JPH0221474A - Adapter for video cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a magnetic tape from being damaged by blocking the rotation of a spool by the driving force of a tape housing mechanism at the time of forming the same tape patch as that of a standard type tape cassette in a tape draw-out mechanism. CONSTITUTION:A sector gear 88 is provided on an arm 52b on one side, and a similar sector gear is also provided on an arm A on the other side. Those sector gears 88 are connected to rotate the spools 20A and 20B of a small tape cassette 16 while the motion of the arms to the inner side are performed, and are disconnected so as to block the rotation of the spools 20A and 20B while the motion of the arms to the outer side are performed. Thereby, it is possible to form the tape path stably by blocking the driving system of a tape takup mechanism used in the housing of the tape and without applying an excessive load on the magnetic tape at the time of forming the same tape path as that of the standard type tape cassette, and also, to evade the damage of the magnetic tape.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to video devices, and more particularly to magnetic tape video cassettes for recording and playing back video programs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most video recorders/blurers on the market today use large standard video cassettes with a recording capacity of several hours (4-8 hours).

Some portable television cameras perform video recording using a recorder that is integral to the camera and uses a small video cassette. However, small video cassettes cannot be used in most video recorder/breyer equipment, and recordings made on these cassettes cannot be used with standard video recorder/breyer equipment.・The data must be recorded again on the tape of the cassette (standard tape cassette).

The magnetic tape in a standard video cassette follows a well-defined path because it must cooperate with the driving, playing and/or recording parts. in general,
This section of path is straight and long, allowing the cassette to be removed from the tape by the cassette, and also ensuring that the tape is in close contact with the recording and playback member when the cassette is in the operative position. A tape bus extends adjacent one long edge of the video power strip to ensure that substantially the entire length of the cassette is exposed.

Because miniature video cassettes (small tape cassettes) are by their very nature much smaller than standard video cassettes, the magnetic tape they carry has the same path configuration as in standard video cassettes. As a result, these small cassettes cannot be used in most video recorder/blyer equipment.

Therefore, portable recorders using miniature video cassettes have not been widely used due to the non-compatibility of said miniature video cassettes with the standard video cassettes intended for use with video [1].

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention is to provide a small video cassette that has the same dimensions and shape as a large standard video cassette, and that, after being inserted inside it, a conventional video cassette The object is to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages experienced in the use of small video cassettes by providing an adapter that can be played back using a recorder/blayer device.

Another object of the present invention is that - when a spout-type video cassette is correctly placed in the adapter, the magnetic tape can be removed from the cassette.
The object of the present invention is to provide an adapter that can cooperate with a magnetic tape held in a miniature video cassette so as to follow the same path in a standard video cassette.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a drive system for a tape storage mechanism used for storing tapes when the magnetic tape is pulled out from the small video cassette in the adapter to form the same tape bus as a standard cassette. By cutting off the magnetic tape, a stable tape bus can be formed without imposing an excessive load on the magnetic tape, and damage to the magnetic tape can be avoided.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a tape cassette that is smaller than a standard tape cassette for recording/recording data of a standard type.
The video cassette adapter is used to be attached to a playback device, and includes a storage section for storing the small tape cassette, and the tape is pulled out from the small tape cassette stored in the storage section and the standard tape is inserted into the video cassette adapter. a tape pull-out mechanism that forms the same tape path as the cassette; a tape storage mechanism that stores the tape by winding the pulled-out tape around a spool of the small tape cassette; and drives the tape pull-out mechanism and the tape storage mechanism. and a motor, when forming the same tape path as a standard tape cassette with the tape pull-out mechanism,
The present invention provides a video cassette adapter, characterized in that it is configured to block rotation of the spool due to the driving force of the tape storage mechanism.

Further, other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

(Example) In Figure 1, a large standard video cassette 1-
10, the path 14 of the magnetic tape 12 in the cassettes 1 to 1 is shown.
It shows.

A compact video cassette 16 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A that accommodates six meters of tape less than a larger standard video cassette, eg, a half-hour recording video cassette. The miniature video cassette 16 is described in further detail in previously assigned US patent applications. The miniature video cassette 16 has a housing 18 and a pair of spools 20A holding tape 24 extending between the spools in a small loop 25.
, 20B, and the spool 20Δ.

2013 represents a conventionally known hub for being driven by a drive shaft.

In FIG. 3, an adapter 26 according to the present invention is shown including a housing 28 having external dimensions approximately the same as those of a standard large video cassette as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. .

A housing 28 is provided with a small video cassette 16 for storing a small video cassette 16 of the type shown in FIG.
A cavity (recess > 30) is provided on one side of the housing that matches the external shape of the housing 6, so that a small video cassette can be slid into this recess 30 and thereby retained. Easy insertion and removal. The surface of the housing 28 has a pair of opposed shallow finger holes into which the user can insert his thumb and forefinger to hold the miniature video cassette 16 and remove it from the adapter 26. Recesses 32A and 32B of the same size are provided.

Locating studs 34A for accurately positioning the miniature video cassette 16 within the housing 30.

34B and 34C are attached to the bottom wall surface 36 (FIG. 6) of the housing 28 that defines the bottom of the storage section 30.

The small video cassette 16 has a storage section 301 of the adapter housing 28. :l
Openings 36A, 36B for receiving positioning studs to fix the position of the small video cassette when used
, 36G are provided. 1 small video cassette
Locating studs 34A, 34B, 34C are asymmetrically positioned and dimensioned to ensure insertion in only one direction, and apertures 36A, 368, 360 are designed to accommodate small video
They are similarly arranged and dimensioned to receive the studs in only one position of the cassette.

Stationary small video cassette in working position
The cassette 16 is first placed in the storage section 30 by the user. In the practice of the invention, the adapter 26 includes a drive spindle 38A that enters an opening in the spools 2OA, 20B.

38B is provided, the drive spindle 38A.

38B has a small video cassette i~1 in the housing 28.
A claw 40△ having flexibility for locking 6.

40B is provided. Adapter drive spindle (
axis) 38, this flexible claw 4 provided on 38B
0 (40A, 40B), magnetic tape 2
A notch 44 is provided in the central opening of the spools 2OA and 20B having the rim 42 (FIGS. 6 and 6A) and along the inner diameter thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 6A to 6C, each spool of the small video cassette 16 is provided with four axial notches 44 in its central opening. Adapter drive shaft 38A.

Three claws 40 are provided on 38B. When a small video cassette is placed in the storage part 30, the three claws 40 of each of the drive shafts are thus connected to the spools 2OA, 20.
B locks onto the inner edge 42 of the spool to hold it in a fixed position. The small video cassette 16 is mounted on three wooden studs 34A, 34B, 3 which act as reference positioning devices.
Pressed () against 4C.

As soon as the spools 2OA, 20B are rotated by the video device in which the adapter holding the small cassette is placed, one of the three claws 40 in each of eight of the drive shafts 38A, 38B is attached to the spool 2OA.

20B is moved to one position of the four notches 44.

A device responsive to the placement of the small video cassette 16 in the recess 30 of the adapter housing 28 moves the guides Vi, 46A, 46B to pull the magnetic tape 24 out of the small video cassette 16, thereby removing the recorded tape. The small loop 25 carrying the tape in FIG. 2 is operable to expand into a large loop 47, which is equivalent to the tape path of a standard tape cassette, as shown in FIG. Such a device may be placed in the bottom of the compartment 30 and, when placed in the compartment 30, may be operated manually (e.g., by pushbutton 48 in FIG. 3) or automatically (VA, by push button 48 in FIG.
It can also be activated (by switch 50 of FIGS. 3 and 7) activated by the casing of cassette 16.

According to FIG. 4, in the present invention, a guide 8 position 46A, 46B, shown in this example as a cylindrical roller, is supported by a pair of pivotally connected arms 52A, 52B, which arm and a guide 4 position can be moved by a motor 54 (
(See Figure 5).

The motor 54 is connected to a manual switch 48 or an automatic switch 5.
0 and a power supply (&11 control circuit) 58 (FIG. 7). Operation of a switch by the user causes control circuit 58 to connect power to motor 54 . For example, when manual switch 48 is actuated, it causes plate 61 to pivot about axis 62 and end 64 thereof.
rotates the stud 65 on the cam 66 clockwise to release it. Board rA61 has this poetry 62 and notch 6
3 and is not guided by the action of the spring 67. At the end of its movement, plate 61 opens switch 68 of power supply circuit 58 of motor 54.

The motor rotates to drive the cam 66 in a counterclockwise direction (in FIGS. 4 and 5), and this rotational movement causes the arms 52Δ, 52B to move through the coupling Rondo doors 0° 72 to their axes 74A, 52B, respectively. Rotate around 74B. During this movement, the cylindrical rollers 46A, 46B unwind the magnetic tape 24 in the miniature video cassette 16 from the path it occupies relative to the large loop 47 that the tape must occupy in a normal cassette. The half-rotation movement of cam 66 causes a change in the path of the tape, causing stud 65A to
The operating cycle of the motor 54 is changed by engaging the end 64 of the plate 61, moving the plate longitudinally and turning the switch 68 to cut off the power supply to the motor 54. Terminate it.

When the tape is in the large loop 47, the drive shaft of the video device to which the adapter is attached is now operable to drive the spools 2OA, 20B of the miniature video cassette 16. The drive relationship between the shaft of the bidet 5A and the spools 20A and 20B of the small video cassette includes the hubs 80A and 80B of the adapter into which the shaft of this video device is inserted (
3), the hubs 80A, 80B carry a ring gear 76 that meshes with an intermediate gear 78, which further includes a small video cassette spool 20A, 20.
A gear 82 fixed to the drive shafts 38A and 38B of B
It meshes with the. Thus, the rotational movement of the hubs 80A, 80B rotates the gears 76, 78 and 82, which rotates the drive shaft for the spool of the miniature cassette. A similar gear train is provided for both spools of the small cassette.

Removing the Miniature Video Cassette from the Adapter The miniature videocassette 16 is removed from the adapter 26 when the adapter 26 is removed from the video'aE. To remove the miniature video cassette from the adapter, manual switch 48 is actuated which causes plate 61 to pivot out of stud 65 and is urged by spring 67 into engagement with contacts 68. . This action opens control circuit 58 and connects power to motor 54. motor 5
The actuation of 4 causes the cam 66 to rotate half a turn, and at the end of this movement its working cycle is stopped by the engagement of another stud 65 by the plate 61, opening the contacts of the switch 68.

Since retraction of the magnetic tape 24 into the interior of the small cassette 16 occurs during retraction inside the arms 52A, 52B, a Vi position is provided that utilizes the inward movement of the arms 52A, 52B to retract the tape. For this purpose, one arm 52B is provided with a sector gear 88,
Sector gear similar to other arm 58A (not shown)
is provided. These sector gears 88 are connected to the arm 5
The spools 2OA, 20B of the video cassette wheel 16 are connected to rotate during the inward movement of the arms 52A, 52B, and the spools 20A, 20B are disconnected from the spools 11 to prevent rotation of the spools 20A, 20B during the outward movement of the arms 52A, 52B. ing. As a result, when forming the same tape bus as the standard cassette 1-, the drive system of the tape winding mechanism used when storing the tape is shut off, creating a stable tape bus without putting undue load on the magnetic tape. At the same time, damage to the magnetic tape can be avoided.

The spools 2OA, 20B are rotated in opposite directions to allow the tape to be retracted into the miniature video cassette 16.

To this end, as shown in FIG. A movable intermediate gear 90 is provided. This pinion 96 is also connected in a 1g frictional manner to teeth 1!78, which gear meshes with gear 82 connected to spool 2OA of small cassette 16. Arm 52B and associated sector gear and spool 2O
A similar gear train is provided between B and B.

This #A car 90 and similar m related to other sectors
! Both $I are connected to sector gear 8 by a spring (not shown).
8 into an engaged or disengaged relationship. Sector teeth! To release gear 90 from 188, cam 66
The large diameter portion 66A of the cam follower 98 and the link 1
00 to pivot lever 92 away from sector gear 88.

Lever 92 has a pin 102 that is engaged by a curved end 104 of link 106.

While the arms 52A, 52B are moved outward and the cam 66 makes another half turn, the large diameter portion 6 of the cam 66
6[3 is contacted by a roller 98 as shown in FIG. Pivoting the follower link 100 in the i1 direction causes the link 106 to pivot counterclockwise about its support 110. This counterclockwise movement of link 106 engages via its curved end 104 the bin 102 on link 92 and lever 9
2 to the left in FIG. 5 to release the gear 90 from the sector tooth width 88 as shown in the same figure.

Link 106 also exhibits a similar curvature at opposite end 104A, with arm 52A relative to spool 2OA.
It cooperates with a link 92 and similar links connecting the gear train and 111n.

Sector tooth 1188 and gear 82 on spool 2OA
The gear ratio through a gear train including teeth 190, 96.78 between spool 2OA (and similarly the other arm 5
20B in the opposite direction via a gear train driven from 2B)
absorb all the tape in the large loop J3 with sufficient play so that any slack is absorbed and the tape is completely retracted in its original small loop 25 into the small cassette 16 from which it extends. It's like rotating it just enough to make it work. Therefore, the tape can be reliably wound into the small video cassette 16 without leaving any slack in the tape, and when the small cassette is taken out from the adapter 26 after winding, the slack in the tape will cause the tape to fall into the guide device fi46A.

46B by pulling the tape one hexagram to the roller [
It is possible to prevent inconveniences such as increasing the distance by 16 m.

The arms 52A, 52B of the safety adapter 26 and the magnetic tape of the small video cassette 16 must be placed in the large loop 47 of a conventional cassette (FIG. 1) when the adapter is inserted into a video device. It is necessary. Otherwise, if the adapter 26 were to be placed in the working position of the device, the video device would be damaged (if the arms 52A, 52B were <W4, the device for tape loading or automatic stopping). It will be placed in the opposite position from the elements of

Therefore, the tape of the small video cassette 16 occupies a large loop path before the adapter can be inserted into the video device, and when in operation - once the adapter 26 has been inserted into the video device, the arm It is particularly necessary to ensure that the manual switch 48 which starts the motor 54 for displacement from one position to another is deactivated.

To accomplish these two requirements, two safety devices are provided, as shown in FIG.

As with conventional cassettes, adapter 26 includes a device that facilitates insertion into and removal from a video device. In the illustrated embodiment, the device includes springs 20 disposed on opposite sides of the adapter and supported by the housing 28.
Slidable block 20 subjected to the action of 1△, 201B
It consists of OA and 200B. 20 of these blocks
O.A.

200B has springs 201Δ, 20 so as to allow insertion of the adapter when inserted into a video device.
It cooperates with a fixing element attached to the video device so that it can be moved backwards against the action of 1B.

These blocks 20OA and 200B also have springs 201
A, together with 201B, act to push the adapter 26 out of the housing of the video device during removal.

To ensure that the adapter 26 cannot be inserted into the video device if the arms 52Δ, 52B are not placed in their extended position, a locking device 210 is pivoted about the shaft 211 and spring-loaded. Under the action of 212,
This spring is connected to block 200B to prevent its displacement.
Try to place this in the path of . The arm 52A has a protrusion 213 that engages a member 214 projecting from the locking device 210 when the arm 52A reaches its extended position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 and solid lines in FIG.
has. In such a situation, the locking device 2
10 from the path of block 200B to its return spring 212
KA is made to move against this.

As the arm 52A moves inwardly, the locking device 210, which is under the action of a return spring 212 and pivoted within the block 200B, is disengaged to prevent rearward movement of the block 200B, thereby removing the locking device 210 within the housing of the video device. to prevent the adapter from being inserted into the

Block 2 resulting from cooperation with the elements of the video device
The backward movement of 00B is also used to disable the circuitry including switch 48 when the adapter is inserted, thereby ensuring that motor 54 is inoperable when adapter 26 is attached to a video device. do. To this end, block 200B opens a switch 250 located in control circuit 58 (FIG. 7) when adapter 26 is inserted into the video device.

arms 52A, 5 unless the small video cassette 16 is properly placed within the recess 30 provided in the adapter.
Safety devices are also provided to prevent any movement of 2B. This safety device is located at the bottom of the compartment 30 and operates a switch 50 which is preferably actuated by the casing of the miniature video cassette 16 when the miniature video cassette 16 is fully loaded into the compartment and placed in its proper position. Contains. Switch 5 arranged in the power supply circuit of motor 54
0 (FIG. 7) causes motor 54 to be switched ON only when a miniature video cassette is properly placed within the adapter. This switch also provides an automatic device for alerting the arms 52A, 52B and forming the large loop 47 in response to insertion actuation of the cassette 16 in the adapter by starting the motor 54 and cam 66 for their active cycle. It has the advantage of being able to function as a

A further safety device is included to ensure that the tape is not subject to excessive tension when arms 52A, 52B are retracted to take up slack in the tape. To this end, a pinion 96 rotates the r! i
They are operatively connected.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the video cassette adapter of the present invention, since the tape pull-out mechanism and the tape storage mechanism are operated by a motor, operability when forming a tape bus is good, and the adapter is standard. When forming the same tape path as a cassette, the drive system of the tape winding mechanism used when storing the tape is shut off, making it possible to form a stable tape path without putting an excessive load on the magnetic tape, and also to It has the advantage of being able to avoid damage to the

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 1A show a large standard video cassette configured for a conventional video recorder/blayer device, and FIGS. 2 and 2A show a small video cassette for the adapter of the present invention. Figure 3 is a simple plan view showing the adapter of the present invention with a small video cassette housed in the adapter housing;
Figure 5 is a detail view of a portion of the adapter mechanism with the arm and guide in the retracted position, seen from the opposite side of the adapter; Figure 5 is a detail similar to Figure 4 showing the arm and guide in the extended position; Figure, Figure 6, Figure 6A, Figure 6
Figures B and 6C do not show the driving coupling relationship between the spool of the small video cassette 1- and the hub of the adapter, and Figure 7 is a simple circuit diagram showing the control circuit of the adapter. 10... video cassette, 12... magnetic tape,
16... Small video cassette, 18... Housing, 24... Magnetic tape, 25... Small loop, 26
...Adapter, 28...Housing, 30...Storage part, 36...Bottom wall surface, 40...Claw, 42...
Rim, 44... Notch, 47... Large loop, 48
...Manual switch, 50...Automatic switch, 54.
...Motor, 58...Circuit, 61...Plate part, 62.
...Shaft, 63...Notch, 65...Stud, 6
6...Cam, 67...Spring, 68...Switch,
70... Connecting rod, 76... Ring tooth width, 78.
90... Intermediate gear, 82... Gear, 88... Sector gear, 92... Lever 96... Binion, 98
...Cam Follower, 100.106...Link,
102... Bin, 104... Curved end, 108...
- Instruction section, 110... Instruction section, 200... Block, 201... Spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A video cassette adapter used for attaching a tape cassette smaller than a standard tape cassette to a standard recording/playback device, the adapter having a storage section for storing the small tape cassette, and storing the small tape cassette in the storage section. a tape drawer mechanism that pulls out a tape from the small tape cassette to form the same tape path as the standard tape cassette; and a tape storage that stores the tape by winding the drawn tape around a spool of the small tape cassette. and a motor that drives the tape drawer mechanism and the tape storage mechanism, and when the tape drawer mechanism forms the same tape path as a standard tape cassette, the drive force of the tape storage mechanism drives the tape storage mechanism. A video cassette adapter characterized by being configured to block rotation of the spool.