Tape cartridge positioning apparatus

Claim 1

A tape cartridge positioning apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player which has a housing provided with a tape-driving means including a rotary capstan for drivingly feeding an endless magnetic tape in the cartridge in cooperation with a pinch roller and a tape reproducing circuit including a magnetic head, comprising: a deck mounted within said housing and carrying said capstan and said magnetic head located thereon; an opening formed on said housing, said opening being of dimension to the least to allow said cartridge to be transversely insErted in said housing, said cartridge being transversely inserted through said opening and laid on said deck; said head and said capstan being aligned along a path parallel to the path of insertion of said cartridge, the alignment path of said head and said capstan being spaced to one side of said opening; a reciprocating lever member slidably mounted on said deck in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which said cartridge is inserted, said lever member having front and rear arms substantially parallel to each other, said cartridge being interposed between said front and rear arms, said front and rear arms being opposed to said cartridge at the front and rear edges thereof, respectively; a tension spring for exerting slidable movement force in one direction on said reciprocating lever member; a stopping member provided on said deck for preventing slidable movement force of said reciprocating lever member due to said tension spring, whereby said reciprocating lever member being normally positioned in a first position where said cartridge inserted in said housing is interposed between said front and rear arms; a shifting means for shifting said reciprocating lever member from said first position to a predetermined second position against the bias of said tension spring, said shifting means having a swing lever swingably mounted on said deck, a frictional wheel rotatably provided on said swing lever, a rotary member rotatably provided on said swing lever, means for decelerating rotation of said frictional wheel and imparting it to said rotary member, and a connecting member joining a portion away from the center of rotation of said rotary member to a portion of said reciprocating member, said frictional wheel abutting against said capstan by swing movement of said swing lever to allow said frictional wheel to rotatably drive by said capstan whereby said rotary member is rotated while said reciprocating lever member is moved through said connecting member from said first position to said second position against the bias of said tension spring, said swing lever being biased by the bias of said tension spring to a position where said frictional wheel abuts against said capstan for the period when said reciprocating lever member is moved from said first position to said second position, as said reciprocating lever member is moved to said second position by said shifting means said rear edge of said cartridge being depressed by said rear arm and moved to a playing position where said pinch roller within said cartridge abuts against said capstan; actuating means for swinging said swing lever, when said reciprocating lever member is in said first position, to the position where said frictional wheel abuts against said capstan; a latching means for retaining said reciprocating lever member which is moved to said second position by said shifting means, said cartridge being held in the playing position by retention of said reciprocating lever member by said latching means, said swing lever being swung to a position where said frictional wheel is away from said capstan in relation to retention of said reciprocating lever member by said latching means; a release means for releasing retention operation of said latching means, in response to operation of said release means said latching means being disengaged from said reciprocating lever member, said reciprocating lever member being returned to said first position by the bias of said tension spring at the same time said cartridge being retracted from the playing position as said front edge thereof is urged by said front arm.