Patent ID: 6788491
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A tape loading apparatus comprising:first and second swinging arms each including a loading arm having an elongated hole that extends in a longitudinal direction of the loading arm, a slider, a loading lever for connecting the loading arm and the slider in a relatively swingable manner, the loading lever having an engaging pin, a joint portion for connecting the loading arm and the loading lever, the joint portion being structured by fitting the engaging pin into the elongated hole, and a spring member interposed between the engaging pin and a spring receiving portion formed in the loading arm, the spring member urging the engaging pin and the loading arm so as to part them away from each other, a pair of synchronous gears disposed on base portions of the first and second swinging arms respectively, the pair of synchronous gears always meshingly engaged with each other; first and second loading pins disposed on leading end portions of the first and second swinging arms respectively, the first and second loading pins being projectingly movable to their respective loading positions for winding a cassette tape around a rotary drum by synchronous swinging movements of the first and second swinging arms in the tape loading direction; a chassis having guide grooves for guiding the projecting movements of the first and second loading pins respectively; positioning stoppers disposed on end portions of the guide grooves respectively for positioning the first and second loading pins being elastically pressed by an elastic force of the spring member at their respective loading positions; a loading gear disposed on the base portion of the first swinging arm; a mode gear being meshingly engageable with the loading gear to rotate the loading gear; and a shaft member for rotatably supporting the mode gear; a mode switching member having a teeth row portion being meshingly engageable with the mode gear, wherein the joint portion of the first swinging arm maintains bent attitude having an angle smaller than 180Â° and a no-tooth portion formed in the loading gear is in contact with a no-tooth portion formed in the mode gear when the loading pin of the first swinging arm is elastically pressed against the positioning stopper at the loading position by the elastic force of the spring member, whereby a rotation force generated in the loading gear when the loading gear receives a reactive force of the spring member is received by the shaft member, and the pair of synchronous gears have a pair of projections which abut against each other to prevent the first and second swinging arms from extreme swinging over their loading positions.