GB2225475A

GB2225475A - Means for repairing video cassette players

Info

Publication number: GB2225475A
Application number: GB8823457A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Robert Hyams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-10-06
Filing date: 1988-10-06
Publication date: 1990-05-30
Also published as: GB8823457D0

Abstract

A video cassette is formed with substantial apertures 16 and 17 on the underneath face which are generally aligned with openings 18 in the top face of the cassette. The cassette reels and tapes are omitted. This cassette can be inserted into a video player during repair or maintainance operations so that necessary switches are closed but access is provided to drive capstans and rollers, for example, which need to be cleaned or repaired. Openings normally provided at positions 22 are blanked off. In a normal cassette these openings provide a path for light from an opening 23 to sensors which control a switching off of the drive capstans when the transparent end of the tape is reached. <IMAGE>

Description

"Means for Repairing Video Cassette Players" This invention is concerned with means enabling video cassette players to be repaired or cleaned. When carrying out repair or cleaning it is desirable for the machine to be in an operating condition so that, for example, drive rollers can be cleaned as they rotate. In order to achieve this end the person carrying out the repair either has to hold down various switches whilst, at the same time, carrying out repair or cleaning operations on other parts, or a video cassette has to be installed into the player which then makes access to certain operating parts extremely difficult or even impossible. Furthermore if a cassette with a tape in place is not present then an automatic cut-out for the drive to the capstans is operated.This cut-out is controlled by light receptive sensors which are aligned to receive light from a light transmitter which will normally project light beams through passageways in a cassette and through a transparent portion of tape at both the beginning and end of the reel. It is difficult, if not impossible, to prevent any stray light from reaching the sensors when the cover of the cassette player is removed and and no cassette is installed.

It is an object of this invention to provide means which will enable repair to be carried out in various parts of a video cassette player with relative ease and so as to alleviate the problems mentioned above.

Accordingly, this invention provides a video cassette player repair aid comprising an empty cassette casing with substantial apertures aligned in the upper and lower faces thereof and large enough to provide access to the drive capstans for both reels of a cassette and associated drive parts of the player, the casing also having a standard opening for receipt of a light transmitter associated with end-of-tape sensors, the side passageways to said opening being blanked off.

The substantial apertures provided in the cassette casing allow for good access to the operating parts of the cassette player and the person carrying out the repair will have both hands free to carry out maintenance operations.

Furthermore the capstans can be switched on and will continue to rotate without being subject to an automatic cut-off since the light from the conventional light transmitter will be blanked off and remaining parts of the cassette casing will mask the end-of-tape sensors in the cassette player. In many cases it will be desirable that at least one of the apertures in the casing is so defined that a portion of the surrounding part of the casing is present in a position necessary for activating a control switch for the cassette player. This ensures that the operation controls of the player are switched on automatically and the necessary switches do not have to be held down independently by the person carrying out the repair.

Furthermore it is desirable that a central portion of the cassette casing should remain between apertures disposed to either side thereof, so as to enable the casing to operate a cassette inlet flap of the cassette player.

The invention also extends to a method of maintaining a video cassette player wherein the repair aid cassette casing of this invention, as hereinbefore defined, is inserted into the player, the cover of the player having been removed, and the accessible working parts of the player are then cleaned or repaired.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of some operating parts of a video cassette player; and Figures 2 and 3 are top plan and underneath plan views respectively of a repair aid cassette casing of this invention to be used in carrying out maintenance operations on the cassette player as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates just a few operating parts of a video cassette player. Firstly there is a pair of drive capstans 1 and 2 with associated drive rollers 3 and 4 which can be operated independently by a motorised roller 5 carried on an arm 6 which can be switched between drive rollers 3 and 4 for forward or reverse drive respectively of a cassette tape. When a cassette (whose outline is indicated by the dashed line 7) is inserted into the cassette player a mechanism operates to cause the operation of the tape to be placed over a pillar 8 carried on a rotatable arm 9. When the arm 9 is rotated in a clockwise direction it then pulls the tape round a drum 10 and past a reading head 11. Drive of the tape in the forward direction then causes the tape to be moved past the reading head 11, resulting in the transmission of pictures to the video screen.A pinch roller 12 also operates on the tape as it passes to or from one of the rollers. For maintenance purposes it is necessary to have access, for example, to the drum 10 and the pinch roller 12 so that a cleaning pad can be rubbed against the cylindrical surfaces of these two members. This is best done whilst roller 10 and the pinch roller 12 are rotating, which requires the machine to be switched on and in an operating condition. Several switches may need to be operated to achieve this condition and a micro switch 13 is illustrated, for example, at a position where it will normally be operated by a wall of the cassette, after that cassette has been inserted.

The repair aid for enabling maintenance operations to be carried out on the cassette player is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. This comprises a conventional cassette casing but with the cassette reels and tape removed.

Furthermore, certain modifications have been made to provide enlarged openings in the upper and lower wall of the cassette casing. In the upper wall there is a pair of viewing windows 14 provided as indicated in dashed outline, but these are removed and the opening so formed is extended towards the central portion of the casing, so as to leave a large central rib 15 which is effective, when this cassette casing is inserted into the cassette player, to operate an inlet flap (which may have an associated operating switch) which enables the cassette to be pushed home fully. The lower face of the casing has two generally circular openings 16 and 17 cut out, which will generally be in alignment with the openings 18 in the upper face. However, in the opening 17 a portion is retained for the purpose of operating the micro switch 13 shown in Figure 1.When the cassette casing shown in Figures 2 and 3 is inserted into the cassette player illustrated in Figure 1, the openings 16, 17 and 18 will provide good access to the drive capstans 1 and 2 and the rollers 3, 4 and 5 as well as other associated parts. As can be seen the retained portion 19 of the casing is positioned over the micro switch 13 for operation thereof. There is also good access to the pinch roller 12. Furthermore because all necessary operating switches have been activated by the modified cassette casing, the cassette player can be put into a drive mode so that the drive capstans 1 and 2 and the rollers 10 and 12 will rotate and can therefore be cleaned easily by placing a pad with cleaning fluid against their drive surfaces. The cassette player incorporates a light transmitter (for example a small light bulb) 20, which directs light towards a pair of sensors 21. The normal cassette casing incorporates aligned apertures which allow the light from the light transmitter 20 to reach the sensors 21 in the absence of a section of tape or when transparent lead in or lead out portions of the tape come into view. The sensors 21, when activated, cause the drive to the capstans 1 and 2 to be cut off.

This ensures, under normal operating conditions, that the tape is not driven when one or other of the end portions of the tape is wound off its respective reel, or when the tape breaks accidentally. The light apertures in the cassette casing are not illustrated, but two of these apertures are provided at the positions 22 indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. However, for this modified form of cassette casing these particular apertures 22 are blanked off so that light from the light transmitter 20 cannot reach the sensors 21 when the cassette casing of Figures 2 and 3 is inserted into the cassette player.

This ensures that the drive capstans and other rotating parts can be caused to rotate continuously even though the cassette casing does not incorporate the normal reels with a tape wound therein. The cassette casing shown in Figure 2 does however retain the usual opening 23 within which the light transmitter can be received, the top opening 24 thereof providing access for the escape of heat from the light transmitter and enabling a check to be made that the light transmitter is working properly.

The modified cassette casing illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 may be supplied in a box as part of a kit which will also comprise a bottle of cleaning fluid together with cleaning pads which are to be used for cleaning the various rotating parts of the cassette player.

Claims

1. A video cassette player repair aid comprising an empty cassette casing with substantial apertures aligned in the upper and lower faces thereof and large enough to provide access to the drive capstans for both reels of a cassette and associated drive parts of the player, the casing also having a standard opening for receipt of a light transmitter associated with end-of-tape sensors, the side passageways to said opening being blanked off.

2. A repair aid according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the apertures in the casing is so defined that a portion of the surrounding part of the casing is present in a position necessary for activating a control switch for the cassette player.

3. A repair aid according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a central portion of the cassette casing remains between apertures disposed to either side thereof, so as to enable the casing to operate a cassette inlet flap of the cassette player.

4. A method of maintaining a video cassette player wherein a repair aid cassette casing as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3 IS inserts intO the player, tlie cover of the player having been removed, and the accessible working parts of the player are then cleaned or repaired.

5. A video cassette player repair aid or method of repairing such a player substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.