Patent US3764089A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3764089A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Recording and reproducing apparatus using magnetic cassette
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1971-09-10
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Granted: 1973-10-09
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Expires: 1991-09-10
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape contained in a cassette has a chassis with a tape drive, such as, a capstan and take-up and supply reel driving shafts, engageable with a cassette from below the latter, a movable frame mounted on the chassis for movement relative to the latter in a substantially inclined path that extends downwardly and towards the front of the chassis from an elevated position to a lowered operative position, cassette holding guides on the frame opening at the front of the latter for slidably receiving a cassette above the tape drive when the frame is in its elevated position, cassette locating elements on the chassis engageable with a cassette in the guides with the frame in its elevated position to locate the cassette in vertical registry with the tape drive and constraining the cassette to move vertically downward into engagement with the tape drive upon shifting of the frame in the inclined path to its lowered operative position, and a magnetic head on the frame spaced rearwardly from a cassette in the guides when the frame is in its elevated position and being engaged with the tape in the cassette upon shifting of the frame to the lowered position. The apparatus further has a single control lever by which a latch holding the frame in its lowered operative position may be released for return of the frame to its elevated position with automatic ejection of the cassette from the holding guides, and also by which the operating mode of the tape drive may be selected among normal forward drive, fast forward drive and rewind drive. There is also provided a device whereby a cassette is automatically ejected from the holding guides in the event that the cassette is incorrectly inserted therein.
Inventors
- 👤 K Yoshida
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:18
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/675; G11B15/67544; G11B15/67555; G11B15/18; G11B15/1883
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
252 words
An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape contained in a cassette, comprising a chassis, tape drive means projecting upwardly from said chassis for engagement with a cassette from below the latter, a movable frame, means mounting said frame on said chassis for movement relative to the latter in a substantially inclined path that extends downwardly and towards the front of said chassis from an elevated position to a lowered operative position, cassette holding means on said frame opening at the front of the latter for slidably receiving a cassette above said tape drive means when said frame is in said elevated position, means for shifting said frame from said elevated position to said lowered operative position, cassette locating means on said chassis engageable with a cassette slidably received in said holding means with said frame in said elevated position for disposing the cassette in vertical registry with said tape drIve means therebelow and constraining the cassette to move vertically downward into engagement with said tape driving means while sliding relative to said frame upon said shifting of said frame to said lowered operative position, and a magnetic head fixed on said frame so as to be spaced rearwardly from a cassette in said holding means when said frame is in said elevated position and being engaged with the tape in the cassette in response to said relative sliding of the cassette and frame upon the shifting of said frame in said inclined path to said lowered operative position.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
252 words
An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing signals on a magnetic tape contained in a cassette, comprising a chassis, tape drive means projecting upwardly from said chassis for engagement with a cassette from below the latter, a movable frame, means mounting said frame on said chassis for movement relative to the latter in a substantially inclined path that extends downwardly and towards the front of said chassis from an elevated position to a lowered operative position, cassette holding means on said frame opening at the front of the latter for slidably receiving a cassette above said tape drive means when said frame is in said elevated position, means for shifting said frame from said elevated position to said lowered operative position, cassette locating means on said chassis engageable with a cassette slidably received in said holding means with said frame in said elevated position for disposing the cassette in vertical registry with said tape drIve means therebelow and constraining the cassette to move vertically downward into engagement with said tape driving means while sliding relative to said frame upon said shifting of said frame to said lowered operative position, and a magnetic head fixed on said frame so as to be spaced rearwardly from a cassette in said holding means when said frame is in said elevated position and being engaged with the tape in the cassette in response to said relative sliding of the cassette and frame upon the shifting of said frame in said inclined path to said lowered operative position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
An apparatus according to claim 1; further comprising releasable latch means for holding said movable frame in said lowered operative position, and cassette ejecting means operative upon the return of said movable frame from said lowered position to said elevated position for propelling a cassette forwardly from said cassette holding means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 2; further comprising spring means yieldably urging said frame to said elevated position, and means for releasing said latch means to permit return of said frame from said lowered operative position to said elevated position by said spring means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
215 words
An apparatus according to claim 3; in which said tape drive means includes a capstan engageable with the tape contained in a cassette when said frame is in said lowered operative position, takeup reel and supply reel driving shafts engageable with corresponding reels in the cassette when said frame is in said lowered operative position, a motive power source, and transmission means for coupling said motive power source to said capstan and to said reel driving shafts and being shiftable to selectively drive said take-up reel shaft in a forward direction at normal and high speeds and to selectively drive said supply reel shaft at a high speed in a rewind direction; and in which said means for releasing said latch means includes a control lever movable longitudinally to release said latch means and also being shiftable laterally to either side from a centered position, and means connecting said control lever with said transmission means to condition the latter for driving said take-up reel in said forward direction at said normal speed when said control lever is in said centered position and to condition said transmission means for driving said take-up and supply reels, respectively, at said high speeds when said control lever is shifted laterally to the opposite sides, respectively, of said centered position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
An apparatus according to claim 4; further comprising pinch roller means on said frame engageable with the tape in a cassette to press the tape against said capstan when said frame is in said lowered operative position, and mutually engageable means on said control lever and frame operative to shift said frame rearwardly a small distance from said lowered operative position in response to lateral shifting of said control lever to either side from said centered position for disengaging said pinch roller means from the tape in a cassette.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
An apparatus according to claim 1; in which said means mounting the frame on said chassis includes pairs of spaced links disposed at opposite sides of said chassis and each being pivotally connected, at its opposite ends, to said chassis and frame, respectively, to swing from a rearwardly directed position to a downwardly directed position in connection with the shifting of said frame from said elevated position to said lowered operative position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
76 words
An apparatus according to claim 1; in which said cassette locating means includes an overhead locating member disposed above said frame in said elevated position for engagement with a cassette slidably received by said holding means, and locating pins projecting upwardly from said chassis for entering corresponding openings in the cassette as the latter moves downwardly out of engagement with said overhead locating member in response to shifting of said frame toward said lowered operatIve position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
152 words
An apparatus according to claim 7; in which said overhead locating member is mounted on said chassis for limited, generally vertical movement with respect to the latter and includes depending rearwardly disposed first stop means engageable with the rear edge of a cassette slidably inserted in said holding means through the opening at the front of the latter for limiting the rearward sliding movement of the cassette in said holding means with said frame in said elevated position, and forwardly disposed depending second stop means arranged to ride over an upwardly raised plateau normally extending along the rear edge portion of the cassette, with consequent raising of said overhead locating member, during insertion of the cassette into said holding means and to engage in front of said plateau upon engagement of the cassette with said first stop means for limiting the forward movement of the cassette away from said first stop means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
105 words
An apparatus according to claim 8; further comprising a blocking member which is movably mounted so as to be interposed in the path of rearward movement of a cassette in said holding means, and means on said overhead locating member engageable with said blocking member to limit the rearward movement of the latter with a cassette inserted in said holding means except when said overhead locating member is raised by engagement of said second stop means with the plateau on the cassette, whereby to prevent full insertion of a cassette into said holding means with the raised plateau of the cassette at the front thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus according to claim 9; in which said blocking member is spring urged in the forward direction for propelling a cassette forwardly from said holding means except when said second stop means comes into engagement with the raised plateau on a cassette, whereupon said spring urged blocking member holds the cassette against said second stop means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
72 words
An apparatus according to claim 10; in which said blocking member is mounted on said frame and, upon movement of said frame from said lowered operative position to said elevated position, acts on said overhead locating member to raise the latter and thereby permit the raised plateau of a cassette to pass under said second stop means for ejection of the cassette from said holding means by said spring urged blocking member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
128 words
An apparatus according to claim 11; further comprising a closure door for the opening at the front of said cassette holding means, said closure door being hingedly mounted to swing downwardly and rearwardly about an axis along the lower edge of said door upon the insertion of a cassette into said holding means, and spring means urging said door to an erect position so that, when a cassette is received in said holding means, the upper edge of said door bears against the lower surface of the cassette for engagement with a raised plateau projecting downwardly from the cassette along the rear edge portion of the latter, whereby to limit the extent of said ejection of the cassette from said holding means by said spring urged blocking member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
158 words
An apparatus according to claim 1; in which said means mounting the frame on said chassis includes pairs of spaced links disposed at opposite sides of said chassis and each being pivotally connected, at its opposite ends, to said chassis and frame, respectively, to swing from a rearwardly directed position to a downwardly directed position in connection with the shifting of said frame from said elevated position to said lowered operative position; and said means for shifting the frame includes an operating handle extending across said chassis above said frame and having arms extending from the opposite ends of said handle and being pivotally connected to adjacent sides of said chassis to permit substantially vertical displacement of said handle, and means on at least one of said arms engageable with at least one of said links from above to swing the engaged link downwardly from said rearwardly directed position in response to downward displacement of said operating handle.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-10-08 | 1977-04-09 | 1977-10-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-10-08 | 1981-04-09 | 1981-10-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-10-08 | 1985-04-09 | 1985-10-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |