Audio/display apparatus

• US 20060291149A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishinosono, Yuji, Aizawa, Satoru, Suzuki, Takeshi, Yoshimura, Naomi
• Application Number:
  US11/471,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291149A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

There is provided an audio/display apparatus that provides a large display and high-power output of an audio signal and is acceptable as one of the room furnishings, which is installed in a most noticeable position in the room. It includes an upper foreign body detecting mechanism provided along the entire top portion of an audio unit, opposite to at least a display unit, to detect a foreign body lodged in a clearance defined between the audio unit and display unit, and a lower foreign body detecting mechanism provided along the entire bottom portion of the audio unit to detect a foreign object caught at the bottom portion of the audio unit having moved to a first position.

Claims

1. An audio/display apparatus comprising:

an audio unit incorporating at least a speaker, recording medium loading unit, recording medium playing unit to reproduce information recorded in the recording medium and an acoustic signal processor to process an audio signal for output from the speaker;

a display unit incorporating a display screen to display at least a television broadcast image and image reproduced by the recording medium playing unit and a video signal processor;

a support frame to support the display unit fixed thereon;

a carrier having the audio unit mounted thereon and installed on the support frame via a drive mechanism and guide mechanism to be movable;

a first foreign body detecting mechanism provided along the entire top edge of the audio unit, opposite to at least the display unit, and which detects a foreign body lodged in a clearance defined between the top portion of the audio unit and the display unit; and

a second foreign body detecting mechanism provided along the entire bottom edge of the audio unit to detect a foreign body caught at the bottom of the audio unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first foreign body detecting mechanism includes:

an actuating plate member including a main surface portion nearly flush with the top surface of the audio unit, detection wall of which the entirety is formed from a bent portion of the main surface portion to be opposite to the display unit, three projecting fulcrum studs formed integrally on the inner side of the main surface portion at regular intervals along the length of the main surface portion and a switch actuator disposed between the fulcrum studs and detection wall and formed integrally with the inner side of the main surface portion;

a pressure-sensitive switch sheet laid between the top surface of the audio unit and the main surface portion of the actuating plate member; and

a helical spring fitted on each of the fulcrum studs to hold the actuating plate member at the top surface of the audio unit,

when a foreign body lodged between the audio unit and display unit forces the detection wall, the actuating plate member being pivoted about the switch actuator against the resilience of the helical spring so that the switch actuator will press the pressure-sensitive switch sheet which will output a detection signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second foreign body detecting mechanism includes:

a channel-shaped bracket member fixed over the length thereof to the bottom surface of the audio unit and having a width generally approximate to that of the bottom surface;

at least a pair of actuating members provided in combination with and inside the bracket member, respectively, movably along its own height;

a coupling actuating plate member coupling opposite lateral sides of the actuating member with each other and combined with the bracket member, respectively, freely movably along its own height and oscillably along its own width;

a pair of detection switches provided for each of the actuating members, they being provided on the bracket member, respectively, oppositely to near both the longitudinal ends of each actuating member; and

a pair of resilient members provided in inner positions in relation to the detection switches to force each of the actuating members away from the bracket member,

each of the actuating members and coupling actuating plate member being disposed across the length of the bracket member and combined with the bracket member by a support structure provided between them and the bracket member to be movable along its own height and form a pivoting fulcrums, and when pushed up by the foreign body, the actuating member making a see-saw motion to turn on any one of the detection switches which will output a detection signal.