JPS60246073A - Inspector of magnetic recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate easily and effectively the tape misloading, etc. and to stabilize the quality of a magnetic recording medium, by setting a detection element into a production line to check the recording medium on the way process of mouting it to a prescribed member. CONSTITUTION:A take-up reel 2 is revolved clockwise to take up a leader tape 4 by a fixed amount, and the drive of the tape 4 is stopped automatically when a splice tape 6 is positioned approximately at the center of a cassette half. Meanwhile the video signals are reproduced by a reproduction head 12 immediately after they are recorded to a magnetic tape 5 by a record head 11. In such a way, the tape loading state is decided automatically. Then the next process is stopped in case the tape misloading is detected. Thus an in-line for check is possible within an assembling process, and the quality of a magnetic recording medium is stabilized through an automatic deciding process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for magnetic recording media, and particularly to an inspection apparatus for detecting a surface on which a magnetic layer is provided.

2. Prior Art Magnetic tapes are typically sold as tape cassettes housed within cassette halves, but assembly of the tape cassettes requires various steps.

First, to manufacture a magnetic tape, a magnetic layer is coated on a wide plastic film, wound up into a roll, and then slit into a tape while being sequentially fed out in the next slitting process. Wrap individual separated tapes onto each hub. The thus obtained cut tape is further applied to a loading machine, wound onto a reel, and loaded into a cassette half as a magnetic tape.

However, in the tape cassette assembly process described above, when the magnetic tape is loaded into the cassette half, the surface of the magnetic layer faces inward instead of facing outward from the cassette (i.e., the front and back sides of the tape are Misloading may occur (installed in the wrong position). There are various possible causes for this, but in particular, the tape may be twisted and turned upside down after the slitting described above, and the operator may wrap the tape around the hub without knowing this. In this case, the tape is transferred from the winder to the inside of the half with the front and back sides upside down, resulting in the above-mentioned misloading and lowering the yield of the product.

In order to prevent such problems, it is conceivable to test each half of the cassette by placing the assembled cassette halves individually on a tape deck. That is, in the case of misloading, recording and reproduction are impossible, so the assembly line can be interrupted as soon as this is discovered.

However, since such an inspection is performed after the half is completed, the cassette 1 itself is wasted if it is found to be a defective product, and the inspection work to distinguish between good and defective products is troublesome.

It is also possible for workers to visually inspect the
It is unreliable, and it is difficult to find enough good products.

3. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection device that can efficiently and easily determine misloading of a magnetic tape as described above and stabilize the quality of the product.

4. Structure of the Invention That is, the inspection device according to the present invention is a device for detecting the surface of a tape-shaped or film-shaped magnetic recording medium on which a magnetic layer is provided, It is characterized in that it consists of a detection element disposed in the process of attaching or inserting the detection element into a predetermined member such as a cassette half or in a production line prior to the process of forming the detection element into a predetermined shape or inserting the detection element into a predetermined member such as a cassette half.

5. Examples Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the assembly process of a tape cassette.
It is loaded into the cassette through a series of steps: slitting → winder → incorporation into the cassette half.

What should be noted in this example is that the above-described inspection for the presence or absence of misloading is carried out at the time of or after the tape is installed in the cassette, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In these figures, for example, in the final process of an assembly line for video tape cassettes, a magnetic tape 5 wound on the lower flap side is spliced by a splice tape G. This joining position is not necessarily limited to the illustrated position.

In the figure, 7 is a guide pole, 8 is a tape restraining flap, 9 is a tape guide, and 10 is a guide roller.

Next, the recording head 11 and the reproducing head 1 shown in FIG.
2 are moved in the direction of the arrows and brought into contact with the tape 4, and in this state, as shown in FIG. The movement of the tape is automatically stopped when the splice tape 6 is located at the position (that is, approximately at the center of the half).

During this tape movement, immediately after recording a video signal on the magnetic tape 5 with the recording head II, the next playback node 1 is pressed.
2, if the magnetic tape 5 is properly loaded into the half, a playback output can be obtained, but in the case of misloading, no playback output can be obtained. As a result, the loading status of the magnetic tape can be automatically determined, and in the event of erroneous loading, various steps prior to loading can be immediately interrupted.

Therefore, the inspection device according to this example can be installed in-line in the tape cassette assembly process, and can be inspected using the takt time (rest time until the next feed) during the conveyance of the cassette halves in the line. can be done. Moreover, since the inspection is performed at the final stage of cassette assembly, the number of inspection devices can be reduced. Further, even if a defective product is confirmed through the above inspection, there is no need to start the process of completing the cassette by covering it with the next half, so it is possible to prevent waste of cassettes.

In this way, misloading of the tape in the half can be automatically determined in-line, and only cassettes with stable quality can be manufactured.

Furthermore, when recording and reproducing by the heads 11 and 12, if an auxiliary means is provided for applying a predetermined tension (approximately 20 to 200 g) to the tape by, for example, slightly rotating the roll 2 in the clockwise direction in the drawing, it will be possible to further improve the performance. The above-mentioned detection can be performed reliably.

In the above, each head 11, 12 was fixed in the tape running direction, but as shown by the dashed line 14 in FIG. 3, each head was moved in the opposite direction to the tape running direction during tape winding. Good too. In this case, head 11.
12 can be recorded and reproduced more quickly, and therefore the above-mentioned inspection can be carried out in a short time.

Of course, inspection may be performed by moving the heads 11, 12 in the direction of the arrow 14 even when winding of the tape is stopped and the splice tape 6 is at the half center position as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an example using another head.

In this example, a single head 15 is used, and after the winding of the tape 4 is completed, recording is performed when the head moves in the direction of arrow 14, and immediately after this, playback is performed when the head rhythmically moves in the direction of arrow 13. By switching recording and reproducing accordingly, it is possible to check for misloading.

Depending on the type of cassette, when the tape loading state is from Figure 2 to Figure 3, the third cassette may be loaded.
Misloading can be determined by moving the head as shown by the dashed line in the figure and the solid line in FIG.

In the example described above, the inspection device was provided at the final stage of cassette assembly, but the inspection device may be provided at any stage before that. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if the winder described above is indicated by 16, the magnetic tape 5 that is wound from the winder 16 onto the reel 3 via each guide roller 17 and tension roller 18 is The recording head 11 and the reproducing head 12 described above can also be provided sequentially. In addition, the inspection device according to the present invention can be used before the step of pasting the magnetic recording medium onto the support plate in the case of a magnetic sheet or magnetic card, or in the step of loading the magnetic recording medium into the jacket in the case of a magnetic disk. It can be placed before the Also, instead of configuring the inspection device with a magnetic head and detecting it magnetically as described above, it is possible to optically detect the glossiness (amount of light reflection) on the front and back surfaces of the magnetic tape using an optical sensor to distinguish between the front and back sides. Alternatively, the difference in conductivity between the front and back surfaces of the magnetic tape can be measured with a resistance meter to determine whether the magnetic tape is front or back.

Note that the inspection apparatus according to the present invention is of course applicable not only to video use but also to audio use.

6. Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention disposes a detection element in the production line, so it is possible to automatically distinguish between the front and back of a magnetic recording medium in-line without visual inspection, and also by applying it to a tape deck, etc. Misloading of the magnetic recording medium can be detected efficiently and easily, and the quality of the product can be stabilized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram schematically showing the tape cassette assembly process, and FIG. A plan view of the half, Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower half showing the state in which the magnetic head detects the front and back sides when the tape is wound to the normal loading position. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the lower half, not showing the inspection state. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example of the inspection device. In addition, in the symbols shown in the drawings, ■・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・Half 2.3 ・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Reel 4...
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・Leader tape 5・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Magnetic tape 6・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・Splice tape】I・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・Recording head 12・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Play head 15
・・・・・・・・・・・・Head 16 that can be switched between recording and playback・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・It's wine goo. Agent Patent Attorney Hiroshi Aisaka Drawing 1 dispute letter (1 1st day 2 FT Notsu rj @ 5th district (order) procedural amendment (method) % formula % 1, Indication of case 1982 Patent application No. 100867 No. 2, Name of the invention Inspection device for magnetic recording media 3, Relationship to the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant address 1-26-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Name Name
Konica Magnetics Co., Ltd. 4, agent

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A device for detecting the surface of a magnetic recording medium on which a magnetic layer is provided, which includes the step of forming the magnetic recording medium into a tape shape or a predetermined shape and attaching or inserting it into a predetermined member, or before that step. 1. An inspection device for a magnetic recording medium, comprising a detection element arranged in a manufacturing line.