GB2257291A

GB2257291A - Cassette loading device for a cassette tape player and/or recorder

Info

Publication number: GB2257291A
Application number: GB9213321A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joo Duk Kim
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1991-06-07
Filing date: 1992-06-23
Publication date: 1993-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-23
Also published as: KR930001282A; GB2257291B; DE4203248A1; JPH04368760A; KR930009466B1; GB9213321D0

Description

223 7- 4- 2:? 1 CASSETTE LOADING DEVICE FOR A CASSETTE TAPE PLAYER AND/OR

RECORDER

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a cassette loading device for cassette tape player and/or recorder.

Generally, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, a cassette tape recorder, such as an ultra miniature video camera, receives a cassette tape 10 in a deck 12. When the tape cassette 10 is inserted into a cradle or housing 11, the housing 11 is pushed toward the deck 12 for loading the tape cassette 10 into the deck 12 by lifting and lowering links 13a and 13b installed on a side of the housing 11.

is A rack gear 13c located at one side of the link 13a is engaged with a connecting gear 14a of a housing shaft 14 which extends transversely across the housing 11. so - 2 that links 13a, and 13b installed on the other side of the housing 11 are driven simultaneously.

Thereafter, under play mode, the cassette tape moves toward a drum (not shown) during loading thereof, so that information can be recorded on or regenerated from the cassette tape.

However, during the loading of the cassette tape to the drum as described above, it often happens that the tape cassette is caught by an upper edge of the drum, thereby causing damage to the drum and the tape. Thus there is felt a need for a device for guiding the tape to the drum.

In order to solve this problem, there has been proposed a device, which is illustrated in Figure 2. Referring to Figure 2, a lever 15 is mounted on a side of the front wall of the housing 11 to be pivoted around a pin 15a. A slider 17 is mounted by means of a spring 16 approximately in parallel with the housing 11 and connected to one end of the lever 15 by a connecting pin 15b.

Pivoting means 18 is installed at the other end of the slider 17, and a securing pin 18a is provided on the top of the pivoting means 18 in such a manner as to be inserted into between engaging pieces 17a of the slider 17.

After the insertion of the tape cassette 10 into the housing 11 andduring the loading of the tape to the deck 12 as illustrated in Figure 1, the tape is guided utilising the pivoting means 18 before being placed on the drum.

When the lever 15 pivots clockwise around the pin 15a, the slider 17 moves to the right side by the action of the spring 16. Consequently, the pivoting means 18 pivots by 90 degrees around the pin l8b for loading the tape to the drum.

However, the above described conventional device is complicated in its structure, resulting inlow reliability and high production costs.

4 - The present invention is intended to overcome the.above-described disadvantages of the conventional devices.

According to the present invention there is provided, a cassette loading device for a cassette tape player, comprising: a cassette cradle for receiving a tape cassette and movable between a cassette accepting position and a tape playing position; a shaft extending transversely off the cassette cradle and arranged to be rotated as the cassette cradle moves from the tape playing position to the cassette accepting position; and a guide member pivotable between a retracted position and an extended position for limited motion of the cassette with respect to the cassette cradle, wherein the guide member is in driven relation to the shaft such that it is driven between the retracted position and the extended position by the shaft during motion of the cassette cradle from the tape playing position to the cassette accepting position.

is is Preferablyr a spring means is coupled between the guide member and the cassette cradle, such that during motion of the cassette cradle from the cassette accepting position to the tape playing position, the guide member is retracted by the action of the spring means. The spring means is conveniently a helical spring. However, it may comprise an elastomeric body.

Preferably, the guide member and the shaft are arranged such that the guide member is driven by the shaft by a camming action during movement of the cassette cradle from the cassette accepting position to the tape playing position. The camming action may comprise the action of a radially extending pin, mounted on the shaft, bearing against a bearing member formed on the guide member.

Thus, the present invention provides a cassette loading device for a cassette tape recorder, in which pivoting means is actuated by utilizing the rotation of a housing shaft of a housing for loading a cassette tape to a drum, simplifying the constitution of the device, and making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs.

is An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1A and 1B are side views of a housing of a conventional tape recorder; Figure 2 is a schematical front view of a conventional cassette loading device; Figure 3 is a schematical front view of a cassette loading device for a cassette tape recorderaccording to the present invention; Figures 4A and 4B are front views respectively illustrating portions of the device of Figure 3for explaining their operations; and Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of Figure 4A.

Referring to Figure 3, a housing shaft 14 is mounted on a rear of a front wall of a housing 11, the housing shaft 14 extending between the side walls of the housing 11 in order to laterally support the housing 11.

Similarly to the conventional device of Figure 1, the housing shaft 14 comprises a connecting gear 14a engaged with a rack gear 13c. the rack gear 13c being formed on one of links 13a and 13b mounted on the housing 11. Thus, the shaft 14 revolves forward and is backward in response to the ascending and descending of the housing 11.

Further, an engaging pin 19 projects from substantially the middle of the shaft 14, and pivoting means 20 is mounted on the housing 11 and to one side of the engaging pin 19.

is one end of the pivoting means 20 is pivotally connected to the housing 11 by a pivot pin 20a. A lock pin 21 provided with a slot 21a is also connected to the same end of the pivoting means 20, so that the lock pin 21 can be engaged with or released from the engaging pin 19 of the housing shaft 14.

Meanwhile, a securing pin 20b is provided to a side of the pivoting pin 20a of the pivoting means 20, and elastic means 22 is mounted between the securing pin 20b and an engaging piece 22a, so that elastic force should be applied during the pivoting of the pivoting means 20.

In the device of the present invention as described above, if the top of the housing 11 is pressed down after inserting a tape 10 into the housing 11 as shown in Figure 1, the housing 11 descends to the deck 12,, by means of the links 13a and 13b mounted on the housing 11, for loading the cassette tape therein.

i 1 i Accordingly, under the initial state as shown in Figures 4A and 5, the pivoting member 20 guides the tape 10 during a first phase, so that the tape 10 is positioned correctly on a drum (not shown). Under this condition, the housing shaft 14 pivots upwardly, and therefore, a lock piece 21 engaged with the engaging pin 19 is released therefrom. At the same time, the pivoting means 20 is pivoted 90 degrees clockwise as shown in Figure 4B by the elastic means 22 which has been subjected to a tension, while the engaging pin 19 is secured into the slot 21a of the lock piece 21.

Thereafter, the tape 10 is loaded onto the drum.

On the other hand, when the cassette tape 10 is taken out, the connecting gear 14a of the housing shaft14 revolves clockwise due to the lifting of the links 13a and 13b as shown in Figure 1B, the engaging pin 19 of the housing shaft 14 pushes the lock piece 21 to move it down as shown in Figure 4B. Consequently, the pivoting means 20 is restored to the initial state of Figures 4A and 5, with tensioning to the elastic means 22.

According to the tape loading device of the present invention, the pivoting means is actuated by utilizing the revolutions of the housing shaft during ascending or descending of the housing after inserting the tape, and therefore, the tape is guided to the drum in an accurate manner. Further, the constitution of the device of the present invention is simplified, thereby making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs.

Claims

1. A cassette loading device for a cassette tape recorder for preventing damages of a drum and a cassette tape by guiding said cassette tape during the loading thereof, said device comprising: a housing shaft mounted on a rear part of a front wall of a housing in connection with links mounted on side walls of said housing, for revolving forward or backward during loading or unloading said cassette tape; pivoting means for rotating around a pin to control the revolution of said housing shaft; and elastic means mounted on the front wall of said housing for supplying elastic force to said pivoting means.

2. The cassette loading device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivoting means comprises an integral lock piece formed of a slot, and is mounted on said front wall of said housing by means of said pin provided to one end thereof.

is 3. The cassette loading device as claimed in any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the revolution of said pivoting means is controlled by an engaging piece, said engaging piece being formed substantially in the middle of said housing shaft.

4. A cassette loading device for a cassette tape player.. comprising:

a cassette cradle for receiving a tape cassette and movable between a cassette accepting position and a tape playing position; a shaft extending transversely of the cassette cradle and arranged to be rotated as the cassette cradle moves from the tape playing position to the cassette accepting position; and a guide member movable between a retracted position and an extended position for limiting motion of a cassette received by the cassette cradle, with respect thereto,, wherein the guide member is in driven relation to the shaft such that it is dri ven between the retracted position and the extended position by the shaft during motion of 1; - 13 the cassette cradle from the tape playing position to the cassette accepting position.

A device according to claim 4, including spring means coupled between the guide member and the cassette cradle such that the guide member is retracted during motion of the cassette cradle from the cassette accepting position to the tape playing position by the spring means.

6. A device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the guide member and the shaft are arranged such that the guide member is driven by the shaft by a camming action during movement of the cassette cradle from the tape playing position to the cassette accepting position.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the shaft is provided with a radially extending pin and the guide member is provided with a bearing member, the pin and the bearing member being arranged such that, during movement of the cassette cradle from the tape playing position to the cassette accepting position, rotation of the shaft causes the pin to move against the bearing - 14 member to drive the guide member from its retracted position to its extended position.

8. A cassette loading device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3, 4A, 4B and 5 of the accompanying drawings.