Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Apparatus for Selectively Operating Multiple Tape
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
The invention relates to anapparatus for selectively
operating a multiple tape having a plurality of tapes disposed
on a single feed reel mount and a single take-up reel mount
which permits a selection of a particular tape for recording
and reproduction purpose.
An automatic telephone answering unit utilizes a multiple
tape having a single cassette in which a respor.se tape and
another tape for recording the message from a calling party
are received. The two tapes are arranged to run parallel to
each otheT, and are driven for recording and reproduction by
a tape drive which comprises a single capstan and a pinch
roller. In the conventional arrangement, when one tape, for
example, response tape, is caused to run, the other tape which
is used to record the meassage also runs even though the
apparatus is not ready to record the message from a calling
party, thus resulting in a wasted use of the recording tape.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus
for selectively operating multiple tape which permits an
individual tape to be selected for running by a single tape
drive while avoiding the described waste and which permits a
record or reproduction mode to be automatically establishedO
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tape recorder which
is provided with the selective operating apparatus of the
invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of a pinch roller assembly;
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Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pinch roller assembly;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the selective switching
mechanism shown in Fig. l; and
Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the apparatus of Fig. 1,
but from which the cassette has been eliminated.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT:
Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a tape drive mechanism
of a tape recorder which is provided with the selective operating
apparatus of the invention. The mechanism includes main chassis
1 on which feed reel mount 2 and take-up reel mount 3 are provided.
Cassette 4 is fitted over these reel mounts 2, 3 as shown in Fig.
1. Cassette 4 may contain a pair of tapes 5a, 5b having their
opposite ends secured to reel hubs which are received within the
cassette casing in stacked form. The specific structure of the
cassette 4 is disclosed in Hashimoto, U.S. Patent No. 4,104,686,
dated . As shown in the patent, tapes are
stacked in two lavers, top and bottom, by means of a middle plate,
and are disposed in one cassette. Thus, the apparatus of the
present invention can be used by incorporating the cassette of
Hashimoto shown in the U.S. patent. The foregoing cassette is
manufactured by Hashimoto Corporation, and is easilv available
commercially.
In its front side, cassette 4 is formed with ~indow 6a
into which a magnetic head is inserted, and is also formed with
a pair of windows 6b spaced apart on the opposite sides of window
6a for receiving a pinch roller. Capstan 7 is rotatably mounted
on chassis 1, and extends above the chassis at right angles
thereto. The lower end of capstan 7 which extends below chassis
1 fixedly carries a flywheel so as to be driven by an electric
motor.
A tape drive mechanism for the cassette is shown in
greater detail in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows the tape drive mechanism
more clearly by re~o~ing the cassette 4 of Fig. 1. The shafts
2 and 3 are spaced apart by a distance coxresponding to a center
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line of both reel hubs of the cassette ~, and a feed reel 34
is provided on the shaft 2, and a take-up reel base 35 is provided
on the shaft 3. The reels are rotatable, and each reel hub of
the cassette 4 is engaged on the shafts 2 and 3 provided
integrally and concentrically with each reel base 34 and 35.
Also, in the space between the reels 34 and 35, a first
idler 36 contacting with and separated from the outer periphery
of the reel base 35 is disposed, and this idler 36 is
rotatably mounted on one end portion of an L-shaped lever 38
which is pivotally and rotatably fixed on the reverse surface of
the chassis 1 by means of a pin 37. The first idler 36 and a
second idler 39 contacting with and separating from the outer
periphery of the reel base 34, are mounted rotatably on one end
portion of the lever 38.
On the projecting portion of the reverse side of the
chassis 1 of the capstan 10, an axis center of a flywheel 40
for stabilizing the rotation of the capstan 10 by absorbing
rotation irregularity of a motor, or a small speed fluctuation
generating from a rotation transmitting mechanism, is fixed.
20 Also, reference numeral 41 denotes a drive motor mounted on the
chassis 1, and a belt 43 is spanned between a pulley 42 mounted
on the motor shaft projecting on the reverse side of the chassis
and the flywheel 4, whereby the rotation of the motor 41 can be
transmitted to the capstan 10; and at the same time, almost the
middle portion of the belt 43 is spanned on the pulley 44 mounted
integrally on the shaft of the first idler 36, so that the
rotation of the motor 41 is transmitted to the first idler 36.
The cassette tape drive mechanism mentioned in the foregoing is
conventional, and, for example, is illustrated in detail and
30 in the U.S. patent 4,189,079 issued February 19, 1980 to the
invention herein.
A head plate 8 is mounted on chassis 1 so as to be
displaceable in directions indicated by arrows A and B. As
shown in Fig. 1, head plate 8 is L-shaped in reversed position
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and includes horizontal limb 8a and vertical limb 8b. A pair
of claws 9a, 9b are formed along the front edge of horizontal
limb 8a and another claw 9c is formed at the rear end of vertical
limb, these claws being engaged with elongate slots lOa to lOc
formed in chassis 1, thereby slidably guiding head plate 8 in the
directions indicated by arrows A and B.
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Magnetic head 11 is mounted on horizontal limb 8a by means
of head mount 12 in alignment with window 6a and is operable
to effect recording or reproduction with respect to each of
tapes 5a, 5b separately. A pair of pinch rollers 13, 14 are
also disposed on horizontal limb in alignment with window 6b
so that they urge tapes 5a, 5b against common capstan 7 indi-
vidually. These pinch rollers are pivotally mounted on one end
of support arms 15, 16, which are disposed in vertically align-
ed relationship and which are pivotally mounted on horizontal
limb 8b by means of pin 17. Spacer 18 (see Fig. 2) is support-
ed by pin 17 and support frame 16 against displacement7 and is
effective to separate the both pinch rollers and tapes Sa, 5b.
The end of support arms 15, 16 on which pinch rollers are
mounted is provided with stops 15a, 16a which can be brought
into abutment against stop 19 fixedly mounted on horizontal
limb 8a to limit the counterclockwise rotation of support
arms 15, 16, as viewed in Fig. 1.
Switching mechanism 20 operates to select either tape
5a, 5b. Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, chassis 1 is formed
with slot 21 adjacent to vertical limb 8b of head plate,
and channel-shaped frame 22 is secured therein. Frame 22
has upper edge 22a which is located above the chassis and
which is engaged by claw 23a formed along one end of movable
pla~e 23 to permit an angular movement of movable plate 13
in the vertical plane. Tension spring 24 is disposed between
the edge 22a and an intermediate~ portion of movable plate 23
to urge the opposite, free end 23b of movable plate 23 in the
upward direction. Free end 23b fixedly carries pin 25 on
which is coiled spring 26 having its one end anchored to tab
27 ~orm,ed adjacent to pin 25 and its other end extending
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toward the other end of support arms 15, 1~ for engagement
with hook 28 formed on free end 23b. Solenoid coil 29 is
fixedly mounted on frame 22 below the movable plate 23, and
when it is energized, movable plate 23 has its free end 23b
pulled downward against the resilience of tension spring 24.
Stop 30 is provided as an integral part of frame 22 which
projects above chassis, and limits the angular movement of
movable plate 23 in the downward direction when coil 29 is
energized.
The other end of support arms 15, 16 extend toward the
free end 23b and is bent into L-configuration so as to provide
extensions 15b, 16b which extend lengthwise of movable plate
23. As shown in Fig. 5, extensions 15b, 16b are disposed in
vertical align~ent and parallel to each other, and the opposing
side of extensions 15b, 16b are provided with projections 31,
32 which extend toward each other. The end 26a of spring 26
extends into the space between extensions 15b, 16b and is cap-
able of assuming a position in which the end 26a engages either
projection 31 or 32 when the free end 23b assumes its upper
or lower position. When a record or playback mode of the
tape drive is established, the resilience of spring 26 is trans-
mitted to either pinch roller 13 or 14 to permit a running of
either tape Sa or 5b contained within cassette 4. Solenoid
plunger 33 is disposed on the rear part of chassis 1 and in-
cludes plunger rod 33a which is connected with the rear endof vertical limb 8b of head plat~e 8 by means of pin 34.
In operation, cassette body 4 is mounted on reel mounts
2, 3 as shown in Fig. 1 and capstan 7 is set in motion. When
a record/playback mode is to be established for tape 5a con-
tained in cassette body 4, coil 29 is deenergized to permit
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movable plate 23 to be maintained in its upward position
under the resilience of tension spring 24. Extension 26a of
spring 26 is located opposite to projection 31 on L-shaped
portion 15b of support arm 15 as shown in Fig. 5a. When
solenoid plunger 33 is energized under this condition, it
causes head plate 8 to slide in a direction indicated by
arrow A shown in Fig. 1, whereby head 11 is brought into
a~utting engagement against tapes 5a, 5b through window 6a
formed in cassette body 5. At the same time, support arms 15,
16 mounted on head plate 8 move in the same direction as the
plate 8 slides in the direction of arrow A, whereupon projec-
tion 31 engages the end of spring 26, the resilience of which
causes support arm 15 to rotate counterclockwise, as viewed
in Fig. 1. Specifically, when head plate 8 is set to its
forward end as a result of the operation of plunger 33, pinch
roller 13 is urged against capstan 7 under the resilience
of spring 26 with tape 5a interposed therebetween, allowing
only tape 5a to run. Since no resilience acts on support
arm 16 associated with pinch roller 14, the latter remains
free, preventing a running of tape 5b.
When a record/playback mode for tape 5b is selectively
established, coil 2 is initially energized to hold movable
plate 23 attracted thereto against the resilience of tension
spring 24. Consequently, free end 23b of movable plate 23
moves down~ whereby extension 26a of spring 26 which is located
between L-shaped portions 15b, 16b of support arms 15, 16 is
located opposite to projection 32 as shown in Fig. 5b. When
plunger 33 is energized under this condition to cause a sliding
movement of head plate 8 in the direction of arrow A shown
in Fig. 1, head 11 is brought into abutting engagement against
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tapes 5a, Sb through window 6a. Simultaneously, support arms
15) 16 carried by plate 8 move in the same direction as the
plate 8 slides in the direction of arrow A. As projection
32 on support arm 16 engages extension 26a of spring 26, the
S latter causes support arm 16 to rotate counterclockwise, as
viewed in Fig. 1. Coil 29 may now be deenergized. Conse-
quently, when head plate 8 is set to its forward end as a
result of operation of plunger 33, pinch roller 14 is urged
a~ainst capstan 7 under the resilience of spring 26 with tape
5b interposed therebetween, thus allowing only tape Sb to run.
Since pinch roller 13 is not urged against capstan 7 at this
time, there occurs no running of tape 5a.
In the embodiment shown, cassette body 4 has been employ-
ed which internally houses a pair of tapes 5a, Sb. However,
it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable
to a variety of widely available cassette tapes which are
mounted on the reel mounts in a stacked form, with a correspond-
ing change in the number of heads. In such instance, it should
be understood that the movable plate 23 must be ass~ciated with
a mechanism which permits it to be selectively operated to
more than two positions.
As discussed above, in the arrangement of the invention,
a plurality of pinch rollers can be brought into abutting
engagement with a single capstan. They are supported by sepa-
rate support arms which are mounted on the head plate. Atape selection and switching meohanism selects a particular
pinch roller to be operated~ which can be brought into abutment
against the capstan to permit a recording on or reproduction
from the corresponding tape. Hence, the arrangement is pre-
ferred for use in record/playback means of a telephone answering
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apparatus without involving a tape waste as experienced in the
prior art arrangement. A single spring included ir. the selec-
tion and switching mechanism can be shared by the plurality o~
pinch rollers, simplifying the arrangement and minimizing the
drive power required for the selective switching.
