Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE: AP~ARATUS FOR SECURING A FUNCTIONAL BLOCK TO
A CASSETTE TAPE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an appar~tus for
securing a functional block (e.g. a cleaning pad or a
magnet) to a cassette tape, and more particularly to such
an apparatus capable of being easily installed on and
removed away from a cassette tape.
In general, the commercially available audio or
video cassette tapes are re-recorded by using a tape
~récorder or video recorder. The erasing of the old
;content recorded in the tape occurs simultaneouly with
the recording of the new content. In some cases, it is
only desired that the content of the tape be erased. In
this condition, the input signal level of the tape
~; recorder or video recorder must be set to zero level, and
the record button is depressed to erase the content
previously recorded in the tape. However, the speed of
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such an erasing process is slow. In order to overcome
this problem, a tape erasing machine for audio or video
; tape has been develope,d. However, since the machine is
~ ~ designed for professional purpose, it is expensive and
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; bulky,~and cannot be widely used.
In regeneration or recording period, the magnetic
tape of the audio or video tape passes through the
;magnetic head of a tape recorder or video recorder, and
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~ the positive operation surface of the magnetic tape keeps
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contact with the magnetic head. As used in the
specification, the term "positive operation surface" is
defined as one of the surfaces of the magnetic tape which
contacts the ma~netic head in operation, and the term
"negative surface" is defined as the other surface
opposite to the positive operation surface of the
magnetic tape. Therefore, some of the oxides and dusts
on the positive operation and negative surfaces of the
magnetic tape will accumulate on the magnetic head and in
the vicinity of the passing path of the magnetic tape.
As a result, the signals are susceptible to distortion,
the sound or picture quality is reduced, and the passing
path of the magnetic tape may shift. Currently, the
method to avoid this problem is to clean the magnetic
head with a cleaning liquid or cleaning tape after
operating the machine for a period of time. However,
such cleaning processes are time-consuminy and
inconvenient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to
provide an apparatus for securing a functional block
~e.g. a cleaning pad or a magnet) to the housing of a
aassette tape. After the apparatus and the functional
block are installed on the housing, the cassette tape can
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be put into a tape recorder, video recorder or fast-
forward/fast-rewind machine, and then the fast-forward or
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fast-rewind button is depressed to rapidly clean the
magnetic tape of the cassette tape or erase the recorded
content of the magnetic tape.
As used in the specification, the term "functional
block" refers to cleaning pads and magnets, and the like.
In accordance with the present invention, an
apparatus for securing a functional block to a magnetic
tape cassette which includes a hollow housing and a
magnetic tape having a positive operation surface and
arranged within the hollow housing, includes a main body
capable of being removably mounted to the hollow housing
of the magnetic tape cassette from the outside of the
housing. An elastic functional block securing member is
extended from the main body into the hollow housing, and
has a free end adapted to enga~e with the functional
block to urge the functional block against the positive
operation surface of the magnetic tape.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more fully understood
from the following detailed description, taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings which form an
integral part of this application and in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning
device for VHS video tapes in accordance with the first
preferred embodiment of the present inventionS
Fig. 2 is a fragmentarily cross-sectional view
of a VHS video tape with the cleaning device of Fig.
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installed therein;
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a
cleaning device in accordance with the second preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cleaning
device for compact cassette tapes in accordance with the
third preferred embodiment of the present invention, with
parts broken away to clearly show its inner structure;
and
Fig. 5 is a frag~entarily cross-sectional view
of a compact cassette tape with the cleaning device of
Fig. 4 installed thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREPERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, it should be noted
that a like member is designated with a like reference
number. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a cleaning
device for a VHS video tape in accordance with the first
embodiment of the present invention includes a main body
10, an elastic member S0 and a cleaning pad 60. The main
body 10 includes a first and a second elastic clamping
plates 20 and 30. The first elastic clamping plate 20
has a first portion extending outwards from the main body
10 and forming a genexally right angle with the main body
10, and a second portion extending downwards from the
first portion and forming a generally right angle with
the first portion, as shown in Fig. 2. The second
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elastic clamping plate 30 extends outwards from the main
body 10, and forms a generally right angle with the main
body 10. The elastic member 50 also extends from the
main body 10, and the cleaning pad 60 is adhered on one
of the surEaces of the elastic member 50.
Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the upper
right corner of the VHS video tape (viewing from the back
of the video tape) at which the cleaning device is
suitable to be installed. In the installing operation,
the user first opens the magnetic tape protective cover
101 of the VHS video tape, and then inserts the main body
10 into the space between the protective cover l01 and a
right plate 104 of the housing for the magnetic tape 40
with the first elastic clamping plate 20 clamping on the
right plate 104 and the second elastic clamping plate 30
clampiny on the inner wall of an opening 106 provided in
the right plate 104. The opening 106 is provided for the
video recorder to detect the termination of the magnetic
tape. Once the installment of the main body 10 has been
finished, the cleaning pad 60 adhered on the elastic
member 50 is located in the inner space 103 of the
housing, and urged against the positive operation surface
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: of the magnetic tape 40 with a proper pressure provided
by the elastic member 50. Thereafter, the magnetic tape
~25 40 wlll be cleaned rapidly in a fast-forward or fast-
;i rewind process. Also, the magnetic tape can be cleaned
in a normal playing process before it passes through the
magnetic head.
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The cleaning pad 60 may be a felt pad or the like.
The elastic member 50 may be provided with a receiving
slot 52, as shown in Fig. 3, in accordance with the
second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In
this condition, the felt pad 60 is shaped so that it can
be removably inserted into the receiving slot 52 and
firmly reside between the elastic member 50 and the first
elastic clamping plate 20 with a portion thereof
extending outwards to contact the magnetic tape.
Accordingly, when the feIt pad 60 becomes dirty, only the
felt pad per se, not the main body lO or the elastic
member 50, needs to be changed.
Based on the same main body 10 and elastic member 50
of the present invention, the cleaning pad 60 of Fig.
or 3 can be replaced by a magnet to form an erasing
device for a magnetic tape. When the magnetic tape 40
passes through the magnet, the magnetic field of the
magnet will erase the recorded content in the magnetic
tape and return it back to a blank tape.
Although Figs. l to 3 and the above description all
refers to a cleaning or erasing device for a VHS video
tape, it should be understood that the present invention
can be applied to any kinds of cassette tapes and endless
tapes, such as BETA video tape, 8 mm video tape, VHS-C
video tape, compact cassette tape, micro cassette tape
and the like, by modifying and varying the shapes of the
main body and the elastic member without departing from
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the spirit of the present invention.
In the cases of BETA and V~IS video tapes, the main
body 10 may be provided with a guide member 32 extending
downwards therefrom and slightly bending toward the right
plate 104 o~ the housing to facilitate the closing of the
protective cover 101 and prevent the cover 101 from being
hindered by the main body 10 when the main body 10 is
installed thereon.
It should be understood that the main body, the
guide member and the elastic member may be integrally
ormed, or may include a plurality of pieces to
simplify and facilitate the manufacturing process. In
addition, the main body and the elastic member may be
formed by a metal plate or respective proper materials.
Although the main body described above is removably
engaged to the housing for a magnetic tape, it should be
understood that it may be integrally formed with the
housing and thus is non-removable.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a cleaning or erasing
20~ deviae for a compact cassette tape in order to help the
reader understand that the present invention can be
applied to all kinds of cassette tapes. The cleaning
device of Fig. 4 or 5 includes a main body 110, an
elastic member 150 and a cleaning pad or magnet 160. The
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main body 110 includes a base 112, a stopper 130 and a
pair of elastic clamping plates 114 extending upwards
from the base 112 and forming a generally right angle
with the base 112. The stopper 130 also extends upwards
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from the hase 112 and forms a generally right angle with
the base 112. The elastic member 150 is formed into an
L-shape, and connects with the base 112. The cleaning
pad 160 is adhered to the freè end of the elastic member
5 150, as shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 shows a fragmentarily cross-sectional view of
the upper operatins portion of a compact cassette tape
with the cleaning or erasing device mounted thereon. The
compact cassette tape has three upper operating openings.
The cleaning device or erasing device of Fig. 4 can be
installed through any one of the operating openings. In
Fig. 5~ the compact cassette tape is reversely positioned
so that the operating opening 108 opens downwards. In
the installing operation, the one pair of elastic
clamping plates 114 are clamped on the outer walls of the
housing of the compact cassette tape, and the stopper 130
and the shorter portion 152 of the L-shaped elastic
member 150 cling to the inner surfaces of the operating
opening 108 ~only the stopper 130 being shown in Fig. 5).
Therefore, the elatic member 150 is inserted into the
operating opening 108 with the cleaning pad 160 keeping
contact with the magnetic tape.
It should be understood that the free end of the
elastic member 150 can be so designed that the cleaning
pad or magnet can removably engage therewith to
facilitate the change of a new cleaning pad or the change
between a cleaning pad and a magnet.
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Tt should be understood that the magnet may be
shaped in order to erase the content recorded in a single
selected track or in several selected tracks of the
magnetic tape.
From the above description, it can be readily
understood that the manufacturing cost of the present
invention is very cheap, that the erasing or cleaning
process can be very fast, and that the installment of the
erasing or cleaning device can be rapidly and easily
achieved by a user.
While the invention has been described in connection
with what is presently considered to be the most
practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the
disclosed embodiment but, on the contrary, is intended to
cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended
claims which scope i5 to be accorded the broadest
interpretation 50 as to encompass all such modifications
: 20 and equivalent structures.
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