Cartridge locking mechanism for a miniature tape player

Claim 2

A cartridge locking mechanism for a tape player having a chassis defining a tunnel for receiving a tape cartridge and instrumentalities for driving and playing a recording tape in the cartridge upon insertion of the latter into the tunnel, said cartridge locking mechanism including in combination: a plate member being mounted adjacent a side wall of said tunnel for rotation about an axis extending therethrough substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate member, a cartridge engaging member mounted on said plate member, said plate member being rotatable about said axis between a first position whereat said cartridge engaging member is positioned outside of said tunnel and a second position whereat said cartridge engaging member extends through an opening in the side wall of said tunnel for engagement with a cartridge inserted into said tunnel, overcenter spring means coupled to said plate member, movable to first and second bistable conditions, and a cartridge sensing arm mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of rotation of said plate member and biasing means resiliently coupling said sensing arm to said plate member, one end of said sensing arm extending through an opening in the side wall of said tunnel into the path of a cartridge received in said tunnel, said one end being engaged by said cartridge upon insertion of the latter into said tunnel for deflecting said sensing arm against said resilient biasing means to rotate said plate member about said axis, thereby moving said overcenter spring means to a snap-over position, whereby the latter moves from said first to said second stable state, causing said cartridge engaging member to be moved into said tunnel for engagement with said tape cartridge.

Claim 3

A cartridge locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cartridge includes an inclined side wall portion near the leading end thereof for deflecting, graduaLly, said sensing arm upon insertion of said cartridge into said tunnel, and a recess formed in said side wall for receipt of said cartridge engaging member upon insertion of said cartridge fully into said tunnel, said cartridge engaging member being forced from said recess upon withdrawal of said cartridge from said tunnel to move said overcenter means from said second to said first stable state, whereby said cartridge engaging member is moved outside of said tunnel.

Claim 4

A cartridge locking mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cartridge engaging member includes a roller mounted for rotation on said plate member about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plate of said plate member.

Claim 5

A cartridge locking mechanism as claimed in claim 3 wherein said overcenter spring means includes a spring member, one end of which is coupled to said plate member and the other end of which is coupled to said tape player chassis and wherein said sensing arm includes a foot member at said one end thereof extending into said cartridge receiving tunnel for sliding engagement with the side wall of a cartridge received in said tunnel.

Claim 6

A cartridge locking mechanism as claimed in claim 4 wherein said plate member is triangular in shape and is rotatable about a first corner thereof, wherein said roller member is mounted on said plate member at a second corner thereof, wherein said overcenter spring mechanism is coupled to said plate at the third corner thereof and wherein said resilient biasing means coupling said sensing arm to said plate member includes a coil spring member having a first outwardly extending end coupled to said foot member and a second end coupled to said plate member between said first and third corners thereof.

Claim 7

A cartridge locking mechanism for a tape player having a chassis including a pair of side walls and a base wall interconnecting said side walls defining a tunnel for receiving a tape cartridge having an inclined side wall portion at the leading end thereof and a notch formed in said side wall portion, and instrumentalities for driving a recording tape through the cartridge upon insertion of the latter into the tunnel, including in combination: a mounting pin extending from the base wall of said chassis substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof, adjacent a first one of the side walls of said cartridge receiving tunnel, a plate member being mounted on said mounting pin for rotation thereabout, said pin extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate member, a cartridge engaging roller mounted for rotation on said plate member about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate member, said plate member being rotatable about said mounting pin between a first position whereat said roller is positioned outside of said cartridge receiving tunnel and a second position whereat said roller extends through an opening in said first one of said side walls into the path of a cartridge inserted into said tunnel, overcenter spring means coupled to said plate member movable to first and second stable conditions for maintaining said roller in said first and second positions, respectively, a cartridge sensing arm mounted for pivotal movement at a first end thereof on said mounting pin and a biasing spring coupled at a first end thereof to said sensing arm and at the opposite end to said plate member for biasing said sensing arm toward said opening in said side wall, with the free end of said sensing arm extending into the cartridge receiving tunnel in the path of a cartridge received therein, the free end of said sensing arm being engaged by the inclined side wall portion of said cartridge upon insertion of the latter into said tunnel, said sensing arm being rotated thereby against the force of said biasing spring to in turn rotate said plate member about said mounting pin, thereby causing said overcenter spring to snap from said first to second condition to move said roller into said tunnel into engagement with the side wall of said tape cartridge, further insertion of said cartridge into said tunnel causing said roller to enter said notch formed in the cartridge side wall, thereby to maintain said cartridge in said tunnel in driving engagement with said tape driving instrumentalities.

Claim 8

A cartridge locking mechanism for a tape player having a chassis including a pair of side walls and a base wall interconnecting said side walls defining a tunnel for receiving a tape cartridge having an inclined side wall portion at the leading end thereof and a notch formed in said side wall portion, and instrumentalities for driving a recording tape through the cartridge upon insertion of the latter into the tunnel, including in combination: a mounting pin extending from the base wall of said chassis substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof, adjacent a first one of the side walls of said cartridge receiving tunnel, a plate member being mounted on said mounting pin for rotation thereabout, said pin extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate member, a cartridge engaging roller mounted for rotation on said plate member about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said plate member, said plate member being rotatable about said mounting pin between a first position whereat said roller is positioned outside of said cartridge receiving tunnel and a second position whereat said roller extends through an opening in said first one of said side walls into the path of a cartridge inserted into said tunnel, overcenter spring means coupled to said plate member movable to first and second stable conditions for maintaining said roller in said first and second positions, respectively, a cartridge sensing arm mounted for pivotal movement at a first end thereof on said mounting pin and a biasing spring coupled at a first end thereof to said sensing arm and at the opposite end to said plate member for biasing said sensing arm toward said opening in said side wall, with the free end of said sensing arm extending into the cartridge receiving tunnel in the path of a cartridge received therein, the free end of said sensing arm being engaged by the inclined side wall portion of said cartridge upon insertion of the latter into said tunnel, said sensing arm being rotated thereby against the force of said biasing spring to in turn rotate said plate member about said mounting pin, thereby causing said overcenter spring to snap from said first to second condition to move said roller into said tunnel into engagement with the side wall of said tape cartridge, further insertion of said cartridge into said tunnel causing said roller to enter said notch formed in the cartridge side wall, thereby to maintain said cartridge in said tunnel in driving engagement with said tape driving instrumentalities.

Claim 9

A cartridge locking mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein said plate member is substantially triangular in shape and is mounted for rotation about said mounting pin at a first corner thereof, wherein said roller is mounted on said plate member at a second corner thereof and wherein said overcenter spring means is coupled to said plate member substantially at the third corner thereof.