Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head moving during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-13
2004-09-07
Tupper, Robert S. (Department: 2652)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head moving during transducing
Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
active
06788491
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape loading apparatus which is incorporated into a video tape recorder (VTR).
2. Description of the Related Art
In Japanese Patent No. 2,981,834 (prior art 1), there is disclosed a magnetic tape loading mechanism. According to this magnetic tape loading mechanism, a stopper is disposed on the end portion of a guide groove formed in a chassis for guiding a movement of a tape guide, and the tape guide is elastically pressed against the stopper by an elastic force of a torsion spring. Thereby, attitude of the tape guide for winding a cassette tape around a rotary drum incorporating a magnetic head can be stabilized to keep the stability of the picture quality of the tape. Also, in the magnetic tape loading mechanism, an intermittent gear portion formed in an arm for moving the tape guide is meshingly engaged with an intermittent gear portion formed in a drive slider for mode switching and the arm is swung through a sliding motion of the drive slider to thereby move the tape guide. Further, in the magnetic tape loading mechanism, while the tape guide is being elastically pressed against the stopper, the reactive force of the torsion spring is received by the drive slider.
However, in the above magnetic tape loading mechanism, since the reactive force of the torsion spring when the tape guide is elastically pressed against the stopper is received by the drive slider for mode switching, there is a possibility that, when switching the modes of the video tape recorder, such as a recording mode, a reproducing mode, a fast-forwarding mode and a fast-rewinding mode after completion of the loading of the cassette tape, the drive slider cannot be moved smoothly due to the reactive force of the torsion spring.
On the other hand, in Japanese Utility Model No. 3,079,365 (prior art 2), there is disclosed a tape loading apparatus in which measures for preventing a spring force from being applied to a mode lever for mode switching in a tape loaded state are took. When switching the modes of the video tape recorder, such as a recording mode, a reproducing mode, a fast-forwarding mode and a fast-rewinding mode after completion of the loading, the mode lever can be moved smoothly. This tape loading apparatus will be described below with reference to FIG.
7
.
In
FIG. 7
, reference character
1
designates a first swinging arm, while
2
stands for a second swinging arm. Since synchronous gears
11
,
21
disposed on the respective base portions of the swinging arms
1
,
2
are always meshingly engaged with each other, the swinging arms
1
,
2
can be swung in a tape loading direction or in a tape unloading direction in a synchronized manner, and the swinging movements of the swinging arms
1
,
2
can be guided by guide grooves
31
,
32
respectively formed in a chassis
3
. The swinging arms
1
,
2
respectively include joint portions
4
,
5
which can be bent. Loading arms
12
,
22
are respectively connected to their associated loading levers
14
,
24
through the joint portions
4
,
5
. The connected end portions of the loading levers
14
,
24
are always elastically urged in the opposing directions by spring members
42
,
52
made of coil springs which are disposed in their associated joint portions
4
,
5
. To the end portions of the loading levers
14
,
24
, there are connected sliders
13
,
23
in a relatively swingable manner. Also, on the base portion of the first swinging arm
1
, there is disposed a loading gear
18
. The loading gear
18
can be meshingly engaged with a mode gear
6
which can be rotated while being meshingly engaged with a teeth row portion
71
formed in a mode lever
7
that can be sled right and left.
According to the tape loading apparatus of
FIG. 7
disclosed in the prior art 2, in case where the mode lever
7
is moved up to a position which corresponds to a loading mode and the mode gear
6
is rotated to swing the first and second swinging levers
1
,
2
in the tape loading direction as shown in
FIG. 7
, loading pins
16
,
26
are elastically pressed against their associated positioning stoppers (not shown) respectively disposed in the end portions of the guide grooves
31
,
41
by the elastic forces of the spring members
42
,
52
, so that the positions of the loading pins
16
,
26
are respectively restricted to their associated loading position. At that time, the loading arm
12
and loading lever
14
of the first swinging arm
1
are stretched out in such a manner that they form a straight line, and the extension line of the force line F
1
of the spring member
42
crosses the axis of a shaft portion
15
supporting the loading arm
12
of the first swinging arm
1
. The extension line of the force line F
2
of the spring member
52
disposed on the joint portion
5
of the second swinging arm
2
also crosses the axis of the shaft portion
15
supporting the loading arm
12
of the first swinging arm
1
. Further, a pair of projections
10
,
20
respectively disposed in the synchronous gears
11
,
21
of the respective swinging arms
1
,
2
are engaged with each other to thereby prevent the swinging arms
1
,
2
from being swung in the tape loading direction.
In this way, the reactive forces of the spring members
42
,
52
are received by the shaft portion
15
and thus the reactive forces are not applied to the mode gear
6
or mode lever
7
. This eliminates a possibility that the motion of the mode lever can be interfered by the reactive force of the spring member
42
when switching the modes of the video tape recorder, such as a recording mode, a reproducing mode, a fast-forwarding mode and a fast-rewinding mode after completion of the loading of the cassette tape.
In the prior art 1, as described above, there is a possibility that, when switching the respective modes of the video tape recorder such as a recording mode, a reproducing mode, a fast-forwarding mode and a fast-rewinding mode after completion of the loading of the cassette tape, the movement of the drive slider is hindered by the reactive force of the torsion spring.
On the other hand, in the prior art 2, there is eliminated the problem with the mode switching operation found in the prior art 1.
However, in the prior art 2, only in case where the loading arm
12
and loading lever
14
of the first swinging arm
1
are stretched out in such a manner as to form a straight line and the extension line of the force line F
1
of the spring member
42
crosses the axis of the shaft portion
15
supporting the loading arm
12
of the first swinging arm
1
, the reactive force of the spring member
42
can be prevented from being applied to the mode lever
7
. In other words, in case where the joint portion connecting together the loading arm
12
and loading lever
14
is bent even a little, there is generated in the mode gear
6
through the loading gear
18
a rotational force due to the reactive force of the spring member
42
. Therefore, a load due to the reactive force of the spring member
42
is applied to the mode gear
6
and this load provides an obstacle to the smooth mode switching operation to be executed by the motion of the mode lever
7
. The loading pin
16
disposed on the slider
13
of the first swinging arm
1
fulfills such a function as to maintain the traveling stability of the tape loaded when it is elastically pressed against the positioning stopper disposed on the end portion of the guide groove
31
by the elastic force of the spring member
42
. When the loading pin
16
is held in a state where the position thereof cannot be restricted positively by the positioning stopper, the traveling stability of the positioning stopper is degraded to thereby lower the picture quality of the tape.
Therefore, in the tape loading apparatus according to the prior art 2, the smoothness of the mode switching operation and the stability of the picture quality can be realized only by securing the following two states: that is, one state in which the loading arm
12
an
Funai Electric Co. Ltd.
Osha & May L.L.P.
Tupper Robert S.
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