Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-17
2004-06-22
Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
active
06754039
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cassette loading apparatus arranged to cause a tape cassette containing therein a tape for a VTR (video tape recorder) or the like to ascend and descend, and also relates to a recording or reproducing apparatus, such as a VTR, which is provided with the cassette loading apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
An example of the conventional arrangement of a cassette loading apparatus mounted in a video camera or the like is described below with reference to
FIGS. 1
to
9
.
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
are side views showing, by way of example, the arrangement of a conventional cassette loading apparatus. A cassette holder
102
is arranged to hold a tape cassette
101
. A cassette pressing spring
103
is provided at the holder
102
for keeping the cassette
101
in place. A connection shaft
104
is mounted on a support part of the holder
102
. A synchronizing lever
105
is arranged to swing integrally with the connection shaft
104
. A lever
106
is connected to the synchronizing lever
105
at about the center part of the synchronizing lever
105
by a shaft
106
c
and is arranged to form an X-link in conjunction with the synchronizing lever
105
. A lock lever
107
is arranged to lock the holder
102
. Reference numeral
108
denotes a subchassis arranged to hold the cassette
101
. The subchassis
108
is provided with a lock member
109
which is arranged to mesh with the lock lever
107
. Cassette receiving members
110
are arranged to receive the cassette
101
. Holder receiving members
111
are arranged to receive the holder
102
. A lid opening member
112
is provided for opening lids of the cassette
101
. A coiled spring
113
is hung between the lock lever
107
and the lever
106
to constantly urge the holder
102
upward and to urge the lock lever
107
to swing clockwise on a shaft
102
b
which is provided on the holder
102
. A switch
114
is arranged to detect the locked state of the holder
102
. A main chassis
115
is arranged to hold the subchassis
108
in such a way as to allow the subchassis
108
to slide. Guide shafts
116
are disposed on the main chassis
115
to support and guide the subchassis
108
. A lock lever driving member
117
is also disposed on the main chassis
115
. A switch holder
123
is arranged to secure the switch
114
to a side surface of the subchassis
108
. A flexible printed circuit board
124
is arranged to provide the switch
114
with wiring.
Further, an X-link mechanism of the cassette loading apparatus which is formed by the above-stated parts is also arranged in the same manner on the opposite side of the tape cassette
101
, which is not shown. The connection shaft
104
is provided for synchronizing the two X-link mechanisms formed on the two sides of the cassette
101
by interlocking the synchronizing lever
105
on one side with that of the X-link mechanism on the other side.
Referring to
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
, the operation of the cassette loading apparatus is described as follows.
The cassette
101
is inserted into the holder
102
in the direction of an arrow A, as shown in FIG.
1
. When the upper part of the holder
102
is pushed down against the upward urging force of the spring
113
, the shaft
105
a
of the synchronizing lever
105
and the shaft
106
a
of the lever
106
slide respectively along a cam slot
108
a
of the subchassis
108
and the cam slot
102
a
of the holder
102
to cause the holder
102
and the cassette
101
to descend.
Then, a pin
107
a
which is provided on the lock lever
107
moves along a slant surface of the lock member
109
. Further, the lid opening member
112
, which is provided on the subchassis
108
, pushes upward the front lid
101
a
of the cassette
101
, so that the front lid
101
a
and the back lid
101
b
of the cassette
101
are made to swing on a shaft
101
c
. As a result, the lids of the cassette
101
come to open.
When the holder
102
and the cassette
101
reach the descended position of the holder
102
, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the pin
107
a
of the lock lever
107
overrides a hook part of the lock member
109
to be caused to plunge into the lower part of the lock member
109
by the urging force exerted on the lock lever
107
, thereby bringing about a locked state of the lock lever
107
in mesh with the lock member
109
. In this instance, the plunging action of the lock lever
107
causes a switch operating part
107
b
which is provided on the lock lever
107
to push the knob
114
a
of the detecting switch
114
. The detecting switch
114
then turns on to detect that the holder
102
has been locked. Further, the front lid
101
a
and the back lid
101
b
of the cassette
101
are kept opened at a predetermined angle defined by the lid opening member
112
.
FIG. 4
is a diagram showing the cassette
101
in the state of having its lids opened. In this state, the front lid
101
a
has swung on the shaft
101
c
, and the back lid
101
b
has been moved in association with the front lid
101
a
to shift to the upper portion of the cassette
101
.
When the locked state of the holder
102
is detected by the detecting switch
114
, a slide mechanism which has a DC motor (not shown) as a drive source thereof acts to cause the subchassis
108
holding the cassette
101
to slide to the right, as viewed in
FIG. 2
, to bring the subchassis
108
into a recording or reproducing position (FIG.
3
). Then, a tape is pulled out from the cassette
101
by a tape loading mechanism to bring about a recordable or reproducible state.
In this state, the cassette
101
is pushed by the action of the cassette pressing spring
103
(
FIG. 1
) against the cassette receiving members
110
, which define a datum height of the cassette
101
on the subchassis
108
. There is thus provided some clearance between the bottom of the holder
102
and that of the cassette
101
to prevent the two from coming into contact with each other.
FIGS. 5
,
6
and
7
show the cassette loading apparatus as viewed from the direction of the arrow A in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 5
is a side view showing the cassette loading apparatus, as viewed from the cassette inserting direction, in a state obtained while the cassette
101
is in process of descending. The cassette
101
descends while being pushed and held on the lower receiving surface of the holder
102
by the action of the cassette pressing spring
103
.
FIG. 6
is a sectional view showing the cassette loading apparatus, as viewed from the cassette inserting direction, in a state where the holder
102
has completely descended as shown in
FIG. 2
with the holder
102
locked by the intermeshing of the lock lever
107
and the lock member
109
. In this instance, in order to make the pin
107
a
of the lock lever
107
(
FIG. 1
) plunge into the lock member
109
for intermeshing, it is necessary for the holder
102
to descend excessively from the locked position (overstroke). Hence, the holder
102
is pushed down lower than the height thereof in the locked position (HL in FIG.
6
), and is then brought back to the locked position.
FIG. 7
shows the cassette loading apparatus in a state where the holder
102
has descended to the extent of such an overstroke. After the state shown in
FIG. 7
, the lock lever
107
comes to mesh with the lock member
109
. At the same time, the holder
102
is caused to ascend by the action of the spring
113
(
FIG. 1
) to bring about the state shown in FIG.
6
.
When the holder
102
is caused to descend by pushing the holder
102
down toward the locked position or by some other load imposed thereon, the holder receiving members
111
receive the lower surface of the holder
102
to restrict the height of the holder
102
. The height of the holder receiving members
111
is set at a height position corresponding to the overstroke necessary for the lock mechanism as mentioned above.
FIGS. 8 and 9
are plan views showing the subchassis
108
as viewed from above and, particularly, more clearly showing
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