GB2116800A

GB2116800A - Car radios

Info

Publication number: GB2116800A
Application number: GB08227728A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marco Clementi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-03-19
Filing date: 1982-09-29
Publication date: 1983-09-28
Also published as: ES270991Y; CA1194204A; IT8220282A0; IT1150715B; ES270991U; JPS58191647A; SE8301404L; NL8300349A; DE3304510A1; CH654946A5; FR2523801A1; SE8301404D0; GB2116800B; FR2523801B1

Abstract

A car radio comprising a tuner (1), a tape recorder and/or player (8) is arranged to be remotely controlled by means of an ultra-sound transmitter (3), and an ultra-sound receiver (2) connected to the controls of the car radio. Supporting means (6) and (7) are provided for supporting the car radio underneath a car seat. An endless belt conveyor 11 has protruding elements 12 along its length, the conveyor transports a cassette while elements 12 push the cassette via an aperture 10 into the tape player. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Car radios This invention relates to car radios.

A car radio embodying this invention and as described hereinbelow can be operated by remote control when it is located in an inaccessible place. Although the car radio may be disposed in a recessed place, or a place which is out or reach, by means of a remote control device, the radio can always be operated without difficulty. The car radio may be provided with a tape recording device and/or a tape player, so embodiments of this invention preferably include means enabling the insertion of cassettes or tapes into the tape recorder and/or tape player, even though the car radio is located in a place which is difficult to reach.

It is well known that car radios, tape recording and/or tape playing equipment suitable for use in cars have now reached high levels of technical complexity, and that they provide a sound reproduction of ever increasing highfidelity. The use of integrated circuits allows the manufacture of digital tuning or frequency synthesis in car radios, while at the same time, thanks to the miniaturization of the components, enables the filling of any available space with a greater number of accessories.

High quality car radios, tape players and/or recorders are very expensive, which makes them more vunlnerable to being stolen and makes the consequences of theft increasingly undesirable. It is, therefore, preferable to locate the equipment in a hidden place, or at least where it cannot be easily removed. However, if this is done, then easily reaching the radio controls and inserting the cassetttes or tapes one wishes to listen to becomes difficult.

According to the present invention there is provided a radio receiver or a combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder, suitable for installation in a vehicle, provided with a control means and a remote controlling means for operating said control means.

To satisfactorily cope with the difficulty of reaching the radio controls and inserting the tapes, embodiments of the present invention provide car radios which can be remotely controlled by means of an ultra-sound transmitter, the car radio being equipped with mechanical devices arranged to provide the insertion of cassettes or tapes even when the car radio is not within easy reach. The car radio can preferably be easily fastened to side members of a car seat in such a manner that it is impossible to carry the radio away unless the seat itself is removed.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyings drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective, schematic view of a car radio and tape playing and recording equipment fastened to the underside of a car seat; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an ultrasound transmitter for the car radio; and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the components of the car radio and the tape playing and recording equipment.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is shown a car radio fastened to the underside of a car seat, the radio comprising a tuner 1, which may be of an electronic tuning type, or preferably, of a frequency synthesis type. In the tuner 1 there are disposed controls, such as tuning, volume and tone controls, the controls being directly connected to an ultra-sound receiver 2 of a known type. The ultra-sound receiver 2 can receive ultra-sound pulses generated by an ultra-sound transmitter 3 shown in Fig. 2, the transmitter 3 comprising a power supply such as a battery. The tuner 1 is also connected to a pair of loudspeakers 4 and 5, located, for example, inside a car so as to allow a good sound reproduction. The tuner 1 is housed in a container which container is secured to supports 6 and 7, which serve to position the radio whereever desired.

Also in Fig. 1, there is shown tape playing and recording equipment 8 which may be housed within the container, and which is slidably mounted on two side guides 9, whereby the recording equipment 8 may be inserted or removed from the container. Cassettes containing magnetic tapes may be inserted into the recording equipment 8 through an aperture 1 0. There is further provided a device comprising a revolving tape 11, which extends from the vicinity of the front edge of the car seat when the apparatus is arranged as shown in Fig. 1 to aperture 10, and is provided with a series of protruding elements or members 1 2. The tape 11 provides means for transporting the cassettes containing magnetic tapes into the vicinity of the aperture 10.

The operation of the car radio will now be described in detail. If a person wishes to listen to the radio, the person should operate a special knob of the ultra-sound transmitter 3 in order to tune in to the frequency of a desired radio station, and the tuning of the tuner will automatically vary until it is tuned into the desired radio station, if it is received with a sufficiently high signal. The frequencies of a plurality of radio stations, moreover, can be programmed into a memory, and so can be directly tuned into by means of a series of pushbuttons disposed on the transmitter 3. To enable this automatic tuning, timers 1 of the electronic tuning or the frequency synthesis type are suitable for the arrangement described above.

If the person wishes to listen to a tape, the cassette containing the required magnetic tape should be placed onto the revolving tape 11 which, as it revolves, brings the cassette into the vicinity of the aperture 1 0. The protruding element 1 2 will then push the cassette into the aperture 10. At this stage, the recording equipment 8 is slid along the guides 9 and pushed into the tuner 1, wherein the reproduction of the cassette takes place automatically, the car radio being completely hidden underneath the car seat.

The supports 6 and 7 make it possible to secure the car radio anywhere in a car and particularly to the side members which fasten the car seat itself, so that it is impossible to carry the car radio away without removing the car seat as well. The above described arrangement can be a deterrent against theft since the car radio and any other equipment present is not visible from outside of the car, but the radio can nonetheless be controlled at will be means of the ultra-sound transmitter 3.

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of the components of the car radio and the tape playing and recording equipment described with refrence to Fig. 1.

Although the description hereinabove refers to a car radio provided with a tape player and/or recorder, embodiments of the present invention may include other arrangements of electronic equipment, such as, a radio receiver alone or a tape player and/or recorder alone, each being provided with a control means and remote controlling means.

Claims

1. A radio receiver or a combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder, suitable for installation in a vehicle, provided with a control means and a remote controlling means for operating said control means.

2. A radio receiver or combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder as claimed in claim 1, provided with a mounting means to enable it to be mounted beneath a seat of a vehicle.

3. A radio receiver or combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which said remote controlling means for remotely controlling said control means comprises an ultrasound transmitter remote controlling means.

4. A combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including means for remotely inserting and removing a tape into and from, respectively, the tape player and/or recorder.

5. A combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder as claimed in claim 4, in which said means for remotely inserting and removing the tape into and from, respectively, the tape player and/or recorder comprises an endless movable band directed towards an aperture disposed in the tape player and/or recorder, through which aperture cassettes may be inserted into the tape player and/or recorder.

6. A radio receiver or a combined radio receiver and tape player and/or recorder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanyina drawings.