Cassette adapter

Claim 1

A cassette adapter for enabling playing a cassette in a cartridge player having a capstan for driving the tape of a cartridge inserted into the player, said cassette adapter comprising: a casing having the shape of a cartridge and including a receiving portion for receiving and holding a tape cassette therein; a first pinch roller mounted within said casing for being directly pressed against the capstan of the cartridge player for transmitting drive rotation from the capstan when the casing is inserted into the cartridge player; a shaft secured in said casing in a position to enter into a cassette and be positioned inside of a magnetic tape in the cassette when the cassette is received in said receiving portion; a second pinch roller having a diameter larger than the diameter of said shaft, said second pinch roller being mounted in said casing for being urged into contact with said shaft, with the tape interposed therebetween, for rotating said shaft and for advancing said tape; means for transmitting the rotation of said first pinch roller to said second pinch roller including an idler for contacting said second pinch roller; means displacably supporting said second pinch roller from said casing and urging the second pinch roller into pressing contact with said idler; a magnetic head for contacting the magnetic tape in the cassette; a sliding plate mounted in said casing and carrying said idler and said magnetic head, said sliding plate being slidable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the advancing direction of the tape; means for urging said sliding plate in a direction to move said idler away from said shaft; and locking means for releasably locking said sliding plate against the action of the force applied by said urging means in a position in which the axes of said idler, the second pinch roller and the shaft are disposed respectively at the apexes of a hypothetical triangle whereby said capstan can be driven in rotation from the idler through the second pinch roller; said second pinch roller entering, when the advance of the tape has been stopped at the end of the tape, into a space between said idler and said shaft due to increase of friction between said second pinch roller which is rotating and said tape which is at a standstill, thereby pushing said idler in a direction to move said idler away from said shaft and displace said sliding plate, said locking means being released by displacement of the sliding plate whereupon said sliding plate is displaced by said urging means in a direction to move said idler further away from said shaft, said second pinch roLler moving away from said shaft with said idler thereby stopping the driving of the tape.