JP2000276828A - Automatic loading device of recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize a device and to enhance efficiency of the recording/ reproducing process in an automatic loading device of a recording medium which is provided with a loading mechanism for performing the loading/ unloading process of the recording medium with respect to a housing body for housing the recording medium and a recording/reproducing device along with transporting the recording medium between the housing body and the recording/reproducing device. SOLUTION: In the automatic loading device of the recording medium furnished with a recording/reproducing device 13 for performing the recording process and the reproducing process by loading a tape cassette 11, a housing rack 16 for housing a plurality of tape cassettes 11, and a loading mechanism 14 for transporting the tape cassette 11 between the housing rack 16 and the recording/reproducing device 13, the loading mechanism 14 is disposed so as to form an integrated constitution to the recording/reproducing device 13. Since the cassette 11 is transported to the housing rack 16 directly from the recording/ reproducing device 13 by this arrangement, the space required for the transportation of the tape cassette 11 is made smaller, thereby attaining the miniaturization of the device and the reduction of the time required for the transportation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic recording medium loading apparatus, and more particularly to a recording medium transporting apparatus between a storage medium storing a recording medium and a recording / reproducing apparatus and recording on the storage medium and the recording / reproduction apparatus. The present invention relates to an automatic recording medium loading apparatus having a loading mechanism for loading and unloading a medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 7-105103, there has been known a recording medium automatic loading apparatus which automatically loads and unloads a recording medium such as a tape cassette from a recording / reproducing apparatus. Have been. The automatic recording medium loading apparatus generally includes a recording / reproducing apparatus that performs recording processing and reproduction processing by loading a recording medium, a storage rack that stores a plurality of recording media, and a storage rack and a recording / reproducing apparatus. A loading mechanism for transporting the recording medium and loading and unloading the recording medium from the storage rack and the recording / reproducing apparatus is provided.

The arrangement of the recording / reproducing apparatus, the storage rack, and the loading mechanism is such that the recording / reproducing apparatus and the storage rack are stacked for compactness of the apparatus, and the recording / reproducing apparatus and the storage rack having the loading mechanism stacked are opposed to each other. In many cases, the recording / reproducing apparatus and the storage rack are opposed to each other, and a loading mechanism is disposed between the recording / reproducing apparatus and the storage rack. Also, in any of the configurations, the conventional apparatus has a configuration in which the recording / reproducing device, the storage rack, and the loading mechanism are independent from each other.

[0004]

However, in the conventional automatic recording medium loading apparatus, the recording / reproducing apparatus, the storage rack, and the loading mechanism are independent from each other as described above, so that the moving space of the transfer apparatus is limited. However, there is a problem that the size of the recording medium automatic loading apparatus becomes large.

[0005] Further, since the distance over which the transport device moves the information medium becomes longer, the time required for the transport device to transport the recording medium between the recording / reproducing device and the storage rack becomes longer. There was a problem that processing could not be performed. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic recording medium loading apparatus that can reduce the size of the apparatus and can perform highly efficient recording and reproduction processing.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized by taking the following means. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording / reproducing apparatus which performs a recording process and a reproducing process by loading a recording medium,
A storage body for storing the recording medium, and the recording medium is transported between the storage body and the recording / reproducing device, and a process of loading and unloading the recording medium from / to the storage body and the recording / reproducing device is performed. A recording medium automatic loading apparatus having a loading mechanism that performs the loading operation, wherein the loading mechanism is disposed so as to be integrated with the recording / reproducing apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic recording medium loading apparatus according to the first aspect, the loading mechanism comprises:
A chassis, a slider plate movable with respect to the chassis in a direction in which the recording medium is conveyed, and rotatably disposed on the slider plate and urged to rotate in a direction engaging with the recording medium. And an arm drive mechanism that uses the movement of the slider plate as a drive source and biases the arm between an engaged position that engages with the recording medium and a disengaged position that does not engage with the recording medium. It is characterized by the following.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the automatic recording medium loading apparatus according to the second aspect, the arm driving mechanism is provided on an engaging member provided on the arm and on the chassis, and A first guide member that engages with the engagement member in a state where the slider plate is located at a discharge standby position where a medium is loaded in the recording / reproducing apparatus, and holds the arm at the non-engagement position; Displaceably provided on a chassis, the slider plate is engaged with the engaging member in a state where the recording medium is in a loading position for loading the storage medium into the storage body, and holds the arm in the non-engaging position. In a state where the slider plate is at the take-out position where the recording medium is taken out of the storage body, the engagement with the engaging member is released and the arm is engaged. It is characterized in that a second guide member to move to the location.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic recording medium loading apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the loading mechanism loads and unloads the recording medium of the recording / reproducing apparatus. It is characterized in that it is arranged on the side surface near the opening. Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium automatic loading apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the slider plate is moved only in a linear direction with respect to the chassis. Is what you do.

Each of the above means operates as follows. According to the first aspect of the present invention, a recording / reproducing apparatus for performing recording / reproducing processing on a recording medium is transported between the housing and the recording / reproducing apparatus. Since the loading mechanism for performing the loading / unloading process is provided as an integrated structure, it is possible to directly take out, transport, and load the recording medium between the recording / reproducing apparatus and the storage body. . Thereby, the space required for transporting the recording medium can be reduced,
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the automatic recording medium loading device and the time required for transporting the recording medium.

In addition, since the loading mechanism is provided in the recording / reproducing process, positioning between the loading mechanism and the recording / reproducing process is performed. Therefore, positioning in the conveyance process of the recording medium is required only for the positioning of the loading mechanism and the storage body when the recording medium is stored and unloaded from the storage body, and the positioning process can be facilitated. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the loading mechanism comprises a chassis, a slider plate, an arm, and an arm driving mechanism, and the slider plate is movable with respect to the chassis in a recording medium conveyance direction. The arm drive mechanism with the movement of the arm as a drive source causes the arm to rotate between an engaged position that engages with the recording medium and a non-engaged position that does not engage with the recording medium. The arm can be automatically rotated between the engaged position and the disengaged position. Further, since the arm is rotationally biased by using the movement of the slider plate as a driving source, the movement of the slider plate and the rotation of the arm can be performed by a single driving device (such as a motor). Therefore, the slider plate and the arm can be driven with a small number of parts, and the configuration of the loading mechanism can be simplified and downsized.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the arm driving mechanism comprises the engaging member and the first and second guide members, and the engaging member provided on the arm is provided on the chassis. Since the arm is configured to perform a predetermined operation between the engaged position and the disengaged position by engaging or disengaging with the first and second guide members, the arm can be reliably operated with a simple structure. It is possible to do.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the loading mechanism is disposed on the side surface near the opening where the recording medium of the recording / reproducing apparatus is loaded and discharged, the arm for directly transporting the recording medium is provided. Can be shortened and stable conveyance can be performed. In addition, since the positional accuracy during the loading and unloading process is improved, the recording medium can be reliably loaded and unloaded from the opening.

Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the slider plate moves only linearly with respect to the chassis, the operation of moving the slider plate is simplified, and the moving area is reduced. , Simplification and downsizing of the recording medium automatic loading device (especially thinning)
Can be achieved.

[0016]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a recording medium automatic loading device 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as an automatic loading device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, an example in which the tape cassette 11 is used as an information medium will be described.
It is also applicable to automatic loading of other information media (for example, compact disk, magnetic disk, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic loading device according to the present embodiment generally includes a storage rack moving mechanism 12, a recording / reproducing device 13, a loading mechanism 14, a case 15, and the like. The storage rack moving mechanism 12 includes the storage rack 1
The storage rack 16 is mounted on the recording / reproducing device 13.
Is moved in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIG. The storage rack 16 has a configuration in which a plurality of storage portions 18 for storing the tape cassette 11 are formed by providing a plurality of partition walls 17. Further, the tape cassette 11 used in the present embodiment has a configuration in which a substantially V-shaped engagement groove portion 11A is formed on a side surface thereof.

The storage rack 16 used in this embodiment is
Has a configuration in which the tape cassettes 11 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2).
It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the components 1 can be stored in a configuration in which the components 1 are stacked in the vertical direction (the directions of arrows Z1 and Z2 in the figure). Here, the storage rack moving mechanism 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The storage rack moving mechanism 12 roughly includes a rack case 19, a lower table 20, and a lower table guide 2.
1, a pressurizing plate 24, an upper table 26, an upper table guide 27, a belt 30, and the like. The rack case 19 has a box shape and has a configuration in which the storage rack 16 described above can be stored and fixed therein. The rack case 19 is provided at a front position of the case 15 (the direction of arrow X1 is forward in the figure), and the storage rack 16 is mounted on the rack case 19 through an opening 15A formed in the case 15. Configuration.

On the lower surface of the rack case 19, a rectangular block-shaped lower table 20 is provided. The lower table 20 is configured to be guided by a lower table guide 21 and to be movable in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 in the figure. The lower table guide 21 is fixed to the case 15 (see FIG. 1). Further, both sides of the lower table guide 21 are bent to form upright portions 21A, and thus the lower table guide 21 has a substantially U-shape when viewed from the side. Accordingly, by engaging both sides of the lower table 20 with the upright portions 21A, the lower table 20
The movement in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 in FIG.

The pressurizing plate 24 is disposed above the rack case 19. A plurality (four in this embodiment) of studs 22 are provided upright on the upper surface of the rack case 19, and a screw 25 is screwed into the center of the stud 22. At four corner positions of the pressurizing plate 24, extension portions 24B extending in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 are provided.
Are formed on each of the extending portions 24B.
2 is formed with an insertion hole 24D having a diameter that allows it to be inserted. Further, a concave portion 24A is formed between the extending portions 24B facing each other in the directions of the arrows X1 and X2 in the drawing. still,
The diameter of the head of the screw 25 is set larger than the diameter of the insertion hole 24D.

When disposing the pressurizing plate 24 in the rack case 19, a screw 25 is screwed onto the stud 22 after a pressurizing spring 23 and an insertion hole 24D of the pressurizing plate 24 are inserted through the stud 22. As described above, since the diameter of the head of the screw 25 is larger than the diameter of the insertion hole 24D, even if each extension 24B is urged in the direction of arrow Z1 in FIG. Are configured so as not to come off from the rack case 19 by engaging with the heads of the screws 25.

At the center of the pressurizing plate 24,
A rectangular block-shaped upper table 26 is provided. The upper table 26 is guided by an upper table guide 27 so as to be movable in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 in the figure. The upper table guide 27 is an upper table mounting plate 28
, And the upper table mounting plate 28 is fixed to a chassis 29 erected on the case 15.
Therefore, the upper table guide 27 is configured to be fixed to the chassis 29 via the upper table mounting plate 28.

As a specific fixing method, the chassis 29
Slot 2 formed so as to extend in the directions of arrows Z1 and Z2
Insert the screw 31 into 9A, and further attach the upper table mounting plate 2
A screw 31 is inserted into a hole formed at a portion formed by bending both sides of 8, and an upper table mounting plate 28 (having a screw hole formed) is fixed to a chassis 29. As described above, by providing the slot 29A in the chassis 29, the upper table guide 27 is formed in the formation range of the slot 29A.
Height position can be adjusted.

Further, both side portions of the upper table guide 27 are bent to form upright portions 27A, so that the upper table guide 27 has a substantially U-shape when viewed from the side. The upper table 26 provided on the pressurizing plate 24 is configured to be movable in the upper table guide 27. At this time, both sides of the upper table 26 are in sliding contact with the upright portions 27A, whereby the movement of the upper table 26 in the directions of the arrows Y1 and Y2 in the drawing is guided, so that the rack case 19 is stabilized. The move has been realized. When performing this movement, the upright portion 27A of the upper table guide 27 is configured to movably engage with the concave portion 24A formed in the pressurizing plate 24. Therefore, the rack case 19 is guided by the upper table guide 27 also by this, and the movement stability of the rack case 19 can be improved.

The belt 30 forms a predetermined traveling path by a plurality of idlers 32, and is moved in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 in the drawing by a driving pulley provided at a predetermined position (upper left in this embodiment). (Run). The rack case 19 described above is fixed to the belt 30, and as the belt 30 runs, the rack case 19 (that is, the storage rack 16) also moves in the directions of arrows Y1 and Y2 in the drawing.

In this embodiment, a timing belt is used as the belt 30, and a driving pulley 33 is used.
A pulse motor is employed as a motor (not shown) for driving the motor. Therefore, the rack case 19 (that is, the storage rack 16) can be moved with high accuracy, and the stop position can be positioned with high accuracy. Further, a balance weight 34 is provided at a predetermined position (upper position in the present embodiment) of the belt 30 to ensure stable running of the belt 30.

By the way, as described above, the rack case 19
Move by being guided by the lower and upper table guides 21 and 27. At this time, in order to move the rack case 19 stably, the sliding contact force (in other words, the resistance force) between the lower table 20 and the lower table guide 21 and the upper table 2
It is necessary to appropriately adjust the sliding contact force (resistance) between the upper table guide 6 and the upper table guide 27.

That is, if the sliding contact force is too large, it becomes difficult for the tables 20, 26 to move with respect to the table guides 21, 27, and stable movement cannot be performed. If the sliding contact force is too small, rattling occurs between the table guides 21 and 27 and the tables 20 and 26, so that stable movement cannot be performed. However, in the configuration of the present embodiment, when the pressurized plate is mounted on the rack case 19, the screw 25 is screwed onto the stud 22 after the pressurized spring 23 and the insertion hole 24 </ b> D of the pressurized plate 24 are inserted through the stud 22. are doing. In addition, the diameter of the head of the screw 25 is
It is set larger than the diameter of D.

With this configuration, by adjusting the degree of screwing of the screw 25 with respect to the stud 22, the elastic force of the pressurizing spring 23 can be adjusted.
Table 20 and lower table guide 21 according to the screwing degree of
, And the sliding contact force (resistance) between the upper table 26 and the upper table guide 27 can be appropriately adjusted. Thereby, the sliding contact state between the table guides 20, 27 and the tables 20, 26 can be optimized, and the rack case 19 can be stably moved.

Returning to FIG. 1, the description will be continued. A recording / reproducing device 13 is provided at a rear position in the case (the direction of arrow X2 is rearward). An insertion / ejection opening 36 is provided on a front panel 37 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 13, and the tape cassette 11 is configured to be inserted and ejected from the insertion / ejection opening 36 into the apparatus main body 35. The recording / reproducing process is performed on the magnetic tape in a state where the tape cassette 11 is inserted into the apparatus main body 35 through the insertion / ejection opening 36.

A loading mechanism 14 is provided on a side surface 38 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 13. The loading mechanism 14 loads a predetermined tape cassette 11 mounted on the storage rack 16 into the insertion / discharge opening 36 of the recording / reproducing device 13 and also stores the tape cassette 11 discharged from the insertion / discharge opening 36 into the storage rack 16. It has a function to be attached to a predetermined storage portion 18.

Hereinafter, the loading mechanism 14 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be described in detail. 3 is an external view of the loading mechanism 14, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the loading mechanism 14, FIG. 5 is a front view of the loading mechanism 14 in a discharge standby state described later, and FIG. 6 is a discharge standby state. 7 is a left side view of the loading mechanism 14 in a discharge standby state, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a vicinity of a hook 70 provided on an arm described later in an enlarged manner. It is.

The loading mechanism 14 generally includes a base plate 40 (chassis), rails 41, a slider plate 42, an upper arm 43A, a lower arm 43B, and a motor 4
4 and the like. The base plate 40 has a configuration in which one metal substrate is integrally formed by press working, and includes a side plate portion 45, an upper plate portion 46A, and a lower plate portion 46.
B, and fixed plate portions 47, 48 and the like. The side plate portion 45 has arrows X1 and X2
A long hole 49 extending in the direction is formed.

A front limit switch 50 is provided at an end of the elongated hole 49 in the direction of the arrow X1 in the figure, and a rear limit switch 51 is provided at an end of the long hole 49 in the direction of the arrow X2. The side plate portion 45 is formed with a motor mounting piece 45A bent outward.
The motor mounting piece 45A is formed substantially at the center of the elongated hole 49, and the motor 4 is configured to be fixed to the motor mounting piece 45A. The upper and lower plate portions 46
A and 46B are configured to be bent substantially at right angles to the side plate portion 45, and slits 58 are formed at the respective bending positions. In this slit 58,
Upper and lower opening and closing guide members 52A and 52B (described later)
Guide member) is engaged.

The upper plate portion 46A is provided at the upper end portion of the side plate portion 45 (the direction of arrow Z1 in the drawing is the upper portion), as indicated by arrows X1 and X2 in the drawing.
It is formed to extend in the direction. This upper plate portion 46A
A predetermined range near the end in the direction of the arrow X2 is bent obliquely downward to form the upper roller guide piece 60A. The lower plate portion 46B is formed at the lower end of the side plate portion 45 so as to extend in the directions of arrows X1 and X2 in the drawing. A predetermined range near the end of the lower plate portion 46B in the arrow X2 direction is bent obliquely upward to form a lower roller guide piece 60B.
(Each roller guide piece 60A, 60B is
Constituting a first guide member).

The fixing plate 47 is formed by the arrow X1 in the drawing of the side plate 45.
The fixed plate portion 48 is integrally formed on the side of the side plate 45 at the end in the arrow X2 direction in the drawing. The automatic loading mechanism 14 fixes the fixed plate portion 47 to the front panel 37 of the recording / reproducing device 13 by screwing, and fixes the fixed plate portion 48 to the recording / reproducing device 1.
3 is screwed to the side surface 38 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 1
Fixed to 3.

The rail 41 is fixed at a position below the position where the long hole 49 of the side plate portion 45 is formed. This rail 4
1 is provided with a slide table 61. The slide table 61 moves on the rail 41 by arrows X1,
It is configured to be movable in the X2 direction. The upper opening / closing guide member 52A and the lower opening / closing guide member 52B have the same configuration, and are disposed on the side plate portion 45 so as to be vertically symmetrical. Each of the open / close guide members 52A is provided with a guide arm 5
3, a stepped screw 54, a single taper block 55, a guide return spring 57, and the like.

The guide arm 53 is rotatable by a stepped screw 54 (in FIG. 5, it is rotatable in the directions of arrows C1 and C2), and is attached to the side plate portion 45. An extension piece 56 is formed integrally with the guide arm 53 on the side opposite to the side where the stepped screw 54 is inserted. The extension piece 56 is inserted from the inside to the outside through the slit 58 formed in the side plate portion 45, so that the extension piece 56 of the upper opening / closing guide member 52 </ b> A
8 protrudes upward from the upper plate portion 46A.
Similarly, the extension piece 56 of the lower opening / closing guide member 52B projects downward from the lower plate portion 46B via the slit 58.

Further, a bent portion is formed in the guide arm 53, and a one-side taper block 55 is fixed to the bent portion by a screw. The one-side taper block 55 is a resin molded product, for example, and has a configuration in which a tapered surface is formed on the arrow X2 direction side in the drawing. The taper surface of the one-side taper block 55 is a taper surface in which a width dimension (here, the width dimension means a thickness in the directions of arrows Z1 and Z1 in the drawing) gradually increases in the direction of the arrow X1 in the drawing. ing.

Further, the stepped screw 54 is
The guide return spring 57 is provided between a position through which the taper block 55 is inserted (that is, the rotation center) and a position where the one-side taper block 55 is fixed.
Are connected at one end. Also, the guide return spring 57
Is connected to the side plate 45. The guide return spring 57 moves the guide arm 53 by the arrow C in FIG.
It is urged to rotate in one direction. However, guide arm 5
When the extension piece 56 formed in FIG. 3 comes into contact with the end of the slit 58 in the direction of the arrow X1 in the figure, the rotation is restricted at the position shown in FIG.

The slider plate 42 is a substantially rectangular metal plate, and is fixed to the slide table 61 described above. Therefore, the slider plate 42 is configured to be guided by the rail 41 and movable in the directions of the arrows X1 and X2 in the figure. At a position slightly above the center of the slider plate 42, a flange portion 62 that is bent and formed to extend in the direction of arrow Y1 in the figure is formed. A rack 63 is fixed to the flange portion 62.

In a state where the loading mechanism 14 is assembled, the flange portion 62 has the elongated hole 49 formed in the side plate portion 45.
From the rear side of the side plate portion 45 (in the direction of the arrow Y1 in the figure). In this assembled state, the rack 63 fixed to the flange portion 62 is configured to mesh with a pinion gear 59 fixed to the rotation shaft of the motor 44.

Accordingly, the rotation of the motor 44 causes the slider plate 42 and the slide table 6 to rotate.
1 is configured to move in the directions of arrows X1 and X2 in the figure. In the present embodiment, the slider plate 42 (slide table 61) is configured to move only linearly in the directions of the arrows X1 and X2.
Can be driven by a rack-and-pinion mechanism, and the configuration of the loading mechanism 14 is simplified.

At the lower end of the slider plate 42, a protruding piece 78 is formed which extends in the directions indicated by arrows X1 and X2 in the figure. At predetermined positions of the protruding piece 78, position detecting slits 78A and 78B are formed. Further, a photo interrupter 79 is disposed on the side plate portion 45 so as to sandwich the slider plate 42 from both sides. The photointerrupter 79 is configured to generate a detection signal by passing through position detection slits 78A and 78B formed in the protruding piece 78.

A regulating guide roller 64 is provided at a predetermined position below the slider plate 42 (see FIG. 7). The regulating guide roller 64 is configured to contact the upper surface of the lower plate portion 46B. Each of the regulation guide rollers 64 is configured to roll on the plate portion 46B. As a result, the slider plate 42
1, the slide table 61 is moved at a substantially central position by the slide table 61, and the lower part is guided by the regulating guide roller 64, so that stable and smooth movement can be performed.

Further, an upper arm 43A is provided above the slider plate 42, and a lower arm 43B is provided below the upper arm 43A. Each of the arms 43A,
43B have the same configuration, but are arranged vertically symmetrically. A through hole is formed at a substantially central position of each of the arms 43A and 43B, and a rotation center screw 65 which is a stepped screw is inserted into the through hole. This rotation center screw 6
5 is screwed onto the slider plate 42, whereby the arms 43A and 43B are rotatable around the rotation center screw 65 (rotatable in directions indicated by arrows B1 and B2 in FIG. 5). 42. Accordingly, the arms 43A and 43B are configured to move in accordance with the movement of the slide plate 42 in the directions of the arrows X1 and X2 in the drawing as described above.

The arrow X in each of the arms 43A and 43B is shown in the figure.
A long hole 68 long in the directions of arrows Z1 and Z2 is formed at the end in the two directions. A stepped screw 69 screwed to the slider plate 42 is inserted into the elongated hole 68, whereby the rotation range of each of the arms 43A and 43B is adjusted.
Is limited to a range in which it can relatively move within the elongated hole 68.

The long holes 68 of the arms 43A and 43B are also provided.
A guide roller 66 (engaging member) is arranged between the position where the rotation center screw 65 is disposed. The guide roller 66 is provided so as to protrude toward the side plate portion 45. When the arms 43A and 43B are attached to the slide plate 42, the guide roller 66 is moved from the slider plate 42 by an arrow Y1.
It is configured to protrude in the direction.

That is, the guide roller 66 of the upper arm 43A
Is configured to pass through an opening 81A formed in the slider plate 42, and the guide roller 66 of the lower arm 43B is configured to pass through an opening 81B formed in the slider plate 42. Thereby, each guide roller 66 has a configuration protruding from the slider plate 42 in the arrow Y1 direction.

The guide roller 66 of the upper arm 43A
Is the upper plate portion 46A in the assembled state.
The lower arm 4 is configured to engage with the lower surface of the lower arm 4.
The 3B guide roller 66 is configured to engage with the upper surface of the lower plate portion 46B in the assembled state. Therefore, when the slide plate 42 moves,
The guide roller 66 of the upper arm 43A moves while being guided (guided) by the lower surface of the upper plate portion 46A.
Guide roller 66 moves while being guided (guided) to the upper surface of lower plate portion 46B.

On the other hand, a hook 70 is disposed at the end of each of the arms 43A and 43B in the direction of the arrow X1 in the figure. The hook 70 is formed of a resin having a substantially L-shape, and its tip is formed in the tape cassette 11 to engage with the engaging groove 11A. As shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 8 (in FIG. 8, the upper arm 43A is shown), a support shaft 72 is formed at an end of each of the arms 43A and 43B. The holder 71 with a torsion spring 74 interposed therein is inserted into the support shaft 72. The hook 70 is fixed to the hook 70 using a screw 73.

The support shaft 72 of each arm 43A, 43B.
A screw hole 77 is formed in the vicinity of the position where is disposed, and a locking screw 75 is screwed into this screw hole 77 via a washer 76. The position where the screw hole 77 is formed is eccentric with respect to the position where the support shaft 72 is provided.
Specifically, the support shaft 72 is disposed at the center of the arms 43A and 43B in the width direction (the directions of arrows Z1 and Z2 in the drawing). In the case of the upper arm 43A, the support shaft 72 is located above the center. A screw hole 77 is formed at a position slightly shifted in the (Z1 direction) (in the case of the lower arm 43B, it is formed below the center position).

One end of the torsion spring 74 is connected to the holder 71, and the other end is connected to a locking screw 75. The torsion spring 74 biases the holder 71 (that is, the hook 70) in the direction indicated by the arrow A1 in FIG. However, the end portion 71 of the holder 71
When A engages with the locking screw 75, the rotation of the lever A beyond the position shown in FIG. 3 is restricted.

Further, one end of a clamp spring 67 is connected to each of the arms 43A and 43B. The other end of the clamp spring 67 is connected to the slider plate 42. This clamp spring 67 is attached to each arm 4.
3A and 43B are rotationally urged in the direction indicated by arrow B1 in FIG. However, as described above, each arm 43A, 43A
The rotation range of B is limited to the formation range of the long hole 68,
It does not rotate beyond the range in which the long hole 68 is formed.

The mounting mechanism 14 configured as described above is mounted on the side surface 38 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 13 as shown in FIG. At this time, the mounting position of the loading mechanism 14 is selected on the side surface 38 near the insertion / ejection opening 36 of the recording / reproducing device 13. As will be described later, the arms 43A and 43B carry out processing for transporting the tape cassette 11. At this time, if the mounting mechanism 14 is disposed on the side surface 38 near the insertion / ejection opening 36 as in this embodiment, the tape cassette 11 can be shortened. Thereby, stable conveyance can be performed, and the positional accuracy at the time of loading and unloading processing can be improved, so that the tape cassette 11 can be reliably loaded and unloaded from the insertion / ejection opening 36. Become.

Next, the operation of the loading mechanism 14 configured as described above will be described mainly with reference to FIGS.
In the following description, the operation from a state in which each of the arms 43A and 43B is waiting for the tape cassette 11 to be ejected from the recording / reproducing apparatus 13 (hereinafter, this state is referred to as an ejection standby state) will be described. Also, as described above, each arm 43A, 4A
3B has the same configuration except that the components are arranged vertically symmetrically (the operation is also symmetrical), so only the operation of the upper arm 43A will be described, and the lower arm 4A will be described.
The description of the operation of 3B is omitted.

FIGS. 9A and 5 show the loading mechanism 14 in a discharge standby state. In the discharge standby state, FIG.
As shown in (A), the guide roller 66 provided on the upper arm 43A is engaged with the upper roller guide piece 60A. The slider plate 42 is in contact with the rear limit switch 51, and the rear limit switch 51 is turned off.
N. That is, the rear limit switch 51 functions as a switch that detects that the upper arm 43A is at the discharge standby state position.

Also, as described above, the upper roller guide piece 60
Since A has a shape extending obliquely downward in the direction of arrow X2 in the drawing, the guide roller 66 is pressed relatively downward by the upper roller guide piece 60A in the discharge standby state. Therefore, the upper arm 43A is turned around the turning center screw 65 in the direction of the arrow C2 against the elastic force of the clamp spring 67, so that the hook 7
Reference numeral 0 denotes a position at which it is displaced by rotation in the direction of arrow B2 in the figure. still,
The position of the hook 70 in the discharge standby state is set so as not to interfere with the tape cassette 11 discharged from the insertion / discharge opening 36 provided in the recording / reproducing apparatus 13.

When the tape cassette 11 is ejected from the insertion / ejection opening 36 of the recording / reproducing apparatus 13 in the ejection standby state, the motor 44 is started and the slide plate 42 is moved slightly in the direction of arrow X1 in FIG. As a result, the upper arm 43A also slightly moves in the X1 direction. FIG.
(B) shows a state in which the upper arm 43A has moved slightly in the arrow X1 direction.

As the upper arm 43A moves in the direction of arrow X1 as described above, the guide roller 66 also moves on the upper roller guide piece 60A in the direction of arrow X1. As a result, the guide roller 66 moves upwardly on the upper roller guide piece 60A extending obliquely downward, and the clamp spring 6
7, the upper arm 43A is rotated by the rotation center screw 65.
Is rotated in the direction of the arrow C1 (counterclockwise) in FIG.

As described above, the upper arm 43A rotates about the rotation center screw 65 in the direction of the arrow C1.
The hook 70 rotates in the direction of arrow B1 in the figure, whereby the hook 70 engages with the engaging groove 11A formed in the tape cassette 11. Thereby, the tape cassette 11
Is clamped by the arms 43A and 43B (hereinafter, this state is referred to as a clamp state). This clamping force is realized by the elastic force of the clamp spring 67.

When the loading mechanism 14 enters the clamped state, the motor 44 is started again, and the upper arm 43A is moved to the arrow X1 in the drawing.
Move in the direction. Thereby, the tape cassette 11
Are transported toward the storage rack 16. still,
The storage rack moving mechanism 12 moves the storage rack 16 in advance so that a predetermined empty storage portion 18 for storing the tape cassette 11 faces the insertion / discharge opening 36.

FIG. 9C shows a state in which the tape cassette 11 has moved into the empty storage section 18 of the storage rack 16 (hereinafter, this state is referred to as a storage position arrival state).
As shown in FIG. 1, the storage rack 16 includes a plurality of partition walls 1.
7 are formed, but the upper part and the lower part of the storage part 18 are configured to be opened. Hook 7 of upper arm 43A
Numeral 0 is configured to be insertable into the storage rack 16 via the upper opening of the storage portion 18.

Therefore, simply move the upper arm 43A by the arrow X in the figure.
By simply moving the tape cassette 11 in one direction, the tape cassette 11 can be inserted into the storage rack 16 while maintaining the clamped state of the tape cassette 11. In the storage position arrival state, the guide roller 66 is in contact with the tapered surface of the single taper block 55 provided on the upper opening / closing guide member 52A.

When the upper arm 43A further moves in the direction of the arrow X1 in the drawing from the state of arrival at the storage position shown in FIG. 9C, the guide roller 66 moves down along the tapered surface of the one-side taper block 55. As shown in FIG. 9 (D), a state where the vehicle rides on the lower end portion of the one-side taper block 55 is obtained (hereinafter, referred to as “9”).
This state is called a home position state). As described above, when the guide roller 66 rides on the lower end of the one-side taper block 55, the upper arm 46A rotates about the rotation center screw 65 in the direction of the arrow C2 in the figure. Accordingly, the hook 70 also rotates in the direction of the arrow B2, so that the hook 70 is separated from the tape cassette 11.
As a result, the tape cassette 11 is completely stored in the storage rack 16. Further, in this state, the storage rack 16 is separated from the upper arm 46A and the hook 70, so that the storage rack 16 is movable with respect to the upper arm 46A and the hook 70.

When the upper arm 43A moves to the storage position arrival state position as described above, the position detecting slit 78B formed on the projecting piece 78 of the slider plate 42 reaches the position where the photo interrupter 79 is disposed. The photo interrupter 79 generates a position detection signal. Motor 4
Motor control means (not shown) that controls the motor 4 stops driving the motor 44 by detecting the position detection signal.

As described above, when the tape cassette 11 for which the recording / reproducing process has been completed in the recording / reproducing apparatus 13 is stored in the storage rack 16, the storage rack moving mechanism 12
Is activated, and then the tape cassette 1 for performing the recording / reproducing process
The storage rack 16 is moved to a position where the storage section 18 in which 1 is stored faces the arms 43A and 43B. During the operation of the storage rack moving mechanism 12, the loading mechanism 14 maintains the home position.

When the processing by the storage rack moving mechanism 12 is completed, the motor control means starts the motor 44 again, and moves the slide plate 42 a little in the direction of arrow X1 in the figure. By this movement, the slide plate 42 comes into contact with the front limit switch 50, and the front limit switch 50 is turned on. When a position detection signal is output from the front limit switch 50, the motor control means stops driving the motor 44.

As described above, when the slide plate 42 slightly moves in the direction of arrow X1, the upper arm 4
3A also moves a little in the direction of arrow X1, and as shown in FIG.
5 comes into contact with the upper plate portion 46A over the lower end portion (hereinafter, this state is referred to as a transport start state). As described above, when the guide roller 66 rides over the lower end portion of the one-side taper block 55, the upper arm 43A is shown by an arrow C1 in FIG. Rotate in the direction. By the rotation of the upper arm 43A, the hook 70 is moved as shown in FIG.
In the direction shown by the arrow B1.
Are engaged with the rear surface 11B of the tape cassette 11.

As described above, when the hook 70 is engaged with the rear surface 11B of the tape cassette 11, the motor control means rotates the motor 44 in a rotation direction opposite to the conventional rotation direction. As a result, the slider plate 42 starts moving in the direction of the arrow X2 in the figure, and accordingly, the upper arm 43A
Also moves in the direction of arrow X2. At this time, since the hook 70 is engaged with the rear surface 11B of the tape cassette 11 as described above, the tape cassette 11 is transported from the storage rack 16 to the recording / reproducing device 13 with the movement of the upper arm 43A.

The guide roller 66 is connected to the upper arm 43A.
Moves in the direction of the arrow X2, and comes into contact with the one-side taper block 55 of the upper opening / closing guide member 52A. At this time,
The guide roller 66 comes into contact with the one taper block 55 on the side where the tapered surface is not formed. For this reason, the upper arm 4
The movement of the guide roller 66 in the direction of arrow X2 of 3A
Presses the one-side taper block 55, so that FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the upper opening / closing guide member 52A rotates in the direction of arrow C2 (clockwise) against the elastic force of the guide return spring 57. As a result, the guide roller 66 passes through the position where the upper opening / closing guide member 52A is provided, and can be moved in the arrow X2 direction while being guided by the upper plate portion 46A.

FIG. 10 (G) shows a position where the tape cassette 11 can be automatically loaded in the insertion / ejection opening 36 of the recording / reproducing device 13 (that is, the tape cassette 11 is moved by the automatic loading device provided in the recording / reproducing device 13). Is loaded (loaded) into the recording / reproducing apparatus 13 (hereinafter, this state is referred to as a loading start position arrival state).

When the slider plate 42 moves to the loading start position arrival state, the slider plate 42
Position detecting slit 78 formed in the projecting piece 78
A reaches the position where the photointerrupter 79 is provided, and the photointerrupter 79 generates a position detection signal. Motor control means (not shown) for controlling the motor 44 stops driving the motor 44 by detecting the position detection signal. In addition, in the loading start position arrival state, the guide roller 66 is stopped at a position immediately before the upper roller guide piece 60A (a position slightly smaller than the upper roller guide piece 60A in the direction of the arrow X1).

As described above, when the tape cassette 11 is transported to the loading start position, the recording / reproducing device 13
The automatic loading device installed in the tape cassette starts, and the tape cassette 1
1 is loaded into the recording / reproducing device 13. At this time, hook 7
Since the tape cassette 11 is engaged with the rear surface 11B of the tape cassette 11, no load is applied to the automatic loading device when the tape cassette 11 is loaded into the recording / reproducing device 13. Further, by adjusting the weight of the balance weight 34 of the storage rack moving mechanism 12, the apparatus can be installed and used at a position rotated by 90 degrees.

The tape cassette 1 is loaded by the loading mechanism 14.
When the load 1 is inserted into the insertion / discharge opening 36, even if a load larger than that is applied to the hook 70 due to the hooking of the tape cassette 11 or the like, as shown in FIG.
Is rotated against the elastic force of the torsion spring 74, thereby preventing the tape cassette 11, the hook 70, and the loading device in the recording / reproducing device from being damaged.

As described above, when the tape cassette 11 is loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus 13, the motor control means restarts the motor 44 and moves the slider plate 42 by a small amount until the slider plate 42 comes into contact with the rear limit switch 51. It is moved in the direction of arrow X2 in the figure. When the rear limit switch 51 is turned on, the device stops driving the motor. Accordingly, the upper arm 43A also moves in the direction of the arrow X2 by a small amount,
The guide roller 66 is engaged with the upper roller guide piece 60A. Thus, the loading mechanism 14 is again in the discharge standby state shown in FIG. Thereafter, the tape cassette 11 can be automatically conveyed and automatically loaded between the recording / reproducing device 13 and the storage rack 16 by repeating the above processing.

As described above, the loading device 14 performs a process of directly taking out and loading the tape cassette 11 between the recording / reproducing device 13 and the storage rack 16. That is, in the related art, the tape cassette is taken out from the recording / reproducing apparatus or the storage rack, and then transported in a direction different from the take-out direction, and thereafter, the loading process is performed. This eliminates the need for the process of transporting the tape cassette 11 in a direction different from the removal direction (that is, the removal and loading of the tape cassette 11 can be performed directly). Thus, the space required for transporting the tape cassette 11 can be reduced, and thus the size of the automatic loading device 10 and the time required for transporting the tape cassette 11 can be reduced.

Further, since the loading mechanism 14 is fixed to the recording / reproducing process 13, the loading mechanism 14 and the recording / reproducing process 1 are fixed.
Positioning with respect to 3 is performed in advance at the time of fixing. Therefore, positioning in the transport process of the tape cassette 11 is necessary because the loading mechanism 1 for storing and removing the tape cassette 11 from the storage rack 16.
Only the positioning between the storage rack 4 and the storage rack 16 is required, and the positioning process can be facilitated.

In the structure of the present embodiment, each arm 43A, 43A
B can be rotated between a position where the hook 70 engages with the tape cassette 11 (an engagement position) and a position where the hook 70 separates (a non-engagement position). Also, each arm 43A, 43B
Is configured to urge the rotation using the movement of the slider plate 42 as a driving source.
And each arm 43A, 43B can be driven by one motor 44. Thus, the slider plate 42 and the arms 43A and 43B can be driven with a small number of parts, so that the configuration of the loading mechanism 14 can be simplified and downsized.

Further, as described above, the slider plate 4
When the slider 2 moves, the slider plate 42 is moved in a straight line direction with respect to the base plate 40 (only in the directions of arrows X1 and X2).
It is configured to move only to. For this reason, the movement operation of the slider plate 42 is simplified, and the movement area is also reduced, so that the configuration of the automatic loading apparatus 10 can be simplified and downsized (especially, downsizing).

Further, in this embodiment, each arm 43A, 43A
The arm driving mechanism for driving B is constituted by a guide roller 66, upper and lower opening / closing guide members 52A and 52B, upper and lower roller guide pieces 60A and 60B, and the like. And
Each arm 43A, 43B is configured to perform a predetermined rotation operation when the guide roller 66 engages or disengages with the opening / closing guide members 52A, 52B and the roller guide pieces 60A, 60B. This makes it possible to reliably operate the arms 43A and 43B with a simple configuration.

As is clear from the above description, each opening / closing guide member 52A, 52B, each roller guide piece 60A,
By adjusting the limit switches 60B, the limit switches 50 and 51, the photointerrupter 79 (the position where the position detecting slits 78A and 78B are formed), the moving distance and the rotation angle of the arms 43A and 43B can be arbitrarily adjusted. Is possible. Therefore, by performing this adjustment, the automatic loading device 10 according to the present invention can be applied to various types of cassettes.

In this embodiment, the storage rack moving mechanism 1
2, the storage rack 16 moves with respect to the recording / reproducing device 13. However, when the storage rack 16 is large, the storage rack 16 is fixed and the recording / reproducing device 13 is moved. It is also possible.

[0085]

According to the present invention as described above, the following various effects can be realized. According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the recording medium can be stored and taken out of the storage body directly from the recording / reproducing apparatus,
The space required for transporting the recording medium can be reduced, so that the automatic recording medium loading device can be reduced in size and the time required for transporting the recording medium can be reduced (efficiency).

Further, since the positioning between the loading mechanism and the recording / reproducing process is performed in advance, the positioning in the transporting process of the recording medium is required only when loading and unloading the recording medium from the storage body. Only the positioning of the mechanism and the housing is performed, so that the positioning process can be facilitated. According to the second aspect of the present invention,
The slider plate and the arm can be driven with a small number of parts, and the configuration of the loading mechanism can be simplified and downsized.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the operation is performed by engaging or disengaging the engagement member provided on the arm with the first and second guide members provided on the chassis. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably operate the arm with a simple configuration. According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the arm for directly transporting the recording medium is shortened, stable transport can be performed, and the positional accuracy at the time of loading and unloading processing is improved. The recording medium can be reliably loaded and unloaded.

Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the movement operation of the slider plate is simplified and the movement area is reduced, so that the recording medium automatic loading apparatus can be simplified and downsized (especially, downsizing). Can be planned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a recording medium automatic loading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a storage body moving mechanism provided in the recording medium automatic loading device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external view showing a loading mechanism provided in a recording medium automatic loading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a loading mechanism provided in the recording medium automatic loading apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the recording medium automatic loading apparatus in a discharge standby state.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the recording medium automatic loading device in a discharge standby state.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the recording medium automatic loading apparatus in a discharge standby state.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing, in an enlarged manner, the vicinity of a hook provided on an arm.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the recording medium automatic loading device according to one embodiment of the present invention (part 1).

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the recording medium automatic loading device according to one embodiment of the present invention (part 2).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Automatic loading apparatus 12 Tape cassette 11A Engagement groove part 11B Rear surface 12 Storage rack moving mechanism 13 Recording / reproducing apparatus 14 Loading mechanism 15 Case 16 Storage rack 19 Rack case 20 Lower table 21 Lower table guide 22 Stud 23 Pressurizing spring 24 Pressurizing plate 26 Upper table 27 Upper table guide 30 Belt 35 Device main body 36 Insertion / discharge opening 40 Base plate 41 Rail 42 Slider plate 43A Upper arm 43B Lower arm 44 Motor 46A Upper plate portion 46B Lower plate portion 50 Front limit switch 51 Rear limit switch 52A Upper Opening / closing guide member 52B Lower opening / closing guide member 53 Guide arm 55 One-side tapered block 57 Guide return spring 60A Upper roller guide piece 60B Lower roller guide piece 61 Slide cover Bull 64 regulating guide rollers 65 rotate around the screw 66 guide rollers 67 clamp spring 70 hooks 71 holder 74 torsion spring 78 protruding piece 78A, the slits 79 photointerrupter for detecting 78B position

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A recording / reproducing apparatus which performs recording and reproduction processing by loading a recording medium, a housing for accommodating the recording medium, and transporting the recording medium between the housing and the recording / reproducing apparatus. And a loading mechanism for loading and unloading the recording medium with respect to the storage body and the recording / reproducing apparatus. The recording medium automatic loading apparatus, wherein the loading mechanism is integrated with the recording / reproducing apparatus. An automatic recording medium loading device, wherein: 2. The recording medium automatic loading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the loading mechanism comprises: a chassis; a slider plate movable in a direction in which the recording medium is transported with respect to the chassis; An arm movably disposed and urged to rotate in a direction to engage with the recording medium; and an engagement position where the movement of the slider plate is used as a drive source to engage the arm with the recording medium. And an arm drive mechanism for rotating and urging between a non-engaged position and a non-engaged position. 3. The recording medium automatic loading device according to claim 2, wherein the arm driving mechanism is provided on an engaging member provided on the arm, and on the chassis, and the recording medium is loaded on the recording / reproducing device. A first guide member that engages with the engagement member in a state where the slider plate is positioned at the discharged standby position, and holds the arm at the non-engagement position, and is displaceably provided on the chassis; In a state where the slider plate is at a loading position for loading the recording medium into the storage body, the slider plate engages with the engaging member to hold the arm at the non-engaging position, and the slider plate holds the recording medium. A second arm that releases the engagement with the engagement member and moves the arm to the engagement position in a state where the arm is at the removal position where the arm is taken out of the storage body; Recording medium autoloader characterized by having a de member. 4. The automatic recording medium loading device according to claim 1, wherein the loading mechanism is disposed on a side portion of the recording / reproducing device near an opening through which the recording medium is loaded / discharged. An automatic recording medium loading device, which is provided. 5. The automatic recording medium loading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slider plate is moved only in a linear direction with respect to the chassis. apparatus.