GB2344924A - Child-proofing device for video cassette recorder loading door - Google Patents

Abstract

A child-proofing device to prevent the insertion of foreign objects into the cassette port 66 of a video cassette recorder (VCR) 64. The device consists of a front plate 70 of elongated rectangular configuration and two pairs of levered latches 76 78 at opposite ends of the rectangle, one of each pair being hinged at the top 72 and bottom 74 respectively, protruding into the cassette port. When the two levers 72, 74 in each pair are squeezed together the latches disengage from the inside of cassette port, so that if both pairs are squeezed simultaneously, the device can be withdrawn.

Description

CHILD-PROOFING DEVICE FOR USE IN A VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDER The present invention relates to a child-proofing device for use in a video cassette recorder; and, more particularly, to a child-proofing device which is durable and capable of effectively obstructing a cassette port of the VCR.

A relatively large number of cassette players and recorders, such as a video cassette recorder, are often damaged as result of young children inserting foreign objects, such as food, chopsticks and the like, into a cassette port thereof.

There has been proposed various locking mechar. isms for the purpose of child-proofing. For example, there is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 5,076,461, as shown in Fig. 1, a device 2 for child proofing in a video cassette recorder 1 including a front plate portion 6 of elongated rectangular configuration and a pair of clip members 8 which are integrally attached to opposite ends of the plate portion 6.

Each of the clip members 8 is of generally U-shaped configuration and includes a first and a second legs 10 and 12 which are connected by a connecting portion 14 therebetween, a lip portion 16 extending outwardly from the forward end of the second leg 12 in substantially coplanar relation with the front plate portion 6, and a detent rib 18 on the outwardly facing side of the second leg 12. The device 2 as disclosed in the above patent is readily and easily removable from a cassette port 4 by simultaneously urging the lip portions 16 inwardly and together to disengage the detent ribs 18 from the side extremities of the cassette port4.

However, since such a device 2 is operated by a tension of each of the clip members 8, the lip portions 16 may be urged by an excessive force, entailing a deformation or a breakage of the clip members 8.

In Korean Utility Mode~ La d-Open Publication No. 9715105, there is disclosed a front loading door locking mechanism for use in a video cassette recorder. The locking mechanism, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, includes a pair of lockers 20 and 24 rotatably mounted about a pair of fixing shafts 22 and 26, respectively, each being positioned adjacent to a lower portion of a cassette port 23 and linked bv a linking rod 28, and a knob assembly 30 for performirg a rotation of the lockers 20 and 24 by drawing the linking rod 28 to thereby selectively perform an opening and a closing operation of a front loading door 25. The knob assembly 30 includes a knob 32 slid along a guide groove 34 and connectez to one end of the linking rod 28 and having an operating hole 36 and a restricting hole 38, a push bottom 40 disposed within the holes 36 and 38, and a stopper 42 resiliently inserted into the restricting hole 38 by a spring 44 to thereby restrict the sliding of the knob 32. The above described devices for child-proofing require a highly complicated locking mechanism and hence are difficult to assemble, increasing the manufacturing cost thereof. In addition, since the knob assembly 30 is exposed from a front panel 27 as ever, the knob assembly 30 may be operated by young children, allowing the children to accidentally open the front loading door 25.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a child-proofing device for use in a video cassette recorder which is durable and capable of effectively obstructing a cassette port of the VCR.

According to the present invention there is provided a child-proofing device for use in a video cassette recorder, the device including, a front plate portion of elongated rectangular configuration; and two pairs of knob assembly attached in the vicinity of opposite ends of the plate portion, respectively, each pair of knob assembly having an upper and a lower knobs mounted at front of the front plate portion, each of the knobs being provided with a hinge at bottom and top thereof, and an upper and a lower pliers inwardly projected from. back side of the front plate portion in such a way that the upper plier is latched to an opened front loading door and the lower plier is latched to a front panel, wherein the device is removable from a cassette port just by simultaneously pursing each pair of knobs together to disengage the pair of pliers from the opened front loading door and the front panel, respectively.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the pliers is provided with a reinforcing rib at bottom and top thereof ir. order to increase its strength.

The above and other objects and features of the present t invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which : Fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a video cassette recorder with a conventional child-proofing device installed therein ; Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary front view of a video cassette recorder with another prior art front loading door locking mechanism installed therein ; Fig. 3 illustrates a partially enlarged view of a knob assembly in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 depicts an exploded perspective view of a video cassette recorder with a child-proofir. device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. SA and 5B set forth sectional views taken along the lines A-A and B-B in Fig. 4 for showing the child-proofing device assembled with a front panel, respectively.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, there is showr. a childproofing device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The child-proofing device as shown in Fig. 4 includes a front plate portion 60 of elongated rectangular configuration and two pairs of knob assembly 70 attached in the vicinity of opposite ends of the front plate portion 60, respectively. Each pair of knob assembly 70 has an upper and a lower knobs 72 and 74 mounted at front of the front plate portion 60 and an upper, each of the knobs 72 and 74 being provided with a hinge 75 at bottom and top thereof, and a lower pliers 76 and 78 inwardly projected from back side of the front plate portion 60. On the other hand, it is preferably the upper pliers 76 and the lower pliers 78 may be integrally provided with a reinforcing rib 80, respectively, at bottom and top thereof to thereby improve their strength.

Once each pair of knobs 72 and 74 are simultaneously pursed together, the upper and the lower pliers 76 and 78 are shifted to downward and upward, respectively, as a result of the presence of a hinge 75 at bottom and top of each of the knobs 72 and 74. The inventive child-proofing device can be inserted into the cassette recorder through a cassette port 66 at the same time a front loading door 62 is opened as the upper plier 76 is latched to the opened front loading door 62 as shown in Fig. 5A, while the lower plier 78 is latched to a front panel 64 as shown in Fig. 5B, thereby preventing foreign objects from being inserted into a video cassette recorder through the cassette port 66. In order to thereafter remove the inventive device from the cassette port 66, each pair of knobs 72 and 74 are manually pursed together o allow the upper and the lower pliers 76 and 78 to be simultaneously unlatched from the opened front loading door 52 and the front panel 64, respectively.

As described above, since the inventive child-proofing device is removable from the cassette port 66'ust by simultaneously pursing each pair of knobs 72 and 74 together with both hands, it normally cannot be easily removed by a young child. Further, since the respective pliers ; 6 and 78 of the inventive device are re nforced by the reinforcing rib 75, the present invention is significantly more durable when compared to the art device.

While the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiment, it will be unde-stood by those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the folowing clams.

Claims (3)

1. What is claimed is: 1. A child-proofing device for use in a video cassette recorder, the device including: a front plate portion of elongated rectangular configuration ; and two pairs of knob assembly attached in the vicinity of opposite ends of the plate portion, respectively, each pair of knob assembly having an upper and a lower knobs mounted at front of the front plate portion, each of the knobs being provided with a hinge at bottom and top thereof, and an upper and a lower pliers inwardly projected from back side of the front plate portion in such a way that the upper plier is latched to an opened front loading door and the lower plier is latched to a front panel, wherein the device is removable from a cassette port just by simultaneously pursing each pair of knobs together to disengage the pair of pliers from the opened front loading door and the front panel, respectively.
2. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the pliers is provided with a reinforcing rib at bottom and top thereof to increase its strength.
3. 3. A device constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to or as illustrated in Figures 4,5A and 5B of the accompanying drawings.