Cassette autochanger

A cassette autochanger comprising a cassette container for containing a plurality of cassettes placed in a vertical posture, a reproducing unit for reproducing the signal recorded on the medium of one the cassettes placed therein in a horizontal posture, and a cassette holder movable between vertical and horizontal postures for receiving a selected one of the cassettes thereinto from the cassette container or from the reproducing unit and for transferring the selected cassette therefrom into the cassette container or into the reproducing unit. A carrying device is provided for carrying the cassette holder between the cassette container and the reproducing unit. The carrying device changes the cassette holder from the horizontal posture into the vertical posture to permit the cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from the cassette container or transfer the selected cassette into the cassette container. The carrying device changes the cassette holder from the vertical posture into the horizontal posture to permit the cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from the reproducing unit or transfer the selected cassette into the reproducing unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a cassette autochanger suitable for use in a 
continuous reproduction over achieving long period of time with a number 
of tape cassettes being selectively transferred in a desired sequence 
between a cassette container and a video tape recorder. 
For example, Japanese Patent Kokai No. 62-241180 discloses a conventional 
video tape cassette autochanger of this type which includes a plurality of 
video tape players arranged to reproduce video tape cassettes placed 
therein in a horizontal posture and cassette containers arranged to 
contain a number of video tape cassettes placed in a horizontal posture. 
Such a conventional cassette autochanger is operable with a simple 
structure for carrying a video tape cassette between one of the tape 
containers and one of the video tape players. However, the video tapes 
have their longitudinal edges at one side of the tape held in pressure 
contact with the respective cassette casings during storage and, because 
of weight of the wound tape, the tape is damaged when preserved for a long 
period of time. This is true particularly for cassette autochangers where 
a number of video tape cassettes are preserved in the cassette containers 
over a very long period of time. Thus, the conventional cassette 
autochanger is not suitable for a long-term cassette preservation. A 
similar discussion is applied to various kinds of tape cassettes other 
than video tape cassettes. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A main object of the invention is to provide an improved cassette 
autochanger which can preserve tape cassettes for a long period of time 
without the danger of damaging the tapes contained in the respective 
cassettes. 
There is provided, in accordance with the invention, a tape cassette 
autochanger comprising at least one cassette container for containing a 
plurality of tape cassettes placed in a vertical posture. Each of said 
cassettes has a tape medium on which a signal is recorded. The cassette 
autochanger also includes at least one reproducing unit for reproducing 
the signal recorded on the tape medium of one of said cassettes placed 
therein in a horizontal posture, and a cassette holder movable between 
vertical and horizontal postures for receiving a selected one of said tape 
cassettes thereinto from said cassette container or from said reproducing 
unit and for transferring the selected cassette therefrom into said 
cassette container or into said reproducing unit. A carrying device is 
provided for carrying said cassette holder between said cassette container 
and said reproducing unit. The carrying device includes means for changing 
said cassette holder from the horizontal posture into the vertical posture 
to permit said cassette holder to receive the selected cassette from said 
cassette container or to transfer the selected cassette into said cassette 
container and for changing said cassette holder from the vertical posture 
into the horizontal posture to permit said cassette holder to receive the 
selected cassette from said reproducing unit or to transfer the selected 
cassette into said reproducing unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
With reference to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts 
in the several views, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a 
tape cassette autochanger embodying the invention. The tape cassette 
autochanger, generally designated by the numeral 10, includes a housing 11 
which contains two tape cassette containers 12 and 13 positioned in spaced 
parallel relation to each other. Each of the tape cassette containers 12 
and 13 is shown as having a number of bins for containing a number of tape 
cassettes 15 placed therein in a vertical posture, and a number of 
vertically elongated rectangular ports 14 through which the respective 
tape cassettes 15 are placed into and drawn out of the tape cassette 
container. The housing 11 also contains a plurality of (in illustrated 
case three) tape recorder/player units 18 spaced in the vertical 
direction. Each of the tape recorder/player units 18 has a horizontally 
elongated rectangular cassette port 19 through which a tape cassette 15 is 
placed into and out of the tape recorder/player unit. The tape 
recorder/player unit 18 performs recording or reproducing for a tape 
cassette 15 positioned in a horizontal posture within the tape 
recorder/player unit. 
A tape cassette carrier 20 is supported on a slider 21 which is slidable 
along a vertical guide rail 22. The vertical guide rail 22 is provided at 
its opposite ends with sliders 23 and 24 secured thereto. The sliders 23 
and 24 are slidable along upper and lower horizontal guide rails 25 and 
26, respectively. The upper guide rail 25 may be mounted on the ceiling of 
the housing 11, and the lower guide rail 26 may be mounted on the floor of 
the housing 11. The tape cassette carrier 20 is moved in vertical and 
horizontal directions in the space defined between the tape cassette 
containers 12 and 13. 
To produce the upward and downward motion of the tape cassette carrier 20 
along the vertical guide rail 22, the vertical guide rail 22 is provided 
at its lower end with a pulley 27 around which a drive belt 28 extends. 
The drive belt 28 also loops about a pulley 29 fixed at the upper end of 
the vertical guide rail 22 to the output shaft of a drive motor 30. The 
opposite ends of the drive belt 28 are fixed on the opposite sides of the 
slider 21 on which the tape cassette carrier 20 is supported. To produce 
the leftward and rightward motion of the tape cassette carrier 20 between 
the horizontal guide rails 25 and 26, the horizontal upper guide rail 25 
is provided at its one end with a pulley 31 around which a drive belt 32 
extends. The drive belt 32 also loops about a pulley 33 fixed at the other 
end of the horizontal upper guide rail 25. The opposite ends of the drive 
belt 32 are fixed on the opposite sides of the slider 23. Similarly, the 
horizontal lower guide rail 26 is provided at its one end with a pulley 34 
around which a drive belt 35 extends. The drive belt 35 also loops about a 
pulley 36 fixed at the other end of the horizontal lower guide rail 26 to 
the output shaft of a drive motor 38. The opposite ends of the drive belt 
35 are fixed on the opposite sides of the slider 24. A connection rod 37 
is connected between the pulleys 33 and 36 to transmit a drive from the 
drive motor 38 to the pulley 33. 
Referring to FIGS. 3 to 7, the tape cassette carrier 20 is shown to include 
a tape cassette holder 40 formed in its one side surface with a 
rectangular cassette port 41 through which a tape cassette 15 is placed 
into and out of the tape cassette holder 40. The tape cassette holder 40 
is supported, through two shafts 42 fixed on the opposite sides thereof, 
on a U-shaped frame member 43 for free rotation about its longitudinal 
axis B (FIG. 3) with respect to the frame member 43. The frame member 43 
is secured on a shaft 44 for free rotation about the axis A of the shaft 
44. The shaft 44 is rigidly fixed on a base member 45 which in turn is 
carried on the slider 21. Thus, the tape cassette holder 40 can rotate 
about the axis A and also about the axis B with respect to the base member 
45. 
To produce the rotation of the tape cassette holder 40 about the axis A 
with respect to the slider 21, the fixed shaft 44 has a spur gear 50 fixed 
thereon for rotation in unison therewith. The spur gear 50 is drivingly 
connected through a reduction gear train to a worm gear 56 fixed on the 
output shaft of a drive motor 57. The drive motor 57 is carried on the 
frame member 43. The reduction gear train includes gears 51, 52, 53, 54 
and 55 carried on the frame member 43. The gear 51, which is held in 
meshing engagement with the spur gear 50, revolves around the spur gear 50 
like a planetary gear to rotate the frame member 43, along with the tape 
cassette holder 40 about the axis A with respect to the slider 21, from 
the position illustrated in FIG. 6 to the position illustrated in FIG. 7 
or from the position illustrated in FIG. 7 to the position illustrated in 
FIG. 6 when a drive is transmitted from the drive motor 57. 
The spur gear 50 has a disc member 61 secured on one side of thereof. The 
disc member 61 is formed in its peripheral surface with a roller guide 
surface 62 which has two concave depressions 63 and 64 circumferentially 
spaced at an angle of 90.degree.. A swing lever 65, which is pivoted on 
the frame member 43, is provided at its tip end with a roller 66. A spring 
67 is provided to urge the swing lever 65 in a direction holding the 
roller 66 in pressure contact with the roller guide surface 62. When the 
tape cassette holder 40 is in the vertical posture shown in FIG. 6, the 
roller 66 is in engagement with the concave depression 63 to limit frame 
member rotation. This position is sensed by a position sensor 68 provided 
on the frame member 43. When the tape cassette holder 40 rotates from the 
vertical posture shown in FIG. 6 to the horizontal posture shown in FIG. 
7, the lever 65 moves against the resilient force of the spring 67 to 
bring the roller 66 along the roller guide surface 62 into engagement with 
the concave depression 64 where frame member rotation is limited. This 
position is also sensed by the position sensor 68. 
To produce the rotation of the tape cassette holder 40 about the axis B 
with respect to the slider 21, one of the fixed shafts 42 has a spur gear 
70 fixed thereon for rotation in unison therewith. The spur gear 70 is 
drivingly connected through a reduction gear train to a worm gear 76 fixed 
on the output shaft of a drive motor 77. The drive motor 77 is carried on 
the frame member 43. The reduction gear train includes gears 71, 72, 73, 
74 and 75 carried on the frame member 43. The spur gear 70, which is held 
in meshing engagement with the spur gear 71, revolves around the gear 71 
like a planetary gear to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 about the axis 
B with respect to the frame member 43, from the position illustrated in 
FIG. 8 to the position illustrated in FIG. 9 or from the position 
illustrated in FIG. 9 to the position illustrated in FIG. 8 when a drive 
is transmitted from the drive motor 77. 
The spur gear 70 has a disc member 81 secured on one side of thereof. The 
disc member 81 is formed in its peripheral surface with a roller guide 
surface 82 which has three concave depressions 83a, 83b and 83c equally 
spaced circumferentially at angles of 90.degree.. A swing lever 85, which 
is pivoted on the frame member 43, is provided at its tip end with a 
roller 86. A spring 87 is provided to urge the swing lever 85 in a 
direction holding the roller 86 in pressure contact with the roller guide 
surface 82. When the tape cassette holder 40 is in the vertical posture 
shown in FIG. 6, the roller 86 is in engagement with the concave 
depression 83b to limit the rotation of the tape cassette holder 40. When 
the tape cassette holder 40 rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in 
FIG. 5, from the vertical posture shown in FIG. 6 to the vertical posture 
shown in FIG. 8, the roller 86 moves along the roller guide surface 82 
into engagement with the concave depression 83b where the rotation of the 
tape cassette holder 40 is limited. When the tape cassette holder 40 
rotates in the counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, from the 
vertical posture shown in FIG. 6 to the vertical posture shown in FIG. 9, 
the roller 86 moves along the roller guide surface 82 into engagement with 
the concave depression 83c where the rotation of the tape cassette holder 
40 is limited. A position sensor 88 is provided on the tape cassette 
holder 40 and produces a corresponding signal when the roller 86 comes 
into engagement with concave depression 83a, 83b or 83c. 
The operation of the tape cassette autochanger of the invention will now be 
described. When the tape cassette carrier 20 is in a desired position as 
indicated by the broken lines of FIGS. 1 and 2, the control unit (not 
shown) produces a command operating the drive motor 77 to rotate the tape 
cassette holder 40 in a direction about the axis B so as to bring its 
cassette port 41 into registry with the cassette port 14 through which a 
desired tape cassette 15 is transferred into the tape cassette holder 40. 
The sensor 78 detects the arrival of the tape cassette holder 40 at this 
position, as shown in FIG. 8 or 9, and causes the control unit to stop the 
drive motor 77. A known tape cassette transfer mechanism (not shown) may 
be used to transfer the tape cassette 15 into the tape cassette holder 40. 
After the desired tape cassette 15 is placed in the tape cassette holder 
40, the control unit produces a command operating the drive motor 77 to 
rotate the tape cassette holder 40 in the opposite direction about the 
axis B to its initial position. The sensor 78 detects the arrival of the 
tape cassette holder 40 at its initial position, as shown in FIG. 6, and 
causes the control unit to stop the drive motor 77. 
Thereafter, the control unit produces a command operating the drive motors 
30 and 38 to move the tape cassette holder 40 toward a desired tape 
recorder/player unit 18. When the tape cassette holder 40 arrives at a 
desired position, the control unit produces a command operating the drive 
motor 57 to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 about the axis A from the 
vertical posture as shown in FIG. 6 into the horizontal posture as shown 
in FIG. 7 so that the cassette port 41 comes into registry with the 
cassette port 19 of the desired tape recorder/player unit 18. The sensor 
68 detects the arrival of the tape cassette holder 40 at this position and 
causes the control unit to stop the drive motor 57. The tape cassette 
holder 40 may employ a tape cassette transfer mechanism to load the tape 
cassette 15 from the tape cassette holder 40 into the tape recorder/player 
unit 18. 
After the tape cassette 15 is transferred from the tape recorder/player 
unit 18 into the tape cassette holder 40, the control unit produces a 
command operating the drive motor 57 to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 
about the axis A from the horizontal posture as shown in FIG. 7 into the 
vertical posture as shown in FIG. 6. The sensor 68 detects the arrival of 
the tape cassette holder 40 at this position and causes the control unit 
to stop the drive motor 57. Then, the control unit produces a command 
operating the drive motors 30 and 38 to move the tape cassette holder 40 
toward the initial position as indicated by the broken lines of FIGS. 1 
and 2. Thereafter, the control unit produces a command operating the drive 
motor 77 to rotate the tape cassette carrier 40 about the axis B so as to 
bring its cassette port 41 into registry with the cassette port 14. The 
sensor 78 detects the arrival of the tape cassette holder 40 at this 
position and causes the control unit to stop the driver motor 77. The tape 
cassette transfer mechanism operates to transfer the tape cassette 15 from 
the tape cassette holder 40 into the initial position of the tape cassette 
container. 
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, there is shown a second embodiment of the 
tape cassette autochanger of the invention. Like reference numerals have 
been applied to FIGS. 10 and 11 with respect to the equivalent components 
shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. In this embodiment, the housing 11 contains only 
one tape cassette container 12. The tape recorder/player units 18 are 
arranged to have the respective cassette ports 19 opening in the same 
direction as the cassette ports 14 of the tape cassette container 12. The 
tape cassette carrier 20 is substantially the same as shown and described 
in connection with the first embodiment except that the components 70 to 
88 used in the first embodiment for rotating the tape cassette holder 40 
about the axis B (FIG. 3) are removed with the tape cassette holder 40 
being fixed to the frame member 43 so as to permit rotation of the tape 
cassette holder 40 about the axis A only between its vertical posture as 
shown in FIG. 12 and its horizontal posture as shown in FIG. 13. 
The operation of the tape cassette autochanger as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 
is as follows: When the tape cassette carrier 20 is in position with the 
cassette port 41 in the holder being in registry with the cassette port 14 
for a desired tape cassette 15, as indicated by the broken lines of FIGS. 
10 and 11, the control unit (not shown) produces a command operating a 
tape cassette transfer mechanism (not shown) to transfer the desired tape 
cassette 15 from the tape cassette container 12 into the tape cassette 
holder 40. After the desired tape cassette 15 is placed in the tape 
cassette holder 40, the control unit produces a command operating the 
drive motors 30 and 38 to move the tape cassette holder 40 toward a 
desired tape recorder/player unit 18. When the tape cassette holder 40 
arrives at a desired position, the control unit produces a command 
operating the drive motor 57 to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 about 
the axis A from the vertical posture as shown in FIG. 12 into the 
horizontal posture as shown in FIG. 13 so that the cassette port 41 comes 
into registry with the cassette port 19 of the desired tape 
recorder/player unit 18. The sensor 68 detects the arrival of the tape 
cassette holder 40 at this position and causes the control unit to stop 
the drive motor 57. A tape cassette transfer mechanism is used to load the 
tape cassette 15 from the tape cassette holder 40 into the tape 
recorder/player unit 18. 
After the tape cassette 15 is transferred from the tape recorder/player 
unit 18 into the tape cassette holder 40, the control unit produces a 
command operating the drive motor 57 to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 
about the axis A from the horizontal posture as shown in FIG. 13 into the 
vertical posture as shown in FIG. 12. The sensor 68 detects the arrival of 
the tape cassette holder 40 at this position and causes the control unit 
to stop the drive motor 57. Then, the control unit produces a command 
operating the drive motors 30 and 38 to move the tape cassette holder 40 
toward the initial position as indicated by the broken lines of FIG. 10 
and 11. Thereafter, the tape cassette transfer mechanism operates to 
transfer the tape cassette 15 from the tape cassette holder 40 into the 
initial position of the tape cassette container 12. 
Referring to FIGS.14 and 15, there is shown a third embodiment of the tape 
cassette autochanger of the invention. Like reference numerals have been 
applied to FIGS. 14 and 15 with respect to the equivalent components shown 
in FIGS. 1 to 3. In this embodiment, the housing 11 contains a cylindrical 
tape cassette container 90 having a number of tape cassettes 15 placed in 
a vertical posture within the tape cassette container. The cylindrical 
tape cassette container 90 is formed in its peripheral surface with a 
number of vertically elongated rectangular cassette ports 91 equally 
spaced circumferentially. The tape recorder/player units 18 are arranged 
below or above the cylindrical tape cassette container 90 to have the 
respective cassette ports 19 opening in the same direction. The tape 
cassette carrier 20 is substantially the same as shown and described in 
connection with the first embodiment except that the components 70 to 88 
used in the first embodiment for rotating the tape cassette holder 40 
about the axis B (FIG. 3) are removed with the tape cassette holder 40 
being fixed to the frame member 43 so as to permit rotation of the tape 
cassette holder 40 about the axis A (FIG. 3) only between its vertical 
posture and its horizontal posture. Furthermore, the horizontal guide 
rails 25 and 26 and the associated components are removed. 
The operation of the tape cassette autochanger as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 
is as follows: A container rotating mechanism (not shown) is used to 
rotate the cylindrical tape cassette container 90 so as to bring a desired 
cassette port 91 in registry with the cassette port 41 in the holder of 
the tape cassette carrier 20, as indicated by the broken lines of FIG. 14. 
The control unit (not shown) produces a command operating a tape cassette 
transfer mechanism (not shown) to transfer the desired tape cassette 15 
from the tape cassette container 90 into the tape cassette holder 40. 
After the desired tape cassette 15 is placed in the tape cassette holder 
40, the control unit produces a command operating the drive motor 30 to 
move the tape cassette holder 40 in the vertical direction toward a 
desired tape recorder/player unit 18. When the tape cassette holder 40 
arrives at a desired position, the control unit produces a command 
operating the drive motor 57 to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 about 
the axis A from the vertical posture into the horizontal posture so that 
the cassette port 41 comes into registry with the cassette port 19 of the 
desired tape recorder/player unit 18. The sensor 68 detects the arrival of 
the tape cassette holder 40 at this position and causes the control unit 
to stop the drive motor 57. A tape cassette transfer mechanism is used to 
load the tape cassette 15 from the tape cassette holder 40 into the tape 
recorder/player unit 18. 
After the tape cassette 15 is transferred from the tape recorder/player 
unit 18 into the tape cassette holder 40, the control unit produces a 
command operating the drive motor 57 to rotate the tape cassette holder 40 
about the axis A from the horizontal posture into the vertical posture. 
The sensor 68 detects the arrival of the tape cassette holder 40 at this 
position and causes the control unit to stop the drive motor 57. Then, the 
control unit produces a command operating the drive motor 30 to move the 
tape cassette holder 40 toward the initial position as indicated by the 
broken lines of FIG. 14. Thereafter, the tape cassette transfer mechanism 
operates to transfer the tape cassette 15 from the tape cassette holder 40 
into the initial position of the cylindrical tape cassette container 90. 
Although the invention has been described in connection with video tape 
cassettes, it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable 
to other kinds of tape cassettes and discs. 
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific 
embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications 
and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, 
it is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications and variations 
that fall within the scope of the appended claims.