Tape cartridge shifting apparatus

Claim 2

A tape cartridge shifting apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player, said tape player having a tape cartridge positioning mechanism for locating the tape cartridge in the playing position, and a housing provided with tape driving means including a rotary capstan for drivingly feeding an endless magnetic tape in the cartridge and a tape reproducing circuit including a magnetic head, comprising: a deck provided in said housing and carrying said tape cartridge positioning mechanism, said capstan, and said magnetic head; lever means movably provided on said deck and having a portion engageable with the front edge of said tape cartridge located in the playing position by said tape cartridge positioning mechanism; lever driving means for moving said lever means, said tape cartridge being shifted by said lever driving means when said lever means is moved; an electromagnetic device for actuating operation of said driving means; a variable resistor in said tape reproducing circuit for adjusting the volume of the output of said player; and a control circuit for said electromagnetic device, said control circuit including, in series connection, said electromagnetic device, an electrical source to power said electromagnetic device, a normally open electrical switch, and a pair of electrically insulated electrical contacts arranged to be shorted by an end mark of conductive foil on said tape, said electrical switch and said variable resistor being operably connected to close said switch when the variable resistor is adjusted to provide minimum volume, whereby, when said switch is closed and the end mark passes between said contacts, said electromagnetic device is energized and actuated by said source to move said lever means and thereby move the tape cartridge from the playing position to the nonplaying position.

Claim 3

A tape cartridge shifting apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lever driving means comprises a swing lever rotatably mounted on said deck, a frictional wheel rotatably mounted on said swing lever, a cam rotatably provided on said swing lever, a speed reducing device mounted between said frictional wheel and said cam for rotating said cam by rotational force of said capstan, a spring biasing said suing lever to a normal position, said swing lever being operably connected to said electromagnetic device in such a manner that said swing lever is rotated against the bias of said spring to a position where said frictional wheel abuts against said capstan when said electromagnetic device is energized retention means for releasably retaining the swing lever in said second position and a pin provided on said lever means to abut against said cam, said cam and said pin being so arranged that rotation of said cam results in movement of said lever means through said pin to shift said tape cartridge from the playing position to the nonplaying position.

Claim 4

A tape cartridge shifting apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lever driving means comPrises an idler wheel rotatably pivoted to an arm lever swingably mounted on said deck, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said deck, a transmission device for imparting rotation of said idler wheel to said rotary member, and a crank rod connecting a point away from the center position of rotation of said rotary member to one point on said lever means, said arm lever being adapted to be swung to a position where said idler wheel abuts against said capstan when said electromagnetic device is energized, whereby when said rotary member is rotated by rotational force of said capstan through said idler wheel and said transmission device, said lever means is moved through said crank rod with rotation of said rotary member and said tape cartridge is shifted from the player position to the nonplaying position.

Claim 5

A tape cartridge shifting apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player in accordance with claim 1, wherein said electrical switch is provided on said deck and having a knob for manual operation and an actuator rod connected to said knob, said electrical switch being adapted to be closed by manually operating said knob while said actuator rod is pushed and to be returned to its normal open position by said lever means being moved by said lever driving means.

Claim 6

A tape cartridge shifting apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player, said tape player having a tape cartridge positioning mechanism for locating the tape cartridge in the playing position, and a housing provided with tape driving means including a rotary capstan for drivingly feeding an endless magnetic tape in the cartridge and a tape reproducing circuit including a magnetic head, comprising: a deck provided in said housing and carrying said tape cartridge positioning mechanism, said capstan, and said magnetic head; lever means movably provided on said deck and having a portion engageable with the front edge of said tape cartridge located in the playing position by said tape cartridge positioning mechanism; lever driving means for moving said lever means, said tape cartridge being shifted by said lever driving means when said lever means is moved; an electromagnetic device for actuating operation of said driving means; a variable resistor in said tape reproducing circuit for adjusting the volume of the output of said player; and a control circuit for said electromagnetic device, said control circuit including a normally open electrical switch detecting means for detecting that a nonrecorded zone between the recorded zones on the tape is at said magnetic head and for generating an output signal, said detecting means including a transistor whose emitter electrode and collector electrode are short-circuited by applying the output of said detecting means to the base electrode of said transistor and an electrical source for energizing said electromagnetic device, said electrical switch, said emitter electrode, said collector electrode, and said source being in series connection with said electromagnetic device, said electrical switch and said variable resistor being operably connected to close said switch when the variable resistor is adjusted to provide minimum volume, wherein when said nonrecorded zone on said tape is at said magnetic head, said electromagnetic device is actuated to move said lever means through said lever driving means and thereby shift said tape cartridge from the playing position to the nonplaying position.

Claim 7

A tape cartridge shifting apparatus for an endless magnetic tape cartridge player, said tape player having a tape cartridge positioning mechanism for locating the tape cartridge in the playing position, and a housing provided with tape driving means including a rotary capstan for drivingly feeding an endless magnetic tape in the cartridge and a tape reproducing circuit including a magnetic head, comprising: a deck provided in said housing and carrying said tape cartridge positioning mechanism, said capstan, and said magnetic head; lever means movably provided on said deck and having a portion engageable with the front edge of said tape cartridge located in the playing position by said tape cartridge positioning mechanism; lever driving means for moving said lever means, said tape cartridge being shifted by said lever driving means when said lever means is moved; an electromagnetic device for actuating operation of said driving means; a variable resistor in said tape reproducing circuit for adjusting the volume of the output of said player; and a control circuit for said electromagnetic device, said control circuit including a normally open electrical switch detecting means for detecting that a nonrecorded zone between the recorded zones on the tape is at said magnetic head and for generating an output signal, said detecting means including a transistor whose emitter electrode and collector electrode are short-circuited by applying the output of said detecting means to the base electrode of said transistor and an electrical source for energizing said electromagnetic device, said electrical switch, said emitter electrode, said collector electrode, and said source being in series connection with said electromagnetic device, said electrical switch and said variable resistor being operably connected to close said switch when the variable resistor is adjusted to provide minimum volume, wherein when said nonrecorded zone on said tape is at said magnetic head, said electromagnetic device is actuated to move said lever means through said lever driving means and thereby shift said tape cartridge from the playing position to the nonplaying position.