Abstract:
A cassette-type tape recorder device comprising a movable carriage into which a tape cassette is removably engageable to be operatively received in the apparatus. The apparatus has a support frame with guiding means along which the carriage is linearly slideable in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus to locate the cassette in a received operative position in the apparatus, the carriage being slideable such that the active length of the magnetic tape in a cassette is caused to move parallel to the direction of displacement of the carriage along the guide means. 
     Tape dragging means are carried by a vertically movable supporting plate which is located beneath the carriage. Guiding means are provided for retaining the supporting plate and for displacing the supporting plate mainly in the vertical direction while always maintaining the supporting plate substantially parallel to the bottom of the carriage, thereby insuring proper engagement of the tape dragging means with the bobbins of the cassette.

Description:
This invention relates to an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing sounds by means of a magnetic tape wound onto a pair of bobbins, housed in a small cassette insertable into a panel of the apparatus. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be now explained in the following description, wherein reference is made to the annexed drawings showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, of the type that can be mounted in the housing of the usual tool panel of a traditional motor vehicle. 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the apparatus of the present invention, with the tape cassette inserted and with the corresponding recording-and-reproducing members in engagement with the tape. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively show, in elevation, the front and rear end views of the apparatus of FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are respective sections taken along lines IV--IV and V--V of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 6 shows the apparatus of FIG. 1 viewed from below and in upward direction, with the guiding and supporting frame cut away. 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of the guiding frame, with the carriage removed. 
     FIG. 8 is a close-up, in enlarged scale, of FIG. 7. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is comprehensive of a box-shaped guiding and supporting frame A, said frame being open at the top, as well at the rear and front walls thereof, whereas the front side of said frame is closed, in the known manner, by means of a plate or a screen, said plate or screen being provided with a gauged square opening through which a tape box or cassette B (hereinafter referred to as &#34;cassette&#34;) is introduced, said cassette housing, in the known manner, two bobbins with parallel axes, to wind and unwind the magnetic tape with an alternate motion. 
     According to the present invention, cassette B shows, lengthwise to the longitudinal sides thereof (that is, at the right side according to FIGS. 1 and 2), guiding members for the straight length of the tape which unwinds in parallel with the longitudinal axis of said cassette, as will be explained below. 
     Cassette B is advantageously retained by a housing of a carriage C, said carriage being slidable along guides provided in the longitudinal walls 10 and 12 of guiding frame A. 
     In other words, the wall at the left side in FIG. 1 showing carriage C, is provided with one or more pivots 14, said pivots engaging matching slits provided in wall 10. 
     In the illustrated case, one of the above mentioned pivots retains a return spring 15, to displace carriage C in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 1, that is to such a position as to expel cassette B from the seat provided in carriage C. 
     At wall 12, carriage C is guided by means of twin rolls 16 (FIG. 3) retained by said wall, while listels arranged lengthwise to said carriage, are slidable between said rolls. 
     Carriage C has, below the left longitudinal wall 16 thereof, supports 18 (FIG. 2) for a pivot 20, the axis of said pivot 20 being parallel with the longitudinal axis and to the displacement direction of said carriage. 
     Pivot 20 provides the fulcrum for a pair of levers 22-23 (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 6), the arms whereof of which extend transversely to carriage C and below a supporting plate C1 associated with said carriage. Plate C1 provides a movable support for a number of members of the apparatus of the present invention, as described in the following, said plate C1 being movable in the vertical direction, in such a way as to be, at any time, maintained parallel with the bottom of carriage C which is situated above the plate C1. 
     The unengaged ends of levers 22-23 are hinged to the above mentioned movable plate C1 by means of pivots 24 and 25, to guide said plate in parallel with the bottom of carriage C. In other words, plate C1 performs only one resultant motion, said resultant motion being the result of two component motions, one of which being a vertical and the other a horizontal motion, the latter component of said resultant motion being minor relative to the first and being performed from the left to the right (FIG. 1), in order to insure that the various parts of the cassette and of the apparatus are kinematically coupled to each other. 
     Guiding carriage C firmly retains, at the rear wall 19 thereof, a small plate, having, at the longitudinal side thereof, one inclined slit 26 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5). A pin 28 fixed to a square wing 30 integral with movable plate C1, engages said slit 26, in order to supervise the desired displacemnt of the plate concerned. 
     To insure the vertical displacement of movable plate C1 in parallel with the bottom of carriage C, said plate is provided with supplemental guiding members (see FIGS. 3, 6 and 7), the guiding members comprising a sliding roll 31 which cooperates with an inclined surface 33. The above mentioned parts are inserted into the bottom wall of guide frame A and secured to said frame, as well as to movable plate C1. 
     It can be easily understood that, when shaping inclined surface 33, it is possible to impart a final displacement having the desired features, to movable plate C1. 
     Twin levers 22-23 have, at the fulcrum 20, a vertical rod to retain a small roll 32 that cooperates with a cam-shaped member secured to guiding frame A and oriented along the above mentioned direction, comprised of, as seen in FIG. 7, a guide rail 34 hinged, by means of pivot 35, to the bottom wall of said frame A. One spring 36 is anchored to guide rail 35 and said spring maintains said rail 34 in its working position, against a stop 38, in such a way that said spring provides a safety member against such unusual efforts as are encountered by carriage C during the displacement thereof, while, on the other hand, when the carriage moves in a direction opposite to arrow X (see FIG. 1), roll 32, when it encounters the rear profile of guide rail 34, causes twin levers 22-23 to swing in a counter-clockwise direction (FIG. 2), so as to lift movable plate C1, together with the members retained by said plate, while said lifting motion is controlled by the characteristic shape of the above described guide-slit 26. 
     Carriage C together with plate C1, are retained in a recessed or working position against the action of spring 15, by means of appropriate latches, while said carriage has, toward the rear part thereof, one pivot 40 slidably guided in a bush 42, vertically secured to said carriage C. The lower end of pivot 40 protrudes from the above mentioned bush, while the upper end of said pivot is in engagement with a tube 44 having peripheral notches, in order to engage the fork-shaped end of lever 45 fulcrumed to a square piece 46 secured to carriage C. The other end of lever 45 retains a disc 48 made of a magnetic material, to form the keeper of an electro-magnet, the core of which, together with winding 50, are retained by the unengaged end of square piece 46. It follows that, when said electro-magnet is excited, it attracts keeper 48, in order to lift pin 40 against the action of the corresponding spring means, so as to disengage said pin from the latch. 
     Base plate A1 of guiding frame A retains, next to the lower end of springed pivot 40, one square-shaped lever 52, the fulcrum 54 of said lever forming part of said base-plate A1, said lever retaining a spring 55 which causes said lever to rotate in a clockwise direction, in order to maintain said lever 52 in engagement against a stop 56 (FIG. 7). 
     One of the arms 58 of square lever 52 is provided with a restrained window 60 (shown in FIGS. 7 and 8) forming a spiked tooth, to engage the lower end of the above mentioned pivot 40. The edge of the restrained window 60 opposite to the opening of said window, has an inclined wing 62, the lower end of said wing 62 being situated beneath the lower end of the pivot 40; or otherwise, at a par level with said pivot, while the upper end of said pivot is coplanar with the upper face of arm 58 of lever 52, that is, said plane or level rises toward arrow X. 
     Arm 58 of lever 52 ends, at the end thereof, with an inclined surface 64 which meets and engages the pivot 40, secured to said carriage, during the motion of carriage C. The displacement of carriage C in a direction opposite to arrow X and in contrast with the action performed by spring 15, causes the pivot 40 to engage the inclined surface 64, thus causing lever 52 (in FIG. 7) to swing in an counter-clockwise direction and said swinging motion continues, until said pivot 40 is flush with the opening of window 60. When said position has been reached, lever 52 is caused to swing in the clockwise direction, under the action performed by spring 55, into engagement with window 60, as shown at 40&#39; of FIG. 8. 
     In such a way, pivot 40&#39; engages the longitudinal edge of the inclined wing 62. As a consequence, carriage C is retained in its recessed position, owing to the fact that pivot 40 is engaged in window 60. When the springed pivot 40 is uncoupled frmm restrained window 60, carriage C is set free, in order to recede under the influence of spring 15 and said disengagement is performed by urging said carriage toward arrow X, in such a way that the lower end of the pivot 40 engages the rear edge of the above mentioned window 60, the low end of said wing 62 being flush with the above mentioned rear edge, thus engaging said wing with the end of the pivot 40. Consequently, the action performed by spring 15 recalls carriage C in the direction of arrow X, while the inclined plane or surface of wing 62 causes pivot 40 to lift, thus disengaging said pivot from the restrained window 60, whereafter said carriage returns to its initial position, protruding from the front end of the apparatus. 
     A like result is attained, when the electro-magnet 50 is excited. In this case, keeper 48 is attracted and disengages pin 40 from the restrained window 60, to permit a backward motion of carriage C. 
     Movable plate C1 retains, at the rear side thereof, an electric motor M equipped with a strap pulley 66, which actuates a wheel-pulley 68, keyed to a vertical shaft 70, together with an intermediate pulley 72. The last mentioned pulley is operatively connected with another pulley 74, provided with a friction clutch of the type known in the art, said friction clutch being designed to actuate dragging pivot 75, which can be brought in engagement with a matching hub of one of the winding bobbins housed in cassette B. 
     The support for the small vertical shaft 70 is shown by the movable plate C1 and the upper end of said shaft extends, over a certain length, in an upward direction, in order to co-operate with the back of the tape contained in cassette B, as will be explained in the following. Owing to the fact that plate C1 is movable, when carriage C is in an inactive position, the upper end of vertical shaft 70 is in a lowered position and it substantially coincides with the bottom wall of said carriage. 
     When the carriage is shifted to the working position, that is in a direction oppposite to that of arrow X, small shaft 70 is lifted and threaded into openings provided in the walls of the cassette, to be disposed in correspondence with the back of the tape. 
     Strap 76 to connect pulleys 72 and 74 to one another, engages as well a counterpulley 78, retained by a lever 80, the fulcrum 82 of which is provided by movable plate C1. Lever 80 connects with a springed slider 84, which is retained by the lower face of movable plate C1, said slider ending, at one of the ends thereof, with a driving roll 85, for the purposes as set forth in the following. 
     Slider 84 is operatively connected, by means of a pin 86, with a complementary slider 88 (see FIG. 6) exerting an action on the friction member of pulley 74 of the dragging pivot 75, in order to disconnect the kinematic connection between said pivot and motor M. Slider 84 is maintained in the position shown in FIG. 6, by means of spring means 90 and, when said slider is operated, it causes arm 80 to swing, in order to bring strap 76 of pulley 78 in engagement with the periphery of a pulley 93 keyed to dragging pivot 94 torsionally connected with the hub of the other one of the two pulleys contained in cassette B. 
     In the neighborhood of dragging shaft 70, carriage C has, at the lower side thereof, pivots 96 (FIGS. 2, 5 and 6), retaining swinging arms 98 connected to one another by means of a traverse 100, said traverse being parallel with the longitudinal axis of the carriage. Traverse 100 provides a supprt for the small magnetic recording, erasing and reproducing heads T. Furthermore, a pivot 102 and a swinging arm 104 are fulcrumed to the aforementioned traverse, said arm being biased by spring 106 which causes said arm to swing in a counter-clockwise direction, in order to engage a pin 108 with stops which match those that said traverse is provided with. Arm 104 retains, at the unengaged end thereof, one vertical pivot 110 for a friction wheel 112 provided with an elastically yielding coating. When carriage C is in its working or recessed position, friction wheel 112 adheres the tape of cassette B by pressure against vertical shaft 70 and the rotational motion of said shaft drags said tape along with a constant speed. 
     One roller 114 is secured to traverse 100 beneath wheel 112, said roller engaging a cam 116 of a slider 118 (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5), slidably retained to wall 12 of frame A. 
     Slider 118 is biased by spring means 120, designed to displace said slider in the direction of arrow X, in order to engage the square-shaped end 122 of the slider concerned, with corresponding, aligned ends 124 and 125 of two rods 126 and 128, said rods being superimposed and slidably retained by the side wall 12 of frame A. 
     Suitable rods 126 and 128 terminate, at the ends thereof, with control buttons (not shown), to cause small frame 96-98-100 to swing in a clockwise direction (FIG. 2). Springed slider 118 terminates, at the other end thereof, with a square appendix 130 that exerts an action on one of the elements of a group of electric commutators, K designed to supervise the electric circuits of the apparatus; another of said commutators is actuated by the displacement of carriage C. 
     Slidable rod 128 actuates as well one springed lever 132, the fulcruming pivot 134 thereof being secured to bottom wall A1 of frame A, said lever having one roll 135, to co-operate with a shaped wing 136 (FIGS. 4 and 5) integral with sliding rod 128. Lever 132 is provided with a small square wing 138, the end whereof is cam-shaped to cooperate with a driving roll 85 shown by the above described slider 84. 
     The rear end of carriage C is provided with a small pawl 140 (FIG. 1), which is aligned with traverse 100. Pawl 140 is hinged by means of a pivot 142 and biased by spring means 144, the action of which tends to rotate said pawl in a clockwise direction, to adhere it, by pressure, against wall 12 of guiding frame A. 
     When carriage C is in its protruding or resting position, pawl 140 engages its end into an opening 145 provided in wall 12 and said pawl comes into engagement with projection 146 of slider 118, so as to cause said projection to block both of slidable rods 126 and 128. On the other hand, when the carriage is moved to its rear position or working position, said carriage causes the disengagement of pawl 140 from opening 145, in such a way that the end of said pawl is moved away from projection 146 of slider 118, thus permitting the actuation of slidable rods 126 and 128.