JPH056569Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] For example, in a VHS (registered trademark)-C type tape deck, the end of the tape is detected by a photo sensor in the tape running path outside the cartridge case. This invention relates to a head cleaner applied to a tape deck that detects this type of tape end, and is intended for head cleaners in which the cleaning tape is pulled out of the main body case in a half-loaded state in order to reduce the running load. do.

[Conventional technology]

In head cleaners, the winding angle of the cleaning tape around the magnetic head has been made as small as possible to reduce the running load. As a specific means for this purpose, a so-called half-loading method is known, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 147113/1983, in which the shape of the traveling path of the cleaning tape during loading is made incomplete.

In addition, regarding the present invention, the light projection path for detecting the tape end on the winding start side can be blocked or unblocked by a movable light shielding wall provided inside the main body case, and the tape tension during tape loading can be adjusted. It is known, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 140219/1983, that the posture of the light shielding wall is changed by the biasing force of a spring.

[The problem that the idea attempts to solve]

As mentioned above, when the cleaning tape is pulled out of the main body case in a half-loaded state, the running path of the tape outside the case is different from the normal state, so the cleaning tape does not cross the light projection path set by the photo sensor. It may disappear. In such a case, the light-receiving portion of the photo sensor is always in a light-receiving state, the tape deck detects the end of the tape, and the auto-stop mechanism is activated. In other words, it is no longer possible to perform cleaning by winding up and running the cleaning tape.

When a light blocking member is added to the main body case, the light projection path is blocked, so that tape feeding becomes possible. However, in devices such as VHS-C tape decks that detect the tape end on the tape running path outside the main case, it is necessary to install a light-shielding member that protrudes outside the main case; If only the additional member is added, it becomes difficult to load the head cleaner onto the tape deck. In addition, even when cleaning is finished and tape winding is finished, this cannot be detected, so the auto-stop mechanism does not operate and excessive force is applied to the cleaning tape, loading pin, etc., and if this condition is left for a long time, may damage the motor.

This invention solves the above problems, and allows a head cleaner that performs cleaning in a half-loading state to reliably start and automatically stop tape running in accordance with the tape deck's tape running control function. The purpose is to

[Means to solve the problem]

In this invention, the light projection path 15 for tape end detection, which is set outside the front of the main body case 1, can be blocked or opened by the optical path shutter 17, and the optical path shutter 17 can be adjusted between the blocking position and the standby position. The switching is performed by the opening operation of the front cover 6 and the operation of the return operation member 25, which is displaced as the tape tension increases.

Specifically, as shown in FIG.
An optical path shutter 17 is provided to block the light emission path 15, and it can be placed in a blocking position in which it protrudes from the main case 1 and blocks the light emission path 15, or in a blocking posture in which it is retracted within the outline of the main body case 1 to block the light emission path 15.
5 is supported by the main body case 1 so as to be freely movable in the standby position in which the main body 5 is opened. A cutoff operation member 21 is provided on the front cover 6, so that when the front cover 6 swings upward, the light path shutter 17 can be switched from the standby position to the cutoff position using the cutoff operation member 21. moreover,
A return operation member 25 is provided in the main body case 1 to be displaced as the tape tension increases, and when the tape tension increases near the tape end, the return operation member 25
By the displacement operation, the optical path shutter 17 can be returned from the blocking position to the standby position. Note that the return operation member 25 is biased by a spring 28 in a direction opposite to the direction of displacement when the tape tension increases.

[Effect]

When loading the head cleaner into the tape deck,
The front lid 6 is swung upwardly and then the cleaning tape 2 is pulled out of the case in a half-loaded state. In this state, the cleaning tape 2 cannot block the light projection path 15 for tape end detection. However, the disconnection operation member 21 that moves together with the front cover 6 may cause the optical path shutter 17 to
Since the light emitting path 15 is pulled out from the screen and switched to the blocking position, the light projection path 15 is blocked by the optical path shutter 17, reproducing a state similar to that in which an opaque tape is crossed. Thereby, although the cleaning tape 2 is in a half-loaded state, it can freely run and move in the reproduction direction.

When the cleaning tape 2 is wound up to near the tape end, the tape tension suddenly increases and the return operation member 25 is displaced against the spring 28. In conjunction with this displacement operation, the optical path shutter 17 is operated to return from the blocking position to the standby position by the return operation member 25. Then, the light projection path 15 is opened and the detection light can reach the light receiver _P2 . This state is equivalent to a state in which the transparent leader tape is crossing the light projection path 15, and tape feeding is stopped by the auto-stop mechanism.

[First Embodiment] Figures 1 to 6 show a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a head cleaner for a VHS-C type video deck.
An example is shown, and its basic form is VHS-C.
It takes substantially the same form as a type of videotape cartridge.

In Fig. 3, the head cleaner is located on the left and right sides of the main body case 1, which consists of upper and lower cases 1a and 1b.
A pair of reels 3 and 4 around which the cleaning tape 2 is wound are rotatably arranged. A loading pocket 5 is provided on the front of the case, divided into three parts, and the front opening is covered with a front lid 6 for protecting the tape so that it can be opened and closed.
As shown in FIG. 4, the front cover 6 swings open and close about a shaft 7 at its upper part, and is held in each open and close position by a spring member (not shown).

Of the three pockets 5, a tape outlet 10 that opens toward the left pocket 5 is formed at the base end of a projecting wall 9 that divides both the center and left pockets 5, 5, and the cleaning tape is pulled out from the tape outlet 10. 2
, the guide surface 11 at the tip of the protruding wall 9 and the right pocket 5
The tape 2 is guided by a tape guide 12 provided facing the tape 2 so that the tape 2 is drawn out of the case in a half-loaded state. In other words,
In order to prevent the tape 2 from being caught by the loading pin that enters the left pocket 5, the tape outlet 10 is biased closer to the center of the case than its original position.

A pad 13 for applying a cleaning liquid to the tape 2 is provided adjacent to the inner edge of the tape outlet 10. The pad 13 is formed into a flat plate shape using felt, sponge, or the like, and is fixed to the inner surface of the case front wall 1c that is connected to the tape outlet 10 by adhesive, welding, or the like. A liquid supply port 14 is provided in the front wall 1c of the case, through which cleaning liquid can be supplied to the pad 13. In addition, several notches are formed in the contact edge of the pad 13 with the tape 2, and the liquid is applied to the tape 2 in a striped pattern.

When the tape deck is loaded with the head cleaner, a photo sensor P is provided on the outside of the front surface of the main body case 1 to detect the end of the tape on the feeding end side. In FIG. 1, the photo sensor P consists of a light projector _P1 and a light receiver _P2 , and detects the end of the tape by means of a light projecting path 15 that slopes upward to the left as viewed in the figure. By the way, in the normal tape loading state, the tape is pulled out of the case from the front left corner of the case, as shown by the dashed line R in FIG. The end of the tape can be detected based on the presence or absence of transmitted light. That is, in the half-loading state, since the light projection path 15 is inclined, the tape 2 cannot cross the light projection path 15, making it impossible to detect the end of the tape.

This invention enables the above-mentioned head cleaner to realize a pseudo state equivalent to the normal tape drawing state, and for this purpose, an optical path shutter 17 is provided to block the light projection path 15, and Ingress and egress operations are performed using the opening operation of the lid 6 and changes in tape tension.

In FIG. 1, the optical path shutter 17 is formed into a flat plate shape as a whole, and the left case side wall 1d
The shielding position (first
It is supported by the main body case 1 so as to be able to freely slide back and forth between the state shown in the figure) and the standby position in which it retracts into the outline of the main body case 1 and opens the light projection path 15 (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 2). In order to prevent the optical path shutter 17 from falling inward within the case, its front inner side is supported by a guide wall 18, and its rear inner side is supported by a holding arm 19.
I support it. The rear base end of the holding arm 19 is fitted and fixed to the case side wall 1d, and the tip of the arm is always pressed against the plate surface of the shutter 17 to prevent the shutter 17 from moving back and forth.

In FIG. 4, an engagement rib 20 is provided laterally projecting on the outer side of the front end of the optical path shutter 17. As shown in FIG. Further, a disconnecting operation member 21 is integrally formed at the side end of the front lid 6 in correspondence with the engagement rib 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the cutting operation member 21 is composed of an arm 22 continuous to the side wall of the front cover 6, and a claw 23 that protrudes from the inner side of the tip and engages with the engagement rib 20. When the shutter 17 swings upwardly, the claw 23 pulls out the shutter 17 out of the case via the engagement rib 20.
At this time, the claw 23 slides upward while being engaged with the engagement rib 20, and is disengaged from the engagement rib 20 before the front lid 6 is fully opened. The position of the shutter 17 at that time becomes the cutoff position shown by the imaginary line in FIG.

In this state, the light projection path 15 is blocked by the optical path shutter 17, and the same state as when the magnetic tape is pulled out there and blocks the light projection path 15 is reproduced. Therefore, following the opening operation of the front lid 6,
Even if the tape 2 is pulled out of the case in a half-loaded state, the tape can be reliably fed through modes such as playback, fast forward, and search.

A return operation member 25 is provided to return the optical path shutter 17 from the blocking position to the standby position. In FIGS. 1 and 6, the return operation member 25 is
A tension arm 27 is horizontally swingably supported on the inner surface of the upper wall of the upper case 1a via a shaft 26, a spring 28 urges the arm 27 to swing toward the case side wall 1d, and the tension arm 27 It consists of an interlocking lever 29 and the like that transmits the operation to the shutter 17.

The tension arm 27 has its rear end swingably supported by a shaft 26, and has a detection pin 30 projecting downward from the tip of the arm to detect the cleaning tape 2 between the feed reel 3 and the tape outlet 10. It is designed to be pulled out of the case via a pin 30. When the tape runs, the tension arm 27 overcomes the tape tension by the biasing force of the spring 28 and maintains the state shown in FIG. 1. but,
Near the tape end, the tape tension exceeds the biasing force of the spring 28 and increases rapidly, so the tension arm 27 swings toward the reel 3 as shown in FIG. This swinging displacement is transmitted to the shutter 17 via the interlocking lever 29 to change the posture.

The interlocking lever 29 is formed into a bell crank shape with a passive arm 32 and an operating arm 33 protruding from a central boss, and is swingably supported on a support shaft 31 erected on the lower case 1b. In order to transmit the displacement movement to the interlocking lever 29, a pin 34 is provided protruding from the lower surface of the tension arm 27 near its tip. In addition, the optical path shutter 1
The short shaft 3 corresponding to the operating arm 33 is located at the upper edge of the midway part of 7.
5 is installed protrudingly.

When the optical path shutter 17 is pulled out of the case by the disconnection operation member 21, the short shaft 35 comes into contact with the operation arm 33, causing the interlocking lever 29 to swing clockwise. At this time, the passive arm 32 is in contact with the pin 34. When the tension arm 27 is drawn toward the reel 3 due to an increase in tape tension, the pin 34 swings the interlocking lever 29 counterclockwise via the passive arm 32. At the same time, the operating arm 33
pushes the short shaft 35 toward the rear of the case, and as a result, the optical path shutter 17 is operated to return to the standby position.

By moving the shutter 17 into the case,
The light projection path 15 is opened and the detection light reaches the light receiver _P2 . This state is equivalent to a state in which the transparent leader tape blocks the light projection path 15 in the normal tape drawing state, and the shutter 17 is in the light projection path 15.
At the same time as the tape moves backward, the auto-stop mechanism on the deck operates to stop tape feeding. Therefore, excessive tape tension will not act on the loading pin or cleaning tape. In the case of a tape deck equipped with an automatic rewinding mechanism, the cleaning tape 2 is rewound immediately after tape feeding is stopped.

Thereafter, the front cover 6 is closed by an eject operation, but at this time the optical path shutter 17 is further pushed back from the state shown in FIG. 2 by the front cover 6. Then, the claw 23 climbs over the engagement rib 20 and engages again.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment particularly in the return operation member 25. In this case,
Two belt guides 3 are installed on the inner surface of the upper wall of the upper case 1a.
A detection body 40 is fixed to one end of a belt 39 that supports the optical path shutters 7 and 38, and an interlocking body 41 is fixed to the other end of the belt 39, which is stretched over both guides 37 and 38. The interlocking body 41 is connected to the optical path shutter 17, and a spring 28 to apply tension. Then, when the cleaning tape 2 is pulled out from the tape outlet 10 via the detection body 40 and the tape tension increases,
The optical path shutter 17 is pulled back into the case via the interlocking body 41 by utilizing the movement of the sensing body 40 displacing as shown in an imaginary line against the spring 28.

[Another embodiment example]

The tape outlet 10 can also be modified to open toward the central pocket 5.

The head cleaning method does not necessarily have to be a wet method, but may be a dry method without using a cleaning liquid. In this case, instead of the pad 13, a tape guide is provided near the tape outlet 10.

The optical path shutter 17 may be one that swings around a point and is displaced between a blocking position and a standby position.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, in this invention, detection of the end of the tape is performed in the light projection path 15 set outside the case, and in a head cleaner configured to pull out the cleaning tape 2 outside the case in a half-loading state, the light projection path 15 an optical path shutter 17 that blocks the shutter 17; a cutoff operation member 21 and a return operation member 25 that operate the shutter 17 between the cutoff position and the standby position;
is provided, so that a pseudo state equivalent to a regular tape loading state can be realized regarding the blocking and opening operations of the light projection path 15. This matches the tape deck's tape running control function, making it possible to reliably start tape running and automatically stop at the end of the tape, without causing any damage to the equipment on the tape deck or the cleaning tape 2, and to ensure head cleaning. I was able to do this.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 6 show a first embodiment of the head cleaner according to the present invention. Figure 1 is an internal plan view of the main part, and Figure 2 is the same internal structure as Figure 1 in different operating states. Plan view, Figure 3 is the overall internal plan view,
Figure 4 is a side view, Figure 5 is A-A in Figure 4.
6 is a sectional view taken along the line B--B in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is an internal plan view showing a second embodiment of the head cleaner according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Main body case, 2... Cleaning tape, 3... Reel, 6... Front lid, 10... Tape outlet, 15... Light projection path, 17... Optical path shutter, 20... Engaging rib, 21 ... Cutting operation member, 2
3... Pawl, 25... Return operation member, 27... Tension arm, 28... Spring, 29... Interlocking lever, P... Photo sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] In order for the cleaning tape 2 to be drawn out of the main case 1 in a half-loaded state, the tape outlet 10 on the feed reel 3 side is biased toward the center of the case. In a head cleaner in which a light projection path 15 for tape end detection set outside the front surface of the main body case 1 cannot intersect with the tape running path in the half-loading state, an optical path shutter 17 that blocks the light projection path 15 is provided.
However, on the front part of the main body case 1 facing the light projection path 15, there is a blocking position that protrudes from the main body case 1 and blocks the light projection path 15, and a standby position that retreats into the outline of the main body case 1 and opens the light projection path 15. A front cover 6 for tape protection is provided on the front of the main body case 1, and in conjunction with the upward swinging of this front cover 6, the optical path shutter 17 is shut off from the standby position. A disconnection operation member 21 that is operated to a posture is provided on the front lid 6, and a return operation member 25 that is displaced based on an increase in tape tension is provided in the main body case 1, and when the tape tension of this return operation member 25 is increased. A head cleaner characterized in that the optical path shutter 17 is operated to return from the blocking position to the standby position by the displacement operation, and the return operation member 25 is biased by a spring 28 in a direction opposite to the displacement direction.