GB2168522A - Improvements in or relating to locks - Google Patents

Abstract

A locking device for preventing theft or unauthorised use of a sound or video cassette player and/or recorder comprises a cassette member (10) configured to fit within the conventional cassette holder or carriage (11) of the player/recorder. Disposed within or carried by cassette member (10) is locking means (18) arranged to engage within the player/recorder to prevent unauthorised withdrawal of the cassette member. With the cassette member so locked, the player/recorder cannot be used since a sound or video cassette cannot be inserted until member (10) has been removed. Removal of the cassette member without an appropriate release means, such as key (15) cannot be achieved without damage to the player/recorder, thereby rendering it unfit for resale or use. Cover 12 prevents removal of recorder from a car dashboard. Alternative embodiments are described (e.g. Figs. 2 to 6). An alarm may respond to movement of the recorder, or of the cassette member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to locks This invention relates to locks and is particularly concerned with locks for music cassette and video cassette recorders and/or players.

Music cassette recorders are commonly fitted into the dashboards of cars and secured in position by means of screws which are usually covered by tuning dials or knobs.

These recorders can readily be removed from cars by removing first the tuning dials and then the screws. Consequenty, theft of the recorders from cars is common place. Again, the theft of video cassette recorders from homes is also common. The stolen recorders, whether music or video, are usually re-sold and this is only practicable if the stolen recorders are still fully operational.

An object of the invention is to prevent or reduce the theft of music cassette recorders from cars or alternatively to make re-sale of stolen car cassette recorders impossible or very difficult.

Another object of the invention is to make resale of stolen video cassette recorders impossible or very difficult.

A further object of the invention is to prevent unauthorised use of music cassette and video cassette recorders.

According to the present invention there is provided a locking device for a sound or video cassette player and/or recorder, the locking device comprising a cassette member dimensoned and shaped to fit within the cassette holder or carriage of the player and/or recorder, and locking means disposed within or carried by the cassette member, the locking means being arranged to engage within the player or recorder to prevent withdrawal of the cassette member from the player or recorder.

The invention is generally applicable to sound and video cassette players and recorders, whether front loading, side loading, back loading or top loading. While it will be appreciated that different forms of locking device may be needed to fit different cassette players and recorders, the general construction of the locking device will be as stated above.

The cassette member of the locking device may resemble a music cassette or a video cassette, as the case may be, and preferably includes the capstan holes of the cassette but contains or carries the locking means instead of the tape spools. The cassette member may be inserted into the carriage end on, side on or face on.

In a preferred form of the invention, the locking means disposed within the cassette member is arranged to lock on to one or both of the capstans of the recorder usually when the capstans are engaged in the capstan holes of the cassette member, whereby withdrawal of the cassette member from the cassette carriage is prevented until the locking means is unlocked, and the recorder cannot be used unless the cassette member is first withdrawn.

The locking means for locking on to the capstans may take several forms: (a) a bar on either side of one or each capstan, the bars being drawn towards one another by a linking mechanism to grip the capstan between the bars. The bars may engage in a groove in the capstan. Where both capstans are gripped, this may be achieved by one pair of bars common to both capstans or by a separate pair of bars for each capstan.

(b) a bar which is pushed against the capstan to lock the cassette member to the capstan. Preferably, there are two bars arranged between the capstans and the bars are pushed or moved apart by a connecting mechanism until they press against the capstans.

(c) an arm which embraces the capstan and is pulled against the capstan to lock the cassette member to the capstan. There may be an arm for each capstan.

In another form of the invention, the locking means disposed within the cassette member is arranged to engage within the cassette carriage, for example in a hole or recess in the cassette carriage of the recorder, in order to prevent withdrawal of the cassette member from the recorder. This locking means may take the following forms: (a) at least one bolt housed within the cassette member and operable to extend out of the cassette member into a hole or recess in the cassette carriage to lock the cassette member in the carriage.

(b) a bolt which engages with the spring mechanism for lifting the capstan rollers, whereby the cassette member is locked in its carriage.

The locking means may be operated manually or by remote control. It may be a mechanical lock operated for example by a key or by a card of credit card type, or the locking means may be a magnetic lock wherein for example, there is a magnetic operation of the bolt or bars. Remote control for the locking means may use an audio signal or infra red radiation to activate the lock. If desired, the locking means may be motor operated.

Where the cassette member is intended for a car cassette recorder/player, it may be provided with cover means which cover the front of the recorder when the cassette member is locked in its carriage and prevent access to the screws or other devices securing the recorder in position in the car dashboard, thus preventing or minimising theft of the recorder.

Thus, the cassette member may extend from the cover means and the locking means in or on the cassette member may be operated from the cover means.

Whether the cassette member is provided with cover means or not, the presence of the cassette member when locked in its carriage in a sound or video cassette recorder/player renders the recorder inoperable and hence discourages not only theft of the recorder for resale, but also unauthorised use of it. Forcing the locked cassette member out of its carriage is almost certain to cause serious damage to the recorder.

The cassette member may also be provided with an alarm system arranged to be set of (when the cassette member is locked in its carriage) if the locking means is tampered with or if the recorder is moved. For example, the alarm may include a remote control capable of triggering a pin on a motorised spring, and if the cassette member is forced from its carriage without the remote control having retracted the pin, then the alarm would be triggered off. In the case of a video recorder, the remote control may be arranged to trigger the alarm if the recorder is moved. The alarm system may be operated without the remote control. Thus, the alarm may be activated when the cassette member is locked in its carriage, the alarm being set off if the locking means is disturbed.

The alarm may be actuated by a suitable sensing means, for example, a spirit level or pendulum device to detect movement of the recorder or the cassette member. The alarm may be battery operated. In the case of a car cassette recorder, the exterior of the recorder may be illuminated to warn off potential thieves.

The invention will now be further described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Each of Figures 1 to 3 is a schematic plan view of a bolt-operated locking device for a front loading car music cassette recorder, Figures 4 and 6 are schematic plan views of capstan locking devices for a front loading car music cassette recorder, Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of a capstan locking device for a front loading home video recorder, and Figure 7 shows a modified form of capstan for use with the devices of Figs. 4 to 6.

In Fig. 1, a cassette member 10 fits end-on within the cassette holder or carriage 11 of a car music cassette recorder. The cassette member 10 is rigidly secured to a cover or protector 12 which covers knobs 13 of the recorder to prevent removal of the recorder from the car dashboard when the cassette member is locked in its carriage. A lock is disposed within the cassette member in place of the usual tape and spools. This lock comprises a shaft 14 turned by a key 15, the shaft being threaded at its inner end 16 to engage with a cog wheel 17 which in turn engages with a flat rack bolt 18. By turning the key, the bolt 18 is moved into a hole or recess 19 in the cassette carriage to lock the cassette member in the carriage. The hole 19 is on the side of the cassette member opposite to that which in a normal cassette would be the tape side.

The device shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that of Fig. 1 and the same reference numerals have, where appropriate, been used to identify the same parts in both Figs. However, turning the key 15 in the Fig. 2 construction moves a bolt 20 (engaged with the cog wheel 17) into the tape wheel hole 21 of the recorder to lock the cassette member in the carriage, the bolt 20 abutting the tape wheel 22 attached to the tape head 23 of the recorder.

Again in Fig. 3, the same numerals as in Figs. 1 and 2 are used where appropriate, but the cassette member fits side-on into its carriage and the lock within the cassette member has two rack bolts 24, 25 engaging with pinions 26, 27 respectively on the shaft 14.

Turning the key 15 moves the bolts 24, 25 into the holes or recesses 28, 29 respectively in the cassette carriage 11 to lock the cassette.

From Figs. 1 to 3, it will be appreciated that the number of bolts in the lock and their position(s) in the cassette member may be varied depending on the particular cassette recorder being locked and on the disposition of existing or specially provided holes or recesses in the cassette carriage to receive the bolts. An alternative to the locks in Figs. 1 to 3 is an eccentric lock having three bolts.

Moreover, various arrangements of shafts, pinions and cog wheels may be used to move the bolts, for instance a pinion on the shaft may turn a cog wheel to which two bolts are pivotally attached. In place of a key, remote control may be used to move the bolts. The locks may be made of any suitable hard material or materials, such as plastics or metal.

The locking devices may include alarm systems.

The cassette member 10 shown in Fig. 4 is provided with the usual capstan holes 30 and contains locking bars 31 arranged to move towards one of the holes 30 on turning the key 15 to grip the tape-driving capstan when the cassette member is positioned in its carriage, thereby locking the cassette member in position. The key 15 turns a shaft 32 carrying a bevel gear 33 which engages with a bevel gear 34 on a shaft 35 to turn the shaft 35 on which the bars 31 are mounted on opposed threads 36, 37 of the bar 35, whereby the bars can be moved towards or away from one another.

The locking bars 31 are provided with arcuate cut-outs 38 to facilitate the gripping of the capstan by the locking bars. The cassette member 10 may be secured to a cover similar to cover 12 in Fig. 1 or 2. It may also be provided with alarm pins 39. The tape side of the cassette member is on the right.

The locking devices of Figs. 1 to 4 are for car music cassette recorders. The locking devices of Figs. 5 and 6 are for home video cassette recorders but are similar to that of Fig. 4, the main difference being that the locking bars 40 (Fig. 5) and 41 (Fig. 6) are arranged to grip both capstans passing through the holes 30 when the cassette member 10 is in its carriage, whereby the cassette member is locked in position. It should also be noted that the cassette member of Fig. 5 fits its carriage side-on as opposed to end-on for Fig.

6. In Fig. 5, the key 15 turns a shaft 42 having opposed threads 43, 44 on which the bas 40 are mounted. The tape side of the cassette member is at the top of Fig. 5 but at the right hand side in Fig. 6. The locking mechanism in Fig. 6 is essentially the same as in Fig. 4 and the parts carry the same reference numerals. However, the bars 41 are long enough to grip both capstans. The locking bars in Figs. 5 and 6 are also provided with cut-outs 38 to facilitate gripping the capstans.

Movement of the locking bars may be assisted by providing guide bolts at the ends of the bars for the bars to slide on when the key is turned.

Fig. 7 shows a capstan 45 having a groove 46 in which the locking bars (31, 40, 41) engage when gripping the capstans to provide an improved grip.

As with the constructions of Figs. 1 to 3, the constructions of Figs. 4 to 6 may be made of a suitable hard material (plastics or metal) and may include an alarm system as described previously. While the locking devices shown in the drawings are for front loading cassette recorders, it will be appreciated that the invention may also be applied to top loading cassette recorders by modifying the cassette member and the recorder. Moreover, the locking device for a video cassette recorder (VCR) may use bolts instead of capstan-gripping bars. For example, a cassette member for locking a top-loading VCR may have three bolts which, on turning a key, extend into the cassette carriage on both sides and at the back of the carriage. It may be necessary to provide a hole in the top of the VCR to enable the key to be inserted in the lock. However, as previously described, any of the locking devices may be operated by remote control instead of by a key. They can also be motor driven. The principal feature of the invention is that the cassette member locks either onto the capstans of the recorder or into the carriage or casing of the recorder.

Claims (20)

1. A locking device for a sound or video cassette player and/or recorder, the locking device comprising a cassette member dimensioned and shaped to fit within the cassette holder or carriage of the player and/or recorder, and locking means disposed within or carried by the cassette member, the locking means being arranged to engage within the player or recorder to prevent withdrawal of the cassette member from the player or recorder.

2. A locking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cassette member has an overall external configuration corresponding to that of a conventional sound or video cassette, depending on the type of cassette machine which is to be locked.

3. A locking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cassette member includes through holes corresponding to the capstan holes of a conventional cassette but contains or carries the locking means instead of the usual tape spools.

4. A locking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the locking means disposed within the cassette member is arranged to be capable of locking onto one or both of the capstans of the player/recorder, whereby withdrawal of the cassette member from the cassette carriage is prevented until the locking means is unlocked.

5. A locking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the locking means comprises two bars adapted to lie on the two sides of one or each capstan of the cassette machine, the bars being capable of being drawn towards one another by a linking mechanism so as to grip the capstan or capstans between the bars.

6. A locking device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bars engage in a groove in the or each capstan.

7. A locking device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the locking device comprises a bar which, when the locking device is actuated, is adapted to be pushed against the capstan pulley of the cassette machine to lock the cassette member to the capstan pulley.

8. A locking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein there are two said bars arranged to lie between the two capstans of the cassette machine when the locking device is inserted therein, the two bars being arranged to be pushed or otherwise moved apart by a connecting mechanism until they press against the capstans to lock the cassette member into the machine.

9. A locking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the locking means comprises an arm which, when the cassette member has been inserted into the cassette machine, is arranged to embrace the capstan and to be capable of being pulled against the capstan to lock the cassette member to the capstan.

10. A locking device as claimed in claim 9, wherein there is a separate one of said arms for each of the two capstans of the player/recorder.

11. A locking device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the locking means disposed within the cassette member is arranged to be engageable within the conventional cassette carriage of the cassette machine in order to pevent withdrawal of the cassette member from the recorder.

12. A locking device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the locking means comprises at least one bolt housed within the cassette member and operable to extend out of the cassette member into a hole or recess in the cassette carriage to lock the cassette member in the carriage.

13. A locking device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the locking device comprises a bolt which is adapted to engage with the conventional spring mechanism provided in the player/recorder for lifting the capstan rollers, whereby the cassette member is locked in its carriage.

14. A locking device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the locking means is operable manually, such as by a key.

15. A locking device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the locking means is operated magnetically or by a motor.

16. A locking device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the lock can be operated remotely, for example using an audio or infrared control signal to activate the locking means.

17. A locking device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 16, wherein, the cassette member is intended for a vehicle cassette recorder/player, it is provided with a cover means which covers the front of the recorder/player when the cassette member is locked therein, and prevents access to screws or other devices securing the recorder/player in the vehicle dashboard, thus preventing or rendering difficult theft of the recorder/player from the vehicle.

18. A locking device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 16, further comprising an alarm system which, when the cassette member is locked in the cassette machine, is arranged to be set off if the locking means is tampered with or if the cassette member is moved relative the cassette machine.

19. A locking device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the alarm includes a remote con trol capable of triggering a pin on a motorised spring, such that if the cassette member is forced from its carriage without the remote control having retracted the pin, then the alarm is arranged to be triggered off.

20. A locking device for a sound or video cassette player and/or recorder, constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.