Sony Corporation

Junichi Saiki

Nobuhiro Tsurumaki

Toru Yumine

Keiji Tadokoro

Hideaki Noguchi

Noriyuki Yamazaki

Takao Mokutani

Koichi Aikawa

Wataru Nonaka

Yoshinari Moriya

Akira Iseki

Takashi Ohtsuka

An imaging apparatus includes: a camera having a lens barrel incorporating an imaging device and a photographic optical system for introducing a subject image to the imaging device; a bracket for supporting the camera; a guide member attached onto the camera, the guide member having a cylindrical surface extending about an axis of the lens barrel in a state in which the guide member is attached on the camera; a plurality of bearing members provided to the bracket and supporting the cylindrical surface so that the cylindrical surface is rotatable about the axis of the lens barrel; and a fixing device for fixing the camera to the bracket.

Imaging apparatus

A cassette auto changer system including a member for selectably providing a plurality of cassettes to be loaded into one or more tape signal readers. A cassette rack is provided including a plurality of cassette receiving compartments, a cassette port accessible from an outer side of the auto changer apparatus whereby cassettes may be inserted or removed from the auto changer apparatus, a tape transfer mechanism operable to selectably transport cassettes between the cassette rack and the tape signal reader, and the cassette port. A YES/NO sensor at the cassette port determines whether a cassette is present in the cassette port. In applicants' cassette auto changer system, when a YES indicator determined by the YES/NO sensor changes to a NO determination, a controller sets the cassette port an IN port empty condition. When in such IN port empty condition the YES/NO sensor changes to a YES condition to indicate the presence of a cassette in the cassette port, operation of the tape transfer mechanism to the cassette port is disabled and an IN port loaded condition is determined. When, in an IN port empty condition of the cassette port and operation of the tape transfer mechanism is detected by the YES/NO sensor, the controller determines an OUT port loaded condition of the cassette port. When in the OUT port loaded condition, a change from a YES indication to a NO indication is determined by the the YES/NO sensor, an IN port empty condition of the cassette port is determined by the controller.

Cassette auto changer system

A cassette auto changer system includes a cassette console mounting a rack for holding a plurality of tape cassettes, a drive console for mounting a tape playing or playing and recording device or a plurality of such devices. A base console mounts the cassette and drive consoles and the entire cassette auto changer system is housed in a housing console. According to a compact design a cassette shuttle portion of the transport mechanism is rotatable both vertically and horizontally and includes structure, such as a cassette hand portion, for effecting insertion and extraction of a cassette from one of a plurality of cassette compartments provided in the cassette rack. The cassette hand may also include a release lever engaging a lock lever at each cassette compartment. Further, grasping members include a centering device for achieving a predetermined support position for a cassette. In addition, paired position detection portions and corresponding sensors are provided. For compactness, driven components receive driving power from a power source via other, intervening driven compartments. The cassette transport is also operable to and from a cassette port whereby cassettes may be inserted into and removed from the housing console. Control portion is provided to allow a single cassette port to function as both an IN or an OUT port. Thus a compact, full featured cassette auto changer may be provided which is robust, reliable and compact.

A cassette auto changer system including a tape signal reading member and a selection member for selecting between a plurality of cassettes. The cassette auto changer includes a base console including a port for tape insertion or extraction operations and having a tape insert compartment. The base console has upper and lower guide rails. A drive console mounts the tape signal reading member and a cassette console mounts a plurality of compartments for storing the tape cassettes. A tape transfer member transports the tape cassettes selectively between the base console, the drive console and the cassette console. An electrically conductive rail is disposed proximate to the guide rails which is powered by enclosed electrical wiring circuitry. In addition, an unmagnetized cassette shuttle body of the tape transfer member is driven along the electrically conductive rail and is guided along the guide rails. Electrical current is input to the tape transfer member form the electrically conductive rail via the cassette shuttle body.

Cassette auto changer system including tape signal reading means and

A cassette autochanger capable of lowering a load on a cassette and a cassette transfer mechanism of a transfer machine when the cassette is supplied to and received from a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as a data recorder, by the cassette transfer mechanism. In a normal condition, the cassette is fed from the transfer machine to the data recorder in a low-speed transfer mode. When a power failure takes place after the start of a cassette feeding operation, the cassette is thereafter fed in a high-speed transfer mode.

Cassette autochanger having a plural speed transfer mechanism

An automatic tape cassette loading device is composed of a plurality of cassette storage shelf blocks arranged side-by-side and each including plural tiers of cassette storage compartments for containing respective tape cassettes, a cassette transfer device associated with each of the cassette storage shelf blocks and adapted to perform tape cassette inserting and removing operations in respect to each of the cassette storage compartments of the respective cassette storage shelf block and transferring of tape cassettes over the extent of the respective cassette storage shelf block, a video tape recorder housing block mounted adjacent an end of the side-by-side arrangement of the cassette storage shelf blocks and containing at least one video tape recorder adapted to at least reproduce the signals recorded in a tape cassette delivered thereto from one of the cassette storage shelf blocks, and cassette delivery units provided between the adjoining side-by-side cassette storage shelf blocks and between the video tape recorder housing block and the cassette storage shelf block adjacent thereto and adapted to perform delivery operations of the tape cassettes between the respective blocks. Each of the cassette storage shelf blocks is desirably comprised of two storage shelf portions which are spaced apart to define an aisle therebetween in which the respective cassette transfer device is movable for servicing cassette storage compartments in both shelf portions.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Junichi Saiki