Tape cartridge gripper mechanism

Abstract

The invention pertains to developments for manipulating and referencing a magnetic tape cassette in a magnetic tape device involving loading, read/write and tape drive operation, and unloading. To load and unload the tape cassette, a tape drive bridge on which the magnetic head is mounted is disposed in a standby position out of the way of the path of movement of the tape cassette into and out of the recorder housing. A gripper disposed for longitudinal movement on a gear rack in the recorder housing, is arranged to bite the cassette to automatically carry the cassette inwardly to its fully loaded position and then again move the cassette outwardly to its unloaded position. A lever arm arrangement is provided to appropriately open the dust cover door on the tape cassette, to expose the cassette tape for operational engagement by the magnetic head, as the tape cassette approaches its fully loaded position within the recorder housing. The gear rack serves to activate this lever arm for opening the dust cover. The tape cassette is preferably loaded endwise into the recorder housing, and when the cassette has been fully loaded in the recorder housing, the tape drive bridge carrying the magnetic head is rotated in all three axes from its standby position to its running position. In its running position, the tape drive bridge looks the tape cassette to it, by gripping the cassette at three reference areas on the bridge. A manual eject mechanism utilizes an exposed button on the recorder housing which is manipulated by the operator to cause unloading of a stranded tape cassette, should the electrical system not work.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.