AUDIO, INC.
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026587/0386 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2006
From: ORTH, SCOTT DONALD; TOURISON, STEVEN SAINT JAMES; FITZPATRICK, DAVID ALLEN
To: BRITANNIA INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018004/0166 →