Magnetic tape cassette-type recording and playback mechanism

Claim 1

A tape recording reproducing mechanism having both recording reproducing heads and an erasing head for use with a rectangularly shaped cassette-type tape cartridge, said cartridge having two long sides and two short sides and two spools for winding and unwinding said tape; said mechanism comprising a base, a pivotally mounted cassette holder on said base, said holder having a loading and an operative position, and being angularly displaceable relative to said base, said holder being adapted to first receive one of said short sides of said cartridge in said loading position, an independently movable mounting plate for at least one of said heads and being movable independent of the movement of said holder, said movable plate having an operative position wherein at least one of said heads operatively engages the tape through one of said long sides and an inoperative position offset from said operative position so as to allow the pivoting of said holder into said holder operating position, means for moving said movable plate from said inoperative position to said operative position after the holder has been pivoted into said operative position, a plurality of drive means for independently driving each one of said spools and for driving said tape, said holder having a cavity shaped for accommodating said cassette short side first, and a plurality of locating means on said base for locating said cassette relative to said base and independent of the location of said cassette in said holder when said holder is in said operating position whereby the opening area of said cavity receiving first said cassette short side is substantially coplanar with a boundary surface of said mechanism, said cartridge having at least two recesses on the other of said long sides, said recesses having removable covers therefor, retractable sensor means mounted on said base, said sensor means having an operative and an inoperative position, said sensor means adapted to engage at least one of said recesses, when said cover is removed, inclined means on said holder for retracting said sensor means from said operative position to allow removal of said cartridge thereof when said holder is moved from said operating position to said loading position, each of said recesses being associated with a set of sound tracks on said tape of said cassette, said sensor means adapted for sensing the presence or absence of said removable covers by moving to engage one of said recesses where said cover thereof is absent, and electrical means connecting said sensor means with said recording and erasing heads of said tape recording reproducing mechanism, said sensor means deactivating by the movement thereof said recording and erasing heads, respectively, for said tracks associated with said recess.