Cassette loading device

Abstract: A cassette loading device comprises a cassette holder for receiving a cassette having a magnetic tape contained therein, said cassette having a lid and a pivotal member pivotally mounted on a body of the device. The device also has connecting means interconnecting said pivotal member and said cassette holder so that pivotal member movement of said pivotal member can cause said cassette holder to move from a first position where said cassette can be loaded on and unloaded from said cassette holder to a second position where signals are recorded on or reproduced from said magnetic tape. A first member pivotally mounted on the body of the device is adapted to be engaged with said pivotal member, said first member being engaged with said lid of said cassette to open said lid when said pivotal member is pivotally moved in such a direction as to move said cassette holder from said first position toward said second position.

Description: This invention relates to a cassette loading device for use, for example, in a video apparatus for recording and reproducing video signals and the like using a magnetic tape. It is desirable to make video apparatuses compact, and therefore it is also desirable that a cassette loading device which is one constituent element of a video apparatus, is made compact and lightweight. A conventional cassette loading device will now be described. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the conventional cassette loading device in a cassette loading/unloading position, Fig. 17 is a side-elevational view showing a tape guide portion in a cassette-down position of the conventional cassette loading device, Fig. 18 is an enlarged top plan view showing the positional relationship between an opener of the cassette loading device and a cassette, and Figs. 19 and 20 are a side-elevational view and a cross-sectional view of the cassette loading device in the cassette-down position, respectively. In Fig. 16, the cassette 101 has a lid 101a, and a cassette holder 102 releasably holds the cassette 101. Each of a first arm 103 and a second arm 104 is supported for pivotal movement at one end thereof and for sliding movement at the other end thereof, and the two arms 103 and 104 are pivotally engaged with each other generally at their central portions. A stand 105 has the axis of pivotal movement of the first arm 103, and a sliding groove for the second arm 104. A spring 106 is engaged with the first and second arms 103 and 104, and urges the cassette holder 102 from the cassette-down position (Figs. 17 and 19) toward the cassette loading/unloading position (Fig. 16). Biasing springs 107 are fixedly secured at their one ends to the cassette holder 102. An opener 108 is pivotally connected at one end 108a to the cassette holder 102, and is engaged with a slide pin 103a of the arm 103. A guide 109 serves to prevent a magnetic tape 100 from running on a cylinder 111 when the magnetic tape 100 is slack, thereby preventing the magnetic tape 100 from being damaged. An outer shell 110 pivotally supports the guide 109. The operation of the conventional cassette loading device of the above construction will now be described. First, in the condition shown in Fig. 16,when the cassette 101 is inserted into the cassette holder 102 in a direction of arrow A, the distal end of the opener 108 is disposed between the cassette 101 and the lid 101a as shown in Fig. 18. When the cassette holder 102 is manually moved toward the cassette-down position (Figs. 17 and 19), the slide pin 103a of the arm 103 moves alond a slide groove in the cassette holder 102, and the engagement portion of the opener 108 is pivotally moved about its end 108a in a direction of arrow B in response to the movement of the slide pin 103a thereby opening the lid 101a. Upon further movement of the cassette holder 102, if the magnetic tape 100 is slackened, the magnetic tape 100 moves toward the cassette-down position (Fig. 17) along the guide 109 without interfering with the cylinder 111. In the cassette-down position shown in Fig. 20, the cassette holder 102 is locked at a predetermined position of the device body by a lock mechanism (not shown), and the cassette 101 is engaged with positioning pins 112 on the device body, and is urged by the biasing springs 107 in the direction of arrow B, so that the cassette 101 is loaded and fixed at a predetermined position. At this time, the guide 109 is engaged with the cassette lid 101a, and is pivotally moved about a pivot axis 109a as shown in Fig. 17 to be disposed between the cassette lid 101a and the cylinder 111. Then, when the lock mechanism is released, the first and second arms 103 and 104 are pivotally moved by the biasing force of the spring 106, so that the cassette holder 102 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 16 where the cassette 101 can be loaded and unloaded from the cassette holder 102. At this time, the guide 109 is released from the bias of the cassette lid 101a, and is returned to the initial position, and then the lid 101a is closed. A problem with the above conventional construction is that, since the opener 108 must be provided on the outer side of the cassette holder 102, the number of the component parts arranged in the longitudinal direction of the cassette is increased, which results in a problem that the device can not be of a compact construction. Moreover, a problem has been encountered in that when the cassette holder 102 is moved down during the insertion of the cassette 101, the opener 108 fails to engage with the lid 101a. Further, if it is intended to solve this problem, a mechanism separate from the opener 108 must be provided, which results in the problem that the number of the component parts is increased, so that the device becomes heavy. Further examples of known cassette loading devices are described in documents JP 02012644, EP0308172 A and GB2093258 A. The former of these documents discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1; it comprises a cassette holder and means for driving said holder. Additionally it has an opener used for opening a lid of a cassette and external guides on which the tape abuts externally. This arrangement prevents the magnetic tape inside the cassette from any damage by bending or such. EP0308172 describes a cassette holder and means for driving this holder, means for locking the cassette holder, means for sensing whether the cassette holder is locked and means for sensing whether the cassette is attached at the cassette attachment position. This enables safe tape loading. GB2093258 discloses a cassette holder and means for driving the cassette holder, a cassette detecting member for inhibiting a cassette depressing motion when the cassette is incorrectly inserted into the cassette holder. This prevents damage to the reel base when closing the cassette holder. An object of the invention is to provide a cassette loading device of a simple construction which can positively open a cassette lid. The object of the invention is achieved by a cassette loading device comprising: a cassette holder for receiving a cassette having a magnetic tape contained therein, said cassette having a lid; a pivotal member pivotally mounted on a body of the device; connecting means interconnecting said pivotal member and said cassette holder so that the pivotal movement of the pivotal member can cause the cassette holder to move from a first position where the cassette can be loaded on and unloaded from the cassette holder to a second position where signals are recorded on or reproduced from the magnetic tape; and an opening member pivotally mounted on the body of the device and adapted to be engaged with the lid of the cassette to open the lid when the pivotal member is pivotally moved in such a direction as to move the cassette holder from the first position towards the second position. In this construction, the member for opening the cassette lid is pivotally supported on the base, and this member is pivotally moved in response to the pivotal movement of the pivotal member. With this arrangement, the mechanism for opening the cassette lid can be accommodated within the longitudinal dimension of the cassette, and the operation can be positively effected with this simple construction, and there is provided a cassette loading device of a compact design. The features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings, of which:- Fig. 1A is a side-elevational view of a first embodiment of a cassette loading device of the present invention in a cassette loading/unloading position; Fig. 1B is a fragmentary, side-elevational view of the device in the cassette loading/unloading position; Fig. 2A is a plan view showing a tape guide portion of the device; Fig. 2B is a side-elevational view showing the tape guide portion; Fig. 3A is a fragmentary, side-elevational view of the device in the cassette loading/unloading position; Fig. 3B is a perspective view of the device in the cassette loading/unloading position; Fig 3C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an essential portion of the device; Figs. 4A to 4C are fragmentary, side-elevation views showing the operation of an opening lever portion of the device; Figs. 5A and 5B are side-elevational views showing the operation of the tape guide portion of the device; Fig. 5C is an enlarged side-elevational view showing the operation of the tape guide portion of the device; Fig. 6A is a top plan view showing the tape guide portion of the device; Fig. 6B is a side-elevational view showing the tape guide portion of the device; Fig. 7A is a side-elevational view of the device in a cassette-down position; Fig. 7B is a fragmentary side-elevational view of the device in the cassette-down position; Fig. 7C is a perspective view of the device in the cassette-down position; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side-elevational view of a second embodiment of a cassette loading device of the present invention in a cassette loading/unloading position; Fig. 9A is a top plan view showing a tape guide portion of the device of the second embodiment; Fig. 9B is a side-elevational view showing the tape guide portion of the device of the second embodiment; Fig. 10A is a side-elevational view of the device of the second embodiment in the cassette loading/unloading position; Fig.10B is a perspective view of the device of the second embodiment in the cassette loading/unloading position; Figs. 11A to 11C are fragmentary side-elevation views showing the operation of an opening lever portion of the device of the second embodiment; Figs. 12A and 12B are side-elevational views showing the operation of the tape guide portion of the device of the second embodiment; Fig. 12C is an enlarged side-elevational view of the tape guide portion of the device of the second embodiment; Figs 13A and 13B are side-elevational views showing the tape guide portion of the device of the second embodiment; Fig. 14A is a top plan view of the device of the second embodiment in a cassette-down position; Fig. 14B is a side-elevational view of the device of the second embodiment in the cassette-down position; Fig. 15A is a side-elevational view of the device of the second embodiment in the cassette-down position; Fig. 15B is a perspective view of the device of the second embodiment in the cassette-down position; Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a conventional cassette loading device in a cassette loading/unloading position; Fig.17 is a side-elevational view showing a tape guide portion of the conventional device in a cassette-down position; Fig. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an opener portion of the conventional device; Fig. 19 is a side-elevational view of the conventional device in the cassette-down position; and Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional device in the cassette-down position. A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In Figs, 1A 1B, 2A and 2B, the reference numeral 1 denotes a cassette; 1a a lid of the cassette 1; 1b a magnetic tape; 2 a pair of right and left cassette holders; 3 a top plate; 4 arms; 5 stands; 6 up-springs, and 7 an opening lever. Each cassette holder 2 is pivotally supported at its support portion 2a on the arm 4, and is slidably engaged at its support portion 2b in a cam groove 3c of the top plate 3. The top plate 3 is pivotally supported at its support portions 3a on the stands 5. The arm 4 is pivotally supported at its support portion 4a on the top plate 3, and is slidably engaged at its support portion 4b in a slide groove 5a of the stand 5. The up-spring 6 is engaged with an engagement portion 3b of the top plate 3, and is pivotally engaged with a support portion 4c of the arm 4. The opening lever 7 is pivotally supported at its support portion 7a on the stand 5, and a pin 8a formed on the top plate 3 is slidably engaged in a cam groove 7b of the opening lever 7. The reference numeral 8 denotes a cylinder, 9 a first plate fixedly secured to the stand 5 by screws, 10 a second plate pivotally supported by a pin 12 on the first plate 9, 11 a tape guide fixedly mounted on the second plate 10, and 13 a spring urging the second plate 10 in a direction of arrow C. The operation of the above cassette loading device of this embodiment will now be described with reference to Figs. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A to 3C, 4A to 4C, 5A to 5C, 6A, 6B and 7A to 7C. First, when the cassette 1 is inserted into the cassette holders 2 in a direction of arrow A, the distal end of the opening lever 7 is disposed in such a position as to positively engage the lid 1a of the cassette 1, as shown in Figs. 3A and 3C. Then, when the top plate 3 is manually pushed in a direction of arrow F, the top plate 3 is pivotally moved about the support portions 3a, and each arm 4 is pivotally moved about one end 4a while the other end 4b thereof slides along the slide groove 5a, so that each support portion 2a is moved in a direction of arrow B. At this time, since the other end 2b of each cassette holder 2 slides along the cam groove 3c of the top plate 3 in the direction of arrow B, the cassette holders 2 move parallel in the direction of arrow B. At this time, as shown in Figs. 4A to 4C, the opening lever 7 is pivotally moved about the support portion 7a along the cam groove 7b in response to the angular movement of the pin 8a, and the distal end of the cassette lid 1a abuts against a surface 7c of the opening lever 7, and is pivotally moved to be opened along the surface 7c. At this time, the tape guide 11 is disposed at the position shown in Figs. 2A and 2B until the lower edge of the magnetic tape 1b passes past the upper end of the cylinder 8 (see Fig.5A), and the tape guide 11 prevents the magnetic tape 1b from running on the cylinder 8 when the magnetic tape 1b is slack, thereby preventing damage to the magnetic tape 1b. At this time, the cassette lid 1a abuts against the distal end of the tape guide 11, so that the tape guide 11 is deformed in a direction of arrow D; however, since the tape guide 11 is formed by a coil spring, it is returned to its initial condition because of its restoring force after the cassette lid 1a passes past it. Then, when the top plate 3 moves to the position shown in Figs. 5B and 5C, an end surface 3d of the top plate 3 abuts against an end surface 10a of the second plate 10 (Fig. 2A), and the second plate 10 is pivotally moved about the pin 12 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow C, and is brought into a position shown in Figs. 6A and 6B. When the top plate 3 is further pivotally moved, the cassette 1 is transferred to a cassette-down position shown in Figs. 7A to 7C, and is engaged with positioning pins 14 on the device body to be loaded at a predetermined position. In this position, the top plate 3 is locked at the predetermined position of the device body by a lock mechanism (not shown). In this position, each arm 4 is urged about the support portion 4a in a direction of arrow E by the up-spring 6, and this urging force is transmitted to the cassette holder 2 since the other end 4b of the arm 4 is not restrained by the slide groove 5a, thereby urging the cassette 1 in a direction to fix the same to the device body. At this time, the lid 1a of the cassette 1 is in a fully-opened condition. When the lock mechanism is released, the top plate 3 is urged to be pivotally moved by the biasing force of the up-springs 6 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow F as shown in Figs. 7A to 7C, and this movement causes the cassette holders 2 to move parallel in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow B via the arms 4, so that the cassette holders 2 are returned to the postition of Figs 1A and 1B while the cassette can be loaded on and unloaded from the cassette holders 2. At this time, the lid 1a of the cassette 1 is moved in a manner reverse to the above cassette-down movement, and abuts against the distal end of the tape guide 11, so that the tape guide 11 is deformed in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow D; however, when the tape guide 11 becomes disengaged from the cassette lid 1a, the tape guide 11 is returned to the initial condition because of its spring force. As described above, in this embodiment, while maintaining the precise positioning between the tape guide 11 and the cylinder 8, the tape guide 11 is moved in response to the pivotal movement of the top plate 3. With this arrangement, the extent to which the cassette lid 1a is opened during the cassette-down operation can be reduced, and therefore the cassette loading device of a thin construction can be provided. Further, since the tape guide 11 is formed by a coil spring, the tape guide 11 is highly resistant to a plastic deformation during the cassette-down operation. Further, the pivotal point 7a of the opening lever 7 is provided at the stand 5, and the opening lever 7 is moved in response to the pivotal movement of the top plate 3. With this arrangement, the opening lever 7 can be provided outside of the cassette 1. Further, the cassette holders 2 are moved in response to the pivotal movement of the top plate 3 via the arms 4, and therefore in the cassette-down position, the cassette holders 2 can be urged by the biasing force of the up-springs 6 in a direction to fix the cassette 1 to the device body, and operating switches and so on can be mounted at the plane of projection of the top plate 3. Further, the up-springs 6 are of a spiral shape, and therefore the longitudinal dimension of the cassette holder can be reduced, and the deivce can be of a compact size. A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In Figs. 8, 9A and 9B, the reference numeral 21 denotes a cassette; 21a a lid of the cassette 21; 21b a magnetic tape; 22 a pair of right and left cassette holders; 23 a top plate; 24 arms; 25 stands; 26 up-springs, and 27 a opening lever. Each cassette holder 22 is pivotally supported at its support portion 22a on the arm 24, and is slidably engaged at its support portion 22b in a cam groove 23c of the top plate 23. The top plate 23 is pivotally supported at its support portions 23a on the stands 25. The arm 24 is pivotally supported at its support portion 24a on the top plate 23, and is slidably engaged at its support portion 24b in a slide groove 25a of the stand 25. The up-spring 26 is engaged with an engagement portion 23b of the top plate 23, and is pivotally engaged with a support portion 24c of the arm 24. The opening lever 27 is pivotally supported at its support portion 27a on the stand 25, and a pin 28a formed on the top plate 23 is slidably engaged in a cam groove 27b of the opening lever 7. The reference numeral 28 denotes a cylinder; 29 a first plate fixedly secured to the stand 25 by screws; 30 a second plate pivotally supported by a pin 32 on the first plate 29; 31 a tape guide fixedly mounted on the second plate 30, and 33 a spring for urging the second plate 30 in a direction of arrow C. The operation of the above cassette loading device of this embodiment will now be described with reference to Figs. 8, 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 11A to 11C, 12A to 12C, 13A, 13B, 14A and 14B. First, when the cassette 21 is inserted into the cassette holders 22 in a direction of arrow A, the distal end of the opening lever 27 is disposed in such a position as to positively engage with the lid 21a of the cassette 21, as shown in Figs. 10A and 10B. Then, when the top plate 23 is manually pushed in a direction of arrow F, the top plate 23 is pivotally moved about the support portions 23a, and each arm 24 is pivotally moved about one end 24a while the other end 24b thereof slides along the slide groove 25a, so that each support portion 22a is moved in a direction of arrow B. At this time, since the other end 22b of the each cassette holder 22 slides along the cam groove 23c of the top plate 23 in the direction of arrow B, the cassette holders 22 move parallel in the direction of arrow B. At this time, as shown in Figs. 11A to 11C, the opening lever 27 is pivotally moved about the support portion 27a along the cam groove 27b in response to the angular movement of the pin 28a, and the distal end of the cassette lid 21a abuts against a surface 27c of the opening lever 27, and is pivotally moved or opened along the surface 27c. At this time, as shown in Fig. 13A, the distal end of the cassette lid 21a abuts against the tape guide 31, so that the tape 21a abuts against the tape guide 31, so that the tape guide 31 is deformed in a direction of arrow D; however, since the tape guide 31 is formed by a plate-like resilient resin member, it is returned to its initial condition because of its restoring force after the cassette lid 21a passes past it. At this time, the tape guide 31 is disposed in the position shown in Figs. 9A and 9B until the lower edge of the magnetic tape 21b passes past the upper end of the cylinder 28 (see Fig. 12A), and the tape guide 31 prevents the magnetic tape 21b from running on the cylinder 28 when the magnetic tape 21b is slack, thereby preventing damage to the magnetic tape 21b. Then, when the top plate 23 moves to the position shown in Figs. 12B and 12B, an end surface 23d of the top plate 23 abuts against an end surface 30a of the second plate 30 (Fig. 9A), and the second plate 30 is pivotally moved about the pin 32 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow C, and is brought into a position shown in Figs. 13A and 13B. When the top plate 23 is further pivotally moved, the cassette 21 is transferred to a casssette-down position shown in Figs. 15A and 15B, and is engaged with positioning pins 34 on the device body to be loaded in a predetermined position. In this position, the top plate 23 is locked in a predetermined position of the device body by a lock mechanism (not shown). In this position, each arm 24 is urged about the support portion 24a in a direction of arrow E by the up-spring 26, and this urging force is transmitted to the cassette holder 22 since the other end 24b of the arm 24 is not restrained by the slide groove 25a thereby urging the cassette 21 in a direction to fix the same to the device body. At this time, the lid 21a of the cassette 21 is in a fully-opened condition, as shown in Figs. 14A and 14B. When the lock mechanism is released, the top plate 23 is urged to be pivotally moved under the bias of the up-springs 26 in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow F, and this movement causes the cassette holders 22 to be translated in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow B via the arms 24, so that the cassette holders 22 are returned to the position shown in Fig. 8 where the cassette can be loaded and unloaded from the cassette holders 22. At this time, the cassette lid 21a is moved in a manner reverse to the above cassette-down movement, and abuts against the distal end of the tape guide 31, so that the tape guide 31 is deformed in direction opposite to the direction of arrow D; however, when the tape guide 31 becomes disengaged from the cassette lid 21a, the tape guide 31 is returned to the initial condition because of its resiliency. As described above, in this embodiment, while maintaining the precise positioning between the tape guide 31 and the cylinder 28, the tape guide 31 is moved in response to the pivotal movement of the top plate 23. With this arrangement, the extent, to which the cassette lid 21a is opened during the cassette-down operation can be reduced, and therefore the cassette loading device of a thin construction can be provided. Further, since the tape guide 31 is formed by a plate-like resilient member, the gap between the cylinder 28 and the cassette lid 21a during the cassette-down operation can be reduced. Further, the pivotal shaft of the opening lever is mounted on the stand, and the opening lever is engaged in the cam groove with the top plate. With this arrangement, the opening lever can be accommodated within the longitudinal dimension of the cassette, and the positive operation can be achieved with the simple construction. Therefore, there can be provided the cassette loading device which is reduced in size in the longitudinal direction of the cassette.

Claims: A Cassette loading device comprising: a cassette holder (2) for receiving a cassette (1) having a magnetic tape contained therein, said cassette (1) having a lid (1a), said cassette holder (2) being able to be moved from a first position where said cassette (1) can be loaded on and unloaded from said cassette holder (2) to a second position where signals are recorded on or reproduced from said magnetic tape; a pivotal member (3) pivotally mounted on a body (5) of the device; connecting means (2a,2b,4) interconnecting said pivotal member (3) and said cassette holder (2), so that the pivotal movement of said pivotal member (3) can cause said cassette holder (2) to move from said first position to said second position; characterised in that there is further provided: an opening member (7) pivotally mounted on the body (5) of the device and being engaged with said pivotal member (3), said opening member (7) adapted to be engaged with said lid (1a) of said cassette (1) to open said lid (1a) when said pivotal member (3) is pivotally moved in such a direction as to move said cassette holder (2) from said first position toward said second position.

Inventors: KONISHI AKIO, SHIOKAWA HIROSHI, URA TOSHIKAZU, YOSHIO HIDEAKI, KONISHI, AKIO, SHIOKAWA, HIROSHI, URA, TOSHIKAZU, YOSHIO, HIDEAKI
Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G11B15
IPC codes: G11B15