Magnetic tape device

Details Magnetic tape device Magnetic tape device

2001-08-20

2003-11-04

Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Record transport with head stationary during transducing

Tape record

Reexamination Certificate

active

06643092

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape device which is simple in structure, which can be economically produced, and in which a tape cassette moving table can be smoothly moved forward and backward.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, techniques of a magnetic tape device are disclosed in JP-A-8-31064 and the like. An example of such techniques will be described with reference to
FIGS. 14
to
16
. In this example, a pair of right and left guide plates
3
a
and
3
b
stand in parallel on a chassis
2
in a case
1
. A plurality of guide rods
5
which protrude from the side faces of a tape cassette moving table
4
placed between the guide plates
3
a
and
3
b
are movably passed through substantially L-like guide holes
6
that are opened in the guide plates
3
a
and
3
b
, so that the moving table
4
can be moved forward and backward (a and b) between a cassette inserting position A and a cassette placing position B. Rocking levers
8
which are pivotally attached to the guide plates
3
a
and
3
b
via pivot shafts
7
so as to be swung forward and backward (c and d) are engaged with the front guide rods
5
, respectively. A worm gear
11
which is rotated by a driving source (not shown) meshes with a worm gear
10
which is formed in an outer peripheral face of a center portion of a rotating cam (rotating member)
9
that is rotatably disposed on the rear face of the chassis
2
. A clutch gear mechanism
14
is used as an interlocking mechanism through which a bevel gear
12
formed in an upper outer peripheral face of the rotating cam
9
is interlockingly connected to a gear
13
formed in a basal end portion of the rocking lever
8
. The reference numeral
15
denotes a top plate which extends between the guide plates
3
a
and
3
b.
Referring to
FIG. 14
,
17
denotes movable tape guide posts which pull out a magnetic tape t from a tape cassette T to wind the tape around a head cylinder
18
,
19
denotes a full-track erase head,
20
denotes an audio erase head,
21
denotes an audio control head,
22
denotes stationary tape guide posts,
23
denotes a back tension posts,
24
denotes a capstan, and
25
denotes a pinch roller.
In the above-mentioned configuration, under the state where the moving table
4
is on standby at the cassette inserting position A as indicated by the solid line in
FIG. 16
, the clutch of the gear mechanism
14
is disengaged. When the tape cassette T is inserted through a tape cassette insertion port
1
a
of the case
1
to the moving table
4
, therefore, the moving table
4
is slightly moved backward (b). In response to a detection signal from a detector (not shown) which detects the backward motion b, the clutch of the gear mechanism
14
is set to the engaged state by the driving source via the worm gear
11
, the worm gear
10
, and the rotating cam
9
, and the rotating cam
9
and the rocking levers
8
are integrally interlockingly connected to each other via the gear mechanism
14
. Thereafter, when the rocking levers
8
are swung backward (d) by the driving source, the moving table
4
is horizontally moved backward (b) along the guide holes
6
, and then vertically lowered to be placed at the cassette placing position B (see the phantom line in FIG.
16
). The magnetic tape t is then pulled out from the tape cassette T (see the phantom line in FIG.
14
), and subjected to a process such as replay.
When an eject button (not shown) is pressed, the rocking levers
8
are swung forward (c) in response to an eject signal by the driving source via the gear mechanism
14
and the like. As a result, the moving table
4
at the cassette placing position B is vertically lifted along the guide holes
6
, and then moved horizontally forward (a) to the cassette inserting position A, so that the tape cassette T is ejected (see the solid line in FIG.
16
).
The above-mentioned configuration has drawbacks that the clutch gear mechanism
14
through which the rotating cam
9
is interlockingly connected to the rocking levers
8
is complicated in structure and its production cost is high, and that backlash of the gear mechanism
14
causes the forward and backward motions a and b of the moving table
4
to become unstable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the drawbacks, it is an object of the invention to provide a magnetic tape device which is simple in structure, which can be economically produced, and in which a tape cassette moving table can be smoothly moved forward and backward.
In order to attain the object, according to a first aspect of the invention, in a magnetic tape device in which a tape cassette moving table is placed between a pair of right and left guide plates to be movable forward and backward, a rocking lever which is engaged with the moving table and a rotating member which is forward and reversely rotated by a driving source are interlockingly connected to each other via an interlocking mechanism, and the rocking lever is swung by the driving source via the rotating member and the interlocking mechanism to move the moving table forward and backward between a cassette inserting position and a cassette placing position, the interlocking mechanism has a slide plate configured by: a slide plate body which is placed to be slidable along one of the guide plates; and a bent piece which is bent into a substantially L-like shape from a lower edge of the slide plate body to elongate toward the rotating member, a rack which is engaged with a pinion formed on the rotating member is formed on the bent piece, an engaging hole which is to be engaged with an engaging pin protruding from the rocking lever is opened in the slide plate body, a lock lever which is engageable with the engaging pin is pivotally attached to the slide plate body, the rocking lever is backward swung to backward move the moving table toward the cassette placing position by backward sliding the slide plate to cause a peripheral portion of the engaging hole to be engaged with the engaging pin, and the rocking lever is forward swung to forward move the moving table toward the cassette inserting position by forward sliding the slide plate to cause the lock lever to be engaged with the engaging pin.
According to this configuration, the slide plate is used as an interlocking mechanism through which the rotating member is interlockingly connected to the rocking lever. The slide plate can be easily mass-produced simply by bending a steel plate into a substantially L-like shape to form the slide plate body and a bent piece, and forming a rack or the like on the bent piece. Therefore, the production cost is low. Since, unlike a gear mechanism which is conventionally used as an interlocking mechanism, backlash is not caused in the slide plate, the tape cassette moving table can be smoothly moved forward and backward via the rocking lever by sliding forward and backward the slide plate. By the simple structure in which the engaging hole which is opened in the slide plate body is engaged with the engaging pin protruding from the rocking lever, therefore, the moving table can be surely backward moved toward the cassette placing position via the rocking lever, with being interlocked with the backward sliding of the slide plate. Furthermore, by the simple structure in which the lock lever which is pivotally attached to the slide plate body is engaged with the engaging pin, the moving table can be surely forward moved toward the cassette inserting position via the rocking lever, with being interlocked with the forward sliding of the slide plate.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in a magnetic tape device in which a tape cassette moving table is placed between a pair of right and left guide plates to be movable forward and backward, a rocking lever which is engaged with the moving table and a rotating member which is forward and reversely rotated by a driving source are interlockingly connected to each other via an interlocking mechanism, and the rocking lever is swung by the drivin

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