Mechanism for transmitting driving force to recording and/or reproducing apparatus

A system for supplying a driving force to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus which has a first reel table onto which tape traveling in a first direction in wound, and a second reel table onto which tape traveling in a second direction opposite to the first direction is wound, said system comprising:

• driving means for producing a driving force;
• a driving gear arranged between said first and second reel tables, said driving gear being caused to rotate by said driving means;
• first and second idler gears which respectively engage corresponding gear portions of said first and second reel tables;
• a pendulum gear which engages the driving gear and is movable for engaging one of the first and second idler gears depending upon the rotation of the driving gear in a first operation mode, said pendulum gear being cooperated with the driving gear and the engaged gear portion of the first and second reel tables to form a first gear train for transmitting the driving force to one of the first and second reel tables in the first operation mode so as to cause the selected reel table to rotate at a first speed;
• an intermediate gear which engages said driving gear and is axially movable along an axis about which it is rotatable for engaging the first idler gear in a second operation mode, said intermediate gear being cooperated with the driving gear and the first idler gear to form a second gear train for transmitting driving force to the first reel table so as to cause the first reel table to rotate at a second speed higher than the first speed;
• and
• switching means for selecting one of the first and second operation modes to cause one of the first and second gear trains to form.

An apparatus for selectively transmitting a driving force produced by a driving source to either a first reel table onto which a tape traveling in a first direction is wound, or a second reel table onto which the tape traveling in a second direction, opposite the first direction, is wound, for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, said mechanism comprising:

• gear train means for selectively transmitting the driving force from the driving source to one of said first and second reel tables, said gear train means selectively establishing one of a first gear train which causes the selected reel table to rotate at a first speed, and a second gear train which causes the selected reel table to rotate at a second speed higher than the first speed;
• switching means for causing said gear train means to establish one of said first and second gear trains;
• torque limiter means, selectively applied to said first gear train, for decreasing the driving force to be transmitted to the selected reel table so as to decrease the rotation speed of the selected reel table depending upon load applied to said gear train means;
• torque limiter applying means for causing said torque limiter means to be applied to said first gear train;
• and
• mode selecting means, associated with said switching means and said torque limiter applying means, for selecting either a first operation mode in which the first gear train is established and the torque limiter means is applied to said first gear train, or a second operation mode in which the first gear train is established without applying the torque limiter means to the first gear train, or a third operation mode in which the second gear train is established;
• wherein said first gear train includes a driving gear arranged between the first and second rear tables, a pendulum gear engaging the driving gear, and first and second idler gears which engage corresponding gear portions of said first and second reel tables, said pendulum gear being movable for engaging one of the first and second idler gears depending upon the rotation of said driving gear in either said first or said second operation mode, and wherein said second gear train includes said driving gear, an intermediate gear engaging the driving gear, and the first idler gear, said intermediate gear being axially displaceable along an axis about which it is rotatable for engaging the first idler gear in said third operation mode.

An apparatus for selectively transmitting a driving force produced by a driving source to either a first reel table onto which a tape traveling in a first direction is wound, or a second reel table onto which the tape traveling in a second direction, opposite the first direction, is wound, for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, said mechanism comprising:

• gear train means for selectively transmitting the driving force from the driving source to one of said first and second reel tables, said gear train means selectively establishing one of a first gear train which causes the selected reel table to rotate at a first speed, and a second gear train which causes the selected reel table to rotate at a second speed higher than the first speed;
• switching means for causing said gear train means to establish one of said first and second gear trains;
• torque limiter means, selectively applied to said first gear train, for decreasing the driving force to be transmitted to the selected reel table so as to decrease the rotation speed of the selected reel table depending upon load applied to said gear train means;
• torque limiter applying means for causing said torque limiter means to be applied to said first gear train;
• and
• mode selecting means, associated with said switching means and said torque limiter applying means, for selecting either a first operation mode in which the first gear train is established and the torque limiter means is applied to said first gear train, or a second operation mode in which the first gear train is established without applying the torque limiter means to the first gear train, or a third operation mode in which the second gear train is established;
• wherein said first gear train includes a driving gear arranged between the first and second reel tables, a pendulum gear engaging the driving gear, and first and second idler gears which engage corresponding gear portions of said first and second reel tables, said pendulum gear being movable for engaging one of the first and second idler gears depending upon the rotation of said driving gear in either said first or said second operation mode, and wherein said second gear train includes said driving gear, and the first idler gear, said intermediate gear engaging the first idler gear in said third operation mode, said intermediate gear being axially displaceable along an axis about which it is displaceable;
• wherein said torque limiter means includes:
• a fixed gear which is rotatable with said driving gear,
• a limiter gear;
• said limiter gear being operatively connected with said driving gear so as to be synchronously rotatable therewith until a load applied to the driving gear reaches a predetermined level after which a rotational speed difference is permitted to occur between said limiter gear and said driving gear, and
• a mode switching gear which is axially displaceable along the axis about which it is rotatable between a torque limiting position in which the mode switching gear engages the limiter gear and a non-torque limiting position in which the mode switching gear engages the fixed gear to transmit the driving force produced by said driving source to said driving gear;
• wherein said switching means comprises:
• a selectively operable electric motor;
• a cam which is in drive connection with said selectively operable electric motor;
• a slidable member operatively connected with said cam;
• and
• first and second pivotal levers, said first and second pivotal levers being engageable with said slidable member in a manner which induces pivotal movement therein, said first and second levels being engageable with said intermediate gear and said mode switching gear, respectively to induce axial displacement thereof.

A system for supplying a driving force to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus which has a first reel table onto which a tape traveling in a first direction is wound, and a second reel table onto which the tape traveling in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, is wound, said system comprising;

• driving means for producing driving force;
• a first gear train for selectively transmitting the driving force produced by the driving means to one of the first and second reel tables in a first operation mode so as to cause the selected first or second reel table to rotate at a first speed;
• a second gear train for transmitting the driving force produced by the driving means to the first reel table in a second operation mode so as to cause the first reel table to rotate at a second speed higher than the first speed;
• and
• switching means for selecting one of said first and second operation modes to cause the selected first or second gear train to transmit the driving force to the corresponding reel table;
• wherein said switching means comprises:
• a selectively operable electric motor;
• a first cam which is in drive connection with said selectively operable electric motor;
• a slidable member operatively connected with said first cam;
• first and second pivotal levers, said first and second pivotal levers being engageable with said slidable member in a manner which induces pivotal movement therein;
• and
• first and second gears which are axially displaceable along the axes about which they are respectively rotatable, said first and second gears being axially displaceable in response to the pivotal movement of said first and second pivotal levers, respectively, for selectively forming one of said first and second gear trains.