GB2214343A

GB2214343A - Turn-over head mounting mechanism for automatic reversing tape recorder

Info

Publication number: GB2214343A
Application number: GB8809103A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kunio Kido; Toshio Yoshimura
Original assignee: TANASHIN ELECTRICAL MACHINERY
Current assignee: TANASHIN ELECTRICAL MACHINERY
Priority date: 1987-12-26
Filing date: 1988-04-18
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2008-04-18
Also published as: CN1009400B; GB2214343B; JPH01103012U; CN1035574A; CN2055976U; GB8809103D0

Abstract

A turn-over head mounting for an automatic reversing tape recorder has a head holder 13 with a square axial hole 17 in which the magnetic head 14 is received. A resilient tongue 21 is formed on each of two adjacent outer walls 20c, 20d of the head 14 while an abutment 19c, 19d is formed on each of two adjacent inner walls 18c, 18d of the head holder. When the head 14 is inserted into the hole 17, the resilient tongues 21 engage behind their respective abutments to lock the head in place. The tongues 21 may be formed from portions of a metal jacket surrounding the head 14. Alternatively, such resilient elements (25) (Fig 3) may be formed integrally in the synthetic resin of the head carrier 13 while the corresponding abutments are formed on the magnetic head 14. <IMAGE>

Description

TURN-OVER HEAD MOUNTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC REVERSING TAPE RECORDER BACkGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1) Field of the Invention This invention relates to a turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder, and more particularly to an improved mechanism for mounting a turn-over head of an automatic reversing tape recorder on a head holder.

2) Description of the Prior Art An automatic reversing tape recorder is already known wherein an inexpensive two-track magnetic head is turned over by an angle of 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to a tape contacting face thereof when the feeding direction of a magnetic tape is to be reversed.

In a conventional automatic reversing tape recorder of the type mentioned, typically a head holder having a two-track magnetic head carried thereon is supported for rotation on a head base which is mounted for sliding movement on a tape recorder chassis. When the tape feeding direction is reversed, the head base is first moved in one direction to move the magnetic head away from a magnetic tape, and then the head holder is turned over by an angle of 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to a tape contacting face of the magnetic head, whereafter the head base is moved back in the opposite direction to its initial position to cause the magnetic head to resume a recording or reproducing operation.

In assembling the magnetic head to the head holder, the magnetic head is inserted into an axial hole of a square section formed in the head holder via an open end of the axial hole and then fixed to the head holder using some suitable fixing means such as a fastening screw or a bonding agent. Therefore, the workability in assembling the magnetic head to the head holder is low, and improvements are expected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a turn-over head mounting mechanism, in an automatic reversing tape recorder of the type wherein a two-track magnetic head is turned over by an angle of 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to a tape contacting face of the head when the tape feeding direction is reversed, which is improved in workability in mounting the magnetic head to a head holder.

In order to attain the object, according to the present invention, there is provided a turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder wherein a two-track magnetic head is carried on a head holder supported for rotation on a head base and is turned over by an angle of 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to a tape contacting face of the magnetic head when the tape feeding direction is reversed, the magnetic head having four outer walls which provide a square section perpendicular to the axis while the head holder has four inner walls which define an axial hole of a similar square section with one axial end opened for receiving the magnetic head therein, each of two adjacent ones either of the four outer walls of the magnetic head or of the four inner walls of the head holder having a resilient element formed in an integral relationship thereon for resiliently engaging at an end portion thereof with the opposing inner or outer wall of the head holder or the magnetic head while each of those two adjacent ones either of the four inner walls of the head holder or of the four outer walls of the magnetic head which oppose the first-mentioned two adjacent walls and on which the resilient elements are not formed has a stopper element formed thereon in an opposing relationship to the free end of the corresponding resilient element, whereby insertion of the magnetic head in one direction into the axial hole of the head holder via the end opening of the axial hole is permitted by resilient deformation of the resilient elements engaged by the head holder or the magnetic head but removal of the magnetic head from the axial hole is prevented by abutting engagement of the free ends of the resilient elements with the stopper elements.

With the turn-over head mounting mechanism of the present invention, when the magnetic head is inserted in the one direction into the axial hole of the head holder, the resilient elements are resiliently yieldably deformed to permit such insertion. After insertion of the magnetic head, the resilient elements resiliently press the magnetic head against the two walls of the head holder remote from the resilient elements.

Consequently, the magnetic head is held in position in the head holder under the biasing force of the resilient elements. Once the magnetic head is inserted, removal of the magnetic head in the other direction is prevented due to abutting engagement of the resilient elements with the stopper elements.

According to the present invention, the magnetic head can thus be assembled very readily to the head holder, which improves the workability and efficiency in mounting the magnetic head. Besides, once the magnetic head is assembled, it will not be removed inadvertently from the head holder.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a turnover head mounting mechanism showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the turn-over head mounting mechanism of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing another preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a similar view but showing an exemplary one of conventional turn-over head mounting mechanisms; and FIG. 5 is a similar view showing another exemplary one of conventional turn-over head mounting mechanisms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS At first, exemplary ones of conventional turnover head mounting mechanisms for an automatic reversing tape recorder will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Referring first to FIG. 4, the mechanism shown includes a head holder 3 supported for rotation on a head base 2 which is in turn mounted for sliding movement on an upper face of a tape recorder chassis 1 in the direction of an arrow mark. A two-track magnetic head 4 is carried on the head holder 3.When the tape feeding direction is reversed, the head base 2 is once retracted to move the magnetic head 4 away from a magnetic tape 5, and subsequently the head holder 3 is turned over by an angle of 180 degrees around an axis A perpendicular to a tape contacting face of the magnetic head 4, whereafter the head base 2 is moved back to its initial recording or reproducing position.

The magnetic head 4 is assembled to the head holder 3 by inserting the magnetic head 4 into an axial hole 6 of a square section formed in the head holder 3 via a front opening of the axial hole 6 and then by fixing the magnetic head 4 to the head holder 3 by means of a fastening screw 7.

In the alternative arrangement shown in FIG. ó, a magnetic head 4 is secured to a head holder 3 by means of a bonding agent 8 without using a fastening screw.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a turn-over head mounting mechanism embodying the present invention is shown. The turn-over head mounting mechanism shown includes a head base 11 supported for sliding movement in leftward and rightward directions in FIG. 1 on a tape recorder chassis 10. The head base 11 includes a base member lla, and a rear support member llb removably assembled to the base member lla. The base member lla and the support member llb have circular supporting holes 12a and 12b formed therein, respectively, and are assembled to each other with the circular supporting holes 12a and 12b thereof positioned in a coaxial relationship to each other.A head holder 13 is supported for rotation in the support holes 12a and 12b, and a two-track magnetic head 14 is carried on the head holder 13. When the feeding direction of a tape not shown is reversed on the tape recorder, the head holder 13 is turned over together with the magnetic head 14 around a horizontal axis A perpendicular to a tape contacting face 14a at the rear end of the magnetic head 14.

The head holder 13 has a greater diameter portion 15 and a cylindrical shaft portion 16 contiguous in the axial direction to the greater diameter portion 15 in a concentrical relationship. The greater diameter portion 15 and the cylindrical shaft portion 16 are fitted in the circular support holes 12a and 12b of the base member lia and the support member llb, respectively, so that the head holder 13 is supported at two locations for rotation on the head base 11.

The greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13 has a substantially cylindrical outer configuration and has an axial recess or hole 17 of a square section formed therein. The axial hole 17 is open at an end thereof remote from the cylindrical shaft portion 16 of the head holder 13. The cylindrical portion 16 has an inner bore or center hole 16a formed therein, and the center hole 16a and the axial hole 17 communicate with each other and extend contiguously in a coaxial relationship.

The axial hole 17 of the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13 is defined by four inner walls 18a to 18d. In the present embodiment, the adjacent two walls 18a and 18b of the recess 17 serve as reference walls for positioning the magnetic head 14 while the other two inner walls 18c and 28d have inwardly projected stopper ribs 19e and 19d formed along front edges thereof at the front opening of the axial hole 17.

The two-track magnetic head 14 has a shape of a substantially square tube and includes a metal plate 20 having four walls 20a to 20d which cover four sides of the magnetic head 14. The magnetic head 14 is received in the axial hole 17 of the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13, and in the position of the magnetic head 14, the walls 20a to 20d oppose the inner walls 18a to 18d of the axial hole 17, respectively.

Each of the two walls 20c and 20d of the magnetic head 14 opposing the the inner faces 18c and 18d of the axial hole 17 has a resilient finger 21 formed by slitting thereof. The resilient fingers 21 are connected at rear ends thereof to the metal plate 20 and slightly bent or curved laterally outwardly so that the other front ends thereof are pressed against the opposing inner walls 18c and 18d of the axial hole 17.

Lead wires or connecting lines 22 are connected to the magnetic head 14 and extend through center hole 16a of the cylindrical shaft portion 16 of the head holder 13. A gear 23 is mounted at the rear end of the cylindrical shaft portion 16 and held in meshing engagement with another gear not shown connected to a tape feeding reversing mechanism not shown either of the tape recorder so that, when the tape feeding reversing mechanism operates to reverse the feeding direction of a tape not show, the operating force of the tape feeding reversing mechanism may be transmitted via the gear not shown and the gear 23 to turn over the magnetic head 14 by an angle of 180 degrees in one or the other direction around the axis A.

In assembling the magnetic head 14 to the head base 11, at first the connecting lines 22 of the magnetic head 14 are passed through the head holder 13 from the front open end of the axial hole 17, and then the magnetic head 14 is inserted into the axial hole 17 beginning with the rear end thereof at which the connecting lines 22 are connected to the magnetic head 14.When the magnetic head 14 is inserted, the resilient fingers 21 are contacted and resiliently yieldably deformed inwardly by the front edges of the stopper ribs 19e and 19d of the great diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13, and after they are disengaged from the inner edges of the stopper ribs 19e and 19d, they are resiliently returned to their respective initial positions at which the free ends thereof are resiliently contacted with the inner faces 18c and 18d of the axial hole 17 to bias the magnetic head 14 to press the opposite outer wall faces 20a and 20b of the magnetic head 14 against the respective opposing reference faces 18a and 18b of the axial hole 17. In this manner, the magnetic head 14 is secured in position within the axial hole 17 of the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13.After completion of assembly of the magnetic head 14 to the head holder 13, the head holder 13 is assembled to the head base 11. In particular, the greater diameter portion 15 and the cylindrical shaft portion 16 of the head holder 13 are fitted into the circular supporting holes 12a and 12b, respectively, of the head base 11. Finally, the gear 23 is secured to the rear end of the cylindrical shaft 16, thereby completing the assembling operation of the magnetic head 14 to the head base 11.

In the assembled position of the magnetic head 14, removal of the magnetic head 14 from the axial hole 17 is prevented due to abutting engagement of the free ends of the resilient fingers 21 of the magnetic head 14 with the stopper ribs 19e and 19d of the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13. Accordingly, once the magnetic head 14 is assembled, it will not be removed inadvertently from the head holder 13.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a turn-over head mounting mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The turn-over head mounting mechanism of FIG. 3 is generally similar in construction to the turn-over head mounting mechanism of FIGS. 1 and 2, and like parts or elements are denoted by like reference numerals to those of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The turn-over head mounting mechanism of the present embodiment is different from the turn-over head mounting mechanism of the preceding embodiment principally in that two resilient fingers denoted at 25 (only one is shown) are provided not on a magnetic head 14 but on a great diameter portion 15 of a head holder 13 while in the first embodiment the resilient fingers 21 are provided on the magnetic head 14. In particular, the head holder 13 is made of synthetic resin and has a greater diameter portion 15 and a cylindrical shaft portion 16. An axial hole 17 in the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13 has four inner faces 18a to 18d of which the two adjacent inner walls 18a and 18b serve as reference faces while the resilient fingers 25 are formed in an integral relationship one on each of the other two inner walls 18c and 18d.The resilient fingers 25 are connected at front ends thereof to the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13 and are projected at free ends thereof laterally inwardly into the axial hole 17 toward the rear end of the head holder 13.

Meanwhile, a pair of recesses or grooves 26 (only one is shown) are formed in two outer walls 20c, 20d of a two-track magnetic head 14 of a square vertical section in an opposing relationship to the the resilient fingers 25. In the present embodiment, the rear end faces 27 of the recesses 26 opposing the free ends of the resilient fingers 25 here serve as stopper elements.

When the magnetic head 14 is inserted from forwardly into the axial hole 17 of the head holder 13, rear end edges of the magnetic head 14 are slidably contacted with and resiliently yieldably deform the resilient fingers 25, and when the magnetic head 14 reaches a predetermined position, the free end portions of the resilient fingers 25 are allowed to be resiliently restored to their respective initial positions by their own resiliency whereupon they are fitted into the corresponding recesses 26 until the free ends of the resilient fingers 25 are pressed against the bottom faces of the recesses 26. In this condition, the other two outer walls of the magnetic head 14 are resiliently pressed against the reference faces 18a and 18b of the axial hole 17 of the greater diameter portion 15 of the head holder 13 due to the resilient restoring force of the resilient fingers 25, thereby holding the magnetic head 14 in position in the head holder 13. To the contrary, removal of the magnetic head 14 from the axial hole 17 is prevented by contact of the free ends of the resilient fingers 25 of the head holder 13 with the stopper faces 27 of the recesses 26 of the magnetic head 14.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder wherein a two-track magnetic head is carried on a head holder supported for rotation on a head base and is turned over by an angle of 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to a tape contacting face of said magnetic head when the tape feeding direction is reversed, said magnetic head having four outer walls which provide a square section perpendicular to the axis while said head holder has four inner walls which define an axial hole of a similar square section with one axial end opened for receiving said magnetic head therein, each of two adjacent ones either of said four outer walls of said magnetic head or of said four inner walls of said head holder having a resilient element formed in an integral relationship thereon for resiliently engaging at an end portion thereof with the opposing inner or outer wall of said head holder or said magnetic head while each of those two adjacent ones either of said four inner walls of said head holder or of said four outer walls of said magnetic head which oppose the first-mentioned two adjacent walls and on which the resilient elements are not formed has a stopper element formed thereon in an opposing relationship to the free end of the corresponding resilient element, whereby insertion of said magnetic head in one direction into said axial hole of said head holder via the end opening of said axial hole is permitted by resilient deformation of said resilient elements engaged by said head holder or said magnetic head but removal of said magnetic head from said axial hole is prevented by abutting engagement of the free ends of said resilient elements with said stopper elements.

2. A turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said magnetic head is covered with a metal plate which provides said four outer walls of said magnetic head, and said resilient elements are formed by slitting two adjacent ones of said four outer walls of said metal plate.

3. A turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder as set forth in claim 2, wherein said stopper elements are provided by a pair of inwardly projected ribs formed along edges of those two adjacent ones of said four inner walls of said axial hole of said head holder which oppose said two adjacent ones of said four outer walls of said metal plate on which said resilient elements are formed.

4. A turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said head holder is made of synthetic resin, and said resilient elements are formed on said head holder.

5. A turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder as set forth in claim 4, wherein said stopper elements are provided by ends of a pair of grooves formed in those two adjacent ones of said four outer walls of said magnetic head which oppose said resilient elements of said head holder.

6. A turn-over head mounting mechanism for an automatic reversing tape recorder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.