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US 4,320,424 AGranted
Tape recorder having cassette loading apparatus
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorOsamu Murayama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cassette loading/unloading apparatus for a tape recorder employs a motor driven pinion driving a rack for moving a cassette guided by guide members between a loading/ejection position and an operational position. A single switch senses the insertion of the cassette to begin the loading sequence and also stops the motor when the cassette reaches the operational position. In addition, the switch stops the motor at the conclusion of the ejection sequence when the cassette reaches the ejection position.
Claims6
A cassette loading apparatus for a front-loading video tape recorder comprising:
- cassette support means;
- holding means movable relative to said support means between an insertion and ejection position and an operative position;
- said cassette holding means being adapted to accept and hold a cassette inserted therein from a front of the video tape recorder when said holding means is in said insertion and ejection position;
- a rack having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion contiguous to said horizontal portion;
- a pinion engaging said rack;
- one of said rack and pinion being secured to said holding means;
- guiding means for guiding said holding means along a substantially horizontal path portion and along a substantially vertical path portion contiguous to said horizontal path portion between said insertion and ejection position and said operative position;
- said guiding means being effective to maintain meshing engagement of said pinion with said horizontal and vertical portions of the rack during movement of said holding means along said horizontal and vertical path portions, respectively;
- a reversible electric motor for rotating said pinion;
- motor control means having first and second conditions for controlling the operation of said electric motor;
- means responsive to insertion of said cassette into said holding means for actuating said motor control means to said first condition whereby operation of said motor is effected and movement of said holding means from said insertion and ejection position to said operative position is initiated;
- means responsive to arrival of said holding means at said operative position for actuating said motor control means to said second condition whereby further movement of said holding means is there terminated;
- and
- means responsive to return movement of said holding means from said operative position to said insertion and ejection position for again restoring said motor control means to said second condition.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.