Sony Corporation

Noriyuki Yamazaki

Nobuhiro Tsurumaki

Toru Yumine

Keiji Tadokoro

Hideaki Noguchi

Junichi Saiki

Takao Mokutani

Koichi Aikawa

Yasuo Inoue

Keiji Sato

Hideo Shimizu

Osamu Iida

Fumio Sekiguchi

Toshihiko Chimura

Shin Okita

Haruo Takeda

Osamu Shinagawa

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

An automatic cassette changer capable of selectively loading any of cassettes of various sizes upon a recording and/or playback unit, comprises cassette-housing racks capable of selectively storing any of large cassettes and small cassettes, and having first guides for the large cassette and second guides for the small cassette so as to put the respective cassettes in their proper positions; and a cassette transfer having third guides for the large cassette and fourth guides for the small cassette so as to have both sides of the respective cassettes guided, and capable of selectively moving any of the large cassette and the small cassette from the cassette-housing racks to the recording and/or playback unit, and vice versa.

Mechanism for transporting and receiving large and small tape cassettes

In a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a rotary head drum and a mounting for a tape cassette apart from the drum; a tape loading device is provided with a support ring which is rotatable around the drum and inclined in respect to the plane containing the longitudinal median of the tape in the mounted cassette, a plurality of rotary tape guides spaced apart along the support ring and extending perpendicularly to the latter for withdrawing tape from the cassette and wrapping a portion thereof about the drum in response to turning of the support ring, and a draw-out guide which is movable toward and away from one side of the support ring in synchronism with the turning of the latter, the draw-out guide, when moved away from the support ring, being inclined relative to the plane containing the longitudinal median of the tape in the cassette such that a return run of the tape extending from the draw-out guide back to the cassette leads smoothly to the latter.

Tape loading device for magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Noriyuki Yamazaki