Car stereo having a detachable grille

Abstract: A car stereo has a grille (20) detachably mounted on a stereo body (10). Engaging recesses (20a, 20c) are formed at the four corners of the grille (20). Flexible latch members (12, 12e) are provided on the stereo body (10), each of which is adapted to engage with the corresponding engaging recess (20a, 20c) of the grille (20) when the grille (20) is attached to the body (10). A release mechanism is provided on the body (10), which is operated by a release member (26) provided on the grille (20). When the release mechanism is operated, the engagement between the engaging recesses (20a, 20c) and the latch members (12, 12e) is released.

Description: The present invention relates to a stereo system provided with a detachable operating device, and more particularly to means for attaching and detaching the operating device. Increase in use of sophisticated car stereo systems in recent years has caused an increase in the theft of stereo systems. In order to prevent theft of stereo systems, various measures have been proposed. In accordance with one of the measures, an operating device or grill having a plurality of push buttons for the stereo is provided to be separated from the body of the stereo. It is detachably attached to a front portion of the stereo. Figs. 8 to 10 show the above described prior art. The car stereo comprises a car stereo body 1 and a detachable operating device 3 attached to the body 1. The body 1 has recessed panel 5 mounted at the front thereof. The operating device 3 has various push buttons 2. Referring to Fig. 9, in order to attach the operating device 3 on the body 1, a groove 4 formed in one side of the device 3 is engaged with a projection 6 projecting into the recess of the panel 5 from an inner edge thereof, thereby positioning the operating device 3. The operating device or grille 3 is then pivoted about the projection 6 so as to close in on the panel 5, so that a hook 7a formed on an end of an engaging member 7 of a push-push mechanism (not shown) provided in the body 1 engages with a recess 8 formed at the inner corner of the other end of the operating device 3. The engaging member 7 is retracted as the operating device 3 is pivoted. Thus the operating device 3 fits in the recess of the panel 5, where the member 7 is locked by the push-push mechanism. If the operating device 3 is forcibly depressed, the lock mechanism is released, so that the operating device can be removed from the body. In order to detach the operating device 3 from the panel 5, the device 3 at the side having the inner recess 8 is depressed. The push-push mechanism is accordingly operated to project the engaging member 7 as shown in Fig. 10. The device 3 is pivoted about the projection 6 and pulled off the panel 5 of the body 1. When the operating device 3 is taken out, the stereo body loses the appearance as a car stereo. Hence, if the driver takes the device 3 with him when leaving the vehicle, theft of the car stereo can be prevented. However, in order to attach the operating device to the car stereo body 1, two manual operations must be carried out. Namely the groove 4 of the device 3 is engaged with the projection 6 formed on the panel 5 and then the device 3 must be forcibly depressed into the recess of the panel 5. Furthermore, when detaching the operating device 3, the engaging member 7 of the push-push mechanism projects out from the body 1 by a predetermined length, so that a pivoting angle of the device 3 is determined by the length and cannot be changed. A similar prior art device is disclosed in the service manual of Pioneer Electronic Corporation for the multi-CD control FM/AM tuner DEX-M 300, March 1988, order no. CRT1152. The manual discloses a stereo system having a main body and a detachable operating device. The operating device is attached by means of engaging portions, which engage with latch members provided on the stereo body. A manual release mechanism is mounted on the stereo body, which is adapted to release engagement between the engaging portions and the latch members. The disclosure of this service manual represents the prior art indicated in the preamble of the attached Claim 1. An object of the present invention is to provide a stereo system in which the operating device can be more easily attached to and detached from the stereo body. According to the present invention, a stereo system for use in a motor vehicle is provided as defined in Claim 1. Embodiments of the stereo system are given in Claims 2 to 4. In an embodiment of the invention, the push member is laterally slidably mounted in the car stereo body. When the position of the push member is changed in the lateral direction of the stereo body, the distance between the pivot about which the operating device swings and the push member is changed. Thus the pivoting angle of the operating device can be changed. The other objects and advantages of this invention will become understood from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stereo system having a detachable operating device according to one embodiment, with the device shown in a detached state; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a part of the stereo system with the operating device attached; Figs. 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b are sectional views of a part of the stereo system describing the attaching and detaching operations of the operating device; Figs. 5 to 7 are perspective views showing modifications of the stereo system according to another embodiment; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional car stereo having an operating device, shown in a detached state; and Figs. 9 and 10 are schematic sectional views of a conventional car stereo illustrating the attaching and detaching operations of the operating device. Referring to Fig. 1, a car stereo comprises a car stereo body 10 and an operating device 20 (sometimes referred to as a grille). On the face of the grille 20 are provided various push buttons and knobs for operating the car stereo. In the upper row from the left to the right, a pair of volume control buttons 21, a cassette opening 22, an ejection button 23, a mode select button 24 and a source select button 25 are provided. In the second row also from the left, there is a fader knob 27, a loudness button 28, a time adjusting button 29 and a liquid crystal display 30. In the bottom row, six preset buttons 31, a frequency select button 32 and function buttons 33 for selecting the operational functions of the car stereo are provided under the buttons 28, 29 and the display 30 from the left. A release button 26 urged in a direction e in the figure by a spring (not shown) is provided at an upper right hand corner of the operating device or grille 20 for releasing the grille 20 from the body 10. Each of the rear upper and lower right hand corners of the grille 20 is partly cut way to form an engaging recess 20b and an engaging projection 20a having a slant at the back thereof. An engaging recess 20d and engaging projection 20c similar to the recess 20b and projection 20a respectively, are formed at each of the upper and lower rear corners of the left side of the grille 20. A front panel 11 having a recess 11a is fixed on the outer periphery of the front portion of the car stereo body 10. The recess 11a is so dimensioned that the grille 20 snugly fits therein. At an upper central portion of the panel 11 is formed a cassette opening 13 which coincides with the cassette opening 22 of the grille 20. An opening 11b through which a push member 14 provided in the body 10 protrudes is formed under the cassette opening 13. A shown in Fig. 2, the push member 14 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 14a attached to the back of the panel 11. The push member 14 is urged by a spring (not shown) in a direction b until a lobe 14b thereof engages the periphery of the opening 11b. When the grille 20 is inserted in the recess 11a, the member 14 is pushed in a direction c into the body 10 against the elastic force of the spring as shown in Fig. 2. Explaining a releasing mechanism for the operating device or grille 20, a releasing arm 17 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 17a adjacent the upper right hand corner of the panel 11 inside the car stereo body 10. The releasing arm 17 urged by a spring (not shown) in the direction b, that is in the same direction as the push member 14, abuts against the panel 11. An abutting end 17b of the arm 17 adapted to confront the release button 26 provided on the grille 20 is partly inserted in a hole 11d formed in the panel 11. At each of the upper and lower corners, a lever 18 is mounted on a shaft 18a to be pivoted in directions g and h. The lever 18 is urged by a spring (not shown) in the direction h, thereby abutting one side thereof against the arm 17. To an end of the lever 18 is attached a flexible latch member 12 which projects out of a hole formed in the panel 11. The latch member 12 has a projection 12a which engages in the engaging recess 20b of the grille 20 at a position inside the projection 20a. A flexible latch member 12e having a downward or upward projection 12f is mounted on the body 10 facing each of the projection 20c and recesses 20d of the operating device or grille 20 at the other corners thereof as shown in Fig. 2, to hold the grille 20. The shafts 18a of the upper and lower levers 18 are connected with each other, so that both levers 18 are rotated together. A series of terminals 16 connected to terminals (not shown) provided on the back of the grille 20 is disposed at the right-hand side of the panel 11. To the left of the cassette opening 13 corresponding to the position of the fader knob 27 is formed a shaft opening 11c. A connector 15 having a plurality of projections 15a, for connecting the fader knob 27 to a fader controller (not shown) as a manually operated electronic device is disposed in the body 10 directly behind the panel 11 facing the opening 11c. The operation for attaching the operating device or grille 20 to the car stereo body 10 is described hereinafter. The grille 20 is held in parallel with the panel 11 and inserted in the recess 11a. The projections 12a and 12f of the latch members 12 and 12e abut against inclined backs of the projections 20a and 20c of the grille 20. As the grille 20 is further pushed in the panel 11, each of the latch members 12, 12e deflects as the projections 12a, 12f thereof tries to slide over the projections 20a and 20c. Thereafter, the projections 12a, 12f overcome the projections 20a and 20c and fit in the recesses 20b and 20d as shown in Fig. 3b, thereby securely holding the grille 20 in the recess 11a. The push member 14, pushed by the back wall of the grille 20, pivots about the shaft 14a in the direction c against the urging of the spring so as to be disposed inside the car stereo body 10 as shown in Fig. 3a. In order to detach the operating device or grille 20 from the car stereo body 10, the release button 26 on the grille is depressed in a direction f as shown in Fig. 3a. The inner end of the button 26 abuts on the abutting end 17b of the arm 17, thereby rotating the arm in the direction c. The rotation of the arm 17 causes the upper and lower levers 18 to pivot together with the shafts 18a in the direction g. As a result, each latch member 12 connected to the lever 18 is horizontally rotated also in the direction g, thereby releasing the projection 12a from the recess 20b and the projection 20a. Referring to Fig. 4a, as the grille 20 is slightly detached from the panel 11, the push member 14 is rotated in the direction b by the urging of a spring to protrude out of the opening 11b, thereby pushing the grille 20. Since the left hand corners of the grille 20 are still attached to the panel 11, the grille 20 is pivotally pushed by the push member 14 about the left rear side edge thereof until the lobe 14b of the push member 14 abuts against the panel 11. The grille 20 is then pulled to the right as shown by an arrow in Fig. 4a, thereby releasing the engagement between the projections 12f and the projections 20c. Thus the grille is removed from the body 10. The operating device or grille 20 is attached to the car stereo body 10 by depressing the grille 20 into the recess 11a of the body until the projections 12a and 12f of the respective latch members 12 and 12e engage the corresponding projections 20a and 20c of the grille 20. When the release button 26 on the grille 20 is depressed to detach the grille 20, the release mechanism provided in the car stereo body 10 is operated, thereby releasing the engagement between the projections 12a and the projections 20a at the upper and lower right hand corners of the grille 20. As the grille 20 pivots about the rear left side edge, the push member 14 projects out of the body 10 to push the back of the grille 20. Thus the grille 20 is easily attached to and detached from the body. Modifications of the push member 14 provided in the stereo system are described hereinafter with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. The same reference numerals as those in Fig. 1 designate the same parts in each figure. Referring to Fig. 5, the panel 11 attached to the car stereo body 10 has a laterally elongated opening 11e in which the push member 14 urged by a spring in the direction b slides. By sliding the push member 14 in the opening 11e, the distance between the member 14 and the pivot, namely rear left side edge of the grille 20 about which the operating device or grille 20 pivots when detaching the grille, can be changed. As the push member 14 approaches the pivot, the grille 20 rotates a larger angle. Accordingly, in the modification, the pivoting angle of the grille by the push member 14 can be controlled. A push member 14c of the modification shown in Fig. 6 is urged by a spring in a direction y, thereby shifting in directions x and y. A roller 14d which abuts on the grille 20 is provided on the front side of the push member 14c. When releasing the grille 20, the roller 14d decreases the sliding friction between the push member 14c and the grille 20, thereby smoothly rotating the grille 20. In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the push member 14c having the roller 14d slides in an elongated opening 11f formed in the panel 11. Thus the pivoting angle of the grille 20 can be controlled in the same manner as in the modification shown in Fig. 5. Since the member 14 has the roller 14d for decreasing the sliding friction, a larger pivoting angle can be provided. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the present invention provides a stereo system having a detachable operating device which may be attached and detached with ease. In one embodiment, a push member for pushing the operating device outward is provided, which is capable of sliding in a lateral direction, so that the distance between the push member and the pivot of the rotating operating device is changed. Accordingly, the pivoting angle of the operating device can be adjusted.

Claims: A stereo system suitable for use in a motor vehicle having a main stereo body (10) and a detachable operating device (20), said system comprising: engaging portions (20a, 20c) provided on the operating device (20); latch members (12, 12e) provided on the stereo body (10) and adapted to engage with the engaging portions (20a, 20c) when the operating device (20) is attached to the stereo body (10); a manually operatable release mechanism (17, 18) mounted on the stereo body (10) adapted to release engagement between the engaging portions (20a, 20c) and the latch members (12, 12e); characterized in that said engaging portions (20a, 20c) are formed at four corners of the operating device (20) and respective flexible latch members (12, 12e) are provided projecting from a front panel (11) of the stereo body (10), whereby all of the engaging portions (20a, 20c) are engagable with the respective flexible latch members (12, 12e) by pressing the operating device (20) in parallel alignment with said front panel (11) toward said front panel (11) of the stereo body (10); said release mechanism (17, 18) is adapted to release the engagement of two flexible latch members (12) at the upper and lower corners on one side of said front panel (11) of the stereo body (10); a release actuator (26) is provided on the operating device (20) for manually operating the release mechanism (17, 18) to disengage said two flexible latch members (12). A car stereo according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising a push member (14) provided in the stereo body (10) to push the operating device (20) when released away from the front panel (11) of said stereo body (10). A car stereo according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the engaging portions (20a, 20c) comprises an engaging recess (20b, 20d) formed in the operating device (20). A car stereo according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the push member (14) is mounted to be slidable in a lateral direction on the front panel (11) of the stereo body (10).

Inventors: WATANABE MASAAKI C O KAWAGOE K, WATANABE, MASAAKI, C/O KAWAGOE KOUJOU
Applicants: PIONEER ELECTRONIC CORP, PIONEER ELECTRONIC CORPORATION
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B60R11
IPC codes: G11B33, B60R11, H05K5, H05K7, G12B9