Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-03
2001-08-21
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
C174S058000, C174S063000, C220S003200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278059
ABSTRACT:
S
TATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT N/A
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a housing for an electronics package and more particularly, to an electronics package housing that conforms to the contour of a surface onto which the housing is installed.
2. Background of the Invention
At present, electronics housings that are installed within other structures are constructed from rigid, non-flexible materials. Generally, these housings have a rigidly attached, non-flexible, outer flange or other rigid means for attaching the housing to other structures. The rigid housing provides for the protection and orderly confinement of one or more electronics packages housed therein, including electronic sound conditioning circuitry for stringed acoustic instruments, electrical outlet receptacles, electrical light switches, or other electrical components. The rigid outer flange that is attached to the open face of the housing secures the housing to the surface of the structure into which the housing is inserted.
In use, the electronics housing is inserted into openings in structures such as stringed acoustic instruments, walls, ceilings and floors, Upon insertion into an opening in a structure, the floor and sidewalls of the housing descend through the opening until the rigid flange engages the exterior surface of the structure into which the housing is inserted. Following engagement, the flange is then attached to the surface of the structure.
Many structures, such as so-called “electrified” acoustic stringed instruments, or other electronic structures such as communications reflectors or radar dishes, require electronics packages to be internally housed within the structure in order for the structure to function properly. Many of these structures, however, do not have uniformly flat exterior surfaces. For example, the side surfaces of electrified acoustic guitars, violins, violas, cellos and the like are typically sinuous and have varying degrees of slope. These instruments are also manufactured in many different sizes, shapes, dimensions and contours. Further, communications reflectors and radar dishes are also manufactured in many different sizes, shapes, dimensions and contours, and have concave interior surfaces and convex exterior surfaces.
At present, however, known electronics housings that have a rigid outer flange attached to the remainder of the housing cannot be used satisfactorily on any of the above structures because the flange cannot conformably engage contoured surfaces. For example, after an electronics housing has descended into the opening in the side of a guitar, a non-flexible, flat, outer flange will come into contact with the exterior surface of the side of the guitar. However, if the flange is placed across a concave valley in the side of the guitar, such that the ends of the flange contact the side of the guitar, the flange cannot completely engage the contoured surface because a gap will form between the side of the guitar and a point on the flange intermediate the ends of the flange. Further, if the flange is placed across the peak of a convex curve in the side of the guitar, the ends of the flange will not be in contact with the side of the guitar. As a result, the flat, non-flexible outer flange cannot conformably engage the curved surface of the side of a guitar, or any other irregularly contoured structure. Thus, there is a need for an electronics housing with a flexible outer flange that has the ability to be conformably engaged on and removably attached to a variety of contoured surface.
Known electronics housings do not accomplish this goal. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,730 pertains to a housing for an electronics package. This housing, however, does not have any flange for attaching the housing to a structure. Further, the housing is pre-fabricated in a manner that matches the exact shape of the exterior surface of the structure into which the housing is inserted. Thus, this housing cannot be used on a variety of surfaces having different shapes, slopes or contours.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,898 pertains to an electronics control panel that is pivotally attached to opposite sides of a peripheral flange. However, this reference does not possess the advantages of the present invention because the control panel causes the flange to resist adaptation to a contour having a negative or positive curve along the axis of the hinge. Thus, this reference is not particularly suited for use on some contoured surfaces.
Further, in order to repair, modify, or change an electronics package housed within a structure, it is desirable to be able to completely remove the package from the structure without causing damage to the package or the structure. This reference does not provide complete access to the electronics package stored thereunder because it is pivotably attached to the flange. Pivotable attachment provides only limited access to the electronics package stored thereunder. Complete access to the electronics package would only be accomplished by removing the flange from the side of the guitar. However, repeatedly removing the flange from the side of the guitar in order to gain complete access to the electronics package may result in damage to the package, the flange, and more importantly, to the side of the guitar. Thus, the pivoting structure of this reference does not encourage such accessibility.
From the foregoing, there is a need for an electronics housing that flexibly and conformably engages a variety of contoured surface and that provides complete accessibility, interchangeability and removability of an electronics package housed therein while providing for the protection and orderly confinement of an electronics package housed therein.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a housing for an electronics package that has a flexible, outer mounting flange that conformably engages the housing to a variety of planar or contoured surfaces.
In a preferred embodiment, the present disclosure is a housing for electronic signal conditioning circuitry for use in an acoustic stringed instrument, where the housing is capable of flexibly and conformably engaging and being removably attached to the contoured side of the instrument. According to one example of a preferred embodiment, the enclosure of the housing has a floor, sidewalls and an open face dimensioned to receive an open face cover. The housing also has a flexible, outer, mounting flange that is disposed adjacent the open face of the enclosure.
In a presently preferred embodiment, the electronics housing is inserted into an opening in the side of an acoustic stringed instrument, such as an acoustic guitar. The floor and sidewalls of the electronics housing descend through the opening in the side of the guitar until the mounting flange engages the contoured exterior surface of the guitar. Following engagement between the flange and the surface of the guitar, the housing is removably attached to the surface of the guitar.
The open face cover is preferably constructed as an electronics control panel for signal conditioning circuitry and other components enclosed within the housing. The control panel and associated electronics are inserted into the open face of the housing. Upon insertion, the control panel is removably attached to the housing by clips or other resilient members. Thus, because the control panel is removable, it facilitates complete accessibility to the electronic circuitry and components housed therein. It also facilitates interchangeability of control panels, electronic circuitry and components requiring the removal of the flange and extracting the entire housing from the structure in which it is disposed. The clips that removably attach the control panel to the housing do not restrict the ability of the flange to flexibly engage or to be removably attached to the surface of a structure. Because the flange conforms to a variety of surfaces, it allows manufacturers to u
Estrada Angel R.
Fishman Transducers, Inc.
Reichard Dean A.
Weingarten, Schurgin Gagnebin & Hayes LLP
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