CA1079397A - Removable cassette container in recording and/or playback apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
In a recording and/or playback apparatus which comprises a cassette container which by means of journals received in bearing elements is pivotable between a loading position and an operating position, the bearing elements each have an entrance channel for a journal, which is retained in said channel by means of a spring-loaded latch, the latch being movable by means of a stop provided on the cassette container when said container is tilted beyond the loading position so as to remove the cassette container from the apparatus.

Description

"Recording and /or playback apparatus".

The invention related to a recording and /or playback apparatus for a record carrier which is accommodated in a cassette, which apparatus comprises a cassette container which is pivotably journalled by means of coaxial journals received in bearing elements and which is movable between a leading position and an operating position, which positions are defined by the limits oE the pivotal movement, Such apparatus is for example known from Austrian Patent .~ Specification 298,104.
; 10 With such apparatus a cassette is for example inserted manually or automatically into the cassette container which is then in the loading position, after which the cassette container with the cassette contained therein is brought into the operating position for example manually or by means of a mechanism which can be driven by a power source. In the operating position of the cassette container the cassette and the record carrier accommodated thexein co-operate with the apparatus components necessary for performing the various apparatus ~:
`~ functions, such as for exampla with alignment elements for the cassette ; and drive elements, guide elements and scanning elements for the record : :
carrier. It is obvious that these apparatus components, and in particular .

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-those components which co-operate with the transported record carrier, are subject to some (legree of wear, so that i~ is necessary to subject khese components to maintenance, cleaning and inspection activities and, when necessary, to replace these components so as to ensure that the apparatus is always in an optimum operating condition. Ilowever, carrying out the above-mentioned activities generally entails substantial problems in the known apparatus, because even when the cassette container has been tilted from the operating position into the loading position the relevant apparatus components are hardly or not at all accessible owing to the limited pivoting range of the cassette container and the space occupied by said container.
It is an object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and reliable solution to the above-mentioned problem. In accordance with the invention this is achieved in a recording and/or playback apparatus of the above-mentioned type in that the bearing elements each have an opening through which the respective journal can be inserted iJI and removed from the bearing ~ element by translational movements of the cassette holder in directions per-- pendicular to the axis of the journals in order to permit mounting of the cassette holder on and its removal from the apparatus, and wherein on each bearing element there is provided a spring-loaded latch which is movable 20 against its spring-loading from a closed position in which it retains the respective journal in the corresponding bearing element to an open position in which it releases the journal for removal from the bearing element, means being provided for limiting movement of the cassette holder in the direction towards the loading position from the operating position in order to define the loading position, which means are manually movable to remove said limit-ation and free the cassette holder for movement beyond the loading position, and the cassette holder being provided with means which, upon movement of the cassette holder through a given distance beyond the loading position, engage ~ the latches and move them to their open positions. Thus, it is ensured by , ' ~

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very simple means that the cassette containe:r carl completely be removed froM
the apparatus by a simple operation for which no -tools or other aids are required and that during normal operat:ion of the apparatus the cassette con-tainer can be moved between the loading position and the operating position in a safe marmer without the risk erroneous removal of the cassette container~
the components which co-operate with the cassette and the record carrier being readily accessible for maintenance purposes and the like in the first-mentioned case.
The pivotal movement of the cassette container in the direction of the loading position can for example be limited by means of a stop means provided in the apparatus, such as a stop- a pawl or the like, which is rendered movable so as to enable the cassette container to be moved beyond the loading position and removed from the apparatus by hand. Ilowever, it has been found to be particularly advantageous when for limiting the pivotal movement of the cassette container in the direction of the loading position a spring-loaded pivotable lever is provided which is connected to the cassette container via a guide means, the spring tending to move the lever in the direction in which this lever is moved when the ~, : ` 'i ' '.: ' , :

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i casset-te con-tainer is tilted in the direction of the loading position, and the lever being movable by hand agains-t the spririg act:ion through -the range of movement of the casse$te conta:iner between the operating position and the loading position~ so that the lever guidance is cancelled and the connection with the cassette container is released. Thus, a simple and absolutely reliable mechanical cons-truct:ion is obtained, because the cassette container cannot be romoved from the apparatus until after cer-ta:in operations have been carried out, so that inadvertent removal ;s excluded.
. - In accordance with the invention the lever guide means is preferably constituted by a pin and a slot, one element being formed on the lever and the other on the cassette container, and the slot has an opening -through which the pin can be passed in a range of movement of the cassette container betl~een the ` operating position and the loading position, whilst adjoining thff opening a sliding sur~ace is formed which extend9 outside -the slot for transferring the pin through the opening into the slot.
For mounting -the cassette container on the . ,~ . . . .
appardtus the entrance channel of the bearing element might for example be released by manually moving the latch ;25 ~ whloh blooks the entrance channel. ~Iowever, in order to particularly simpli~y the operation of mounting the cassette container on the apparatus, i-t has been found - . .. , . : ~:

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to be advantageous wh~n the latch has a ramp surface with which the journal co~operates dur:ing entrance into the entrance channel o~ the bear:ing e:Lemen-t ancl which moves the latch against the action o~ the spring which is attached thereto. Thus, separate actuation of the latch is not necessary.
The invention will be described in more detail with reference to an embodiment which is shown in the drawing and to which the invention is not limited.
Figures 1 through 4 are s:ide views of -those parts Or a video recording and/or playback apparatus which are essential for the invention, which apparatus compr:ises a pivotable cassette container whose journals are each retained in the bearing elements by means of a spring-~! 15 loaded movable latch. Fig. 1 shows the cassette container in the loading position, Fig. 2 in the operat:ing position, Fig. 3 in a position intermedia-te betwcen the loading ; and the operating position, and Fig. ~ in a position beyond the loading position.
In accordance with the drawing a recording ~,'t ~ , and/or playback apparatus comprises a deck plate 1, which carries a drum 2 comprising a stationary sectlon 3 and a section S which is rotatable about a spindle 4, on which section 5 for example two magnetic heads, not shol.~, - 25 are mounted. At laast a part of the periphery o~ the . ~:
drum 2 serves for guiding a record carrier which is helically wound around the drum and which co-operates : ., ~ . :
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A~'flN.~1~7 2ll.8.76 with the magnetic heads on the rotatable sec-tion 5.
Such a record carr:ier 6 is acconlmodat~d in a casse-tte 7 and e~tencls in this casset-te from a reel 8 to a secolld coaxially disposed reel 9 via guide means, not shown, a par-t 10 of -the record carrier 6 then being disposed ;` at the location o~ an opening 11 f`ormed in a side wall o:~ the cassette, so that this part can be withdra-wn ~rom the cassette.
For pulling the record carrier 6 out of the cassette 7 and for positioning this carrier around the periphery of the drum 2, a threading means 12 is provlded, which comprises a disc 13 which is rotatable around the drum 2 on which disc a guide pin 14 is mounted. ~hen the cassette 7 is transferred to -the operating posi-tion (see Fig.2) the pin 14 engages with the part 10 of the record carrier 6 and when the th~eading means 12 is rotated this pin leads the record carrier 6 around the psrlphery of the drum 2.
For bringing the cassette 7 into the operating ? position the apparatus comprises a cassette holder or - contalner 15 which is pivotable between a loading position and an operating position by means of two coa~ial ~ .
~ journals 16 which are receivéd in bearing elements 17.
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~ The :Loading position of the cassette container is de~ined ., :
; by a limltation, to be described hereina~ter, of -the pivotal movement o~ the cassette container in the direction of the loading position. When the cassette :`:: : : :: , ~ : .

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container '15 is :in the loading position shown :in Fig.1 a casset-te 7 can be i,nsertecl into the cassette container 15 through an opening '19 in the free end 18, as indicated by tho arrow 20 i.n ~:ig. 1, a stop Z1 mounted inside the cassette container 15 ensuri.ng that the inserted cassette 7 is co-rrect].y positioned in said container.
~, A cassette which has thus beerI 'inserted in, . ' -the cassette container '15 can be brought into the i 10 operating position by manually -tilting the cassetteI container in the direction of the arrow 22 into the ~1 1 ~i operating position shown in Fig. Z. As previously stated ¦ i the guide pin 14 then engages with the part 10 o~ the record carrier 6 in the cassette 7, whlst the two ¦ : 15 coaxially disposed winding spindles 23 and 24 for driving , ~ .
:~ ~ the re~cord carrier are coupled witth the reels 8 and 9 . in the cassette. For retaining the cassette container 15 : ~ , in the operating position, which is determined by the ~' ~ ' cassette con-tainer bearing on the deck plate 1 with¦~ ~ ,20 ' the bottom 25, a pivotable latching lever Z8 which : is urged against a fixed stop 27 by a spring 26 is provIded~ which in the operating position of the cassette . .. retains a hook 29 wh;.ch is formed on a tab 30 which projects from the bo~tom 25 of the cassette container 15 in li.ne wi-th a side wall of the cassette con-ta-~er.
- In the operating position the cassette`7 and the record carrler 6 oontained therein co-operate with ~arious , :., . : .
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apparatus components. The record carrier 6 for example co-operates with the guide pin 14, with the drum 2 and the magnetic heads disposed on the rotary sec-tinn 5 thereof, and also wi-th other apparatus components, not shown, such as a drive spind]e, a prossuro rollcr, stationary magnetic heads and the like. The reels 8 and 9 in the cassette co-operate with wind:Lng spindles 23 and 21~. Furthermore, special cassotte positioning Irleans, cassette stop means and sensing elements for detecting the type of cassette may be provided. All these apparatus par-ts are sub~ect to wear and/or soiling, which necessitates inspection and maintenance operations.
Such operations should be carried out quickly and simply, which in particular demands an easy accessibility of said apparatus. However, the presence of the cassette container, even when it is in the loading po~ition, impairs satis-factory accessibility.
In order to enable the above requirements to be me-t in a simple manner, the bearing elements 17 each - 20 - ha~e an entrance channel 31 for the relevant journal 16.
, For positioning the journal 16 in the bearing elements 17 a latch 33 is provided which is manually Jnovable against the aotion of a spring 32, which when not moved out o~
posit~ion blocks the entrance channel 31 o~ the relevant

2~ ~ bearing element 17, so that both for introducing a ; journal into an entrance channel and for removing a journal from an entranoe channel, it is necessary to mo~re ~ ~, ~' '", ~ ' ~ ' ' , ~

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~Pf IN . 8 1 9 7 21~ .8.76 - the latch 33. .Inadvertent actuation o:f the ].atch by the journal i.tself, at least in the last-menti.orled case, is prevented by a suitable form of the latch. The said limitation of the pivotal movement of the ca~ssette con-tainer 15 in the direction of` the loading posit:ion ' . (apposite to the direc-tion of the arrow 22) can be cancelled by hand, as will be described in more.dcta:il hereinafter. As a result, -the cassette contai.ner 15 ! can be moved beyond the loading pos:ition, and it i.s not .~ ! un-til thell that, as is shown in Fig./l, tlle entrance channels 31 of the bearing elements 17 are release~, which is effected in that pin-shaped stops 34 which are disposed on the casse-tte container 15 move the latches 33 against the action o~ the springs ~2 which are attached thereto, after which the cassette container can simply be removed rom the apparatus because the jo~rnals can now leave the ! ~ entrance cha.nnels~ Once the cassette container has been remoYed from~the apparatus the above-mentioDed apparatus components, in particular the drum 2, are readil~ accessible.
20 . ~ or limiting the pivotal movements of the oassett~e containsr 15 in the direction of the loading position and thus defining the loading position, : as.~e;ll~as ~or manually overriding this limitation of the~pivotal movem~nt of the oassotte container, ~ a lever 37 is providedl~hich is pivotable about a splndls~35 and loaded by a spring 36, whlch lever s;connsoted bo ~-ths casssbte contalner 15 via a guide 52~
AP11N.~197 211.8.7~ -means 38. The guide ~eans 38 is constituted by a pin 39 on the lever 37 and a slot llo in tl1e -tab 30 which projects ~rom thc bottom 25 of the casscttQ con-taincr 15, the pin 39 engaging with the slot /10. The spring 3G
tends to move the lever 37 in tho direction ir1dicated by an arro~ 4'1, in which direc-tion tho l~ver 37 i~ mo-ved 1 when the casse-tte container 15 is til-ted in the d:irection -' of the :Loading position. In the loading position of'~i I th~ cassette container 15 the pin is locatod at an end 11~
~¦ ~10 of the 9lot /~0, thus limit:ing the pivotal movemcnt of the cassette container 15 in thc direction of the loading position and thus defining said loading position ~see ¦ ' 1 Fig.1). in order to enable this limitation to be cancelled by hand the slot 1~O'has an opening 43, through ~hich the pin 39 on the lever 37 can be fi~ted into or removed from the slot 40. In this ~a~, as is shown in Fig.3, ; ~ the lever 37 is movable by harld against the action o~`
~ ~ the spring 36 through a specific range between the ¦ ~ operating position and the loading position of the cassette container, which range can be determined by selecting the location of'the opening 439 the pin 39 leaving the slot 40 via the opening ~43 and the le~er guidance and the - conncction o~ the lever 37 with the cassette container 15 thus being eliminated. ~n this intermediate position ~ o~the cassette container it is not possible either to ~remove said container from the apparatuq after the . :, oonn~ction with the lever 37 has been r~leased, because ''the latches 33 keep the entrance channels 31 of the ~PIIN.~I97 ~ 2~ f~
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bear:ing el.ements 17 blocl~ec1. Only when ar-ter releasing the connection of the lever 37 the cassette container is tilted beyond the loading position, the latches 33 are moved as described and the entrance channels are thus released, af-ter which the cassette contQiner can be removed from the apparatus.
When the cassette container is merely moved between the loading position and the operating position, the guide means 38 provides a constant connection bet~een the lever ~7 and the cassette container 15, because the pin 39 cannot leave the slot 40 via the opening 43, the spring 36 which acts on the lever 37 ensuring that the pin 39 ramains at the end of the slot which is opposite the opening 43 This assures that the : 1~ casset-te contain~r can be tilted between the loading position and the operating position and vice versa in an absolutely safe manner.
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Thus,`ir~. prlnciple two opera-tions must be . per~ormed for removing the cassette container :rrom the : apparatus, i.e. first the cassette contalner must be ` moved from:the loading position in the;direotion of the operating position~ the` lever 37 being uncoupled ` '3~ from the; cassette container 15~by the tilting movement o~ ~he~lever~37, and subsequently the oassette contalner 25~ must~;be moved ;lD the~ opposite dLreotion so~far beyond the ioading pasitlon that t~he latches;33~release th~ entrancs channels 31.~ In~this manner inadvertent removal of the ; c~aset,te~oo~alner fiom the apparatus lS~ ~ubstantlally ~ ~ APHN.8197 24.8.76 excluded, whilst if desired removal of the container is possible in a simple manner.
Suitably, the spring 37 which acts on the lever 37, which spring is tensioned when the cassette container is manually moved from the loading position to the operating position, also serves for returning the cassette container 15 from the operating position to the loading position, said spring moving the cassette container 15 via the lever 37 and the lever guide means 38.
1p In order to enable the lever 37 to be tilted~away by hand in a very simple manner, which is necessary to release the connection between the cassette container and said .
lever, the lever 37 may be provided with-a suitable ~ ~ handle. However, the pin 3g on the lever rnay also be used for this pDrpOSe.
In order to simpI~fy mo~ting the cassette container on the apparatus each latch 33, which bears against a stop 44 and thus blocks the entrance channel when the cassette container has been removed, has a ramp surface 4~ :
witn whioh the relevant journal 16 engages when this journal is introduced lnto the entrance channel 31 of the bearing element 17 and thus moves the latch 33 so far against~the actlon of the spring 32 that the journal is fully introduced into the bearing element, the latch ; 25~ being releas~ed~during the last phase of the movement and under the influence of the spring.32 assumin~ a position in which the entrance channel is blocked.

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This step ensures that the journals atltoma-t:ica]ly actuate the latches provided for blocking the entrance channel~ when a casset-te container is f:i-tted ~n-to the apparatus. ~urthe:L-more, the tab 30, adjoining the opening /13, cornprises a slid:ing surface l16 wh:ich extends outside the slot Llo, witll which surface the pin 39 on the lever 37 engages when the cassette container has assumed a corresponding position when the cassette container is f:itted onto the apparatus.
lrhen the cassette con-tainer :is -tilted away the pin 39 slides along -this sliding surface against the action of the spring 36, which retains the lever 37 against a stop ~7 if the casset,te container has been removed from the apparatus 9 until the pin reaches the opening ~13, after which the pin is moved into the slot 40 through the opening under the influence of the spring 36.
'.~ As a result of this -the lever guidance and the connection ~ ~ between ths lever 37 and the cassette container 15 are !

~i automatically restored.

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Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A recording and/or playback apparatus for use with a record carrier which is accommodated in a cassette, the apparatus comprising a cassette holder for receiving said cassette which cassette holder is pivotably supported by two coaxial journals which are mounted on the holder and are rotatable in respective bearing elements on the apparatus to permit pivotal movement of the cassette holder between a cassette loading position and an operating position, wherein the bearing elements each have an opening through which the respective journal can be inserted in and removed from the bearing element by translational movements of the cassette holder in directions perpendicular to the axis of the journals in order to permit mounting of the cassette holder on and its removal from the apparatus, and wherein on each bearing element there is provided a spring-loaded latch which is movable against its spring-loading from a closed position in which it retains the respective journal in the corresponding hearing element to an open position in which it releases the journal for removal from the bearing element, means being provided for limiting movement of the cassette holder in the direction towards the loa-ding position from the operating position in order to define the loading position, which means are manually movable to remove said limitation and free the cassette holder for movement beyond the loading position, and the cassette holder being provided with means which, upon movement of the cassette holder through a given distance beyond the loading position, engage the latches and move them to their open positions.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for limiting the pivotal movement of the cassette holder in said direction towards the loading position comprises a lever, which is directly pivotable connected to the apparatus and which is connected to the cassette holder via a guide means for the lever and which is loaded by a spring in the direction, in which the lever is moved when the cassette holder is pivoted in said direc-tion towards the loading position, the lever being movable by hand against the spring-loading to disconnect the lever from the cassette holder at a position of the holder intermediate the ope-rating position and the loading position.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein two parts constituted by the lever and the cassette holder respectively are formed one with a slot and the other with a pin which is slidable in the slot and which forms therewith the guide means for said lever, the part which is formed with the slot being formed also with an opening through which the pin can be removed from the slot at said intermediate position of the cassette holder, and said part also being formed with a guide surface for guiding the pin towards said opening during movement of the cassette holder towards said intermediate position from the loading position.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein each latch has a surface with which the respective journal cooperates to move the latch to the open position as the journal is moved towards the opening in the associated bearing element during insertion of the journal in the bearing element when the cassette holder is being mounted on the apparatus.