Cassette cleaning device
AssigneeAllsop, Inc.
InventorStephane M. d'Alayer de Costemore d'Arc
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning cassette for cassette recorders in which movement of either spindle of the cassette recorder operates a cleaning element within the cassette casing. Transmission of the rotary movement is achieved by a pair of rotatably mounted reel hubs and a pair of exterior toothed wheels, one integral with each hub, with the reel hubs coupled together by a third intermediate exterior toothed wheel to form a permanent gear train. For driving a cleaning element, such as a felt tab, the intermediate wheel drives a cam and lever. By rotating either toothed wheel, the intermediate wheel causes the lever to move the tab alternately back and forth substantially parallel to the front edge of the cassette casing.
Claims61
A cleaning device for cleaning a head of a tape cassette player, where said player has a cassette receiving area to receive a tape cassette in a playing position, and a pair of spaced spindles to engage first and second spools of said tape cassette, which spindles are at predetermined spindle locations in said cassette receiving area, said device comprising:
- a. a cassette housing adapted to be inserted in said cassette receiving area in an operating location;
- b. a drive system comprising:
- 1. a first drive member rotatably mounted in said cassette housing at a first drive location where, with said housing in its operating position, said first drive member engages said first spindle in drive relationship so as to be rotatable with said first spindle;
- 2. a second drive member rotatably mounted in said cassette housing at a second drive location where, with the housing in its operating position, said second drive member engages said second spindle in drive relationship so as to be rotatable with said second spindle;
- 3. an interconnecting drive means operatively engaging said first and second drive members in a manner that rotational movement of one of said first and second drive members causes the other of said first and second drive members to rotate;
- c. a cleaning member having a cleaning portion positioned to engage the head of the player, said cleaning member being mounted in said housing to be driven on a cleaning path by which said cleaning portion wipes against the head of the player;
- d. said first and second drive members being first and second wheel members, respectively, and said interconnecting drive means is a third wheel member operatively engaging said first and second wheel members;
- whereby when either spindle of the player is rotated under power from the player, the drive member engaging that spindle is caused to rotate to insure that the other of the spindles is rotating, and the cleaning member is caused to move in a path to clean the head of the player.
A cleaning device for cleaning a head of a tape cassette playing and/or recording machine, where the machine has a cassette receiving area to receive a tape cassette in a playing position, and first and second spaced spindles, said device comprising:
- a. a cassette housing adapted to be inserted in said cassette receiving area in an operating position;
- b. a drive system mounted in said housing and comprising first and second drive members mounted in said housing and having an operative connection to said first and second spindles, respectively, said drive members being interconnected by interconnecting means in a manner that rotation of said first spindle acts through said first drive member to in turn act through said second drive member to cause rotation of the second spindle;
- c. a cleaning member having a cleaning portion positioned to engage the head of the machine, said cleaning member being mounted in said housing for back and forth wiping motion to clean said head, said cleaning member being operatively connected to said drive system in a manner that rotation of at least one of said spindles drives said cleaning member along said back and forth motion.
A cleaning device for cleaning a head of a tape cassette playing and/or recording machine, where the machine has a cassette receiving area to receive a tape cassette in a playing position, first and second spaced spindles, and a capstan and pinch roller which cooperate with one another to move a playing and/or recording tape through said machine on a tape path passing adjacent said head and between said capstan and said pinch roller, said device comprising:
- a cassette housing adapted to be inserted in said cassette receiving area in an operating location;
- b. a drive system mounted in said cassette housing to drivingly interconnect said spindles, said drive system comprising:
- 1. a first hub member rotatably positioned in said cassette housing to engage said first spindle so as to be rotatable therewith;
- 2. a second hub member rotatably positioned in said cassette housing to engage said second spindle so as to be rotatable therewith;
- and
- 3. an interconnecting drive means positioned in said cassette housing and operatively engaging said two hub members in a manner that rotation of one of said hub members causes rotation of the other of said hub members;
- and
- c. said device further comprising in addition to said drive system a cleaning member having cleaning portion for cleaning said head, said cleaning member being positioned in said device to be driven on a cleaning path other than said tape path, means to move said cleaning member on said cleaning path in response to rotation of at least one of said spindles to impart a cleaning motion to said cleaning portion.
A cleaning device for cleaning a head of a tape cassette playing and/or recording machine, where the machine has a cassette receiving area to receive a tape cassette in a playing position, and first and second spaced spindles, said device comprising:
- a. cassette housing adapted to be inserted in said cassette receiving area in an operating position;
- b. a cleaning member having a cleaning portion adapted to engage the head of the machine and being mounted in said cassette housing for movement on a back and forth cleaning path where said cleaning portion moves back and forth relative to said head;
- c. a drive system mounted in said housing and having an operative connection to said cleaning member to cause said cleaning member to move on said back and forth cleaning path in response to rotation of at least one of said spindles, and also having interconnecting means providing an operative connection between said spindles in a manner that rotation of a first spindle acts through said drive system to cause rotation of the second spindle.
A cleaning device for cleaning a head of a tape cassette playing and/or recording machine, where the machine has a cassette receiving area to receive a tape cassette in a playing position, and first and second spaced spindles, said device comprising:
- a. a cassette housing adapted to be inserted in said cassette receiving area in an operating position;
- b. a cleaning member having a cleaning portion, said cleaning member being positioned in said housing to be driven on a cleaning path in response to rotation of at least one of said spindles to impart a cleaning motion to said cleaning portion, relative to said head;
- c. a drive system mounted in said housing and comprising first and second drive members mounted in said housing and having an operative connection to said first and second spindles, respectively, when said cassette housing is in said operating location, said drive members being interconnected by interconnecting means in a manner that rotation of said first spindle acts through said first drive member and through said second drive member to cause rotation of the second spindle, said drive system further comprising a rotatably mounted wheel member located centrally in said housing relative to locations of said first and second spindles when said housing is in said operative position;
- said wheel member being in positive drive engagement with said cleaning member in a manner that rotation of said wheel member positively drives said cleaning member on said cleaning path, said drive members being in positive drive engagement with said wheel member in a manner that at least one of said drive members positively drives said wheel member to cause rotation thereof, with the wheel member in turn causing said cleaning member to travel on said cleaning path.
A cleaning device for cleaning a head of a tape cassette playing and/or recording machine, where the machine has a cassette receiving area to receive a tape cassette in a playing position, and first and second spaced spindles, said device comprising:
- a. a cassette housing adapted to be inserted in said cassette receiving area in an operating position;
- b. a drive system mounted in said housing, said drive system comprising first and second hub members which, with said cassette housing in said operating location, engage said first and second spindles, respective, in drive relationship so as to be rotatable therewith, and a gear drive transmission comprising interconnecting gear means positioned in the cassette housing for interconnecting the first and second hub members in a manner that rotation of one of said hub members causes rotation of the other of said hub members;
- c. a cleaning member having a cleaning portion, said cleaning member being positioned in said housing to be driven on a cleaning path in response to rotation of at least one of said spindles to impart a cleaning motion to said cleaning portion, relative to said head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.