JPH0132196Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] This invention is a videotape recorder (hereinafter referred to as
The present invention relates to a so-called slot-in type automatic cassette loading device in which a cassette is inserted from the side, for example, the front, of a device such as a VTR (VTR).

In recent years, there has been a demand for effective use of the space above the equipment for VCRs, etc., and for this reason, a front-loading type automatic cassette loading device has been developed that inserts the cassette from the front rather than from the top of the equipment. ing.

In such a device, the cassette is stored in a cassette holder through a cassette insertion port provided at the front of the device. The cassette holder containing the cassette is first conveyed horizontally into the device, then vertically downward, and the cassette is placed at a predetermined position on the reel stand. On the other hand, when taking out a cassette, the cassette holder is conveyed vertically upwards in the opposite direction to the above-described cassette loading operation, and then horizontally conveyed toward the cassette insertion opening, and the cassette is conveyed to the cassette insertion opening.

By the way, in the above-mentioned apparatus, the timing for driving the conveying means of the cassette holder is obtained by detecting that the cassette is stored in the cassette holder, and the cassette holder moves from the cassette loading position to the cassette insertion position (cassette removal position). It is necessary to have means for determining the timing to stop the conveying means of the cassette holder when the cassette holder has been conveyed to the cassette loading position, and means for determining the timing to stop the operation of the conveying means when the cassette holder has been conveyed to the cassette loading position. The conventional device has a configuration in which a detection switch and an operation means for the detection switch are provided for each of the above-mentioned means, resulting in problems such as an increase in the manufacturing cost of the device and a complicated configuration.

Further, the cassette insertion slot is generally covered with a door that can be opened and closed to prevent dirt from entering the inside of the device. In conventional devices, the door is opened and closed by providing a solenoid to drive the door and a push button to control the on/off state of the solenoid. , had been made with off control. However, such a configuration requires a solenoid and an electric circuit for driving the solenoid, which again poses problems of increasing manufacturing costs and complicating the configuration. Moreover, with this configuration, when inserting a cassette, two operations are required: first, pressing a push button to open the opening/closing door, and then inserting the cassette through the cassette insertion slot, making the device extremely difficult for the user to use. There was a drawback.

Further, in the above-mentioned apparatus, a means is required to prevent the cassette holder in which no cassette is stored from moving from the cassette insertion position (cassette removal position) to the cassette loading position due to vibration or the like. However, the above-mentioned means in conventional devices often lack operational reliability;
There were many problems in which the above-mentioned means malfunctioned and the cassette holder moved to the cassette loading position even though no cassette was stored, making it impossible to insert the cassette.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned devices are generally configured so that when a cassette is stored in the cassette holder through the cassette insertion port, the cassette holder is automatically transported to the cassette loading position by the transport means. It is. In this case, if the conveying means is operated immediately after the cassette is stored in the cassette holder, the user has the disadvantage that the user feels as if his or her hand is being sucked into the device.

This idea was made in view of the above circumstances, and is particularly designed to provide a cassette that is constructed so that the cassette holder can be reliably moved to the cassette loading position only when the cassette is stored in the cassette holder in the correct position. The purpose is to provide an automatic loading device.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the outline of a slot-in type automatic cassette loading device will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the principle of an example of a slot-in type automatic cassette loading device.
First, to explain the directions of the arrows shown in the figure, the arrow a ₁ direction is the cassette removal direction (front), that is, the cassette insertion slot side, and the arrow a ₂ direction is the cassette insertion direction (backward). be.
Further, the direction of arrow a ₃ in the drawing corresponds to the left direction when the device is viewed in the direction of arrow a ₂ in the drawing, and the direction of arrow a ₄ in the drawing similarly corresponds to the right direction. Further, the direction of arrow _a5 in the figure corresponds to the upward direction of the device, and the direction of arrow _a6 in the figure likewise corresponds to the downward direction. Also, the direction of arrow a ₇ in the figure corresponds to the clockwise direction when the device is viewed in the direction of arrow a ₆ in the figure.
The arrow _a8 direction shown in the figure is also counterclockwise. Further, the direction of arrow a ₉ in the figure corresponds to the clockwise direction when the device is viewed in the direction of arrow a ₃ in the figure, and the direction of arrow a ₁₀ in the figure similarly corresponds to the counterclockwise direction.

To explain each part, 11L and 11R are a left side plate and a right side plate, respectively, which are provided upright on the chassis. The left side plate 11L and right side plate 11R have rails 12L and 12R in the direction of arrow a ₁ ←→a ₂ , respectively.
is provided. Slide members 13L and 13R are slidably attached to the rails 12L and 12R, respectively. A cassette holder 16 is attached to the slide members 13L and 13R via two pairs of rings 14L and 14R, 15L and 15R provided on the left and right sides.
Two rollers 18L and 19 are provided on the left side plate 17L and right side plate 17R of this cassette holder 16, respectively.
L, 18R and 19R are provided. Although not shown on the left side plate 11L, the rollers 18L, 1
Two grooves into which 9L is fitted are formed. Each groove is formed so as to extend a predetermined distance from the cassette insertion port side in the direction of arrow _a2 in the figure, and then to extend in the direction of arrow _a6 in the figure. Also, right side plate 1
1R also has rollers 18R, 1 in the same way as the left side plate 11L.
Two grooves into which 9R is fitted are formed. According to such a configuration, the slide members 13L, 1
By sliding 3R in the direction of arrow _a2 in the figure, the cassette holder 16 can be conveyed in the direction of arrow _a2 and the direction of arrow _a6 in the figure. vice versa,
By sliding the slide members 13L and 13R in the direction of the arrow _a1 shown in the figure, the cassette holder 16 can be slid in the direction of the arrow _a5 and the direction of the arrow _a1 in the figure.

Next, the drive mechanism of the slide members 13L and 13R will be explained. In the figure, 20 is a top plate, and a pair of left and right output gears 21L, 21R are attached to this top plate 20. A slide plate 22 is connected to output gears 21L and 21R via a pair of left and right cranks 23L and 23R. Pinion gears 24L and 24R are attached to the left and right ends of this slide plate 22, respectively. The pinion gear 24L is meshed with a meshing surface 25L formed on the slide member 13L and a meshing surface 26L formed on the left side plate 11L so as to be sandwiched from above and below. Similarly, pinion gear 24R has toothed surfaces 25R and 26R.
is engaged with.

The output gears 21L and 21R are rotationally driven by a motor 27 attached to the top plate 20.
This motor 27 is a one-way rotating motor, and its rotational force is transmitted through a worm gear 28 and a worm wheel 2.
Output gear 21 is driven by drive gear A that rotates in conjunction with gear 9.
transmitted to R. As a result, the output gear 21R is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow _a7 in the figure, and the output gear 21R is
1L is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by arrow _a8 in the figure. In this case, the slide plate 22 repeats reciprocating movement in the _two directions of arrow a ₁ ←→a in the figure for each rotation of the output gears 21L and 21R. Along with this reciprocating movement, the slide member 1
3L and 13R also repeat the reciprocating movement in _{the two} directions indicated by the arrow a ₁ ←→a.

In the above configuration, the cassette loading operation will be explained. First, when a cassette is stored in the cassette holder 16 through the cassette insertion slot, the motor 27 starts rotating. As a result, the cassette holder 16 is first conveyed a predetermined distance in the direction of arrow _a2 in the figure, and then conveyed in the direction of arrow _a6 in the figure. When the cassette is placed at a predetermined position on a reel stand (not shown), the motor 27 stops rotating. This operation is achieved by half a rotation of the output gears 21L and 21R.

Next, the cassette ejecting operation will be explained. This operation is obtained by the remaining half rotation of the output gears 21L and 21R. That is, output gears 21L, 21R
starts the remaining half rotation, the slide plate 22 now moves in the direction of arrow _a1 shown in the figure. This results in
The cassette holder 16 is first conveyed in the direction of arrow _a5 in the figure, and then conveyed in the direction of arrow _a1 in the figure. When the cassette holder 16 reaches the cassette insertion position, the motor 27 stops rotating and the cassette can be removed.

Next, an example of a specific configuration of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be shown, and an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to it. Note that the arrow directions shown in each figure used in the following explanation correspond to the arrow directions explained in FIG. 1.

First, the configuration and operation of the apparatus used here will be briefly explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 18.

Figure 2 shows the device from the front (in _{the two} directions of arrow a).
FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 as viewed along lines -' and -' in the direction of arrow _a4 in the figure, respectively. In the figure, 31L, 3
1R is a left side plate and a right side plate that are sharply erected on the chassis, and parallel rails 33L and 33R that are integrally formed with these and extend inward, that is, in opposite directions, are arranged on the top of these. There is.
Furthermore, support columns 34L and 34R are erected integrally with the upper ends of the side plates 31L and 31R. Further, inside the side plate 31R, as shown in FIG. 3, a T-shaped groove 35R is cut out below the rail 33R, and further below this groove 35R is another groove 3.
6R is notched. The grooves 35R and 36R consist of a horizontal groove 1a and a vertically downward groove 2a formed continuously behind the groove 1a.

In addition, the side plate 31L also has two grooves 35L,
36L (see FIG. 4) is formed.

Grooves 35L and 35 at the top of both side plates 31L and 31R
A part of R is fitted into the horizontal groove 1a,
Slide members 37L and 37R are installed which are guided by the groove portion 1a and move horizontally, and these slide members 37L and 37R are attached to the fitting portion 38 of the slide members 37L and 37R.
It consists of rails 33L, 38R and vertical plates 39L, 39R extending upward from the rails 33L, 33R. Rails 33L, 3 are installed on the outside of the vertical plates 39L, 39R.
Rack 40L and 40R that movably fit with 3R
are attached horizontally and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vertical plates 39L, 39R, so that the slide members 37L, 37R are attached to the grooves 1a of the grooves 35L, 35R.
It moves horizontally together with racks 40L and 40R without coming off.

On the other hand, shafts 41L, 41R are attached to the upper inner side of the vertical plates 39L, 39 of the slide members 37L, 37R.
One end of the links 42L and 42R is indicated by the arrow shown in the figure.
a ₉ ←→a It is fixed so as to be rotatable in ₁₀ directions, and the other end is connected to a cassette holder 43 whose details will be described later.
A shaft 45 is attached to the left and right support plates 44L and 44R that support the
It is fixed so as to be rotatable in the direction of arrows a ₉ ←→a ₁₀ shown in the figure via L and 45R. Furthermore, vertical plate 39L, 3
One end of springs 46L, 46R is fixed to the inner upper part of 9R, and the other end of this spring is connected to links 42L, 46R.
It is locked near the shafts 45L and 45R of 42R. In addition, the fitting portion 38L of the slide members 37L, 37R,
One end of rings 48L, 48R is rotatably supported on the front side of 38R via shafts 47L, 47R, and the other end is rotatably supported at the bottom of support plates 44L, 44R, respectively, via shafts 49L, 49R. Supported. A roller 5 is installed at the tip of the shafts 49L and 49R.
0L and 50R are installed, and this is the groove 36
It is located within L, 36R. Support plate 4
At the center rear end of 4L and 44R, there is a roller 51 at the tip.
Shafts 52L and 52R to which rollers L and 51R are attached are arranged so that the rollers 51L and 51R are located in the grooves 35L and 35R.

The link 42L or 42R and the link 47L or 47R form a parallel link, and the cassette holder 43 is connected to the left and right parallel links and the shaft 52.
Rollers 51L, 51 attached to L, 52R
It is configured so that it is constantly held horizontally by R. Furthermore, as the slide members 37L and 37R move back and forth, the cassette holder 43
It moves horizontally and vertically guided by grooves 36L and 36R provided in 1L and 31R.

Next, the cassette holder 43 will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view when the top plate assembly section is removed from the apparatus of this embodiment.
4L and 54R, and projecting pieces 55 and 56 are provided on the rear end side of the bottom plate 52. These protrusions 55 and 56 act as a stopper for the inserted cassette, but protrusion 55 also has the function of unlocking the lid of the tape drawer of the cassette. A plate-shaped spring 57 is attached to the right side plate 54R of the cassette holder 43 so as to protrude inward from the cassette holder 43, so that the inserted cassette is not easily removed from the cassette holder 43. It plays the role of forcing the

Next, the top plate assembly section will be explained. FIG. 6 is a view of the top plate assembly section as seen in the direction of arrow _a5 in the figure. 58
is a top plate, and support plates 59L,
59R is disposed perpendicularly to the top plate 58.
Elongated holes 60L, 60R parallel to the surface of the top plate 58 are provided in the middle portions of the support plates 59L, 59R in the height direction. The top plate 58 further includes support plates 59L and 59.
Rack 61L, 61R parallel to R is arranged inside R, pinion gears 62L, 62R meshing with the rack 61L, 61R, and shaft 63.
Slide plates 64 (indicated by two-dot chain lines) with L and 63R attached to both side edges respectively insert the tips of the shafts 65L and 65R of the pinion gears 62L and 62R and the tips of the shafts 63L and 63R into the elongated holes 60L and 60R. It is attached to support plates 59L and 59R. As a result, the slide plate 64 holds the pinion gears 62L and 62R on the racks 61L and 61R, and the movable rack 4 of the remaining assembly parts excluding the top plate assembly part.
While meshing with 0L and 40R, it slides parallel to the top plate 58 in the _two directions indicated by arrows a ₁ ←→a (front and back). By moving this slide plate 64, the rack 40
L and 40R move, and the cassette holder 43 moves.

A motor 66 for loading and unloading cassettes is attached to the rear of the top plate 58, and the torque generated from this motor 66 is transmitted via a belt 67 to a worm gear 6 also provided on the top plate 58.
8. The drive gear 6 rotates in conjunction with the worm oil 69 that meshes with the gear 68.
Further, an output gear 70R attached to the top plate 58 in parallel meshes with the gear 9'.
Another output gear 70L, which is also attached to the top plate 58 in parallel, is engaged with 0R. Output gears 70L and 70R each have pin 7.
One ends of the cranks 72L and 72R are rotatably attached to the cranks 72L and 72R via the cranks 1L and 71R in the direction of the arrow _a7 ←→ _a8 shown in the figure. The other ends of the cranks 72L, 72R are rotatably attached to the slide plate 64 via pins 73L, 73R.

The operation in the above configuration will be explained. 2 to 6 show the state of each part when the cassette holder 43 is positioned at the cassette insertion position (or cassette removal position). In this state, insert the cassette 74 (indicated by the two-dot chain line) into the cassette holder 4 through the cassette insertion slot (not shown).
3, it will be in the state shown in FIG. 8th
The figure will be described in detail later in comparison with FIG. 4. The difference is that the relay lever 143 and the like have started operating. When the cassette 74 is stored in the cassette holder 43, the motor 66 (see FIG. 6) starts rotating. The rotational torque of the motor 66 is transmitted to the output gears 70L and 70 via a drive gear 69' that rotates in conjunction with a belt 67, a worm gear 68, and a worm wheel 69.
transmitted to R. As a result, the output gear 70R rotates in the direction of arrow _a7 in the figure, and the output gear 70L rotates in the direction of arrow _a8 in the figure. Due to this rotation, the cranks 72L and 72R are pulled and the slide plate 6
4 moves backward (cassette holder a ₂ direction). At this time, since the pinion gears 62L and 62R attached to the slide plate 64 rotate, the racks 40L and 40R also move rearward on the rails 33L and 33R. As the racks 40L and 40R move, the rollers 50L and 50R move along the grooves 36L and 36R, and the rollers 51L and 51R move along the grooves 36L and 36R.
Move along 5L and 35R. At this time, when the rollers 50L, 50R, 51L, and 51R are located in the horizontal grooves 1a of the corresponding grooves 36L, 36R, 35L, and 35R, the cassette holder 43 moves horizontally backward. and vertical groove 2
When reaching point a, the rollers 50L, 50
R, 51L, and 51R move vertically downward, and the links 42L, 42R, 48L, and 48R rotate so as to move the cassette holder 43 vertically downward. In this way, the cassette 74 is finally placed in a predetermined position on a reel stand (not shown). FIG. 8 shows the state in which the cassette holder 43 is positioned at the cassette loading position. The motor 66 stops rotating when the cassette 74 is placed at a predetermined position on the reel stand. In addition to the rollers 50L and 50R, the rollers 51L and 51R are also moved along the grooves, so that even when the cassette holder 43 is moved vertically, its posture is maintained in a horizontal state.

The stroke of the cassette holder 43 until the cassette loading is completed as described above is obtained by half a rotation of the output gears 70L and 70R. In addition,
When the cassette holder 43 is in the cassette insertion position or cassette loading position, the pins 71L, 73L or 7 at both ends of the crank 72L or 72R
It is set so that the shaft 75L or 75R of the output gear 70L or 70R does not exist on the straight line connecting 1R and 73R. For example, in the case of FIG. 6, if the pin 73L and the shaft 75L or the pin 73R and the shaft 75R are on the same straight line in _two directions indicated by the arrow a ₁ ←→a, then the cranks 72L and 73L are aligned with the arrow a ₁
They are arranged in a V-shape that expands in the direction of the direction. On the other hand, when the cassette holder 43 is in the cassette loading position, the cranks 72L, 7
2R becomes parallel and the motor 66 stops.

Next, the operation when taking out the cassette will be explained. To remove the cassette 74, use the output gears 70L, 7.
This is done in the remaining half revolution of 0R. For example, when a cassette eject operation is performed by pressing the cassette eject button, the motor 66 rotates and the output gear 70
L and 70R rotate in the directions of arrows a ₈ and a ₇ shown in the figure, respectively, as in the case of loading the cassette. This results in
This time, the slide plate 64 is moved in the direction of arrow a ₁ (forward).
The racks 40L and 40R follow suit and move forward. This causes the cassette holder 43 to move vertically upward. At this time, motor 6
The load on 6 is reduced by springs 46L, 46R that are engaged with links 42L, 42R. And rollers 50L, 50R, 51L, 51
When R reaches the horizontal groove 1a, the cassette holder 43 begins to move horizontally, and when it moves to the cassette insertion position, the motor 66
stops, and the cassette can be removed.

Here, the means for obtaining the timing for controlling the on/off of the motor 66 will be mainly explained in FIGS. 6 and 9.
This will be explained with reference to FIGS.

A switch lever 82 is rotatably supported on the top plate 58 via a shaft 81 in the direction of arrow a ₁ ←→a ₈ in the figure. This switch lever 82 has a cam driving section 83 driven by a cam, which will be described later, and a switch operation section 84, which operates a detection switch, which will be described later. The cam drive section 83 is connected to the output gear 70R.
A pin 85 is located on the upper surface side of the pin 85, and a pin 85 that projects downward is provided at the tip thereof. A concave cam 86 is formed on the upper surface of the output gear 70R. The cam surface 87 of this cam 86 is connected to the shaft 75 of the output gear 70R.
It has a circular arc shape with R as the center, and a cassette insertion detection section 88 and a cassette loading detection section 8 are located in a part of the arc with a distance of approximately 180 degrees around the axis of the output gear 70R.
9 is formed. Each of the detection parts 88 and 89 is formed to protrude toward the center of the output gear 70R, and the protruding tip end is also connected to the output gear 70R.
It is formed in an arc shape centered on the axis 75R. On the switch operating section 84 side of the switch lever 82 is a detection switch 9 that is turned on and off by being operated by the switch operating section 84.
0 is placed. In addition, the switch lever 82
is always urged in the direction of arrow _a7 by a return spring 91, so that the pin 85 comes into contact with the cam surface of the cam 86.

The operation in the above configuration will be explained. When the cassette holder 43 is at the cassette insertion detection position,
The pin 85 of the switch lever 82 is located at the cassette insertion detection section 88 of the cam 86, and the switch 90 is operated by the switch operation section 84 to be in the on state. When the switch 90 is in the on state,
Motor 66 does not rotate. Insert the cassette 74 into the cassette holder 43 from this state, and the cassette 74 will be inserted into the protrusions 55 and 56 of the cassette holder 43.
(See Figure 5)
When pushed in, the pushing force slightly rotates the output gear 70R in the direction of arrow _a7 shown in the figure.
As a result, the pin 85 is disengaged from the cassette insertion detection portion 88 of the cam 86, and the switch lever 82 is rotated by the return spring 91 in the direction of arrow _a7 in the figure. Therefore, the switch 90 is turned off, the motor 66 rotates, the cassette holder 43 is transported to the cassette loading position, and the cassette 74 is placed at a predetermined position on the reel stand. At this time, output gear 7
0R rotates half a turn and the pin 85 of the switch lever 82
However, this time the cam 86 rides on the cassette loading detection section 89, so the switch 90 is turned on and the rotation of the motor 66 is stopped.

In this state, if the cassette is removed by pressing the cassette eject button, the motor 6
6 is driven by the motor drive circuit and starts rotating even though the switch 90 is on. As a result, the pin 85 of the switch lever 82
comes off from the cassette loading detection section 89, and the switch 9
0 is in the off state, and the motor 66 continues to rotate. When the cassette holder 43 reaches the cassette insertion position, the pin 85 rides on the cassette insertion detection section 88, so the switch 90 is turned on and the motor 66 stops rotating.

According to the above configuration, it is detected that the cassette 74 is stored in the cassette holder 43, and the motor 6 is activated.
a detection switch and operating means for determining the timing to rotate the motor 66 and to stop the rotation of the motor 66 when the cassette holder 43 containing the cassette 74 is conveyed from the cassette loading position to the cassette insertion position; A single detection switch 90 and operating means share the detection switch and operating means for detecting that the cassette holder 43 containing the cassette 74 has been transported to the cassette loading position and determining the timing for stopping the rotation of the motor 66. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the device.

Further, a cam 86 is formed on the output gear 70R, which constitutes a drive mechanism for conveying the cassette holder 43, and the detection switch 90 is turned on and off depending on the rotational position of the cam 86, so that the cassette 74 is at a predetermined position. When the motor 66 is positioned, the motor 66 can be reliably turned on or off.

Next, the rotational torque of the motor 66 is transferred to the output gear 70R.
Regarding the mechanism for transmitting
This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

As shown in FIGS. 11a and 11b, a worm wheel 69 meshed with the worm gear 68 and a drive gear 69' meshed with the output gear 70R are connected by a torsion spring 102. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, a projection 103 is formed on the lower end surface of the drive gear 69' that meshes with the output gear 70R, and a projection 104 and a stopper 105 are formed on the upper end surface of the worm wheel 69 that meshes with the worm gear 68. It is formed. The two gears 69, 69' thus formed are coaxially combined with a torsion spring 102 interposed on the shaft. In this case, the torsion spring 102 has one end fixed to the protrusion 103 of the gear 101 and the other end fixed to the protrusion 104 of the worm wheel 69, as shown in FIG. 13, to rotate the gears 69, 69' in opposite directions. However, the protrusions 103 and 104
This rotation is regulated by the contact. Further, when the gear 101 is rotated in the direction of arrow _a8 shown in the figure against the elastic force of the torsion spring 102 while the worm wheel 69 is fixed, the protrusion 10
3 rotates until it reaches the stopper 105 position, and when the protrusion 103 comes into contact with the stopper 105, the rotation is restricted.

The operation in the above configuration will be explained. Cassette 7
4 into the cassette holder 43, the protrusion 104 of the worm wheel 69 and the drive gear 69'
The protrusion 103 is in contact with the protrusion 103 . From this state, when the cassette 74 is inserted into the cassette holder 43 and the cassette 74 is pushed further even though it comes into contact with the protrusions 55 and 56, the cranks 72L and 72R, which are in a V-shaped state, are moved by the pushing force. The output gear 70R rotates in the direction of arrow _a7 shown in the figure,
The gear 101 that meshes with the output gear 70R resists the elastic force of the torsion spring 102 as shown by the arrow in the figure.
a It is rotated in _{the 8} direction, and the protrusion 103 is separated from the protrusion 104. The cassette insertion detection portion 88 of the cam 86 of the output gear 70R (see FIG. 9) is connected to the protrusion 103.
The pin 85 is set to be removed from the cassette insertion detection portion 88 immediately before the pin 85 comes into contact with the stopper 105, and the detection switch 90 is turned off. Therefore, while pushing in the cassette 74,
Motor 66 starts rotating. The rotational torque of the motor 66 is immediately transmitted to the worm wheel 69, but is not transmitted to the drive gear 69', which is connected to the worm wheel 69 via a torsion spring 102, until the protrusion 103 comes into contact with the protrusion 104. . When the worm wheel 69 rotates and the protrusion 103 comes into contact with the protrusion 104, the worm wheel 69 rotates together with the gear 69', and the cassette holder 43 is conveyed by the rotation of the motor 66.

If you want to cancel the insertion of the cassette 74 while it is being inserted, remove your hand from the cassette 74 while rotating the worm wheel 69 in the direction of arrow a ₈ in the figure, unless the detection switch 90 is turned off. The elastic force pushes the protrusion 103 back to the position where it contacts the protrusion 104. Furthermore, if the detection switch 90 does not turn off for some reason even though the cassette 74 has been inserted, the gear 101 can only rotate until the protrusion 103 contacts the stopper 105. It is possible to eliminate problems such as when something gets pushed into the inside of the device and cannot be taken out.
Note that the motor 66 does not rotate immediately after the detection switch 90 is turned off, but after a certain period of time has elapsed. To explain this using FIGS. 14 and 15, the cassette 74
is stored in the cassette holder 43, and the motor 66
When the detection switch 90, which obtains the timing output for starting the controller, is turned off (see FIG. 15a),
The base potential of transistor Q ₁ gradually decreases according to the time constant of resistor R ₁ and capacitor C ₁ (first
(See Figure 5b). When transistor Q ₁ is turned off, the base potential of transistors Q ₂ and Q ₃ becomes high level as shown in Figure 15c, and this transistor
The emitter potentials of Q ₂ and Q ₃ become high level as shown in FIG. 15d, and the motor 66 is started. Note that the motor 66 is turned off after the detection switch 90 is turned off.
For example, it is set to about 100msec until it turns on.

According to the above structure, the insertion force of the cassette 74 is determined only by the elastic force of the torsion spring 102. The elastic force of the torsion spring 102 may be such as to return the cassette holder 43 to the cassette insertion position when it is desired to stop the insertion of the cassette 74 in the middle of insertion. However, since such elastic force does not need to be so large, such a configuration allows the cassette to be inserted with a small force.

Furthermore, the cassette holder 43 is not transported immediately after the cassette 74 is stored in the cassette holder 43, but in reality, the motor 66 rotates after a certain period of time has passed after the switch 90 is turned off, and its rotational torque is transferred to the worm gear. 69. Since the cassette holder 43 is conveyed by being further delayed for a certain period of time by the action of the drive gear 69' and being transmitted to the output gears 70L and 70R, it is possible to prevent the feeling of the hand being sucked into the inside of the device. can.

Next, the drive mechanism of the opening/closing door provided in the cassette insertion slot so as to be openable and closable will be explained with reference mainly to FIGS. 6, 9, and 16.

A concave cam 11 is provided on the upper surface of the output gear 70L.
0 is formed. This cam 110 has a door driving section 11 whose outer circumferential surface is curved toward the center of the output gear 70L and is formed so as to face each other.
1,112, and the shaft 75 whose outer peripheral surface is the output gear 70L.
It consists of open state holding parts 113 and 114 that are formed in an arc shape centered on L and are formed to face each other. 115 is a swing cam lever driven by this cam 110. That is, this swing lever 115 is rotatably supported on the top plate 58 via a shaft 116 in the direction of arrow a ₇ ←→a ₈ in the figure, and one end thereof extends to the upper surface side of the output gear 70L. , a pin 117 provided at the tip thereof is in contact with the cam surface of the cam 100. As a result, the swing cam lever 115 is moved by the cam 110 in the direction shown by the arrow a ₇ ←→a ₈
It is rotated in the direction. This swing cam lever 11
A cam slider 118 is connected to the other end of 5. The cam slider 118 is attached to the top plate 58 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction (arrow a ₁ ←→a ₂ direction). The protruding piece 119 provided upright on the rear end of the swinging cam lever 1
The swing cam lever 115 is connected to the swing cam lever 115 by two protrusions 120 and 121 formed on the swing cam lever 115 so as to sandwich it from both sides.

At both front ends of the top plate 58, support plates 123L and 123R for supporting the opening/closing door 122 are provided vertically downward. The opening/closing door 122 has a support plate 123L,
Shafts 124L and 124 provided on the top of 123R
Arrows shown on support plates 123L and 123R by R
a ₉ ←→a It is rotatably supported in ₁₀ directions. The door lever 125 has a shaft 126 on the outside of the support plate 123R.
It is rotatably supported in the directions of arrows a ₉ ←→a ₁₀ shown in the figure. Two protrusions 127 and 128 are provided on this door lever 125 to protrude toward the support plate 123L side. Of these, the protrusion 127 is
It is set to be located outside of 23L.
Further, the protrusion 128 is set to protrude to the inside of the support plate 123L through a notch 129 formed diagonally above the front line of the support plate 123L. The door lever 125 is connected to the cam slider 118 by the protrusion 127 being engaged with the other end of the cam slider 118 through a notch 130 cut upward from the lower end thereof. In addition, the door lever 125 has a protrusion 128
is the elongated hole 13 formed at the left end of the opening/closing door 122.
1 and is connected to this opening/closing door 122. Note that the protrusion 124L is inserted into the hole 132 provided above the elongated hole 131. Furthermore, the door lever 125 is always urged in the direction of arrow _a10 by a spring 133.

The operation in the above configuration will be explained. Before inserting the cassette and when the cassette is loaded in a predetermined position, the door lever 125 is rotated about the shaft 126 by the spring 133 in the direction of arrow _a10 in the figure, so that the opening/closing door 122 is It is rotated in the direction of arrow _a9 in the figure, and the cassette insertion opening is closed.

When the cassette 74 is inserted from this state, the opening/closing door 122 is pushed by the front surface of the cassette 74 and rotates in the direction of arrow _a10 in the figure, so that the cassette insertion opening opens and the cassette 74 is stored in the cassette holder 43. At this time, the door lever 125 is pushed by the opening/closing door 122 and rotates in the direction of arrow _a9 in the figure, and the cam slider 118 slides rearward. Further, as a result, the swing cam lever 115 rotates in the direction of arrow _a7 in the figure, and the pin 117 separates from the cam surface of the cam 110. When the cassette 74 is stored in the cassette holder 43, the motor 66 starts rotating, and the output gear 70L rotates in the direction of arrow _a8 in the figure, the pin 11
7 rides on the open state holding portion 113 of the cam 110. In the illustrated apparatus, the cassette 74 is
When the output gears 70L and 70R are pushed in, the output gears 70L and 70R rotate slightly and then the motor 66 is rotated. Therefore, when the output gear 70L is rotationally driven by the rotational torque of the motor 66,
The open state holding portion 113 of No. 0 is located near the pin 117. Therefore, the output gear 70L is the motor 66.
When the pin 117 is rotated by the cam 110, the pin 117 immediately rides on the open state holding part 113, and the opening/closing door 122 is kept in the open state by the cam 110. This means that the opening/closing door 122 can be completely opened before the entire cassette is completely inserted into the equipment, so that the friction generated between the cassette 74 and the opening/closing door can be avoided. It is possible to prevent the generation of unpleasant friction noise and damage to the cassette.

When the motor 66 rotates and the output gear 70L rotates nearly half a rotation, the pin 117 is now guided by the door drive section 112. As a result, the swing cam lever 115 gradually rotates in the direction of arrow _a8 in the figure.
The opening/closing door 122 is rotated in the direction of closing the cassette insertion opening, that is, in the direction of arrow _a9 in the figure. and,
When output gear 70L turns half a turn, pin 117
is closest to the shaft 75L of the output gear 70L, and the cassette insertion port is completely closed.

When the cassette is removed from this state, the pin 117 is guided by the slope of the remaining half of the door drive section 112, and the opening/closing door 122 gradually opens. Then, the pin 117 is connected to the open state holding portion 114.
While the cassette 74 is being guided, the rear surface of the cassette 74 is sent out to the outside of the device. After this, the pin 117 reaches the door drive section 111 of the cam 110, but as described above, the rear side of the cassette 74 has already come out of the device at this time, so the opening/closing door 122 does not close. When the output gear 70L makes the remaining half rotation and the motor 66 stops, the cam 110
Since it is in the state shown in the figure, by pulling out the cassette 74, the opening/closing door 122 will automatically close.

According to the above configuration, since the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door 122 is performed simultaneously with the loading/unloading operation of the cassette 74, the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing door 122 is not necessary, and the loading/unloading operation of the cassette 74 is simplified. . Further, since there is no need to provide a solenoid or the like for opening and closing the door 122, the number of parts can be reduced.

Next, FIGS. 4, 5, and 7 show a structure in which the cassette holder can reliably move to the cassette loading position only when the cassette is stored in the cassette holder in an accurate posture, which is a feature of this invention.
This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8 and 17. At the outer upper end of the left side plate 54L of the cassette holder 43, one end of the cassette detection lever 141 is attached to a shaft 142.
It is rotatably supported in the directions of arrows a ₉ ←→a ₁₀ shown in the figure. A relay lever 143 is provided at the outer lower end of the support plate 44L and is rotatably supported on the shaft 49 in the direction of arrow a ₉ ←→a ₁₀ in the figure.
A projecting piece 144 that projects downward is provided at the end of the relay lever 143 on the cassette insertion side.
A connecting spring 145 is tensioned between this cassette insertion port side end and the cassette detection lever 141's cassette insertion port side end. Also, relay lever 1
43 is biased in the direction of arrow _a10 in the figure by a relay lever spring 146 whose one end is fixed to the support plate 44L. In this case, the elastic force of the connection spring 145 is set to be greater than the elastic force of the relay lever spring 146. Reference numeral 147 is a stopper fixed to the chassis, for example, and when the cassette holder 43 in which a cassette is not correctly stored or the cassette holder 43 in which a cassette is not stored attempts to move backward, the relay lever 143
It has a function of preventing this movement by engaging with the protruding piece 144 of. 148 will be described in detail later,
When the cassette is loaded in a predetermined position, it comes into contact with the relay lever 143 and forces it to move as shown by the arrow a ₁₀
By rotating the cassette detection lever 141 in the direction indicated by the arrow, the force of the connection spring 145 causes the cassette detection lever 141 to move in the direction indicated by the arrow.
a Generate force to rotate cassette 7 in ₁₀ directions.
4 can be reliably loaded onto a reel stand (not shown) without rattling.

At the free end of the cassette detection lever 141,
As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 17, press the cassette presser 1.
49 are integrally formed. This cassette holder 149 has a notch 1 formed downward from the upper end of the side plate 54L of the cassette holder 43 in a substantially arc shape.
50, and is positioned inside the cassette holder 43. Such a cassette presser foot 14
When the cassette is not inserted, the cassette detection lever ₁₄₁ having a notch 150
It is locked at the lower end of the.

The operation in the above configuration will be explained. Insert cassette 7 into cassette holder 43 at the cassette insertion position.
When 4 is inserted in the correct position, the cassette presser 1
49 is lifted by the diagonal cut portion on the upper front surface of the cassette, so that the cassette detection lever 141 rotates about the shaft 142 in the direction of arrow _a9 in the figure. As a result, the relay lever 143 is rotated about the shaft 49L in the direction of arrow _a9 in the figure. This state is shown in FIG. In this state, the relay lever 143
Since the protruding piece 144 is not caught by the stopper 147, when the motor 66 rotates, the cassette holder 43 is conveyed to the cassette loading position and the cassette is placed at a predetermined position on the reel stand. At this time, the relay lever 143 comes into contact with the pedestal 148 and is rotated about the shaft 49L in the direction of arrow _a10 in the figure. As a result, the cassette detection lever 150 is rotated in the direction of arrow _a10 in the figure via the connection spring 145. Therefore, the cassette presser 149 presses the cassette 74 against the reel stand, and it is possible to prevent the cassette placed at a predetermined position on the reel stand from shaking.

On the other hand, if the cassette 74 or the cassette holder 43 is not inserted in the correct posture, the cassette detection lever 141 does not rotate, so the relay lever 143 also does not rotate. Therefore, since the protruding piece 144 of the relay lever 143 is caught by the stopper 147, the cassette holder 43 is not conveyed, so the switch lever 84 does not rotate and the motor 66 does not start.

According to the above configuration, the relay lever 143 for locking the cassette holder 74 is driven by the cassette detection lever 141 that detects that the cassette 74 is inserted into the cassette holder 43 in an accurate posture. The movement of the cassette holder 43 which is not housed in the cassette holder 74 can be reliably prevented.

In addition to the cassette detection function, the cassette detection lever 141 also has the function of driving the relay lever 143 as described above.
Since the device has 49 driving functions, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the device.

Note that the racks 61L and 61R shown in FIG. 6 can also be formed integrally with the side plates 31L and 31R.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that this invention can be implemented in slot-in type automatic cassette loading apparatuses other than slot-in type automatic cassette loading apparatuses in which the drive mechanism for the transport mechanism of the cassette holder is disposed on the upper surface of the cassette holder. be.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 17 are diagrams for explaining one embodiment of the automatic cassette loading device according to this invention.
The figure is a diagram showing the principle of an example of a slot-in type automatic cassette loading device, FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a specific configuration of the device in FIG. 1, FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views, Figure 5 is a view of the cassette holder section viewed from above, Figure 6 is a view of the top plate assembly section viewed from below, Figures 7 and 8 are side views, and Figure 9 is a partial perspective view. Figure 10 is a side view of a part of Figure 9, Figures 11a and b are the 6th side view.
12 is an exploded view of a part of FIG. 11, FIG. 13 is an assembled view of FIG. 12,
Fig. 14 is a circuit diagram of the motor drive circuit, Fig. 15 is a signal waveform diagram for explaining the operation of Fig. 14, and Fig. 16 is a circuit diagram of the motor drive circuit.
The figure is a side view of a part of FIG. 2, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the same. 31L, 31R...Side plate, 32L, 32R...
Shelf board, 33L, 33R...Rail, 34L, 34
R...Strut, 35L, 35R, 36L, 36R...
...Groove, 37L, 37R...Slide member, 38
L, 38R...Mating part, 39L, 39R...Vertical plate, 40L, 40R...Rack, 42L, 42R
...link, 43 ...cassette holder, 44
L, 44R... Support plate, 46L, 46R... Spring, 48L, 48R... Link, 50L, 50
R, 51L, 51R...roller, 57...spring,
58...Top plate, 59L, 59R...Support plate, 60
L, 60R...Elongated hole, 61L, 61R...Rack, 62L, 62R...Pinion gear, 63L,
63R...shaft, 64...slide plate, 66...motor, 67...belt, 68...worm gear,
69... Worm wheel, 69'... Drive gear,
70L, 70R...output gear, 72L, 72R...
... Crank, 74 ... Cassette, 82 ... Switch lever, 83 ... Cam drive section, 84 ... Switch operation section, 85 ... Pin, 86 ... Cam, 87 ...
...Cam surface, 88...Cassette insertion detection section, 89...
...Cassette loading detection section, 90...Detection switch,
91... Return spring, 102... Torsion spring,
103, 104...protrusion, 105...stopper,
110...Cam, 111, 112...Door drive unit,
113, 114... Open state holding part, 115... Rocking cam lever, 117... Pin, 118... Cam slider, 119... Projection piece, 120, 121...
...Protrusion, 122...Opening/closing door, 123L, 123R
... Support plate, 125 ... Door lever, 127, 12
8... Protrusion, 129, 130... Notch, 131
...Elongated hole, 132...Hole, 133...Spring, 14
1...Cassette detection lever, 143...Relay lever, 144...Protrusion piece, 145...Connection spring, 14
6... Relay lever spring, 147... Stopper, 1
48... cradle, 149... cassette holder, 150
...notch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The cassette holder into which the cassette has been inserted is transported a predetermined distance in the cassette insertion direction through the cassette insertion opening provided on the front of the device, and then the cassette is reeled by transporting it in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cassette insertion direction. In an automatic cassette loading device, the cassette is placed in a predetermined position on a stand, and when the cassette is taken out, the cassette is transported to the cassette insertion slot by transporting the cassette holder in a direction opposite to the transport direction. a cassette holding member which is rotatably provided inside the holder and comes into contact with the upper surface of the cassette when it is rotationally driven by the cassette inserted into the cassette holder; a rotating member rotatably provided on a moving member; and a rotating member interposed between the rotating member and the cassette holding member to rotate the rotating member when the cassette holding member is rotated by the cassette. a first elastic member that causes
a second elastic member that biases the rotating member in a direction opposite to the biasing direction of the first elastic member; and a second elastic member that engages with the rotating member when the cassette is not inserted into the cassette holder. a first engaging member that prevents the cassette holder from moving; and a first engaging member that prevents the cassette holder from moving when the cassette holder containing the cassette is conveyed to a position where the cassette is placed in a predetermined position on the reel stand. An automatic cassette loading device comprising: a second engaging member that engages with the rotating member to rotate the rotating member in a direction opposite to the biasing direction of the first elastic member.