Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Patent
1995-01-25
1997-06-10
Elms, Richard T.
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
307 101, 3404255, 369 11, 455346, H04B 108, B60R 1100
Patent
active
056379285
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an on-vehicle sound instrument comprising a main instrument body fixedly mounted on a vehicle, and a portable face plate detachably mounted on the instrument body.
BACKGROUND ART
On-vehicle sound instruments such as car radios are often stolen on parking. Various improvements for preventing thefts have been made on the instruments.
One improvement is that a car radio comprising a main body and a face plate integrally fixed to the main body is detachably mounted on a vehicle-side mount. Such an improvement is superior in that the integral unit of instrument body and face plate can be removed and carried from the car and thus preventing potential thefts. It is however inferior in that the instrument body is relatively heavy.
Another improvement is that an on-vehicle sound instrument comprises a main instrument body fixedly mounted on a vehicle and only a face plate is detachable from the instrument body. The face plate includes various operation keys and indicators disposed on its front panel. Thus, the interior of the face plate includes switches activated by the operation keys, display such as liquid-crystal elements, lamps for providing operational indications and guidance to a user and other elements. These electronic/electric parts are mounted, for example, on a single circuit board. In addition, various connectors are disposed on the backside of the face plate, and are connected to the circuit board of the face plate. On the other hand, the instrument body fixedly mounted on the vehicle includes counterpart connectors which are to be electrically connected to the connectors of the face plate, respectively.
As for the latter instrument, the instrument body fixed on the vehicle cannot be started, if the face plate superior in portability is removed from the vehicle. Thus, the instrument body can be prevented from being stolen.
Since the prior art sound instrument with the detachable face plate includes the electronic/electric circuits and circuit board mounted on the side of the face plate, the connectors in the face plate must be connected to or disconnected from those of the instrument body, each time the face plate is mounted on or dismounted from the instrument body. The connectors are connected and disconnected so often as the driver gets on and off the vehicle, and it may result in poor connections. Moreover, the face plate is not necessarily always mounted on the instrument body in the proper orientation. In general, as for the face plate holding mechanisms of such a type, the face plate is mounted on or dismounted from the holder of the instrument body while rotating the face plate around a point at which the right side of the face plate engages the holder. This causes a relatively large load to the holes and pins in the male and female connectors, leading to further increase in poor connections mentioned above.
When the electronic/electric parts and circuit board are mounted on the face plate, an input section including various input switches as well as an output section including liquid-crystal displays and others are disposed on the face plate. This means that the instrument body is entirely separated from the input/output sections. Although such a structure can prevent potential thefts, it is very inconvenient for the manufacture of the on-vehicle sound instrument. This is because a performance test should be carried out in each manufacturing stage. Such a performance test can be made only when the face plate is actually mounted on the instrument body. This means that the face plate is frequently mounted on and dismounted from the instrument body throughout the manufacturing process.
The circuit board in the face plate must solely be subjected to its own performance test.
If the connectors are externally exposed from the face plate and instrument body, the following problems may be raised. When the portable face plate is solely carried or stored, the exposed pins, for example, in the face plate connectors may be damaged accidentally. In suc
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Nakajima Yukihiro
Nojiri Motoki
Uchida Kazuhisa
Elms Richard T.
Shintom Co., Ltd
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