Operating device of an electronic equipment mounted on a motor vehicle

• US 5,200,874 A
• Filed: 11/26/1991
• Issued: 04/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US07/797,843
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 180/90, 248/27.1, 248/27.3, 312/7.1, 334/85, 334/89, 361/331, 361/380, 361/346, 361/392, 361/394, 361/427, 455/345-351
• US Class Current: 361/627
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 1/12 Constructional arrangements for obtaining equal indicative divisions

Abstract

A knob for operating a fader as an electronic device of a car stereo is rotatably and axially slidably mounted on a grille detachably attached to a car stereo body. A wall of the car stereo body facing the grille when attached thereto, has an opening through which the knob passes. A manually rotated operating shaft of the fader is disposed inside the body of the car stereo behind the opening. When the knob is pushed into the body through the opening, the knob is coupled with the operating shaft of the fader with respect to the rotating direction and axial direction of the knob.

Claims

1. An operating device of an electronic equipment which is mounted on a motor vehicle, the electronic equipment having a) an equipment body secured to a vehicle body of the motor vehicle, and b) a grille detachably mounted on a front panel of the equipment body, said operating device comprising:

a knob having a shaft rotatably and axially slidably mounted on said grille;

a first spring mounted on said shaft for outwardly urging said knob;

an electronic device having an operating shaft having a front end and said electronic device provided inside said equipment body;

connecting means for connecting a rear end of said knob with said front end of said operating shaft, said connecting means including

a first cylindrical member connected to said operating shaft of said electronic device,

a second cylindrical member axially slidably engaged with said first cylindrical member,

a slide shaft slidably engaged with said first cylindrical member, and

a second spring for inwardly urging said slide shaft, a front end of said slide shaft being located slightly inside of an opening formed on said front panel of said equipment body by said second spring; and

coupling means for coupling a rear end of said shaft of said knob with said front end of the slide shaft when said knob is depressed,

wherein said first spring having a larger elastic force than said second spring so that said knob is projected from a front panel of said grille when said knob is connected to said slide shaft by said coupling means.

2. An operating device according to claim 1 wherein said connecting means further comprises a projected portion having a non-circular cross section formed on a rear end of said knob and a slit formed in said front end of said slide shaft so as to be coupled with said projected portion.

3. An operating device according to claim 2 wherein said coupling means comprises at least one recess formed on a periphery of said projecting portion of said knob, and at least one projection formed on an inside wall of said slit.