Tray moving mechanism and in-vehicle audio apparatus

• US 9,264,790 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Uchida, Keiichiro, Ito, Hideki, Nakagome, Fuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US13/713,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20130101135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 381/86, 381/302
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0211 for record carriers apparatus, e.g. video recorders, tape players or CD players
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0087 around two axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18888 Reciprocating to or from oscillating

Abstract

A tray moving mechanism includes: a unit base having an internal space formed as a containing space; and a tray movable between a retracted position in which the unit base is contained in the containing space and a projected position in which a music player formed in a substantially rectangular shape can be placed on the tray and in which a part of the tray is projected from the base unit, wherein the tray is moved with respect to the unit base such that the orientations of the tray with respect to the unit base in the retracted and projected positions are substantially 90 deg different from each other.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle audio apparatus comprising:

a housing having an opening at least on one side thereof;

a unit base disposed in the housing and having an internal space formed as a containing space;

a tray movable parallel to a plane normal to the opening between a retracted position in which the tray is contained in the containing space and a projected position in which a music player formed in a substantially rectangular shape can be placed on the tray and in which a part of the tray is projected from the base unit;

a front panel rotatably supported on the housing for exposing and closing the opening of the housing;

a connector section provided inside the housing and in a position on a side of the housing, the connector section having a connection terminal; and

a terminal portion connected to the connection terminal of the connector section when the opening of the housing is closed by the front panel,

wherein the tray is moved parallel to the plane with respect to the unit base such that the orientations of the tray with respect to the unit base in the retracted and projected positions are substantially 90 deg different from each other, and

wherein the tray is moved parallel to the plane from the retracted position to the projected position in a substantially arcuate trajectory, and

wherein the music player is placed on the tray in the projected position and located beside the connector section such that the music player is elongated in the front-rear direction of the apparatus.

2. An in-vehicle audio apparatus comprising:

a housing having an opening at least on one side thereof;

a unit base disposed in the housing and having an internal space formed as a containing space;

a tray movable between a retracted position in which the tray is contained in the containing space and a projected position in which a music player formed in a substantially rectangular shape can be placed on the tray and in which a part of the tray is projected from the base unit

a front panel rotatably supported on the housing for exposing and closing the opening of the housing;

a connector section provided inside the housing and in a position on a side of the housing, the connector section having a connection terminal; and

a terminal portion connected to the connection terminal of the connector section when the opening of the housing is closed by the front panel,

wherein the tray is moved with respect to the unit base such that the orientations of the tray with respect to the unit base in the retracted and projected positions are substantially 90 deg different from each other,

wherein the tray is moved from the retracted position to the projected position in a substantially arcuate trajectory, and

wherein the music player is placed on the tray in the projected position and located beside the connector section such that the music player is elongated in the front-rear direction of the apparatus.

4. An in-vehicle audio apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a locking lever locking the tray in the retracted position; and

an urging spring imparting a force to the tray to move it from the retracted position toward the projected position,

wherein the tray is moved from the retracted position toward the projected position by the urging force of the urging spring when the tray is unlocked or released from the locking lever in the retracted position.

5. An in-vehicle audio apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the music player is placed on the tray such that it is elongated in the front-rear direction of the tray when the tray is in the projected position.

3. An in-vehicle audio apparatus comprising:

a housing having an internal space formed as a containing space;

a tray movable parallel to a plane parallel to the front-rear direction of the apparatus between a retracted position in which the tray is contained in the containing space and a projected position in which a music player formed in a substantially rectangular shape can be placed on the tray and in which a part of the tray is projected from the containing space;

a front panel rotatably supported on the housing for exposing and closing an opening of the housing;

a connector section provided inside the housing and in a position on a side of the housing, the connector section having a connection terminal; and

a terminal portion connected to the connection terminal of the connector section when the opening of the housing is closed by the front panel,

wherein the tray is moved parallel to the plane with respect to the housing such that the orientations of the tray with respect to the housing in the retracted and projected positions are substantially 90 deg different from each other,

wherein the tray is moved parallel to the plane from the retracted position to the projected position in a substantially arcuate trajectory, and

wherein the music player is placed on the tray in the projected position and located beside the connector section such that the music player is elongated in the front-rear direction of the apparatus.