Tape recorder having a tape cartridge

Claim 2

In a tape-recording device having an accessible front, a cartridge unit comprising a cartridge frame and first and second tape reels mounted side-by-side on said cartridge frame for rotation about spaced, parallel first and second axes when the cartridge unit is in operating position, one of said reels serving as a tape supply reel and the other of the reels serving as a tape takeup reel, said cartridge frame and tape reels in operating position being located directly behind the front with said axes extending through the front, a support frame for detachably holding said cartridge unit in said operating position, said cartridge frame and reels being manually movable as a unit from the support frame through the front of said device, first and second members mounted for rotation on said support frame about the first and second axes respectively, means responsive to movement of the cartridge unit to and from said position for coupling and decoupling the center portions of said first and second reels relative to the first and second members respectively, a tape-recording head being mounted on said support frame, a capstan mounted on said support frame for rotation about an axis parallel to the first and second axes for driving magnetic tape between said reels, a pressure roller, mounting means mounting the roller for rotation on said cartridge frame, resilient means effective when said cartridge unit is in said operating position for biasing the pressure roller to press magnetic tape extending between the reels against the capstan, whereby said capstan can move the magnetic tape past the recording head, a brake block coupled to the pressure roller for movement therewith towards and from the capstan between a first position when the cartridge unit is in operating position and a second position when the cartridge unit is displaced from operating position, said reels having rims, said brake block in the second position engaging said rims to inhibit reel movement and in the first position being clear of the rims, and means responsive to the bias exerted by said resilient means for releasably maintaining said cartridge unit in operating position.

Claim 3

A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cartridge unit includes recording tape having its ends wound respectively on said reels and having its center portion extending over the pressure roller, said reels having inner sides adjacent each other, said tape extending from the pressure roller to the inner side of each of said reels, and relating means coupling the capstan and the reel serving as a tape takeup reel for rotation in the same direction.

Claim 4

In a tape-recording device having an accessible front, a cartridge unit comprising a cartridge frame and first and second tape reels mounted side-by-side on said cartridge frame for rotation about spaced, parallel first and second axes when the cartridge unit is in operating position, one of said reels serving as a tape supply reel and the other of the reels serving as a tape takeup reel, said cartridge frame and tape reels in operating position being located directly behind the front with said axes extending through the front, a support frame for detachable holding said cartridge unit in said operating position, said cartridge frame and reels being manually movable as a unit from the support frame through the front of said device, first and second members mounted for rotation on said support frame about the first and second axes respectively, means responsive to movement of the cartridge unit to and from said position for coupling and decoupling the center portions of said first and second reels relative to the first and second members respectively, a tape-recording head being mounted on said support frame, a capstan mounted on said support frame for rotation about an axis parallel to the first and second axes for driving magnetic tape between said reels, a pressure roller, mounting means mounting the roller for rotation on said cartridge frame, resilient means effective when said cartridge unit is in said operating position for biasing the pressure roller to press magnetic tape extending between the reels against the capstan, whereby said capstan can move the magnetic tape past the recording head, a brake block coupled to the pressure roller for movement therewith towards and from the capstan between a firsT position when the cartridge unit is in operating position and a second position when the cartridge unit is displaced from operating position, said reels having rims, said brake block in the second position engaging said rims to inhibit reel movement and in the first position being clear of the rims, wherein said cartridge unit includes recording tape having its ends wound respectively on said reels and having its center portion extending over the pressure roller, said reels having inner sides adjacent each other, said tape extending from the pressure roller to the inner side of each of said reels, and relating means coupling the capstan and the reel serving as a tape takeup reel for rotation in the same direction, wherein said relating means comprises an endless belt coupling said capstan to the tape takeup one of said members for causing said capstan and said last-named member to rotate in the same direction.

Claim 5

In a tape-recording device having an accessible front, a cartridge unit comprising a cartridge frame and first and second tape reels mounted side-by-side on said cartridge frame for rotation about spaced, parallel first and second axes when the cartridge unit is in operating position, one of said reels serving as a tape supply reel and the other of the reels serving as a tape takeup reel, said cartridge frame and tape reels in operating position being located directly behind the front with said axes extending through the front, a support frame for detachable holding said cartridge unit in said operating position, said cartridge frame and reels being manually movable as a unit from the support frame through the front of said device, first and second members mounted for rotation on said support frame about the first and second axes respectively, means responsive to movement of the cartridge unit to and from said position for coupling and decoupling the center portions of said first and second reels relative to the first and second members respectively, a tape-recording head being mounted on said support frame, a capstan mounted on said support frame for rotation about an axis parallel to the first and second axes for driving magnetic tape between said reels, a pressure roller, mounting means mounting the roller for rotation on said cartridge frame, resilient means effective when said cartridge unit is in said operating position for biasing the pressure roller to press magnetic tape extending between the reels against the capstan, whereby said capstan can move the magnetic tape past the recording head, a brake block coupled to the pressure roller for movement therewith towards and from the capstan between a firsT position when the cartridge unit is in operating position and a second position when the cartridge unit is displaced from operating position, said reels having rims, said brake block in the second position engaging said rims to inhibit reel movement and in the first position being clear of the rims, wherein said cartridge unit includes recording tape having its ends wound respectively on said reels and having its center portion extending over the pressure roller, said reels having inner sides adjacent each other, said tape extending from the pressure roller to the inner side of each of said reels, and relating means coupling the capstan and the reel serving as a tape takeup reel for rotation in the same direction, wherein said relating means comprises an endless belt coupling said capstan to the tape takeup one of said members for causing said capstan and said last-named member to rotate in the same direction.

Claim 6

A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said support frame has guide means for releasably guiding the capstan end which is the leading end of the cartridge unit into operating position, said support frame having a fastening device releasably engaging the cartridge unit to hold the cartridge unit in operating position, said resilient means acting between the pressure roller and the cartridge frame to maintain yieldably the cartridge unit in engagement with the fastening unit.

Claim 7

A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the units has a pair of spaced lips and the other of said units comprises a pair of spaced elements having notches for respectively receiving the lips when the lips are urged into the notches by the resilient means.

Claim 8

A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the center portions of the reels each has a plurality of holes parallel to, and spaced uniformly around, the axis of the associated reel, each of said members having a pin parallel to said axes and disposed for releasable reception in one of the holes in the associated reel.

Claim 9

A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said pressure-roller-mounting means comprises a slide mounted for limited reciprocation relative to the cartridge frame along a line disposed perpendicular to a plane containing the axes of the reels and equidistant from the reels, said resilient means comprising a spring acting between the cartridge frame and the slide to bias the slide in the direction of the capstan when the cartridge unit is in operating position.

Claim 10

A cartridge unit for a tape-recording device which comprises a cartridge frame, and first and second tape reels mounted side-by-side on said cartridge frame for rotation about parallel first and second axes, one of said reels serving as a tape supply reel and the other of said reels serving as a tape takeup reel, a pressure roller, mounting means mounting the pressure roller for rotation about a third axis parallel to, and equidistant from, the first and second axes, said mounting means comprising a slide mounted for limited reciprocation relative to the cartridge frame along a line disposed perpendicular to a plane containing the first and second axes and equidistant from the reels, spring means acting between the cartridge frame and the slide to bias the slide in one direction along said line, said reels having rims, brake means secured to said slide for movement into engagement with said rims by the bias of said spring to inhibit rotation of the reels, said slide in response to a force exerted on the pressure roller in opposition to the spring bias acting to move the brake means clear of said rims, each of said reels having a coupling device located on the axis of the associated reel with both coupling devices accessible from the same face of said cartridge unit, whereby each of said coupling devices may be engaged in reel-rotating relationship by a drive control means rotatable about the axis of the associated reel.

Claim 11

A cartridge unit for a tape-recording device which comprises a cartridge frame, and first and second tape reels mounted side-by-side on said cartridge frame for rotation about parallel first and second axes, one of said reels serving as a tape supply reel and the other of said reels serving as a tape takeup reel, a pressure roller, mounting means mounting the pressure roller for rotation about a third axis parallel to, and equidistant from, the first and second axes, said mounting means comprising a slide mounted for limited reciprocation relative to the cartridge frame along a line disposed perpendicular to a plane containing the first and second axes and equidistant from the reels, spring means acting between the cartridge frame and the slide to bias the slide in one direction along said line, said reels having rims, brake means secured to said slide for movement into engagement with said rims by the bias of said spring to inhibit rotation of the reels, said slide in response to a force exerted on the pressure roller in opposition to the spring bias acting to move the brake means clear of said rims, each of said reels having a coupling device located on the axis of the associated reel with both coupling devices accessible from the same face of said cartridge unit, whereby each of said coupling devices may be engaged in reel-rotating relationship by a drive control means rotatable about the axis of the associated reel.

Claim 12

A cartridge unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said cartridge unit includes recording tape having its ends wound reSpectively on said reels and having its intermediate portion extending over the pressure roller, said tape extending from the pressure roller to the inner side of each of said reels.

Claim 13

A cartridge unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said slide is mounted on said cartridge frame for said reciprocation, and cover means releasably secured to said cartridge frame, said cover means forming with the cartridge frame a casing substantially surrounding the reels.

Claim 14

A cartridge unit as claimed in claim 8 in combination with a support frame, and a capstan mounted on the support frame for rotation about an axis parallel to the first and second axes for driving magnetic tape between said reels when the cartridge unit is in operating position, said spring means acting to bias the roller towards the capstan when the cartridge unit is in operating position, whereby the capstan acts to drive recording tape positioned between the capstan and the pressure roller, said support frame having fixed positioning means engaging the cartridge unit to prevent movement of the cartridge unit away from the capstan due to reaction to said bias, said cartridge unit being movable in a release direction having a substantial component parallel to said axes to clear said positioning means for permitting movement of the cartridge frame and pressure roller away from the capstan.

Claim 15

A combination as claimed in claim 11 in combination with first and second drive control means rotatable respectively about the first and second axes when the cartridge unit is in operating position, and coupling means coupling the coupling devices respectively to the first and second drive control means when the cartridge unit is in operating position, said coupling devices being releasable from the drive control means in response to movement of the cartridge frame in said release direction.

Claim 16

A cartridge unit as claimed in claim 8 wherein said cartridge frame comprises a plate, said reels being mounted on said plate, and a cover member secured to said plate and forming with the plate a casing substantially enclosing said reels, said cover member having openings exposing said coupling devices.