US 5,351,157 AGranted

Magnetic-tape cassette apparatus having a head support actuation mechanism with a segmented toothed wheel

AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation

InventorsNorbert Kunze, Georg Weber

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A magnetic-tape-cassette apparatus includes a deck, a reel-drive mechanism forming part of the deck, and a head support which carries a magnetic head and is movable between a play position, in which the head can be applied to a magnetic tape accommodated in a magnetic-tape cassette, and an eject position. The head support is spring-loaded towards the eject position and is movable towards the play position by a traction mechanism. A drive wheel of the traction mechanism is rotatable by a drive device of the deck. The traction mechanism further includes a segmental toothed wheel which has a toothless portion and which can be driven by the drive wheel of the reel-drive mechanism, the toothless portion facing the drive wheel in the play and the eject position of the head support through the action of a latching device. The segmental toothed wheel further includes a wholly toothed segment which meshes with a traction wheel having a pin which can act upon the head support in such a manner that it either presses said support into the play position or blocks the rotation of the traction wheel in a position in which the toothless portion faces the drive wheel and is consequently not in mesh with said drive wheel.

A magnetic tape cassette apparatus, comprising:

a) a head support which is moveable between a play position and an eject position, said head support including a blocking face;
b) biasing means for biasing said head support towards said eject position;
c) a toothed rotatable drive wheel;
d) a segmental wheel which includes (i) a first, segmented wheel portion having a toothed portion driveable by said drive wheel and a toothless portion, said segmental wheel not being driveable by said drive wheel when the toothless portion faces said drive wheel, and (ii) a second wheel portion;
e) a traction wheel driveable by said second wheel portion of said segmental wheel and including a pin engageable with said head support;
f) latching means for latching said traction wheel with said toothless portion of said segmental wheel facing said drive wheel in the play and eject positions of said head support and for selectively unlatching said traction wheel;
and
g) a spring engaging said segmental wheel for rotating said toothed portion of said segmented wheel portion into engagement with said drive wheel when said segmental wheel is unlatched by said latching means;
said traction wheel and head support being arranged such that, when said traction wheel is unlatched by said latching means and said toothed portion of said first, segmented portion is driven by said drive wheel, said pin engages said head support and moves said head support from said eject position into said play position and such that, when said head support reaches said play position, said pin engages said blocking face of said head support whereupon said traction wheel is blocked against rotation, and
said traction wheel and said second wheel portion of said segmental wheel having a drive ratio selected such that with said pin engaged against said blocking face of said head support, said toothless portion of said first wheel portion of said segmental wheel faces said drive wheel and said segmental wheel and traction wheel are not driven by said drive wheel.

7 more elements

Abstract

Claims11