JPH0514346B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically loading and unloading a cassette tape.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional video tape recorder (hereinafter referred to as a VTR) is placed separately from the television, such as on top of the television receiver or in a television storage box. The cassette was installed by inserting the cassette tape from the top of the VTR, which was the so-called top loading method.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above conventional technology is, for example, a television receiver and a VTR.
If the above-mentioned cassette tape mounting mechanism was directly adopted in an integrated type of device, the size of the device would be significantly increased.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, reduce the operation area of the VTR by inserting the cassette tape from the front of the VTR, and thereby reduce the overall size of the VTR, as well as automatically loading and ejecting the cassette tape. This is a so-called front loading type cassette tape loading/unloading device, and the cassette box that holds the cassette tape is
To provide a cassette tape mounting/discharging device which applies a predetermined pressing force to a cassette box (including a cassette tape) when held at a predetermined position inside a VTR, and allows stable tape running during VTR operation.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the cassette tape loading/unloading device of the present invention comprises a cassette box that holds a cassette tape inserted from a cassette tape insertion slot provided on the front surface of a VTR, and a cassette box that is located on both sides of the cassette box and that is approximately horizontal. a pair of side plates provided with guides continuous in the vertical direction; a first position where the cassette tape can be inserted into and removed from the cassette tape insertion slot along the guide; and a mounting position inside the VTR. a guided member provided on the cassette box for guiding the cassette tape from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position; a motor capable of forward and reverse rotation; a control means for controlling the drive of the motor; and a control means interposed between the motor and the guided member to move the cassette box from the first position to the second position. a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the motor to the guided member when moving from the second position to the first position; and a power transmission mechanism provided between the power transmission mechanism and the guided member. , a spring that biases the cassette box in the mounting direction, and the cassette tape is moved when the cassette box is moved from the first position to the second position for mounting the cassette tape. Even after being held in the mounting position inside the VTR, the rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the power transmission mechanism against the spring;
The power transmission mechanism is further moved in the direction in which the cassette tape is mounted, and the biasing force of the spring presses the cassette box in the mounting direction, and when the elongation of the spring reaches a predetermined amount, the control means It is designed to stop the movement of the power transmission mechanism.

[Effect]

The effect based on the above configuration will be explained. The cassette tape inserted from the cassette tape insertion slot provided on the front of the VTR is stored in a predetermined position in the cassette box, and is transferred through the power transmission mechanism by the operation of a motor that can be rotated forward and backward (for example, rotation in the forward direction). Using the guide mechanism as a guide, the cassette box holding the cassette tape is moved in the mounting direction. Here, a spring is provided between the power transmission mechanism and a guided member provided on the cassette box to bias the cassette box in the mounting direction. Then, due to the rotation of the motor, which can be rotated forward and backward, the cassette holder holding the cassette tape moves to a predetermined mounting position inside the VTR via the power transmission mechanism and guided by the guide mechanism (guide and guided member). Even after being held at the mounting position, the power transmission mechanism is configured to be able to move further in the mounting direction against the bias of the spring, and this power transmission mechanism moves a certain amount from the predetermined mounting position of the cassette box. When it moves, a part of the power transmission mechanism activates a detector that stops the operation of the motor that can rotate forward and reverse, thereby stopping the operation of the motor that can rotate forward and backward. At this time, the spring provided between the cassette box and the power transmission mechanism has a predetermined amount of tension, and this tension presses the cassette holder that holds the cassette tape in the mounting direction. ,
Even if there is vibration or impact from outside the VTR, the cassette holder and the cassette tape stored and held within the cassette holder are firmly held in this mounting position without moving or wobbling. Stable tape running is possible even under various operating conditions.

Also, the cassette box moves from the first position to the second position.
The same power transmission mechanism is used to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the guided member and the cassette box both when moving to the first position (when installed) and when moving from the second position to the first position (when discharging). There is no need to store power in a return spring for discharging the cassette box via a spring that biases the cassette box in the mounting direction when the cassette box is mounted, and this spring itself drives the cassette box. Since there is no need to store power, the load force acting on this spring (in addition to the force that presses the cassette box in the mounting direction after the cassette box reaches the mounting position) is generated by the motor. It is only the force that transmits the rotational force of 2 to the guided member and the cassette box to move them. Therefore, it is possible to use a relatively weak and small spring as this spring, and the design is easy.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 3 are a right side view, a top view, and a left side view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

The overall framework is formed into a π shape by the top plate 20 (Fig. 2), the right side plate 13 (Figs. 2 and 1), and the left side plate 14 (Figs. 2 and 3). It is fixed with a stopper. A motor holding plate 3 to which the motor 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is fixed is fixed to the right side plate 13. Also, worm 5 (first
) is also rotatably held by the motor holding plate 3. The power from the motor 1 is transferred from a motor pulley 2 press-fitted into the shaft of the motor 1 via a belt 4.
The signal is transmitted to the worm pulley 5a which is press-fitted onto the shaft of the worm 5. A connecting shaft 10 (Fig. 2) is rotatably held through the right side plate 13 and the left side plate 14, and spur gears (small) 8, 8' are connected to the shaft 10 of the vehicle. It is fixed so as to rotate together with 10.

On the right side of the shaft 10, there is a shaft 7a (Fig.
The transmission plate 7 is fixed to rotate together with the shaft 10, and on the right side of the shaft 10,
A worm wheel 6 is rotatably attached to a shaft 10. The worm wheel 6 is provided with a protrusion 6a and a groove 6b (FIGS. 1 and 7), and a spring 9 is stretched between the protrusion 6a and the female shaft 7a of the transmission plate 7. Then, a cassette box 18 (FIG. 3), which will be described later, is urged in the direction in which the cassette tape 42 is ejected, thereby locking the shaft 7a at the end of the groove 6b.

A spur gear (left) 11 (FIG. 2) is rotatably attached to the left side plate 14, and a spur gear (right) 12 is rotatably attached to the right side plate 13. Further, the spur gear (left) 11 and the spur gear (right) 12 mesh with the spur gears (small) 8' and 8, respectively, and power from the motor 1 is transmitted thereto. Spur gear (left) 11 has pin 1
1a (Fig. 3) is planted, and a long hole 11b is provided. [Spur gear (right) 12 (Fig. 2,
Although not shown in Fig. 1, similar pins and elongated holes are also provided. Left side plate 14 (second
(Fig. 3) are approximately "shaped" guide holes 14a, 14.
b (Fig. 3, Fig. 5, Fig. 6), and pins 18a, 18b that fit and slide in the guide holes 14a, 14b are implanted.
8 is the left side plate 14 and the right side plate 13
(Fig. 2).
[Although not shown in the right side plate 13, the cassette box 18 is provided with a similar roughly "shaped guide hole, and a pin that slides and fits into this guide hole." Figure 3)
The link B1 is rotatably connected to the pin 18a planted in the
7 is attached, and a link A16 is rotatably attached to a pin 17a implanted in this link B17, and the pin 17a is attached to a hole 14a of the left side plate 14.
The pin 16a implanted in the link A16 is fitted into the hole 11b of the spur gear (left) 11, and the pin 16a and the spur gear (left) 1 are connected to each other.
A spring 15 is installed between the pin 11a and the pin 11a installed in the spring 1. [The spur gear (right) 12 (FIGS. 2 and 1) is similarly configured].

A side auxiliary plate 19 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is fixed to the right side of the top plate 20 (FIG. 2). This side auxiliary plate 19 has a switch A mounting plate 21.
(Fig. 3) is fixed, the switch A23 is fixed to the switch A mounting plate 21, and the switch A operating plate 22 is rotatable about the pin 21a implanted in the switch A mounting plate 21. installed on. Further, a switch B mounting plate 25 is fixed to the side auxiliary plate 19.
A switch B27 is fixed to the switch B mounting plate 25, and a switch B operating plate 26 is rotatably mounted around a pin 25a implanted in the switch B mounting plate 25. Furthermore, pins 19a and 19b are implanted in the side auxiliary plate 19, and each pin 19
A swing lever 28 and an open lever 29 are rotatably attached around a and 19b as rotation centers, and a pin 29a is implanted in the open lever 29.
A hole 28a provided in the swing lever 28 is fitted into the hole 28a, so that the open lever 29 and the swing lever 28 are interlocked. A spring 24 is stretched between the cut and raised portions of the switch A operating plate 22 and the switch A mounting plate 21, and a spring 3 is stretched between the cut and raised portions of the switch B operating plate 26 and the switch B mounting plate 25.
0 is set up, respectively, switch A23 and switch B
27 is given a biasing force to turn it on. Further, a spring 34 is tensioned between the cut and raised portion 19c of the side auxiliary plate 19 and the swing lever 28.

A shaft 31 is inserted between the bent portions (FIGS. 1 and 3) provided on both sides of the front surface of the top plate 20 (FIG. 2).
is attached, and a cassette door 32 (Fig. 1) is rotatably attached to this shaft 31. A pin 32a is implanted in this cassette door 32, and the end face of the open lever 29 is brought into contact with this pin 32a. It's getting old. Furthermore, the top plate 20 (second
A switch C mounting plate 35 is fixed at the center of the figure. As shown in FIG. 4, a switch operating piece 36 is rotatably attached to this switch mounting plate 35 by a pin 35a, and a switch C2
8 is fixed, and a spring 37 is stretched between the cut and raised portion of the switch mounting plate 35 and the switch operation piece 36 in a direction to turn on the switch C38. A front panel 41 having a cassette tape insertion slot 41a is provided in front of the cassette door 32 (FIG. 3). Note that 28b is an end face of the swing lever 28, and 33 is a spring that biases the cassette door around the shaft 31 in the clockwise direction in FIG.

Next, the operation will be explained. In the mounting operation, the cassette tape 42 is inserted into the cassette box 18 from the front to the rear of the cassette tape insertion slot 41a of the front panel 41 of the VTR (Fig. 3).
When the cassette tape 42 is further pushed in (FIG. 42a position), the cassette box 18 is pushed backwards.
Link B17, link A to cassette box 18
Spur gear (left) 11, which is connected with 16 at a distance, spur gear (right) 12 (Fig. 1), which is configured similarly, and spur gear (small) 8 are connected in direction A in Figs. 1 and 7. The transmission plate 7 (FIGS. 2 and 7) is also rotated in the direction A, and the rotation of the shaft 7a causes the spring 9 to bias in the direction of ejecting the cassette tape.
(FIG. 1) is further extended along the longitudinal direction of the groove 6b of the worm wheel 6. As a result, the switch C38 (FIG. 4) is activated when the cassette tape 42 is pushed in by a distance that is approximately the same as the protruding distance l of the cassette tape 42 in FIG.

This switch C38 is a starting switch that turns from on to off, turning motor 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) to A.
direction. As a result, the spring 9 returns to the state before the cassette tape was inserted, and the shaft 7
a stops at the upper end of the groove 6b (Fig. 7), the spur gear (small) 8 and the spur gear (right) 12 rotate in the direction A in Fig. 1, and the spur gear (small) 8 and the spur gear (right) in Fig. 2 rotate. Spur gear (left)
11 also rotates in the same direction in response to the rotation of the shaft 10, and the cassette box 18 is connected to the guide holes 14a, 14b of the side plates 13, 14 (Figs. 3 and 5) through the third link A16 and link B17. ), then move backwards and then downwards. With the cassette tape 42 in the state shown by the two-dot chain line 42b in FIG.
The tape reaches the cassette tape installation part (not shown) inside the VTR, and installation is completed (held in the installation position) in this state, but at this point switch A23 (Fig. 1) is still not operating, and the spur gear (Right) (Left)
12 and 11 continue to rotate in the A direction, that is, the spring 15 (Fig. 3) is in a stretched state, and when the stretch of the spring 15 reaches a certain amount,
The bent portion 22a of the switch A23 (Fig. 1) is pushed by the pin 12C implanted in the spur gear (right) 12, and the switch A operation plate 22 rotates in the direction A, turning the switch A23 from on to off. Natsute, motor 1
rotation in the A direction stops. At this time spring 15
remains extended and the cassette box 18 stops at position 18' (FIG. 5). As a result, the cassette box 18 is pressed downward by the spring 15 (FIG. 3) to keep the tape running stably.

In the ejection operation, there is an ejection switch (not shown in this figure), and by operating this, the motor 1 rotates in the direction B in Fig. 2, and the worm wheel 6 rotates in the direction B in Fig. 1. By rotating and rotating the shaft 7a of the transmission plate 7 in the same direction by the spring 9, the spur gear (small) 8,
Through 8', spur gear (right) 12, spur gear (left) 1
1 to convey the rotation. This causes the cassette box 18 (FIG. 3) to move from the bottom to the top and then to the front. The switch B27 is an ejection completion switch, and the cassette box 18 is in a state where ejection is completed, that is, the cassette tape is in the state indicated by the two-dot chain line 42a in FIG.
When the position shown by is reached, the bent portion 26a is pushed by the pin 12c set on the spur gear (right) 12, the switch B operation plate 26 is rotated in the direction B, and the switch 27 is turned from on to off. , rotation of the motor 1 in direction B stops.

In this embodiment, the cassette box 18
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a guide 43 is arranged near the approximately "shaped hole 14a" that guides the movement of (FIG. 3).Next, the role of this guide 43 will be described. Pins 18a are installed on both left and right sides of the cassette box 18 with respect to the guide 43. A groove 43 that engages with this pin 18c
Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a guide 43 having a shape a is screwed to the left and right side plates 14 and 13. In FIG. 5, the state of the cassette box indicated by the broken line 18 indicates that the cassette tape has been completely ejected, and the state indicated by the broken line 18' indicates that the cassette tape has been completely loaded. In these two states, the pin 18c and the guide 43 and is unrelated. FIG. 6 shows the state at the corner of the guide holes 14a, 14b where the cassette box 18 changes from horizontal movement to vertical movement or vice versa. In this state, consider the case where the cassette box guide 43 and the cassette box pin 18c are not present and the cassette box 18 is raised. In this case, the cassette box 18 is driven by the pin 18a, but there is no attitude control of the cassette box 18 in the direction of the arrow A at that time, and therefore the pin 18b rotates about the pin 18a as a fulcrum, resulting in instability. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the pin 18c is connected to the guide groove 43a of the guide 43.
Therefore, when the pin 18a is used as a fulcrum, the cassette box 18 is held down by the play between the pin 18c and the groove width of the guide groove 43a, and the posture of the cassette box 18 is kept constant.

As is clear from the above examples, the present invention
A cassette box 18 that holds a cassette tape 42 inserted from a cassette tape insertion slot (41a in the embodiment) provided at the front of the VTR, and guides located on both sides of the cassette box 18 that extend from a substantially horizontal direction to a vertical direction. 14a, 14b
A pair of side plates 13 and 14 are provided, and the cassette box is moved along the guides 14a and 14b to a first position where the cassette tape can be inserted into and removed from the cassette tape insertion slot and to a mounting position inside the VTR. a guided member 16 provided in the cassette box for guiding the cassette tape from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position;
17, 18a, a motor 1 capable of forward and reverse rotation, a control means 23 for controlling the drive of the motor, and a control means 23 interposed between the motor and the guided member to move the cassette box from the first position to the second position. a power transmission mechanism 5, 6, which transmits the rotational force of the motor to the guided member both when moving the guided member to the second position and when moving the guided member from the second position to the first position;
7, 8, 8', 10, 11, 12) provided between the power transmission mechanism and the guided member,
a spring 15 for biasing the cassette box in the mounting direction;
transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the power transmission mechanism against the spring even after the cassette tape is held at the mounting position inside the VTR when moving from the position to the second position; The power transmission mechanism is further moved in the direction in which the cassette tape is mounted, and the biasing force of the spring presses the cassette box in the mounting direction, and when the elongation of the spring reaches a predetermined amount, the control means The power transmission mechanism is configured to stop movement.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention,
Since the cassette tape is inserted through the cassette tape insertion slot provided on the front of the VTR, it has the advantage of reducing the area of the operating surface compared to conventional VTRs.
Further, the present invention has the advantage that operability is improved because the tape is automatically loaded just by inserting the cassette tape. Furthermore, in the present invention, when the cassette holder holding the cassette tape is installed,
A spring that biases the cassette box in the installation direction is provided between the power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the motor and the guided member provided on the cassette box, and the cassette box is installed at a predetermined installation position inside the VTR. Even after being held, the power transmission mechanism is moved a certain amount further against the bias of this spring, and then the detector is operated to stop the rotation of the motor, and the tension of the spring that has been stretched a certain amount causes the power transmission mechanism to move a certain amount. Since the cassette box is configured to be pressed in the mounting direction, even if there is vibration or impact from outside the VCR, the cassette box, that is, the cassette tape held in the cassette box, will not rattle or move at the mounting position. The cassette tape can be reliably held in a predetermined mounting position without causing any damage. With this, VTR
It is possible to provide a VTR equipped with a high-performance and highly reliable cassette tape loading/unloading device that enables stable tape running under various operating conditions. At the same time, the same power transmission mechanism is used to transmit the rotational force of the motor, which can be rotated in forward and backward directions, to the cassette box. Since there is no need to store power in the return spring for discharging the cassette box, and there is no need to store power in this spring itself to drive the cassette box, the load force acting on this spring is In addition to the force that presses the cassette box in the mounting direction after the box reaches the mounting position, the rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the guided member and the cassette box to move these guided members and the cassette box. It's just power. Therefore, a relatively weak and small spring can be used as the spring, and the design is easy.

In addition, in order to guide the cassette box with the guided member, guides are provided on both side plates that run continuously from the approximately horizontal direction to the vertical direction, so the cassette box can be moved continuously from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction or vice versa. This has the effect of allowing smooth guided movement.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of a cassette tape mounting device according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a right side view, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a left side view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing an overview of the starting switch installation part installed in the center of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a schematic side view showing the completion of ejection and installation of the cassette box, and Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the cassette box. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a state in which horizontal and vertical movement is switched, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of some parts of FIG. 1. 1...Motor, 5...Worm, 6...Worm wheel, 6a...Protrusion, 6b...Groove, 7...
Transmission plate, 7a...Shaft, 8, 8'...Spur gear (small), 9...Spring, 10...Connection shaft, 1
1, 12... Spur gear, (5, 6, 7, 8, 8', 1
0, 11, 12...power transmission mechanism), 12c...
Pin, 13, 14...Side plate, 14a, 14b
...Guide hole, 16, 17...Link, (14a,
14b, 16, 17... guide mechanism), 15...
Spring, 18, 18'...cassette box,
18a, 18b...Pin, 23...Switch (detector), 38...Switch, 41...Front panel, 41a...Cassette tape insertion slot, 42...
...cassette tape.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A cassette box that holds the cassette tape inserted from the cassette tape insertion slot provided on the front of the VTR, and a pair of side plates that are located on both sides of the cassette box and are equipped with guides that extend from approximately horizontal to vertical directions. , the cassette box is moved along the guide between a first position where the cassette tape can be inserted and removed from the cassette tape insertion slot and a second position where the cassette tape is installed at a mounting position inside the VTR. A guided member provided in the cassette box for guiding the cassette box from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position, a motor capable of forward and reverse rotation, and controlling the driving of the motor. a control means, interposed between the motor and the guided member, for moving the cassette box from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position; Both include a power transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational force of the motor to the guided member, and a spring that is provided between the power transmission mechanism and the guided member and biases the cassette box in the mounting direction. , when the cassette box is moved from the first position to the second position for mounting the cassette tape, even after the cassette tape is held at the mounting position inside the VTR,
The rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the power transmission mechanism against the spring to further move the power transmission mechanism in the direction of mounting the cassette tape, and the biasing force of the spring causes the cassette box to be mounted. A cassette tape mounting/discharging device characterized in that the control means stops the movement of the power transmission mechanism when the spring reaches a predetermined amount of extension.