Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Automatic control of a recorder mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-02-20
Sniezek, Andrew L. (Department: 2753)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Automatic control of a recorder mechanism
C360S128000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191910
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary head cleaning apparatus for cleaning the rotary head mounted on the rotary drum such as a head for a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and to the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1
is a perspective view showing a rotary drum and a video head cleaning mechanism for a conventional magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus. In this diagram, numeral
1
designates a rotary drum including a rotatable upper drum
1
a
and a lower drum
1
b
making up a lead for a tape guide. A head (not shown) is mounted on the peripheral surface of the upper drum
1
a.
Tape guides
3
a,
3
b
are arranged at the tape outlet and the tape inlet, respectively, in the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the rotary drum
1
. A cleaning roller
2
is mounted in the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the rotary drum
1
through an arm
4
coupled to the tape guide
3
a
at the tape outlet side. The cleaning roller
2
, which constitutes a video head cleaning mechanism, is operatively interlocked with the tape guide
3
a,
and the tape guide
3
a
makes the peripheral surface of the roller come in contact with the peripheral surface of the rotary drum
1
at the tape outlet side in order to clean the head, as follows.
When the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus loads the tape for a recording or reproduction operation or unloads the tape after a recording or reproducing operation, the cleaning roller
2
comes in contact with the rotary drum
1
, thereby cleaning the head.
The aforementioned conventional video cleaning mechanism is adapted to clean the head only at the time of loading or unloading. During a continuous recording or reproduction for a long time, say, longer than 100 hours, however, the head, which may be contaminated in the process, cannot be cleaned. After a long recording or a long reproduction, a single cleaning operation could not clean off contaminations sufficiently. Nor is it possible to confirm whether the cleaning is sufficient or not.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been developed in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object thereof is to provide a rotary head cleaning apparatus and a magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus capable of cleaning the head sufficiently even in the case of long recording or reproducing. The rotary head cleaning apparatus or the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus using the same cleaning apparatus according to the invention comprises a cleaning mechanism adapted to come in contact with the rotary drum for cleaning the head, a time setter for setting an arbitrary time, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism at the set time. The cleaning is therefore possible even during a long-time recording operation.
An alternative embodiment of the rotary head cleaning apparatus or the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus using the same cleaning apparatus according to this aspect of the invention comprises a cleaning mechanism adapted to come into contact with a rotary drum for cleaning the head, a time setter for setting an arbitrary time interval, and a cleaning control means for operating the cleaning mechanism at set time intervals. As a result, the periodic cleaning is possible even during a long-time recording operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary head cleaning apparatus for keeping the head in satisfactory condition by cleaning the head a multiplicity of times or a magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus using the cleaning apparatus. The rotary head cleaning apparatus or the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus according to the invention comprises a cleaning mechanism adapted to come in contact with the rotary drum for cleaning the head, a power cut-off determiner for deciding that power has been switched off for performing magnetic recording and/or magnetic reproducing function, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism when the decision is made that the power is cut off. The apparatus further comprises an arbitrary time interval setter, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism at set time intervals. As a result, the cleaning operation can be performed more often than can be done in the conventional apparatus, and the cleaning mechanism is operated when a power cut-off is decided, thereby permitting subsequent periodic cleaning operations. Also, the rotary head cleaning apparatus or the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus using the same cleaning apparatus according to still another aspect of the invention comprises a cleaning mechanism adapted to come in contact with the rotary drum for cleaning the head, a connection determiner for deciding that power for performing the magnetic recording and/or magnetic reproducing function is connected, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism when the connection determiner decides that power is connected. In addition, the apparatus according to the invention comprises an arbitrary time interval setter, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism at set time intervals. As a consequence, more cleaning operations can be performed than in the prior art, and the cleaning mechanism can be activated upon decision of a power connection, thereby to perform subsequent periodic cleaning operations.
The rotary head cleaning apparatus or the magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus according to a further aspect of the invention comprises a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the head, a recording reservation setter for setting the reservation of the recording time, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism when the present time is a non-reservation time, i.e., not within a reservation time zone. In addition, the apparatus comprises an arbitrary time interval setter, and a cleaning controller for operating the cleaning mechanism at set time intervals. As a result, more cleaning operations can be performed than in the prior art, and the cleaning mechanism is operated when the present time is in the non-reservation time zone to perform subsequent periodic cleaning operations.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus in which, after the head is cleaned, it is judged whether the head is sufficiently cleaned, thereby to keep the head always in a well-cleaned condition. The magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus according to the invention comprises a head mounted on the rotary drum, a signal processing circuit for processing signals to record and/or reproduce an object signal, a cleaning mechanism adapted to come in contact with the rotary drum for cleaning the head, a cleaning judgement circuit for reproducing the object signal recorded after the cleaning operation and judging the cleaning condition, and a cleaning controller for reactivating the cleaning mechanism in the case where an insufficient cleaning condition is judged. As a result, the head is kept in an always satisfactorily-cleaned condition.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
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“Magnetic Card Reader,” by Tatsuo Fujii, Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 15, No. 149, Apr. 15, 1991.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Sniezek Andrew L.
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