Lid opening mechanism for a digital audio tape cassette
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorYoon B. Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lid opening mechanism for a DAT cassette, wherein the lid is slightly opened while inserting a tape cassette into its housing, and then the lid is completely opened when the tape cassette is placed on a deck, so that the load applied to the cassette is efficiently reduced and the size of the DAT tape cassette can be minimized.
Claims21
A lid opening mechanism in a digital tape player for opening a lid of a digital tape cassette, wherein the digital tape cassette comprises a tape housing with an opening providing access to an interior of the tape housing and a lid supported on said tape housing by a pivot and rotatable between a first position with the lid covering the opening and a second position with the lid uncovering the opening, the lid configured to have a top portion adjacent to the pivot and a frontal portion spaced from the pivot, said lid opening mechanism comprising:
- a loading mechanism for stably placing the digital tape cassette onto a deck of the digital tape player, said mechanism including a cassette holder positionable to receive and transport in a longitudinal direction a digital tape cassette comprising a tape housing with an opening providing access to an interior of the tape housing and a lid supported on said tape housing by a pivot and rotatable between a first position with the lid covering the opening and a second position with the lid uncovering the opening, the lid configured to have a top portion lying in a plane substantially parallel to said direction of travel while the lid is in said first position and a frontal portion extending substantially perpendicularly to said top portion and said direction of travel while the lid is in said first position;
- means for applying a force to said top portion of the lid to partially open the lid of the digital tape cassette as the tape cassette is being inserted into said cassette holder of the digital tape player;
- and
- means for completely opening the lid after completion of insertion of the tape cassette into said holder, as the digital tape cassette is moved by said cassette holder and placed onto the deck.
A tape player for receiving a tape cassette, comprising:
- a supply reel table and a take-up reel table;
- holding means for receiving and conveying in a first direction of travel a tape housing of said tape cassette having three side portions, a first main wall and a second main wall, and a lid pivotally engaging two of said three side portions about a pivotal axis, the lid having a protecting portion extending substantially perpendicular to said first direction across a frontal portion of the tape cassette, a top portion lying in a plane generally parallel to said first direction and parallel to said first main wall when the lid is in a closed position and extending perpendicularly to the protecting portion, and two side walls for engaging said two of said three side portions, and for loading the tape cassette onto said supply reel table and said take-up reel table;
- and
- lid opening means for opening the lid to a partially opened position, as the tape cassette is being inserted into said holding means, by applying a force to said top portion of the lid, and for completely opening the lid after completion of insertion of the tape cassette into said holder, as the tape cassette is loaded onto said supply reel table and said take-up reel table.
A method for opening a lid of a tape cassette being loaded into a cassette holder of a tape player, said method comprising the steps of:
- partially opening a lid of a tape cassette being loaded into a cassette holder positioned to convey the tape cassette in a first direction of travel, wherein the tape cassette comprises a tape housing having three side portions, a first main wall and a second main wall, and the lid pivotally engaging two of said three side portions and pivoting about a pivotal axis, the lid having a protection portion extending substantially perpendicularly to said first direction across a frontal portion of the tape cassette, a top portion parallel to said first main wall when the lid is in a closed position and extending perpendicularly to said protecting portion, and two side walls for engaging said two of said three side portions, by applying a force to said top portion of the lid located between said pivotal axis and said first main wall, as the tape cassette is being inserted into the cassette holder;
- and
- completely opening the lid after completion of insertion of the tape cassette into said holder, by applying a force to a bottom portion of said protecting portion when the tape cassette is lowered onto a deck of the tape player.
A tape player for receiving a tape cassette having a lid, comprising:
- a supply reel table and a take-up reel table;
- a deck for supporting said supply reel table and said take-up reel table;
- a cassette loading mechanism comprising a cassette holder for retaining and transporting in a first direction the tape cassette with the lid of the tape cassette having a top portion lying in a plane substantially parallel to said first direction while in a closed position, and having a upper portion of the cassette holder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.