Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-25
2001-04-10
Miller, Brian E. (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215611
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to loading systems for playback devices and more particularly pertains to a new loader for video playback mechanism for automatically loading a DVD disk or a video cassette within an associated conventional player.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of loading systems for playback devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, loading systems for playback devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art loading systems for playback devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,013; U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,548; U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,948; U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,974; U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,207; and U.S. Patent Des. 349,282.
In these respects, the loader for video playback mechanism according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of automatically loading a DVD disk or a video cassette within an associated player.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of loading systems for playback devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new loader for video playback mechanism construction wherein the same can be utilized for automatically loading a DVD disk or a video cassette within an associated player.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new loader for video playback mechanism apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the loading systems for playback devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new loader for video playback mechanism which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art loading systems for playback devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a base situated on a top face of a video cassette playback mechanism. As shown in
FIG. 2
, a rotating track assembly is provided with a rotatable track including a plurality of sleeves hingably coupled at inboard ends thereof. Each of the sleeves are equipped with a top slot and an open outboard end, as shown in FIG.
4
. With reference still to
FIG. 4
, it is shown that a plurality of holding brackets each include a vertically oriented upper housing with an open top and outboard face for containing a video cassette therein. A bottom guide is fixedly mounted on the upper housing for being releasably received within one of the sleeves. Further, an inverted L-shaped tab is mounted on an inboard face of the upper housing. The holding brackets may be rotated about the rotating track assembly. As best shown in
FIG. 3
, a holding bracket removal assembly includes an inverted L-shaped mount with a vertical portion mounted on the base interior of the rotating track assembly. Associated therewith is a horizontal portion extending over a front extent of the rotating track assembly. The holding bracket removal assembly further includes a remover arm having a top end slidably coupled to the horizontal portion of the mount. A bottom end of the remover arm has a U-shaped configuration for slidably engaging each of the inverted L-shaped tabs of the holding brackets when the holding brackets of the rotatable track are rotated. When one of the holding brackets that contains a desired video is situated in front of the holding bracket removal assembly, the remover arm engages the holding bracket and slides along the horizontal portion of the mount. As such, the remover arm removes the holding bracket and video cassette from the associated sleeve of the rotating track assembly. Mounted on the base is a dust cover for covering the rotating track assembly. Note FIG.
1
. The dust cover preferably has a pair of doors which are adapted to be pivoted outwardly upon the removal of one of the holding brackets and video cassette from the rotating track assembly. As shown in
FIG. 5
, a pivoting assembly is provided including a post having a lower end pivotally coupled to the base in front of the holding bracket removal assembly. The lower end of the post has a sleeve portion mounted thereon for slidably engaging the bottom guide of the holding bracket which is removed from the rotating track assembly The pivoting assembly further includes an auxiliary arm having a first end pivotally coupled to the post and a second end pivotally coupled to a horizontal ball screw on the base. The auxiliary arm and ball screw work together for effecting the pivoting of the holding bracket and the video cassette from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation upon the sleeve portion being engaged with the holding bracket. With reference now to
FIGS. 2
,
5
&
6
, an elevator assembly includes a pair of motors each mounted on a top of the base in front of the pivoting assembly with a worm gear situated thereon. Note
FIG. 6
in particular. A pair of vertically oriented threaded rods each have an upper end with a disk-shaped gear in engagement with one of the worm gears. The worm gear and disk-shaped gear are adapted for rotating the threaded rods. Screwably engaged with the threaded rods is a pair of threaded tubes, as shown in
FIG. 6. A
platform is pivotally coupled to the threaded tubes. In use, the platform is adapted for being transferred between a raised orientation level with the base and a lowered orientation level with the video cassette playback mechanism by way of the worm gears. Further, the platform is adapted for pivoting between a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation situated within the cover when the platform is in the raised orientation. For pivoting the platform between the raised and lowered orientations, the elevator assembly further includes a retracting mechanism having an inboard arm pivotally mounted to the base. An outboard arm is pivotally coupled between the inboard arm and the platform. Lastly, a gear mechanism is provided for pivoting the inboard arm which in turn pivots the platform between the vertical orientation and the horizontal orientation thereof. It should be noted that the platform is pivoted to the horizontal orientation upon the opening of the doors of the cover. Further provided is an injection unit including a holding means slidably mounted on the platform for sliding between an inboard and outboard edge of the platform. The holding means serves for removing the video cassette from the holding bracket upon the pivoting of the ejected holding bracket to the horizontal orientation. Upon the video cassette being situated on the platform in the horizontal orientation, the platform is transferred to the lowered orientation. This allows the injector unit to insert the video cassette within the video cassette playback mechanism.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descript
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