Electronic instrument

Details Electronic instrument Electronic instrument

2003-03-24

2004-09-14

Vu, Phuong T. (Department: 2841)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S756000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06791844

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to, for example, an electronic instrument such as an audio unit mounted on an automotive vehicle.
2. Related Art
An automotive vehicle has an instrument panel provided with a CD player
100
which is one of electronic instruments.
FIGS. 13 and 14
are each a sectional view showing a part of the CD player
100
. The CD player
100
reads out information stored on a record medium such as a compact disc (called as CD hereinafter).
The CD player
100
illustrated in
FIG. 13
includes an instrument body
101
defining a flat box fitted to the instrument panel and a cover body
102
removably engaged with the instrument body
101
. The instrument body
101
, which has been mounted in the instrument panel, has a front surface
101
a
opposed to an occupant in the vehicle. The front surface
101
a
has an insertion opening (not shown) passing a CD.
The cover body
102
is engaged with the instrument body
101
so as to be pivotal around a lower end of the cover body
102
, so that the cover body
102
opens and closes the insertion opening of the instrument body
101
. The cover body
102
has a display area such as a liquid crystal display and a plurality of operational buttons.
The CD player
100
has a first joint portion
103
and a second joint portion
104
for removably engaging the cover body
102
with the instrument body
101
to open and close the insertion opening. The first joint portion
103
is positioned at each side end of the instrument body
101
. The first joint portion
103
engages with a stopper pin
105
provided at a lower end of the cover body
102
. The first joint portion
103
engaged with the stopper pin
105
supports the cover body
102
pivotally around the lower end.
The second joint portion
104
engages with a stopper hook
106
provided at an upper end of the cover body
102
. The cover body
102
has a release button
107
for releasing the second joint portion
104
from the stopper hook
106
. The second joint portion
104
, which has engaged with the stopper hook
106
, attaches the cover body
102
to the front surface
101
a
of the instrument body
101
to close the insertion opening. Operation of the release button
107
releases the upper end of the cover body
102
from the second joint portion
104
. The first joint portion
103
is operable independently from the second joint portion
104
in engagement and disengagement movements with the corresponding stoppers.
In the CD player
100
described above, the first joint portion
103
and the second joint portion
104
are each engaged with the corresponding lower or upper end of the cover body
102
to attach the cover body
102
to the instrument body
101
. A user pushes the release button
107
to release the engagement of the second joint portion
104
for reproducing a CD and pivots the cover body
102
around the lower end to open the insertion opening. The insertion of the CD through the opening automatically loads the CD in the instrument body. Then, the cover body
102
is pivoted reverse to close the insertion opening and the second joint portion
104
engages with the stopper hook
106
provided at the upper end of the cover body
102
. Operation of a button of the cover body
102
can reproduce the CD.
In the CD player
100
, the first joint portion
103
and the second joint portion
104
attach and remove the cover body
102
relative to the instrument body
101
independently from each other. Thus, as illustrated in
FIG. 14
, the first joint portion
103
can be in a disengaged state from the cover body
102
while the second joint portion
104
has engaged with the cover body
102
. In this state, the cover body
102
will fall undesirably from the instrument body
101
when the release button
107
is operated to release the second joint portion
104
from the instrument body
101
, since the first joint portion
103
has not engaged with the cover body
102
. The unintentional dropout may undesirably cause breakdown of the cover body
102
.
The CD player
100
has a pushing arm
108
for turning the cover body
102
to open the insertion opening while the engagement of the second joint portion
104
has been released. The pushing arm
108
is U-shaped in a side view thereof. The pushing arm
108
is turnably supported at one end thereof on the instrument body
101
and is resiliently urged at the other end thereof forward relative to the front surface
101
a
. The pushing arm
108
turns so that the other end protrudes from the front surface
101
a
on disengagement of the second joint portion
104
. The pushing arm
108
pushes the cover body
102
to tern it to open the insertion opening.
The pushing arm
108
has a circular column pin
109
at one end thereof for turnably supporting the pushing arm
108
on the instrument body
101
, while the instrument body
101
has a hole for passing the pin
109
. The pin
109
, which has been passed through the hole, is stopped by a C or E ring at each end thereof, so that the pushing arm
108
is turnably fitted in the instrument body
101
.
This increases the number of parts for turnably fitting the pushing arm
108
in the instrument body
101
, since a couple of C or E rings are required for stopping the pin
109
at each end thereof. This increases time and effort for attaching the pushing arm
108
on the instrument body
101
due to the insertion and stopping work for the pin
109
and the C or E rings. Thus, the fitting construction having the pushing arm
108
tends to increase a manufacturing cost of the electronic instrument.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned situation, an object of the invention is to provide an electronic instrument that can prevent undesirable dropout of a cover body from an instrument body thereof.
For solving the problem to achieve an object, an electronic instrument according to the present invention comprises:
an instrument body and a cover body removably covering a surface of the instrument body,
a first joint member mounted on the instrument body for engaging with a first end of the cover body,
a second joint member mounted on the instrument body for engaging with a second end of the cover body, and
a link mechanism,
wherein the link mechanism moves the second joint member toward a disengaged position of the second joint member from the second end when the first joint member moves toward an engaged position of the first joint member with the first end, and the link mechanism allows the second joint member to engage with the second end after the first joint member has engaged with the first end.
Therefore, the link mechanism moves the second joint member toward a disengaged position of the second joint member from the second end when the first joint member moves toward an engaged position of the first joint member with the first end. Meanwhile, the link mechanism moves the second joint member to engage with the second end after the first joint member has engaged with the first end. This prevents the second joint member from engaging with the second end while the first joint member is not engaged with the first end.
Thus, the first joint member has surely engaged with the lower end of the operation unit so that the operation unit is held by the instrument body, even when the engagement of the second joint member is released. Thus, an unintentional dropout of the operation unit from the instrument body is surely eliminated even when the engagement of the second joint member is released with the operation unit being held by the instrument body.
Preferably, the link mechanism further includes:
a first urging member for resiliently urging the first joint member to engage the first joint member with the first end,
a second urging member for resiliently urging the second joint member to engage the second joint member with the second end,
a first abutment portion formed on the first joint member, and
a second abutment portion formed on the second joint member and being able to contact the firs

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