Tuning device for radio receiver

Claim 2

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic and manual tuning operations, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining a tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said clutch means comprises a rotatable clutch plate adapted to selectively receive an operating force from either said first or second transmitting means, and clutch driving means for driving said clutch plate to receive one of said operating forces.

Claim 3

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic and manual tuning operations, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining a tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said first transmitting means comprises a rotatable fly wheel interlocked with said manipulator which is also rotatable, and a first force transmitting shaft for rotatably supporting said fly wheel; wherein said second transmitting means comprises a second force transmitting shaft coupled to a rotary shaft of said motor and disposed at a right angle relative to said first force transmitting shaft of said first transmitting means at a distance therefrom; and wherein said clutch means comprises a rotatable clutch plate adapted to selectively receive an operating force from either said fly wheel or said second force transmitting shaft, and clutch driving means for driving said clutch plate to couple to one of said fly wheel and said second force transmitting shaft.

Claim 4

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic and manual tuning operations, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining a tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said first transmitting means comprises a rotatable fly wheel interlocked with said manipulator which is also rotatable, and a first force transmitting shaft for rotatably supporting said fly wheel; wherein said second transmitting means comprises a second force transmitting shaft coupled to a rotary shaft of said motor and disposed at a right angle relative to said first force transmitting shaft of said first transmitting means at a distance therefrom; and wherein said clutch means comprises a rotatable clutch plate adapted to selectively receive an operating force from either said fly wheel or said second force transmitting shaft, and clutch driving means for driving said clutch plate to couple to one of said fly wheel and said second force transmitting shaft.

Claim 5

A tuning device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the receiver includes a local oscillator and a radio signal frequency amplifier, in which said tuning element is a multiple type variable capacitor, and comprises a first variable capacitor member for said local oscillator of said receiver and a second variable capacitor member for said radio signal frequency amplifier of said receiver.

Claim 6

A tuning device according to claim 2, in which said supporting means comprises a wheel shaft fixedly carrying said fly wheel and receiving a rotation of said manipulator and a wheel bearing mounted for rotatably receiving said wheel shaft.

Claim 7

A tuning device according to claim 2, in which said second force transmitting shaft is comprised of a rotary shaft of said motor.

Claim 8

A tuning device according to claim 5 including frame means for carrying the receiver, in which said motor is secured to said frame means of the receiver via resilient members, and said rotary shaft of said motor is covered with a cap having a large friction coefficient.

Claim 9

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic and manual tuning operations, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining a tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said clutch means comprises: a rotatable clutch plate adapted to selectively receive an operating force from one of said first and second transmitting means; a pulley mounted coaxially with said clutch plate; a dial rope applied between said pulley and said tuning element; and clutch driving means for driving said clutch plate to receive one of said operating forces.

Claim 10

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic and manual tuning operations, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining a tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said clutch means comprises: a rotatable clutch plate adapted to selectively receive an operating force from one of said first and second transmitting means; a pulley mounted coaxially with said clutch plate; a dial rope applied between said pulley and said tuning element; and clutch driving means for driving said clutch plate to receive one of said operating forces.

Claim 11

A tuning device according to claim 7 wherein the first transmitting means includes a first force transmitting shaft, in which said clutch plate is disposed between said first and second transmitting means for being movable in directions parallel with the first force transmitting shaft, said second transmitting means including a second force transmitting shaft disposed at a right angle to said first shaft at a distance therefrom, said clutch plate receiving the operating force from said first transmitting means after the plate moves in a certain direction to make friction contact with said first shaft, and receiving the operating force from said second transmitting means after the clutch plate moves in an opposite direction to make friction contact with said second shaft.

Claim 12

A tuning device according to claim 8, in which said clutch plate comprises: a flanged disk member rotatably and slidably supported on said first shaft of said first transmitting means; and a skid-inhibiting member made of a material having a large friction coefficient and applied to upper and bottom surfaces of the flange portion of said disk member, and adapted to be selectively brought into pressure contact with one of said first and second transmitting means.

Claim 13

A tuning device according to claim 7, in which said clutch driving means comprises: a solenoid having a plunger telescopically movable into and out of the solenoid; a clutch lever for transmitting actions of said plunger to cause said clutch plate to receive motive force selectively from either of said first and second transmitting means.

Claim 14

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic or manual coarse tuning operation each for selecting varying a tuning frequency of the receiver corresponding to one of a plurality of broadcast frequencies in a broadcast frequency band, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining the tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said clutch control means comprises: touch detecting means for detecting a touch of a receiver user of said manipulator and for producing a detection output; and touch switch means actuated upon receipt of the detection output from said touch detecting means for establishing the manual tuning operation the automatic tuning operation being established upon removal of a receiver user's touch from said manipulator.

Claim 15

A tuning device for a radio receiver capable of selectively carrying out automatic or manual coarse tuning operation each for selecting varying a tuning frequency of the receiver corresponding to one of a plurality of broadcast frequencies in a broadcast frequency band, comprising: a variable tuning element for determining the tuning frequency of the receiver; a manipulator for manually operating said tuning element in the manual operation; a motor for operating said tuning element in the automatic operation; clutch means for selectively transmitting to the tuning element an operating force for said element from either one of said manipulator and said motor; first operating force transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said manipulator to said clutch means; second operating force transmitting means independently operated relative to said first transmitting means to transmit the operating force from said motor to said clutch means; and clutch control means to control said clutch means to couple to said tuning element said first transmitting means in the manual operation or said second transmitting means in the automatic operation; wherein said clutch control means comprises: touch detecting means for detecting a touch of a receiver user of said manipulator and for producing a detection output; and touch switch means actuated upon receipt of the detection output from said touch detecting means for establishing the manual tuning operation the automatic tuning operation being established upon removal of a receiver user's touch from said manipulator.

Claim 16

A tuning device according to claim 11, in which said touch detecting means comprises: said manipulator being made of a conductive material; and a detection terminal electrically connected to said manipulator and to said touch switch means.

Claim 17

A tuning device according to claim 10 including automatic tuning circuit means and clutch driving means, in which said touch switch means includes: an input connected to an output of the automatic tuning circuit means; an output connected to the clutch driving means and to said motor; a gate circuit connected between said input and output of the touch switch means; and a control terminal connected to said touch detecting means; said gate circuit being adapted to be nonconductive upon receipt, at said control terminal, of the detection output from the touch detecting means.

Claim 18

A tuning device according to claim 13, in which said automatic tuning circuit means comprises: a memory presettable with desired station frequencies; means for generating a signal indicative of out-of-tuned frequency by comparison of an output signal from said memory with a received frequency signal determined by said tuning device; wherein the output signal of said generating means is input to said gate circuit.

Claim 19

A tuning device according to claim 13 including an AFC circuit and a local oscillation circuit, in which said touch switch means includes: another gate circuit adapted to be nonconductive upon receipt, at said control terminal, of the detection output from said touch detecting means; said another gate circuit being connected between said AFC circuit and said local oscillation circuit.