FR2533059A1 - Cleaning cassette or cartridge for magnetic tape recording and/or playback equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The cassette 10 comprises a cleaning tape 11 and a reservoir 20 of cleaning product which is driven in rotation by the running of the tape in such a way as to ensure a homogeneous distribution of the cleaning liquid. The reservoir 20 may be designed such that the tape 11 is moistened only in a discontinuous way.

Description

The present invention relates to cleaning cassettes or cartridges

  for recording and / or recording devices

reading-magnetic tapes.

  It is well known that the scrolling of a magnetic stripe

  ticks against its recording, reading and driving organs, creates deposits of iron oxide particles on them and the accumulation of these deposits gives rise to noise and / or

  distortion of the recorded signal and compromises proper scrolling

  ble-of the magnetic strip which must be carried out at a speed

  constant to obtain a good quality of reproduction.

  To ensure the cleaning of these organs, cassettes or cartridges have already been proposed containing, in place of the magnetic strip, a so-called cleaning strip, associated with a stationary cleaning liquid reservoir in permanent contact with the strip i 5 so imbibing said liquid as it scrolls

(DE-OS 21 58 994).

  However, it can be seen that a fixed reservoir does not ensure uniform distribution of the cleaning liquid on the strip.

  and therefore the cleaning efficiency is reduced.

  On the other hand, this permanent and continuous contact is very often a source of serious problems when it is used.

in VCRs.

  Indeed, the permanent and continuous application of any cleaning product on the strip, necessary to ensure effective cleaning, tends to make it adhesive, so that it wraps around the rotating elements (capstan, rollers pressure, video head drum, etc.) This usually results in either the cleaning tape or

  some parts of the device itself are damaged.

  This phenomenon is particularly frequent in tape recorders where the playback and recording heads are generally mounted on drums with a diameter of 70 to 100 mm rotating at speeds of the order of 1 5-00 to 1 800 revolutions per minute.

  In fact, when a strip soaked in liquid is applied

  quée against the drum, it is immediately driven at the linear speed of the drum, and according to the figures quoted above, it is understood that this strip is, in the space of a few tenths of a second, completely unwound from the cassette. major drawbacks that the strip is in the device since it is only rewound at very low speeds (a few centimeters per second) and that it risks being deteriorated or deteriorating certain organs of the device none cleaning has not been carried out, the tape being unwound in the device, it is impossible to recover it and the device must

be brought to a repairer.

  The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems mentioned above by proposing

  very reliable means and very simple to implement.

  With a view to achieving this aim, the cassette which is the subject of the invention is essentially characterized in that the reservoir containing the liquid is rotated by the movement of the strip.

  so as to ensure a homogeneous distribution of the liquid.

  A second characteristic of the invention is that means are provided by which the strip is soaked in a discontinuous manner thus leaving areas not soaked. In this way, the strip not being soaked continuously, it does not "stick" on drums including video heads and cleaning

  is done quite efficiently.

  In order to clearly understand the invention, an embodiment will be described below, with reference to the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cassette

  the upper face of which is partially cut out.

  Figure 2 is a sectional view along the

line II-II in figure 1.

  Figure 3 is a plan view of the caster

comprising the cleaning means.

  Figure 4 is a sectional view along the

line IV-IV in figure 3.

  The cassette 10 comprises in a known manner

  a cleaning tape 11 unwinding from a spool

  12 to be wound on a take-up reel 13.

  During its normal running, this strip is in contact with the drive, reading and recording members of the magnetic strip in order to

ensure cleaning.

  According to the invention, on the path of the strip is a roller 20, a part of which

  of the periphery is in contact with the strip 11.

  This contact ensures the rotation of the caster

  around its axis 21 when the strip scrolls.

  The outer periphery of this caster is slightly grooved so that the strip 11

  definitely drives it in rotation.

  This roller has a felt-22 also mounted on the axis 21 slightly asymmetrical so that a slight protuberance 23 passes through a

  slot 24 made in the wall 25 of the caster 20.

  The casing of the cassette 10 has an opening 30 facing the felt 22 and the caster in order to allow the user to pour cleaning liquid into it. In a preferred embodiment, this orifice comprises a distributor device 31

  consisting of several passages 32.

  When the felt is soaked in the cleaning product, it soaks the strip only on the portion which is applied to its protuberance 23, the rest of the periphery of the roller 20 preventing any contact

with felt.

  As the roller 20 is driven in rotation when the strip travels, it impregnates, at each of its rotations, the strip on a sector corresponding to the surface of the protuberance 23 of the felt. In this way, the strip is only soaked periodically and discontinuously (over the width of the protuberance 23 relative to the perimeter of the caster) and no longer adheres to the drive drum of the

  tape or the one supporting the magnetic heads.

  As an example: in a preferred embodiment, the strip is soaked every six centimeters

  over a width of about eight millimeters.

  In the case of a reversible cassette, all the elements necessary to soak the tape (opening 301 felt 221 caster 201 distributor etc)

are duplicated.

Claims (4)

CLAIM   1 cleaning cassette comprising a strip the scrolling of which cleans the means for reading, recording and driving the magnetic strip, as well as a reservoir of cleaning product in contact with the strip so as to soak the latter this,   characterized in that means are provided by the-   which the tank is driven in rotation by the defi-   lement of the strip so as to ensure a distribution homogeneous liquid.   2 Cleaning cassette according to the claim   tion 1, characterized in that it comprises means   by which the strip (11) is soaked in a dis- keep on going.   3 Cleaning cassette according to the claim   tion I or 2, characterized in that a roller (20) is provided on the path of the strip, part of the periphery of which is in contact with the strip (11) so as to ensure its rotation and in that on the the axis (21) of this caster is also mounted a spongy material (22) which comprises a slight protuberance (23) passing through a slot (24) formed in the wall (25) of the caster (20) of such so that the strip is only soaked discontinuously on the   portion which is applied to the protuberance.   4 Cleaning cassette according to one   conch of the preceding claims, characterized   in that the casing (10) of the cassette comprises means allowing the user to pour cleaning liquid onto the spongy material (22), these means being able to consist in that the casing comprises an opening (30) opposite of the said material and the roulette (20).   Cleaning cassette according to claim 4, characterized in that a liquid distributor device (31) can be provided on the spongy material.