GB2088617A

GB2088617A - Miniature cassette tape players

Info

Publication number: GB2088617A
Application number: GB8132486A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Sony Corp
Current assignee: Sony Corp
Priority date: 1980-10-31
Filing date: 1981-11-28
Publication date: 1982-06-09
Also published as: ES269978U; IT8124763A0; DE3143176A1; FR2493575A1; BR8107048A; JPS5779410U; ES269978Y

Abstract

A miniature cassette tape player includes a casing 3a attached to a belt 1 at a buckle 2 or elsewhere and including a cassette deck 3 for use with headphones 4. Alternatively other acoustic apparatus such as a miniature FM.AM radio receiver may be combined with the buckle 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Miniature cassette tape players This invention relates to miniature cassette tape players.

Recently, cassette tape recorders have been made much smaller, and reproduced sound of very high quality has been obtainable from associated headphones. Usually, a player body is carried on the shoulder of the user or it is put in the pocket, although some young people think it fashionable to carry the cassette tape player on their head combined with the headphone.

According to the present invention there is provided a miniature cassette tape player comprising a casing, said casing being attached to a belt or a band at a buckle member or at an intermediate point of said belt or band.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like references refer to like elements, and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of miniature cassette tape player according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the back of the tape player of Fig. 1; Figures 3 to 5 are perspective views of a second embodiment of miniature cassette tape player according to the invention; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of miniature cassette tape player according to the invention; and Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of a fourth embodiment of miniature cassette tape player according to the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, a buckle 2 of a belt 1 is combined with a miniature cassette deck 3 to form a single body. A plug 5 of a headphone 4 is inserted into a jack 7 of a mounting member 6. The belt 1 may, for example be used with a pair of trousers or a skirt. One end of the belt 1 is fixed to the mounting member 6, and a plurality of holes 8 for adjustable fastening are provided in the other end of the belt 1.

A cassette loading portion 9, a stop button 10, a forwarding button 11 and an ejecting button 12 are arranged on a casing 3a of the cassette deck 3. Although not shown, a repro- ducing head and a tape drive mechanism are provided within the casing 3a. The cassette deck 3 may have not only the reproducing function, but also a recording function. So far as space permits, the cassette deck 3 may also have other functions usual for a tape recorder, such as a rewinding function, a fastforwarding function and a pause function. The well-known super-miniature cassette called a "micro cassette" is most preferable for use with the cassette deck 3.

As shown in Fig. 2, openings 13 and 1 3b for inserting the other end of the belt 1 are made in the back of the buckle 2, and a pin 14 which is selectively inserted into any one of the holes 8 projects from the back of the buckle 2. Alternatively, the buckle 2 may be of a more usual construction. The buckle 2 may be formed integrally with the mounting member 6 or alternatively may be manufactured separately and then fixed to the mounting member 6.

The casing 3a of the cassette deck 3 is mounted on the surface of the buckle 2, by screws, adhesive, cooperating resilient click members, or other fixing means. It may be demountably fixed on the buckle 2. Alternatively, it may be fixed thereon, or integrally formed with the buckle 2.

Although not shown, a flexible printed circuit board is contained in the mounting member 6. A reproducing circuit including an amplifier for amplifying the output signal of the reproducing head is arranged on the flexible printed board. The jack 7 is formed in the upper part of the mounting member 6, and the amplified output signal is obtained from the jack 7. A battery insertion opening 15 is formed in an upper edge 1 a of one end portion of the belt 1. A so-called paper battery 16 is inserted into the battery insertion opening 15. Thus, the thickness of the belt 1 is utilized for the battery 16. The cassette deck 3, the printed circuit board and the paper battery 16 are electrically connected to each other by conductors arranged within the deck 3, the buckle 2, the mounting member 6 and the belt 1.The headphone 4 may be of the conventional type, and it is connected by a lead wire 17 to the plug 5. The reproduction may be stereophonic.

In the above embodiment, the cassette deck 3, the reproducing circuit and the battery 16 are separate, but the reproducing circuit and the battery 16 may be contained in the casing 3a of the cassette deck 3. Moreover, in the above embodiment, the cassette deck 3 is combined with the buckle 2. Alternatively, another acoustic apparatus such as a miniature FM.AM radio receiver may be combined with the buckle 2. In that case, a high frequency circuit portion of the radio receiver is associated with the buckle 2, and the low frequency amplifier in the reproducing circuit within the mounting member 6 may be used as a low frequency circuit portion of the radio receiver. The buckle 2 mounting the cassette deck 3 may be replaced by the buckle 2 mounting the radio receiver. Alternatively, the cassette deck 3 or the radio receiver may be selectively and demountably mounted on a buckle 2.For an FM receiver, a feeder for an antenna may be embedded in the belt 1, or it may be attached to the inner surface of the belt 1 by adhesive.

In the second embodiment shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the casing 3a of the cassette deck 3 is used as a buckle, as shown in Fig. 3, and it is demountably connected to metallic mounting members 20 and 21 fixed to respective ends of the belt 1 by a dovetail groove fitting, as shown in Fig. 5.

As seen in Fig. 3, a pair of ridges 22 and 23 are formed in one side wall of the casing 3a. A projection 25 is formed substantially in the centre of a groove 24 which is formed between the ridges 22 and 23. Respective end portions of the projection 25 have tapers 25a and 25b. A recess 26 is formed in the top of the projection 25. Electrodes 27 and 28 are arranged substantially on the centres of the ridges 22 and 23, so as to be flush with the top of the projection 25, and they are electrically connected to circuits within the casing 3a. A dovetail groove 29 is formed as a guide groove in another side wall of the casing 3a. In this embodiment, the jack 7 for deriving the reproduced signal is provided in the casing 3a.

A dovetail groove 30 is formed as a guide groove in the mounting member 20 fixed to one end of the belt 1, and it is slidably engaged with the ridges 22 and 23 of the casing 3a. A projection 31 is formed substantially in the centre of the dovetail groove 30, as shown in Fig. 4. Electrodes 32 and 33 are arranged substantially in the centre of the dovetail groove 30, so as to be almost flush with the bottom of the dovetail groove 30, and they are connected through lead wires (not shown) embedded in the mounting member 20 and the belt 1, to the battery 16 contained in the battery insertion opening 15.

A pair of ridges 34 and 35 are formed in the mounting member 21 fixed to the other end of the belt 1, as shown in Fig. 3, and they are slidably engaged with the dovetail groove 29 of the casing 3a, or the dovetail groove 30 of the mounting member 20.

As in the side wall of the casing 3a, a groove 36, a projection 37, tapers 37a and 37b, and a recess 38 are formed in the mounting member 21. A projection 39 is formed substantially in the centre of the dovetail groove 29 of the other side wall of the casing 3a. The height of the projections 31 and 39 is somewhat smaller than the depth of the grooves 24 and 36. An opening 40 is made in the back of the mounting member 21. An end portion of the belt 1 is inserted through the opening 40, and bent at a suitable position. A folded portion 1 b of the belt 1 is attached to the adjacent surface of the belt 1 by a suitable fastening means such as a surface fastener, and is inserted through a stop ring 41.

The casing 3a is fitted to the mounting members 20 and 21 of the belt 1 from above, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 3. The ridges 22 and 23, and 34 and 35 are engaged with the dovetail grooves 30 and 29, respectively. The casing 3a is slid downwards along the ridges 34 and 35, and the dovetail groove 30. The projections 31 and 39 are slid on the tapers 25b and 37b, and inserted into the recesses 26 and 38, respectively. Thus, the ends of the belt 1 are mechanically connected through the casing 3a to each other, as shown in Fig. 5. The electrodes 27 and 28 of the one side wall of the casing 3a contact the electrodes 32 and 33 of the mounting member 21. Thus, the casing 3a is electrically connected to the belt 1.

When the cassette deck 3 is not used, the rdiges 34 and 35 of the other mounting member 21 are engaged with the dovetail groove 30 of the mounting member 20. The projection 31 is inserted into the recess 38.

Thus, the mounting members 20 and 21 are connected to each other, and the belt 1 is used as a belt in the usual way.

Fig. 6 shows the third embodiment, in which an ordinary buckle 62 is added to the second embodiment. The cassette deck 3 is mounted at an intermediate position on the belt 1. The cassette deck 3 is demountably mounted between the mounting members 20 and 21, although alternatively it may be fixed to them.

Instead of the cassette deck 3, a miniature radio receiver may be used in the second and third embodiments. In this case, ridges and dovetail groove are made in side walls of the miniature radio receiver, in the same manner as in the casing 3a of the cassette deck 3.

The radio receiver or the cassette deck 3 can be selectively connected to the mounting members 20 and 21.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the fourth embodiment, in which, although not shown, the cassette deck 3 is mounted on the belt 1 in the same manner as in the first, second and third embodiments.

Two ordinary batteries -42 and 43 are used for long play in this embodiment. A battery container 45 is formed in a battery adapter 44 and metallic spring elements 46, 47 and 48 are fixed in the battery container 45. The batteries 42 and 43 are pressed at their electrodes between the spring elements 46, 47 and 48. Thus, they are electrically connected in series with each other.

Screw holes 49 and 50 are made in one side portion of the adapter 44 for mounting it on the belt 1. One screw hole 49 is electrically connected to the spring element 46. The other screw hole 50 is electrically connected to the spring element 47. The batteries 42 and 43 are, for example, dry batteries and they are inserted from an opening 45a of the battery container 45.

A A pair of triangular mounting pockets 51 and 52 are fixed on the outer surface of the belt 1, and metallic tubular members 53 and 54 to be mated with the screw holes 49 and 50 of the adapter 44 are fixed on the outer surface of the belt 1. Lead wires 55 and 56 embedded in the belt 1 are electrically connected to the tubular members 53 and 54.

Upper and lower corners of the same side of the adapter 44 containing the batteries 42 and 43 are fitted into the triangular pockets 51 and 52 which are fixed on the belt 1. The screw holes 49 and 50 of the adapter 44 are aligned with the tubular members 53 and 54 which are fixed on the belt 1. Screws 57 and 58 are engaged with the screw holes 49 and 50, and tubular members 53 and 54 to fix the adapter 44 to the belt 1. The voltage of the batteries 42 and 43 is supplied through the lead wires 55 and 56 to predetermined circuits.

In the above embodiments, the invention is applied to a waist belt. However, it may be applied to a band for another part of the body, such as the breast, the arm, the wrist or the head, and the invention may be applied to an expandable belt or band made of elastic material such as rubber, which does not have a buckle.

As above described, the casing of the miniature cassette tape player is attached to a belt or band. For example, when the miniature cassette tape player is attached to a belt for fastening the trousers, the user hardly feels the weight of the tape player, and the user's movements are free, since the miniature cassette tape player is arranged substantially in the centre of the body.

Moreover, the tape player is steadied by being carried in close contact with a part of the body. Accordingly, wow and flutter is reduced, and there is not the risk of the tape player falling off when in use.

Claims

1. A miniature cassette tape player comprising a casing, said casing being attached to a belt or a band at a buckle member or at an intermediate point of said belt or band.

2. A tape player according to claim 1 wherein said casing is demountably attached to said belt or band.

3. A tape player according to claim 1 wherein said casing is attached through a mounting member to said belt or band, said mounting member containing an amplifier, and a jack for a headphone is formed in said mounting member.

4. A tape player according to claim 1 wherein a slit is provided in an upper edge of said belt or band, and a so-called paper battery is inserted through said slit into an opening in said belt or band.

5. A tape player according to claim 2 wherein said casing includes respective coupling means at each side wall, and respective other coupling means are fixed to respective ends of said belt and band, each said coupling means being engaged with a respective said other coupling means to attach said casing to said belt or band.

6. A tape player according to claim 5 wherein said coupling means and said other coupling means include dovetail grooves.

7. A tape player according to claim 6 wherein said dovetail grooves are made in one of said side walls of the casing, and in one of mounting members fixed to respective ends of said belt or band, respectively, and two ridges are formed along said dovetail groove in the other of both side walls of the casing, and in the other of said mounting members, respectively, said ridges of the casing and mounting members being engaged with said dovetail grooves of the mounting member and casing, respectively.

8. A tape player according to claim 7 wherein projections having tapers are formed between said ridges in the other of said side walls of the casing, and in the other of said mounting members, respectively, and other projections are formed in said dovetail groove of said one side wall of the casing, and in said one of the mounting members, respectively, said projections being inserted into recesses formed in said other projections to couple said casing with said belt or band.

9. A tape player according to claim 8 wherein electrodes are arranged on said ridges of the casing, respectively, and other electrodes are arranged on said dovetail groove of the one mounting member, said electrodes contacting said other electrodes in the engagement of said casing and mounting member.

1 0. A tape player according to claim 9 wherein a slit is provided in an upper edge of said belt or band, and a so-called paper battery is inserted through said slit into an opening in said belt or band to be electrically connected to said other electrodes.

11. A tape player according to claim 10 wherein a jack for a headphone is formed in said casing.

12. A tape player according to claim 2 wherein an antenna feeder for a radio receiver is embedded in said belt or band.

13. A tape player according to claim 1 wherein an adapter for containing a battery or batteries is mounted on the outer surface of said belt or band, and said battery or batteries are electrically connected through lead wires embedded in said belt or band to circuits of said tape player.

14. A stereophonic tape player according to claim 1.

15. A miniature cassette tape player substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

1 6. A miniature cassette tape player substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A miniature cassette tape player substantially as hereinbefore described with refer ence to Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A miniature cassette tape player substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.