Interval detection and drive mechanism for cassette tape recorder

An interval detection and drive mechanism for a cassette tape recorder including playback, fast forward and rewind levers on a chassis, which comprises

• electrical circuit means for detecting an interval between recorded tunes on the tape and generating a detection signal upon the detection of said interval,
• switching means for actuating said detecting circuit means,
• tape drive control means shiftable between a fast forward or rewind state and a playback state, wherein said drive control means includes an eccentric cam disc adapted to be rotated a half turn in response to said detection signal, and a head carriage slidably mounted on the chassis and shiftable between a recording/playback position and another position, said head carriage being operatively connected to said cam disc so that the head carriage is shifted from the other position to the recording/playback position as a result of the half turn of said cam disc,
• a lock plate operatively coupled to the switching means and to the playback, fast forward and rewind levers, said lock plate locking the fast forward and rewind levers when the switching means is operated and releasing the fast forward and rewind levers when the playback lever is moved to the playback position, and
• moving means operatively connected to said control means for moving and maintaining the playback lever to the playback position,
• wherein when said switching means is operated to actuate the detecting circuit means during the fast forward or rewind operation, said detecting circuit means detects the first interval between tunes after the actuation to deliver the detection signal to said control means and to the moving means, thereby changing the control means from the fast forward or rewind state to the playback state and moving the playback lever to the playback position.