Tape loading device

Details Tape loading device Tape loading device

2002-05-16

2004-07-20

Klimowicz, William (Department: 2652)

Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval

Record transport with head moving during transducing

Tape record

C360S130210

Reexamination Certificate

active

06765750

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape loading apparatus used for a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to a general tape loading mechanism used in a conventional magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus, a tape is pulled out from a tape cassette and wound around a rotational head cylinder. Transportation members and tape guide posts are positioned as follows.
First, the transportation members having the tape guide posts projecting therefrom are transferred and positioned by a plurality of links or arms, which are pivotally engaged with a pivoting shaft of each transportation member.
Then, the tape guide posts, which are provided on the transportation members with a high level of precision, are positioned by putting the transportation members into pressure-contact with positioning members provided on the chassis by a separate pressure-contact device. In this manner, the positions of the tape guide posts in the planar direction and in the height direction, and the angle of inclination of the tape guide posts are determined.
A tape loading mechanism of a conventional magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus will be described.
First, a conventional transportation mechanism for transporting transportation members to prescribed positions will be described.
FIG. 12
is a plan view of a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus 1200 described in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 11-273191. In
FIG. 12
, a tape
2
is not yet loaded.
An S (supply-side) boat
39
and a T (takeup-side) boat
40
each serve as a tape drawing member provided on a main chassis
8
. Pins
41
A and
41
B provided on the S boat
39
, and pins
41
C and
41
D provided on the T boat
40
, are in engagement with a long hole
43
of a rail
42
. The S boat
39
and the T boat
40
move along the long hole
43
. An S2 post
44
and an S1 post
45
are provided on the S boat
39
, and a T1 post
46
and a T2 post
47
are provided on the T boat
40
. As the S boat
39
and the T boat
40
move, the posts
44
,
45
,
46
and
47
act to wind the tape
2
around a rotational head cylinder
38
. Reference numeral
48
is a rail section provided on the main chassis
8
.
FIG. 13
is another plan view of the tape loading mechanism
1200
.
FIG. 13
shows a portion of the tape loading mechanism
1200
which is on the main chassis
8
.
FIG. 14
is an enlarged view of the S boat
39
and the T boat
40
. In
FIGS. 13 and 14
, a boat driving arm
73
is supported on the main chassis
8
by a shaft
74
. A driving pin
75
standing on a cam gear
66
contacts an inner cam
76
provided on the boat driving arm
73
. Thus, the boat driving arm
73
is driven by a pivoting movement of the cam gear
66
.
A gear
77
of the boat driving arm
73
is in engagement with a pinion
80
integrated with an S load gear
79
, which is supported on the main chassis
8
by a shaft
78
.
An S load arm
81
is coaxially supported with the S load gear
79
. An S load link
82
is attached to the S load arm
81
via a shaft
83
so that the S load link
82
is rotatable with respect to the S load arm
81
. The S load link
82
is also attached to the S boat
39
via a pin
41
A so that the S load link
82
is rotatable with respect to the S boat
39
.
A T load gear
84
is supported on the main chassis
8
by a shaft
85
and is engaged with the S load gear
79
. A T load arm
86
is coaxially supported with the T load gear
84
. A T load link
87
is attached to the T load arm
86
via a shaft
88
so that the T load link
87
is rotatable with respect to the T load arm
86
. The T load link
87
is also attached to the T boat
40
via a pin
41
C so that the T load link
87
is rotatable with respect to the T boat
40
.
The S load arm
81
and the S load gear
79
are usually integrated together with a twisted coil spring (not shown) and are pivoted about the shaft
78
. The S load gear
79
, when rotated clockwise while the S load arm
81
is stopped, is urged counterclockwise by the twisted coil spring. Likewise, the T load arm
86
and the T load gear
84
are usually integrated together with a twisted coil spring (not shown) and are pivoted about the shaft
85
. The T load gear
84
, when rotated counterclockwise while the T load arm
86
is stopped, is urged clockwise by the twisted coil spring.
The S load gear
79
and the T load gear
84
are driven by a pivoting movement of the boat driving arm
73
, and thus the S boat
39
and the T boat
40
move on the rail
42
(
FIG. 12
) via the S load link
82
and the T load link
87
.
FIG. 15
is a plan view of the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus
1200
when the tape
2
is loaded.
FIG. 16
shows the boat driving arm
73
when the tape
2
is loaded.
The boat driving arm
73
has been rotated at a maximum possible angle counterclockwise. The S boat
39
and the T boat
40
each have moved to a prescribed position on the main chassis
8
via the gear
77
, the S load gear
79
, and the T load gear
84
. A V-shaped edge
143
of the S boat
39
contacts a boat stopper
141
provided on the main chassis
8
, and a V-shaped edge
144
of the T boat
40
contacts a boat stopper
142
also provided on the main chassis
8
. Thus, the S boat
39
and the T boat
40
are positioned. The S load gear
79
and the S load arm
81
are integrally rotated while the S boat
39
is moving. The T load gear
84
and the T load arm
86
are integrally rotated while the e boat
40
is moving. The S link
82
and the S load arm
81
are structured so that the S boat
39
reaches a prescribed position in a certain mode, and the T link
87
and the T load arm
86
are structured so that the T boat
40
reaches a prescribed position in the mode. The boat driving arm
73
rotates the S load gear
79
clockwise and rotates the T load gear
84
counterclockwise, both beyond the prescribed positions. Therefore, a rotation phase difference is generated between the S load gear
79
and the S load arm
81
and between the T load gear
84
and the T load arm
86
. Therefore, the S boat
39
is put into pressure-contact with the boat stopper
141
by a reaction force of a twisted coil spring (not shown), and the T boat
40
is put into pressure-contact with the boat stopper
142
by a reaction force of a twisted coil spring (not shown).
Next, a method for positioning tape guide roller posts provided in the transportation members will be described.
FIG. 17
is a partial perspective view of a tape loading mechanism
1700
of a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus described in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 4-318361.
The tape loading mechanism
1700
includes tape guide roller posts
202
,
204
and
206
. The tape guide roller post
202
is provided on a boat
208
, and the tape guide roller posts
204
and
206
are provided on a boat
210
. Stoppers
212
and
214
are provided on a chassis
226
. The loading mechanism
1700
further includes a supply-side loading ring gear
216
(for a takeup-side loading ring gear, see FIG. 6 of Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 4-318361), a supply-side driving shaft
218
provided on the supply-side loading ring gear
216
, a takeup-side driving shaft
220
provided on the takeup-side loading ring gear, a supply-side loading guide
222
, and a takeup-side loading guide
224
.
The supply-side loading ring gear
216
is rotated by a separate driving element, and the takeup-side loading ring gear is rotated by a separate driving element. Thus, the boats
208
and
210
, which are respectively engaged with the feed-side driving loading ring gear
216
and the takeup-side loading ring gear, load a tape (not shown) along the loading guides
222
and
224
from a tape cassette. When the loading of the tape is completed, the boats
208
and
210
are respectively put into pressure-contact with the stoppers
212
and
214
. Thus, the tape guide roller posts
202
,
204
and
206
are positioned.
FIGS. 18A through 18D
show a positioning mecha

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