Cartridge eject and tape head indexing actuator mechanism

Claim 2

In a cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable, multitrack tape cartridge and including a magnetic tape head for movement adjacent the tape to position the tape head with respect to the various tracks thereon, means for moving the tape head, and means actuable for ejecting the cartridge from the player, respectively, a magnetic tape head adjustment and cartridge eject actuator mechanism, comprising: first means movable between first and second positions, means resiliently biasing said first means to said first position, said first means actuating said cartridge eject means upon being moved to said second position, for ejecting said cartridge from said player, second means movable between first and second positions, means resiliently biasing said second means to said first position, said second means actuating said tape head moving means upon being moved to said second position, and control means movable from a neutral position in first and second directions, to move said first means to the cartridge eject actuating position and the second means to the tape head actuating position, respectively.

Claim 3

A magnetic tape head adjustment and cartridge eject actuator mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first means include an arm member mounted for pivotal movement and being spring biased toward said first position, said arm member engaging said cartridge eject means upon being moved from said first to said second position, wherein said second means include a second arm member mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot point common with that of said first mentioned arm member, and being spring biased toward said first position, and wherein said mechanism further includes contact means connected electrically to said tape head moving means said second arm member being engageable with said contact means in the second position to actuate said contact means for changing the position of the tape head with respect to said tape.

Claim 4

A magnetic tape head adjustment and cartridge eject actuator mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein the arm member of said first means is movable in a first direction and the arm member of said second means is movable in the opposite direction, and wherein said control means includes an elongated actuator member coupled to said arm members and movable in said first and second directions to move said arm members, respectively, as desired.

Claim 5

In a cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable, multi-track tape cartridge and including a magnetic tape head mounted for movement along a path adjacent the tape to index the tape head with respect to the various tracks thereon, means for moving said tape head along said path, a cartridge locking and ejector assembly including means engageable with a cartridge received in said player and movable from a first to a second position upon receipt of a cartridge into said player and from said second to said first position in accordance with the removal of said cartridge from said player and bistable force transmitting means connected to said means and operable to first and second stable states for maintaining the cartridge in the player when the cartridge is inserted thereinto and for ejecting the cartridge from the player, respectively, a magnetic tape head indexing and cartridge eject actuator assembly comprising: first and second arms each mounted for pivotal movement about a common pivot point, said first arm being spring biased to a first position and rotatable against said spring bias to a second position for engagement with said cartridge engaging means to actuate said bistable force transmitting means for ejecting said cartridge from said player, said second arm being spring biased to a first position and rotatable against said spring bias to a second position for operating said tape head moving means thereby to change the position of said tape head with respect to said tape, and a manually operable actuator member connected to said first and second arms and movable from a neutral position in one diRection to a first position for moving said first arm from said first to said second position, and movable in the opposite direction to move said second arm from said first to said second position.

Claim 6

In a cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable, multi-track tape cartridge and including a magnetic tape head mounted for movement along a path adjacent the tape to index the tape head with respect to the various tracks thereon, means for moving said tape head along said path, a cartridge locking and ejector assembly including means engageable with a cartridge received in said player and movable from a first to a second position upon receipt of a cartridge into said player and from said second to said first position in accordance with the removal of said cartridge from said player and bistable force transmitting means connected to said means and operable to first and second stable states for maintaining the cartridge in the player when the cartridge is inserted thereinto and for ejecting the cartridge from the player, respectively, a magnetic tape head indexing and cartridge eject actuator assembly comprising: first and second arms each mounted for pivotal movement about a common pivot point, said first arm being spring biased to a first position and rotatable against said spring bias to a second position for engagement with said cartridge engaging means to actuate said bistable force transmitting means for ejecting said cartridge from said player, said second arm being spring biased to a first position and rotatable against said spring bias to a second position for operating said tape head moving means thereby to change the position of said tape head with respect to said tape, and a manually operable actuator member connected to said first and second arms and movable from a neutral position in one diRection to a first position for moving said first arm from said first to said second position, and movable in the opposite direction to move said second arm from said first to said second position.

Claim 7

A magnetic tape head indexing and cartridge eject actuator assembly as claimed in claim 4 further including a pair of electrical contacts mounted for engagement by said second arm upon movement thereof from said first to said second position, wherein said tape head moving means is operated electrically and wherein said contacts are connected electrically to said tape head moving means, whereby operation of the contacts by said second arm actuates said tape head moving means to index said tape head with respect to said tape.

Claim 8

A cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable multi-track tape cartridge comprising, in combination; a magnetic tape head mounted for movement along a path adjacent the tape to position the tape head with respect to the various tracks on said tape; a tape head moving assembly for moving said tape head along said path; an electrically operated solenoid coupled to said tape head moving assembly for operation thereof; a cartridge locking and ejector assembly including linkage means, bistable force transmitting means coupled to said linkage means for biasing the latter to first and second stable positions and means coupled to said linkage means including a projection engageable with a cartridge inserted into said player and being responsive thereto to move said linkage means from said first stable position to actuate said bistable force transmitting means to bias said linkage means to said second stable position, said bistable force transmitting means being actuable to bias said linkage means from said second to said first stable state for ejecting said cartridge from said player; and cartridge eject and tape head indexing actuating means comprising; contact means electrically coupled to said solenoid, first and second arms mounted for pivotal movement about a common pivot point, each said arm being pivotal between first and second respective positions and each being resiliently biased to said first position, said first arm movable from said first to said second position for engagement with said linkage means for actuation of said bistable force transmitting means, thereby to move said linkage means from said second to said first stable position, whereby said cartridge is ejected from said player, and said second arm being movable from said first to said second position for actuation of said contact means to in turn operate said solenoid and tape head indexing assembly, and control means coupled to said first and second arms and movable from a neutral position to first and second positions for pivoting said first and second arms from said first to said second positions, respectively.

Claim 9

A cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable multi-track tape cartridge comprising, in combination; a magnetic tape head mounted for movement along a path adjacent the tape to position the tape head with respect to the various tracks on said tape; a tape head moving assembly for moving said tape head along said path; an electrically operated solenoid coupled to said tape head moving assembly for operation thereof; a cartridge locking and ejector assembly including linkage means, bistable force transmitting means coupled to said linkage means for biasing the latter to first and second stable positions and means coupled to said linkage means including a projection engageable with a cartridge inserted into said player and being responsive thereto to move said linkage means from said first stable position to actuate said bistable force transmitting means to bias said linkage means to said second stable position, said bistable force transmitting means being actuable to bias said linkage means from said second to said first stable state for ejecting said cartridge from said player; and cartridge eject and tape head indexing actuating means comprising; contact means electrically coupled to said solenoid, first and second arms mounted for pivotal movement about a common pivot point, each said arm being pivotal between first and second respective positions and each being resiliently biased to said first position, said first arm movable from said first to said second position for engagement with said linkage means for actuation of said bistable force transmitting means, thereby to move said linkage means from said second to said first stable position, whereby said cartridge is ejected from said player, and said second arm being movable from said first to said second position for actuation of said contact means to in turn operate said solenoid and tape head indexing assembly, and control means coupled to said first and second arms and movable from a neutral position to first and second positions for pivoting said first and second arms from said first to said second positions, respectively.

Claim 10

A cartridge type tape player as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control means includes a manually operated actuator rod movable in a first direction from the neutral to said first position and in the opposite direction from the neutral to said second position.

Claim 11

In an apparatus using an exchangeable, multi-track tape cartridge, including linkage means, overcenter spring means coupled to said linkage means for biasing the same to first and second stable positions and means coupled to said linkage means and being responsive to a cartridge inserted into the apparatus to move said linkage means from said first stable position to actuate said overcenter spring to bias said linkage means to said second stable position, cartridge eject actuating means for actuating said overcenter spring means to move said linkage means from said second to said first stable position, whereby said cartridge is ejected from said apparatus, said cartridge eject actuating means comprising an arm member mounted for movement between a first and second position, said arm member engaging said linkage means upon being moved from said first to said second position for actuating said ovErcenter spring means, thereby to eject said cartridge from said apparatus, means resiliently biasing said arm member to said first position, and control means coupled to said arm member for moving said arm member from said first to said second position against said biasing means.

Claim 12

In an apparatus using an exchangeable, multi-track tape cartridge, including linkage means, overcenter spring means coupled to said linkage means for biasing the same to first and second stable positions and means coupled to said linkage means and being responsive to a cartridge inserted into the apparatus to move said linkage means from said first stable position to actuate said overcenter spring to bias said linkage means to said second stable position, cartridge eject actuating means for actuating said overcenter spring means to move said linkage means from said second to said first stable position, whereby said cartridge is ejected from said apparatus, said cartridge eject actuating means comprising an arm member mounted for movement between a first and second position, said arm member engaging said linkage means upon being moved from said first to said second position for actuating said ovErcenter spring means, thereby to eject said cartridge from said apparatus, means resiliently biasing said arm member to said first position, and control means coupled to said arm member for moving said arm member from said first to said second position against said biasing means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further including a magnetic tape head mounted for movement along a path adjacent said tape cartridge to index the tape head with respect to the various tracks on the tape therein, electrically operated means for moving said magnetic tape head along said path, and magnetic tape head indexing actuator means for operating said electrically operated moving means, comprising an arm member mounted for movement adjacent said cartridge eject actuating arm member and being movable between first and second positions, contact means operable in response to the movement of said magnetic tape head indexing actuator arm member to said second position, and resilient biasing means biasing said last mentioned arm member to said first position, and wherein said control means is coupled to said magnetic tape head indexing actuator arm for movement thereof from said first to said second position.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said arm members are mounted for pivotal movement about a common pivot point and wherein said control means includes an actuator rod movable from a neutral to a first position in a first direction to operate said cartridge ejector actuating arm member and from said neutral to a second position in a second, opposite direction to actuate said magnetic tape head indexing actuator arm member.

Claim 15

A cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable, multi-track tape cartridge, comprising: means engageable with said cartridge upon insertion thereof into said player, said cartridge engaging means being movable from a first to a second position in response thereto, force transmitting means coupled to said cartridge engaging means and actuable to apply a force thereto to move said cartridge engaging means from said second to said first position for ejecting said cartridge from said player, and means for actuating said force transmitting means including an arm mounted for movement between first and second positions and resiliently biased toward said first position, said arm engaging said cartridge engaging means for actuation of said force transmitting means upon being moved from said first to said second position, and control means coupled to said arm for moving the latter from said first to said second position.

Claim 16

A cartridge type tape player using an exchangeable, multi-track tape cartridge, comprising: means engageable with said cartridge upon insertion thereof into said player, said cartridge engaging means being movable from a first to a second position in response thereto, force transmitting means coupled to said cartridge engaging means and actuable to apply a force thereto to move said cartridge engaging means from said second to said first position for ejecting said cartridge from said player, and means for actuating said force transmitting means including an arm mounted for movement between first and second positions and resiliently biased toward said first position, said arm engaging said cartridge engaging means for actuation of said force transmitting means upon being moved from said first to said second position, and control means coupled to said arm for moving the latter from said first to said second position.

Claim 17

A cartridge type tape player as claimed in claim 11 further including electrically operated tape playing instrumentalities and wherein said actuator means includes a second arm, said second arm and said first mentioned arm being mounted for pivotal movement about a common pivot point, said second arm being movable from a first to a second position and being resiliently biased toward said first position, and resilient contact means mounted for engagement by said second arm for actuation thereby upon moving said second arm from said first to said second position, said contact means being connected electrically to said tape playing instrumentalities for operation thereof, and wherein said control means comprises a member coupled to both said arms and movable from a neutral to a first position in one direction to move said first arm from said first to said second position and from said neutral to a second position in the opposite direction to move said second arm from said first to said second position.