Cassette autochanger

A cassette autochanger comprising:

• at least one cassette container for containing a plurality of cassettes placed therein in a vertical posture and each having a medium on which a signal is recorded;
• at least one reproducing unit for reproducing the signal recorded on the medium of one of said cassettes placed therein in a horizontal posture, said reproducing unit having an orientation different from an orientation of at least said one cassette container;
• a cassette holder rotatable about a first axis between vertical and horizontal postures and about a second axis substantially normal to said first axis between first and second orientations corresponding to said orientation of said one cassette container and said orientation of said reproducing unit, respectively, for receiving a selected one of said cassettes into said cassette holder from said cassette container and transferring the selected cassette therefrom into said cassette container when said cassette holder is in said vertical posture and said first orientation, and for transferring the selected cassette from said cassette holder to said reproducing unit and receiving the selected cassette therefrom when said cassette holder is in said horizontal posture and said second orientation;
• and
• a carrying device for carrying said cassette holder between said cassette container and said reproducing unit, said carrying device including means for rotating said cassette holder about said first axis from the horizontal posture into the vertical posture and about said second axis from said second orientation to said first orientation to permit said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from said cassette container or transfer the selected cassette into said cassette container and for rotating said cassette holder about said first axis from the vertical posture into the horizontal posture and about said second axis from said first orientation to said second orientation to permit said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from said reproducing unit or transfer the selected-cassette into said reproducing unit.

A cassette autochanger comprising:

• two cassette containers in spaced-parallel relationship for each containing a respective plurality of cassettes placed in a vertical posture, each of said cassettes having a medium on which a signal is recorded;
• at least one reproducing unit for reproducing the signal recorded on the medium of one of said cassettes placed therein in a horizontal posture;
• a cassette holder movable between vertical and horizontal postures for receiving a selected one of said cassettes thereinto from one of said cassette containers or from said reproducing unit and for transferring the selected cassette therefrom into one of said cassette containers or into said reproducing unit;
• and
• a carrying device for carrying said cassette holder between said cassette containers and said reproducing unit, said carrying device including means for rotating said cassette holder about a first axis from the horizontal posture into the vertical posture to permit said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from said one of the cassette containers or to transfer the selected cassette into said cassette container and for rotating said cassette holder about said first axis from the vertical posture into the horizontal posture to permit said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from said reproducing unit or transfer the selected cassette into said reproducing unit, said cassette holder being rotatable about a second axis substantially normal to said first axis, and said carrying device further including means for rotating said cassette holder around said second axis to a first position permitting said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from the first one of said cassette containers or to transfer the selected cassette into said first cassette container and to a second position permitting said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from the second one of the cassette containers or to transfer the selected cassette into said second cassette container.