GB1560224A - Cassette-type tape recorder - Google Patents

Description

(54) CASSETTE-TYPE TAPE RECORDER (71) We, NIPPON VICTOR KABUSHWI KAISHA, a corporation organized under the laws of Japan, of No.

3-12, Moriya-cho, Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama City, Japan, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to a cassette-type tape recorder, and more particularly to a device for retaining a tape cassette on such a tape recorder.

Although, cassette-type tape recorders, particularly tape decks, which have latch means for latching a spring-biased hingedly rotatable tape cassette container in a play position, i.e,, a position suited for playing a tape cassette, and release means for releasing the latch means when a magnetic tape on a supply reel of the tape cassette in the cassette container is wound up by a take-up reel to the end or when an "eject button" is manually pushed to allow the cassette container to hingedly move out of the play position due to the bias of the spring, have been commercially common, recently there has been a tendency for cassette-type tape recorders without such a tape cassette container to gain popularity reflecting diversities of taste among people and their preference to be able to set the tape cassette by hand thereby assuring themselves that the cassette is in fact located in the play position correctly.

One of the conventional cassette-type tape recorders without hinged a tape cassette container comprises a pair of spring biased pawl levers to engage a tape cassette to keep it in a play position on a chassis. The pair of pawl levers must perform a "double action" to facilitate manipulation upon placing the tape cassette onto the chassis or upon removing it from the chassis thus resulting in a complicated construction.

According to the present invention there is provided a cassette-type tape recorder including a chassis, two pinions projecting from the chassis to engage and drive reels of a cassette, least one first holder to engage an edge of the cassette and allow the cassette to be moved towards the chassis to play position in which the pinions engage the reels, and at least one second holder including a movable protrusion which is biassed towards an engaging position in which, when the cassette is in the play position, it retains the cassette by extending over and engaging the edge of the face thereof remote from the chassis, the protrusion being movable against the bias by the cassette upon movement thereof to or from the play position.

Thus, a cassette-type tape recorder of the invention has a device of a simple and cheap construction to keep a tape cassette reliably in a play position, which device makes it easy to place the tape cassette in the play position and to remove it from the play position.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, the following description is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective diagrammatic representation of a cassettetype tape recorder with a tape cassette kept in a play position on a chassis; Fig. 2 (A) is a section taken through line AA in Fig. 1; Fig. 2 (B) is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2 (A); Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2(A) showing the tape cassette about to be placed onto the chassis; Fig. 4 is a section taken through line BB shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective diagrammatic representation of another cassette-type tape recorder with a tape cassette kept in a play position on a chassis; and Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction of a second holder or latch.

Referring now to Figs. 1--4, a first embodiment of a cassette-type tape recorder according to the present invention is shown and has a chassis 10, a pinion 12 for a supply reel and another pinion 14 for a take-up reel (see Fig. 2(A)).

A pair of latches or holders 16 are arranged on the chassis 10 on both lateral sides of a tape cassette 18 that is placed on the chassis with supply and take-up reels (not shown) of the tape cassette coupled with the pinions 12 and 14, respectively.

Each of the holders 16 has an L-shaped member 20 with a perpendicular wall thereon 22, and means for retractably protruding from the perpendicular wall 22 to keep the tape cassette 18 on the chassis 10. The retractable protruding means comprises a protrusion in the form of a steel ball 24 and an L-shaped plate spring 26 yieldably biasses the ball 24 to protrude towards the tape cassette 18 from the perpendicular wall 22.

As best seen in Fig. 2(B), the L-shaped member 20 of each of the holders 16 is formed with an aperture 28 to rotatably receive the ball 24 so as to permit part of the ball to protrude from the wall 22, but to prevent the ball from passing through the aperture and dropping towards the tape cassette 18. Upon assembly, the ball 24 is inserted into the aperture 28 from the opposite side of the L-shaped member 20 to the perpendicular wall 22 and the L-shaped plate spring 26 is secured to the L-shaped member 20 to yieldably bias the ball 24 to protrude from the perpendicular wall 22.

Denoted by 30 are covers for the holders 16 and denoted by 32 are a pair of engaging members integrally formed with the covers 30 respectively (see Fig. 1; to receive rear end side of the tape cassette 18.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, distance L between the two spaced perpendicular walls 22 is wider than width L2 between the lateral sides of the tape cassette 18 and distance L3 between the balls 24 when fully protruded is shorter than the width L2. The diameter of each of the balls 24 is greater than thickness of the perpendicular plate of each L-shaped members 20.

When the front end portion of the tape cassette 18 is pushed towards the chassis 10 in the direction of the arrow F shown in Fig.

4, after the corners near the rear end side of the tape cassette are received in the engaging members 32, hubs of the supply and take-up reels, not shown, of the tape cassette 18 will be coupled or engaged with the pinions 12 and 14 and, as best seen in Figs. 2(A) and 2(B), the balls 24 will project slightly over the upper surface of the cassette (with respect to the chassis) and engage an edge of the cassette defined by the upper face and the adjacent lateral sides of the cassette thereby to keep the cassette in a play position on the chassis 10.

When the tape cassette 18 is to be removed from the chassis 10, a lever may be pushed to cause a pusher to urge the tape cassette away from the chassis 10, although these parts are not shown. Alternatively it is possible to use an arrangement in which, when a magnetic tape has been wound up by the take-up reel, a pusher is actuated to urge the tape cassette away from the chassis 10.

Of course it is also possible to manually take the tape cassette 18 from the chassis 10.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, a pair of hook-shaped engaging members 32' are secured to the chassis 10 to receive the rear end side of a tape cassette 18, while a pair of holders 16 are secured to the chassis to engage the upper surface at front corner portions of the tape cassette with balls 24. This embodiment is different from the previous embodiment shown in Figs. 1--4 only in the arrangement of the holders 16.

Although in the preceding arrangements two holders or latches 16 have been described, an arrangement having one such holder 16 is possible if the number and location of the engaging members 32' are suitably determined.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction of the latch or second holder. The holder 16' shown in this Figure is different from the previously described holders 16 in that instead of the ball 24, a protrusion takes the form of a wedge-shaped member 24' which is disposed with its upper and lower surfaces tapered.

From the preceding description it will now be apparent that upon placing a tape cassette onto the chassis, the protrusions are retracted by marginal portions on the lower surface of the tape cassette to allow the tape cassette onto the chassis and then engage marginal portions on the upper surface of the tape cassette to urge it towards the chassis to keep it in a play position.

If the protrusion takes the form of a steel ball, as is the case in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1C, placing a tape cassette onto the chassis and removing it from the same will be easy because the ball will be rotated within an aperture by the tape cassette.

As will be apparent from the preceding, the engaging members 32 and 32' perform substantially the same function as the holders 16 and 16' in the sense that they keep the tape cassette onto the chassis 10 and, thus could be considered as holders.

With the present invention, a high degree of reliability in urging a tape cassette toward the chassis is provided and lateral movement of the tape cassette from the play position is prevented.

Construction to keep a tape cassette in the play position has been made simple and inexpensive by the present invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A cassette-type tape recorder including a chassis, two pinions projecting from the chassis to engage and drive reels of a cassette, at least one first holder to engage an edge of the cassette and allow the cassette to be moved towards the chassis to play position in which the pinions engage the reels, and at least one second holder including a movable protrusion which is biassed towards an engaging position in which, when the cassette is in the play position, it retains the cassette by extending over and engaging the edge of the face thereof remote from the chassis, the protrusion being movable against the bias by the cassette upon movement thereof to or from the play position.

2. A cassette-type tape recorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each second holder includes an L-shaped member formed with a through hole for receiving the protrusion, the protrusion and hole being so configured that the protrusion can seat in said recess to project from the L-shaped member but cannot pass though said through hole; and a flat generally L-shaped spring mounted on said L-shaped member and biassing the retractable protrusion towards the hole.

3. A cassette-type recorder according to claim 2 wherein the protrusion is a steel ball.

4. A cassette-type tape recorder according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion is wedge shaped.

5. A cassette-type tape recorder according to claim 1, 2. 3 or 4 including two said second holders.

6. A cassette-type tape recorder as claimed in claim 5. wherein said second holders are arranged opposite one another so that said protrusions project towards each other.

7. A cassette-type tape recorder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second holders are arranged side bv side so that said protrusions project in the same direction.

8. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 7.

wherein the or each first holder engages one edge of the cassette and the or each second holder is at the opposite edge of the cassette.

9. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the or each first holder engages one edge of the cassette and the or each second holder is at an adjacent edge of the cassette.

10. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any preceding claim including two said first holders.

11. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any preceding claim in which the or each said first holder extends over the surface of a cassette in the play position remote from the chassis.

12. A cassette-type tape recorder constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, or as modified in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Construction to keep a tape cassette in the play position has been made simple and inexpensive by the present invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A cassette-type tape recorder including a chassis, two pinions projecting from the chassis to engage and drive reels of a cassette, at least one first holder to engage an edge of the cassette and allow the cassette to be moved towards the chassis to play position in which the pinions engage the reels, and at least one second holder including a movable protrusion which is biassed towards an engaging position in which, when the cassette is in the play position, it retains the cassette by extending over and engaging the edge of the face thereof remote from the chassis, the protrusion being movable against the bias by the cassette upon movement thereof to or from the play position.

2. A cassette-type tape recorder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each second holder includes an L-shaped member formed with a through hole for receiving the protrusion, the protrusion and hole being so configured that the protrusion can seat in said recess to project from the L-shaped member but cannot pass though said through hole; and a flat generally L-shaped spring mounted on said L-shaped member and biassing the retractable protrusion towards the hole.

3. A cassette-type recorder according to claim 2 wherein the protrusion is a steel ball.

4. A cassette-type tape recorder according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion is wedge shaped.

5. A cassette-type tape recorder according to claim 1, 2. 3 or 4 including two said second holders.

6. A cassette-type tape recorder as claimed in claim 5. wherein said second holders are arranged opposite one another so that said protrusions project towards each other.

7. A cassette-type tape recorder as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second holders are arranged side bv side so that said protrusions project in the same direction.

8. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 7.

wherein the or each first holder engages one edge of the cassette and the or each second holder is at the opposite edge of the cassette.

9. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the or each first holder engages one edge of the cassette and the or each second holder is at an adjacent edge of the cassette.

10. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any preceding claim including two said first holders.

11. A cassette-type tape recorder according to any preceding claim in which the or each said first holder extends over the surface of a cassette in the play position remote from the chassis.

12. A cassette-type tape recorder constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, or as modified in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.