Tape casette loading system compatible with two different sized cassettes

Abstract

A tape loading mechanism of a video tape recorder designed to play a standard size tape cassette and a compact size tape casette comprises a chassis carrying a pair of guide grooves at both sides of a guide drum toward a first area of the chassis on which the standard size tape cassette is held at the time of operation of the video tape recorder. The guide grooves are further extended toward a second area of the chassis defined inside the first area on which the compact size tape cassette is held. A pair of loading members are moved along the guide grooves toward their front ends close to the tape cassette when the compact size tape cassette is loaded so that loading poles in the loading members are accepted in a cutout portion formed at a front side of the compact size tape cassette. Further, the loading members are displaced toward the rear end of the guide grooves when the standard size tape cassette is loaded so that the loading poles are accepted in a depressed part formed at a front side of the standard size tape cassette. A light emitting element for detection of the end of the tape is held rotatably on an arm and changes in position responsive to the type of the tape cassette. A deformable member is provided on a tension arm which is connected to a brake member for applying resistance to the rotation of the supply reel, so as to avoid excessive slackening of the brake member when the tension arm is rotated to a position adapted for loading the compact size tape cassette. Further, a half loading arm is provided so as to prevent complete loading of the magnetic tape on the guide drum during high speed transportation of the magnetic tape.