The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 08, 1994
Filed:
Aug. 06, 1992
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information signals with the use of a tape cassette is provided with a pair of reel shafts, each having an engaging member mounted with a bias towards the end of the supporting shaft, and a tape cassette transfer mechanism adapted for shifting the tape cassette inserted by way of the cassette inserting opening in a first direction normal to the reel shafts and guiding or loading the tape cassette for inserting and engaging the reel shafts with a pair of tape reels within the tape cassette. When at least the tape cassette transfer mechanism is set at a position facing the cassette inserting opening, the tape cassette transfer mechanism abuts an end of each of the reel engaging members to shift the members to a retracted position while the tape cassette is moved by the tape cassette transfer mechanism towards the proximal side of the reel shafts, to reduce the displacement in the second direction of the tape reel of the tape cassette by the tape cassette transfer mechanism to a value less than the thickness of the tape cassette to reduce the thickness of the apparatus. After completion of the tape cassette loading by the tape cassette transfer mechanism, the tape cassette is partially exposed to the cassette inserting opening to prevent a second tape cassette from being introduced into the cassette inserting opening after completion of loading of the first-mentioned cassette.