Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head moving during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2004-01-13
Renner, Craig A. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head moving during transducing
Tape record
C360S095000, C360S096510, C360S130210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678111
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a magnetic tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus) having a tape guide post mechanism, and more particularly, to a magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus having a tape guide post mechanism for preventing tilting of the tape guide post that extracts magnetic tape from a cassette loaded in a digital audio tape recorder (hereinafter “DAT”) streamer used as a large-capacity external memory back-up device for computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The DAT streamer uses a DAT tape cassette, with the magnetic tape being extracted from the DAT tape cassette via the tape guide post. Recording to and reproduction from the magnetic tape is carried out by a high-speed rotary drum, that is, a rotary head, the magnetic tape being driven between a capstan and a pinch roller and guided by a tape guide post. In order for the magnetic tape to run steadily the tape guide post must not be tilted. If the tape guide post is tilted, then unwanted force is generated in a direction of a width of the magnetic tape and, particularly when the tilt is great, the edges of the magnetic tape may be damaged and/or the tracking may slip, making it impossible to record and reproduce properly.
FIG.
1
and
FIGS. 2A and 2B
show a conventional tape guide post mechanism
10
of a supply reel side of a DAT streamer. As shown in the diagrams, the tape guide post mechanism
10
has a tape guide post arm
11
, a tape guide post
12
, a stopper
13
, a pull arm
14
, and the like. The arm
11
has a bearing part
11
a
on a base part side, a tape guide post
12
fixedly mounted on a forward edge side and a tube part
11
b
at a central part. The bearing part
11
a
is fitted to and rotatably supported by a pivot
16
provided on a chassis
15
not shown in the drawing. A pole
17
provided on an edge of the pull arm
14
is fitted to the tube part
11
b
from a lower side of the tube part
11
b.
After a DAT tape cassette
20
has been loaded, the pull arm
14
is moved in a direction indicated by arrow A in
FIG. 2A
, the arm
11
is pulled by the pole
17
and is rotated in a direction indicated by arrow B around the pivot
16
. The tape guide post
12
extracts a magnetic tape
26
from the tape cassette
20
. A forward edge side of the arm
11
presses against the stopper
13
and in that state determines the positioning of the tape guide post
12
. The magnetic tape
26
is extracted from the supply reel side of the tape cassette body and is guided directly thereafter by the tape guide post
12
.
As shown in
FIG. 2B
, the pole
17
exerts a force F
1
on the arm
11
at a height position H
1
and the stopper
13
exerts a force F
2
on the arm
11
at a height position H
2
. Between height position H
1
and height position H
2
there is a difference in height C and, accordingly, a moment M is exerted on the arm
11
tilting so as to rotate with respect to an axis
18
in an extending direction of the arm
11
. As a result, the arm
11
tilts and the tape guide post
12
tilts in a direction indicated by arrow D. The tilting of the tape guide post
12
is, however, restricted by the engagement of the bearing part
11
a
with the pivot
16
. Normally, any gap between the side, and a tube part
70
b
at a central part as shown in
FIGS. 6A and 7B
. For ease of illustration, in
FIGS. 6A
,
6
B,
6
C and
6
D, the tape guide post
71
has been simplified. The arm
70
fits the bearing part
70
a
to a cassette positioning mount
80
that is provided on the sub-chassis
47
so as to rotatably support the bearing part
70
a
by the cassette positioning mount
80
. Further, the bearing part
70
a
is pushed upward in a Z
1
direction by a spring
81
.
If, however, for example, the gap between the bearing part
11
a
and the pivot
16
happens to be large, then the tilt of the tape guide post
12
becomes large as well, and can make the run of the magnetic tape unstable, generating unwanted force in a direction of a width of the magnetic tape and, on occasion, throwing off the tracking of the tape and interfering with proper recording and reproduction.
To counter this problem it is possible to increase the length of the pole
17
and thereby decrease the difference in height C described above. However, in doing so another problem arises, in that, when the pull arm
14
is pulled in the direction indicated by arrow A the pole
17
begins to tilt and a force exerted at the base of the pole
17
increases, with the possibility that the pull arm
14
deforms so as to twist. Accordingly, it is not desirable to increase the length of the pole
17
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus in which the disadvantages described above are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus that uses a cassette loaded in the apparatus to restrict the tilt of the tape guide post.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information to and reproducing information from a magnetic tape extracted from a cassette loaded in the apparatus by the tape guide post that uses the loaded cassette to restrict the tilt of the tape guide post so that the tape guide post does not tilt when the tape guide post has reached a final position.
The above-described objects of the present invention are achieved by a magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information to and reproducing information from a magnetic tape extracted from a cassette loaded in the apparatus, the magnetic tape recording/reproducing apparatus having a tape guide post mechanism comprising:
a tape guide post provided on a rotatably supported tape guide post arm which rotates until pressing against a stopper, the tape guide post extracting a magnetic tape from the cassette loaded in the apparatus; and
a contacting part provided on a portion of the arm, the contacting part contacting a bottom surface of the loaded cassette when the arm is rotated so as to extract the magnetic tape from the cassette and the arm restricting a tilting of the arm in a direction in which the tape guide post tilts in a state in which the arm presses against the stopper.
According to the invention described above, by using the loaded cassette it is possible to effectively restrict the tape guide post so that the tape guide post does not tilt when the tape guide post has reached a final position.
Additionally, according to the invention described above, by contacting a top surface against the bottom surface of the loaded cassette, the arm restricts the tilting of the tape guide post, so the effect of variations in the quality of the fit between the arm bearing part and the pivot as described above can be eliminated and a tilt of the tape guide post can be prevented. That is, it is possible to restrict the tilt of the tape guide post even in the event that the fit between the arm bearing part and the pivot is poor, that is, the gap between the bearing part and the pivot is large.
Harima Masahiro
Tamura Kazuya
Tatsumi Naoki
Ladas & Parry
Mitsumi Electric Co. Ltd.
Renner Craig A.
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