JPH053669B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a cassette loading device, for example in a video or audio cassette tape recorder.

[Summary of the invention]

a first position in which a cassette containing a magnetic tape is placed and the cassette is attached/detached;
A cassette loading device comprising a mounting means that is moved through an opening in the main body between a second position in the main body for recording and reproducing the cassette, and a plate rotatably attached to the mounting means. is provided, and when the mounting means is in the first position, the plate closes the opening of the main body and comes into contact with the front end of the cassette when the cassette is placed on the mounting means, The cassette is guided until it is positioned at a predetermined position.

[Conventional technology]

There have been various types of cassette loading devices, the representative ones being the pop-up type and the slot-in type. In the pop-up system, a cassette holder is provided so as to protrude from the top of the device (pop-up) and accommodate the cassette holder.
When installing a cassette, the cassette holder is popped up, the cassette is inserted into the cassette holder, and the cassette is pressed down from the top to be housed in the main body of the device. On the other hand, in the slot-in method, there is an opening in the front of the device that is normally closed by a door, and when the cassette is inserted slightly into the opening while pushing the door open with its tip, the cassette is automatically closed. A cassette is housed inside.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, the pop-up method is inconvenient because the cassette holder pops up from the top of the device when the cassette is attached or removed, making it impossible to stack other devices on top of the device. On the other hand, the slot-in method does not have such drawbacks because the cassette is inserted from the front, but since the cassette is grasped by hand and inserted into the opening, a space for grasping is required, and this is not the case in the case of a so-called 8mm video tape recorder. If the cassette was small, it would warp and become difficult to operate.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and it is possible to guide the cassette by regulating its position in the opening with a simple operation without deteriorating the operability, and to ensure that the cassette is always placed in a normal state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cassette loading device which can prevent a foreign object from being accidentally inserted through an opening.

[Means for solving problems]

1 to 11 all show the structure of the cassette loading device of the present invention. In these figures, 1 is a casing, and an opening 2 is formed in the front of the casing. The opening 2 is closed or opened by a door 4 which is rotatable outward and downward about a fulcrum 3. 5 is door 4
This is a spring that always biases the door in the direction of closing it. Reference numeral 6 denotes a tray, which can be moved forward and backward from the opening 2. The tray 6 is provided with a recess 10,
A cassette 9 having a lid 7 which is rotatable about a fulcrum 8 can be placed thereon so as not to fall off. Reference numeral 11 designates a release member, which has a bent portion 12 at its tip and a protrusion 13 approximately at its center.
It is provided in the tray 6 so as to be movable (slidable in the embodiment). Reference numeral 14 denotes a spring, which constantly urges the release member 11 inward (leftward in FIG. 1). Reference numeral 15 designates a notch for movably protruding the projection 13 of the release member 11 into the recess 10 of the tray 6 (FIG. 8). Reference numeral 16 denotes a plate rotatably provided on the tray 6 about a fulcrum 17, and is in contact with the lid 7 of the cassette 9 to prevent the cassette 9 from falling out from the opening 2 into the recess 10. a position that closes the inner side (the left side in Fig. 1);
It is designed so that it can be placed in an open position. 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes an actuating member, and when the tray 6 moves inside the housing 1, its side surface touches the bending part 12 of the release member 11, and its upper surface touches the lid 7 and the plate 16.
They can each come into contact with the lower ends of the. 19 is a pin implanted in the tray 6; 20 is a long hole formed in the release member 11; the pin 19 is fitted into the long hole 20 to guide movement of the release member 11; Of course, the formation positions of the pin 19 and the elongated hole 20 may be opposite to each other.

Reference numeral 21 denotes guide plates provided on the left and right sides of the housing 1, in which guide holes 22 and 23 having mutually parallel horizontal portions and vertical portions are formed. 24,
Reference numeral 25 designates pins implanted in the tray 6, which are fitted into guide holes 22 and 23, respectively, to guide the tray 6 in the horizontal and vertical directions. 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes a rack plate disposed on the outside of the left and right guide plates 21, and has mutually parallel guide holes 27 and 28 inclined downward at approximately 45 degrees, and approximately 45 degrees parallel to each other.
Guide holes 29 each having an upwardly inclined inclined portion and a horizontal portion are formed. A pin 31 is implanted in the guide plate 21 and is fitted into the guide hole 29 to guide the movement of the rack plate 26. Reference numeral 32 denotes an arm, which is rotatable around a fulcrum 33 provided on the guide plate 21. A pin 34 is implanted at one rear end of the arm 32 and is fitted into the guide hole 29 of the rack plate 26. Reference numeral 35 denotes a vertically movable clamper, which has pins 37 fitted into elongated holes 36 formed in the guide plate 21 on its left and right sides. 3
8 has one end connected to the clamper 35 and the other end connected to the arm 3.
2 and 3 are fixed springs, which are always biased so that the clamper 35 (its pin 37) comes into contact with the upper end of the arm 32.

41 is a motor whose rotation is caused by a reduction mechanism 42
The phase axis 43 is rotated through the phase axis 43. Phase gears 44 are provided at both ends of the phase shaft 43, and mesh with racks 45 formed at the lower ends of the left and right rack plates 26, so that the left and right rack plates 26 move synchronously.
46 is a clutch provided on the phase shaft 43;
When a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied to the guide plate 26, slipping occurs.

51 and 52 are switches installed separately at the rear and front of the housing 1, respectively, and the rack plate 2
6 moves to a predetermined position, it is pressed by its protrusion 53 and is activated (on or off).

[Effect]

The effect will now be explained. First, cassette 9
When loading, for example, an ejection switch (not shown) is operated to energize the motor 41 and cause the tray 6 to protrude outside from the opening 2 of the housing 1 (FIGS. 6, 7, and 8). . In this state, the cassette 9 is held in the hand and placed in the recess 10 of the tray 6. Since the recess 10 is formed to have substantially the same size as the outer shape of the cassette 9, the cassette 9 can be set in a predetermined position almost uniquely. Also, at this time, the plate 16 is
One side (the side on the opening 2 side) is closed. Therefore, the lid 7 comes into contact and its position is restricted, and there is no risk that the cassette 9 will fall out of the opening 2 or be erroneously inserted, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12d. Furthermore, even if the cassette 9 is placed with its tip facing upward or downward as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 12b and 12c, it will be guided to a normal state as shown by the solid line. In this way, not only is it a simple operation of simply placing the cassette 9, but even if the cassette 9 is placed in a different direction, it is guided by the plate 16, so the cassette 9 can be relatively small. Even if it happens, the operability will not deteriorate. Furthermore, the door 4 is opened downwardly and outwardly,
Even when the tray 6 is ejected from the opening 2, the opening 2 can be substantially closed, thereby preventing foreign objects from being inserted through the opening 2.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a protrusion 62 is formed on the lower left side of the cassette 9, which is operated when unlocking the lid 7, and a space 61 is formed in front of the protrusion 62. When the cassette 9 is correctly placed in the recess 10 of the tray 6, the projection 13 of the release member 11 is inserted into the space 61. At this time, the release member 11 is urged inward (to the right in FIG. 8) by the spring 14 to a position where the outer end of the elongated hole 20 contacts the pin 19 of the tray 6. is arranged so that it does not come into contact with (press) the protrusion 62 of the cassette 9 (FIG. 10). Therefore, the lid 7 is opened only when the cassette 9 is placed in the recess 10, and the magnetic tape is prevented from being damaged. Further, unlike the case where the release member 64 is fixed to the tray 6, the release member 64 does not enter behind the protrusion 61 and become impossible to release the lock (FIG. 5d).

On the other hand, such a space 61 is not formed in the cassette 9 except at the front of the left lower surface thereof. Therefore, if the cassette 9 is not placed correctly by turning it upside down (Fig. 13a) or with the top and bottom sides reversed (Fig. 3b), some part of the cassette 9 may come out of the notch 15. It rides on the protrusion 13 protruding into the recess 10, and the user can see at a glance that it has been placed incorrectly. If the user does not notice this and performs an operation to accommodate the tray 6 inside the opening 2 as described later, the cassette 9
collides with the housing 1 on the outer periphery of the opening 2, and the tray 6 is no longer housed inside.
Also, with the plate 16 rotated upward, the recess 1
Even when the cassette 9 is mounted on the opening 2 and the loading operation is performed, the plate 16 collides with the outer circumferential wall of the opening 2. At this time, since a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied, the clutch 46 operates,
Damage to the cassette 9 etc. is prevented. If the tray 6 cannot be accommodated within a predetermined time after the start of the operation, a microcomputer or the like (not shown) detects this as some kind of abnormality and ejects the tray 6. Therefore, the cassette 9 will not be housed in the apparatus in an abnormally set state.

As shown in FIG. 5a, after the cassette 9 is properly installed, the motor 41 is energized by operating, for example, a start switch (not shown). Or tray 6
When the protrusion 53 is slightly pressed inward, the protrusion 53 separates from the switch 52, and this may be detected and the motor 41 may be energized thereafter. motor 41
The rotation is transmitted via the speed reduction mechanism 42 to the phase shaft 43 and, therefore, to the phase gears 44 at both ends thereof. Since the phase gear 44 meshes with the rack 45, the left and right rack plates 26 move backward. guide hole 27,
28, so the pin 2
4 and 25 are guided by the horizontal portions of the guide holes 22 and 23, and the tray 6 moves horizontally in parallel (retreats).
When the tray 6 retreats to a predetermined position, the door 4, which had been pressed by its lower surface, rotates upward around the fulcrum 3 due to the biasing force of the spring 5, and stops at a position where it contacts a stopper (not shown). Opening 2 is closed.

When the pins 24 and 25 come near the terminal ends of the horizontal portions of the guide holes 22 and 23, the side surface of the actuating member 18 comes into contact with the bent portion 12 of the release member 11. Therefore, the release member 11 is prevented from moving back and stops there. On the other hand, when the tray 6 is further retreated, the protrusion 1
3 moves within the notch 15 and presses the protrusion 62, and the lid 7 is unlocked (FIG. 5b).

When the rack plate 26 retreats to the position where the protrusion 13 abuts the protrusion 62, the pins 24, 25
are located at the vertical portions of the guide holes 22 and 23. As a result, when the rack plate 26 further retreats, the pins 24, 25, and therefore the tray 6, are guided by the vertical portions of the guide holes 22, 23 and descend substantially vertically. When the tray 6 reaches the lowered position, the lower ends of the lid 7 and the plate 16 are positioned above the actuating member 18. Therefore, when the tray 6 is lowered, the lid 7 and the plate 16 are
Its lower end is pressed against the upper surface of the actuating member 18,
They rotate together upward about fulcrums 8 and 17, respectively. At this time, the bent portion 12 of the release member 11 descends along the side surface of the operating member 18, so that the protrusion 62
is pressed by the protrusion 13, and the unlocked state is maintained (FIG. 5c). As a result, the magnetic tape 63 (FIG. 10) housed inside is exposed to the outside and can be pulled out from the cassette 9 by means not shown if necessary.

On the other hand, when the rack plate 26 is retracted to a predetermined position, the pin 34 is guided from the horizontal part of the guide hole 29 to the inclined part. As a result pin 34
starts moving upward, and the arm 32 rotates around the fulcrum 33. Since the pin 37 is in contact with the upper end of the arm 32 due to the biasing force of the spring 38 (FIG. 9), the clamper 3 having the pin 37
5 is lowered together with the arm 32. Therefore, at this time, the biasing force of the spring 38 does not affect the rotational force of the arm 32. At this time, a plurality of pins 37
Since the clamper 35 is guided by the plurality of long holes 36, the clamper 35 stably descends substantially horizontally. When the arm 32 further descends, the clamper 35 comes into contact with the upper surface of the cassette 9 placed on the tray 6, and presses and clamps the cassette 9 onto the tray 6. Tray 6
When the arm 32 is further lowered after being lowered to the lowest predetermined position, the upper end of the arm 32 is separated from the pin 37, and the spring 38 is expanded (the third
figure). Therefore, from this point on, the rotational force of the arm 32 requires a component that resists the biasing force of the spring 38, but the cassette 9 is reliably clamped by the biasing force of the spring 38. The rotation fulcrum 33 of the arm 32 can be located further inside (on the right side in FIG. 2) than the pin 34 as the driving point, but as in the embodiment, the clamper 35 is operated via the spring 38. Providing the arm 32 midway with the pin 34 allows the length of the arm 32 to be made shorter, which is advantageous for downsizing.

In the above description, the pins 31 and 34 are guided or driven by the same guide hole 29, but at least the horizontal portion thereof may be an independent guide hole dedicated to each pin. However, if the horizontal portions of the guide holes are shared as in the embodiment, not only is it easier to manufacture the rack plate 26, but also its height can be reduced, which is advantageous for making the device thinner. Furthermore, since the inclined portion of the guide hole 29 that drives the pin 34 and the guide holes 27 and 28 that drive the pins 24 and 25 are inclined in opposite directions, when the tray 6 and the clamper 35 are moved up and down, The reaction force exerted on the rack plate 26 by the pin 34 and the
As a result, the reaction forces applied to the rack plate 26 are in opposite directions, and the couple forces that try to rotate the rack plate 26 are canceled out. Furthermore, even if an uncancelled component remains and a rotational force centered on the phase gear 44 acts on the rack plate 26, the pin 31 is located almost directly above the phase gear 44 as a drive source, so the phase There is little risk that the gear 44 will separate from the rack 45. Therefore, the rack plate 26 has a pin 3 fitted into the guide hole 29.
1, this movement can be stabilized. Rack plate 2 when the pins 24 and 25 are moving in the horizontal parts of the guide holes 22 and 23, and the pin 34 is moving in the horizontal part of the guide hole 29, respectively.
6, the pin 37 is brought into contact with the upper end of the elongated hole 36 so that the pin 34 cannot be moved further downward, or the pins 24 and 25 are placed in the guide hole 2.
This can be prevented by contacting the upper end portions of 7 and 28.

When the rack plate 26 is retracted to a predetermined position, the protrusion 53 presses the switch 51 to operate it. Therefore, the power to the motor 41 is removed and the rack plate 26 is stopped. At this time, the spring 38 is expanded and a biasing force is generated, and the clamper 35 uses this biasing force to clamp the cassette 9 at the recording/reproducing position, and the loading of the cassette 9 is completed.

In this state, information is recorded or reproduced on the magnetic tape 63.

Next, the unloading operation will be explained.
When an ejection switch (not shown) or the like is operated, the magnetic tape 63 is housed inside the cassette 9, and the motor 41 is energized and rotated in the opposite direction to that during loading. As a result, easy plate 2
6 moves forward, the pin 34 is guided by the guide hole 29 and lowers, and the arm 32 rotates in the opposite direction to that in the above-described case. When the spring 38 is compressed by its own biasing force and the upper end of the arm 32 comes into contact with the pin 37, the clamper 35 then moves up integrally with the arm 32.

As the rack plate 26 moves forward, the guide hole 2
The pin 2 is pressed by the inner inclined surfaces of 7 and 28.
4, 25 and therefore the tray 6 rises. Although not shown, the lid 7 is always biased in the closing direction by a spring housed inside. In addition, the position of the fulcrum 17 is set offset from the center of gravity so that the plate 16 always rotates in the closing direction due to its own weight. , a biasing spring may be provided). Therefore, when the tray 6 rises, the lid 7 rotates due to the biasing force of the spring, and the plate 16 rotates due to its own weight, so that the cassette 9 or the recess 1 is rotated.
Block 0.

When the rack plate 26 advances to a predetermined position, the pins 24 and 25 are guided by the horizontal portions of the guide holes 22 and 23, and the tray 6 moves in the horizontal direction. At this time, the door 4 is pressed by the front end and lower end of the tray 6, and the door 4 is rotated downward and outward about the fulcrum 3 against the biasing force of the spring 5, and the opening 2 is opened. Although the door 4 can be rotated upward, it is preferable that the door 4 be rotated downward when opening, since this may interfere with the operation of attaching and detaching the cassette 9. In addition, if the device is rotated inward, it becomes necessary to secure space for the rotation, which not only increases the size of the device, but also allows it to be opened simply by pressing inward, making it susceptible to mischief by children. It becomes easier. Therefore, it is preferable to open it by rotating it downwardly and outwardly. When the tray 6 is ejected to the outside through the opening 2 and reaches a predetermined position, the protrusion 53 operates the switch 52 to de-energize the motor 41 and the unloading operation is completed.

〔effect〕

As described above, the present invention provides a device in which a cassette containing a magnetic tape is placed between a first position for attaching and detaching the cassette and a second position within the main body for recording and reproducing the cassette. In a cassette loading device comprising a loading means that is moved through an opening in the main body, the loading means is provided with a rotatable plate, and when the loading means is in the first position, the The plate closes the opening of the main body and comes into contact with the front end of the cassette when the cassette is placed on the mounting means, and guides the cassette until it is positioned at a predetermined position. To guide a cassette by regulating its position in an opening with a simple operation without deteriorating its properties, and to always place the cassette in a normal state.

Furthermore, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from being accidentally inserted through the opening through which the tray advances and retreats.

Therefore, it is particularly effective for 8mm video tape recorders and DATs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a left side view of the cassette loading device of the present invention in a state in which a cassette is accommodated, Fig. 2 is its right side view, Fig. 3 is its front view, Fig. 4 is its top view, and Fig. 5. is a right side view for explaining its operation, FIG. 6 is a left side view with the cassette ejected, FIG. 7 is a right side view, FIG. 8 is a plan view, and FIG. 9 is a front view. Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view of the cassette, Fig. 11 is a partial perspective view thereof, Fig. 12 is a right side view for explaining its function, and Fig. 13 is a left side view for explaining its function. be. 1... Housing, 4... Door, 5, 14, 38...
Spring, 6... Tray, 7... Lid, 9...
...cassette, 10 ... recess, 11 ... release member,
12...Bending part, 13,53,62...Protrusion part,
15... Notch, 16... Plate, 18... Operating member, 21... Guide plate, 22, 23,
27, 28, 29...Guide hole, 24, 25, 3
1, 34, 37...pin, 26...rack plate, 32...arm, 35...clamper, 43...
...Phase axis, 44...Phase gear, 45...Rack,
51, 52...Switch, 61...Space part, 63
……Magnetic tape.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A cassette containing a magnetic tape is placed inside, a first position for attaching and detaching the cassette, and a second position in the main body for recording and reproducing the cassette.
In the cassette loading device, the loading means is provided with a rotatable plate, and the loading means is moved between the first position and the first position. , the plate closes the opening of the main body and comes into contact with the front end of the cassette when the cassette is placed on the mounting means, and guides the cassette until it is positioned at a predetermined position. A cassette loading device characterized by: