Theft-protected vehicular accessory apparatus, particularly car radio and audio equipment
First Claim
1. The combination ofa vehicular accessory apparatus, particularly car radio and audio equipment (R) witha two-part control unit (1, 21) for said apparatus,wherein said accessory apparatus is secured in the vehicle (V) andwherein, in order to render said accessory apparatus operable, said control unit (1, 21) must be assembled with said accessory apparatus in said vehicle, andwherein said two-part control unit comprisesan essentially stationary connection part (1) mechanically secured to the vehicle (V) and means (5, 43) for electrically coupling the connection part to said accessory apparatus;
- anda portable control part (21), formed with generally smooth outer surfaces to facilitate transport in an owner'"'"'s pocket, and which includes a housing (22,
23) having control elements (28,
43) necessary for operation of said accessory apparatus located thereon,interengaging attachment means (8, 9;
24,
25) for selectively separably mechanically connecting together said connection and control parts (21); and
electrical coupling means (35, 36a) positioned, respectively, on said control part (21) and said connection part (1) to permit control of said apparatus (R) when the connection part and the control part are interengaged, while allowing separation of said control part and said connection part and removal of said control part from the connection part, said coupling means including means (38, 40,
41) for automatically extending terminal elements (36a) during interengagement of said control and connection parts and for automatically retracting said terminal elements (36a) into a housing (2,
3) upon disengagement of said control and connection elements.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To prevent theft of a car radio (R), the radio unit itself is located in the vehicle (V) in a suitable secure location. The radio is controlled by a two-part control unit, in which one part of the control unit forms a connection part (1), secured to the vehicle, for example, by a goose-neck (5) or the like, and the other part forming a control part (21) which is separable from the connection part. Interengaging dovetail track-and-groove connections permit ready removal of the control part (21) from the connection part, so that a user may remove the control part, and thus not leave any indication in the vehicle that it contains a car radio. The control part contains the necessary control buttons and display functions to operate and control the car radio, the connection part merely including a plurality of contact terminals which, with the control part removed, are depressed below a top surface of a housing (2, 3) of the connection part.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. The combination of
a vehicular accessory apparatus, particularly car radio and audio equipment (R) with a two-part control unit (1, 21) for said apparatus, wherein said accessory apparatus is secured in the vehicle (V) and wherein, in order to render said accessory apparatus operable, said control unit (1, 21) must be assembled with said accessory apparatus in said vehicle, and wherein said two-part control unit comprises an essentially stationary connection part (1) mechanically secured to the vehicle (V) and means (5, 43) for electrically coupling the connection part to said accessory apparatus; - and
a portable control part (21), formed with generally smooth outer surfaces to facilitate transport in an owner'"'"'s pocket, and which includes a housing (22,
23) having control elements (28,
43) necessary for operation of said accessory apparatus located thereon,interengaging attachment means (8, 9;
24,
25) for selectively separably mechanically connecting together said connection and control parts (21); andelectrical coupling means (35, 36a) positioned, respectively, on said control part (21) and said connection part (1) to permit control of said apparatus (R) when the connection part and the control part are interengaged, while allowing separation of said control part and said connection part and removal of said control part from the connection part, said coupling means including means (38, 40,
41) for automatically extending terminal elements (36a) during interengagement of said control and connection parts and for automatically retracting said terminal elements (36a) into a housing (2,
3) upon disengagement of said control and connection elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- and
Specification