Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-02-20
Renner, Craig A. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Miscellaneous
C360S096510, C360S099060, C360S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191922
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an electronic equipment, such as a tape recorder or a disc player, having a lid rotatably mounted on a main body portion of the equipment for opening or closing a surface of a main body portion when the lid is rotated. More particularly, it relates to an electronic equipment having a lock mechanism for locking the lid in the closed position.
BACKGROUND ART
Up to now, an electronic equipment, such as a tape player employing a tape cassette as a recording medium, or a disc player, employing a disc cartridge as a recording medium, has been in extensive use.
This sort of the electronic equipment, such as the tape recorder, has a cassette loading section
111
on one surface of a main body portion
101
on which a tape cassette
112
is loaded, as shown in FIG.
1
. The cassette loading section
111
is opened or closed by a lid
102
rotatably mounted via a supporting shaft
103
mounted in turn on the main body portion
101
. The lid
102
may be rotated in a direction of arrow a in
FIG. 1
for opening the cassette loading section
111
for enabling mounting/dismounting the tape cassette
112
.
The lid
102
is rotated about the supporting shaft
103
in the direction opposite to that shown by arrow a for closing the cassette loading section
111
for loading the tape cassette
112
in position on the cassette loading section
111
. The lid
1
02
is rotationally biased by a biasing member, not shown, in a direction of opening the cassette loading section
111
in the direction indicated by arrow a in FIG.
1
.
Between the main body portion of the equipment
101
and the lid
102
, there is mounted a lock mechanism
110
for locking the lid
102
when the lid
102
is at the position of closing the cassette loading section
111
. This lock mechanism
110
includes a slider movably mounted for movement along a lateral surface of the main body portion
101
and which has an engagement portion
106
engaged with a mating engagement portion
107
provided on the inner surface on the free end of the lid
102
, as shown in FIG.
1
.
The slider
105
is biased by a biasing member, not shown, in a direction of an arrow g in
FIG. 1
, that is in a direction in which the engagement portion
106
is engaged with the mating engagement piece
107
. An operating member
104
is mounted on a surface of the slider
105
. The operating member
104
is protruded to outside of the main body portion
101
via an elongated opening
108
formed in a lateral surface of the main body portion
101
.
The slider
105
is moved in a direction shown by arrow c in
FIG. 1
, by being moved in the direction shown by arrow c, with the operating portion
104
being thrust with a finger F in the direction of arrow b in
FIG. 1
, for disengaging the engagement portion
106
from the mating engagement portion
107
. If the engagement portion
106
is disengaged from the mating engagement portion
107
, the lid
102
is turned in the direction shown by arrow a, under the bias of the biasing member, for opening the cassette loading section
111
.
If the thrusting by the finger is removed, the slider
105
is shifted, under the bias of the biasing member, in a direction of engaging the engagement portion
106
with the mating engagement portion
107
, in a direction shown by arrow g in FIG.
1
.
Meanwhile, since the slider
105
is moved against the bias of the biasing member on thrusting the small-sized operating member
104
protruded via the elongated opening
108
in one lateral surface of the main body portion
101
of an extremely small size as compared to the area of the lateral surface, it is difficult to operate the slider
105
reliably.
In particular, if the tape recorder is further reduced in size, the area of the lateral surface of the main body portion
101
is further reduced and the operating member
104
protruded therefrom is also reduced in size, with the result that the slider
105
becomes further difficult to operate to render it difficult to unlock the lid
102
reliably.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel electronic equipment capable of resolving the inconveniences of the conventional equipments, such as a tape recorder or a disc player.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic equipment in which a lid for opening or closing a surface of the main body portion of the equipment can be opened/closed easily for improving operability.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic equipment an electronic equipment that can be further reduced in size.
An electronic equipment according to the present invention, proposed for accomplishing these objects, includes a lid rotatably supported by a substantially rectangular main body portion of the equipment for rotation between a position of closing one surface of the main body portion and a position of closing the one surface, a lock mechanism for locking the lid in the closure position and an unlock mechanism for unlocking the lid. The unlock mechanism includes an operating member made up of a first operating section facing one lateral surface of the main body portion and a second operating section extending from one end of the first operating section in a direction perpendicular to the first operating section. The operating member is movable along the one lateral surface of the main body portion. The unlock mechanism causes the operating member of the lock mechanism to be moved along the one lateral surface of the main body portion for unlocking the lid.
A recess which allows movement of the second operating member on actuation of the operating member is formed in a lateral surface of the main body portion extending perpendicularly to the one lateral surface and which faces the second operating section.
At least one opening passed through by plural operating buttons provided on one lateral surface of the main body portion is formed in the operating member.
At least one finger support for facilitating the operation of the user in moving the operating member is provided on the operating member.
The first operating section of the operating member is provided for extending on the one surface of the main body portion.
The lock mechanism includes an engagement portion provided on one of the main body portion and the lid, a mating engagement portion provided on the other of the main body portion and the lid, and a biasing member for biasing one of the engagement portion and the mating engagement portion in a direction in which the one portion is engaged with the other portion.
An electronic equipment according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a main body portion having a recess at its one corner, a lid rotatably mounted on the main body portion and which is rotated between a position closing one surface of the main body portion and a position opening the one surface, a lock mechanism for locking the lid in the closure position, and an unlock mechanism for unlocking the lid locked by the lock mechanism. The unlock mechanism has an operating member extending along one lateral surface of the main body portion and along another surface intersecting the one lateral surface for covering the opening side of the recess. The lock mechanism unlocks the lid by the operating member of the unlock mechanism being moved along the one lateral surface of the main body portion so that a portion thereof is immersed in the recess.
The operating member includes a first operating portion facing one lateral surface of the main body portion and a second operating section mounted for extending from one end of the first operating section perpendicularly to the first operating section. The operating member is mounted on a lateral surface of the main body portion so that the second operating section is disposed on the opening side of the recess.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the in
Chiba Kiyoyuki
Nakashima Kazutaka
Shimada Masayuki
Tsunezumi Kazuyasu
Yamaguchi Yasuhiro
Maioli Jay H.
Renner Craig A.
Sony Corporation
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