Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-11
2001-04-10
Evans, Jefferson (Department: 2754)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
C360S085000, C360S095000, C360S096100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215612
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of conventional magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 61-195552. Referring to
FIG. 37
, the conventional magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus will be described.
A conventional magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus
300
includes a typical tape path where a tape
316
is drawn out from a tape cassette
310
and passes around a rotary head cylinder
318
for recording and reproduction.
The tape
316
is driven by rotating a capstan
320
with a capstan motor
323
while a pinch roller
319
is pressed against the capstan
320
. The rotation of the capstan motor
323
is also transmitted to a fixed gear
332
and a swing gear
334
via gears
324
and
325
and a timing belt
326
, and then transmitted selectively to a driving gear
328
of an S reel base
301
or a driving gear
329
of a T reel base
302
.
The swing gear
334
is swingably attached to a shaft
339
extending from a swing plate
333
, which is in turn swingably attached to a shaft of the fixed gear
332
.
In the conventional magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus having the above configuration, when the tape is to be sent forward (e.g., when recorded images are to be reproduced, the tape is to be fast-forwarded, etc.), the apparatus works as follows. The capstan motor
323
is rotated forward (counterclockwise (CCW)), rotating the capstan
320
forward. This allows the tape
316
to be sent forward. At the same time, the rotation of the capstan
320
is transmitted to the fixed gear
332
via the timing belt
326
, which causes the swing plate
333
to swing clockwise (CW) around a shaft
331
and thus the swing gear
334
to engage with the driving gear
329
of the T reel base
302
. The T reel base
302
then rotates clockwise, thereby allowing the tape
316
to be wound onto a winding reel inside the tape cassette
310
.
In reverse, when the tape is to be sent backward (e.g., when recorded images are to be reproduced in reverse, the tape is to be rewound, etc.), the apparatus works as follows. The capstan motor
323
is rotated backward (clockwise), rotating the capstan
320
backward. This allows the tape
316
to be sent backward. At the same time, the rotation of the capstan
320
is transmitted to the fixed gear
332
via the timing belt
326
, which causes the swing plate
333
to swing counterclockwise around the shaft
331
and thus the swing gear
334
to engage with the driving gear
328
of the S reel base
301
. The S reel base
301
then rotates counterclockwise thereby allowing the tape
316
to be wound onto a supply reel inside the tape cassette
310
.
In the above conventional configuration, a problem arises when it is attempted to shift the mode from a mode in which the tape is sent forward (e.g., a reproduction mode) to a mode in which the tape is sent backward (e.g., a reverse reproduction mode). That is, when the direction of the rotation of the capstan
320
is reversed from counterclockwise to clockwise while the pinch roller
319
being kept pressed against the capstan
320
, the portion of the tape
316
located at the capstan
320
immediately starts to be sent backward. On the contrary, in order to complete the mode shift, the swing gear
334
must move from the position at which it is engaged with the driving gear
329
of the T reel base
302
(shown by the solid lines in
FIG. 37
) to the position at which it is engaged with the driving gear
328
of the S reel base
301
(shown by the one-dot chain lines in FIG.
37
). Accordingly, a certain time lag arises from the start of the backward rotation of the capstan
320
until the S reel base
301
starts winding the tape
316
, causing slacking of the tape
316
in the tape path.
During the above time lag, the tape
316
passes around the rotary head cylinder
318
at a tension lower than a normal tension. At such a low tension, it is impossible for a head mounted on the rotary head cylinder
318
to effect magnetic recording/reproduction, resulting in failure in displaying reversely reproduced images. Moreover, when the tape slacking is great, the tape
316
tends to be displaced from posts
317
A and
317
B which guide the tape
316
. If the tape
316
continues to run in the displaced state, the tape
316
will be greatly damaged. This problem also applies to the case of the mode shift from the mode in which the tape is sent backward to the mode in which the tape is sent forward.
The object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable mechanism in which the mode shift is effected without causing slacking of a tape when the mode is shifted from a forward mode to a backward mode or vice versa, so as to be free from discontinuity of images and damaging of the tape.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus of this invention records/reproduces information on/from a magnetic tape by drawing out the magnetic tape from a tape cassette and allowing the magnetic tape to pass around a rotary head cylinder having a rotary head for a predetermined arc. The apparatus includes: a capstan shaft for driving the magnetic tape; a pinch roller for pressing the magnetic tape against the capstan shaft; a first reel base rotatably attached to a shaft, the first reel base engaging with a first reel for holding the magnetic tape wound onto the first reel located in the tape cassette; a second reel base rotatably attached to a shaft, the second reel base engaging with a second reel for holding the magnetic tape wound onto the second reel located in the tape cassette; and an idler supported swingably to swing to the second reel base when the capstan shaft is rotated in a first direction and to the first reel base when the capstan shaft is rotated in a second direction, wherein the idler includes a gear portion which rotates in association with the rotation of the capstan shaft, when the running of the magnetic tape is to be shifted from the first direction to the second direction, the rotation of the capstan shaft in the first direction stops, the pinch roller moves away from the capstan shaft, the capstan shaft is rotated in the second direction by a predetermined amount so that the idler swings to the first reel base, the capstan shaft stops again, the pinch roller presses the magnetic tape against the capstan shaft, and the capstan shaft is rotated again in the second direction to allow the magnetic tape to run in the second direction and the gear portion to be coupled with the first reel base, the gear portion rotating the first reel base in a direction in which the magnetic tape is wound onto the first reel.
In one embodiment of the invention, the first reel includes a supply reel, the first reel base includes a supply reel base, the second reel includes a winding reel, the second reel base includes a winding reel base, the first direction includes a forward direction in which the magnetic tape runs from the supply reel toward the winding reel, and the second direction includes a backward direction in which the magnetic tape runs from the winding reel toward the supply reel.
In another embodiment of the invention, the first reel includes a winding reel, the first reel base includes a winding reel base, the second reel includes a supply reel, the second reel base includes a supply reel base, the first direction includes a backward direction in which the magnetic tape runs from the winding reel toward the supply reel, and the second direction includes a forward direction in which the magnetic tape runs from the supply reel toward the winding reel.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus includes: a first state in which the magnetic tape runs in the forward direction from the supply reel to the winding reel; a second state in which the magnetic tape runs in the backward direction from the winding reel to t
Hirabayashi Koichiro
Konishi Akio
Saito Yoshiyuki
Terao Tatsuo
Evans Jefferson
Matsushita Electric Industrial
Renner Otto Boisselle & Sklar
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