Alps Motorola, Inc.

Tekeshi Takeda

A locking mechanism for a record/reproduce control lever of a magnetic tape recorder/reproducer slidably mounted alongside the outside of the cartridge receiving chamber of the recorder/reproducer includes a movable lever pivotally mounted on the recorder/reproducer chassis and spring-biased to extend through an opening in the chassis side wall for engagement by a cartridge inserted into the cartridge receiving chamber. First and second holes are placed in the control lever and are aligned opposite an extension on the movable lever when the control lever is moved to its first and second positions, respectively. When a cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receiving chamber to deflect and rotate the movable lever away from the opening, the extension engages the hole in the control lever which is aligned with it. This causes the control lever to be locked into position and prevented from movement so long as the cartridge is in the chamber. Removal of the cartridge from the cartridge receiving chamber, permits a spring to force the pivoted movable out of engagement with the control lever thereby enabling it to be moved to either its reproduced (first) and record (second) position.

Growing community of inventors

Iwaki, Japan

Tekeshi Takeda