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:
Jul. 01, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 19, 2001
Ikuichiro Nawa, Atsugi, JP;
Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A loading mechanism is for use in a tape drive having a supply reel motor for driving a supply reel in a tape cartridge and a chassis supporting the supply reel motor fixed thereto. For engaging a rotor of the supply reel motor with the supply reel, the loading mechanism is provided a drive gear which is arranged coaxially with the rotor and movable in an axial direction. When the drive gear is moved towards one direction in the axial direction, the drive gear is engaged with a drive hub fixed to the rotor and with the supply reel in a rotating direction. The drive gear is urged by a spring towards the one direction in the axial direction. For controlling the movement of the drive gear in the axial direction, a control mechanism has a ring cum, a cylindrical member, and a drive ring. The ring cam is arranged coaxially with the rotor to be rotatable and has a plurality of cam grooves, N in number, formed on its peripheral surface. The cylindrical member is formed coaxially with the rotor by bending a part of the chassis towards the other direction in the axial direction, and having a plurality of guide slits, N in number, extending in the axial direction. The drive ring has a plurality of engaging pins, N in number, engaged with the cam grooves through the guide slits. The drive ring is engaged with the drive gear in the axial direction against the urging force of the spring.