Cassette tape recorder containing a loading mechanism

Abstract: In a loading mechanism of a digital audio tape recorder (DAT), a cassette holder 2 moves contacting with couplers 24 of reel winders 20 against pressure due to elastic forces of springs 23 in a movement from an insert position to a medium position where whole of the cassette 1 is entered in the housing, and thereby a deck 8 is positioned higher from bottom face 6a of the housing 6 to make a space for mounting a printed circuit substrate having electric parts of driving circuit of the DAT and radio circuit on both faces thereof.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cassette tape recorder containing a loading mechanism, and especially relates to loading mechanism of a cassette tape recorder such as digital audio tape recorder having a cassette holder for carrying the cassette between an insert position and a setting position. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART A conventional loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder of, for example, a digital audio tape recorder (hereinafter abbreviated as DAT) is described referring to FIGs.6, 7, 8 and 9. FIG.6 is a perspective view showing a part of the loading mechanism for holding and carrying a cassette. In FIG.6, a cassette holder 2 holds and carries a cassette 1 which contains a magnetic tape wound between an insert position where the cassette 1 is inserted and a setting position where the magnetic tape is scanned by head. The cassette holder 2 has springs 3, 3 fixed thereon for pressing the cassette 1 and guide pins 5, 5 provided on both outside walls for guiding the motion of the cassette. A frame 4 has L-letter shaped guide grooves 4a, 4a provided on both vertical walls 4b, 4b for guiding the movement of the guide pins 5. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the DAT wherein the frame 4 is contained in a box-shaped housing 6. A front vessel 7 is provided in front of the housing 6 and has an offset apart 7a and recesses 7b, wherefrom, for example, a screw driver is to be inserted for driving screws for fixing or removing the DAT on or from a console box of an automobile. The recesses 7b are covered behind a cover panel 30. FIG.8 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing the conventional loading mechanism of the DAT and FIG.9 is a perspective view showing a typical tape driving mechanism of the DAT. In FIG.9, the loading mechanism comprises a deck 8 to be mounted in the housing 6, a pair of reel winders 9 provided on the deck 8 to be coupled with reels of the cassette 1 (not shown in the figure), a capstan motor 31, a rotary drum 32, a tape driving motor 33 and a printed circuit board 10 disposed below the deck 8 and electric parts 11 fixed thereon (shown in FIG.8). As shown in FIG.8, a clearance having a measurement H 1 is kept between the bottom face 2a of the cassette holder 2 and the top 9a of the reel winders 9 so as not to collide the cassette 1 with the reel winders 9 during in horizontal movement of the cassette holder 2. Operation of the conventional loading mechanism of the DAT is described. When the cassette 1 is inserted into the cassette holder 2, the cassette 1 is held in the cassette holder 2 by pressure of the springs 3. After that, the cassette holder 2 is moved from the insert position to the setting position by a driving source (not shown in the figures), in a manner that the guide pins 5 on the cassette holder 2 makes a L-letter shaped trail by being guided by the guide grooves 4a. On the setting position, the cassette 1 is set on a predetermined setting position by coupling of positioning holes on the cassette 1 with positioning pins on the deck 8 and holes of the reels in the cassette 1 are also coupled with the reel winders 9 (these are not shown in the figures because of obviousness). Generally, the sizes of the housing 6 are standardized to be mounted on the console box of the automobile. The above-mentioned conventional loading mechanism of the DAT has a problem that the standardized housing 6 has no room between the deck 8 and bottom wall of the housing 6 for integrating a radio circuit on the printed circuit substrate 10. From EP-A-0 388 624 a loading mechanism of a cassette tape recorder is known having a deck, reel winding means rotatably mounted on the deck and having at least one set of a coupler slidably mounted on the base member for transmitting driving force to a reel in a cassette and a spring for pressing said coupler in a direction away from the deck. The cassette holder is provided with a pair of guide pins which are parallel to the deck for holding and carrying the cassette from an insert position to a setting position on the deck. A frame is provided with a pair of guide grooves on the side walls which are vertical to the deck for guiding the movement of the cassette holder by sliding of the guide pins along the guide grooves such that said cassette holder contacts and presses down the coupler pressing the spring during the movement of the holder from the insert position to a medium position. During the movement from the medium position to the setting position the cassette holder is apart from the coupler. The overall size of the mechanism is relatively large. EP-A-0 388 624 only forms part of the state of the art by virtue of the provisions of Article 54(1), (3) and (4) EPC, i.e. only for the designated States DE, FR and GB, and it can only be used for assessing the novelty of the invention. JP-A-59 65966 discloses a loading mechanism which comprises a cassette holder for holding and carrying a cassette from an insert position to a setting position. The cassette is carried by a cassette holder horizontally from the insert position, then obliquely upwards and finally vertically downwards in the setting position. This contruction allows to reduce the overall height of the loading mechanism. FR-A-1552949 discloses a cassette tape recorder with reel winding means rotatably mounted on the deck and being provided with a set of couplers slidably mounted on the base member for transmitting a driving force to a reel in a cassette. A spring is provided for pressing the coupler in a direction away from the deck. The cassette is inserted without the use of a cassette holder which makes the insertion of a cassette more difficult. It is the object of the present invention to provide a small-sized loading mechanism for a cassette tape recorder which avoids the problem of cassette jamming or blocking during insertion and ejection of a cassette into and out of the recorder. The afore-mentioned problem is overcome by a cassette tape recorder as defined by appended claim 1. In the present invention, the cassette holder for carrying the cassette is moved in a manner to press down the coupler from the insert position to the medium position where whole of the cassette is entered in the housing. Therefore, the deck is positioned relatively higher from the bottom of the housing than that of the conventional one. As a result, a space between the deck and the bottom of the housing is enlarged and can contain more electronics components than the conventional ones. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing a preferred embodiment of a loading mechanism of cassette recorder such as DAT in accordance with the present invention. FIG.2 is a plan view showing a reel winder of the loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder in accordance with the present invention. FIG.3A is a cross-sectional side view of the reel winder shown in FIG.2 wherein a coil spring 26 expands. FIG.3B is a cross-sectional side view of the reel winder shown in FIG.2 wherein the coil spring 26 is contracted. FIGs.4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F are cross-sectional side views showing a serial movements of a cassette holder 2 and the reel winder 20 of the loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder in accordance with the present invention. FIG.5A is a perspective view showing a cassette holder 2 and a frame 4 of the loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder in accordance with the present invention. FIG.5B is a side view of a frame showing a detail shape of a guide groove of the loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder in accordance with the present invention. FIG.6 is the perspective view showing the cassette holder 2 and the frame 4 of the conventional loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder. FIG.7 is the perspective view showing the appearance of the conventional DAT. FIG.8 is the partially cross-sectional side view showing the conventional loading mechanism of the DAT. FIG.9 is the perspective view showing the conventional and typical tape driving mechanism of the DAT. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder in accordance with the present invention is described referring to FIG.1, FIG.2, FIG.3A and 3B, FIGs.4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F and FIG.5, 5A and 5B. FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing the loading mechanism of cassette tape recorder in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 1, a front vessel 7 made of, for example, resin molding is provided in front of a box-shaped housing 6. The front vessel 7 has an offset part 7a and recesses (not shown in the figure) to be fixed on a console box of an automobile. Namely, the essential sizes of the front vessel 7 and the box-shaped housing 6 are standardized similarly to the conventional ones shown in FIG.7. A deck 8 has a pair of reel winders 20 which are disposed vertical to the deck 8. A capstan motor, a rotary drum, a tape driving motor are provided on the deck 8 but not shown in the figure because of well known and similar to that of FIG.9. In comparison with FIGs. 1 and 8, the deck 8 in accordance with the present invention shown in FiG.1 is fixed at a higher position in the housing 6 than that of the conventional one shown in FIG.8. Namely, a distance H 4 between the rear face 8a of the deck 8 and the bottom face 6a of the housing 6 in FIG.1 is larger than that of H 2 in FIG.8. And as a result the distance H 5 between the bottom face 2a of a cassette holder 2 and the front face 8b of the deck 8 in FIG.1 is smaller than that of H 3 in FIG.8. At an insert position of the cassette 1 shown in FIG.1, the bottom face 2a of the cassette holder 2 contacts the top 20a of the reel winder 20. In a space between the bottom face 8a of the deck 8 and the bottom face 6a of the housing 6, a printed circuit substrate 21 is disposed. Electric parts 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d ··· are mounted on both faces of the circuit substrate 21. FIG.2 is a plan view showing the reel winder 20 and FIGS.3A and 3B are cross-sectional side views of the reel winder 20 respectively showing different state. In the figures, the reel winder 20 comprises a base member 22 a cap 23 which is press fit to a center hole 22a of the base member 22, a post 28 which is vertical to the deck 8 and inserted into the center hole 23a of the cap 23 and the center hole 22b of the base member 22 and a coupler 24 which is slidably coupled with a tube part 25 of the base member 22. A coil spring 26 is disposed between the base member 22 and the coupler 24. The reel winder 20 is freely rotatable around the post 28. The driving force is transmitted to the outer periphery of the base member 22 by gears or the like from a driving source such as the tape driving motor 33 shown in FIG.9. In FIG.3A, the coil spring 26 expands by its elastic force. And in FIG.3B, the coil spring 26 is contracted by receiving a pressure (pressure source is not shown in the figure). FIG.5A is a perspective view showing the details of the cassette holder 2 and the frame 4. The cassette holder 2 has springs 3 fixed thereon for pressing the cassette 1 and guide pins 5 provided on both outside walls 2b. The frame 4 has guide grooves 27 on both vertical walls 4b for guiding movement of the guide pins 5 of the cassette holder 2. FIG.5B is a side view showing the details of the guide grooves 27. The cassette 1 contained in the cassette holder 2 is held by the pressure of the elasticity of the springs 3. And the cassette 1 is carried from the insert position shown in FIG.4A to the setting position shown in FIG.4F by the movement of the cassette holder 2 along the guide groove 27. At first, the bottom face 2a of the cassette holder 2 contacts and presses down the top 20a of the reel winder 20 as shown in FIG.1 and FIG.4A. At this time, the coupler 24 of the reel winder 20 is pressed down against the elastic force of the spring 26 as shown in FIG.3B. Next, the cassette holder 2 is horizontally moved contacting the reel winder 20 by a driving source (not shown in the figure because of obviousness) as shown in FiGs.4A, 4B, 4C and 4D. Furthermore, the cassette holder 2 is moved in obliquely upper direction. And the bottom face 2a of the cassette holder 2 becomes apart from the top 20a of the reel winder 20 in the vicinity of a position where a hole of the reel of the cassette 1 faces to the reel winders 20. At this time, the coupler 24 of the reel winder 20 is at its uppermost position by the pressure of the spring 26 as shown in FIGs.3A, 4D and 4E. After the hole of the reel of the cassette 1 faces the reel winder 20, the cassette holder 2 is moved vertically down. And positioning holes of the cassette 1 are coupled by positioning pins on the deck 8 (not shown in the figure because of obviousness). Furthermore, the hole of the reel of the cassette 1 couples the reel winder 20. As a result, the cassette 1 is positioned at a predetermined setting position as shown in FIG.4F. For ejecting the cassette 1 from the housing 6, processes contrary to the above-mentioned processes shown in FIGs.4A to 4F are to be executed. Namely, the cassette holder 2 containing the cassette 1 is moved from the setting position shown in FIG.4F to the insert position shown in FIG.4A. Hereupon, the sizes of the front vessel 7 on the housing 6, especially the sizes of the offset part 7a are necessary to be standardized for being mounted on, for example, the console box of the automobile. Furthermore, appearance design such as the position of the insert position of the cassette is generally given precedence over other elements. In the present invention as mentioned above, the cassette holder 2 is moved from the insert position to a medium position, where the whole of the cassette 1 is entered in the housing 6, pressing down the coupler 24 of the reel winder 20 against the pressure due to the elastic force of the spring 23. Therefore, the distance H 5 between the bottom face 2a of the cassette holder 2 and the front face 8b of the deck 8 shown in FIG.1 is made smaller than that of H 3 in the conventional case shown in FIG.8 and the distance H 4 between the rear face 8a of the deck 8 and the bottom face 6a of the housing 6 shown in FIG.1 is larger than that of H 2 in the conventional case shown in FIG.8. As a result, electric components 11a, 11b, 11c, ..., for example, a control circuit of the DAT and a radio circuit are mounted on the rear face 21a of the printed circuit substrate 21. In the above-mentioned embodiment the invention is embodied as a loading mechanism of the DAT, but it is also suitable to be embodied in other assemblies using magnetic tape contained in a cassette. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiment is described in the standardized housing for mounting electric part for a radio circuit; and when it does not necessitates the multifunction, the sizes of the housing can be reduced.

Claims: A cassette tape recorder containing a loading mechanism, said cassette tape recorder comprising: a deck (8); reel winding means (20) rotatably mounted on said deck (8) and having at least one coupler (24) slidably mounted on a base member (22), said winding means (20) transmitting driving force to a reel in a cassette (1); a spring (26) for urging said at least one coupler (24) in a direction away from said deck (8) and towards a bottom surface (2a) of a cassette holder (2), the coupler being depressed against said spring (26) by contact with said bottom surface (2a); said cassette holder (2) having means for holding and moving said cassette (1) from an insert position (4A) to a first medium position (4C) and then to a setting position (4F) on said deck (8), wherein the bottom surface (2a) of the cassette holder (2) presses the coupler (24) towards the deck (8) against the elastic force of the spring (26) during movement between the insert position (4A) and the first medium position (4C) and, wherein said cassette holder (2) is moved during a first part of the movement between the first medium position (4C) to the setting position (4F) in a direction away from said deck (8) at least until the bottom surface (2a) of the cassette holder (2) no longer contacts the coupler (24). The cassette tape recorder of claim 1, characterized by said cassette holder (2) having on outside walls (2b) thereof, a pair of guide pins (5) disposed parallel to said deck (8); said loading mechanism further comprising a frame (4) having on side walls (4b) thereof a pair of guide grooves (27), a portion of which are parallel to said deck (8) for guiding the movement of the cassette holder (2) by sliding of said guide pins (5) in said guide grooves (27), wherein said cassette holder contacts and depresses said coupler (24) against said spring (26) during said movement of said holder (2) from said insert position (4A) to the first medium position (4C). The cassette tape recorder of claim 1 or 2, wherein said first medium position (4C) is a position where the whole of said cassette (1) is entered in a housing (6). The cassette tape recorder of claim 2 or 3, wherein said guide grooves (27) have a shape formed in a manner that said cassette holder (2) moves obliquely away from said deck (8) from said first medium position (4C) to a second medium position (4E) at which a reel hole of said cassette faces said coupler (24) and at which the cassette holder is apart from said coupler (24); and then said cassette holder (2) moves towards said deck (8) from said second medium position (4E) to said setting position (4F) where said reel hole is coupled with said coupler (24) of said reel winding means (20).

Inventors: NAKANISHI YASUYUKI, NAKANISHI, YASUYUKI, NAKANISHI, YASUYUKI, C/O SANDA SEISAKUSHO
Applicants: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP, MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G11B15
IPC codes: G11B15