Patent ID: 7375919

Claim:
A recording and reproducing apparatus performing recording and/or reproducing according to a helical scanning system, in which a tape-shaped recording medium is helically wound around a head drum and scanned with a rotating head, characterized in that: a brake arm is disposed in proximity to a supply-side reel table with which a supply-side reel reeling out the tape-shaped recording medium engages, a brake member that includes a non-circular hole for coupling to a pin on the brake arm such that the brake member is swingable about the pin with a swinging center that is movable within the hole, the brake member is urged by an urging member incorporated on the brake arm in a brake releasing direction; and when the supply-side reel table is driven to rotate in a direction to take up the tape-shaped recording medium, the brake member moves to a center of the supply-side reel table and is separated from the supply-side reel table by the urging member to release the brake member.