Tray housing driving apparatus of digital audio tape recorder

#The present invention relates to a tray housing driving apparatus, and more particularly to a tray housing driving apparatus of a digital audio tape (DAT) recorder for loading and seating a tape cassette using a single motor.

#Conventional DAT recorders are complicated in structure and not compact in size since two motors and three switches are used to transfer and seat a tape cassette, thereby increasing manufacturing processing operations and labor costs as well as wasting materials.

#The object of the present invention is to provide a tray housing driving apparatus of a DAT recorder, wherein a tape cassette is transferred and seated by means of a cam gear and an sector gear in a DAT recorder to complete its operation by driving a motor and to perform an interlinked operation by using two switches, so that the number of components and man-hours for assembling can be reduced, which reduces the manufacturing cost, simplifies the construction of the DAT recorder and reduces its size.

#The above object and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and reference to the attached drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tray housing driving apparatus according to the present invention;

#FIGS. 2(a)-2(c) are a plan view, a perspective view and a sectional view, respectively, showing portions of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

#Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings which shows a tray housing driving apparatus for a DAT recorder according to the present invention, a motor 3 is installed on one side of a chassis 1, and a driving pulley 4 connected to the shaft of motor 3 and a gear pulley 5 are coupled by a belt 6. A lower drawer 12 is extended and retracted relative to the chassis 1 by a cam gear 8 rotated by a driving gear 7 coupled to the rotational shaft of gear pulley 5 to transfer a tape cassette (not shown in FIG. 1) out of and into the DAT recorder. A cassette holder 18 accommodates the tape cassette fed by the lower drawer 12. A guide bracket 2 and a skater 20 are adjacently fitted with each other and operate to vertically elevate and lower the cassette holder 18.

#FIGS. 2(a), 3(a) and 3(b) schematically illustrate different stages during driving of the tray housing apparatus of a DAT recorder. The driving gear 7 of the gear pulley 5 is engaged with the cam gear 8. As shown in FIG. 2(b), a semi-circular sector gear 10 having an elastic or resilient piece 10a on one side thereof is coupled to the upper surface of the cam gear 8 by means of a hook 8c. Note also FIG. 2(c).

#The elastic piece 10a of the sector gear 10 is engaged by a projection 8b extending from the surface of the cam gear 8. On the side of the sector gear opposite from the elastic piece 10a, the cam gear 8 and the sector gear 10 are limited by a fixing pin 8a such that the cam gear and the sector gear are rotatable in the same direction. A switch la is provided at the midpoint of one side of chassis 1, and an operational piece 12b protrudes from one side of the lower drawer 12 to contact and operate the switch la when the lower drawer 12 is moved. Reference numeral 21c designates a transfer pin, the purpose of which will be described below.