Remote Control Device for Touch Type Tuner of Television

The present invention relates to a remote control device for a touch type tuner of a television, and more particularly to a pneumatic remote control device for a touch type tuner of a television.

Conventionally, the touch type tuner of a television is controlled remotely by installing a receiver in the main body of the television. The receiver receiving a command signal transmitted from a transmitter held by the viewer, accomplishes the operation of selection according to the command signal. Such kind of remote control device is indeed very convenient, except that the transmitter thereof is easy to damage by rough handling, and not universal to all types of remote controlled devices. In addition, the cost of the transmitter is rather high.

In accordance with the present invention, a remote control device for a touch type tuner of a television comprises:

a remote control box including means for air pressing which has a plurality of outlets;

a touch control mechanism including a plurality of bellow members, each being received in the respective cavity provided on the inner wall of the rearmost end of a housing, each said bellow member has its inlet communicating with said outlet of air pressing means through respective tube, the other end of each said bellow member biasing a respective movable body forwards as each said bellow member expands;

a plurality of conducting touch fingers, each having one end thereof abutting against the respective touch button of the tuner, and the other end thereof fixed insulatedly at the inner wall of the foremost end of the housing; and

a potential conducting line which has a plurality of tongues at its ends, each said tongue resting on the free end of said respective movable body, thereby as the compressed air expands the bellow member, which subsequently biases the movable body to actuate the tongue to contact with the conducting touch finger to achieve the operation of selection.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a low cost pneumatic remote control device for touch type tuner of television.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simply constructed pneumatic remote control device which is not easy to damage in case of rough handling.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic remote control device which is universal for application in all models of touch type tuner of television.

These and other objects will be apparent by describing a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the remote control box of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a side view in partial section of a touch control mechanism of the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the touch control mechanism of the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a touch control mechanism of the touch control mechanism of the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a joint portion of a potential conducting line;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the embodiment illustrating the touch finger and a potential conductive line having four tongues at its end; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating a touch control mechanism of the embodiment mounting on a television.

As shown in FIG. 1, a remote control box 1 has a casing 11 with a top cover 12. The top cover 12 has one side thereof rotatably pivoted at a wall of the casing 11 with a pin 111. On the upper surface of the top cover are provided a groove 14 for laying a pen and four holes for protruding push buttons 13 provided. A housing 2 of a touch control member is L-shaped. Four touch fingers 211, 212, 213 and 214 of different lengths extend out of the casing. The bent end of each touch finger is mounted with a spring 210 for securing good touch between the touch button of the television and the touch finger. The bottom wall of the housing 2 is insulatedly mounted with a first screw 221 which has an end thereof passing through the bottom wall and being soldered at a metal board 25 as shown in FIG. 5. A inner-threaded sleeve 22 has one end screwed with the screw 221 and the other end screwed with a second screw 23. The second screw 23 has an axial through hole for passing through a potential conducting line 24. The potential conducting line 24 can be metal wire or water absorbing thread, such as cotton yarn etc., which is sheathed. When a cotton thread is used as potential conducting line, an end portion of the thread is folded and then passes through an axial through-hole 231 and hooked by a U-shaped metal hook 232 which is supported by the uppermost end of the second screw 23 as shown in FIG. 6. Through the hook 232 the cotton thread is connected to the first screw 221.

Four flexible tubes 3, each having one end communicating with an outlet of a rubber bulb 15 through a hard tube 31, and the other end communicating with the inlet 261 of a bellow 26 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

Referring now to FIG. 2, four identical rubber bulbs 15 are received separately in four arc-shaped recesses 112 of the casing 11. The outlet of each bulb 15 is fixed by a stop wall 16 which has a hole 161 for inserting the outlet. On the upper surface of each rubber bulb 15 push button 13 rests, which has the upper portion thereof protruding out of the respective hole provided on the top cover 12 and the lower portion being allowed to move upward and downward only in a definite range.

Referring to FIG. 4 four identical cavities 20 provided at the inner wall of the housing 2 separately receive four identical bellows 26. On the foremost end of each bellow biases a respective movable body 27 which subsequently abuts a respective elastic metal tongue 251, referring also to FIG. 7. Each metal tongue has its rightmost end integral with a metal board 25. To the front side of the metal tongue 251 is adhered a soft elastomer pad 28 such as sponge with a thickness larger than the length of free bent portion of the metal tongue 251. To prevent the soft elastomer 28 from unevenly sinking, a chip 281 of hard material is provided on the front side of the soft elastomer to enlarge the surface of pressing. The touch finger having an end thereof fixed at the foremost wall of the housing, is spaced from the free end of the tongue 251 when the bellows does not expand, as shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 8, while the touch control mechanism 2 is mounted on the television, each touch finger 211, 212, 213 or 214 has its spring end abutting the respective touch buttons of the tuner. When the potential conducting line is made of water absorbing material, the free end thereof should be submerged in water. As the viewer depresses one of the push buttons 13, the air pressure will be transmitted from the rubber bulb through the tube to expand the corresponding bellow, which subsequently biases the movable body forward and actuates the free end of tongue to contact with the corresponding touch finger. The potential conducting line and the touch finger are thus closed and the operation of the selection is achieved.

With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that many modifications and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the above embodiment, it is hence intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the appended claims.