Sony Corporation

Hideaki Kawada

Hideo Kawamoto

Kiyoshi Omori

Yoshiaki Sugiyama

Tsuneo Nemoto

Teruyuki Yoshida

Seiichi Sakai

Masahiro Kanaguchi

Toshiaki Wakita

Kazuo Ike

Hiroshi Iino

The object of the present invention is to rotate a head with high precision along a predetermined rotation locus in a rotary drum apparatus for recording and/or reproducing predetermined signals on a tape recording medium. A locus of the head on the rotary drum connected to the first rotary shaft can be adjusted to coincide with the predetermined locus by dividing the rotary shaft into two shafts, and adjusting the two shafts with an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism can be in the form of threaded screws or electrical actuators. Sensors can be provided for measuring the horizontal degree and vertical degree of the rotary shaft holding material supporting the first rotary shaft for adjusting the two shafts using electrical actuators based on the measured results.

Rotary drum apparatus with head rotation locus adjustment arrangement

A device that records and reproduces data using a tape driver and a tape guide drum with an angled rotary magnetic head for forming helical slant tracks for high density recording provides reverse data reproduction and synchronization, regardless of the helical-scanning system used for recording and reproduction, and accommodates error correction codes, to rapidly and accurately reproduce data at various speeds, formats, and error correction codes. The tape guide drum can rotate in both forward and reverse, so that access time is minimized because the tape needs no rewinding prior to playback. The capabilities of reverse direction playback, of handling data other than video data, and of reproducing data at arbitrary speeds provide flexibility for many applications, including a satellite's requirements for rapid, variable-speed playback and transmission of high-density, non-video data.

Magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for a helical-scan system

The present invention provides tape cartridges of different sizes, and a recording/reproducing apparatus provided with a compatible tape cartridge holding device capable of holding either of the large-sized tape cartridge and the small-sized tape cartridge, and provided with a lid opening lever capable of opening the respective lids of both the large-sized tape cartridge and the small-sized tape cartridge. The compatible tape cartridge holding device comprises a cartridge compartment plate (47) for holding a tape cartridge (1, 24) provided with a front lid (12, 34) and positioning the same at a cartridge loading position, a lid opening lever (58) pivotally supported on the cartridge compartment plate (47) for turning about an axis of turning aligned with the axis of turning of the front lid (12, 34) and provided with a lid opening pin (62) that engages with a recess (17, 39) formed in the front surface of the front lid (12, 34) when the tape cartridge (1, 24) is held in place on the cartridge compartment plate (47), and a lid opening pin (72) disposed on the path of movement of the lid opening lever (58) so as to engage the lid opening lever (58) as the cartridge compartment (47) is moved toward the cartridge loading position to open the front lid (12, 34) through the lid opening lever (58).

Recording/reproducing apparatus capable of accepting tape cartridges of

A rotary head drum for a video tape recorder includes a stationary lower drum member having a base portion and inner and outer cylindrical portions extending generally upwardly from the base portion to define an internal cavity therebetween. A rotary assembly is rotatably mounted on a rotor shaft coaxial with the lower drum member and has at least one rotary magnetic head mounted thereto for recording digital signals on and reproducing the signals from a magnetic tape wrapped about the drum. A motor for driving the rotary heads, a rotation detector or tach generator for detecting the rotation of the motor, and a multi-channel rotary transformer for transferring digital signals to and from the rotary head are all housed in the cylindrical internal cavity surrounded by the base portion, and inner and outer cylindrical portions of the lower drum member which thereby reduces the overall axial height of the video tape recorder.

Rotary head drum for video tape recorder

In a cassette which comprises a housing having spaced top and bottom walls and a side wall extending between the top and bottom walls along a substantial portion of the housing and an aperture formed in one of the walls and through which, during a recording and/or reproducing operation, access is had to a recording medium that is movably disposed within the housing, the housing having a positioning opening in the bottom wall for receiving a positioning pin therein when the cassette is disposed in an operative position in a recording and/or reproducing apparatus; the cassette having, for indicating a specific condition of the cassette, a connecting hole formed in the housing in communication and alignment with the positioning opening, and a plug element which is slidably inserted in the connecting hole, with the specific condition of the cassette being indicated by the position of the plug element.

Cassette condition indicating device

A tape cassette of the kind that can be obtained in various sizes dependent upon the length of the tape contained therein is provided with a lid that protects the tape across the front threading area of the cassette. The lid extends for a distance less than the length of the front wall of the tape cassette, and the lid is provided with side elements that extend into the front wall of the tape cassette and that cooperate with tape reel locking elements and lid locking elements located inside the tape cassette. By providing a shorter length lid mechanical problems caused by long lids needed for larger size cassettes are avoided.

Moveable lid for tape cassette

A tape cassette is provided with a slider serving as a reel lock releasing element and which is movable in the front-to-rear direction near the rear of the cassette, along a path defined by a guide. A guide groove is formed in the underside of the cassette in alignment with the guide for the slider. The slider has a downward projection extending into the guide groove through an elongated opening in the guide. The downward projection is abutted by a projection built into the playback unit, and which is received in the guide groove for guiding the cassette during its insertion into the playback unit or VTR. Therefore, insertion of the cassette causes the cassette guiding projection to displace the slider for releasing the tape reels.

Magnetic tape cassette with reel-lock mechanism

A tape cassette comprising a tape, a casing for enclosing the tape therein and having an opening for drawing out the tape therefrom, a lid consisting of a front plate and two side plates projecting from the front plate and rotatably supported on the casing at the side plates so as to cover the opening and a lock lever arranged within the casing so as to be rotatably supported, the axis of rotation of the lock lever is parallel to the axis of rotation of the lid and is located between the front plate of the lid and the axis of the casing, the lid having either a projection or recess on the inside of the front plate of the lid, and the lock lever having a corresponding projection to be engaged with the projection or recess of the lid for locking the lid in a closed state during nonuse.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Hideaki Kawada