JPS58150103A - Cassette tape recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the effective building of many circuits into an apparatus, such as a car stereo, which has just a limited operating area, by providing electronic circuits such as display circuits and control circuits on a cover body covering an insertion hole of a cassette half. CONSTITUTION:A cover body 1 which covers an insertion hole is provided on the front surface of a tape recorder body 11, and electronic volume control switches 2 and 3, and switches 4-6 for pause, fast feeding and rewinding are provided on the front surface thereof. A display part 8 is provided in the upper central part, and further, a button 9 for stopping the tape for removal is provided. For example, flexible jumper wires are used for the electrical connections of the signal between the cover body 1 and the body 11 and an electric power source. Since the part of the insertion hole of the cassette hole is also usable effectively as element disposing parts by the above-mentioned constitution, the device is suitable particularly for small sizes.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cassette tape recorder, and more particularly to the structure of a compact cassette tape recorder.

In the case of a tape recorder, such as a so-called car stereo device, which is installed near the driver's seat of an automobile, the area allowed for its operating surface is extremely limited. For example, it is common to provide not only a hole for attaching and detaching a cassette half, but also an operation control circuit, a display circuit, etc. for the cassette tape recorder main body within a small area of about 18×5 crn.

The equipment should be installed in a location that is extremely easy for drivers to operate.
A pole such as a dash board or part of a console (there is only limited space and therefore the aforementioned 18 x 5 cm
In addition, it is required to add a circuit for controlling and displaying the tuner function of the radio to the limited area of the radio.

These various circuits can be efficiently installed in such a small area.
For example, as one solution for storing
As disclosed in Publication No. 26, there is a method in which the dustproof door that covers the cassette half insertion hole also serves as the dial part of the radio. However, when used as a tape recorder, this dustproof door is pushed into the inside of the main body when inserting the cassette half, so it is necessary to place display and control circuit elements. It is impossible to use it as a space.In addition, a garage door requires not only space for the door, but also a hinge mechanism and design processing around the door, which creates extra space. It also takes up area.

Recently, there has been a strong demand for advanced control functions for tape recorders, and the basic controls for tape recorders such as PLAY (playback), PF ("J feed"), LR,
EW (coal transport u), 5TOP (stop), E, I ECT
(tape ejection), power switch, volume, tone quality adjustment, etc., interlaced song selection that allows you to select programs for each song, multiple song selection that allows you to select programs such as several songs, repeat playback of each song, tape Various functions are required, such as selecting the type of tape (normal, chrome, metal), Dolby switching (OFF, B type, C type), and tape running direction switching (in the case of an auto-reverse machine). 18 x 5 cm considering the display device
It is difficult to provide all of these display and control circuits in a small space. Especially as audio equipment,
In addition to the tape recorder function, a radio tuner function is also added and integrated, and in addition to the cholera audio function, video functions such as a television set and V71''l (video tape recorder) are also added. In some cases, it is necessary to display and control each of these functions, but it is impossible to arrange them all in the small space mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cassette tape recorder that can effectively incorporate a large number of electronic circuits for operation control, display, etc. into a device that has only a limited operation area.

The cassette tape recorder according to the present invention is characterized in that the lid covering the cassette half insertion hole is equipped with an electronic circuit such as a display circuit or a control circuit. In addition to processing such as signal connection, amplification, oscillation, synthesis, and calculation, it also includes display conversion processing that converts electrical signals into light for visible display, and includes display parts and mechanical switch elements for operation. In addition, it also includes these display unit drive circuits, switch control circuits, etc., and is defined in a broad sense.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main body of the tape recorder with the lid closed, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main body with the lid opened. It is. There is a cassette half insertion hole l on the front of the tape recorder main body 11.
A lid l is provided to cover the lid l (see FIG. 2), and electronic volume control switches 2 and 3 are provided on the front surface of the lid l. Switches 2 and 3 have the function of reducing the amount of opening when they are pressed, respectively. In addition, switches 4 to 6 for PAUSE, PI'' and REW are provided to control the main body into the pause, fast forward and rewind operation modes. A button 8 is provided, which is used, for example, as a tape counter display.Furthermore, a button 9 for stopping and taking out the tape is provided, and by pressing this button 9, the lid 1 is locked in the closed state. At the same time, tape running is stopped after a certain time delay to perform cassette half ejection.This can be easily realized using well-known electrical and mechanical methods.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a hinge mechanism, which is a support part for opening and closing the lid body 1. In addition, the electrical connections between the lid 1 and the main body 11 for signals and power sources are made using, for example, flexible jumper wires (not shown in the drawings).In order to reduce the number of flexible jumper wires, it is assumed that All signals from each switch for operation control may be digitized and the lid 1 and main body 11 may be connected in a serial transmission format.The same may be applied to signals for display. can.

With this configuration, the cassette half insertion hole portion can also be effectively used as an element placement portion, making it particularly suitable for small-sized devices.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, in which the main body 11
The front left end of the main body 11 is made to protrude as shown in the figure, and a sliding volume 13, which is cheaper than an electronic volume, is attached to this part, and a lid l is provided on the remaining part of the front of the main body 11 in the same way as in Figures 1 and 2. It is something.

In this example, parts that do not necessarily need to be mounted on the lid body 1 or parts that are difficult to mount may be mounted on the front side of the main body +1. That is, it is sufficient to install operating parts that are unavoidably mechanically connected to the main body 11.

4 to 6 are diagrams of another embodiment of the present invention, which is an example of a car stereo with a radio.

FIG. 4 is a diagram when the main body 11 is used as a tape player, and there are protrusions 11 (Z,
Ilb is provided, and a protrusion 11 (electronic volume switches 2 and 3 are attached to Z, and an eject button 4 and a lid opening button 15 are attached to protrusion 1]b, respectively.The eject button 14 is , usually lid body 1
is operated when it is open, but if it is pressed when it is closed, the lid body 1
It can also be constructed so that it can be opened and the tape can be taken out.

The lid 1, which is provided to cover the cassette half insertion hole 10 (see Fig. 5), is provided with control switches 16 to 2o for performing a skipping song selection operation. This is to output a command to select a song. Switches 21 to 25 are also provided, and a display letter is attached below each switch.The upper line indicates when the switch is used as a tape recorder, and the lower line indicates when the switch is used as a radio tuner. This is an actual display.

When used as a tape recorder, when the switch 21 is pressed, the tape is fed in the backward direction (Backward), that is, in the tape rewinding direction. The program starts playing from the beginning, plays for a short time (about 10 seconds), and then starts rewinding again. That is, the switch 21 is used to perform a so-called scanning operation to check what songs have been recorded in the rewinding direction. When there is a song that you want to listen to, you can switch to normal playback by canceling the scanning process. The switch 22 is for performing the same scanning operation as described above in the tape fast forward direction. 23 is a rewind switch, 24 is a fast forward switch, and 25 is a switch for commanding the tape running direction in the auto-reverse machine.

Switch 26 is a changeover switch when used as a tape recorder, and is used in conjunction with switch 27, a changeover switch when used as a tuner. Both switches 26, 2
When one of the functions of No. 7 is being used and the other switch is pressed, the function is switched to that of that switch.

Furthermore, a display section 28 is attached, and in this example, a two-layer liquid crystal display (LCI) is used, with the first layer used for tape recorder-related displays and the second layer used for tuner-related displays. . Therefore, when used as a tape recorder, the entire display section can be used as a tape-related display. The display section 29 in the illustrated example is for displaying the aperture state of the electronic volume, and a bar-shaped display from the bottom increases as the volume is lowered, allowing the volume control state to be determined. When the volume control is set to maximum, all the bars are lined up all the way to the top. The display unit 30 is for visually indicating the running state of the tape, and divides two circular figures into a plurality of segments to provide a contrast of light and dark, and controls the display so that the segments rotate in accordance with the tape rotation direction. Then, the straight line connecting the two circles is moved according to the running of the tape to control blinking. The display section 31 indicates the tape running direction with an arrow.

The display section 32 indicates that the tape recorder has received a command to search for the third song in the rewinding direction and is currently performing a so-called skip song selection operation. 44 to 49 are tuner preset channel selection switches, 44 is a memory switch, and 45 to 49 are preset switches.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view when the lid l shown in FIG. 4 is opened;
0 indicates the cassette half insertion hole, 33 is a changeover switch when using a tape recorded with the Dolby noise reduction method, and 34 is a switch that switches the time constant of the tape equalizer to 70 μs when using chrome or metal tape. These switches 33 and 34 may be provided on the front surface of the lid 1, but since these are already determined at the time of inserting the cassette half, it is better to provide them at an appropriate location near the insertion hole 10. .

In other words, by attaching operation switches that are complicated to operate on the front of the lid, and adding switches that require less operation and are sufficient for one presetting to the front of the main body, even higher density mounting can be achieved with WIfiB. Become.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view when the FM tuner is in use, and the display device 28 uses a second layer of liquid crystal to display that the FM tuner is receiving 80+ FM waves.

The other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. 4 and 5. In addition, the display device 28
By using a three-layer LCD, the third layer can be used to display a timer, and can also be used to display preset stations when using a tuner, increasing various display functions. Electrical connections between electronic circuits such as displays and operation controls provided on the lid l and the circuits of the main body 11 are made using flexible jumper wires, and in particular, signals are exchanged between the two using serial digital signals. As mentioned above, it is preferable to use a transmission method, but it is also possible to use a wireless method. In other words, signals can be sent and received optically, and the lid can be separated from the main body to provide a remote control system.

Additionally, a light receiving section is added on the lid to receive remote control signals using light, and a photo sensor such as a phototransistor is installed to convert this into an electrical signal, and the output is output from a data conversion circuit installed inside the lid. It is also possible to send it to the main body via the or gate.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a circuit block in such a case, in which numeral 35 is an electronic control circuit inside the lid body, and key human power section 36
The command signal is converted into serial data by the encoder/37 and sent as a system control signal to the main body via the OR gate 38. On the other hand, a remote control unit 39 is provided, and this unit includes a key human power section 40, a transmitting section 41 that converts the signal from the key human power section into serial data and transmits data, and an optical A photodiode 7 and 42 for use as a signal are provided. The remote control command from the photodiode 42 is received by a light receiving section 43 provided on the lid, converted into an electrical signal, and sent to the main body through the OR gate 38. By doing so, there is an advantage that a wireless remote control function can be added by simply providing the light receiving section 43, which occupies an extremely small area, on the lid.

According to the present invention, the space for attaching and detaching the cassette tape and the design of its surroundings can be improved in devices such as small tape recorders, particularly car stereos, where the volume of the operating section is extremely limited. This makes it possible to use the space effectively without making it useless, and it is possible to incorporate a large number of advanced control functions (and without having to downsize the operation buttons or display section).

In addition, it is now possible to easily integrate not only a cassette tape recorder but also a tuner or even a video device, which is not only for in-vehicle use, but also for devices that require a small space in general. It is also applicable to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lid shown in FIG. 1 when opened, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. The figure is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lid shown in Figure 4 when it is opened, Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of the display section of the device shown in Figure 4, and Figure 7 is a block of the electronic circuit of the lid. It is a diagram. Explanation of symbols of main parts 1... Lid Body 2.3... Electronic volume switches 4 to 6...
...Control switch 8 ...Display section 11 ...Applicant Pioneer Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Motohiko Fujimura0 Inventor Aoyagibabe 25-1 Nishimachi, Yamada, Kawagoe City Pioneer Co., Ltd. Kawagoe Factory

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) A cassette tape recorder characterized in that an electronic circuit is provided on a lid covering a cassette tape insertion hole. (2) The cassette tape recorder according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is a display circuit or a control circuit. (3) The cassette tape recorder according to claim 2, wherein the display circuit includes a display section. (4) The cassette tape recorder according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit includes an operation control switch element. (5) The cassette tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electronic circuit and the cassette tape recorder main body are electrically connected by a flexible jumper wire. (6) The cassette tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the electronic circuit and the cassette tape recorder main body are electrically connected optically. (Claims 1 to 3) characterized in that the electronic circuit includes an active circuit element and is capable of digitally controlling a controlled portion of the cassette tape recorder main body. The cassette tape recorder according to any one of item 6. (8) The cassette tape recorder main body includes a tuner section, and the electronic circuit of the lid body also has a circuit function for the cheese section. Claim 1:
A cassette tape recorder according to any one of items 7 to 7. (9) The lid body is located at the cassette half insertion hole on the front surface of the cassette tape recorder main body, and the remaining front surface of the cassette tape recorder main body is provided with an operation that requires mechanical connection with the cassette tape recorder main body. A cassette tape recorder according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cassette tape recorder is provided with a mechanism. (10) Claims 1 to 9 are characterized in that the lid body is further provided with a signal converter that receives commands from a wireless remote control unit and converts the commands into electrical signals. Any of the cassette tape recorders listed in section 1.