Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information... – Cartridge system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-04-24
Marcelo, Emmanuel M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding and rewinding a machine convertible information...
Cartridge system
C360S096300, C360S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220540
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a so-called double cassette tape player having a pair of tape decks, and more particularly to a mechanism for retaining one of the two tape decks in the double cassette tape player in its inoperative position, while both tape decks being driven by a single power source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The double cassette tape player has been known in the art, which comprises a pair of tape decks, each being designed substantially as a single type tape player, and a drive mechanism for driving the two decks. The tape player of this type is particularly useful for dubbing from a recorded tape cassette on one deck (sub-deck) to a raw tape cassette on the other deck (main deck). In response to single key operation by the user, both tape decks are driven synchronously. Of course, the sub-deck carrying the recorded tape cassette operates for playback and the main deck carrying the raw tape cassette operates for recording. Such dubbing operation with the double cassette tape player should be compared with the same operation using two separate cassette tape player, which needs connection between the two players and synchronous key operation on both players.
With the double cassette tape player, both tape decks should be driven simultaneously during the dubbing operation. Apart from dubbing, however, only the main deck is driven, the sub-deck being made inoperative. For example, should both tape decks, each carrying the recorded tape cassette, be driven simultaneously in response to the user's key operation which commands playback, both tape decks would run for playback of different music data. To cope with this problem, the double cassette tape player should be designed such that the sub-deck is used only for dubbing and is made inoperative when another kind of operation is designated by the user.
This requirement can be fulfilled by employing separate drive sources for individually driving the two tape decks. This requires two motors which should be controlled by separate drive control circuits. It should raise a manufacturing cost and needs a larger space for mounting the motors and circuits. Moreover, a synchronizer is additionally required to drive the two motors synchronously at the time of dubbing operation, which complicates the overall construction and arrangement and further increases the manufacturing cost of the double cassette tape player.
One of the inventors have already invented the cassette tape drive mechanism in a single type cassette tape player, which is patented as U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,831, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated for reference. This drive mechanism has an idle gear rotatable on a pin at the leading end position of a rotary arm that is driven by a motor. The idle gear will mesh with a semi-circular inner gear. When the idle gear separates from one end of the inner gear, it then meshes with a forward or reverse reel drive gear so that a cassette tape carried on the tape player is to run in a forward or reverse direction. Movement of the idle gear toward the end of the inner gear will also move a head plate toward its operative position where one of pinch rollers is in press-contact with a corresponding capstan, between which the cassette tape travels in the forward or reverse direction.
Such drive mechanism is simple in construction and arrangement and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. However, when this drive mechanism is applied to each of the tape decks in the double cassette tape player with a single drive source or motor, as described above, both tape decks are always driven simultaneously by the single motor, which might cause any trouble and disadvantage at the time of operation other than dubbing.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for retaining one tape deck in its inoperative position, when so demanded, in a double cassette tape player in which both tape decks may be simultaneously driven by a single drive source through the above-described drive mechanism proposed by the inventor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel mechanism for interrupting one of two rotation transmission routes from a single drive source so that one deck of a double cassette tape player may be retained in an inoperative position while the other is driven by the drive source through another rotation transmission route.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, in a double cassette tape player having a single motor rotatable in forward and reverse directions and a pair of tape decks that can be driven by the motor through separate drive mechanisms, each of the drive mechanisms including a rotation transmission gear which is driven by the motor and capable of meshing with one of reel drive gears so that a tape in a cassette carried on the tape deck is to run in a predetermined direction, there is provided a mechanism for retaining one of the tape decks into a temporal inoperative position where the rotation transmission gear does not mesh with the reel drive gear, comprising a trigger arm rotatable about a first pivot on a chassis of the one tape deck; first spring means for biasing the trigger arm to rotate in a predetermined direction; a pause lever slideable on the chassis of the one tape deck; second spring means for urging the pause lever to move in a predetermined direction; actuator means that is made operative in response to rotation of the motor to urge the trigger arm to rotate in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction of rotation, against the biasing force of the first spring means; the pause lever being allowed to be slid in the predetermined direction by the biasing force of the second spring means when the trigger arm is caused by the actuator means to rotate in the opposite direction; and lock means provided at a tip end of the pause lever for engagement with a part of the drive mechanism between the motor and the rotation transmission gear, when the pause lever is slid in the predetermined direction, thereby locking the rotation transmission gear in a lock position just before a position where it meshes with the reel drive gear, the rotation transmission gear being idle in the lock position while being kept driven by the motor.
The actuator means may comprise a push lever rotatable about a second pivot on the chassis of the one tape deck. The push lever is rotated in a predetermined direction in response to movement of the rotation transmission gear by rotation of the motor. The push lever has an integral part engageable with one extreme end of the trigger arm.
The mechanism may further comprise positioning means for keeping the trigger arm into a predetermined angle of rotation, when the trigger arm is rotated in the opposite direction by the actuator means. The positioning means may comprise a solenoid of a permanent magnetic type, The solenoid is empowered with electricity to release its magnetic power, which allows the trigger arm to rotate in the predetermined direction of rotation in cooperation with the first spring. Therefore, the pause lever is urged to be slid in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction of movement, against the biasing force of the second spring means, thereby releasing the rotation transmission gear from the lock position. The lock means may comprises a recess formed at the tip end of the pause lever for receiving a first pin that provides an axis of rotation of the rotation transmission gear.
In a preferable embodiment, the tip end of the pause lever provides an inclined edge adjacent below to the recess. The inclined edge is in contact with the first pin, just before the pin is to be received within the recess, and acting as a guide to urge the pause lever to be slid in the opposite direction, while maintaining the trigger arm in the predetermined angle of rotation defined by the positioning means.
In another preferable embodiment, the mechanism further comprises interlocking means c
Goto Masayuki
Shimbo Takaichi
Marcelo Emmanuel M.
MEC Co. Ltd.
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
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