Combined 82-position UHF and VHF television tuner with memory fine tuning

Abstract

A combination UHF and VHF television tuner having a single detented selector shaft for individually selecting each one of the 82 UHF and VHF television channels and a single fine tuning shaft for providing memory fine tuning of channels in both the UHF and VHF bands. A single digital type channel indicator is used for precisely displaying at a single location the channel number of the UHF or VHF channel selected by the common selector shaft. .Iadd.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. A combination tuner comprising: a first tuner tunable over a first predetermined frequency band;   a second tuner tunable over a second predetermined frequency band;   a selector shaft; and   means coupling said selector shaft to said first and second tuners, said coupling means including means for operatively coupling said selector shaft to said first tuner over a predetermined range of rotation of said selector shaft for tuning said first tuner over the entire first predetermined frequency band and for operatively coupling said selector shaft to said second tuner for a second predetermined range of rotation of said selector shaft for tuning said second tuner over said entire second predetermined frequency band, said coupling means including a first gear rotatable by said selector shaft, a second gear coupled to one of said tuners and engaging said first gear, means for disengaging said first and second gears and a third gear rotatable by said selector shaft, said third gear having means associated therewith for rendering said disengaging means operative to disengage said first and second gears only in a single predetermined  position of said selector shaft, wherein said disengaging means includes an arm member affixed to one of said first and second gears and a retractable pin member affixed to the other one of said first and second gears, said thrid gear being operative to extend and retract said retractable pin.   
     
     
       2. A combination tuner as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said tuners includes a fine tuning mechanism, said combination tuner further including a fine tuning shaft and means responsive to the rotation of said selector shaft for rendering said fine tuning shaft operative to tune the fine tuning mechanism of said first tuner when said selector shaft is operatively coupled to said first tuner, and for rendering said fine tuning shaft operative to tune said second fine tuning mechanism when said selector shaft is operatively coupled to said second tuner. 
     
     
       3. A combination tuner as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said first and second predetermined frequency bands is divided into a predetermined number of channels each channel having a unique number assigned thereto, said tuner further including channel indicator means for sequentially displaying the unique channel numbers of all of the channels in said first and second predetermined frequency bands in response to the rotation of said selector shaft. 
     
     
       4. A combination tuner as recited in claim 2 wherein each of said fine tuning mechanisms is a memory type fine tuning mechanism. 
     
     
       5. A combination tuner as recited in claim 4 wherein one of said fine tuning mechanisms includes a plurality of memory members, each of said memory members being effective to fine tune a plurality of adjacent channels. 
     
     
       6. A combination tuner as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said tuners is a detent type tuner having a tuning shaft incrementally rotatable between a plurality of detent positions, said combination tuner futher including detenting means effective to define a plurality of detenting positions on said selector shaft and means for reducing the effect of said detenting means during the operation of said detented tuner. 
     
     
       7. A combination UHF and VHF television tuning system comprising: a VHF television tuner having a detented tuning shaft, each detent of said VHF tuning shaft corresponding to a different one of each of the television channels in the VHF television band,   a UHF television tuner having a continuously variable tuning shaft, rotation of said tuning shaft being effective to tune said UHF tuner over the entire UHF television band;   a single selector shaft coupled to said UHF and VHF television tuners, rotation of said selector shaft being effective sequentially to tune said television tuners to all of the UHF and VHF television channels in the UHF and VHF television bands, said selector shaft including detent means for rendering said selector shaft incrementally rotatable over a predetermined number of detent positions equal to the total number of television channels in the UHF and VHF television bands, each of said detent positions uniquely corresponding to one of said UHF and VHF channels; and   means for providing at a single location a unique indication of the channel number corresponding to each detent position of said selector shaft.   
     
     
       8. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 7 further including means for fine tuning each of said UHF and VHF tuners and a single fine tuning shaft coupled to said fine tuning means, rotation of said fine tuning shaft being effective to fine tune one of said UHF and VHF television tuners in each detent position of said selector shaft without affecting the indication of the channel number provided by the channel number indication providing means. 
     
     
       9. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 8 wherein said fine tuning means is a memory type fine tuning means. 
     
     
       10. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 9 wherein said memory type fine tuning means includes a plurality of memory members, .[.and.]. wherein first predetermined ones of said memory members are effective to fine tune said VHF television tuner, each of said first predetermined ones of said memory members being operative to tune said VHF tuner only when said selector shaft is positioned in a single predetermined one of the detent positions of said selector shaft, and wherein .[.said.]. second predetermined ones of said memory members are effective to fine tune said UHF television tuner when said selector shaft is positioned within a predetermined range of rotation thereof corresponding to a plurality of adjacent detent positions of said selector shaft. 
     
     
       11. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 8 wherein said fine tuning shaft is axially movable over a predetermined range, and wherein said VHF television channels are fine tuned by rotating said .[.selector.]. .Iadd.fine tuning .Iaddend.shaft in a first axial position, and said UHF television channels are fine tuned by rotating said fine tuning shaft in a second axial position. 
     
     
       12. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 7 wherein said predetermined number of detent positions is eighty two, including twelve corresponding to the twelve assigned VHF channels and seventy corresponding to the seventy UHF channels. 
     
     
       13. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 7 further including means responsive to the position of said selector shaft for reducing the detenting effect of said detent means when said selector shaft is tuned between those detent positions corresponding to the VHF television stations. 
     
     
       14. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 7 wherein the tuning shaft of the UHF tuner extends in a forward direction and is mechanically coupled to the selector shaft, the tuning shaft of said VHF tuner extends in a rearward direction, and the selector shaft extends through the combination tuning system, wherein the combination tuning system includes means for mechanically coupling the rearwarding extending VHF tuning shaft to a rear portion of the selector shaft. .Iadd. 15. A combination UHF and VHF television tuning system comprising: a VHF television tuner tunable to each of the television channels in the VHF television band;   a UHF television tuner having a continuously variable tuning shaft, rotation of said tuning shaft being effective to tune said UHF tuner over the entire UHF television band;   a single selector shaft coupled to said UHF and VHF television tuners, rotation of said selector shaft being effective to tune said television tuners to all of the UHF and VHF television channels in the UHF and VHF television bands, said selector shaft including detent means for rendering said selector shaft incrementally rotatable over a predetermined number of detent positions for selecting each of the channels in the UHF and VHF television bands, each of said detent positions uniquely corresponding to one of said UHF and VHF channels; and   means for providing a unique indication of the channel number corresponding to each detent position of said selector shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 15 wherein said unique channel number indication providing means includes means for providing said unique indication at a single location. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 15 further including means for fine tuning each of said UHF and VHF tuners and a single fine tuning shaft coupled to said fine tuning means, rotation of said fine tuning shaft being effective to fine tune one of said UHF and VHF television tuners in each detent position of said selector shaft without affecting the indication of the channel number provided by said channel number indication providing means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 17 wherein said fine tuning means is a memory type fine tuning means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 18 wherein said memory type fine tuning means includes a plurality of memory members, wherein first predetermined ones of said memory members are effective to fine tune said VHF television tuner, each of said first predetermined ones of said memory means being operative to fine tune said VHF tuner only when said VHF tuner is tuned to a single predetermined one of said VHF television channels, and wherein second predetermined ones of said memory members are effective to fine tune said UHF television tuner, each of said second predetermined ones of said memory members being effective to fine tune said UHF television tuner when said UHF television tuner is tuned to any one of a predetermined plurality of UHF television channels..Iaddend..Iadd. 20. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 19 wherein said memory type fine tuning means includes a rotatable turret mechanically coupled to said selector shaft for rotation thereby, and each of said second predetermined ones of said memory members includes a cam member rotatably mounted to said turret, wherein said tuning system includes means operatively coupled to said fine tuning shaft for selectively engaging one of said cam members for rotation in response to rotation of said fine tuning shaft and cam follower means positioned adjacent to said turret and engageable by said one cam member, each of said cam members being engageable by said selective engaging means in more than one detent position of said selector shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 21. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 20 wherein said selective engaging means includes a cam driving member disposed adjacent to said one cam member and gear means coupling said fine tuning shaft to said cam driving member for rotating said cam driving member in response to rotation of said fine tuning shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 22. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 21 further including means coupling said fine tuning shaft to said cam driving member for axially moving said cam driving member in response to axial movement of said fine tuning shaft. .Iaddend..Iadd. 23. A combination tuning system as recited in claim 17 wherein said fine tuning shaft is axially movable over a predetermined range, and wherein said VHF television channels are fine tuned by rotating said fine tuning shaft in a first axial position and said UHF television channels are fine tuned by rotating said fine tuning shaft in a second axial position..Iaddend.