Automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus

Claim 2

An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus comprising a first cassette case for housing therein a plurality of cassettes yet to be played piled in a vertical stack of horizontally disposed cassettes, first moving means for taking one cassette after another from the bottom of said stack of cassettes yet to be played housed in said first cassette case and laterally moving the same to a predetermined playing position, a support member movable upwardly and downwardly for supporting the cassettes after they are taken out of said first case and moved laterally into said playing position by said first moving means, a pressing member adapted to press from above against said cassette supported by said support member, pressing means for causing said pressing member to press downwardly against said cassette, means for resiliently connecting said pressing member with said pressing means, said pressing means operating said pressing member through said resilient connecting means, means for successively playing the cassettes attached by said pressing member thereto, a second cassette case for housing therein a plurality of the cassettes after they have been played by said playing means, means for detecting the completion of playing of a cassette by said playing means, means for releasing said pressing member from engagement with the cassette in said playing position after completion of playing of the cassette has been detected by said detection means, second moving means operative in conjunction with said first moving means for laterally moving the played cassette from said playing position to said second cassette case at substantially the same time that said first moving means operates to move an as yet unplayed cassette laterally to said playing position, stopper means for rendering the apparatus inoperative, and means for operating said stopper means when there is no cassette on said support member and when said pressing member is moved below the height a cassette otherwise mounted on said support member would occupy.

Claim 3

The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising lever means for controlling the apparatus and taking three positions, said lever means starting the apparatus in the first position of said three positions, means for moving said lever means after the apparatus has been started to the second position of the three positions in which said lever means keep the apparatus playing, means for moving said lever means to the third position of the three positions in which said lever means operate said operating mechanism when there is no cassette on said support member, and means for designating the position of said lever means.

Claim 4

The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first moving means comprises a feed member adapted to engage the lowermost cassette in the stack of cassettes piled in said first cassette case and deliver the same to said support member and a delivery member adapted to engage the cassette supported by said support member and forward the same to said second cassette case; said detection means comprises a magnetic tape tension increase sensing member maintained in contact with a magnetic tape secured at its trailing end to the reel in the cassette and pivotally movable as the tension of the magnetic tape is increased when playing of the tape is completed, and means for actuating said first moving means by the pivotal movement of said sensing member; and said second cassette case has a push-up member for pushing and moving upwardly a cassette that has been moved thereto, and projecting support means for resiliently supporting a cassette pushed and Moved upwardly by said push-up member.

Claim 5

The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said first cassette case and said second cassette case are on opposite sides of said support member, and said playing means have a magnetic head, a tape advance member, and means for bringing said head and said tape advance member into engagement with the magnetic tape in said cassette in the playing position in which said cassette is pressed downwardly by said pressing means.

Claim 6

The automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said means for actuating said first moving means comprises a rotary control member for actuating the automatic changing mechanism, a motor driving said rotary control member, a clutch mechanism through which said motor drives said control member, a spring for biasing said clutch mechanism, and locking means for disengaging said clutch mechanism against the biasing force of said spring, said locking means being released from its locking position by the tape tension increase sensing member when said sensing member is actuated by an increase in the tension of the magnetic tape with which said sensing member is maintained in engagement at the termination of playing of the tape.

Claim 7

An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus, comprising: a first case for housing a plurality of horizontally disposed, vertically stacked cassettes containing magnetic tape on which reproducible signals are recorded; a playing region distinct from said first case in which a selected cassette from said first case may be mounted; reproducing means for reproducing said signals on the tape in said selected cassette; a cassette support member resiliently mounted for vertical movement in said playing region; first moving means for moving the lowermost of said vertically stacked cassettes laterally out of said first case and onto said support member in said playing region; drive means disposed in said playing region below said support member for driving the tape in said selected cassette operatively past said reproducing means; a pressing member having a principal component of motion in the vertical direction in said playing region, said pressing member contacting said selected cassette to urge it downwardly against the biasing action of the resiliently mounted cassette support member and into operative engagement with said drive means and reproducing means; pressing means resiliently connected to said pressing member for moving said pressing member downwardly into contact with said selected cassette; a second case for housing, in a horizontally disposed, vertically stacked arrangement, cassettes which have been ejected from said playing region; a vertically movable member disposed in said second case; first detecting means engaging the tape in said selected cassette and responsive to tension thereon for detecting the completion of play of the tape in said selected cassette; means for releasing said pressing member from engagement with said selected cassette upon the detection of completion of play by said first detecting means; second moving means operative in conjunction with said first moving means for laterally moving the first selected cassette out of said playing region and onto the vertically movable member in said second case at substantially the same time that said first moving member is operative to move a second selected cassette from said first case into said playing region; means for moving said vertically movable member in said second case upwardly to raise said first selected cassette within said second case; means for supporting said first selected cassette in said raised position to permit the entry of subsequently completed cassettes into said second case below said first selected cassette; second detecting means for detecting excess vertical movement of said pressing member below the height a cassette oTherwise mounted on said cassette support member would occupy when no cassette is disposed on said cassette support member in said playing region; and means for stopping the operation of said apparatus in response to the detection of the excess vertical movement of said pressing member by said further detecting means.

Claim 8

An automatic cassette changing and playing apparatus, comprising: a first case for housing a plurality of horizontally disposed, vertically stacked cassettes containing magnetic tape on which reproducible signals are recorded; a playing region distinct from said first case in which a selected cassette from said first case may be mounted; reproducing means for reproducing said signals on the tape in said selected cassette; a cassette support member resiliently mounted for vertical movement in said playing region; first moving means for moving the lowermost of said vertically stacked cassettes laterally out of said first case and onto said support member in said playing region; drive means disposed in said playing region below said support member for driving the tape in said selected cassette operatively past said reproducing means; a pressing member having a principal component of motion in the vertical direction in said playing region, said pressing member contacting said selected cassette to urge it downwardly against the biasing action of the resiliently mounted cassette support member and into operative engagement with said drive means and reproducing means; pressing means resiliently connected to said pressing member for moving said pressing member downwardly into contact with said selected cassette; a second case for housing, in a horizontally disposed, vertically stacked arrangement, cassettes which have been ejected from said playing region; a vertically movable member disposed in said second case; first detecting means engaging the tape in said selected cassette and responsive to tension thereon for detecting the completion of play of the tape in said selected cassette; means for releasing said pressing member from engagement with said selected cassette upon the detection of completion of play by said first detecting means; second moving means operative in conjunction with said first moving means for laterally moving the first selected cassette out of said playing region and onto the vertically movable member in said second case at substantially the same time that said first moving member is operative to move a second selected cassette from said first case into said playing region; means for moving said vertically movable member in said second case upwardly to raise said first selected cassette within said second case; means for supporting said first selected cassette in said raised position to permit the entry of subsequently completed cassettes into said second case below said first selected cassette; second detecting means for detecting excess vertical movement of said pressing member below the height a cassette oTherwise mounted on said cassette support member would occupy when no cassette is disposed on said cassette support member in said playing region; and means for stopping the operation of said apparatus in response to the detection of the excess vertical movement of said pressing member by said further detecting means.