DUMMY-CASSETTE WITH LOCK DEVICE

Abstract: An arrangement which is intended for cassette apparatus (2), especially of the video cassette type, which is designed to receive a cassette in a space (3) located in the apparatus (2) concerned, for recording and/or playing back information onto or from a tape contained in the cassette, or a similar information store. The arrangement makes it possible to prevent cassette apparatus from being used at undesirable time and/or by persons who are not authorised to use it. The arrangement is formed by a shaped part (1), preferably similar to a cassette, having a shape which is adapted to fit in the said cassette accommodating space (3), and being designed so that it can be inserted in and accommodated in the said space (3), and can be locked in the said space (30, thereby preventing its unauthorised removal from the apparatus (2), in order to obtain controlled use of the apparatus (2).

Description: DUMMY-CASSETTEWITHLOCKDEVICE The present invention relates to an arrangement which is intended for cassette apparatus, especially of the video cassette type, which is designed to receive a cassette in a space located in the apparatus concerned, for recording 5 and/or playin back information onto or from a tape con¬ tained in the cassette, or a similar information store. The main object of the present invention is primarily to provide an arrangement which makes it possible to prevent cassette apparatus of the above-described kind from being 0 used by persons who are not authorised to use it, for ex¬ ample, small children whom it is desired to prevent from watching too much video and/or programmes which are not suit¬ able for them. The said object is achieved with an arrangement accord- 5 l n S o the present invention, which is substantially charac¬ terised in that a shaped part, preferably similar to a cass¬ ette, having a shape which is adapted to fit in the said cassette accommodating space, is designed so that it can be inserted in and accommodated in the said space, and can be 0 locked in the said space, thereby preventing its unauthorised removal from the apparatus, in order to obtain controlled use of the apparatus. The invention is described in the following by means of an embodiment example, with reference to the accompanying 5 drawings, on which: Figure 1 shows the arrangement in perspective in a partially cut-away state, viewed at an angle from the front, with the arrangement held in an unlocked state, .Figure 2 shows the arrangement held in a locked state, 0 Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-section of a cassette - apparatus with an arrangement constructed according to the invention accommodated in its cassette accommodating space, and Figure shows the . arrangement introduced into the space shown in Figure 3 » in a locked state. A shaped part, which is designated with the numeral on the drawings, expediently has the shape of a . cassette which is used in video apparatus 2, for example, or cassette ' apparatus of some other suitable type with a space 3 which is designed to accommodate a cassette which contains a tape or a similar information store which is adapted for record¬ ing and/or playing back information onto and from the " tape respectively. The said preferably cassette-shaped part 1 is appropriately provided with a cover 4- in the vicinity of the front edge 1A of the part, i.e. the section of the part 1 which is designed to be inserted first through the preferably slit-shaped cassette accommodating space 3 in the apparatus 2, or if the cassette is introduced into the said space downwards from above, the section which is designed to be positioned with the said edge 1A facing inwards into the ' rear part of the apparatus. At the rear edge 1B of the shaped part, i.e. the section of the part 1 which is designed to be gripped when the part 1 is being introduced into or removed from the space 3 in the apparatus 2 respectively, a manually-operated locking device 5 is housed, for example, of the barrel lock type, as shown in Figure 1 on the drawings. The said lock 5, which in the example shown is designed to be operated by means of a key 6 but which may of course be operated in some other appropriate way, such as, for example, as a combination lock arrangement, is connected to an actuating device 7 via an actuating spin¬ dle 8. The said spindle 8 is connected by one of its ends 8A to the locking device 5 and its other opposite end 8B, ^which is mounted in a part 9 inside the shaped part, is pre¬ ferably rigidly connected to the said actuating device 7 ? which can be composed of a lever arm 7- The arm 7 is des¬ igned to be accommodated in a pocket-like chamber 10 when it is moved into a non-effective position, as shown in Figure 1. When the locking device 5 is operated, for example, by rotating the key 6, the locking device 5 actu¬ ates the spindle 8 which is rotated, ' with the pivot arm 7 » in the direction of the arrow 11, from the rest position into a position preferably pointing upwards, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. When the arm 7 is pivoted up it co-acts with the interior 4A of the cover 4. The cover which is normally held in a pivoted-down position with the aid of a spring enclosed in the part.1, for example, is locked in the said pivoted down position by means of a locking device which is not shown on the drawings, which is released auto¬ matically when the shaped part is introduced into the space 3, by the action of a lock-releasing device 12 arranged on the part 1. A hollow space 13 which is located inside the space 3 in "the vicinity of the recording and p_).ay-back heads of the apparatus respectively, is designed to accommodate the said cover 4. When the shaped part 1 is introduced into the space 3 in the apparatus 1 and the cover 4 is actuated by the actu¬ ating device 7 and the key 6 is removed from the locking device 5 ? the cover 4 form ' s a blocking part 4 which is des¬ igned to co-act with an abutment edge shoulder 14 which is located at the transition between the hollow space 13 and the accommodating space 3- The said wider section formed by the cover 4 thus prevents the shaped part 1 from being removed from the space 3 and replaced by a full tape cass¬ ette for unauthorised use of the apparatus 2. When the locking device 5 is operated the arm 7 is pivoted down into the rest position in the chamber 10, and the cover is thereby pivoted down under the effect of spring force and locked on the shaped part 1, after which it is possible to remove the shaped part from the space 3. Accord¬ ingly, controlled use of the apparatus 2 can take place when the shaped part 1 has been removed from the apparatus 2. The invention is not limited to the embodiment which is described above and shown on the drawings merely by way of example, but its details may be modified within the . framework of the following Patent Claims. For example, if there is no cover on the shaped part, the actuating device can be designed to co-act with the hollow chamber.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. An arrangement which is intended for cassette apparatus (2), especially of the video cassette type, which is designed ' to receive a cassette in a space located in the apparatus concerned, for recording and/or playing back in- 5 formation onto or from a tape contained in the cassette, or a similar information. store, characterised.in that a shaped part (1), preferably similar to a cassette, having a shape which is adapted to fit in the said cassette accommodating space (3), is designed so that it can be inserted in and 0 accommodated in the said space (3), and can be locked in the said space (3) ? thereby preventing its unauthorised removal from the apparatus, in order to obtain controlled use of the apparatus (2). 2. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 1, character- 5- ised in that the shaped part (1) has a blocking part (4) which can be moved into a hollow space (13) in the said accommodating space (3). 3. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 2, character¬ ised in that the blocking part (4) is formed by a cover (4), o preferably pivotably mounted, comprised in the said shaped part (1), and preferably locked on the shaped part in such a way that it can be released by means of a lock-releasing device actuated by the apparatus so that the cover (4) is able to pivot into the desired position. 5 4. An arrangement according to either of Patent Claims 2 - 3, characterised in that a manually-operated actuating device (7), which is designed to be locked in a desired posi¬ tion by means of a locking device (5), is formed by a pivot arm (7), preferably rotatably mounted, which is designed to co-act with the said blocking part (4). 5. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 4, character¬ ised in that the actuating device (7) is mounted on the shaped part (1, 9) and is connected to an actuating spindle (8) connected to the locking device (5). y ^ 6. An arrangement according to Patent Claim 5, character- ' ised in that the actuating spindle (8) is connected via one of its ends (8A) to a locking device (5) . which can be locked and unlocked respectively with a key (6), and which is pro- vided on the outwards-facing section (1B) of the shaped part, while its opposite end (8B) is rigidly connected to the said actuating device (7), which is preferably con¬ structed as a pivot arm (7)- 7. . An arrangement according to either of Patent Claims 5 - 6, characterised in that the actuating spindle (8) is enclosed in the shaped part (1) and extends across the latter in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the shaped part is moved into and out of the said accommodating space (3) » respectively. 8. . An arrangement according to any of Patent Claims 2 - 7 5 characterised in that the said hollow space (13) has an abutment shoulder (14) which is designed to co-act with the said blocking part (4). 9. An arrangement according to any of the above Patent Claims 2 - 8, characterised in that the shaped part (1) is formed by an empty cassette of which the tape-protecting cover arrangement (4), which is located at its front edge (1A), viewed in the direction in which it is inserted in the said cassette accommodating space (3) 5 and which is pivot- ably mounted, preferably being held in its closed position by spring force, can be actuated by a pivotably mounted arm (7) "to lift it up, for example, after operation of a locking device (5), so that the cover (4) is accommodated in the said hollow space (13) and the cassette (1) is there- . by endowed with a thicker section which prevents it from being removed from the said accommodating space (3).

Inventors: BOSTROEM JAN-AOKE, BOSTROEM, JAN-AOKE
Applicants: LUXOR KONSUMENTELEKTRONIK AB
Application year: 1983
Main classification: G11B23
IPC codes: G11B33