JPH04139650A - Multiloaded cassette recording/reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize the device and to secure the safety during operation by providing a cassette carrier means and a cassette intermediate carrier means between a rack and a cassette driving unit. CONSTITUTION:A cassette carrier mechanism 90 and a cassette intermediate carrier mechanism 130 are provided to be as a cassette selector/carrier means between the rack 50 and a tape driving unit 20 and also a disk driving unit 30. The carrier mechanism 90 is provided with a carrier mechanism 130 in a carriage, and is moved in the horizontal direction of the carriage, and also the carrier mechanism 130 is moved in the vertical direction along two right and left guide rails 111 and 112 in the carriage. By such constitution, a large number of racks 50 can be arranged with good operability on the side of a front panel, and a large number of cassette driving units 20 and 30 can be arranged in a frame body, thus enabling the device 1 to be miniaturized. Then, since only racks 50 are disposed on the side of the front panel, there is no driving mechanism member, and the safety is secured during operation.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention records and reproduces a large amount of video information, audio information, etc. by mounting desired cassettes stored in a plurality of racks into a cassette drive unit. This invention relates to a multi-load cassette recording/playback device.

(Prior Art) In recent years, multi-load tape recording and reproducing devices have been used in the broadcasting industry and the like for broadcasting commercials. This multi-loaded tag record
An example of a reproducing apparatus is shown in FIG. 20.

FIGS. 20(A) and 20(B) are a plan view and a front view of the multi-load tape recording/reproducing apparatus 300.

In the figure, a plurality of tape drive units 302 are stacked at the center of a frame 301. Further, on the left and right sides of the tape drive unit 302, racks 303A and 303B in which a plurality of tape cassettes 304 are stored are arranged.

In addition, the tape drive unit 302 and the rack 303A
.

There is a pair of guide rails 305 on the left and right on the front side of 303B.
A guide rail 306 is provided vertically, and a guide rail 307 is horizontally mounted on the guide rails 305 and 306 so as to be vertically slidable.

Further, the guide rail 307 includes rollers 309 and 309.
A tape cassette transport mechanism 308 equipped with a tape cassette transport mechanism 308 is provided so as to be slidable in the left-right direction.

Then, the tape cassette transport mechanism 308 moves to either the left or right rack 303A, 3038, and the guide rail 307 slides up and down the guide rails 305, 306 to select the desired tape cassette 304, and the desired tape cassette 304 to rack 303A or rack 3
03B to the tape cassette transport mechanism 308, and then move the tape cassette transport mechanism 308 to the cassette insertion slot 302a of the tape drive unit 302, attach the tape cassette 304 to the tape drive unit 302, and record/record the tape cassette 304. It is structured to be regenerated. Furthermore, after recording/playback is completed, the original rack 303
^, The operation to return to the stacking position of 303B is also performed.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the multi-load tape device 300 shown in FIGS. 20(A) and 20(B), as described above, a large number of tape cassettes 304 can be recorded and played back, and a large amount of video information, etc. However, the racks 303A and 303B are arranged on both sides of the plurality of tape drive units 302. Therefore, in order to accommodate a large number of tape cassettes 304, it is necessary to increase the height of the racks 303 and 303B, resulting in the problem that the entire cassette 300 becomes large. i
Note that the racks 303^ and 303B are normally formed to be shorter in the depth direction than the tape drive unit 302, and therefore the racks 303^.

In some cases, wasted space is created behind the device 303B, resulting in a problem that the space efficiency of the device 300 deteriorates. Further, since the guide rail 307 is disposed on the front surface, there is a problem that the guide rail 307 gets in the way and makes it difficult to store the tape cassette 304. However, since there are drive mechanism members such as a guide rail 307 and a tape cassette transport mechanism 308 on the front side, there is a problem that safety during operation cannot be ensured.

The present invention is a multi-load cassette recording/playback device that solves the above problems! The purpose is to provide

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and includes at least one or more racks in which a plurality of cassettes containing magnetic tapes or disks are stacked by locking and holding them, and the cassettes. At least one or more cassette drive units for recording and/or reproducing stored media, the desired cassettes arranged between the rack and the cassette drive unit, and the desired cassettes stacked on the rack. a cassette conveying means for selectively moving to the drive unit; and a cassette conveying means provided on the cassette conveying means for taking out a desired cassette from the rack, conveying it while gripping it, pushing it into the cassette drive unit, and mounting the cassette; This is a multi-load cassette recording and reproducing apparatus characterized by comprising a cassette intermediary conveyance means for gripping and conveying the cassette ejected from the drive unit, pushing it in, and returning it to the rack.

Further, the cassette intermediary conveyance means of the above invention operates in accordance with the rotation of a cam connected to a single drive source, and the cassette latching means releases the latching of the desired cassette latched to the rack. The unlocked cassette is conveyed to the cassette drive unit while being gripped by a pair of belts, and the cassette discharged from the cassette drive unit is A cassette gripping/transporting mechanism that transports the cassette to the rack, and a cassette gripping/transporting mechanism that
and a cassette push mechanism for pushing the cassette conveyed to the cassette drive unit by the conveyance mechanism into the cassette drive unit, and pushing the cassette conveyed to the rack by the cassette gripping and conveyance mechanism into the rack. This is a characteristic feature.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the multi-load cassette recording/playback device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19. System configuration>, <Rack structure>, <Cassette transport mechanism structure> and operation>, <Structure and operation of cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism>
, <Operation of multi-load cassette recording/playback apparatus> will be explained in detail in this order.

System Configuration> The system configuration of the multi-load cassette recording/playback apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a multi-load cassette recording/playback device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the multi-load cassette recording/playback device, and FIGS. The illustration is an interior! FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cassette used for

In Figures 1 and 2, a multi-load cassette recording/playback system! 1 (hereinafter also referred to as !1), on the front panel 3 side,
A plurality of racks 50, which will be described in detail in the rack structure section below.
(50A to 50D) are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction with the partition plate 3b interposed therebetween.

These racks 50A to 50D contain the tape cassette 40 shown in FIG. 3 and the disk cassette 4 shown in FIG.
5 (in the embodiment, 12 per rack) are stored horizontally in a stacked state.

Moreover, each rack 50A to 50D is installed through the rack insertion opening 3a of the front panel 3 by the operation described later.

It is possible to leave. And rack 50A,
50B is stacked with tape cassettes 40 (hereinafter referred to as cassettes 40) in which a well-known DAT magnetic tape 42 is wound around a pair of glue wheels 41, 41, as shown in FIG. For example, a disk cassette (disk case) 45 (hereinafter referred to as
cassettes 45) are stacked. Note that the tape cassette 40 and the disk cassette 45 are also collectively referred to as cassettes 40 and 45 hereinafter.

Further, these cassettes 40, 45 are not limited to the above racks, but may be stored in appropriate racks 50A to 50D, or may be stored in a mixed state in the same rack.The reason for this is the third reason. This is because the width 81 of the cassette 40 and the width 82 of the cassette 45 are formed to have substantially the same dimensions as shown in FIG. .

Further, on the rear side of the frame 2, a plurality of tape drive units 20 and a plurality of disk drive units 30 are stacked as shown in the figure! g (in the embodiment, two units each on the upper and lower sides). These multiple tape drive units 20 and multiple disk drive units 30 are also referred to as cassette drive units 20 and 30 hereinafter.

The tape drive unit 20 is a unit for recording and reproducing a cassette 40 containing a DAT magnetic tape 42, and includes a rotating drum 22 equipped with a magnetic head 23 in fi#21, a capstan 24, and a pinch pin. This is a well-known DAT recording/reproducing unit equipped with a roller 25.

Then, a desired cassette 40 in the racks 50A, 50B is selected by a cassette transport mechanism 90 (FIG. 9) and a cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 (FIG. 10), which will be described later.
When the cassette 40 is inserted from the cassette insertion slot 21a,
A loading means (not shown) slides the sliding member 43 of the cassette 40 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The magnetic head 23 records and reproduces data while being moved by the magnetic head 25. As described above, this tape drive unit 20 uses the magnetic tape 42 for DAT, so it can digitize audio to obtain high quality characteristics, or digitally compress images to obtain high quality images. Since a characteristic image can be obtained, and a single cassette 40 can store a large amount of information of approximately 1°3-3i' kabytes, it is possible to record and play back over a long period of time. It has special features. In addition, the tape drive unit 20
In addition to the DAT magnetic tape 42, the tape drive unit may also be a tape drive unit using a well-known audio tape or video tape, and in this case, it is necessary to include a cassette and a tape drive unit corresponding to each type.

The disk drive unit 30 is a unit for recording, reproducing, or reproducing a cassette 45 containing a disk 46 capable of magneto-optical recording and reproducing or optically reproducing, for example. A turntable 33 is rotatably mounted, and a magneto-optical pickup (or optical pickup) 34 is movable at high speed in the direction of the arrow. Then, a cassette transport mechanism 90 (FIG. 9) and a cassette intermediary transport mechanism 1, which will be described later.
When a desired cassette 45 in the racks 50C, 50D is selected by 30 (FIG. 10) and the cassette 45 is inserted from the cassette insertion opening 31a, the sauce 47 is opened in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4 by a loading means (not shown). The disc 46 is mounted on the turntable 33, and the magneto-optical pickup 34 is placed in the opening 45a of the cassette 45 to record and reproduce information on the disc 46.

This disk drive unit 30 is characterized by being capable of recording and reproducing a large amount of high-quality still images and the like, as well as being capable of high-speed access unique to disks.

In addition, the racks 50A to 50D and the tape drive unit 20
A cassette transport mechanism 90 (FIG. 9) and a cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 (FIG. 10), which serve as cassette selection and transport means, are provided between the cassette and the disk drive unit 30. The above cassette conveyor #190 has racks 50A~
Selectively place in front of desired cassette 40.45 stacked on 50D! And the cassette 40.4 taken out from here
5 selectively in front of the desired cassette drive unit 20.30! It is a mechanism that moves so that The cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 takes out a desired cassette 40.45 stacked on the racks 50A to 50D and inserts it into a desired cassette drive unit 2030, or cassettes 40.45 ejected from the cassette drive unit 2030.
This is a mechanism for returning the racks to the racks 50A to 50D.

In FIG. 2, the cassette transport mechanism 90 includes a carriage 9
1 includes a cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130, which moves the carriage 91 in the horizontal direction (direction of arrows Xi, 111,11
2 in the vertical direction (arrows Y1, Y2).

The cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 also takes out different types of cassettes 40.45 from the racks 50A to 50D, and mediates the cassettes 40.45 between the racks 50A to 50D and the tape drive unit 20 and disk drive unit 30. It is meant to be transported. That is, as described above, since the middle dimensions of the cassettes 40.45 are almost the same, the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 can share the same structure for gripping and conveying the cassettes 40.45, which contributes to manufacturing costs and the like. There is. Furthermore, cassette offshore transport 3Mtl
! M 130 C, Rack 5oA ~ 50 in the installation
It is also possible to mechanically change the storage position of the cassettes 40 and 45 stacked on D.

Then, a desired cassette 40.degree.
The cassettes 40 and 45 transported to the rack 30 (111) or ejected from the cassette drive unit 20 and 30 after recording and reproduction are returned to the rack 50.

By interposing the cassette transport mechanism 90 and the cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130, which serve as cassette selection and transport means, between the racks 50A to 50D, the tape drive unit 20, and the disk drive unit 3o, the front panel 3fFl is A large number of racks 50A to 50D can be arranged with good operability, and a large number of cassette drive units 2 are installed in the frame 2.
0.30 can be disposed, and the inside of the device 1 can be laid out in a space-efficient manner, which reduces the width, height, and depth of the device 1, making the device 1 more compact. Further, since only the racks 50A to 50D are disposed on the front panel 3 side, there is no drive mechanism member, and safety during operation can be ensured.

Furthermore, in FIG. 1, a control CPU and program unit 4, and a hard disk storage unit 5 are disposed on the rear right side of the frame 2 in the figure.

Inside the control CPU and program unit 4 is a local control console 6 or HO3T C.
An input/output control section 4a interconnected with a plurality of input operation devices such as a PU 7 or a terminal 8, a directory management control section 4b interconnected with a hard disk storage unit 5, and a hard disk storage unit 5 and a tape drive unit. 20 and the disk drive unit 30, and a mechanical control section 4d that controls the cassette transport mechanism 90 and the cassette intermediary transport machine $1130.

Further, the hard disk storage unit 5 is arranged in a rack 5.
Directory management information (cassette map, cassette name,
library, database backup data, etc.), 01 and C2 error management information with unique characteristics held by the cassette movement management information disk 46 are stored in a hard disk (not shown), and directory management is performed based on the information stored here. The control section 4b and changer system control section 4c are interposed with each other. For this reason, a single H
Compared to the system management of the device 1 using only the O3T CPU 7, multiple input operation devices 6.7.8 can be connected to the device 1, allowing each device to operate the device 1 with its own operation, reducing the need for frequent input operations. This contributes to the

Further, the tape drive unit 20 and the disk drive unit 30 are connected to an input device 9 such as a TV left camera, video equipment, or audio device (not shown), so that information on the input device 9 can be recorded at any time. ing.

Further, the tape drive unit 20 and the disk drive unit 30 are connected to an output device 10 such as a video monitor or amplification device (not shown).

The tape drive unit 20 can drive the tape drive unit 20 and the disk drive unit 30 at the same time, and as an example of its use, the tape drive unit 20 can be used for long-time playback.
The disk drive unit 30, which can be accessed at high speed, is driven according to the scene output from the tape drive unit 20, and the information on the disk 46 is instantly reproduced, or the video etc. output from the tape drive unit 20 is instantly transferred to the disk 46 as a still image. can be recorded. At this time, the tape drive unit 20 and disk drive unit 30 are controlled by the control CPU, the block diagram unit 4, and the hard disk storage unit 5.

As another example of use, menu information from the disc 46 may be selected and the tape drive unit 20 may be played for a long period of time in response to this menu information. In this way, the tape drive unit 20 and the disk drive unit 30
By mutually working in cooperation with each other, it is possible to take advantage of each other's strengths, and the range of use of the device 1 has the advantage of being expanded.

As a modification of the system configuration of the multi-load cassette recording/playback device of the present invention, only a plurality of tape drive units 20 may be provided without using the disk drive unit 30. It goes without saying that a configuration in which a plurality of disk drive units 30 are arranged may also be used without any configuration, and in that case, the cassettes stacked in the racks 50A to 50D must correspond to the configuration of the apparatus 1.

Structure of Rack> The structure of the rack used in the multi-load cassette recording/reproducing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of the rack, Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the rack, Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the shack lever shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rack inside the equipment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation of locking and releasing the stop.

In FIG. 5, a rack 50 is vertically disposed between a top plate 51 and a bottom plate 54 with a right side plate 52 and a left side plate 53 spaced apart from each other, and is firmly connected in a box shape.

The right side plate 52 is provided with a plurality of stepped portions 52a vertically spaced apart, and similarly, the left side plate 53 is also provided with a plurality of stepped portions 53a, and these stepped portions 52a, 5 are provided with a plurality of stepped portions 52a.
3a are opposed to each other inwardly, and step portions 52a, 53a
The cassette 40 described above in 1 is placed in the space partitioned by .
45 are stored in a stacked state.

Further, a decorative board 55 is covered from the right side plate 52 to the left side plate 53 via the front side, and the rear side is open, and a cassette 4045 can be inserted from this rear side. This state is shown in FIG. It is shown in

Therefore, the cassettes 40 and 45 cannot be inserted from the front side shown in FIG.
0.45 can be stacked on the rack 50.

This prevents the cassette 4045 from being intentionally inserted while the device 1 is in operation. ■It has a structure that maintains safety. Note that when the rack 50 is attached to the device 1,
The cassettes 40, 45 can be taken out and inserted from the opened rear side using the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism (FIG. 1O).

Further, the decorative board 55 has a rectangular hole 55a and a round hole 55b opened on the front side corresponding to the storage positions of the cassettes 40.45, respectively. The cassette name is visible and the hole 55
From b, the presence or absence of the cassettes 40, 45 can be easily visually checked by operating a cassette display lever 56, which will be described later. That is, the tip of the cassette display lever 56 is bent into an L-shape to form a cross section 56a, and this cross section 56a is coated with a bright color, for example, green paint. Then, the cassettes 40 and 45 are displayed on the rack 50 by the operation of the cassette display lever 56, which will be described later.
When stored in the 1st and 3rd row from the top of Figure 5.
As shown in the row, the L-shaped portion 56a protrudes to the front side,
The green painted material can be easily seen through the hole 55b, and from this it can be determined that a cassette is present. Furthermore, when the cassette 4045 is not stored in the rack 50, as shown in the second row from the top in FIG. The green paint material is not visible, so it can be determined that there is no cassette.

Here, the cassette presence/absence detection mechanism from the front side described above, the cassette presence/absence detection mechanism from the rear side using the device 1 described below, and the cassette locking and locking for locking and releasing the cassettes 40 and 45 in the rack 50 are explained. The lock release mechanism will be explained.

The cassette presence/absence detection mechanism and the cassette locking and locking release mechanism locking am are provided on the right side plate 52 of the rack 50 shown in FIG. 5.

That is, on the right side plate 52, another step portion 52b is integrally formed on the outside on the opposite side to the step portion 52a, corresponding to each step portion 52a, and furthermore, there is a gap between the adjacent step portions 52b, 52b. A rectangular opening 52c and an elliptical guide groove 52d are formed in the vicinity of the opening 52c on the front side.

A cassette display lever 56 to which a bottle 57 is fixed is slidable in the opening 52c and the guide groove 52d, and a cross section 56a of the cassette display lever 56 touches the rear surface of the cassette 4045 in the opening 52c. The bottle 57 is fitted into the guide groove 52d so that the bottle 57 can be connected to the opening 5.
The cassette display lever 56 is structured to be able to slide while being guided by the guide groove 52d and the guide groove 52d.

Further, a shutter lever 58 that rotates clockwise or counterclockwise about a shaft 59 is provided near the cassette display lever 56 .

The above cassette display bar 56 and the above shutter lever 58
is a structure that interlocks with each other through the operations described below.
That is, the contact portion 58a of the shutter bar 58 can come into contact with or release the contact portion 56b of the cassette display lever 56. Further, a spring 6 that is pulled together between the latching portion 56c of the cassette display lever 56 and the latching portion 58d of the shutter lever 58 is provided.
0-M tensioned.

Furthermore, when the rack 50 is viewed from the back side, as shown in FIG.
An L-shaped bent portion 52b is continuously formed on the rear side of b, and a silver foil 61 is pasted to this bent portion 52b1.
Furthermore, a silver foil 62 is also placed on the left side plate 53 (shown on the right side in FIG. 6).
is pasted and the rack 50 is installed in the apparatus 1, the silver foil 61 detects the presence or absence of the cassette 40.45 in the apparatus 1 using the photo sensor 235 (FIG. 10).
2 is a photo sensor 236 for detecting the cassette position (Fig. 10)
I'm doing it.

In addition, an end 58c of the shutter lever 58 opposite to the abutting portion 58a via the shaft 59 has a tapered shape that allows easy contact with a shutter lever release mechanism (cassette lock release mechanism 200 (FIG. 10), which will be described later). A locking portion 58b that locks the front side of the cassette 40.45 is formed in a protruding manner and is connected to the locking portion 58b.

Here, as the state of the cassette display lever 56 and the shutter lever 58, the state in which the cassette 40.45 is not in the rack 50 is the second stage from the top in FIG. 5 and the IF from the top in FIG.
It is shown in the fifth column. In this state, the cassette display lever 56
is close to the shutter lever 58 due to the tension of the spring 60, and the contact portion 5 of the shutter lever 58
8a comes into contact with the abutting portion 56b of the cassette display lever 56, whereby the shutter lever 58 is rotated clockwise about the shaft 59, and the end portion 58c of the shutter lever 58 is rotated clockwise about the shaft 59.
And the locking portion 58b is in a downward state. Further, as described above, in this state, on the front side shown in FIG. 5, the L-shaped portion 56a of the cassette display lever 56 is
is not visible and it is determined that there is no cassette, and as shown in the first row of FIG. state.

In addition, the state in which the cassette 40.45 is in the rack 50 is shown in the first and third rows from the top in FIG.
It is shown in the second row and the second row from the top of FIG. In this state, when the cassette 40.45 is inserted into the rack 50 from the state without a cassette, the tI of the cassette 40.45
When the k surface contacts the L-shaped portion 56a of the cassette display lever 56 and the cassette 40.45 is further pushed in, the cassette display lever 56 slides toward the front against the spring 60, and the shutter lever 58 Contact portion 58a of
is released from the contact portion 56b of the cassette display lever 56, and the tension of the spring 60 causes the shutter lever 58 to
is rotated counterclockwise about the shaft 59, and the end portion 58c and the locking portion 58b of the shutter lever 58 are raised upward.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, when the locking portion 58b of the shutter lever 58 is lifted upward, the cassettes h40, 45
is locked in the rack 50. As a result, cassette 4
0.45 is completely stored in the rack 5o, and the rack 50
This can contribute to the reliability of the device 1 without causing the device to pop out.

In the above state, as described above, the L-shaped portion 5 of the cassette display lever 56 is closed to the hole 55b on the front side shown in FIG.
6a was visually visible and it was determined that there was a cassette, and 1 in Fig. 7
As shown in the row, on the rear side, the end 58c of the shutter lever 58 does not cover the silver foil 61, and information indicating the presence of a cassette can be output to the apparatus 1.

Furthermore, from the state where the cassettes 40 and 45 are stored in the rack 5o, the cassettes 4
0.45 protruding from the rack 5o will be explained using the second row from the top in FIG. In this state, the tip 201a (indicated by the two-dot chain line) of the shutter release lever 201 of the shutter lever release mechanism 2°O moves in the direction of the arrow and comes into contact with the tapered end 58c of the shutter lever 58, thereby releasing the shutter. The lever 58 is rotated clockwise about the shaft 59. As a result, the cassette display lever 56 is moved backward by the tension of the spring 60, and along with this movement, the L-shaped portion 5 of the cassette display lever 56
6a pushes out the rear surface of the cassette 4045, and the cassette 40.45 protrudes from the rack 50 as shown in the second row from the top in FIG. Ru. Thereafter, the protruding cassettes 40, 45 are mounted on a cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 (FIG. 10), which will be described later.

Next, a rack locking and locking mechanism for locking and releasing the rack 50 in the apparatus 1 will be explained using FIG. 8.

As described above, the rack 50 is installed through the rack insertion opening 3a of the front panel 3. Below this rack insertion slot 3a, a bottom surface 3e connected to the front panel 3 has a U-shape 90
It is formed in a rotated shape as shown in the figure, and the bottom surface 3
The bottom plate 54 of the rack 50 is placed on e.

In addition, as shown by the two-dot chain line, a long guide plate 54a and two
A guide bin 71. is formed on the bottom surface 3e of the front panel 3.
The bottom plate 54 of the rack 50 is placed on the bottom surface 3e while being guided by a guide pin 7172 fixed to the right side of the rack 54 and a guide pin 54a formed on the bottom plate 54. Note that the top plate 51 shown in FIG. 5 is also formed with an oid bank 51a symmetrical to the bottom plate 54 similar to the above, but the explanation thereof will be omitted here.

Further, on the bottom surface 3e of the front panel 3, guide arms 3f, 3
g and a loose fit 13h are formed.

Further, a slide plate 73 is slidably disposed on the back side of the bottom surface 3e, and this slide plate 73 is a kite'? 1
43f and 3g by guide pins 74 and 75 fixed to the slide plate 73, and at this time the guide pin 7
Is 4 a guide? It projects upward from 113f. Further, the slide plate 73 is always urged toward the front panel 3 by a spring 76 stretched between the hook portion 73b of the slide plate 73 and the bottom surface 3e.

Further, a rack locking lever 77 is provided on the back side of the bottom surface 3e and near the slide plate 73, and the rack locking lever 77 rotates around a shaft 78. It is always biased clockwise about the shaft 78 by a torsion spring 80 whose other end is hooked to the bottom surface 3e.

Further, the contact portion 77a at one end of the rack locking lever 77, which is biased clockwise, is always in contact with the contact portion 73a of the slide plate 73. At this time, the tension of the spring 76 is
It is set so as to overcome the rotational moment of the abutting portion 77a of the rack locking lever 77.

Further, the other end of the rack locking lever 77 is formed with a bent switch contact portion 77b, and a detector 81 (hereinafter referred to as
The switch 81) can be brought into contact with the switch 81.

Further, a locking pin 79 is fixed on the rack locking lever 77 between the contact portion 77a and the switch contact portion 77b.
This locking pin 79 projects upward from the loose fitting groove 3h. Note that the switch 81 may be configured to be detected as the slide plate 73 moves, or a detector such as a photo sensor may be used instead of the switch 81.

Further, facing the hole 3c of the front panel 3, the rack lock release rod 82 is attached to a bearing 83 fixed to the back side of the bottom surface 3e.
It is slidably supported. Then, a compression spring 84 inserted between the front panel 3 and the bearing 83 and into the rack lock release rod 82 causes the rack lock release 4
I82 always has a 3ft front panel! energized by l.

As described above, when the rack 50 is inserted while fitting the guide pin 72 into the guide edge 54a of the bottom plate 54, the guide pin 71 also starts to fit into the guide edge 54a and the locking groove of the bottom plate 54 is inserted. The contact portion 54b1 of 54b contacts the guide pin 74 fixed to the slide plate 73, and the locking pin 79 fixed to the rack locking lever 77 also fits into the locking groove 5.
4b, and when the rack 50 is further pushed in, the guide pin 74 is moved in the direction of the arrow while contacting the contact portion 54b1, and the slide plate 73 is naturally also moved in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the rack locking lever 77 that is in contact with the slide plate 73 is gradually rotated clockwise by the torsion spring 80, and the stop pin 7 and the locking lever 54b are rotated gradually by the torsion spring 80.
The locking pin 79 goes around the U-shaped locking portion 54b2.
is locked by the locking portion 54b2, and the rack 50 is locked.

This state is illustrated by a two-dot chain line in the upper left corner. and,
When the rack 50 is locked, the switch 81 contacts the switch contact portion 77b and outputs information to the device 1 that the rack is present.

In addition, when the rack 50 is released from a locked state, the rack lock release rod 82 is pressed against the compression spring 84.
When pushed in against this, the tip of the rack lock release rod 82 comes into contact with the switch contact portion 77b, forcing the rack lock lever 77 to rotate counterclockwise, and the switch 81 outputs the information that there is no rack. At the same time, the force of the spring 76 causes the guide pin 74 to push the contact portion 54b1 to the front side, causing the rack 50 to protrude from the front panel 3, and then to be manually ejected from the apparatus 1.

Providing a mechanism for locking the rack 50 to the device 1 in this way prevents the rack 50 from being removed intentionally, which has the advantage of maintaining the safety of the device 1. Furthermore, since a rack lock release mechanism is also provided in conjunction with this, mounting and detachment of the rack 50 can be completed. Also,
Since the rack 50 can be attached and detached, the cassettes 40.degree. 45 can be replaced together with the rack 50, improving operability.

<Structure and operation of cassette transport mechanism> The structure and operation of the cassette transport mechanism will be described in detail using FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the cassette transport mechanism.

In FIG. 9, the cassette transport mechanism 90 can be roughly divided into a carriage transport mechanism 92 that moves the A-shaped ridge 91 in the horizontal direction (in the directions of arrows X1 and X2) along two upper and lower guide rails 93°94, and a carriage transport mechanism 92 that will be described later. Cassette intermediary transport mechanism 1
30 (shown by the two-dot chain line) in the vertical direction (arrow Y
1, Y2 direction).

“About the carriage transport mechanism 92” As shown in FIG.
Two upper and lower guide rails 93.94 are horizontally suspended between the
, X2 direction) and select the desired racks 50A to 50.
D or selectively in front of a desired cassette drive unit 20.30.

In FIG. 9, a motor 96 and an encoder 103 are attached to a bracket 95 on the lower right side of the figure.

Further, the rotation of the motor 96 uses a known speed reduction mechanism. That is, the rotation of the motor 96 is transmitted from a worm 97 fixed to the shaft of the motor 96 to a worm wheel 98, and further to a timing pulley 99 coaxially formed integrally with the worm wheel 98. Further, a timing pulley 100 is arranged on the left side with a distance from the timing pulley 99.
A timing belt 101 is stretched between the timing pulley 9 and the timing pulley 100, and the timing belt 101 is fixed to the lower part of the carriage 91 near the bottom plate 91b, and the belt fixing part of the bearing 102 that slides on the guide rail 93. 102a. Further, above the carriage 91, rollers 106 and 107 are in rolling contact with the guide rail 94 while elastically sandwiching it therebetween.

When the motor 96 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise by these, the carriage 91 becomes movable in the horizontal direction.

Additionally, a timing pulley 1 is also placed at the tip of the encoder 103.
04 is attached, and this timing pulley 104 outputs the position information of the carriage 91 as a pulse while rolling in contact with the timing belt 101.

Further, a convex portion 91c is formed in the front of the top plate portion 91a of the carriage 91, and a photosensor 105 is provided adjacent to the convex portion 91c. The convex portion 91c detects the switch ti, 13 and the photo sensor 12, which are arranged above the front panel 3 shown in FIG. The switches 11, 13 regulate the horizontal movement range of the carriage 91, the photosensor 12 detects the initial position of the carriage 91, and counts the pulses of the encoder 103 from this initial position. The carriage 91 always initializes the encoder 103 when the power is turned on.

In addition, the photo sensor 105 is connected to the front panel 3 shown in FIG.
The convex portions 3 d l to 3 d e formed above are detected. These convex portions 3d1 to 3d6 are connected to the racks 50A to 3d6.
The carriage 91 is located in front of the desired racks 50A to 50D and the cassette drive unit 2030. It is now possible to do so. At this time, pulses from the encoder 103 are also used to increase the reliability of the device 1, and furthermore, the pulses from the encoder 103 are controlled to move the carriage 91 at high speed and stop the carriage 91 at a predetermined position with high accuracy. . Incidentally, a timing pulley 96a attached to the rear shaft of the motor 96 is used for manual feeding, and is useful during servicing.

“About the Vertical Movement Mechanism 110” In FIG. (directions of arrows Y1 and Y2), and moves the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 to the front of the desired cassette 4045 stacked on the rack 50 and to the cassette insertion openings 21a and 31a (first 2), and is basically the same as the carriage transport mechanism 92 described above.
A detailed explanation will be omitted, and only the main parts will be briefly described.

That is, the motor 1 provided above the carriage 91
The rotation of 14 is transmitted to the timing pulley 118 via a known reduction gear. A timing pulley 126 is mounted on the same shaft 116 behind the timing pulley 118, and the timing pulley 126 and the encoder 12 are further mounted on the same shaft 116.
A timing belt 129 is placed between the timing belt 129 and a timing pulley 128 attached to the shaft 116, and as the shaft 116 rotates, an encoder 127 outputs a position pulse in the vertical direction of the cassette mediating conveyance mechanism 130.

In addition, a cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 illustrated with a two-dot chain line
is composed of three stages: lower, middle, and upper plate parts 140, 190, and 240. A bearing 192 fixed to the middle plate part 190 is fitted into the guide rail 111 on the right side, and the middle plate part 1
A pair of rollers 193 and 194 fixed to the shaft 90 are elastically sandwiched between the other guide rail 112, and the timing belt 122 is firmly connected between the middle plate portion 190 and the fixed plate 123. Furthermore, the timing belt 122 that is placed on the timing pulley 118 is also placed on a plurality of timing pulleys 119 to 121 as shown in the figure. These allow the cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 to move freely in the vertical direction.

Further, switches 124 and 125 for regulating the vertical movement range of the carriage 91 are arranged at the top and bottom right of the top plate part 91a and the bottom plate part 91b of the carriage 91, respectively. Contact is detected. Further, convex portions 91d to 91f are formed on the left side of the carriage 91, and convex portions 91d and 91e.
is detected by a photosensor 242 fixed to the upper plate portion 240 of the cassette intermediate conveyor 81 ellipse 130. The convex portions 91d and 91e are provided corresponding to the positions of the cassette passing ports 91g and 91h formed in the center of the carriage 91, and are located between the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 and the cassette drive units 20 and 30 at these positions. Cassette 40.45
can pass through. Further, the convex portion 91f detects the initial position of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130, and counts the pulses of the encoder 127 from this initial position. The cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 always initializes the encoder 127 when the power is turned on.

Thereby, when selecting the cassettes 4045 stacked on the racks 50A to 50D described above, the pulses of the encoder 127 can firmly determine the position 5F of the cassette mediating conveyance mechanism 130 with respect to each cassette storage position 1. Incidentally, the silver pin 62 (FIG. 6) described in the section of the rack structure is also used to improve the reliability of position detection of the cassettes 40 and 45.

<Structure and operation of cassette intermediary transport 11$lI> The structure and operation of the cassette intermediary transport mechanism will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 to 17.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130.

As described above, this cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 transports desired cassettes 40.
45 to the cassette drive unit 20°30,
An intermediary that performs actions such as returning the cassettes 40.45 ejected from the cassette drive unit 2゜30 to the original racks 50A to 50D, or mechanically changing the cassette storage position between new racks or within the same rack. Equipped with transport function.

In FIG. 10, the schematic structure of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 to achieve the above functions is as follows: a lower plate section 140. Middle plate part 190. The upper plate part 240 is connected to a plurality of studs 131.
(Only one point is shown on the front right side), each stepped portion has a predetermined function which will be described later, and is moved in the vertical direction by the vertical movement mechanism 92 (FIG. 9) as described above.

That is, the lower plate portion 14 of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130
0, a cam drive mechanism 150 (FIG. 12) that drives the cam 143, a desired cassette 40.45 taken out from the rack 50, and a cassette 40.45 ejected from the cassette drive unit 20.30 are gripped. It includes left and right cassette gripping and transporting machines #J160A and 160B that transport the cassette while moving the cassette, and a cam position detection mechanism 180 (FIG. 12).

In addition, the middle plate part 190 has cassettes 40 from the rack 50.
．． Shutter lever release mechanism 200 for releasing the stop of 45
cassette push mechanisms 21OA and 210B that finally push the cassette 40.45 into the cassette drive unit 2030 and the rack 50,
Photo sensors 235 and 236 are provided to detect silver foils 61 and 62 on the left and right sides of the rack 50 (see FIG. 6).

Further, the upper plate portion 240 is provided with photosensors 242 to 245.

As will be described later, each of the above mechanisms is operated by a cam 143 using a single drive source without timing errors.

Therefore, the operation of the cassette intermediary transport mechanism 130 is ensured, which can greatly contribute to the quality and reliability of the apparatus. Also,
Since the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130 uses a single drive source, the manufacturing cost is low, and it can be made into a unit, which improves serviceability. Incidentally, the timing by the cam 143 is shown in FIG.

In addition, the left and right cassette gripping/transporting mechanisms 160A and 160B provided on the lower plate part 140 protrude between the middle plate part 190 and the upper plate part 240, as shown in the figure, so that the middle plate part 190 and the upper plate part 240 are connected to each other. The cassette 40 is placed between the plate portion 240 and the plate portion 240.
．． 2 is formed in a space into which 45 can be inserted. Then, when the cassette 40.45 is inserted into this empty rWJK2, the left and right cassette gripping/transporting mechanisms 160A, 160B
grips both sides of the cassette 40.45, and then transports the cassette 40.45.

Below, the lower plate part 14o, the middle plate part 19o, the upper plate part 24
The explanation will be given in order of 0.

“About the lower plate portion 140” FIG. 11 is a plan view of the cam shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower plate portion shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship of the constituent members shown in FIG. 12.

The lower plate section 140 includes a cam drive mechanism 150, left and right cassette gripping/transfer mechanisms 160A and 160B, and a cam position detection device 8! #1180, but before going into these descriptions, the cam 143 that is a component of the lower plate portion 140 will be described.

The cam 143 shown in FIG. 11 has a spur gear portion 143 on the outer periphery.
a is formed, and three cam grooves 143b to 143d are formed on the circumference that rises on the back side. Further, each of the cam grooves 143b and 143c has a symmetrical convex portion 143.
b, 143c1 are formed, and the cam groove 143d
A recessed portion 143d1 is formed in the portion. Furthermore, 6 pieces 143e to 143g at 3tIJ are placed on different circumferences on the top side.
is formed. The cam 143 having the above shape is integrally formed of a resin material.

In FIG. 12, the lower plate portion 140 is a flat plate 141 (
At approximately the center of the upper surface 141a (hereinafter referred to as the lower plate 141), a cam 143 having the shape described above is rotatable about a shaft 142.

The back surface side of this cam 143 operates the mechanical members of the lower plate section 140, while the upper surface side operates the mechanical members of the middle plate section 190, which will be described later, and these mechanical members are interlocked without losing the timing.

Further, on the back surface 141b of the lower plate 141, a motor 151 serving as a drive source for the cam drive mechanism 150 is disposed approximately at the center. Then, the motor 1510 rotations is the motor 15
1 from the worm 152 fixed to the worm wheel (
(not shown), and is further transmitted to the spur gear 153 coaxially and integrally formed with the worm wheel.
53 meshes with the spur gear portion 143a of the cam 143, allowing the cam 143 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise. Therefore, the above-mentioned component becomes the cam drive full mechanism 150.

Further, on the left and right sides of the back surface 141b of the lower board 141, a desired cassette 4045 taken out from the rack 50 and a cassette 4 ejected from the cassette drive unit 20.30 are shown.
0.45 and transports the left and right cassettes.
The conveyors $1160A and 160B are provided in a substantially symmetrical shape. In addition, the left cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 160A
Since the cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 160B on the right side and the cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 160B on the right side have almost the same symmetrical structure and the same operating principle, the cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 160A on the left side will be explained here, and the cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 41! on the right side will be explained. 160B describes only the interesting points.

That is, the left cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 160A is
A letter-shaped slide plate 16 is provided on the back surface 141b of the lower plate 141.
It is arranged so that it can slide left and right (in the directions of arrows X3 and X4). Projection 161 of this slide plate 161
In a, a guide groove 161c slides along a stud 144 (painted in black) fixed to the back surface 141b of the lower plate 141.
, 161C, and protrudes upward from a loose fitting groove (not shown) formed in the lower plate 141.
3 is fixed.

Further, the slide plate 161 of the left cassette grip/transport mechanism 160A and the slide plate 162 of the right cassette grip/transport mechanism 160B are pulled inwardly by a spring 165. Also, the cam pin 163 fixed to the slide plate 161 is connected to the cam groove 143C shown in FIG.
On the other hand, the cam pin 1641 fixed to the slide plate 162 slides along the cam groove 143b shown in FIG. In addition, convex portions 143C and 143b1 (
11), the slide plates 161 and 162 are on the outside of each other (arrow X3).
, ), the structure is such that it slides in such a way as to reduce the distance between the two.

Further, at one end of the front side of the single-shaped slide plate 161, a bent part 161b is formed that projects upward from the notch part 141d at the front left side of the lower plate 141, and the timing pulley 166 is pivoted here as shown in the figure. has been done. on the other hand,
The other end of the rear side of the slide plate 161 has a spur gear part 16 at the bottom.
A timing pulley 167 integrally formed with a timing pulley 167 is pivoted, and this timing pulley 167 projects vertically upward from a notch 141e at the rear left side of the lower plate 141. A timing belt 168 is placed between the timing pulley 166 and the timing pulley 167. The left timing belt 168, which is thus hung above the lower plate 141, passes through the middle plate 191 and is located between the middle plate 191 and the upper plate 241, as shown in FIG. The timing belt 172 on the right side is also positioned symmetrically to this, and is provided so that the cassette 4045 can be conveyed while gripping both sides of the cassette 4045.

Further, in the transmission structure of the timing belt 168 of the left cassette gripping/transporting mechanism 160A, a spur gear 153 that meshes with the spur gear portion 143a of the cam 143 meshes with a relay spur gear 169, and the relay spur gear 169 is connected to the timing pulley 16.
It meshes with the spur gear portion 167a of No.7. As a result, the rotation of the cam 143 is transmitted to the timing belt 168.

On the other hand, the transmission structure of the timing belt 172 of the right cassette gripping/conveying mechanism 1608 is such that a relay spur gear 173 or a timing pulley 171 is connected to the spur gear portion 143a of the cam 143.
It meshes with the spur gear part 171a. As a result, the rotation of the cam 143 is transmitted to the timing belt 172.

Therefore, according to the above structure, the number of gears meshing between the cam 143 and the spur gear portion 167a of the left timing pulley 167, and the number of gears meshing between the cam 143 and the right timing pulley 171
Since the number of gears that mesh with the spur gear portion 171a is different, the rotation direction of the timing pulley 167 and the timing pulley 171 is different, so that the timing belt 168 and the timing belt 172 also have different rotation directions. Naturally, the direction of rotation is different.

When the slide plate 161 and the slide plate 162 are spaced apart from each other toward the outside, the meshing state of each gear is shallow, but the gap at this time is equal to the width of the cassette 40.45. It is wider than BIB2 (FIG. 3.4), and there is no need to transport the cassettes 40 and 45, resulting in an initial state.

On the other hand, when the slide plate 161 and the slide plate 162 are in a state where the distance between them is decreasing toward the inside, the meshing state of each gear is a normal meshing state, and the cam 1
43 clockwise, the left timing belt 168 rotates counterclockwise, and the right timing belt 172 rotates clockwise, so the timing belt 1
The cassettes 40 and 45 held on both sides by the cassettes 68172 are transported from the rack 50 side to the cassette drive units 20 and 30 side. Also, when the cam 143 is rotated counterclockwise, the cassettes 40.45 are moved to the cassette drive unit 20.45.
It is transported from the 30 side to the rack 50 side.

Next, the cam position detection mechanism 180 is disposed on the front side in the figure and detects the position of the cam 143.

That is, on the back surface 141b of the lower plate 141, a pair of arms 181 and 182 are pivoted to a stud 144 (painted in black) so as to press switches 185 and 186. Further, cam pins 183 and 1 are provided at the ends of the arms 181 and 182.
84 protrudes upward from a loose fitting groove (not shown) formed in the lower plate 141 and slides into a cam groove 143d (FIG. 11).

The switch 185 sets the initial position of the cam 143 to the cam groove 143.
d is detected in the concave portion 143d1. The switch 185 is a switch that determines the rotation direction of the cam 143, and the output of this switch 185 and the photosensor 24 of the upper plate 141 are
The direction of rotation is processed within the device 1 with outputs from 3 to 245.

“About the middle plate portion 190” FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the structure of the middle plate portion shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship of the constituent members shown in FIG. 13. . Figure 16 (A) and (B) are the 13th
It is a figure for explaining the cassette push m top shown in the figure.

The middle plate portion 190 includes a shutter lever release m oval (cassette lock release mechanism) 200 and a cassette push mechanism 21O.
A, 210B, and the aforementioned photosensors 235, 236
(Fig. 10).

In FIG. 13, a middle plate portion 190 is formed by bending the left and right sides of a flat plate downward to form a middle plate 191.

A fixing plate 123 (FIG. 9) for connecting the timing belt 122 (FIG. 9) is provided on the right side surface 191C of the middle plate 191.
A bearing 192 for sliding the guide rail 111 (Fig. 9) is fixed near this screw hole, and a bearing 192 for sliding the guide rail 111 (Fig. 9) is fixed on the left side surface 191d.
A pair of rollers 193.1.
There are 94.

In addition, the components of the left cassette gripping/conveying mechanism 16OA (FIG. 12) can protrude from the cutouts 191i and 191j of the middle plate 191 from below, and the middle plate 191
From the opening 191f and cutout 1911, the constituent members of the right cassette gripping and transporting mechanism 160B (FIG. 12) can protrude from below.

Next, on the right front side of the middle plate 191, a shutter lever release mechanism 200 (cassette lock release mechanism) for releasing the stoppage of the cassettes 40, 45 from the rack 50 is provided.

The shutter lever release device 411200 has the middle plate 19
A kite pin 202 (fixed to the shutter release lever 201) is attached to an elliptical guide plate 191e formed on the left side of the shutter release lever 201.
The shutter release lever 201 is disposed so that the shutter release lever 201 can be slid back and forth (arrows Z1 and Z2) by fitting in from the back surface 191b (painted in black).

In addition, the front end portion 201 of the shutter release lever 201
a protrudes upward from the opening 191f and is formed in a shape that allows it to easily come into contact with the end 58c of the shutter lever 58 (FIG. 6).

Further, studs 203 to 205 are fixed to the back side of the shutter release lever 201 at approximately the center thereof. An arm 206 is pivotally attached to the stud 204. A cam pin 207 protrudes downward at one end of this arm 206.
is fixed, and a spring 209 hooked to the middle plate 191 is hung on the bent end, thereby causing the arm 206
is always biased counterclockwise around the stud 204. Note that the spring 209 is connected to the shutter release lever 20.
1 is also applied at the same time, and the shutter release lever 20
It also has a function to return 1 to the arrow Z2 direction.

Also, insert -1 into the stud 204 and connect it to the stud 203.
A cam pin 207 fixed to an arm 206 is in contact with a torsion gel ring 208 whose other end is hooked to a stand 205 .

Here, the shutter lever release mechanism 200 with the above configuration
The operation is as follows: When the cam 143 provided on the lower plate 141 (FIG. 12) described above is rotated clockwise, the cam 143
Five pieces 143g formed on the upper surface of the arm 206 are brought into contact with a cam pin 207 fixed to the arm 206, and the arm 206 is rotated counterclockwise about the stud 204. As a result, the rotational moment of the arm 206 is transmitted from the cam pin 207 to the stud 203 fixed to the shutter release lever 201 via the torsion spring 208 that is in contact with the cam pin 207.
01 is slid toward the front (in the direction of arrow Z1). At this time,
The tip 201a of the shutter release lever 201 is inserted while abutting the end 58c of the shutter lever 58 (FIG. 6) shown in FIG. 40. Release the suspension of 45.

When the cam 143 is further rotated clockwise, the contact between the five pieces 143g of the cam 143 and the cam pin 207 is released, and the shutter release lever 201 is returned to the rear (in the direction of arrow Z2) by the spring 209 to the initial state. To position.

Further, when the cam 143 is rotated counterclockwise, even if the five pieces 143g of the cam 143 contact the cam pin 207, the arm 206 is rotated clockwise against the spring 209, but the torsion spring 208 The shutter release lever 201 cannot be slid, and the shutter release lever 201 is located at the initial position. When the cam 143 is rotated counterclockwise, the cassette 40.45 is moved to the rack 5.
0, and it is clear that there is no need to operate the shutter release lever 201.

Note that the timing pulley 170 (FIG. 12), which is a part of the component of the right cassette gripping/transfer mechanism 160B (FIG. 12) that protrudes from below into the opening 191f, is
As shown in FIG. 0, it protrudes upward from the rear of the tip 201a of the shutter release lever 201.

Next, on the central rear side of the middle plate 191, a cassette 40.45, which is conveyed in the direction of the cassette drive unit 20.30 by the aforementioned cassette gripping and conveyance mechanisms 160A and 160B (FIG. 12), is placed in the direction of the cassette drive unit 20.30. A cassette push mechanism 210A is provided to push the cassettes 40 and 45 into the rack 50 at the end, and a cassette push device 411210B is provided on the front side of the center of the middle plate 191 to push the cassettes 40 and 45 into the rack 50. .

The cassette push mechanism 210A on the rear side and the cassette push mechanism 210B on the front side have almost the same symmetrical structure and the same operating principle, so here we will explain the cassette push mechanism 210A on the rear side, and Only the differences in the side cassette push mechanism 210B will be described.

That is, the rear cassette push mechanism 210A has an elliptical guide groove 1 formed approximately in the center of the middle plate 191.
Guide pin 20 fixed to slide plate 212 at 91e
2 (black painted) is inserted from the back surface 191b, and the slide plate 2
12 is arranged so that it can be slid rearward (arrow Z3) and forward (arrow Z4).

Further, as shown in FIG. 16(A), in the vicinity of the opening 191h formed at the center rear side of the middle plate 191, the tip end 212a of the slide plate 212 is bent downward on both sides. The bushing lever 217 fitted into the long pin 219 is biased clockwise around the pin 219 by the torsion spring 220, and the opening 191
Rotation is restricted at one end of h. The long pin 219 mentioned above
One end of the spring 221 is hooked to the spring 221, and the other end of the spring 221 is hooked to a long pin 218 provided at the tip of the slide plate 211 of the cassette push mechanism 210B arranged symmetrically with the spring 221. , As a result, the slide plate 212 and the slide plate 211 are moved inside each other (arrow Z4
, Z6 direction).

Further, a stud 196 is fixed to the back side near the left side surface 191d of the middle plate 191, and an upper arm 227 and a lower arm 230 are vertically pivoted to this stud 196. Further, a cam pin 228 that protrudes downward is fixed to one end of the upper arm 227, and a middle plate 191 is fixed to the other end of the upper arm 227.
A torsion spring 229 is attached to the stud 19, so that the upper arm 227 is always attached to the stud 19.
It is biased counterclockwise around point 6. Furthermore, a loose fitting hole 230a is formed approximately in the center of the lower arm 230, and the cam pin 228 is brought into contact with the edge of the loose fitting hole 230a by the torsional force of a torsion spring 229. At the tip is a stud 215 fixed to the center of the back surface of the slide plate 212.
A contact portion 230b is formed which contacts the contact portion 230b. Further, a torsion spring 231 whose one end is hooked to a stud 215 fixed to the slide plate 212 is attached to the lower arm 212.
It is hooked to the upper surface of the lower arm 230 from the back side of the contact portion 230b of No. 30 via the recess 230C.

Here, the cassette push mechanism 210A with the above configuration
The operation is as follows: When the cam 143 provided on the lower plate 141 (FIG. 12) is rotated clockwise, the five pieces 143f formed on the upper surface of the cam 143 are attached to the cam pin 228 fixed to the upper arm 227. The upper arm 22
7 is rotated counterclockwise around the stud 196.

As a result, the rotational moment of the upper arm 227 is transmitted to the torsion spring 231 through the cam pin 228 pushing the edge of the loose fitting hole 230a and through the recess 230C. Then, this torsion spring 231 connects the stud 215 fixed to the slide plate 212 to the rear IFI.
(in the direction of arrow Z3), the slide plate 212
is slid backward (FI (direction of arrow 23). As a result, as shown in FIG. The rotation restriction is released, and the bushing lever 217 is moved by the torsion spring 2.
20, it is rotated clockwise around the pin 21 and stands upwardly. At this time, Bushlever 217
press the rear of cassette 40.45 and press cassette 40.4.
5 into the cassette drive unit 20.30.

When the cam 143 is further rotated clockwise, the contact between the mouth piece 143f of the cam 143 and the cam pin 228 is released, and the slide plate 212 is returned to the front rpJ (in the direction of arrow Z4) by the spring 221.

Furthermore, when the cam 143 is rotated counterclockwise, even if the mouth piece 143f of the cam 143 comes into contact with the cam bin 228, the upper arm 227 is rotated clockwise against the torsion spring 229, but the cam bin 228 moves inside the loose fitting hole 230a, the lower arm 230
is not operated, so that the slide plate 212 is not operated and the bushing lever 217 is located at the initial position.

It is also clear that when the cam 143 is rotated counterclockwise, when the cassette 40, 45 is being returned to the rack 50, there is no need to operate the bushing lever 217. However, the cassette push mechanism 210 on the front side that has the function of pushing the cassette 40, 45 into the rack 50
In B, the mouth piece 143e of the cam I43 performs the same operation as above, and the bushing lever 216 moves the cassettes 40, 4.
5 into the rack 50.

"Upper plate section 240" As explained in FIG. 10, the upper plate section 240 is provided with only the photosensors 242 to 245.

In FIG. 10, the upper plate 241 of the upper plate part 240 is formed into a tapered shape so that a cassette 40, 45 can be easily inserted into the front and rear of the flat plate.

Further, the upper plate 241 is provided with a photosensor 242 on the left side for detecting the vertical position of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism 130.
This is the carriage 91 (convex parts 91d to 91f in Fig. 9).
The photo sensors 243 to 24 are used to detect
5 is for detecting the position of the cassette 40, 45 during transport.

“Operation of cassette intermediary transport mechanism” Cassette 1 to intermediary transport I! ! The overall operational sea fence of Ps130 will be explained using FIGS. 17 and 18.

17(A) to 17(G) are diagrams showing the operation timing of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism, and FIGS. 18(A) to 18(F) are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the same mechanism. Note that a description of movement to a desired cassette 40.45 and movement to a desired cassette drive unit 20.30 will be omitted here.

The state shown in FIG. 18(A) is the initial state of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism. In this state, the left and right cassette gripping and transport mechanisms 160A and 160B are positioned wider than the width of the cassette, and the shutter lever release mechanism (cassette lock release mechanism) 2
00 is retracted, and the front and rear cassette push mechanisms 2
1OA and 210B are also in a retracted state.

When the cam 143 shown in FIG. 17<C) is rotated clockwise from the above initial state, the shutter lever release mechanism 200 shown in FIG. When they come into contact with each other, the cassettes 40.45 are released from the rack 50, and the cassettes 40.45 protrude from the rack 50 as shown in FIG. 18(C). Now grasp both sides of the cassette 40.45 as shown in Fig. 17 (E).
The cassette gripping/transporting mechanisms 160A and 160B move in the directions of arrows X4 and X6, and the timing belt 16
8,172 rotates, and the cassette 40.degree. 45 is conveyed as shown in FIG. 18(D). When the cassettes 40 and 45 are further conveyed, the cassette push mechanism 210A shown in FIG.
Insert it at 0°30. As a result, the cassette 40.45 is completely attached to the cassette drive unit 20.30 as shown in FIG. 18(F). Note that the operation of returning the cassette drive unit 20.30 to the rack 50 will be omitted here.

・Operation of multi-load cassette recording/playback apparatus> The overall operation of the multi-load cassette recording/playback apparatus 1 is as shown in the operation flowchart shown in FIG. 19, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, the multi-load cassette recording/playback device according to the present invention includes a rack in which a plurality of cassettes are stacked, and a cassette drive unit for recording and/or playing back the cassettes. In between, a cassette conveying means for selectively moving a desired cassette and a desired cassette drive unit, and a cassette intermediary conveying means provided on the cassette conveying means for conveying the cassette between the rack and the cassette drive unit are provided. There is.

As a result, a large number of racks and a large number of cassette drive units can be laid out within the apparatus in a space-efficient manner, which reduces the width, height, and depth of the apparatus, making it possible to downsize the apparatus.

In addition, unlike conventional systems, there is no means for selecting and transporting cassettes on the front of the device, so for example, a large number of racks can be arranged on the front side of the device with good operability, and the drive mechanism Safety can be ensured when operating without being on the side.

Further, in the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to having the effect of the above-mentioned first aspect, the cassette intermediary conveying means is operated by a cam connected to a single drive source without timing deviation. The operation of this lick cassette intermediary selection conveyance means is ensured and can greatly contribute to the quality and reliability of the apparatus. Further, since the cassette intermediary conveyance means uses a single driving source, manufacturing costs are reduced, and it is possible to unitize the unit, thereby improving serviceability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a multi-load cassette recording/playback device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the multi-load cassette recording/playback device, and FIGS. The figure is a perspective view showing cassettes 1 to 1 used in the device, Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the rack, Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of the rack, and Figure 7 is the shack lever shown in Figure 6. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of locking and releasing the rack in the apparatus, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of the cassette transport mechanism, and FIG.
11 is a plan view of the cam shown in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 shows the #l structure of the lower plate portion shown in FIG. 10. Perspective view,
13 is a perspective view showing the structure of the middle plate shown in FIG. 10, FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically showing the positional relationship of the constituent members shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 16(A) and 16(B) are diagrams schematically showing the positional relationships of the constituent members.
17(A) to 17(G) are diagrams showing the operation timing of the cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism, and FIG. 18 <A, ) to <F) are Cassette intermediary transport I! Fig. 19 is an operation flowchart of the multi-load cassette recording/playback device according to the present invention, and Fig. 20 (A> and (B) is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the multi-load cassette recording/playback device according to the present invention). It is a plan view and a front view showing the configuration of the device. 1...Multi-load cassette recording/playback device, 20.30.
...Cassette drive uni-soto, 40.45...Cassette, 42...Magnetic tape, 46...Disk, 50 (50A to 50D)...Rack, 58...Shutter lever, 58b... - Locking part, 90... Cassette conveyance mechanism, 91... Carriage, 92... Carriage conveyance a mechanism, 110... Vertical movement mechanism, 130... Cassette intermediary conveyance mechanism, 143... Cam , 150...Cam drive mechanism, 151...Motor, 1
60A, 160B...Cassette gripping/conveying i oval, 16
8.172...Timing belt, 200...Cassette lock release mechanism (shutter lever release mechanism), 201...Shutter release lever 201a...Tip portion, 210A, 210B...Cassette push mechanism,
216.217...Butschlever Patent Offender Victor Japan Co., Ltd. Method) % formula % Name of the invention Multi-load cassette recording/playback device 38 Relationship to the person making the amendment case

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) at least one or more racks in which a plurality of cassettes containing magnetic tapes or disks are retained and stacked; at least one or more cassette drive units for recording and/or reproducing the media stored in the cassettes; a cassette transport means disposed between a rack and the cassette drive unit, the cassette transport means selectively moving to the desired cassettes stacked on the rack and the desired cassette drive unit; The desired cassette is taken out from the rack, conveyed while being gripped, and pushed into the cassette drive unit to be installed, and the cassette ejected from the cassette drive unit is conveyed while being gripped, pushed, and returned to the rack. A multi-load cassette recording and reproducing device characterized by comprising a cassette intermediary conveyance means. (2) The cassette intermediary conveyance means operates in accordance with the rotation of a cam connected to a single drive source, and releases the cassette locking of the desired cassette locked to the rack. a mechanism, and the cassette unlocked by the cassette lock release mechanism is conveyed to a cassette drive unit while being gripped via a pair of belts, and the cassette discharged from the cassette drive unit is conveyed to a rack. a cassette gripping/transporting mechanism; pushing the cassette conveyed to the cassette drive unit by the cassette gripping/transporting mechanism into the cassette driving unit;
2. The multi-load cassette recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cassette push mechanism for pushing the cassette transported to the rack by the transport mechanism into the rack.