Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-05
2001-03-06
Korzuch, William R. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
C360S096610
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198596
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cassette mounting device which moves up or down a cassette holder in which a tape cassette is inserted, and to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus such as a VCR (video cassette recorder) including such cassette mounting device.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 21
shows one example of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus including a conventional cassette mounting device. The example shown in
FIG. 21
includes a cassette holder
102
into which to insert a cassette
101
, and a pair of levers
103
and
104
which are turnably connected to each other by a shaft
105
and constitute a link. One end of the lever
103
is turnably supported in a hole
115
provided in a chassis
107
, by a shaft
106
, while the other end of the lever
103
is slidably engaged with a shaft
109
of the cassette holder
102
by means of a slot
108
. The shaft
106
is turnably secured to the chassis
107
by a snap ring. One end of the lever
104
is slidably engaged with a slot
111
of the chassis
107
, while the other end of the lever
104
is turnably supported on the cassette holder
102
by a connecting member
112
which connects the link to a link (not shown) provided on the opposite side of the cassette holder
102
.
The example shown in
FIG. 21
also includes an upward urging spring
113
which is disposed in tension between the lever
103
and the lever
104
, a lock lever
114
which, when the cassette holder
102
is moved to its down position, engages with a lock member
120
provided on the chassis
107
and holds the cassette holder
102
at the down position, and a spring
116
which urges the lock lever
114
to turn clockwise.
When the cassette
101
is inserted into the cassette holder
102
and the cassette holder
102
is pressed, the cassette holder
102
moves down by the link action of the levers
103
and
104
. If the cassette holder
102
is released from its locked state at the down position, the levers
103
and
104
are moved by the spring
113
so that the cassette holder
102
moves upward.
In this conventional cassette mounting device, since the connecting member
112
is provided at one end of the lever
104
, the lever
104
is connected to a lever which constitutes the like provided on the opposite side of the cassette holder
102
(i.e., a lever which is not shown in FIG.
21
and corresponds to the lever
104
), and the cassette holder
102
can be held at the down position in an approximately horizontal state.
However, in the process of assembling the above-described conventional apparatus, when the cassette holder
102
is to be secured to the chassis
107
, the shaft
106
provided at one end of the lever
103
is inserted into the hole
115
of the chassis
107
and a snap ring or the like is fitted onto the shaft
106
. Accordingly, assembling operations need to be separately performed on the opposite sides of the cassette holder
102
, and a larger number of assembling steps are needed.
In addition, when the cassette holder
102
is to be secured to the chassis
107
, it is necessary to slide the extending end of the shaft
106
into the inside of the chassis
107
while appropriately bending the lever
103
by using its elasticity with extreme care without deforming the lever
103
. This work is also time-consuming.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a cassette mounting device which allows a cassette holder to be easily and safely secured to a chassis, and a recording and/or reproducing apparatus including such cassette mounting device.
To achieve the above object, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a cassette mounting device which comprises a cassette holder into which to insert a cassette, a pair of link mechanisms disposed on lateral opposed sides of the cassette holder so that the cassette holder is supported for upward and downward movement with respect to a chassis, and a fixing member which fixes each of the pair of link mechanisms to the chassis, the fixing member clamping each of the pair of link mechanisms turnably with respect to the chassis.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a cassette mounting device which comprises a cassette holder into which to insert a cassette, a pair of link mechanisms disposed on lateral opposed sides of the cassette holder so that the cassette holder is supported for upward and downward movement with respect to a chassis, and a connecting member for causing the pair of link mechanisms to move at the same time, wherein the connecting member and link members of the pair of link mechanisms are integrated and supported turnably with respect to the chassis.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a cassette mounting device which comprises a cassette holder into which to insert a cassette, a pair of link mechanisms disposed on lateral opposed sides of said cassette holder so that the cassette holder is supported for upward and downward movement with respect to a chassis, a lock lever which locks the cassette holder at a down position thereof, and a spring which urges the lock lever to turn, the spring being disposed in a gap between the cassette and an inside of the cassette holder.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a cassette mounting device which comprises a cassette holder into which to insert a cassette, a link mechanism which supports the cassette holder for upward and downward movement with respect to a chassis between an up position and a recording/reproducing position, a lid opener capable of opening a front lid of the cassette during a cassette mounting operation, and a stopper which selectively restricts the cassette mounting operation according to whether the cassette is inserted correctly or incorrectly.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4620246 (1986-10-01), Kato
patent: 5737148 (1998-04-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5777820 (1998-07-01), Bieck
patent: 5815341 (1998-09-01), Hwang et al.
patent: 5825583 (1998-10-01), Kang et al.
Kumagai Kiyoshi
Nagatsuka Osamu
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Korzuch William R.
Robin Blecker & Daley
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