Sony Corporation

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Takao Mokutani

Nobuhiro Tsurumaki

Toru Yumine

Keiji Tadokoro

Hideaki Noguchi

Junichi Saiki

Noriyuki Yamazaki

Koichi Aikawa

Hiroaki Momiyama

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

An electronic equipment has an enclosure, a backplane board, a connector, a child board, a connection plate on the bottom edge of the child board mating with the connector, a guide, a rack gear, and a pinion gear. The guide moves within a child board housing part inside the enclosure between an upper and a lower position along a substantially vertical direction. At the upper position, the guide slidably mates with the child board and guides the child board to a temporary attachment position substantially vertically, and movement from the upper to the lower position causes the child board at the temporary attachment position to move substantially vertically to a fully attached position. The rack gear fixed relative to the guide, and the rotating shaft has a pinion gear meshing with the rack gear, and is supported so as to rotate freely relative to the enclosure.

Electronic equipment and board insertion/removal apparatus therefor

An electronic equipment enclosure has a lower housing part and a main board fixed relative thereto. A main board connector is fixed to the main board and faces the lower housing part. A sub board is inserted to a temporary attachment position within the lower housing part and faces the main board at the temporary attachment position. A sub board connector is fixed relative to the sub board and mates and connects with the main board connector. A guide rail is movable freely between a lower position and an upper position within the lower housing part. At the lower position the guide rail guides the sub board toward the temporary attachment position. By the guide rail moving from the lower position to the upper position, the sub board is caused to move from the temporary attachment position to the fully attached position.

Electronic equipment

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.

Growing community of inventors

Shizuoka, Japan

Takao Mokutani