Patent GB-1493417-A (GB)
Title: Magnetic tape players
IPC: G11B15/675
Filed: 1975-03-05
Abstract: 1493417 Cassette tape players FUNAI ELECTRIC CO Ltd 5 March 1975 [13 July 1974 3 Sept 1974] 9173/75 Heading G5R A magnetic tape player has a housing 5, Fig. 2, for receiving a twin-reel tape cassette 1, Fig. 1, a capstan 9 and take-up reel drive shaft 8 both mounted on a common member, one of said housing 5 and common member being a movable element movable away from and towards the other to provide a cassette-loading position and an operative position, and a control slider 19 movable along a linear axis and linked to the movable element by means of a pin 21 on the element engaging in a slot 20 in slider 19, movement of the movable element to the operative position moving slider 19 in one direction along said axis and this movement of slider 19 causing a pinch roller 35 to urge the tape 2 against the capstan 9 and a magnetic head 34 to engage the tape 2, and movement of slider 19 in the direction opposite to said one direction disengaging the roller 35 and head 34 from the tape and shifting said movable element to the loading position. In a first embodiment, Figs. 3-6 (not shown) and Figs. 1, 2, insertion of a cassette 1 into a fixed housing 5 causes the cassette to engage part 43 of a spring-biased locking plate 41 whereby a part 44 thereof is released from engaging the underside of a plate 7 pivoted at 10, 11, whereupon springs 18 lower plate 7 to engage the capstan 9 and take-up reel drive shaft 8 into the cassette. Capstan 9, a flywheel 14, and shaft 8, together with a drive motor 16 are mounted on plate 7 which as it pivots downwards acts via the pin 21 and the slot 20 in an eject slider 19 to slide forwardly the latter together with a fast-forward slider 26, supported on slider 19 by pins 27, 28 thereon and slots 29, 30 in slider 26, whereby cam 38 on slider 26 allows a spring 39, urging cam follower 37 against cam 38, to advance a plate 36 to engage magnetic head 34 and pinch roller 35 thereon with the tape. As plate 7 reaches its operative position it closes a switch 48 thereby energizing motor 16 for tape transport at playback speed. Pushing eject slider 19 inwards causes inward movement of slider 26 whereby cam 38 retracts plate 36, head 34 and pinch roller 35, and pin 21 on plate 7 rides in slot 20 of slider 19 to pivot plate 7 upwards for withdrawal of capstan 9 and drive shaft 8 from cassette 1, such plate movement allowing lever 41 to eject cassette 1 from housing 5 and to engage plate 7 to hold it in its raised position. Pushing slider 26 inwards when the apparatus is in the playback mode withdraws head 34 and pinch roller 35 from cassette 1, whereby drive shaft 8, which has a slipping drive during playback transport, effects fast forward transport. Slider 26 can be held in the fast forward position by pin 27 engaging in notch 29a of slot 29 due to pivoting of slider 26 about pin 28, and slider 26 is released from this position by pushing in eject slider 19, and thus also slider 26, causing projection 32 on slider 26 to engage fixed ramp 33 and pivot slider 26 upwards about pin 28 to release pin 27 from notch 29a, continued inward movement of slider 19 effecting cassette ejection as above. In a second embodiment, Figs. 7 to 14 (not shown), the pivoted plate 7 is omitted and motor (116), capstan (109) and take-up reel drive shaft (108) are fixedly located below a cassettereceiving housing (105) which is pivoted at a front side and coupled by pin (121) and slot (120) to eject slider (119) in the same manner as plate 7 is coupled to slider 19 in Figs. 1 to 6. Insertion of a cassette (101) into housing (105) releases a locking plate (141) therefrom so that springs (118) lower housing (105) and cassette (101) to the operative position, pushing in of slider (119) acting to raise housing (105) for cassette ejection by plate (141). The second embodiment is otherwise generally the same as the first.