Cassette loading mechanism

Details Cassette loading mechanism Cassette loading mechanism

1999-12-22

2002-01-22

Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Record transport with head stationary during transducing

Tape record

Reexamination Certificate

active

06341049

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cassette loading mechanisms for use in magnetic recording-playback devices such as VTRs for removably loading a cassette onto the chassis of the device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of a cassette
6
and a tray
3
for holding the cassette
6
as will be described below. The tray
3
has wall plates
32
,
32
provided upright at opposite sides thereof and each having two pins
30
,
31
projecting outward therefrom. The tray
3
has a lug
33
projecting upward from its front end and to be pushed by the front end of the cassette
6
.
The present applicant has previously disclosed a cassette loading mechanism shown in
FIG. 10
( see U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,071). The tray
3
described is provided inwardly of side plates
2
disposed upright on a chassis
1
and has its pins
30
,
31
fitted in respective first and second guide slits
20
,
21
formed in the side plate
2
.
Three gears
5
,
50
,
51
are arranged on the outer side of the side plate
2
. The gear
51
in the most downstream position is provided with a leg
52
having the pin
31
of the tray
3
fitted therein. When the gear
5
in the most upstream position is rotatingly driven, the gear
51
rotates, moving the tray
3
along the guide slots
20
,
21
.
Projecting from a side wall of the chassis
1
are a pair of support members
9
,
9
. A loading member
4
extending in the cassette loading direction for driving the tray
3
has the support members
9
,
9
fitted therein. The loading member
4
is formed with mount openings
92
,
92
for the two corresponding support members
9
,
9
to fit in and with a rack
40
at its upper end. Each support member
9
comprises a shank
90
and a head
91
of increased diameter at the outer end of the shank. The mount opening
92
comprises a slit
93
extending in the cassette loading direction and a large hole
94
formed at one end of the slit
93
for the head
91
to fit in.
In mounting the loading member
4
on the chassis
1
, the head
91
of each support member
9
is positioned as opposed to the large hole
94
of the corresponding mount opening
92
, and the loading member
4
is fitted around the support member
9
. Next, the loading member
4
is moved toward a cassette ejecting direction a distance a (see
FIG. 10
) to cause the shank
90
to fit into the slit
93
. The loading member
4
is prevented from slipping off the chassis
1
by the head
91
of the support member
9
. The side plate
2
provided with the gear
5
, etc. is thereafter attached to the chassis
1
. The gear
5
is in mesh with the rack
40
when the mechanism is in condition for the start of cassette loading.
Provided on the rear side of the chassis
1
is an operation gear
10
rotatable by a motor (not shown) and meshing with teeth
53
projecting from the lower end of the loading member
4
. The rotation of the operation gear
10
is transmitted to the gear
5
by the loading member
4
.
FIGS. 11A and 11B
are right side elevations of the cassette loading mechanism,
FIG. 11A
showing the mechanism in a standby state for cassette loading,
FIG. 11B
showing the mechanism during cassette loading. When the cassette
6
is placed onto the tray
3
in the standby state, a cassette-in sensor switch (not shown) disposed on the path of travel of the tray
3
is turned on, whereupon the operation gear
10
(see
FIG. 10
) is rotated. This moves the loading member
4
and the tray
3
, loading the cassette
6
in place.
However, the conventional cassette loading mechanism has the following problems.
When used singly, the support member
9
is unable to support the loading member
4
with good stability, so that the loading member
4
needs to be supported by at least two support members
9
,
9
which are arranged at different locations.
Since the mount openings
92
,
92
of the loading member
4
are arranged side by side along the cassette loading direction as seen in
FIG. 10
, the loading member
4
becomes elongated and large-sized. The chassis
1
provided with the support members
9
,
9
is also large-sized.
Further the loading member
4
is fitted around each support member
9
and then moved toward the cassette ejecting direction a distance a for mounting. If this distance a is short, however, the loading member
4
is likely to slip off the chassis
1
when the chassis
1
is subjected to an impact while attaching the side plate
2
to the chassis
1
. The distance a therefore needs to be great. This also makes the loading member
4
and the chassis
1
large-sized. Whereas it is required that such a magnetic recording-playback device be compact in its entirety, the loading member
4
and the chassis
1
which are large-sized are in conflict with this requirement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to compact the member for driving the tray and the chassis.
A side plate
2
disposed upright on a chassis
1
is provided with engaging pieces
8
,
80
parallel to each other and corresponding to an upper end and a lower end of a loading member
4
.
The loading member
4
is formed, in the end thereof corresponding to one of the engaging pieces
8
,
80
, with a cutout
49
for permitting the loading member
4
to move to inside the engaging piece
80
when positioned for mounting on the side plate
2
.
The loading member
4
is mounted on the side plate
2
by fitting the end thereof not having the cutout
49
to the other engaging piece
8
of the side plate
2
and causing the other end of the loading member
4
to clear the engaging piece
80
at the cutout
49
and to move to inside of the engaging piece
80
. The loading member
4
is slidable from the mounted position to move within a range in which the loading member
4
is in engagement with the side plate
2
.
The engaging pieces
8
,
80
are provided on the side late
2
in corresponding relation with the upper end and the lower end of the loading member
4
and therefore serve to make the loading member more compact than in the conventional mechanism wherein the two mount openings in the loading member are arranged side by side along the loading direction.
When the loading member
4
is positioned for mounting on the side plate
2
, the upper end or lower end of the loading member
4
is in engagement with the engaging piece
8
. Accordingly, the loading member
4
can be engaged with the side plate
2
by sliding the member
4
from the mounting position such a distance that the upper or lower end of the loading member
4
which is out of engagement in the mounting position is engaged by the other engaging piece
80
.
When in the mounting position, the conventional loading member
4
is not engaged with the chassis
1
and is therefore likely to slip off the support members
9
,
9
unless the distance a the member
4
is to be moved from the mounting position is great (see FIG.
10
). According to the present invention, however, the loading member
4
, when positioned for mounting, has its upper or lower end already engaged with the side plate
2
and is less likely to slip off inadvertently from this position. This shortens the distance a the loading member
4
is to be slidingly moved from the mounting position for engagement with the side plate
2
, consequently compacting the loading member
4
and the chassis
1
having the side plate
2
.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5153792 (1992-10-01), Kawano
patent: 5331484 (1994-07-01), Klos-Hein et al.
patent: 5390056 (1995-02-01), Kawada
patent: 5535071 (1996-07-01), Yamagishi et al.
patent: 5581431 (1996-12-01), d'Arc
patent: 5708538 (1998-01-01), Fujino et al.

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