AU644707B2 - A guard - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 -1- AUSTRAL IA 4 4 Patents Act 1990 GOJM4ErThE VXrE: S31PE C I B'Fl IAr G2Tam 0@ S S 05 3 see.

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APPLICANT:

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FILING DATE: BRIAN ANTHIONY O'BRIEN M4URRAY EDWIN I4ISSEN Invention Title: A GUARD The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 05 0

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This invention relatas to a guard for a video recorder/player.

It is a relatively common occurrence for young children to "post" objects other than video cassettes through the cassette opening of a video recorder/player, Such objects are usually irretrievable once inside the video and therefore corrective action needs to be taken by a service person. In extreme cases damage can occur if someone not being aware of the presence of the foreign object within the video recorder/player endeavours to operate the equipment. In either situation inconvenience and cost arises from having to have the equipment serviced.

The object of the present invention is to provide a guard which is readily attachable to a video recorder/player so as to cover the opening through which video cassettes are inserted.

Broadly the invention consists of a guard for a video recorder/player, the guard comprising in combination a pair of end members each of which is adapted for pivotal movement to a respective side of a video recorder/player, an elongate guard piece each end of which is engageable in mounting means associated with each end member such that the guard piece extends between said end members such as, in use, to extend across the front of the video recorder/player and releasable latching means which prevent said end members pivotally moving except when both of said latching means have been released.

In the following more detailed description al the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure I is a front view of the guard in its assemnbled condition, Figure 2 is a rear elevation view of the guard as shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is an inside f ace view of an end member with the cover piece in position and a pivot plate shown in dotted detail, Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the arrangement as shown in Figure 3 but with the pivot plate shown in full detail, and Figure 5 is an end elevation view.

The guard i~s made up of a number of individual components each of which are preferably moulded from a suitable plastics material. The individual components comprise a cover 10 end members 11 and pivot plates 12.

The cover 10 is preferably moulded from a translucent plastics material such that when the guard is in place across the front of a video recorder/player a remote control will still be operable and the user will be able to observe the visual display.

Each pivot plate 12 consists of a planar member 13 from which projects a spigot 14 of circular cross-section.

Each pivot plate is designed to be attachable to a side surface of the video recorder/player and to this end the face of plate 13 opposite to that from which the spigot 14 projects is provided with an adhesive surface (not shown).

Each end member 11 includes an annular boss 15 within which the spigot 14 engages. Thus with the pivot plates 12 located on each end wall of the video recorder/player adjacent the front of the video recorder/player the end members 11 can be pivotally attached so that the cover extends across the front of the video recorder/player.

To hold the end member 11 and spigot in a pivotal coupling a cap or button (not shown) can be fitted to the spigot (by say a snap look fit or mechanical fastener) such that a flanged portion or the like of the cap or button overlaps the annular boss 15 to prevent axial movement between spigot and boss to take place.

Cover 10 includ~s a front face 16, a top face 17 which is substantially at right angles to the front face 16 and a lower face 18 which angles downwardly away from front face 16. To enable the cover to be attached to the end plates 11 slotted portions 19 and 20 are provided for upper face 17 and lower face 18.

Latching means are provided to retain the cover in the "closed" position extending across the front of the video recorder/player) these latching means being releasable t o enable the end members 11 to pivotally move and thereby raise the cover 10 away from the front the video recorder/player. The latching means in the preferred form of the invention comprises a ramp portioni 21 which extends f rom plate 13 of pivot plate 12 and a corresponding ramp 22 which projects from an arm 23 extending from end plate 11. As best shown in Figure 4 the ramps 21 and 22 ride over each other as the guard is moved to the closed position so that the vertical edges ramps 21 and 22 overlap. Thus to release the latching means arms 23 have to be laterally displaced so ego:% that a clearance between the aforesaid vertical edges is d. o provided thereby permitting piv( al movement of the end 4:040: members 11 to occur. As both latching means need to be released simultaneously this is an action which generally would not be possible for a young child and therefore the guard is essentially childproof.

The cover 10 is so shaped that the upper face 17 extends back from front face 16 so as to lie over the front top edge of the video recorder/player. Furthermore the angled bottom face 18 prevents a child from accessing the cassette slot in the video recorder/player which would be possible in the absence of such lower face 18.

The angling of the face, however, also enables the guard to be raised and lowered without fouling a cassette which may be in the video recorder/player but projecting from the cassette slot.

The guard according to the present invention is able to fit most video recorder/players as the cover 10 can be provided in a length sufficient to span even the biggest video recorder/player but can be cut to length when the guard is being used on a video recorder/player of smaller length dimension.

e e. The guard by being moulded from plastics material is 0 unobtrusive when in place on the video recorder/player and due to the general appearance does not detract from Sthe general aesthetics of the video equipment. The configuration of the cover prevents access to the cassette slot due to the all encompassing nature of the cover and the end mmibers. The latching means effectively make the guard childproof.

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Claims (10)

1. A guard for a video recorder/player, the guard comprising in combination a pair of end members each of which is adapted for pivotal movement to a respective side of a video recorder/player, an elongate guard piece each end of which is engageable in mounting means associated with each end member such that the guard piece extends between said end members such as, in use, to extend across the front of the video recorder/player and releasable latching means which prevent said end members pivotally moving except when both of said latching means have been released.

2. The guard as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each end member is pivotally engageable with a mounting plate, said mounting plate being adapted for attachment to a wall surface of a video recorder/player. em

3. The guard as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the mounting plate includes a pivot member which is pivotally engageable in an opening in the end member.

4. The guard as claimed in Claim 3 further including means for retaining the pivot member in pivotal coupling with the end member. e

5. The guard as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein mounting means comprises a slot or slots into which an end of the guard piece can be engaged. Q e

6. The guard as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims 2 to 5 wherein the latching means comprises an arm which extends from said end member and is engageable with a projection on said mounting plate.

7. The guard as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the arm includes a ramp portion which is adapted to engage over said projection when the cover is moved to a closed position.

8. The guard as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the guard piece has an upper surface, a front surface which is at an angle to the upper surface such that in use with cover in a closed position the front surface extends across at least part of the video recorder/player and a lower surface which angles downwardly from the front surface and back toward the video recorder/player when in said closed position.

The guard as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 wherein the guard piece is formed from a translucent plastics material. *0

10. A guard for a video recorder/player substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. o DATED this 19th day of December 1991 A Tatlock Assiociates P 0 Box 358 Carlton South 3053 Victoria to AUSTRALIA 4 4* 4 4 6 a 6 0 The present invention relates to a guard f or a video recorder/player. The guard comprises in combination a pair of end members (11) which are each adapted for pivotal movement to a respective side of a video recorder/player. An elongate guard piece (10) extends between the end members (11) and is engaged in -mounting means (19 20) associated with the end members (11). The guard piece (10) can thus be mounted to extend across the front of a video recorder/player and held in :ae"closad" position by releasable, latching means (21 22). *goes: 9:060