Tape player utilizing plurality of endless magnetic tape cartridges

Claim 1

A tape player utilizing a plurality of endless magnetic tape cartridges, comprising: a rotatably provided container having a plurality of receptacles which radially accommodate a plurality of the cartridges therein in a planar array about the axis of rotation of said container such that the front edge of the cartridge projects at least from the periphery of the container; driving means for rotating said container for consecutively positioning said cartridges at a playing position; container latch means for retaining said container at a position where a cartridge is at said playing position; a slidable reciprocating deck carrying reproducing members including a capstan, and magnetic head for playing the cartridge in said playing position and movable in the plane of said cartridges toward and away from said front edge of a cartridge disposed in said playing position for respectively operatively engaging and disengaging the tape in said cartridge disposed in the playing position with said reproducing members, said deck being operable to be moved toward said front edge of a cartridge disposed in said playing position when said container is retained by said container latch means; at least one tension spring biasing said reciprocating deck in the direction away from said container; deck latch means for retaining the deck against the bias of said tension spring at a position where said cartridge in said playing position is played by said reproducing members; an electromagnetic plunger having an actuator, a supply of current for said plunger, said actuator being operable to be reciprocated in pulse fashion by control of the current supply to said plunger; means in said container latch means and said deck latch means engageable with said actuator, said container latch means and said deck latch means being operable to retain said container and deck, respectively, when said engageable means are engaged by said actuator; a control circuit for controlling the current supply to said electromagnetic plunger to actuate the same in pulse fashion such that said container latch means releases retention of said container and said deck latch means releases retention of said reciprocating deck, said reciprocating deck being moved by the bias of said tension spring in the direction away from the cartridge in said playing position when said deck latch means releases retention of said deck and said container being operable to be rotated by said driving means when said container latch means releases retention of said container; deck moving means for moving said reciprocating deck against the bias of said tension spring toward a cartridge in the playing position, said deck moving means including a swing lever swingably mounted on said deck, a frictional wheel rotatably provided on said swing lever, a rotary member rotatably mounted on said swing lever, speed reducing transmission means for transmitting the rotation of said frictional wheel at a reduced speed to said rotary member, and a stopping member for limiting movement of said rotary member when said deck is moved by the bias of said tension spring, said stopping member being operable when said deck is moved away from the playing position by the bias of said tension spring to swing said swing lever in the direction where said frictional wheel abuts against said capstan and is drivingly rotated thereby, said rotary member, when rotated by said frictional wheel, being operable in cooperation with said stopping member to move the deck against the bias of said tension spring to a position where said deck is retained by said deck latch means.