Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Record transport with head stationary during transducing – Tape record
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-09
2001-03-13
Edun, Muhammad (Department: 2651)
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Record transport with head stationary during transducing
Tape record
C360S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06201660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. Particularly, the invention is concerned with a loading and unloading mechanism for a cartridge with a magnetic tape received therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus
21
will be described below with reference to
FIG. 24
which is a plan view of the apparatus,
FIG. 25A
which is a sectional view taken on line A—A in
FIG. 24
, and
FIG. 25B
which is a side view of a principal portion thereof.
In the conventional magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus
21
(hereinafter referred to as the “apparatus
21
”), a pair of guide members
21
b
and
21
c
each having a U-shaped groove are attached in an opposed relation to each other to right and left side faces of a base plate
21
a.
In the vicinity of the guide members
21
b
and
21
c
, openings
21
d
are formed in portions of the base plate
21
a
, as shown in FIG.
25
A.
On the back of the base plate
21
a
are mounted a pair of plate springs
22
having a strong resilience, the plate springs
22
being screwed at one end thereof and free at the opposite end. At the tip of the free end of each plate spring
22
is formed a retaining portion
22
a
and a roller
22
b
is supported rotatably by the retaining portion
22
a.
The roller
22
b
is inserted into the associated opening
21
d
of the base plate
21
a.
When a strong depressing force is applied to the roller
22
b,
the strong resilience of the plate spring
22
permits the roller
22
b
to move vertically within the opening
21
d
with the foregoing screwed portion of the plate spring as fulcrum.
A cartridge
23
, with a magnetic tape
23
a
accommodated therein, has guide grooves
23
b
formed in both side faces thereof, as shown in FIG.
25
B. The guide grooves
23
b
are guided by the guide members
21
b
and
21
c
to conduct the cartridge
23
into the apparatus
21
.
In portions of a bottom plate
23
c
which constitutes the guide grooves
23
b
of the cartridge
23
there are formed cutout portions
23
d.
For loading the cartridge
23
into the apparatus
21
, first the front end portion of the cartridge is inserted manually in the direction of arrow B from an inlet
21
e
of the apparatus.
As a result, the front end portion of the bottom plate
23
c
of the cartridge
23
comes into abutment with the rollers
22
b.
But if the cartridge
23
is pushed into the apparatus
21
with a stronger force, the plate springs
22
deflect downward, whereby the rollers
22
b
are forced down.
By virtue of the resilience of the plate springs
22
the rollers
22
b
come into elastic contact with one end of each of the cutout portions
23
d.
In this way one end of each of the cutout portions
23
d
is pressed in the direction of arrow A (45°) by the rollers
22
b,
whereby the cartridge
23
is held in the interior of the apparatus
21
while it is prevented from coming off the apparatus. In this state, a magnetic head
24
and the magnetic tape
23
a
are in abutment with each other, now ready for recording and reproduction.
For unloading the cartridge
23
from the apparatus
21
, the operator is required to pull a rear end portion
23
e
of the cartridge, which projects from the inlet
21
e
to the exterior of the apparatus, manually in the direction of arrow C against the biasing force of the plate springs
22
, allowing the rollers
22
b
to be disengaged from the cutout portions
23
d
of the cartridge
23
, whereby the cartridge can be removed from the apparatus
21
.
In the above conventional apparatus
21
, however, since the loading and unloading of the cartridge
23
are performed by hand, a fairly strong force (about 0.5 to 1 Kgf) is required against the biasing force of the plate springs
22
. In order to facilitate the loading and unloading of the cartridge
23
, the resilience of the plate spring
22
may be weakened, but in this case the force for holding the cartridge in the apparatus
21
becomes weaker, and when vibration or the like is exerted on the apparatus from the exterior, the magnetic tape
23
a
, which is in sliding contact with the magnetic head
24
, may move, or the cartridge
23
may no longer be held in place. Once such a state occurs, it may become impossible to effect accurate recording and reproduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For solving the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention there is provided, in the first aspect thereof, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus including a loading and unloading mechanism which makes it possible for a cartridge with a magnetic tape received therein to be loaded and unloaded with respect to the apparatus, also including a slide member capable of engaging the cartridge, and further including a housing for holding the slide member, the loading and unloading of the cartridge being effected by sliding the slide member in an engaged state thereof with the cartridge.
In the second aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the first aspect, magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the slide member is held slidably with respect to the housing and in such a manner that when the slide member lies on a cartridge inlet side, engaging portions thereof for engagement with the cartridge can be engaged with and disengaged from the cartridge in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction.
In the third aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the second aspect, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the engagement of the slide member with the cartridge is effected by engagement of retaining portions formed as protuberances on the slide member side with engaging grooves formed on the cartridge side, the retaining portions of the slide member being displaceable vertically with respect to the sliding direction.
In the fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the third aspect, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the retaining portions of the slide member are constituted by rollers supported on one end side of the slide member.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the fourth aspect, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the slide member is formed with stoppers at positions near the rollers, the stoppers being higher than the rollers.
In the sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the second aspect, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the housing is provided with cam portions to displace the slide member into engagement with and disengagement from the cartridge.
In the seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the sixth aspect, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the cam portions are formed integrally with the housing by projecting portions of the housing downward.
In the eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in the fourth aspect, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein when the rollers are positioned on the lower side with a vertical motion of the slide member, the rollers come into contact with end portions of the engaging grooves of the cartridge to lock the cartridge temporarily.
In the ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in any of the first to seventh aspects, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein the housing is provided with a drive source and a rotary cam mechanism connected to the drive source, and the slide member is driven electrically by the rotary cam mechanism.
In the tenth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the apparatus in any of the first to eighth aspects, a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus wherein in a cartridge loading posi
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Edun Muhammad
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