Abstract:
A mechanism for retaining one tape deck ( 12 ), of a double cassette tape player ( 14 ), into a temporal inoperative position, which comprises a trigger arm ( 40 ) rotatable about a first pivot ( 41 ) on a chassis ( 15 ) of the tape deck; a first spring ( 42 ) for biasing the trigger arm to rotate in a predetermined direction; a pause lever ( 50 ) slideable on the chassis of the tape deck; a second spring ( 54 ) for urging the pause lever to move in a predetermined direction; and actuating structure or a push lever ( 38 ) that is made operative in response to rotation of the motor to urge the trigger arm to rotate in an opposite direction against the first spring. The pause lever is allowed to be slid in the predetermined direction by the second spring when the trigger arm is caused by the push lever to rotate in the opposite direction. The mechanism further comprises a lock structure ( 55 ) provided at a tip end of the pause lever for engagement with an axis pin ( 31 ) of the rotation transmission gear ( 32 ), when the pause lever is slid in the opposite direction, thereby locking the rotation transmission gear in a lock position just before a position where it meshes with a reel drive gear ( 36 ). Accordingly, the rotation transmission gear idles in the lock position while it is kept driven by a motor ( 16 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to a so-called double cassette tape player having a pair of tape decks, and more particularly to a mechanism for retaining one of the two tape decks in the double cassette tape player in its inoperative position, while both tape decks being driven by a single power source. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The double cassette tape player has been known in the art, which comprises a pair of tape decks, each being designed substantially as a single type tape player, and a drive mechanism for driving the two decks. The tape player of this type is particularly useful for dubbing from a recorded tape cassette on one deck (sub-deck) to a raw tape cassette on the other deck (main deck). In response to single key operation by the user, both tape decks are driven synchronously. Of course, the sub-deck carrying the recorded tape cassette operates for playback and the main deck carrying the raw tape cassette operates for recording. Such dubbing operation with the double cassette tape player should be compared with the same operation using two separate cassette tape player, which needs connection between the two players and synchronous key operation on both players. 
     With the double cassette tape player, both tape decks should be driven simultaneously during the dubbing operation. Apart from dubbing, however, only the main deck is driven, the sub-deck being made inoperative. For example, should both tape decks, each carrying the recorded tape cassette, be driven simultaneously in response to the user&#39;s key operation which commands playback, both tape decks would run for playback of different music data. To cope with this problem, the double cassette tape player should be designed such that the sub-deck is used only for dubbing and is made inoperative when another kind of operation is designated by the user. 
     This requirement can be fulfilled by employing separate drive sources for individually driving the two tape decks. This requires two motors which should be controlled by separate drive control circuits. It should raise a manufacturing cost and needs a larger space for mounting the motors and circuits. Moreover, a synchronizer is additionally required to drive the two motors synchronously at the time of dubbing operation, which complicates the overall construction and arrangement and further increases the manufacturing cost of the double cassette tape player. 
     One of the inventors have already invented the cassette tape drive mechanism in a single type cassette tape player, which is patented as U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,831, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated for reference. This drive mechanism has an idle gear rotatable on a pin at the leading end position of a rotary arm that is driven by a motor. The idle gear will mesh with a semi-circular inner gear. When the idle gear separates from one end of the inner gear, it then meshes with a forward or reverse reel drive gear so that a cassette tape carried on the tape player is to run in a forward or reverse direction. Movement of the idle gear toward the end of the inner gear will also move a head plate toward its operative position where one of pinch rollers is in press-contact with a corresponding capstan, between which the cassette tape travels in the forward or reverse direction. 
     Such drive mechanism is simple in construction and arrangement and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. However, when this drive mechanism is applied to each of the tape decks in the double cassette tape player with a single drive source or motor, as described above, both tape decks are always driven simultaneously by the single motor, which might cause any trouble and disadvantage at the time of operation other than dubbing. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for retaining one tape deck in its inoperative position, when so demanded, in a double cassette tape player in which both tape decks may be simultaneously driven by a single drive source through the above-described drive mechanism proposed by the inventor. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel mechanism for interrupting one of two rotation transmission routes from a single drive source so that one deck of a double cassette tape player may be retained in an inoperative position while the other is driven by the drive source through another rotation transmission route. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, in a double cassette tape player having a single motor rotatable in forward and reverse directions and a pair of tape decks that can be driven by the motor through separate drive mechanisms, each of the drive mechanisms including a rotation transmission gear which is driven by the motor and capable of meshing with one of reel drive gears so that a tape in a cassette carried on the tape deck is to run in a predetermined direction, there is provided a mechanism for retaining one of the tape decks into a temporal inoperative position where the rotation transmission gear does not mesh with the reel drive gear, comprising a trigger arm rotatable about a first pivot on a chassis of the one tape deck; first spring means for biasing the trigger arm to rotate in a predetermined direction; a pause lever slideable on the chassis of the one tape deck; second spring means for urging the pause lever to move in a predetermined direction; actuator means that is made operative in response to rotation of the motor to urge the trigger arm to rotate in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction of rotation, against the biasing force of the first spring means; the pause lever being allowed to be slid in the predetermined direction by the biasing force of the second spring means when the trigger arm is caused by the actuator means to rotate in the opposite direction; and lock means provided at a tip end of the pause lever for engagement with a part of the drive mechanism between the motor and the rotation transmission gear, when the pause lever is slid in the predetermined direction, thereby locking the rotation transmission gear in a lock position just before a position where it meshes with the reel drive gear, the rotation transmission gear being idle in the lock position while being kept driven by the motor. 
     The actuator means may comprise a push lever rotatable about a second pivot on the chassis of the one tape deck. The push lever is rotated in a predetermined direction in response to movement of the rotation transmission gear by rotation of the motor. The push lever has an integral part engageable with one extreme end of the trigger arm. 
     The mechanism may further comprise positioning means for keeping the trigger arm into a predetermined angle of rotation, when the trigger arm is rotated in the opposite direction by the actuator means. The positioning means may comprise a solenoid of a permanent magnetic type, The solenoid is empowered with electricity to release its magnetic power, which allows the trigger arm to rotate in the predetermined direction of rotation in cooperation with the first spring. Therefore, the pause lever is urged to be slid in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction of movement, against the biasing force of the second spring means, thereby releasing the rotation transmission gear from the lock position. The lock means may comprises a recess formed at the tip end of the pause lever for receiving a first pin that provides an axis of rotation of the rotation transmission gear. 
     In a preferable embodiment, the tip end of the pause lever provides an inclined edge adjacent below to the recess. The inclined edge is in contact with the first pin, just before the pin is to be received within the recess, and acting as a guide to urge the pause lever to be slid in the opposite direction, while maintaining the trigger arm in the predetermined angle of rotation defined by the positioning means. 
     In another preferable embodiment, the mechanism further comprises interlocking means consisting of a first member integral with the trigger arm and a second member integral with the pause lever. The first and second members is usually in contact with each other. 
     The first member may be a first extension of the trigger arm and the second member may be a second pin at one extreme end of the pause lever, wherein the second pin is usually interposed between the first extension and the second spring means. 
     The second spring means may comprise an elongated second extension spaced, substantially in parallel with the first extension of the trigger arm, wherein the second pin is interposed between the first and second extensions. 
     The double cassette tape player may have one tape deck having only a playback capacity and another tape deck with playback and recording capacity. The mechanism of the present invention is applied at least to the drive mechanism on one of the tape decks which may be the former with the playback capacity. Alternatively, the mechanism of the present invention may be applied onto both tape decks of the double cassette tape player. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be better understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a double cassette tape player including a mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention which retains one of two tape decks in an inoperative position; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged bottom view showing positional relationship between various parts and members on the tape deck that is retained in the inoperative position; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the double cassette tape player of FIG. 1; 
     FIG.  4  through FIG. 6 are enlarged bottom views that correspond to FIG. 2 but shows the one tape deck having different positional relationship that change with rotation of a rotary arm; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged bottom views that correspond to FIGS. 4-6 but shows the one tape deck that has just been unlocked from the inoperative position; 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the double cassette tape player of FIG. 1 in which both tape decks are driven in synchronism with each other for dubbing operation: 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged bottom view showing another design of engagement between the rotary arm and the pause lever; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged bottom view showing one tape deck that is retained in the inoperative position through a mechanism according to a modified embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 11 is an enlarged bottom view showing the one tape deck that has just been unlocked from the inoperative position of FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Specifically referring to FIG. 1 illustrating the bottom of a double cassette tape player  10  having a tape deck  12  shown at the right is a player and another tape deck  14  shown at the left is a player/recorder. Tape deck  12  is used only at the time of dubbing. When dubbing, the recorded tape in a cassette carried on tape deck  12  is played back, which is recorded and copied to a raw tape in another cassette carried on tape deck  14 . Apart from dubbing, tape deck  12  is retained in its inoperative position and tape deck  14  is only used for playback, fast forwarding and rewinding of the tape cassette that is carried thereon. Also, tape deck  14  is solely used for recording the sound data from an external instrument. 
     Tape decks  12  and  14  may be driven by a single motor  16  so that they operate in synchronism with each other at the time of dubbing. When, at the time of operation other than dubbing, tape deck  14  is solely used and tape deck  12  should be retained in the inoperative position, which is achieved by a mechanism according to the present invention, an embodiment of which is built in tape deck  12 . Tape deck  12  takes the inoperative position, shown in FIG. 1, except that it is used for dubbing. In this embodiment, tape deck  12  is initialized into this position. When player  10  is empowered, tape deck  12  that may take another position at this time is automatically moved to this inoperative position and retained thereat. If the user pushes a key or button (not shown) to command dubbing, deck  12  is unlocked from the inoperative position and now allowed to perform playback operation in synchronism with recording operation of deck  14 . 
     In this embodiment, tape decks  12 ,  14  are driven by motor  16  through substantially the same drive mechanisms. This drive mechanism is specifically disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,831, incorporated herein by reference. However, the drive mechanism of deck  12  differs from that of deck  14  in that it additionally involves a trigger arm  40 , a pause lever  50 , a solenoid  60  and other parts and members related thereto, which will be hereinbelow described in detail. 
     Motor  16  is rotatable in forward and reverse directions. Main belts  22 ,  22 ′ are wrapped between a pulley  18  secured to the output shaft of motor  16  and flywheels  20 ,  20 ′ so that flywheels  20 ,  20 ′ rotates with motor  16  in the same direction. 
     Reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3 as well as to FIG. 1, on a chassis  15  of deck  12 , a sub-belt  28  is wrapped between a small-diameter pulley  24  concentrically secured to flywheel  20  and a center pulley  26 . To a rotation shaft  27  of center pulley  26  is fixed a rotary arm  30  that swings with rotation of center pulley  26 . A rotation transmission gear  32 , rotatable about a pin  31  at the leading end of rotary arm  30 , always meshes with a center pulley gear  29  concentric with center pulley  26 . Gear  32  is engageable with an inner gear  34  formed on the underside of chassis  15  to extend substantially a semi-circle that is concentric with center pulley  26 . Gear  32  is also engageable with a rewind reel drive gear  36  that is integral with a rewind reel (not shown) extending upward from chassis  15 . 
     With the above-described arrangement, when motor  16  rotates in a forward direction or in a counterclockwise direction in the drawings, its rotation is transmitted via belts  22 ,  28  to center pulley  26  to rotate said pulley in the same direction, so that rotation transmission gear  32  revolves clockwise and moves to the right upward along inner gear  34 . In the inoperative position of deck  12  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, rotation transmission gear  32  is moved away from the right upward end of inner gear  34  but does not come into mesh with rewind reel drive gear  36 . In other words, gear  32  idles at a neutral position between inner gear  34  and rewind reel drive gear  36 . 
     A push arm  38  is pivottable about a stationary pin  37  extending down from the bottom of chassis  15 . Push arm  38  includes a pin  39  engageable with an upstanding wall  45  at one extreme end of trigger arm  40 . The free end of push arm  38  is shaped into a fork  35  for engagement with pin  31  at the leading end of rotary arm  30 . When rotation transmission gear  32  moves right upward along inner gear  34 , push arm  38  revolves clockwise about pin  37  due to engagement between pin  31  and the forked end  35 . However, as described later, because pin  31  separates the forked end  35  at some point, push arm  38  remains at a predetermined angle such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     Trigger arm  40 , also pivotable about a stationary pin  41  extending down from the bottom of chassis  15 , is biased by a spring  42  to rotate clockwise. Another extreme end of trigger arm  40  is bent down to form an engagement piece  43  that is always in engagement with a piston end  61  of solenoid  60 . Solenoid  60  used in this embodiment is of a permanent magnet type that provides a magnetic force attracting piston end  61 . When the electricity is supplied to solenoid  60  through wires (not shown), the magnetic force disappears. The inoperative position of deck  12  illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be achieved when no electricity is supplied to solenoid  60  so that piston end  61  is attracted to cause trigger arm  40  to rotate counterclockwise against the biasing force of spring  42 . Trigger arm  40  also has an upward extension  44  that is located at an angle more counterclockwise than engagement piece  43 . 
     Beneath chassis  15  but above trigger arm  40 , there is pause lever  50  that is slidable by engagement between lateral grooves  51 ,  51 ′and abutment protrusions of inverted T-shaped cross-section. Pause lever  50  has a downward pin  53  that is positioned between a spring  54  and upward extension  44  of trigger arm  40 . Pause lever  50  is always biased by spring  54  to move to the left in the drawings. 
     The left-end portion of pause lever  50  has a recess  55  for receiving pin  31  at the end of rotary arm  30 , and a lower cut-out edge  56  acting as a guide to pin  31  before it enters recess  55 . In the inoperative position of deck  12  of FIGS. 1 and 2, pause lever  50  takes the leftmost position whereat pin  31  is received within recess  55 , which causes rotation transmission gear  32  to idle in the neutral position between inner gear  34  and rewind reel drive gear  36 . 
     Again, rotation of motor  16  is transmitted to gear  32  via main belt  22 , flywheel  20 , sub-belt  28 , center pulley  26  and center pulley gear  29 , so that gear  32  rotates about pin  31  and moves along inner gear  34 . 
     Suppose that rotation transmission gear  32  is positioned at the lowermost position that is at a center of its semicircular path of travel along inner gear  34 . In this position, forked ends  35  of push arms  38  does not engage with pin  31 . When motor  16  starts to rotate counterclockwise, gear  32  begins rotating clockwise and moves upward right along inner gear  34 . Soon after that, as specifically illustrated in FIG. 4, pin  31  contacts an outer leg  35   i  of forked end  35  so that push arm  38  rotates clockwise about shaft  37  in response to circular movement of gear  32  along inner gear  34 . Further circular movement of gear  32  will achieve engagement between pin  39  on push arm  38  and upstanding wall  45  of trigger arm  40 , thereby rotating trigger arm  44  counterclockwise about shaft  41 . Accordingly, piston end  61  of solenoid  60 , which is engaged by wall  43  of trigger arm  40 , is attracted by the magnetic force of solenoid  60  so that trigger arm  40  takes a fixed orientation as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     In FIG. 5, pin  31  has been moved to a position in close vicinity to the leading end of outer leg  35   i . When rotary arm  30  further rotates counterclockwise, pin  31  soon separates leg  35   i , so that push arm  38  remains standstill even if rotary arm  30  further rotates in the same direction. Pause lever  50  has been moved to the left from the position of FIG. 4 to that of FIG. 5 due to counterclockwise rotation of trigger arm  40  and the biasing force of spring  54  that engages with pin  53 . 
     Still further counterclockwise rotation of rotary arm  30  will soon bring pin  31  into contact with lower cut-out edge  56  of pause lever  50 , as specifically illustrated in FIG. 6, which urges pause lever  50  to move back to the right against the biasing force of spring  54 . At this time, rotation transmission gear  32  still meshes with inner gear  34 . Soon after pin  31  has climbed over the apex defined between recess  55  and cut-put edge  56 , spring  54  urges pause lever  50  to move to the left so that pin  31  fits into recess  55 . Substantially at the same time, rotation transmission gear  32  separates inner gear  34 . Thus, gear  32  is locked in the neutral position of FIGS. 1 and 2 where it does not mesh with inner gear  34  nor with rewind reel drive gear  36  and, therefore, idles even when it receives drive energy from motor  16 . This is herein called “inoperative position” of tape deck  12 , which is maintained as far as trigger arm  40  takes the orientation where engagement wall  43  and piston end  61  are attracted by solenoid  60 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     While tape deck  12  is in the inoperative position, the other tape deck  14  is used solely to execute playback, recording from the external source, fast-forward and rewinding of a cassette tape carried thereon may be executed. 
     When the user operates a specific key or button to command dubbing from the recorded tape cassette on deck  12  to the raw tape cassette on deck  14 , solenoid  60  is energized to release the magnetic force, which allows trigger arm  40  to rotate clockwise about shaft  41  by spring  42 . Accordingly, pause lever  50  is caused to move to the right, due to engagement between upstanding wall  44  of trigger arm  40  and pin  53  of pause lever  50 , against the biasing force of spring  54 , which disengages pin  31  from recess  55  so that rotation transmission gear  32  becomes free to move, as specifically illustrated in FIG.  7 . When motor  16  starts clockwise rotation with this position, both decks  12  and  14  are driven by motor  16  in synchronism with each other. Rotation transmission gears  32 ,  32 ′ are moved upward left along inner gears  34 ,  34 ′, and become meshed with forward reel drive gears  33 ,  33 ′ after separating the extreme ends of inner gears  34 ,  34 ′ so that forward reel drive gears  33 ,  33 ′ are rotated simultaneously, both in the forward direction, at the same speed, as shown in FIG.  8 . Therefore, the cassette tapes on decks  12  and  14  run at the same travelling speed, the former being played back, which is magnetically recorded onto the latter. 
     Tape decks  12  and  14  respectively have head bases (not shown) that are movable above chassis  15 ,  15 ′. The head base of deck  12  carries a reproducing head, whereas the head base of deck  14  carries an integral reproducing/recording head. The head base of deck  14  may carry separate heads, one for playback and the other for recording. At the time of dubbing, both head bases are moved simultaneously to the operative position where forward pinch rollers (not shown) of both decks  12 ,  14  contact under pressure with adjacent capstans (not shown), between which the tape is to travel in the forward direction. When deck  14  is to be used solely, only the head base thereof takes the operative position. A mechanism for moving the head base does not relate directly with the subject matter of the present invention and, therefore, is not limited to any specific design. Only by way of example, a second push lever that is equivalent to push lever  38  is arranged at an opposite position (between flywheel  20 ,  20 ′ and chassis  15 ,  15 ′) and a pin (corresponding to pin  39 ) of the second push lever is adapted to engage with the head base. With this arrangement, clockwise rotation of motor  16  causes rotary arms  30 ,  30 ′ to swing in the same direction, which, in turn, rotates the second push lever counterclockwise, thereby shifting the head base that is engaged by the pin of the second push lever. 
     In the foregoing embodiment, pin  31  at the leading end of rotary arm  30  fits into recess  55  at the left end of pause lever  50  so that tape deck  12  is locked in the inoperative position. Any other arrangement may be used as far as it is capable of keeping rotation transmission gear  32  in the neutral, inoperative position where it does not mesh with inner gear  34  nor with rewind reel drive gear  36 . FIG. 9 shows a modified embodiment in which the left end of pause lever is shaped as a triangular projection  64  including a lower cut-out edge  62  and an upper cut-out edge  63 , and rotary arm  30  has a triangular recess  65  engageable with projection  64 . In this embodiment, at least an upper corner at the end of rotary arm  30  should preferably be rounded, as shown in the drawing, which facilitates push-back of pause lever  50  by contact between the upper comer of rotary arm  30  and lower cut-out edge  62  of pause lever  50 . 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrates another modified embodiment in which spring  54  is replaced by a resilient leg  46  formed integral with trigger arm  40  in parallel with extension  44  so that pin  53  of pause lever  50  is engaged between extension  44  and leg  46  of trigger arm  40 . In this modification, leg  46  acts as a spring, like spring  54 , which allows pause lever  50  to move rightward when rotary arm  30  rotates clockwise with pin  31  being in contact with lower cut-out edge  56  (in FIGS. 1-8) or  62  (in FIG.  9 ). 
     In the modification of FIGS. 10 and 11, trigger arm  40  has a wedge-shaped tip end that engages with pin  39  of push lever  38 . Pin  39  engages a lower edge  47  of the wedge-shaped tip end to rotate trigger arm  40  counterclockwise in the drawing, about shaft  41 . Suppose that tape deck  12  is in the inoperative position such as shown in FIG.  10  and solenoid  60  is empowered. As described before, trigger arm  40  rotates clockwise about shaft  41  to unlock pin  31 . At this time, pin  39  is automatically engaged by an upper edge  48  of the wedge-shaped tip end of trigger arm  40  so that push lever  38  remains standstill at a position shown in FIG.  11 . 
     Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and involves various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. For example, though both tape decks  12 ,  14  have one-way tape running mechanism in the illustrated embodiments, main deck  14  may be of auto-reverse type. Tape deck  12  is used only at the time of dubbing in the illustrated embodiments, but both decks  12 ,  14  may be equipped with reproducing and recording capacity. In this case, the above-described mechanism (comprising push lever  38 , trigger arm  40 , pause lever  50 , solenoid  60  etc.) for retaining rotary arm  32  in the neutral position between inner gear  34  and rewind reel drive gear  36  should be mounted on both decks  12  and  14 . Except for dubbing, the user designates one of decks  12 ,  14  that he wishes to drive, so that the other deck is automatically moved to the inoperative position.