WO1983002105A1 - Assemblage de compteur pour une video cassette - Google Patents

Assemblage de compteur pour une video cassette Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1983002105A1
WO1983002105A1 PCT/US1982/001735 US8201735W WO8302105A1 WO 1983002105 A1 WO1983002105 A1 WO 1983002105A1 US 8201735 W US8201735 W US 8201735W WO 8302105 A1 WO8302105 A1 WO 8302105A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
reel
arm
tape
take
movement
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1982/001735
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Inc. Superscope
Joseph S. Tushinsky
James S. Murchison
Original Assignee
Superscope Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Superscope Inc filed Critical Superscope Inc
Publication of WO1983002105A1 publication Critical patent/WO1983002105A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
    • G11B27/34—Indicating arrangements 
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
    • G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
    • G11B23/02—Containers; Storing means both adapted to cooperate with the recording or reproducing means
    • G11B23/04—Magazines; Cassettes for webs or filaments
    • G11B23/08—Magazines; Cassettes for webs or filaments for housing webs or filaments having two distinct ends
    • G11B23/087—Magazines; Cassettes for webs or filaments for housing webs or filaments having two distinct ends using two different reels or cores
    • G11B23/08707—Details
    • G11B23/0875—Indicating means, e.g. quantity of tape

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to information cassettes carrying a supply of magnetic tape upon which can be recorded a prescribed program of information. More specifically, this invention relates to a counter assembly particularly adapted for use with cassettes carrying video tape having a prescribed video program recorded thereon.
  • Information cassettes in general are well known in the art and typically comprises a length of magnetic tape having its opposite ends coupled respectively to a supply reel and take-up reel which are supported rotationally within a cassette housing.
  • the magnetic tape is adapted for storing prescribed information, such as audio and/or video information, and the entire cassette is adapted to fit within a particular playback machine with the magnetic tape oriented for engaging a machine playback head to permit the recorded informa- tion to be repeatedly and selectively retrieved.
  • the playback machine controls rotation of the supply and take-up reels in a manner to advance the magnetic tape from the supply reel past the playback head and to wind the tape about the take-up reel.
  • the direction of reel rotation can be reversed to rewind the tape back onto the supply reel in readiness for subsequent plays of the recorded program.
  • video playback machines have been developed for the domestic market, whereby there exists a substantial demand for so-called video cassettes having prerecorded thereon a prescribed video program such as a movie, sporting event, or the like. These so-called video cassettes, however, are relatively expensive to purchase, particularly when considering the fact that many consumers are interested in viewing the recorded program only a small number of times.
  • the tape cassette may carry a specific movie and the consumer is interested in viewing that movie only once or twice.
  • a substan ⁇ tial market has arisen for short-term rentals of prerecorded video cassettes wherein the consumer pays a relatively small fee for the right to play a particular recorded program on his home playback machine.
  • the present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a relative ⁇ ly simple and inexpensive counter assembly for a cassette wherein the counter assembly indexes only in response to a substantially complete playing of the recorded program, while permitting an unlimited number of tape reversals and replays of relatively short duration without indexing.
  • a counter assembly for accurately indicating the number of times the program recorded on magnetic tape of an information cassette, such as a video cassette, has been played substantially in its entirety.
  • the counter assembly is incorporated directly into the housing of the cassette and includes a spring-biased position indicator arm for mechanically following the effective diameter of one of the cassette supply and take-up reels as the magnetic tape is wound and unwound therefrom during playing and rewinding of the magnetic tape.
  • the position indicator arm controls the position of an oscillatory crank arm which is relatively loosely coupled to a counter unit for indexing the counter unit once as the crank arm is moved between a first position at the beginning of the program and a second position at the end of the program.
  • the mechanical connection between the crank arm and the counter unit has sufficient lost motion to permit an unlimited number of tape reversals and replays of relatively short duration without additionally indexing the counter unit.
  • the position indicator arm comprises a relatively lightweight follower arm having one end pivotally supported by the cassette housing and a distal end urged by a spring into bearing engagement with the effective outer diameter of the cassette take-up reel. The distal end of the follower arm thus displaces generally radially outwardly with respect to the rotational axis of the take-up reel as the magnetic tape is wound about the take-up reel during playing of the program and returns generally radially inwardly as the magnetic tape is unwound from the take-up reel during rewinding of the tape.
  • the follower arm passes through an angularly oriented slot in the crank arm which is mounted for pivoting movement with respect to the cassette housing. Accordingly, movement of the follower arm between the first and second positions corresponding with the beginning and end of the program causes the crank arm to oscillate back and forth about its pivot axis.
  • the crank arm is coupled by a escapement mechanism to the counter unit for indexing the counter unit once each time the program is played substantially in its entirety.
  • the crank arm includes a pair of generally opposed ratchet teeth for engaging a rotational spur gear at one end of the counter unit, wherein one of the ratchet teeth engages the spur gear to rotate the gear and index the counter when the crank arm is pivoted in one direction and the other ratchet tooth engages the spur gear to prevent further rotation thereof when the crank arm is pivoted in the opposite direction.
  • the mechanical coupling between the ratchet teeth and the spur gear is relatively loose such that the tape can be rewound for a relatively short period of time and then replayed without additionally indexing the counter unit.
  • the present invention provides a relatively simple and economical mechanical counter assembly which can be incorporated readily into the housing of an information cassette, such as a video cassette, for providing an indication of the number of times the recorded program has been played.
  • the counter assembly is responsive to playing of the program substantially in its entirety, but the counter assembly does not index additionally in response to tape reversals and replays of relatively short duration.
  • a consumer renting the video cassette may play a short beginning portion of the recorded program to permit adjustment of the controls on his playback machine and then rewind the tape to the program beginning without indexing the counter unit.
  • the consumer may at his option selectively replay certain scenes of the program an unlimited number of times without additionally indexing the counter unit.
  • playing of the program substantially in its entirety indexes the counter unit in a manner which is not readily defeat- able by the consumer.
  • FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an information cassette, such as a video cassette, including a counter assembly embodying the novel features of this inven ⁇ tion;
  • FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmented horizontal section of a portion of the video cassette illustrating construction details of the counter assembly
  • FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view illus ⁇ trating the construction and operation of the counter assembly
  • FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmented vertical section taken generally on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;
  • FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken generally on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken generally on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3.
  • An information cassette is referred to generally in the exemplary drawings by the reference numeral 10.
  • This information cassette 10 includes a cassette housing 12 of standardized size and shape which carried a rotatable supply reel 14 and a rotatable take-up reel 16.
  • a supply of magnetic tape 18 has its opposite ends appropriately connected to the supply and take-up reels and is wound about these reels for transport back and forth from one reel to another, all in a well-known manner.
  • a counter assembly 20 of this invention is incorporated into the cassette housing 12 for indexing once each time the magnetic tape 18 is advanced substantially in its entirety from the supply reel 14 to the take-up reel 16.
  • the information cassette 10 is adapted to fit into an appropriate information playback machine (not shown) for association of the magnetic tape 18 with an appropriate playback head (also not shown) to permit a program of information recorded upon the magnetic tape to be played back by the playback machine.
  • the cassette housing 12 conventionally is open at one side, as illustrated by arrow 22, to permit the requisite electromechanical cooperation between the magnetic tape 18 and the machine playback head during playing of the recorded program.
  • the counter assembly 20 of this invention is provided for indicating the number of times the program recorded on the magnetic tape 18 has been played substantially in its entirety.
  • the counter assembly 20 is particularly adapted for incorporation into a so- called video cassette wherein the magnetic tape 18 constitutes a video tape having composite audio and video information recorded thereon for playback by use of modern video playback machines.
  • the invention is thus particularly designed for use in the video cassette rental industry wherein the counter assembly provides an accurate indication of the number of times the program has been played by the renting consumer, thereby permitting a rental fee to be calculated as a function of the number of program plays.
  • the counter assembly 20 may be used with any type of information cassette including a supply of magnetic tape 18, the invention is primarily directed toward the video tape rental industry, whereby the description herein will describe the invention in conjunction with a video cassette.
  • the counter assembly 20 is installed directly into the cassette housing 12 such as by use of a pair of mounting brackets 24 upstanding from a mounting plate 26 which can be secured to a lower half of the housing 12 in any suitable manner.
  • the brackets 24 can be molded integrally with the housing during injection molding of the housing. In any event, the brackets 24 are positioned in slightly spaced relation to each other, as viewed in FIGS.
  • a relatively lightweight position indicator arm 28 projects from a pivotal mounting adjacent the mounting bracket 24 near the supply reel 14 in a direction generally toward the take-up reel 16 for bearing engagement with the outer diameter of the take-up reel. More specifically, the position indicator arm 28 has one end secured to an upstanding pivot post 30 which extends between the mounting plate 26 and a retainer 31 mounted on the one mounting bracket 24. This pivot post 30 is mounted for rotation about its own axis, and a torsion spring 32 (FIG.
  • the position indicator arm 28 reacts between the mount ⁇ ing plate 26 and the pivot post 30 to rotate the post in a direction biasing the distal end of the position indicator arm 28 into bearing engagement with the outer diameter of the take-up reel 16.
  • the position indicator arm 28 is thus biased for pivoting motion in the horizontal plane, as viewed in the drawings for engaging the outer diameter of the take-up reel 16.
  • This outer diameter changes, of course, as the program on the tape 18 is played and the tape winds about the take-up reel to increase the effective diameter of the take-up reel.
  • the position indicator arm 28 thus comprises a cam follower which moves generally in a radial direction with respect to the rotational axis of the take-up reel to follow this change in effective diameter and thereby provide a mechanical indication of playing of the recorded program.
  • the position indicator arm 28 moves from a first position represented by the dotted lines in FIGS. 2 and 3 at the beginning of the program to a second position represented by solid lines at the conclusion of the program.
  • the position indicator arm is provided with means for smoothly bearing against the tape, such as the pair of small rollers 34 carried at the upper and lower ends of a short support rod 36 mounted at the distal end of the position indicator arm 28.
  • the back-and-forth motion of the position indicator arm 28 is converted into vertical oscillatory movement of a crank arm 38.
  • the crank arm 38 is carried by a longitudinally extending shaft 40 extending between the two mounting brackets 24 such that the crank arm 38 is pivotally movable up and down with respect to the horizontal axis of the shaft 40.
  • the crank arm 38 is carried by the shaft at a position generally adjacent the mounting bracket 24 closer to the take-up reel 16 and projects from the shaft generally toward the take-up reel before turning in a direction extending generally toward the supply reel 14 and the position indicator arm 28.
  • the position indicator arm 28 is received through an elongated and angularly oriented slot 42 in the crank arm 38 such that the vertical position of the crank arm with respect to the pivot shaft 40 is altered by movement of the position indicator arm 28 within the slot 42.
  • the slot 42 in the crank arm 38 comprises, in the preferred embodiment, an elongated linear slot which angles downwardly in a direction toward the distal end of the crank arm.
  • the position indicator arm 28 causes the crank arm 38 to pivot upwardly about the shaft 40 in a gradual manner as the position indicator arm 28 moves from the dotted line to the solid line position as the program on the tape 18 is played.
  • the position indicator arm 28 causes the crank arm to pivot downwardly, or in a reverse
  • crank arm slot 42 is chosen to accommodate the requisite swinging movement of the position indicator arm 28 to permit complete playing of the program, and a biasing spring 44 (FIG. 6) conveniently reacts between a pin 46 on the mounting bracket 24 and the crank arm 38 to bias the crank arm 38 in one rotational direction for positive engagement with the position indicator arm 28.
  • crank arm 38 is in turn coupled to a mechani ⁇ cal counter unit 48 supported between the two mounting brackets 24 for indexing the counter unit 48 one time when the recorded program on the tape is played substantially in its entirety.
  • this coupling with the counter unit is intentionally chosen to have a sufficient degree of lost motion to prevent indexing of the counter unit when only a small portion of the program is played.
  • relatively short portions of the program may be played and replayed as desired without indexing the counter unit, but any substantial ⁇ ly complete winding of the tape onto the take-up reel 16 will index the counter unit.
  • the counter unit comprises a plurality of rotary counter dials 50, three of which are depicted in the accompanying drawings.
  • These counter dials 50 are mounted for rotation about a common shaft 52 which is supported between the two mounting brackets. All of the dials 52 include circumferentially positioned numerical indicia, as illustrated by arrow 54, wherein this indicia is viewable through an open window 56 in the cassette housing 12 to permit viewing of the number of times the recorded program has been played.
  • One of the counter dials 50 is positioned adjacent the crank arm 38 and is mechanically coupled thereto by an escapement mechanism to control indexing of the dials. More specifically, as shown in FIG.
  • the crank arm 38 includes a relatively enlarged opening 58 for receiving a relatively small spur gear 60 having ten teeth and being formed integrally at one side of the adjacent counter dial 50.
  • This opening 58 in the crank arm 38 is substantially larger than the outer diameter of the spur gear 60, whereby substantial clearance exists between the crank arm and the spur gear 64.
  • the opening 58 in the crank arm 38 is bounded by a pair of generally opposed and radially inwardly projecting ratchet teeth 62 and 64 positioned for movement upwardly toward the horizontal plane of the shaft 30 into engagement with the teeth of the spur gear 60 as the crank arm 38 is oscillated back and forth.
  • OMPI relatively loose such that brief reversals in crank arm motion corresponding with reversals in the direction of tape transport during any portion of the program will not index the spur gear.
  • the spur gear will index when the program is played substantially at least over half way.
  • the above-described counter dial 50 is mechanical ⁇ ly coupled in a conventional manner to the two adjacent counter dials to provide the counter unit 48 with a "ones" digit and a "tens” digit and a “hundreds” digit.
  • This conventional coupling is achieved by means such as tabs (not shown) on the various dials for cooperating with indexing gears 74 and 76 carried on the lower pivot shaft 40.
  • the general construction and design of counter units of this type is convention ⁇ al in the art, such as a counter unit of the type sold by Veeder-Root, Inc. of West Hartford, Connecticut, under the designation number 1779, whereby the construction and operation of the counter unit 48 is not described herein in further detail.
  • any number of rotary dials can be provided in accordance with available space to allow any number of program plays to be counted.
  • the counter assembly of this invention thus provides a relatively compact and inexpensive mechani ⁇ cal counter arrangement for incorporation directly into the housing 12 of a video cassette 10.
  • the counter assembly advantageously indexes once each time the tape program is played substantially in its entirety, while at the same time permitting virtually an unlimited number of tape reversals of relatively short duration and replays without additional indexing of the counter.
  • the counter assembly is therefore ideally suited for use with video cassettes which are rented to consumers wherein it is desired to charge a rental fee based upon the number of times the consumer has viewed the record- ed program.
  • the invention gives the consumer substantial latitude in replaying selected scenes and in initially adjusting his video playback machine with ⁇ out additionally indexing to indicate plural plays.

Landscapes

  • Indexing, Searching, Synchronizing, And The Amount Of Synchronization Travel Of Record Carriers (AREA)

Abstract

Un assemblage à compteur (20) destiné à une vidéo cassette (10) permet d'indiquer le nombre de fois que le programme enregistré sur la bande vidéo (18) dans la cassette (10) a été joué. L'assemblage à compteur (20) comprend un bras indicateur de position (28) monté sur l'enceinte de la cassette (12) et sollicité sur un ressort (32) pour chevaucher contre la bobine réceptrice (16) de la cassette et suivre le diamètre de la bobine (16) au fur et à mesure que la bande vidéo (18) s'enroule ou se déroule. Le bras indicateur de position (28) déplace mécaniquement un bras de manivelle oscillatoire (38) entre une première position au début du programme et une seconde position à la fin du programme. Le bras de manivelle (38) entraîne une unité de comptage (48) par l'intermédiaire d'un mécanisme à échappement engagé de manière relativement lache de sorte que l'unité de comptage (48) est incrémentée d'une unité à chaque fois que le programme est reproduit sensiblement dans sa totalité, tout en permettant le rebobinage de la bande et de reproduire des morceaux relativement courts du programme sans incrémenter additionnellement l'unité de comptage (48).
PCT/US1982/001735 1981-12-15 1982-12-14 Assemblage de compteur pour une video cassette WO1983002105A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US33086881A 1981-12-15 1981-12-15
US330,868811215 1981-12-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1983002105A1 true WO1983002105A1 (fr) 1983-06-23

Family

ID=23291649

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1982/001735 WO1983002105A1 (fr) 1981-12-15 1982-12-14 Assemblage de compteur pour une video cassette

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0096068A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1983002105A1 (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4554443A (en) * 1982-05-25 1985-11-19 Harry Lambert Tape cassettes
US4586101A (en) * 1983-01-14 1986-04-29 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Tape recorder cassette with tamper-proof counter
EP0224498A1 (fr) * 1985-04-19 1987-06-10 Playcount Pty. Ltd. Compteur du nombre de reproductions d'un enregistrement
EP0266983A2 (fr) * 1986-10-31 1988-05-11 David H. Rubenstein Système de cassette à bande à lecture limitée
WO1989001689A1 (fr) * 1987-08-17 1989-02-23 Roland Van Den Berg Cassette de bande video
GB2211173A (en) * 1987-10-14 1989-06-28 Tokyo Electric Co Ltd Multiprinting thermal transfer ink ribbon cassette counting usage
GB2220190A (en) * 1988-06-30 1990-01-04 Shapecourt Ltd Video and other tape or film cassettes

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2756279A (en) * 1952-05-23 1956-07-24 Harry A Lang Counter for tape recorder
US2944750A (en) * 1957-03-08 1960-07-12 Jr Buford C Hall Tape recorder indicator attachment
US3604624A (en) * 1969-06-30 1971-09-14 Sony Corp Counter for a tape record-playback mechanism
US4274605A (en) * 1980-01-24 1981-06-23 Gruber Jr George P Reel technology

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2756279A (en) * 1952-05-23 1956-07-24 Harry A Lang Counter for tape recorder
US2944750A (en) * 1957-03-08 1960-07-12 Jr Buford C Hall Tape recorder indicator attachment
US3604624A (en) * 1969-06-30 1971-09-14 Sony Corp Counter for a tape record-playback mechanism
US4274605A (en) * 1980-01-24 1981-06-23 Gruber Jr George P Reel technology

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4554443A (en) * 1982-05-25 1985-11-19 Harry Lambert Tape cassettes
US4586101A (en) * 1983-01-14 1986-04-29 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Tape recorder cassette with tamper-proof counter
EP0224498A1 (fr) * 1985-04-19 1987-06-10 Playcount Pty. Ltd. Compteur du nombre de reproductions d'un enregistrement
EP0224498A4 (fr) * 1985-04-19 1989-07-11 Port Jackson Film Prod Pty Compteur du nombre de reproductions d'un enregistrement.
EP0266983A2 (fr) * 1986-10-31 1988-05-11 David H. Rubenstein Système de cassette à bande à lecture limitée
EP0266983A3 (fr) * 1986-10-31 1989-08-16 David H. Rubenstein Système de cassette à bande à lecture limitée
WO1989001689A1 (fr) * 1987-08-17 1989-02-23 Roland Van Den Berg Cassette de bande video
GB2211173A (en) * 1987-10-14 1989-06-28 Tokyo Electric Co Ltd Multiprinting thermal transfer ink ribbon cassette counting usage
US4907902A (en) * 1987-10-14 1990-03-13 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Multiprinting thermal transfer ink ribbon cassette
GB2211173B (en) * 1987-10-14 1991-11-20 Tokyo Electric Co Ltd Multiprinting thermal transfer ink ribbon cassette
GB2220190A (en) * 1988-06-30 1990-01-04 Shapecourt Ltd Video and other tape or film cassettes

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0096068A1 (fr) 1983-12-21

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