Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head moving during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-01
2004-11-23
Klimowicz, William J. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head moving during transducing
Tape record
C360S130210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06822822
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape loading apparatus for use in a magnetic recording/reproduction apparatus, such as a video tape recorder (VTR).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, recording density has increased as magnetic recording/reproduction apparatuses, such as VTRs, etc., have become digital and miniaturized. As a result, there is a demand for an improved precision tape running system. Of course, a high degree of precision is required for a tape loading apparatus. For audiovisual products, there is a trend toward reduced size and cost. The same is true of magnetic recording/reproduction apparatuses, such as VTRs, etc.
A conventional tape loading apparatus will be described below. For example, Japanese Patent No. 2701575 discloses a conventional tape loading apparatus.
FIGS. 5
,
6
and
7
A through
7
D illustrate this conventional tape loading apparatus for use in a VTR. These figures are based on FIG. 3, 4, 5 and 15 of Japanese Patent No. 2701575.
FIGS. 8 and 9
illustrates a tape guide post mechanism for a conventional tape loading apparatus, such figures being based on
FIGS. 4 and 5
of Japanese Patent No. 2789838, respectively. For sake of simplicity, the “boat reference surface” and “reference surface” referred to in Japanese Patent No. 2701575 with respect to FIG. 15, are referred to differently herein as the “boat-side reference surface” and “base-side reference surface” in relation to FIG.
7
.
In
FIG. 5
, reference numeral
52
indicates a cassette,
63
indicates a magnetic tape, and
69
indicates a rotary head cylinder. Reference numeral
58
indicates a feed side loading roller post serving as a tape guide post, which guides the running of the magnetic tape
63
. Reference numeral
64
indicates a feed side boat serving as a carrier which carries the feed side loading roller post
58
and an inclined post
66
, and draws the magnetic tape
63
present within the cassette
52
. Other than these tape guide posts, a plurality of tape guide posts (representing a tape guide post group), such as a tension post
59
, take-up side loading posts
60
and
61
, and an auxiliary guide post
73
are also used to withdraw the magnetic tape
63
present within the cassette
52
. Therefore, a predetermined tape running system is established, so that sound or visual images can be recorded to or reproduced from the magnetic tape
63
.
Referring to
FIGS. 5 and 6
, the magnetic tape
63
withdrawn out of the feed side reel
53
is wrapped about the feed side loading roller post
58
via tape guide posts
59
,
76
and
66
. Thereafter, the magnetic tape
63
is wrapped about the rotary head cylinder
69
, and then about the take-up side loading post
60
. The magnetic tape
63
reaches a take-up side reel
54
via a predetermined tape running system.
FIG. 6
is a perspective view showing only parts which are associated with the tape running system in the state shown in FIG.
5
.
Referring to
FIGS. 7A
to
7
D, reference numeral
51
indicates a chassis as a base,
86
indicates a stopper,
53
indicates a drive shaft. Three boat-side reference surfaces are provided on the rear side of the feed side boat
64
.
FIGS. 8 and 9
are diagrams showing the mechanism of the tape guide posts and their vicinity of the conventional tape loading apparatus. The arrangement shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
is a typical mechanism of adjusting the height of conventional tape guide posts.
In
FIGS. 8 and 9
, reference numeral
65
indicates a take-up side boat serving as a carrier,
68
indicates a pipe having an internal thread portion
68
a
and cylinder portion
68
b
, which is press-fit onto the take-up side boat
65
. Reference numeral
60
indicates a take-up side loading post comprising a roller
60
a
, a shaft
66
, a roller holding member
67
, and an upper flange
60
b
. The roller holding member
67
and the upper flange
60
b
are press-fit onto the shaft
66
. The roller
60
a
is rotatably supported at an upper portion
66
a
of the shaft
66
while the upper limit of the position of the roller
60
a
is defined by the upper flange
60
b
and the lower limit of the position of the roller
60
a
is defined by the roller holding member
67
. The upper flange
60
b
and the roller holding member
67
also keep the running of the magnetic tape within the upper and lower limits. The roller holding member
67
has an external thread portion
67
a
, which engages the internal thread portion
68
a
of the pipe
68
. Reference numeral
80
is a screw which engages an internal thread portion provided in a screw hole
81
of the pipe
68
. The tip of the screw
80
presses the circumferential surface of a lower portion
66
b
of the shaft
66
. A hexagonal hollow or slot portion is provided on the top portion of the upper flange
60
b
, which is engaged with a tool, such as a driver etc., to rotate the upper flange
60
b
. The rotation of the upper flange
60
b
causes the shaft
66
and the roller holding member
67
to rotate together.
It should be noted that although the upper flange
60
b
, the roller
60
a
, the external thread portion
67
a
, the internal thread portion
68
a
, the cylinder portion
68
b
, the upper portion
66
a
, and the lower portion
66
b
are not designated in
FIG. 5
of Japanese Patent No. 2789838, these names are added in
FIG. 9
for the sake of clarification and convenience. Japanese Patent No. 2701575 does not describe the mechanism of adjusting the height of a tape guide post in the loading mechanism. In fact, the height adjusting mechanism as shown in
FIG. 5
of Japanese Patent No. 2789838 is generally incorporated into the loading mechanism. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the height adjusting mechanism as shown in
FIG. 5
of Japanese Patent No. 2789838 is incorporated into the loading mechanism of Japanese Patent No. 2701575.
The operation of the thus-constructed conventional tape loading apparatus will be described. The feed side boat
64
is in a state shown in
FIGS. 7A and 7B
when the loading operation has been completed. Specifically, the drive shaft
53
biases the feed side boat
64
to the left. This biasing force causes the feed side boat
64
to contact and press the stopper
86
. The feed side boat
64
experiences a reaction force from the stopper
86
in a direction indicated by arrow F (FIG.
7
D). As a result, the three boat-side reference surfaces on the rear side of the feed side boat
64
are caused to press the base-side reference surface of the chassis
51
, so that the feed side boat
64
is tightly fitted with the base-side reference surface. Therefore, the height of the feed side boat
64
is determined with a high degree of precision only after the feed side boat
64
is in such a state. In this case, the inclination of the feed side boat
64
is also determined with a high degree of precision. As a result, the height and inclination of the feed side loading roller post
58
(tape guide post) carried by the feed side boat
64
are determined with a high degree of precision.
For the current VTR, the width of a track recorded in a magnetic tape is 5 to 20 &mgr;m. Therefore, a magnetic tape wrapped about a rotary head cylinder requires a precision of 1 to 2 &mgr;m with respect to their relative positions. Therefore, the height precision and inclination of a tape guide post placed near the rotary head cylinder are very important. Specifically, referring to
FIG. 6
, the precision of the position and inclination of the feed side loading roller post
58
and the take-up side loading roller post
60
is particularly important. The height and inclination of these tape guide posts require a precision of several &mgr;m and about 0.2° to 0.5°, respectively. In the future, a higher degree of precision is required as recording density is increased. Needless to say, the greater the height and inclination precisions, the better the quality.
In
FIGS. 7A
to
7
D, variations in the height of the base-side reference surfaces and the height of the feed side loading roller po
Hirabayashi Koichiro
Konishi Akio
Klimowicz William J.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Inc.
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