Rotary head cleaning apparatus and method of controlling the same for use with a recording/reproducing apparatus
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasato Sakui
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotary head cleaning apparatus and method is disclosed, in which a control unit reserves recording times and operates a cleaning mechanism based on time information from a clock that measures time-of-day. The rotary head cleaning apparatus operates the cleaning mechanism when the time determined by the clock coincides with a non-reserved time other than times reserved for recording.
Claims17
A rotary head cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a cleaning mechanism adapted to be brought into contact with a rotary drum for cleaning a head for performing at least magnetic recording, which is be mounted on said rotary drum;
- time-measuring means for measuring a time;
- recording reservation means for reserving a recording time;
- and
- cleaning control means for operating said cleaning mechanism when the time determined by said time-measuring means coincides with a non-reserved time zone other than the time reserved by said recording reservation means.
A magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus comprising:
- a head for performing magnetic recording and magnetic reproducing;
- a rotary drum on which said head is mounted;
- a cleaning mechanism adapted to be in contact with said rotary drum for cleaning said head;
- time-measuring means for measuring a time;
- recording reservation means for reserving a recording time;
- and
- cleaning control means for operating said cleaning mechanism when the time determined by said time-measuring means coincides with a non-reserved time zone other than the time reserved by said recording reservation means.
A rotary head cleaning apparatus comprising:
- a cleaning mechanism for cleaning a head which records and reproduces signals from a recording medium;
- a timer for measuring time;
- an input unit for reserving a recording time;
- and
- a cleaning controller for operating said cleaning mechanism to clean the head when a time measured by said timer coincides with a non-reserved time slot other than a time reserved for recording.
A method of automatically cleaning a head of a recording/reproducing apparatus with a cleaning mechanism, comprising the steps of:
- reserving a recording time for recording on a recording medium with the head;
- measuring elapsed time;
- determining when elapsed time coincides with a non-reserved time slot other than a time reserved for recording;
- and
- cleaning the head with the cleaning mechanism when elapsed time coincides with the non-reserved time slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.